West Wing Reads - How Team Trump is Keeping Drug Prices Down

How Team Trump is Keeping Drug Prices Down Most Americans like their health insurance—especially the 240 million on either Medicare or an employer-sponsored plan. Rather than kicking millions of Americans off their insurance with Medicare for All, President Donald J. Trump is reforming the healthcare system to keep costs down while protecting patient choice. “At some point, almost all Americans have been stuck with massive, unexpected medical bills or forced to make health decisions without real information or anyone to guide them,” HHS Secretary Alex Azar and White House Domestic Policy Council Director Joe Grogan write in the New York Post. “It’s one reason why President Trump signed an executive order last week to help you easily find the typical price — and what you would actually owe — for major health services before you have to purchase them,” they add. “President Trump has promised a better vision: a health care system that treats you like a person, not a number. He wants to hold providers and Big Pharma accountable.” Click here to read more. “President Trump has now gotten the US economic expansion to outlast any other in modern history,” the New York Post editorial board writes. By historical standards, even with the weak growth of the Obama era, the economy was overdue for a dip when Trump took office. “Yet it has instead remained pretty strong . . . Trump’s deregulation and tax cuts, each a stark reverse of Obama policies, changed the course.” “The Trump administration’s Peace to Prosperity plan for the West Bank and Gaza is sensible and offers the best hope for building sustainable economies in the region,” Columbia Business School economist Glenn Hubbard writes in The Wall Street Journal. If implemented, it would marshal $50 billion in investment over 10 years for the Palestinian people and neighboring Arab countries. “The White House’s new plan is based on two important economic observations. First, private business, not charity, is what drives prosperity. Second, Palestinian businesses need access to capital.” “By the left’s account you’d think the Trump Administration’s only ambition on health care is to rip insurance from the poor and sick. So note that a Health and Human Services rule finalized last month represents a dramatic expansion in health-care choices for those who may have limited insurance options,” The Wall Street Journaleditorial board writes. The new rule will allow employers to give workers tax-exempt dollars for purchasing health insurance in the individual market—another option the Obama Administration tried to limit through the Affordable Care Act. “The time is long overdue to usher in a new trade agreement with our North American neighbors. American businesses and workers have been forced to operate under a 20th century trade deal unfit for our 21st century economy,” Rep. Brad Wenstrup (R-OH) writes in The Columbus Dispatch. “Delaying consideration of USMCA tells our trading partners that we’re not serious about doing business with them.”

Office of the Press Secretary FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE July 2, 2019 President Donald J. Trump Announces Recipients of the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers   Today, President Donald J. Trump announced the recipients of the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE).  The PECASE is the highest honor bestowed by the United States Government to outstanding scientists and engineers who are beginning their independent research careers and who show exceptional promise for leadership in science and technology. Established in 1996, the PECASE acknowledges the contributions scientists and engineers have made to the advancement of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education and to community service as demonstrated by scientific leadership, public education, and community outreach.  The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy coordinates the PECASE with participating departments and agencies. Recipients of the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers listed by State, Research Institution, and Nominating Federal Agency: Alabama Martin Heimbeck, Army Materiel Command, Research Development and Engineering Command, Aviation and Missile Research Development and Engineering Command, Department of Defense Karolina Mukhtar, University of Alabama - Birmingham, National Science Foundation Alaska Elizabeth Siddon, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration National Marine Fisheries Service, Alaska Fisheries Science Center, Department of Commerce Arizona Jennifer Barilla, Arizona State University, National Aeronautics and Space Administration Lynn Carter, University of Arizona, National Aeronautics and Space Administration Sefaattin Tongay, Arizona State University, National Science Foundation Yuji Zhao, Arizona State University, Department of Defense Arkansas Hugh Churchill, University of Arkansas, Department of Defense California Félicie Albert, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Department of Energy Eiman Azim, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, Department of Health and Human Services Annemarie Baltay, Earthquake Science Center, Department of the Interior Laura Barge, National Aeronautics and Space Administration Jet Propulsion Laboratory, National Aeronautics and Space Administration Sanjay Basu, Stanford University, Department of Health and Human Services Scott Boyd, Stanford University School of Medicine, Department of Health and Human Services Daniel Casey, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Department of Energy Lynette Cegelski, Stanford University, National Science Foundation Eric Chang, San Diego VA Healthcare System, Department of Veterans Affairs Phillip Christopher, University of California - Riverside, Department of Defense Jim Ciston, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Department of Energy Anca Dragan, University of California - Berkeley, National Science Foundation Nathaniel Gabor, University of California - Riverside, Department of Defense Adriana Galván, University of California - Los Angeles, Department of Health and Human Services Jacklyn Gates, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Department of Energy Erika Hamden, California Institute of Technology, National Aeronautics and Space Administration Shafali Jeste, University of California - Los Angeles, Department of Health and Human Services Zachary Knight, University of California - San Francisco School of Medicine, Department of Health and Human Services Heather Knutson, California Institute of Technology, National Science Foundation Richard Kraus, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Department of Energy Javad Lavaei, University of California - Berkeley, Department of Defense Shiwoo Lee, National Energy Technology Laboratory, Department of Energy Percy Liang, Stanford University, Department of Defense Percy Liang, Stanford University, National Science Foundation Lin Lin, University of California - Berkeley, Department of Energy Christian Linder, Stanford University, National Science Foundation Darren Lipomi, University of California - San Diego, Department of Health and Human Services Thomas Maimone, University of California - Berkeley, National Science Foundation Suveen Mathaudhu, University of California - Riverside, National Science Foundation Austin Minnich, California Institute of Technology, Department of Defense Michelle Monje, Stanford University, Department of Health and Human Services James Olzmann, University of California - Berkeley, Department of Health and Human Services Arthur Pak, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Department of Energy Piya Pal, University of California - San Diego, Department of Defense Aaron Parsons, University of California - Berkeley, National Science Foundation Padmini Rangamani, University of California - San Diego, Department of Defense John Reager, National Aeronautics and Space Administration Jet Propulsion Laboratory, National Aeronautics and Space Administration Carolyn Rodriguez, Stanford University, Department of Health and Human Services Jonathan Sauder, National Aeronautics and Space Administration Jet Propulsion Laboratory, National Aeronautics and Space Administration Monika Schleier-Smith, Stanford University, Department of Defense David Smith, National Aeronautics and Space Administration Ames Research Center, National Aeronautics and Space Administration Jenny Suckale, Stanford University, Department of Defense Thomas Vidick, California Institute of Technology, National Science Foundation Aaron Wech, Volcano Science Center, Department of the Interior Gordon Wetzstein, Stanford University, Department of Defense Heather Wright, Volcano Science Center, Department of the Interior Andrea Young, University of California - Santa Barbara, Department of Defense Matei Zaharia, Stanford University, National Science Foundation Jamil Zaki, Stanford University, National Science Foundation Wenjun Zhang, University of California - Berkeley, Department of Health and Human Services Colorado Brian Ebel, National Research Program, Department of the Interior Andrew Hoell, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research Earth System Research Laboratory, Department of Commerce Brian McDonald, Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences, Department of Commerce Celestine Mercer, Central Mineral and Environmental Resources Science Center, Department of the Interior Sean Parks, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Department of Agriculture Andrew Rollins, University of Colorado - Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Science, Department of Commerce Timothy Silverman, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Department of Energy Eric Toberer, Colorado School of Mines, National Science Foundation Michael Wagner, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Department of Energy Connecticut Marie Coppola, University of Connecticut, National Science Foundation Elena Gracheva, Yale University School of Medicine, Department of Health and Human Services Mary-Louise Timmermans, Yale University, National Science Foundation Fengnian Xia, Yale University, National Science Foundation Delaware Stephanie Law, University of Delaware - Newark, Department of Energy Florida David Clark, Malcom Randall VA Medical Center, Department of Veterans Affairs Patricia Dalyander, St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center, Department of the Interior Domenic Forte, University of Florida, Department of Defense Aysegul Gunduz, University of Florida, National Science Foundation Gioia Massa, Kennedy Space Center, National Aeronautics and Space Administration Erinn Muller, Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium, National Science Foundation Maitane Olabarrieta, University of Florida, National Science Foundation Melissa Soldevilla, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Fisheries Southeast Fisheries Science Center, Department of Commerce Georgia Dhruv Batra, Georgia Institute of Technology, Department of Defense Mark Davenport, Georgia Institute of Technology, National Science Foundation Anne Marie France, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Department of Health and Human Services Emily Haas, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Department of Health and Human Services Christopher Jett, University of West Georgia, National Science Foundation Paula Lemons, University of Georgia, National Science Foundation Matthew Maenner, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Department of Health and Human Services Matthew McDowell, Georgia Institute of Technology, Department of Defense Lucy McNamara, National Center for Infectious Diseases, Department of Health and Human Services Subbian Panayampalli, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Department of Health and Human Services Oduyebo Titilope, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Department of Health and Human Services Binnian Wei, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Department of Health and Human Services Hawaii Michelle Barbieri, Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center, Department of Commerce Lana Garmire, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Department of Health and Human Services Idaho Vivek Agarwal, Idaho National Laboratory, Department of Energy Krzysztof Gofryk, Idaho National Laboratory, Department of Energy Tara Hudiburg, University of Idaho, National Science Foundation Christopher Zarzana, Idaho National Laboratory, Department of Energy Illinois Gaurav Bahl, University of Illinois - Urbana-Champaign, Department of Defense Timothy Berkelbach, University of Chicago, Department of Defense Matthew Dietrich, Argonne National Laboratory, Department of Energy Danna Freedman, Northwestern University, National Science Foundation Henry Hoffmann, University of Chicago, Department of Energy Pinshane Huang, University of Illinois - Urbana-Champaign, Department of Defense Prashant Jain, University of Illinois - Urbana-Champaign, National Science Foundation Daniel Llano, University of Illinois - Urbana-Champaign, Department of Health and Human Services Mar Reguant, Northwestern University, National Science Foundation Julia Shelton, University of Illinois - Urbana-Champaign, Department of Energy Kelly Stephani, University of Illinois - Urbana-Champaign, National Aeronautics and Space Administration Abigail Vieregg, University of Chicago, National Aeronautics and Space Administration Joel Voss, Northwestern University, Department of Health and Human Services Jason Wertheim, Jesse Brown VA Medical Center, Department of Veterans Affairs Indiana Amanda Hummon, University of Notre Dame, National Science Foundation Rebecca Kramer, Purdue University, National Aeronautics and Space Administration Mary Murphy, Indiana University, National Science Foundation Megan Thielges, Indiana University - Bloomington, National Science Foundation Pinar Zorlutuna, University of Notre Dame, National Science Foundation Iowa Heather Allen, National Animal Disease Center, Department of Agriculture Jeremy Greenlee, University of Iowa, Department of Health and Human Services Kansas Alexandre Shvartsburg, Wichita State University, National Science Foundation Kentucky Christina Payne, University of Kentucky Research Foundation, National Science Foundation Maryland Giada Arney, Goddard Space Flight Center, National Aeronautics and Space Administration Rodney Blakestad, Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity, Intelligence Community Christopher Boehnen, Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity, Intelligence Community John Brognard, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services Sean Carrick, National Security Agency, Intelligence Community Edwin Chan, National Institute of Standards and Technology Material Measurement Laboratory, Department of Commerce Jo Anne Crouch, Systematic Mycology and Microbiology Laboratory, Department of Agriculture Kristin DeWitt, Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity, Intelligence Community Shawn Domagal-Goldman, Goddard Space Flight Center, National Aeronautics and Space Administration Darrell Gaskin, Johns Hopkins University, Department of Health and Human Services Candice Gerstner, National Security Agency, Intelligence Community Donna Gogerdchi, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Department of Health and Human Services Seth Goldstein, Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity, Intelligence Community Silvana Goldszmid, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services Alexey Gorshkov, National Institute of Standards and Technology Physical Measurement Laboratory, Department of Commerce Behrang Hamadani, National Institute of Standards and Technology Engineering Laboratory, Department of Commerce Christopher Hourigan, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services Chandra Jackson, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services Alexis Jeannotte, Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity, Intelligence Community Christopher Jewell, University of Maryland - College Park, National Science Foundation Stephen Jordan, National Institute of Standards and Technology Information Technology Laboratory, Department of Commerce Kathryn Keenan, National Institute of Standards and Technology Physical Measurement Laboratory, Department of Commerce Jonas Kibelbek, National Security Agency, Intelligence Community Nathan Lazarus, U.S. Army Research Laboratory, Department of Defense David Long, National Institute of Standards and Technology Material Measurement Laboratory, Department of Commerce David Markowitz, Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity, Intelligence Community Jennifer Martinez, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services Katherine McJunkin, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services Katelyn Meixner, National Security Agency, Intelligence Community Elijah Petersen, National Institute of Standards and Technology Material Measurement Laboratory, Department of Commerce Adam Phillippy, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services Franklyn Quinlan, National Institute of Standards and Technology Physical Measurement Laboratory, Department of Commerce Ashley Ruth, U.S. Army Communications-Electronics Research, Development and Engineering Center, Department of Defense Rebecca Schulman, Johns Hopkins University, Department of Energy Laura Sinclair, National Institute of Standards and Technology Physical Measurement Laboratory, Department of Commerce Jennifer Stern, Goddard Space Flight Center, National Aeronautics and Space Administration Anish Thomas, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services Varun Verma, National Institute of Standards and Technology Physical Measurement Laboratory, Department of Commerce Sean Weaver, National Security Agency, Intelligence Community Catherine Weisz, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services Massachusetts Joseph Checkelsky, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Defense Kwanghun Chung, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Health and Human Services Sarah Collins, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Department of Health and Human Services Felipe Fregni, Harvard Medical School, Department of Health and Human Services Eric Greer, Harvard Medical School, Department of Health and Human Services John Harris, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Department of Health and Human Services Nathaniel Hendren, Harvard University, National Science Foundation Amy Janes, Harvard Medical School, Department of Health and Human Services Yen-Jie Lee, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Energy Benedetto Marelli, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Defense Steve Ramierz, Harvard University, Department of Health and Human Services Barna Saha, University of Massachusetts - Amherst, National Science Foundation Tracy Slatyer, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Energy Cara Stepp, Boston University, National Science Foundation Yogesh Surendranath, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Defense Conor Walsh, Harvard University, Department of Defense Conor Walsh, Harvard Medical School, Department of Health and Human Services Jessica Whited, Harvard Medical School, Department of Health and Human Services Michigan Christine Aidala, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor, National Science Foundation Eric Anderson, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory, Department of Commerce Joanne Kahlenberg, University of Michigan Medical School, Department of Health and Human Services Colter Mitchell, University of Michigan, Department of Health and Human Services Corinna Schindler, University of Michigan, National Science Foundation Moriah Thomason, Wayne State University, Department of Health and Human Services Minnesota Melena Bellin, University of Minnesota, Department of Health and Human Services Bharat Jalan, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities, Department of Defense Dominik Schillinger, University of Minnesota, National Science Foundation Mississippi William Heard, United States Army Corps of Engineers Engineer Research and Development Center, Department of Defense Montana Erik Grumstrup, Montana State University, Department of Energy John McCutcheon, University of Montana, National Science Foundation Nevada Angela Pannier, University of Nebraska - Lincoln, Department of Health and Human Services Marilyne Stains, University of Nebraska - Lincoln, National Science Foundation Marylesa Howard, Nevada National Security Site, Department of Energy New Hampshire Xia Zhou, Dartmouth College, National Science Foundation New Jersey Amir Ahmadi, Princeton University, National Science Foundation Jinglin Fu, Rutgers University - Camden, Department of Defense James Hing, Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, Department of Defense Han Liu, Princeton University, National Science Foundation Arvind Narayanan, Princeton University, National Science Foundation Alejandro Rodriguez, Princeton University, National Science Foundation Jeff Thompson, Princeton University, Department of Defense Jessica Ware, Rutgers University - Newark, National Science Foundation Saman Zonouz, Rutgers University, National Science Foundation New Mexico Salvatore Campione, Sandia National Laboratories, Department of Energy Jennifer Gillette, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Department of Health and Human Services Matthew Gomez, Sandia National Laboratories, Department of Energy Abigail Hunter, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Department of Energy Shea Mosby, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Department of Energy Paul Schmit, Sandia National Laboratories, Department of Energy Irina Tezaur, Sandia National Laboratories, Department of Energy New York Luis Campos, Columbia University, National Science Foundation Cory Dean, Columbia University, National Science Foundation Thomas Hartman, Cornell University, Department of Energy Blair Johnson, University at Buffalo, Department of Defense Jennifer Kao-Kniffin, Cornell University, Department of Agriculture Joanna Kiryluk, Stony Brook University, National Science Foundation Qiang Lin, University of Rochester, National Science Foundation Sandeep Mallipattu, Stony Brook School of Medicine, Department of Health and Human Services Ian Maze, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Department of Health and Human Services Kristin Myers, Columbia University, National Science Foundation Priya Rajasethupathy, Rockefeller University, Department of Health and Human Services Neville Sanjana, New York Genome Center, Department of Health and Human Services Jason Sheltzer, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Department of Health and Human Services Rebecca Slayton, Cornell University, National Science Foundation Linwei Wang, Rochester Institute of Technology, National Science Foundation Roseanna Zia, Cornell University, Department of Defense Roseanna Zia, Cornell University, National Science Foundation North Carolina Ron Alterovitz, University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill, Department of Health and Human Services Lorena Bociu, North Carolina State University, National Science Foundation Michael Boyce, Duke University School of Medicine, Department of Health and Human Services Nicolas Cassar, Duke University, National Science Foundation Hsiao-Ying Shadow Huang, North Carolina State University, National Science Foundation James LeBeau, North Carolina State University, Department of Defense Lilian Pierce, Duke University, National Science Foundation Spencer Smith, University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill, Department of Health and Human Services Tracey Yap, Duke University, Department of Health and Human Services North Dakota Sara Lupton, Red River Valley Agricultural Research Center, Department of Agriculture Ohio Jennifer Carter, Case Western Reserve University, National Science Foundation Reginald Cooper, Air Force Research Laboratory Sensors Directorate, Department of Defense Philip Feng, Case Western Reserve University, National Science Foundation Daniel Garmann, Air Force Research Laboratory, Department of Defense Evan Pineda, National Aeronautics and Space Administration Glenn Research Center, National Aeronautics and Space Administration Griffin Romigh, Air Force Research Lab 711th HPW/RHCB, Department of Defense Kelly Wrighton, Ohio State University - Columbus, Department of Energy Chuan Xue, Ohio State University, National Science Foundation Oklahoma Jeffrey Snyder, Cooperative Institute for Mesoscale Meteorology, Department of Commerce Oregon David Bell, Pacific Northwest Research Station, Department of Agriculture Karen Thompson, Oregon State University, Department of Education Pennsylvania Yuejie Chi, Carnegie-Mellon University, Department of Defense Walid Gellad, VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System, Department of Veterans Affairs Douglas Kauffman, National Energy Technology Laboratory, Department of Energy Po-Shen Loh, Carnegie-Mellon University, National Science Foundation Kin Fai Mak, Pennsylvania State University, Department of Defense Jordan Musser, National Energy Technology Laboratory, Department of Energy Edward O'Brien, Pennsylvania State University, National Science Foundation Tak-Sing Wong, Pennsylvania State University, National Science Foundation Christopher Wright, Drexel University, National Science Foundation                Rhode Island Robert Hernandez, Naval Undersea Warfare Center Division - Newport, Department of Defense Sohini Ramachandran, Brown University, Department of Health and Human Services Anita Shukla, Brown University, Department of Defense South Carolina Suzanne Adlof, University of South Carolina, Department of Education Mark Blenner, Clemson University, National Aeronautics and Space Administration Tennessee  David Cullen, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Department of Energy Meenakshi Madhur, Vanderbilt University, Department of Health and Human Services Katharine Page, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Department of Energy Texas Whitney Behr, University of Texas - Austin, National Science Foundation Timothy Burchfield, University of Texas - Dallas, Intelligence Community Namkee Choi, University of Texas - Austin, Department of Health and Human Services James Howison, University of Texas - Austin, National Science Foundation Todd Humphreys, University of Texas - Austin, National Science Foundation Katherine King, Baylor College of Medicine, Department of Health and Human Services Sarah Powell, University of Texas - Austin, Department of Education Candace Walkington, Southern Methodist University, Department of Education Matthew Walsh, University of Texas - Arlington, National Science Foundation David Zhang, Rice University, Department of Health and Human Services Tricia Zucker, University of Texas Medical School - Houston, Department of Education Utah Idalis Villanueva, Utah State University, National Science Foundation Virginia Elizabeth Bernstein, National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, Intelligence Community Benjamin Castleman, University of Virginia, Department of Education Nitya Kallivayalil, University of Virginia, National Science Foundation Hak Jae Kim, National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, Intelligence Community Matthew Kirwan, College of William and Mary Virginia Institute of Marine Science, National Science Foundation Matthew Klaric, National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, Intelligence Community Frances Lacagnina, National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, Intelligence Community Richard Moore, Langley Research Center, National Aeronautics and Space Administration Nedal Nassar, National Minerals Information Center, Department of the Interior Megan O'Rourke, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Department of Agriculture Yolanda Shea, Langley Research Center, National Aeronautics and Space Administration Justin Stevens, College of William and Mary, Department of Energy Katharine Tibbetts, Virginia Commonwealth University, Department of Defense Alexis Truitt, National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, Intelligence Community Megan Wawro, Virginia Polytechnic & State University, National Science Foundation Washington Steven Brunton, University of Washington, Department of Defense Alvin Cheung, University of Washington, Department of Energy Jiun-Haw Chu, University of Washington, Department of Defense Kory Lavine, Washington University School of Medicine, Department of Health and Human Services Sara Lindstroem, University of Washington, Department of Health and Human Services Elizabeth Nance, University of Washington, Department of Health and Human Services Laura Prugh, University of Washington, National Science Foundation Kevin Schneider, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Department of Energy Washington, D.C. Brandon Cochenour, Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, Department of Defense Adam Dunkelberger, U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, Department of Defense Carlie LaLone, Environmental Protection Agency, Environmental Protection Agency Chunlei Liang, George Washington University, National Science Foundation Jon Sobus, Environmental Protection Agency, Environmental Protection Agency Volker Sorger, George Washington University, Department of Defense Kristina Teixeira, Smithsonian Institution, Smithsonian Institution Wisconsin Jonathan Engle, University of Wisconsin – Madison, Department of Energy Jeffrey Lorch, National Wildlife Health Center, Department of the Interior Erika Marin-Spiotta, University of Wisconsin, National Science Foundation Xudong Wang, University of Wisconsin – Madison, Department of Health and Human Services Victor Zavala, University of Wisconsin – Madison, Department of Energy Wyoming Jeff Clune, University of Wyoming, National Science Foundation

1600 Daily The White House • July 2, 2019 President Trump Signs $4.6 Billion in Humanitarian Border Assistance

The White House • July 2, 2019 President Trump signs $4.6 billion in humanitarian border assistance  President Donald J. Trump signed a bill yesterday evening that will deliver $4.6 billion in emergency funding for humanitarian aid and security at our southern border. “For many weeks, Democrats were giving us a hard time,” the President said from the Oval Office. But in the end, “it became a bipartisan bill. We were very happy about it.” The bill provides desperately needed funding for America’s immigration law enforcement officers and includes resources for medical care, shelters, and increased housing for minors through the Department of Health and Human Services. But the package is only a short-term remedy, not a long-term solution to our border crisis. Something to share: Border Patrol agents thwart human smuggling attempt “This is a humane solution to a tremendous problem that’s caused because we have bad immigration laws, and we can solve that problem very, very quickly if we could get together with the Democrats,” President Trump said. “It shouldn’t be this way. We’re the only ones in the world that have a system like this. It’s absolutely insane, our system of immigration.” America’s broken asylum laws have fueled an unprecedented surge at the border that has stretched our immigration facilities to the breaking point. If the current pace holds, more than 1 million illegal immigrants will be apprehended trying to enter the United States this year—more than the population of seven U.S. states. Among the biggest of these loopholes comes from the Flores settlement agreement. Those terms, coupled with additional rulings from activist judges, have forced immigration officials to release alien families into the American interior after only a short period of time in detention. The result is a free pass for anyone arriving at the U.S. border with a minor, leading children to be exploited as a means of beating the system. U.S. officials, including President Trump, have been warning for more than a year about people using abducted or abandoned children to pose as family units and gain entry into the United States—“a claim that critics said was overblown,” Wendy Fry of The San Diego Union-Tribune reports. “But now, authorities in Tijuana are warning migrant mothers to keep their children close by and supervised.” “I can’t go to work because I can’t take my eyes off my boys,” a Honduran mother said. “They want to rob our kids so they can cross into the United States.” Although Congressional Democrats continue to block any legislation addressing these long-term drivers of dangerous illegal immigration, signs of progress are beginning to break through. As of today, nearly three-quarters of Americans say the situation at the southern border with Mexico is a crisis, according to a new CNN poll. “Back in January, just 23% of Democrats called it a crisis as President Donald Trump took that line,” Jennifer Agiesta reports. “Now, 70% of Democrats see the situation at the border as a crisis.” In photos: Border Patrol agents save a 13-year-old who was drowning in the Rio Grande. Better late than never: Top Democrats Declared Border Crisis ‘Fake’ Over Past Year Photo of the Day Official White House Photo by Joyce N. Boghosian President Donald J. Trump signs H.R. 3401, the Emergency Supplemental Appropriations for Humanitarian Assistance and Security at the Southern Border Act of 2019, in the Oval Office | July 1, 2019

residential Message on the 55th Anniversary of the Civil Rights Act of 1964

Office of the Press Secretary FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE July 2, 2019  Presidential Message on the 55th Anniversary of the Civil Rights Act of 1964   On this day 55 years ago, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed into law the Civil Rights Act of 1964, outlawing discrimination based on race, religion, sex, or national origin.  Today, we celebrate this monumental legislation and recommit ourselves to the noble mission of advancing equality, justice, and freedom. The United States was founded on the fundamental truth that all people are created equal and endowed by their Creator with the rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.  The passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 more than a half century ago helped further enshrine this into our law.  As Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., who advocated for the passage of the Act, and who was present when President Johnson signed it into law, once said: “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”  The Civil Rights Act of 1964 has helped to minimize that threat every day since its enactment. As we commemorate this historic milestone, my Administration continues to work to ensure that all Americans have an equal opportunity to pursue the American Dream.  Thanks to our economic policies, unemployment rates among African Americans and other minorities have reached historic lows.  We are also making significant strides in reforming our Nation’s criminal justice system so that those who have served their time are given a second chance to become productive, contributing members of our society.  Last year, I was proud to sign into law the FIRST STEP Act, which made our system fairer through sentencing reforms for non-violent offenders and providing all inmates a chance at redemption through recidivism-reducing programming such as vocational training, education, mental healthcare, and mentorship. On the 55th anniversary of the enactment of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, we vow, as one Nation under God, always to strive for a more just society.  Together, united by the bonds of justice, we will ensure America remains a land of liberty, hope, and opportunity for generations to come. ###

Office of the Press Secretary FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE July 1, 2019 Statement from the Press Secretary Regarding Attack in Kabul The United States condemns in the strongest terms today’s heinous terrorist attack, claimed by the Taliban, in which Afghan civilians and security personnel were killed and severely wounded. The attack involved a vehicle bombing and gun assault on an Afghan defense facility, also damaging nearby civic and cultural centers and a primary school, injuring dozens of young children. This brazen attack demonstrates the Taliban’s callous disregard for their fellow Afghans, who have repeatedly voiced the urgency of finding a peaceful resolution to the conflict.

REMARKS BY PRESIDENT TRUMP AT SIGNING OF H.R. 3401, THE “EMERGENCY SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATIONS FOR HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE AND SECURITY AT THE SOUTHERN BORDER ACT, 2019”

Office of the Press Secretary FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE July 1, 2019 REMARKS BY PRESIDENT TRUMP AT SIGNING OF H.R. 3401, THE “EMERGENCY SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATIONS FOR HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE AND SECURITY AT THE SOUTHERN BORDER ACT, 2019” Oval Office 4:54 P.M. EDT THE PRESIDENT:  Well, thank you very much.  We just finished a signing, a very important signing, of the Taxpayer First Bill, the IRS Taxpayer First, which is a tremendous thing for our citizens, having to do with the IRS.  It streamlines, and so many other changes made.  So, that was just done and signed, and it’s been made into law.  So we’re all set on that. And today, I’m signing a bill to deliver $4.6 billion in humanitarian assistance to our southern border.  This includes funding for medical care, shelters, and increased housing for minors through the Department of Health and Human Services.  And Secretary Azar is here with us and with our Vice President and with some of our great congressmen.  We appreciate it.  Thank you very much.  Thank you. For many weeks, Democrats were giving us a hard time.  But I tell you, it became a bipartisan bill.  We were very happy about it.  And now, what we want to do is we have to do a bill for border security, and all of this will go away. I want to thank Mexico because Mexico is doing a lot right now.  They have almost 20,000 soldiers between the two borders.  They have 6,000 on their southern border by Guatemala.  And they have about 16,000 -- 15, 16,000 at our southern border.  And the numbers are way down for the last week because this just took place over the last few days, over the last week.  And it’s way down, as you can imagine. But we have to do a bill on border security.  And we can solve the problem entirely at our border.  The wall is being built.  But unfortunately, we had a very bad case from the Ninth Circuit, as usual.  A Ninth Circuit judge -- and I say that loud and clear -- it’s very hard to win at the Ninth Circuit, if not impossible.  He ruled against something that, in my opinion, was a terrible error.  And it really affected the construction of part of our wall. And much of it is being build.  Most of it is being built.  But it had an impact.  These were contracts that were out.  They were being built and now we’re supposed to stop because a judge decided, in his own whim, that he wanted to stop it.  So we appealed it, and we’re asking for an expedited appeal. But again, much of the wall is being built.  We had it all being built, and the Ninth Circuit, as usual, came through for the other side.  And it’s an incredible situation we have going.  There’s something wrong with this.  Where something like this can happen, it’s not a good situation. Anyway, we’re asking Congress to step forward on border security and help us with border security.  If we do that, it’s going to be perfect because the Mexicans have done a fantastic job, and I want to thank the President of Mexico.  And they’ve done this over the last week and a half.  It started at the other border, and now it’s at our border and it’s had a very big impact.  You’ll see the numbers come out.  You probably have to wait three or four weeks, but you’ll see there’s a tremendous difference. And most importantly, we must eliminate all incentives for smuggling children and for smuggling women.  They’re smuggling women through borders and the borders that don’t have the wall, or the borders where you can’t physically have security because it’s so many miles.  You know, we have 2,000 miles of border. So they’re smuggling in women and they’re smuggling in children.  And they’re using the children, in particular, as pawns, who are getting other people into our country.  Because when you’re with a child, even if the child is not yours -- which in itself is ridiculous -- then it’s much easier to come across and come into our country because the laws are very bad.  Our immigration laws are very bad.    And right now, smugglers coach migrants to travel with minors and to send minors alone to gain easy entry into the United States.  Catch-and-release must stop.  DHS must have the authority to humanely return minors to be with their families in their home countries.  It’s, right now, a situation where nobody knows what they’re doing because our laws are so bad and it can be changed in -- I always say 15 minutes; make it an hour.  It’s very simple.  These changes are very simple.  It's changes to the asylum.  If we change asylum, we can have 75 percent of it done.  The rest has to be done on the loopholes. Vast migrations out of Central America undermine the future of those countries.  And these countries now -- they want their children back.  They’re actually wanting their children back. As you know, I stopped hundreds of millions of dollars from going to Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador because they haven’t been doing what they should be doing.  Caravans have been forming, but now the caravans are being stopped by Mexico. And again, we want to thank Mexico, but the caravans that formed are being stopped by Mexico, short of our southern border, and in many cases, before they even get out of Guatemala.  But I’m hearing that Guatemala is starting to help us a lot.  But we’re not paying them all of the money.  We used to pay them over $500 million a year.  I stopped that money from going to them.  Some people think it should be the opposite: We should give them money.  I don’t think they were doing what they could do, and therefore I stopped it.  And at some point, maybe if they do a great job -- and the job they're supposed to -- we can be talking.  But right now, it's disgraceful what's happening.      And Congress and the Democrats have to step forward to provide humane solutions to put child smugglers out of business.  You have child smugglers by the hundreds -- and, actually, probably by the thousands -- and they're becoming very rich because our laws are so bad.  And they have to restore the integrity of the United States' asylum system.      Without these changes, more than 1 million immigrants will arrive at the borders this year, many of them lodging frivolous asylum claims.  And that's what they do to gain access into the country: they lodge claims on asylum.  And they're totally bogus claims.      We apprehend these people.  But because of catch-and-release, we have to apprehend them, take their names, sometimes bring them to court.  Sometimes they're criminals; oftentimes they have to be released.  But they're all coming out of the country because that's what we do. After July 4th, a lot of people are going to be brought back out.  So people that come up may be here for a short while, but they're going to be going -- they're going back to their countries.  They go back home.      ICE is going to be apprehending them and bringing them back.  And we have a very big system for that, and it's been very effective and it will be very effective.      So they may feel -- and you may read -- that they came across.  And because of the ridiculous laws of catch-and-release, which I call not a law; I call it a loophole.  You release them, but they go back.  They get caught.  They come in illegally and they go out legally.  Very simple system.      Most border crossers never show up in court.  They never come.  About 3 percent show up.  Nobody even knows why they show up.  But only 3 percent show up. But we are apprehending them, and we bring them out of the country.  In some cases, they're criminals and, ideally, we want them to use the other country's criminal justice system because we don't want to load up our prisoners any -- our prisons any more than they're already loaded up.      So that's it in a nutshell.  It's $4.6 billion.  It was bipartisan.  It was done in a bipartisan manner.  We all got together.      This is a humane solution to a tremendous problem that's caused because we have bad immigration laws, and we can solve that problem very, very quickly if we could get together with the Democrats.  The problem is the Democrats actually like this system because it's open borders.      Now, we don't allow it to be open borders because we're apprehending and we're doing a great job.  Border Patrol has been incredible.  Law enforcement has been incredible.  And ICE has been incredible.      But it shouldn’t be this way.  It shouldn't be this way.  We're the only ones in the world that have a system like this.  It's absolutely insane, our system of immigration. And the reason they come up is because our economy is doing so well. I just got back, as you know, from Japan and from South Korea.  Met with many of the countries -- the G20.  So you had the biggest countries.  And it was incredible.  Everybody greeted me with congratulations on how well we're doing with our economy.  We have the number-one economy in the world.  And a lot of that is tax cuts.  A lot of it is regulation cuts.  And thank you, Kevin, and the group.  I will tell you, it's -- Patrick, thank you very much.  And, Mike, thank you very much.  And everybody. Because of the tax cuts, our economy is the hottest in the world.  If we didn't have them -- we were paying up -- companies were paying the highest tax rates in the world, just about.  In many cases, the highest.  And now we have them at the low level.  Not the lowest, but we have them at the low level, at 21 percent.  And because of that, they're coming in.  New companies are being formed. But we have many, many companies that left our country and they're now coming back.  Especially the automobile business.  We have auto plants being built all over the country.  We went decades and no plant was built.  No plant was even expanded. And in leaving Japan, I was with Prime Minister Abe and he was telling me they have many more companies now that are moving to the United States and building plants in Michigan and Ohio, and North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida -- different states all over the country.  And it's pretty amazing because we didn't have any.  I mean, we had no expansions, and now we have a lot of expansion. So we are signing this now, and it's an honor to sign it.  And if we could do border security along with it, or follow it up shortly, everybody would be extremely happy. (The bill is signed.)  I want to thank Secretary Azar who's doing an incredible job, considering that the decks are really stacked against him.  The cards are not good, and yet the job your people are doing is incredible.  You know, we're not in the hospital business.  We're in the border security business at the border.  And all of a sudden, we're forced to be in the hospital business. And again, they're coming up because they want a piece of what's happening in this country.  They want the economy.  They want the jobs.  They're not coming up, for the most part, for other reasons.  They're coming up because they want the jobs. And we want them, but we want them to come in legally through a process.  And we want them to come in based on merit.  So the merit is very important. And there you have your bill.  Thank you very much. Q    Mr. President, any message to Iran?      THE PRESIDENT:  No.  No message to Iran.  They know what they’re doing.  They know what they're playing with.  And I think they're playing with fire.  So, no message to Iran whatsoever.      Q    Any reaction to the protests in Hong Kong today?      THE PRESIDENT:  In Hong Kong?  I just hope it gets solved.  I was with President Xi of China.  We had a great talk, a great discussion.  We're talking about doing something.  And we've talked about it briefly, but that's very sad.  I've rarely seen a protest like that.  It's very sad to see.      Q    Will you be delaying the census, Mr. President?      THE PRESIDENT:  Where?      Q    Will you be delaying the census for the Supreme Court ruling on the census question?      THE PRESIDENT:  Yeah, we're looking at that.  We think that a census -- obviously, if you do all of this work and you're talking about -- nobody can believe this, but they spend billions of dollars on the census, and you're not allowed to ask?  You don’t knock on doors of houses, check houses?  You go through all this detail and you're not allowed to ask whether or not somebody is a citizen?  So you can ask other things, but you can't ask whether or not somebody is a citizen?      So we are trying to do that.  We're looking at that very strongly.      Q    And why -- oh, I'm sorry, if I could follow up.  Why do you think it's so important that that question be asked on the census?      THE PRESIDENT:  I think it's very important -- to find out if somebody is a citizen as opposed to an illegal?  I think there's a big difference, to me, between being a citizen of the United States and being an illegal.  And, you know, the Democrats want to treat the illegals, with healthcare and with other things, better than they treat the citizens of our country.      If you look at a coal miner that has black lung disease, you're talking about people that get treated better than the coal miner.  And these people got sick working for the United States.  And we treated people that just walked in better.      If you look at what they're doing in California, how they're treating people, they don’t treat their people as well as they treat illegal immigrants.  So at what point does it stop?  It's crazy what they're doing.  It's crazy.  And it's mean, and it's very unfair to our citizens.  And we're going to stop it, but we may need an election to stop it, and we may need to get back the House.      Yes.      Q    Mr. President, when will the round of trade talks with China begin, after your agreement over the weekend?      THE PRESIDENT:  It's already begun.      Q    Are they meeting already?      THE PRESIDENT:  Yeah, already begun.  They're speaking very much on the phone, but they're also meeting.  Yeah, it's essentially already begun.  It actually began before our meeting.      Q    But do you know when Lighthizer will sit down with Liu He?      THE PRESIDENT:  Whatever it takes.  Look, if we don’t make a great deal, if we don’t make a fair deal -- it has to be better for us than for them because they had such a big advantage for so many years.  In other words, you can't make a 50/50 deal when somebody else has been absolutely -- I've been talking about this for years.      China made -- we had a surplus -- meaning they did, on us -- of $507 billion.  It's been hundreds of billions of dollars a year for many, many years.  So, obviously, we can't make a 50/50 deal.  It has to be a deal that is somewhat tilted to our advantage.  And if we're not going to do that, we're taking in a fortune from tariffs.  And, unfortunately, we're hurting China by doing that because many of their companies are leaving and going to a non-tariff state, so they don’t have to pay the tariffs.      And the other misconception about China -- and I think you read an article today in the Wall Street Journal about it: Our people aren’t paying for those tariffs, in that case, certainly.  China is paying for them, and those companies are paying for them. China devalued their currency very substantially, and they also put a lot of money into their economy.  They're pouring money.  It's fake money, but it's money.  And they're pouring money into their economy to take care of the tariffs.  Some people aren’t -- you don’t have increased inflation.  You have no increased inflation.  But I'll tell you what is happening: Our Treasury is taking in billions and billions of dollars of money that normally would be for China.      So we'll see what happens.  We hope that we can make a deal, but it's got to be a fair deal.  We had a deal, as far as I was concerned.  And then, at the last moment, China decided they didn’t like that deal, and they changed it.  It's all right.  Then I said, "You're going to pay 25 percent tariffs on $250 billion."      Q    And did President Xi say he would move on some of those issues that were disputable?      THE PRESIDENT:  Yeah, sure, I'd expect him to move.  And if he doesn’t move, that's okay too.  I'm very happy either way.  But I think we have a good chance of making a deal.  I think they want to make a deal.  Because they're losing many companies that are leaving because of the tariffs, because they don’t want to pay the tariffs.  So they're losing many companies.  They're moving to Vietnam.  And, by the way, some are moving back to the United States, where they belong.      Q    Mr. President, can I ask you about the Mexico tariffs? THE PRESIDENT:  Sure. Q    Are those entirely off the table now, as far as --      THE PRESIDENT:  Well, now they are, because I think the President is doing a great job.  He put 16,000 people in this weekend, and they're forming but they're getting to the border, and they're doing a great job.  And he has 6,000 people at the border with Guatemala.  So -- I mean, it's been way down.  It's cut way down.  You'll start to see the numbers over the next three or four weeks.      Q    But you didn’t get it that you were going to continuously reassess.      THE PRESIDENT:  Well, that's true.      Q    So are you absolutely taking it off the table?      THE PRESIDENT:  No, no, that's true.  Yeah, if they don’t do it.  But they're doing a good job.  Right now, they're doing a very good job.  We're very happy with the job they're doing.      No, it was because of tariffs that they're doing it.  But the point is they're doing a very good job.  And he's very smart to do it, because that’s a tiny fraction.  It sounds like a lot of soldiers, but that’s a fraction of what tariffs would cost Mexico. But I very much appreciate it.  And he's doing a great job for Mexico because the Mexican people were very upset with all of these tens of thousands of people, hundreds of thousands of people walking through Mexico.  And the people of Mexico are just as happy as I am with what they're doing. Q    Can I ask you about the Border Patrol Facebook group and these derogatory and vulgar comments that they have been making about members of Congress? THE PRESIDENT:  Well, I don’t know what they're saying about members of Congress.  I know that the Border Patrol is not happy with the Democrats in Congress.  I will say the Republicans do want border security.  The Democrats want open borders.  Open borders means tremendous crime. If you look, there was a report that came out where approximately 600 people in the last caravan were serious criminals.  I don’t want them in our country. So, the Border Patrol, they're patriots.  They're great people.  They love our country.  They know what's coming in. And you know who knows it better than anybody?  Hispanics.  Hispanics love what I'm doing because, number one, they don’t want to lose their job.  They don’t want to take a pay cut.  And very importantly, most importantly, they don’t want to have crime.  They understand it. The people that understand the border the best are Hispanics.  They understand it better than anybody.  And they don’t want to have to suffer crime.  And they don’t want to take a pay cut.  They don’t want to lose their job.  That’s why my poll numbers went way up with Hispanics because they really understand the border the best of anybody.  Okay.  Any other --          Q    Mr. President, do you plan to have tanks out on Fourth of July at the Lincoln Memorial for your speech?      THE PRESIDENT:  We're going to have a great Fourth of July in Washington, D.C.  It'll be like no other.  It'll be special.  And I hope a lot of people come, and it's going to be about this country and it's a salute to America.      And I'm going to be here, and I'm going to say a few words.  And we're going to have planes going overhead -- the best fighter jets in the world and other planes too.  And we're going to have some tanks stationed outside. You've got to be pretty careful with the tanks because the roads have a tendency not to like to carry heavy tanks, so we have to put them in certain areas.  But we have the brand new Sherman tanks and we have the brand new Abram tanks.  And we have some incredible equipment -- military equipment on display -- brand new.  And we're very proud of it. You know, we're making a lot of new tanks right now.  We're building a lot of new tanks in Lima, Ohio -- our great tank factory that people wanted to close down until I got elected.  And I stopped it from being closed down, and now it's a very productive facility.  And they do -- nobody -- it's the greatest tank in the world, the Abrams. Q    Do you think that you can give a speech that can reach all Americans on July 4th? THE PRESIDENT:  I think so.  I think so.  I think I've reached most Americans.  Most Americans want no crime.  Most Americans want a strong military.  They want good education.  They want good healthcare.  If you look at preexisting conditions, the Republicans are going to save preexisting conditions.  The Democrats won't be able to do it.  What the Democrats' plan is going to destroy the country and it's going to be horrible healthcare.  Horrible healthcare. And everybody's taxes are going to go to 95 percent.  And, by the way, that’s not enough.  But the taxes -- if they ever did what they want to do, your taxes go to 95 percent and that isn’t nearly enough.  Thank you very much everybody. Q    One last one on Hong Kong.  The United States has traditionally supported democracy movements -- struggles around the world.  Do you have a message directly to those demonstrators who say they want more democracy and that China is not a democracy? THE PRESIDENT:  Well, they're looking for democracy.  And I think most people want democracy.  Unfortunately, some governments don’t want democracy.  But that’s what it's all about.  It's all about democracy.  There's never been anything better.  And I think we're the best example of it right here in the United States.  Okay? Thank you very much.  Thank you everybody.                                             END                5:16 P.M. EDT