Sunday, April 25, 2021

April 23, 2021 Statement of President Joe Biden on Senate Passage of the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act

 

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 23, 2021
 
Statement of President Joe Biden on Senate Passage of the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act
 
I applaud the United States Senate and the leadership of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC) for passing the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act by an overwhelming margin.  This critical legislation will bring our nation one step closer to achieving justice and equality for Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander communities. And, I was happy to see the Senate add the bipartisan Jabara-Heyer NO HATE Act as an amendment, which will further our national efforts to stand strongly against acts of hate and violence.
 
For more than a year, far too many Asian Americans have woken up each morning increasingly fearful for their safety and the safety of their loved ones.  They have been scapegoated, harassed, and assaulted; some have even been killed.  It has been over a year of living in fear for their lives, as acts of anti-Asian bias and violence have accelerated from coast to coast — an unconscionable burden our fellow Americans have been forced to bear, even as so many Asian Americans serve their communities and our nation tirelessly on the front lines of the pandemic.
 
Too often throughout our history, acts of hate and violence directed at Asian Americans have been met with silence.  Our nation must stand together to speak out against hate, and declare unequivocally: These acts are wrong.  They are un-American.  And they must stop.  I am grateful to Senator Hirono, Senator Duckworth, Congresswoman Meng, and CAPAC’s Chair, Congresswoman Chu, for their persistent and courageous leadership on this issue — and I look forward to swift consideration and passage in the House of Representatives, and signing this important legislation into law.

April 23, 2021 President Biden Announces Six Key Administration Nominations

 

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 23, 2021

 
President Biden Announces Six Key Administration Nominations
 
WASHINGTON – Today, President Joe Biden announced his intent to nominate the following individuals to serve in his Administration:
  • Donald Remy, Nominee for Deputy Secretary of Veterans Affairs
  • Miriam Delphin-Rittmon, Nominee for Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use, Department of Health and Human Services
  • Solomon Greene, Nominee for Assistant Secretary for Policy Development and Research, Department of Housing and Urban Development
  • Helaine Greenfeld, Nominee for Assistant Attorney General for Legislative Affairs, Department of Justice
  • Rajesh Nayak, Nominee for Assistant Secretary for Policy, Department of Labor
  • Kimberly Jones, Nominee for Member of the Board of Directors of the National Institute of Building Sciences
 
Donald Remy, Nominee for Deputy Secretary of Veterans Affairs

Donald M. Remy is a military veteran who earned a meritorious service medal during his tenure as a Captain in the United States Army. Presently, he is the National Collegiate Athletic Association Chief Operating Officer and Chief Legal Officer. Through his multifaceted leadership role, he oversees strategic planning, operations, sports science and medicine, budget management, communications and legal affairs. He advises and interfaces extensively with the governance cabinets, committees and boards of all three Divisions. Harnessing his strengths in complex problem solving and crisis management, Remy has been instrumental over the years in improving critical risk, operational, financial and legal strategies and recently has been a key leader during the COVID19 pandemic helping the organization and its membership traverse a myriad of challenges presented in national, regional and local arenas.
 
Previously, Remy served as a partner and global practice group chair at Latham & Watkins where he represented individual and corporate clients in complex investigations, compliance, and crisis management matters. His government career includes serving as Deputy Assistant Attorney General for the Department of Justice where he was responsible for the day-to-day management of the Torts Branch and personally handled high profile litigation. As an Army Officer, he served as Assistant to the General Counsel for the United States Army, advising the General Counsel, the Secretary of the Army and other senior Army and Defense officials on a myriad of legal and policy issues. And, rounding out his federal government duties he was a law clerk to The Honorable Nathaniel R. Jones on the 6th US Circuit Court of Appeals. In addition to holding government offices, Donald worked in the private sector as a Senior Vice President in the legal, compliance and housing and community development components of Fannie Mae, where his last duty assignment was assisting with the rebuilding of communities in the US Gulf Coast after Hurricane Katrina. Remy has served as the co-chair of the Washington Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs and a board member of the Abramson Scholarship Foundation as well as AARP, Legal Counsel for the Elderly.
 
Remy earned a bachelor’s degree from Louisiana State University and a juris doctorate from Howard University School of Law.
 
Miriam Delphin-Rittmon, Nominee for Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use, Department of Health and Human Services

Dr. Miriam E. Delphin-Rittmon is currently the Commissioner of the Connecticut State Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services. She was appointed in March 2015 and previously held the positions of Deputy Commissioner, Senior Policy Advisor and Director of the department’s Office of Multicultural Health Equity. In her role as Commissioner, Dr. Delphin-Rittmon has been committed to promoting recovery oriented, integrated, and culturally responsive services and systems that foster dignity, respect, and meaningful community inclusion. In addition, through her 20 year career in the behavioral health field Dr. Delphin-Rittmon has extensive experience in the design, evaluation and administration of mental health, substance use and prevention services and programs has received several awards for advancing policy in these areas. Most recently, she received the 2019 State Service Award from the National Association of State Drug and Alcohol Directors and the 2016 Mental Health Award for Excellence from the United Nations Committee on Mental Health. 
 
In May 2014, Dr. Delphin-Rittmon completed a two-year White House appointment working as a Senior Advisor to the Administrator of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Dr. Delphin-Rittmon currently holds an Associate Adjunct Professor position with the Yale University Department of Psychiatry where prior to her role as Commissioner was an Assistant Professor and served as Director of Cultural Competence and Health Disparities Research and Consultation with the Program for Recovery and Community Health since 2003. Dr. Delphin-Rittmon received her B.A. in Social Science from Hofstra University in 1989, her M.S. and Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from Purdue University 1992 and 2001, respectively, and completed a postdoctoral fellowship in clinical community psychology at Yale University in 2002.
 
Solomon Greene, Nominee for Assistant Secretary for Policy Development and Research, Department of Housing and Urban Development

Solomon Greene is a senior fellow at the Urban Institute, where he leads research on fair and affordable housing, land use, technology and inclusive growth and recovery in cities. Before joining Urban, Greene was a senior adviser at the US Department of Housing and Urban Development, where he helped develop policies to reduce segregation and expand neighborhood choice. He was also HUD’s principal adviser on the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.
 
Greene has also served as a senior program officer at the Open Society Foundations, an adjunct professor at NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service, a law fellow at NYU Furman Center for Real Estate and Urban Policy, a litigation associate at Munger, Tolles & Olson, and a law clerk for Hon. Dorothy W. Nelson on the US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. Greene serves on the board of directors for the National Housing Law Project, the American Bar Association COVID-19 Task Force Committee on Evictions, and the advisory board for Up for Growth. Greene received his BA from Stanford University, his Master of City Planning from the University of California, Berkeley, and his JD from Yale Law School. He grew up in Ulster County, New York and currently lives in Washington DC. 
 
Helaine Greenfeld, Nominee for Assistant Attorney General for Legislative Affairs, Department of Justice

Helaine Greenfeld is a career public servant with over 25 years of experience, serving in both the executive and legislative branches. Ms. Greenfeld first joined the Justice Department under Attorney General Janet Reno, holding multiple positions over eight years including in the Civil Rights Division and Office of Legal Policy, where she was a Deputy Assistant Attorney General. Greenfeld worked as Chief Nominations Counsel to Senator Patrick J. Leahy before returning to the Justice Department under Attorney General Eric Holder, Greenfeld was a Deputy Associate Attorney General and a Counselor to the Attorney General. Prior to joining the Biden-Harris administration as the Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General for Legislative Affairs, Greenfeld was Chief Counsel to Senator Mazie K. Hirono. A Baltimore native, Greenfeld graduate from Yale University and Georgetown University Law Center. She and her husband have two children and live in Chevy Chase, Maryland.
 
Rajesh Nayak, Nominee for Assistant Secretary for Policy, Department of Labor

Rajesh D. Nayak is currently serving as a Senior Advisor at the United States Department of Labor. He previously spent seven years at the labor department in the Obama-Biden Administration, serving in a range of senior roles including senior counsel and deputy assistant secretary for policy. Later, as deputy chief of staff, Nayak advised the Secretary of Labor on the Department’s workforce development, worker protection, and counter-trafficking programs, and led the Department’s employee engagement efforts.
 
After his time in the Obama-Biden Administration, Nayak’s work included two-plus years as the Deputy Executive Director of the National Employment Law Project, where he helped to lead the organization’s restructuring and managed its senior leadership. Most recently, he has also been a Fellow at the Labor & Worklife Program at Harvard Law School and a consultant. Prior to his government service, Nayak worked as an attorney at NELP, the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU School of Law, and the Shriver Center in Chicago. He earned an undergraduate degree in public policy from the University of Chicago and a law degree from Yale. Nayak grew up in South Central Illinois and now lives in Silver Spring, Maryland, with his wife, daughter, and son.
 
Kimberly Jones, Nominee for Member of the Board of Directors of the National Institute of Building Sciences

Dr. Kimberly L. Jones is Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Education (College of Engineering and Architecture) and Professor and Chair (Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering) at Howard University. She holds a B.S in Civil Engineering from Howard University, a M.S. in Civil and Environmental Engineering from the University of Illinois and a Ph.D. in Environmental Engineering from The Johns Hopkins University. Her research interests include water and wastewater quality, environmental policy, membrane separations, global water treatment, environmental justice, risk evaluation and environmental nanotechnology.
 
Dr. Jones has served on the Chartered Science Advisory Board of the US EPA, where she chaired the Drinking Water Committee and was liaison to the National Drinking Water Advisory Council. She currently serves on the Advisory Committee for Environmental Research and Education at the National Science Foundation. She is an alternate Commissioner of the Interstate Commission on the Potomac River Basin in Washington, DC., where she chairs the committee on justice, equity, diversity and inclusion (JEDI). She also serves on the Center Steering Committee of the Center for the Environmental Implications of Nanotechnology (CEINT) and on the Management Board of the Consortium for Risk Evaluation with Stakeholder Participation (CRESP) and as Associate Director for Diversity in the Urban Water Innovation Network (UWIN).
 
Dr. Jones has served on the Water Science and Technology Board of the National Academy of Sciences, and the Board of Association of Environmental Engineering and Science Professors, where she was Secretary of the Board. She has served on several committees of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine. She served as the Deputy Director of the Keck Center for Nanoscale Materials for Molecular Recognition at Howard University. Dr. Jones has received the Researcher of the Year award from Howard University, a Top Women in Science Award from the National Technical Association, the Outstanding Young Civil Engineer award from University of Illinois Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, a NSF CAREER Award, an Outstanding Leadership and Service and Outstanding Faculty Mentor award from Howard University, and Top Women Achievers award from Essence Magazine.

April 23, 2021 President Biden Announces Key Administration Nominations in National Security

 

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 23, 2021
 
President Biden Announces Key Administration Nominations in National Security

WASHINGTON – Today, President Joe Biden announced his intent to nominate the following individuals to serve in key national security positions in his Administration.
  • Brenda Sue Fulton, Nominee for Assistant Secretary for Manpower and Reserve Affairs, Department of Defense
  • Donald Lu, Nominee for Assistant Secretary, Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs, Department of State
  • Christopher Maier, Nominee for Assistant Secretary for Special Operations/Low Intensity Conflict, Department of Defense
  • Sarah Margon, Nominee for Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, Department of State
  • Deborah Rosenblum, Nominee for Assistant Secretary for Nuclear, Chemical, and Biological Defense, Department of Defense
  • Shawn Skelly, Nominee for Assistant Secretary for Readiness, Department of Defense
  • Jessica Lewis, Nominee for Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Political-Military Affairs, Department of State
 
Brenda Sue Fulton, Nominee for Assistant Secretary for Manpower and Reserve Affairs, Department of Defense

Brenda S. “Sue” Fulton graduated West Point in 1980, in the first class to admit women. She served as a platoon leader, staff officer, and company commander in Germany before her honorable discharge at the rank of Captain. During a 25-year career in brand management at Fortune 100 companies, she gained expertise in budget management, cross-functional team leadership, and strategic communications. Continuing to mentor West Point cadets and junior officers, Fulton helped found Knights Out and OutServe, both organizations key in the battle to repeal “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” Fulton founded and led SPARTA to successfully end the transgender ban, while at the same time providing counsel to Army leaders on removing the combat exclusion rule and integrating women in the combat arms. In 2011, President Obama appointed her as the first openly gay member of the West Point Board of Visitors, and she was later elected Chair (twice) with strong bipartisan support. During 8 years on the Board, she successfully advocated for significant increases in admissions of Black, Latino, and women cadets. In 2017, she was appointed to the Board of Visitors of the National Defense University.
 
Since 2018, Fulton has served NJ under Governor Phil Murphy as Chief Administrator of the NJ Motor Vehicle Commission (MVC), an agency of 2,200 employees that generates ~$1.8 billion in annual revenue. During her tenure, she completely transformed and modernized NJ Motor Vehicles systems. In 2012, Fulton and Penny Gnesin were the first same-sex couple to wed in West Point’s Cadet Chapel. In 2019, after 24 years together, Penny died of breast cancer. Fulton continues to live in Asbury Park, NJ.
 
Donald Lu, Nominee for Assistant Secretary, Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs, Department of State

Donald Lu, a career member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Minister-Counselor, has been U.S. Ambassador to the Kyrgyz Republic since 2018. Previously, Lu was U.S. Ambassador to Albania. He has also served as Deputy Chief of Mission, U.S. Embassy New Delhi, India, Deputy Chief of Mission and the Chargé d'affaires, U.S. Embassy Baku, Azerbaijan and Deputy Chief of Mission, U.S. Embassy Bishkek, Kyrgyz Republic. Earlier, Lu was the Deputy Director, Office of Central Asian and South Caucasus Affairs, for the Department of State and, before that, the Special Assistant to the Ambassador for the Newly Independent States. He also held postings in India, Georgia, and Pakistan. Lu earned M.A. and B.A. degrees from Princeton University. He is the recipient of the Rockwell Anthony Schnabel Award for advancing U.S.-European Union relations. Ambassador Lu speaks and reads Albanian, Russian, Azerbaijani, Georgian, West African Krio, Hindi and Urdu.
 
Christopher Maier, Nominee for Assistant Secretary for Special Operations/Low Intensity Conflict, Department of Defense

Christopher P. Maier has served in national security roles across five Presidential Administrations and is currently the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special Operations and Low-Intensity Conflict. In this role, he advises the Secretary of Defense on all special operations, irregular warfare, counterterrorism, and information operations policy issues, and oversees all special operations administrative matters. Maier previously led the Defeat-ISIS Task Force charged with integrating Department of Defense efforts in the campaign to achieve the enduring defeat of ISIS. Maier was appointed as the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special Operations and Combating Terrorism in the Obama-Biden Administration.
 
Before moving to the Department of Defense, he held a variety of leadership and staff positions at the National Counterterrorism Center, focused on planning and analysis. Maier was detailed from 2009 to 2013 to the National Security Council staff, where he authored the 2011 National Strategy for Counterterrorism. He began his government career as an intelligence analyst on Middle East and Africa issues. He continues to serve as an officer in the Air National Guard. Originally from California, Maier earned degrees from the University of California, Berkeley and the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University.
 
Sarah Margon, Nominee for Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, Department of State

Sarah Margon currently serves as the U.S. Foreign Policy Director at the Open Society Foundations. Previously, she served as Washington Director and, before that, Deputy Washington Director for Human Rights Watch. Margon also was Associate Director for Sustainable Security and Peacebuilding at the Center for American Progress and Senior Foreign Policy Advisor to Senator Russ Feingold and Staff Director for the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on African Affairs. Earlier in her career she was Humanitarian and Conflict Policy advisor for Oxfam America. Margon holds an M.S. in Foreign Service from Georgetown University and a B.A. in American Studies from Wesleyan University.

Deborah Rosenblum, Nominee for Assistant Secretary for Nuclear, Chemical, and Biological Defense, Department of Defense

Deborah G. Rosenblum currently serves as the Executive Vice President of the Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI), a non-profit dedicated to transforming global security by driving systemic solutions to nuclear and biological threats. Ms. Rosenblum is part of NTI’s executive leadership team and helps oversee the organization’s threat reduction programs, operations and development as well as co-chairs NTI’s task force on diversity, equity and inclusion. Ms. Rosenblum serves as the President of the Herbert Scoville Jr. Peace Fellowship which is dedicated to developing next generation talent and capacity.
Prior to assuming her position at NTI in 2009, Ms. Rosenblum was a vice president with The Cohen Group, an international consulting firm. She also served as a career civil servant for 12 years in the Office of the Secretary of Defense, including as a member of the Senior Executive Service. Ms. Rosenblum worked in the areas of nuclear forces, counter-proliferation policy, countering narcotics, homeland defense, and peacekeeping operations and support. She also represented the United States in multi-year bilateral negotiations with the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea around its nuclear program. Ms. Rosenblum holds a master’s degree from Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs and is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate with a bachelor’s degree from Middlebury College. She is fluent in French.
 
Shawn Skelly, Nominee for Assistant Secretary for Readiness, Department of Defense

Shawn Skelly served over twenty years in the U.S. Navy as a Naval Flight Officer flying the S-3 Viking and retired from active duty as a Commander. Her career included multiple carrier deployments, duty as a Fleet Replacement flight instructor, and staff tours attached to the U.S. Second Fleet, United States Pacific Command, and the Marine Corps Warfighting Laboratory. She worked in industry with ITT Exelis and CACI International supporting Department of Defense offices and programs. Skelly joined the Obama-Biden Administration in 2013 as Special Assistant to the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics, as Coordinator of the Defense Department’s Warfighter Senior Integration Group. She later served as Director, Office of the Executive Secretariat, U.S. Department of Transportation. President Obama appointed her in 2017 to serve as a Commissioner on the National Commission on Military, National, and Public Service, which was established to conduct a review of the military selective service process and consider methods to increase participation in military, national, and public service to address national security and other public service needs of the Nation. The Commission issued its final report to Congress in March 2020. She also served as a member of the Biden-Harris Presidential Transition Defense Agency Review Team.

Skelly is Vice President and Co-Founder of Out in National Security, a member of the Atlantic Council’s LGBTI Advisory Council, and a member of the Service Year Alliance Leadership Council. She received a B.A. in History from the University of South Carolina and a M.A. in National Security and Strategic Studies from the College of Naval Command & Staff, U.S. Naval War College.
 
Jessica LewisNominee for Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Political-Military Affairs, Department of State

Jessica Lewis currently serves as Democratic Staff Director of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Previously, from 2007 – 2014, she was the National Security Advisor and Foreign Policy Advisor, and then Senior National Security Advisor, to Senate Majority/Minority Leader Harry Reid. Earlier, Lewis was the Senior Foreign Policy Advisor to Senator Robert Menendez and, before that the Democratic Staff Director for the Western Hemisphere Subcommittee of the House International Relations Committee, Ranking Member Robert Menendez. She also worked as Manager, New Initiative Development, and as Manager, Net Corps America, at the Organization of American States. Lewis received an MPA degree from Harvard University, John F. Kennedy School of Government, an MA degree from Johns Hopkins University, and a BA degree from Haverford College.
 

A Proclamation on World Intellectual Property Day, 2021

 

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April 23, 2021
 
WORLD INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY DAY, 2021

- - - - - - -

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

A PROCLAMATION
     This year, on World Intellectual Property Day, we celebrate the innovators and creators who enrich our lives and create the products, services, companies, and industries of tomorrow.  We especially recognize the power of intellectual property protection in allowing our small businesses to compete, thrive, and play their important role as the heart and soul of our communities and the engines of our economic progress.

     Small businesses are critical to our success as a Nation.  They make up 90 percent of businesses in the United States, employ nearly half of America's private sector workers, and create two-thirds of new jobs, and bring opportunity to every corner of our Nation.  Inventions born in the garages of small towns can have just as much impact as those developed in high-tech labs.  This year's World Intellectual Property Day highlights the critical role these small businesses play in our society and the ways intellectual property can help support their continued growth and resilience.

     Every small business starts with one person's or one family's dream.  When that dream is coupled with grit and determination, ideas turn into products, brands, and creative works.  Pair those ideas with the strength of our intellectual property system and you have the foundation necessary for new business opportunities, increased employment, and greater economic prosperity. 

     The various types of intellectual property -- trademarks, copyrights, patents, and trade secrets -- help to ensure that small businesses will be compensated for, and be able to prosper from their creations and their customer service.  Without these protections, a small business's success could easily prove to be its undoing, as unscrupulous competitors could seek to copy, steal, and unduly profit from the small business's ideas and its hard-earned customer goodwill.

     We must also recognize the important role science and technology play in safeguarding our intellectual property.  Investing in and strengthening our digital infrastructure promotes innovation that helps small businesses and protects the rights of our citizens.  

     This year marks the 75th anniversary of the signing of the Lanham Act, which is this Nation's fundamental trademark law.  Trademark protection enables small businesses to benefit from the investments that they make to establish brand awareness and brand loyalty.  In addition, trademarks help to protect consumers from counterfeits and other deceitful practices that defraud them and endanger their health and safety. 

     When the pandemic hit, singers, songwriters, and artists from all across America used their talents to lift us up, and to inspire us to support one another in these difficult times.  Copyright protection rewards them for their creativity and allows them to continue to create.

     We are proud to be a Nation of inventors and my Administration is committed to bolstering American industrial and innovative strength so we can continue to lead in making the cutting-edge products and services of tomorrow.  My Administration is also committed to giving everyone, no matter where they are from, a chance to succeed and to contribute to creating the strongest, most resilient, innovative economy in the world.  

     NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim April 26, 2021, as World Intellectual Property Day.  I call upon all Americans to observe this day by supporting their neighborhood small businesses and celebrating the creativity, hard work, and passion that lies behind each one of them.

     IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-third day of April, in the year of our Lord two thousand twenty-one, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-fifth.

 
JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR.

- April 24, 2021 - Statement by Donald J. Trump, 45th President of the United States of America

  

- April 24, 2021 -

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

Democrats are doing everything they can to stop the great Patriots of Arizona from doing a Forensic Audit of the 2020 Presidential Election Scam. If you want to watch these Patriots in action, go to: azaudit.org.

Paid for by Save America and not authorized by any candidate or candidate’s committee. saveamerica45.com

- April 24, 2021 - Statement by Donald J. Trump, 45th President of the United States of America

 

- April 24, 2021 -

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

The Republican Party is demanding that Governor Ducey of Arizona immediately provide large-scale security for the brave American Patriots doing the Forensic Audit of the 2020 Presidential Election. Governor Ducey will be held fully responsible for the safety of those involved. State police or National Guard must be immediately sent out for protection. The Democrats do not want to have this information revealed, and they will do anything to stop it. Governor Ducey must finally act!

Paid for by Save America and not authorized by any candidate or candidate’s committee. saveamerica45.com

- April 23, 2021 - Statement by Donald J. Trump, 45th President of the United States of America

 

- April 23, 2021 -

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

The Democrats are “swarming” the Great State of Arizona trying to get the Forensic Election Audit stopped, because only they know exactly what they’ve done, and they understand Voter Fraud far better than anyone. This could be Voter Fraud at the highest level. Don’t think that Arizona is the only State. Much more to come!

Paid for by Save America and not authorized by any candidate or candidate’s committee. donaldjtrump.com

- April 23, 2021 - Statement by Donald J. Trump, 45th President of the United States of America

 

- April 23, 2021 -

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

So many people would like to thank the brave and patriotic Republican State Senators from Arizona for the incredible job they are doing in exposing the large scale Voter Fraud which took place in the 2020 Presidential Election. Their tireless efforts have led to a massive recount, ballot examination, and full forensic audit, undertaken by experts retained by the State Senate, with results to be announced within six weeks. The Democrats, upon hearing the news of the Court Order, have sent 73 lawyers to Arizona in an effort to stop this recount and full transparency because THEY KNOW WHAT THEY DID! The Democrats are desperate for the FRAUD to remain concealed because, when revealed, the Great States of Wisconsin, Michigan, Georgia, New Hampshire, and the Great Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, would be forced to complete the work already started. The Arizona recount and examination will be on live TV (OAN) for all to watch.

 

Why are the Democrats so desperate to stop this Election Fraud from being revealed? That answer is obvious! The Governor of Arizona, Doug Ducey, has been shockingly of zero help to the State Senate. He wants to “pretend” the election was free and fair. What are he and the Maricopa County Commissioners trying to hide? Our country needs the truth of the scam 2020 Election to be exposed. If it is not, just as if we have “no borders,” we cannot be a Great Nation. Honest elections are America’s Heart and Soul. We must never allow this to happen to our Great Country again. Thank you State Senators and others in Arizona for commencing this full forensic audit. I predict the results will be startling! 

Paid for by Save America and not authorized by any candidate or candidate’s committee. saveamerica45.com

April 25, 2021 Statement by National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan on the Fire at Ibn al-Khatib Hospital in Baghdad

 

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 25, 2021
 
Statement by National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan on the Fire at Ibn al-Khatib Hospital in Baghdad
 
We mourn the loss of life in the fire at Ibn al-Khatib hospital in Baghdad. We are in touch with Iraqi officials and have offered assistance. Our strategic partnership with Iraq is first and foremost a partnership between our two peoples. We are prepared to support the Government of Iraq and its people at this tragic moment. 

- April 19, 2021 - Statement by Donald J. Trump, 45th President of the United States of America

 

- April 19, 2021 -

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

If Joe Biden wants to keep our Country safe from Radical Islamic Terrorism, he should reinstitute the foreign country Travel Ban and all of the vetting requirements on those seeking admission that go with it, along with the refugee restrictions I successfully put in place.  Terrorists operate all over the world and recruit online.  To keep terrorism and extremism out of our Country, we need to have smart, commonsense rules in place so we don’t repeat the many immigration mistakes made by Europe—and the USA prior to "Trump."

The Office of Donald J. Trump.

45office.com

April 23, 2021 Leaders Summit on Climate Summary of Proceedings

 

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 23, 2021
 
Leaders Summit on Climate Summary of Proceedings
 
After fulfilling his promise to bring America back into the Paris Agreement, President Biden convened 40 world leaders in a virtual Leaders Summit on Climate this week to rally the world in tackling the climate crisis and meeting the demands of science. The United States and other countries announced ambitious new climate targets ensuring that nations accounting for half of the world’s economy have now committed to the emission reductions needed globally to keep the goal of limiting global warming to 1.5-degrees C within reach.  Many leaders underscored the urgency of other major economies strengthening their ambition as well on the road to the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP 26) in November 2021 in Glasgow.

The Summit, which was the largest virtual gathering of world leaders, convened the Major Economies Forum on Energy and Climate (the world’s 17 largest economies and greenhouse gas emitters) and included the leaders of other countries especially vulnerable to climate impacts or charting innovative pathways to a net-zero economy.  President Biden was joined at the Summit by Vice President Harris, members of the President’s Cabinet, Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry, and National Climate Advisor Gina McCarthy, as well as senior representatives of other countries and leaders from business and civil society. The full agenda and list of participants is available at https://www.state.gov/leaders-summit-on-climate/.

With the science telling us that the world needs to significantly increase the scale and speed of climate action, President Biden considered it vital to host this Summit within his first 100 days in office to make clear that it is a top U.S. priority to combat the climate crisis at home and abroad.   

Vice President Harris opened the Summit by emphasizing the intertwined imperatives of addressing the climate crisis, creating jobs, and protecting the most vulnerable communities.  Her remarks set the stage for the launch of the Summit’s five sessions, which were live-streamed [https://www.state.gov/leaders-summit-on-climate/].   

President Biden began Session 1 (“Raising Our Climate Ambition”) by framing enhanced climate action as necessary both to address the crisis and to promote economic opportunity, including the creation of good-paying, union jobs.  He told Summit participants that the United States will halve its greenhouse gas emissions within this decade, noting that countries that take decisive action now will reap the economic benefits of a clean energy future.  To enshrine this commitment, the United States submitted a new “nationally determined contribution” (NDC) under the Paris Agreement setting an economy-wide emissions target of a 50-52% reduction below 2005 levels in 2030. Secretary of State Blinken conveyed a strong sense of urgency in tackling the climate crisis, noting that this is a critical year and a decisive decade to take action.  He noted the U.S. resolve to work with other countries to engage in all avenues of cooperation to “save our planet.” 

Participants noted the need to work rapidly over the course of this decade to accelerate decarbonization efforts and are taking a range of actions to that end. Announcements during this Session included, among others:
  • Japan will cut emissions 46-50% below 2013 levels by 2030, with strong efforts toward achieving a 50% reduction, a significant acceleration from its existing 26% reduction goal.
  • Canada will strengthen its NDC to a 40-45% reduction from 2005 levels by 2030, a significant increase over its previous target to reduce emissions 30% below 2005 levels by 2030.
  • India reiterated its target of 450 GW of renewable energy by 2030 and announced the launch of the “U.S.-India 2030 Climate and Clean Energy Agenda 2030 Partnership” to mobilize finance and speed clean energy innovation and deployment this decade.
  • Argentina will strengthen its NDC, deploy more renewables, reduce methane emissions, and end illegal deforestation.
  • The United Kingdom will embed in law a 78% GHG reduction below 1990 levels by 2035.
  • The European Union is putting into law a target of reducing net greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55% by 2030 and a net zero target by 2050.
  • The Republic of Korea, which will host the 2021 P4G Seoul Summit in May, will terminate public overseas coal finance and strengthen its NDC this year to be consistent with its 2050 net zero goal.
  • China indicated that it will join the Kigali Amendment, strengthen the control of non-CO2 greenhouse gases, strictly control coal-fired power generation projects, and phase down coal consumption.   
  • Brazil committed to achieve net zero by 2050, end illegal deforestation by 2030, and double funding for deforestation enforcement.
  • South Africa announced that it intends to strengthen its NDC and shift its intended emissions peak year ten years earlier to 2025.
  • Russia noted the importance of carbon capture and storage from all sources, as well as atmospheric carbon removals. It also highlighted the importance of methane and called for international collaboration to address this powerful greenhouse gas.
Session 2 (“Investing in Climate Solutions”) addressed the urgent need to scale up climate finance, including both efforts to increase public finance for mitigation and adaptation in developing countries and efforts to catalyze trillions of dollars of private investment to support the transition to net zero emissions no later than 2050.  President Biden stressed the importance of developed countries meeting the collective goal of mobilizing $100 billion per year in public and private finance to support developing countries.  He also announced that the Administration intends to seek funding to double, by 2024, annual U.S. public climate finance to developing countries, compared to the average level of the second half of the Obama-Biden Administration (FY 2013-2016). This would include tripling public finance for adaptation by 2024. President Biden also called for an end to fossil fuel subsidies and announced that his Administration will undertake a series of steps to promote the measurement, disclosure, and mitigation of material climate risks to the financial system.

Treasury Secretary Yellen highlighted the role of multilateral development banks in supporting the transition. She also said that the Treasury Department will use all its tools and expertise to help support climate action. Special Envoy Kerry moderated a discussion among leaders from government, international organizations, and multilateral and private financial institutions. These leaders noted the importance of concessional finance to leverage much larger sums of private capital, as well as to provide finance to technologies, activities, and geographies where private capital is not flowing.  They noted the urgent need to increase finance for adaptation and resilience in developing countries.  The participants also recognized the need for governments to embrace key policies, including meaningful carbon pricing, enhanced disclosure of climate-related risks, and phasing out fossil fuel subsidies. Several of the private financial institutions expressed their support for coalitions such as the Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero and the Net Zero Banking Alliance.  They also referred to recent commitments by U.S. banks to invest $4.16 trillion in climate solutions over the next ten years.

Session 3 elevated four specific topics for more focused consideration by government officials and, in some cases, a broader range of stakeholders. 
  • The discussion on climate action at all levels, hosted by U.S. EPA Administrator Regan and including participation from a wide range of governors, mayors, and indigenous leaders from around the world, illustrated the importance of marshalling a multi-level “all-of-society” approach to climate action.  The Session showcased States, cities, and indigenous groups that are committed to an equitable vision for advancing bold climate ambition and building resilience on the ground.  Participants discussed the critical importance of building just and inclusive societies and economies as they accelerate efforts to transform their communities in line with limiting warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius. Participants discussed not only the importance of leadership at all levels of society and government, but also the importance of collaboration between national and subnational governments to catalyze additional ambition.
  • The discussion on adaptation and resilience, hosted by Secretary of Agriculture Vilsack and Secretary of Homeland Security Mayorkas, focused on innovative ways in which countries from a wide variety of regions are responding to climate change in the areas of water and coastal management, food security, and human impacts. On the theme of coastal and water management, panelists offered up innovative solutions to prepare for water-related climate challenges, such as locally-owned disaster insurance instruments, relocation, and the use of green and blue bonds to finance nature-based solutions. Focusing on food security and climate, participants highlighted the need for better technology to address a changing agricultural landscape as well as the importance of supporting small-scale farmers. On human health and security, the discussion centered on scaling up locally-led solutions to climate vulnerability, emphasizing that economic opportunities are key to keeping communities healthy and stable. The session emphasized that adaptation and mitigation go hand in hand. 
  • The discussion on nature-based solutions, hosted by Interior Secretary Haaland, addressed how achieving net zero by 2050 is not possible without natural climate solutions, such as stopping deforestation and the loss of wetlands and restoring marine and terrestrial ecosystems.  She announced U.S. support of a proposal to protect the Southern Ocean through the three marine protected area proposals under the Convention for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR). All participants highlighted their support for protecting and conserving land and marine areas to sequester carbon and build climate resilience, and several made announcements.  Seychelles is dedicating a chapter of its enhanced NDC to ocean-based solutions and is committing to protect at least 50% of its seagrass and mangrove ecosystems by 2025 and 100% by 2030, with support. Canada, for its part, is committing $4 billion in its new federal budget for land and ocean protection. In addition, Costa Rica underlined its co-leadership of the High-Ambition Coalition for Nature and People and the intention to have 30% of its ocean under protection by 2022; Peru highlighted that more than a fifth of its NDC measures are associated with nature-based solutions; Indonesia discussed its Presidential decree to permanently freeze new license for logging and peatland utilization, as well as its mangrove rehabilitation program; and Gabon noted that its intact and logged forests absorb four times more CO2 annually than its total emissions across all sectors.  Representatives of the Global Alliance of Territorial Communities and of the Kharia Tribe of India highlighted the need to recognize the contributions and traditional knowledge of local and indigenous communities in ecosystem protection.  
  • The discussion on climate security was hosted by Defense Secretary Austin.  His remarks were followed by remarks from both Director of National Intelligence Haines and U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Thomas-Greenfield, who then moderated a panel discussion.  Speakers included NATO Secretary General Stoltenberg, defense officials from Iraq, Japan, Kenya, Spain, and the UK, as well as the Philippines’ finance minister.  A common theme throughout the discussion was how climate impacts exacerbate security concerns and, as a result, affect military capabilities, heighten geopolitical competition, undermine stability, and provoke regional conflicts.  Participants further emphasized that their nations and regions are vulnerable to extreme weather events, including sea level rise, cyclones, typhoons, drought, and increasing temperatures.  All of these intensify underlying political, social, and economic conditions, which in turn can lead to food insecurity and water scarcity, violent extremism, and mass population movement, with disproportionate effects on vulnerable populations, especially women.  Defense officials noted that their ministries are increasingly called upon to respond to disasters, which taxes their resources, thus elevating the need for enhanced disaster preparedness and response.  In looking at their own operations and readiness, they showcased current efforts to decrease their militaries’ emissions, emphasizing how incorporating climate considerations into their operational planning can increase the agility of their forces.  Additionally, they described the benefits of collaboration between defense ministries on shared climate risks. Participants highlighted the NATO climate security action plan and called on countries to incorporate climate considerations more broadly into multilateral fora, including UN peacekeeping missions.  Perhaps most noteworthy, this was the first-ever U.S. Secretary of Defense convening of Secretaries of Defense focused on climate change.  

Session 4 (“Unleashing Climate Innovation”) explored the critical innovations needed to speed net-zero transitions around the world and highlighted the efforts of governments, the private sector, and civil society in bringing new and improved technologies to market. Energy Secretary Granholm and Commerce Secretary Raimondo emphasized the economic rewards from investing in innovation as multi-trillion dollar markets for clean technologies emerge in the coming decades and announced reinvigorated U.S. international leadership on innovation. The discussion underscored the urgent need for innovation: 45% of the emissions reductions needed for a swift net-zero transition must come from technologies that are not commercially available, according to the Executive Director of the International Energy Agency, and Bill Gates urged investment to drive down “green premium" prices of most zero-carbon technologies compared with fossil fuel alternatives. Several leading countries -- Denmark, the United Arab Emirates, Israel, Kenya, Norway, and Singapore -- described their approaches to investing in mitigation and adaptation technologies. These included clean fuels such as hydrogen, renewables such as offshore wind and geothermal energy, energy storage, clean desalination, carbon capture, advanced mobility, sustainable urban design, and monitoring technologies to verify emissions and stop deforestation. Leaders from the private sector, including from GE Renewables, Vattenfall, and X, as well as from the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, focused on training the diverse innovators of the future and investing in technologies for digitalized, electrified, decarbonized, and resilient energy systems. Special Envoy Kerry closed by emphasizing that raising our innovation ambition enables us to raise the world’s climate ambition. 

Several speakers made announcements during this Session: Denmark announced a technology mission under Mission Innovation to decarbonize the global shipping sector, in collaboration with the United States, and that it will build the world’s first energy islands to produce clean fuels and supply power to Europe. The United Arab Emirates launched the Agriculture Innovation Mission for Climate in partnership with the United States, Australia, Brazil, Denmark, Israel, Singapore, and Uruguay. Bill Gates launched the Breakthrough Energy Catalyst to drive public, private, and philanthropic capital to scale up critical emerging technologies. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute announced the Institute for Energy, the Built Environment, and Smart Systems to decarbonize urban systems. GE Renewable Energy announced that the GE Foundation is committing up to $100 million to increase the diversity of the next generation of engineers. And X, Alphabet’s Moonshot Factory, announced a Moonshot for the electric grid. 

President Biden began Session 5 (“The Economic Opportunities of Climate Action”) by recognizing the opportunity that ambitious climate action presents to countries around the world to create good, high quality jobs. He noted that countries that prioritize policies that promote renewable energy deployment, electric vehicle manufacturing, methane abatement, and building retrofits, among other actions, would likely reap the rewards of job growth and economic prosperity in the years ahead. The U.S. Trade Representative, Ambassador Tai, Transportation Secretary Buttigieg, and National Climate Advisor McCarthy underscored that the climate agenda could be a race to the top for countries that are pursuing the most ambitious methods to tackle the crisis, noting the American Jobs Plan that President Biden has proposed. 

Participants echoed this vision and elaborated their own projects and programs to maximize the economic benefits of their climate actions. Leaders of countries recognized that the economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic presents an opportunity for countries to build back better and invest in the industries of the future. Community, tribal, private sector, and labor leaders also weighed in on the opportunities that decarbonization provided. Panelists noted that climate action presents economic opportunities to all parts of society, from energy workers to vehicle manufacturers, from large businesses to small. In particular, there was general alignment among both country representatives and other participants that governments should promote equitable opportunities for workers and that labor unions can play a key role in promoting high quality employment opportunities for people around the world. To that end, Poland announced that they had just concluded negotiations with coal mine labor unions to ensure a just transition of workers as part of their coal-fired power phasedown. In response to the discussion, President Biden closed by emphasizing that climate action might represent the largest economic opportunity of this century and urging leaders to stay focused.
 
In between the five Sessions, several other speakers provided important perspectives. Youth speaker Xiye Bastida, declaring that climate justice is social justice, underlined that youth need to be a part of decision-making processes and called for a stop to fossil fuel subsidies and extraction. Current and future Conference of Parties Presidents Minister Carolina Schmidt (Chile) and MP Alok Sharma (UK) discussed the urgency of achieving net-zero emissions by 2050. Minister Schmidt noted that COP25 included, for the first time, a mandate to address the ocean-climate nexus, while MP Sharma noted that we must put the world on a path to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050 through long-term targets and aligned NDCs, as well as immediate action, such as phasing out coal. Pope Francis, who has been a climate leader for many years, underlined the need to “care for nature so that nature may care for us.” Chair Mallory of the White House Council on Environmental Quality highlighted the Biden Administration’s commitment to environmental justice and introduced Peggy Shepard, Co-Chair of the White House Environmental Justice Advisory Council; she underlined the need to build back better to lift up the communities struggling with climate impacts and environmental injustice.  Michael Bloomberg, UN Special Envoy on Climate Ambition and Solutions, noted the key role of cities and businesses in tackling the climate crisis.

Alongside the Summit, Special Envoy Kerry hosted two Ministerial Roundtables to provide a broader group of countries an opportunity to contribute to the discussions.  He heard from representatives of more than 60 countries from all over the world, reflecting a wide range of regions, geographic features, and national circumstances, and summarized their input for leaders on the second day of the Summit.  Many Roundtable participants expressed concern about the inadequacy of global climate action to date and/or shared the unprecedented climate impacts they are experiencing. At the same time, participants enthusiastically reported on the significant, exciting efforts they are undertaking to confront the climate crisis, even while facing the global pandemic. Beyond many commitments to net zero emissions, enhanced NDCs, and innovative adaptation efforts, participants included a carbon-negative country, countries that have successfully decoupled economic growth from carbon emissions, leaders in carbon storage, countries with extensive forest cover, issuers of green bonds, and countries focusing on gender-responsive approaches and the participation of indigenous communities.  It was notable that many of those passionately embracing climate solutions contribute far less than 1% of global emissions.  The Roundtables contributed to the Summit’s sense of urgency as countries rally around increased ambition on the road to Glasgow.

Roundtable participants represented:  Afghanistan, Andorra, Angola, Armenia, Austria, Bahrain, Belgium, Cabo Verde, Cambodia, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Ecuador, Estonia, Federated States of Micronesia, Finland, Georgia, Greece, Grenada, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Latvia, Libya, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Mauritania, Monaco, Mongolia, Montenegro, Nepal, North Macedonia, Oman, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Republic of Congo, Romania, Senegal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sri Lanka, St. Kitts and Nevis, Suriname, Sweden, Switzerland, Tanzania, The Bahamas, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, and Zambia. 

A list of new climate-related initiatives announced by the United States at or around the Summit can be found in this Fact Sheet [https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2021/04/23/fact-sheet-president-bidens-leaders-summit-on-climate/].