Pool Reports of August 11, 2021

Pool report #1 - Checking in / COVID-19 meeting participants

Good morning. I'll be your print pooler for the day.

The White House sends along attendees from President Biden's closed press meeting this morning:

Participating in the President's virtual meeting with business, university, and health care leaders to discuss strategies to get more Americans vaccinated and end the COVID-19 pandemic:

Greg A. Adams, Chairman and CEO of Kaiser Permanente
Dr. Wayne A. I. Frederick, President of Howard University
Scott Kirby, CEO of United Airlines
Diane E. Sumpter, President and CEO of DESA, Inc.
Jeff Zients, White House Coronavirus Response Coordinator
Natalie Quillian, White House Deputy Coronavirus Response Coordinator

A reminder that the press briefing is scheduled for 12:15 pm. Here is the president's schedule:

11:15 AM THE PRESIDENT meets virtually with business, university, and health care leaders to discuss strategies to get more Americans vaccinated and end the COVID-19 pandemic
Oval Office
Closed Press

1:15 PM THE PRESIDENT delivers remarks on his Build Back Better agenda that will lower costs for working families, generate economic growth, and create jobs
East Room
In-House Pool and Pre-Credentialed Media Coverage (Final Gather 1:00 PM – Palm Room Doors)

3:00 PM THE PRESIDENT meets virtually with Governors, Mayors, and other state, local, and tribal officials to discuss the importance of the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act
South Court Auditorium
In-House Pool Coverage (Final Gather 2:45 PM – Stakeout Location)

In-Town Pool Report #2 - Two minute warning for briefing

At 12:21 pm we have a 2 minute warning.

In-town pool report #3 -- Briefing starts

White House press secretary Jen Psaki took to the podium at 12:24 pm

In-town pool report #4 -- Briefing ends

Briefing ended at 1:16 pm. Pool is awaiting further instruction via loudspeaker/email on when to gather for President Biden's remarks. These were originally scheduled for 1:15 pm.

In-town pool report #5 - Pool gathering for POTUS remarks

Pool and pre-credentialed media have been instructed to gather at the Palm Room Doors for President Biden's remarks on his Build Back Better agenda.

In-town pool report #6 -- Two minute warning to POTUS East Room remarks

Two minute warning for President Biden's remarks on his Building Back Better agenda. These are expected to last about 15 minutes.

?As a reminder, the event will be livestreamed here: https://www.whitehouse.gov/live/

In-town pool report #7 -- POTUS East Room remarks / No questions

President Biden entered the East Room and began his remarks at 1:42 pm.

Some quotes but please check against transcript/livestream:

"Jobs are up and monthly price increases have come down. Economic growth is up, the fastest in 40 years, and unemployment is coming down," Biden said. But still too many are "feeling the pinch," including on gas prices, he said. "We're taking action to address gas prices as well," he said, and repeated a promise not to raise gas prices.

He said his National Economic Council had asked the Federal Trade Commission chair "to use every available tool to monitor the US gasoline market and address any illegal conduct that might be connected, might be contributing to price increases at the pump."

Biden said his community college plan should be viewed as a tax cut for families. "I should say tax cut, not credit," he said.

"The investments I'm proposing will be fully paid for," Biden said. "My Build Back Better agenda is fiscally responsible."

Biden finished speaking at 1:58 pm and exited at 1:59 pm.

In-town pool report #8 - Gathering for POTUS meeting with state and local officials

Pool is gathering for President Biden's virtual meeting with Governors, Mayors, and state, local, and tribal officials to discuss the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. Gather time is now 3 pm.

In-town pool report #9 - Two minute warning to POTUS virtual meeting

The event will be livestreamed: https://www.whitehouse.gov/live/

In-town pool report #10 - POTUS speaking

President Biden began speaking at 3:12 pm in the South Court Auditorium for the infrastructure meeting with state and local officials.

The event will be livestreamed: https://www.whitehouse.gov/live/

In-town pool report #11 - Meeting speakers

From the White House:

More than 1,500 Governors, Mayors, county officials, tribal officials, and other elected officials are virtually attending the President's meeting to discuss the importance of the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment.

Yesterday's pooler shared this from the White House last night:

Tomorrow, the President will meet virtually with Governors, Mayors, and other state, local, and tribal officials to discuss the importance of the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment. Attendees will include members of the National Governors Association, U.S. Conference of Mayors, National League of Cities, National Association of Counties, National Conference of State Legislatures, and National Congress of American Indians. Speaking at the meeting will be:

Governor Gretchen Whitmer, Michigan
Mayor Jerry Dyer, Fresno, CA
Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba, Jackson, MS
Commissioner Liz Hausmann, Fulton County, GA
Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin, Jr., Cherokee Nation

In-town pool report #12 — Meeting ends / questions / lid

?President Biden gave about 5 minutes of remarks before the event ended.

Asked by Jeff Mason of Reuters whether he was worried about the debt ceiling, Biden said, "No."

"They are not going to let us default," he said. "$8 trillion is on the Republican's watch."

A lid was called at 4:02 pm