Pool Reports of February 17, 2021

pool report #1/pool loaded in vans for OTR

The pool has loaded into vans.

There is nothing is on the President's public schedule and the destination has not been revealed as yet. But today is Ash Wednesday, the start of Lent and the day after Mardi Gras or, as it turned out this year across Texas and much of the country, Mardi Froid.

Pool report #2/motorcade rolling

President Biden emerged from the residence at 10:17 am. Motorcade rolling.

Just after 10 am workers affixed the presidential seal to the railing above the white awning leading out to the driveway, where POTUS' black SUV was waiting. They seemed to be measuring or leveling, and they removed it and walked away before POTUS emerged.

Pool report #3/arrival

Motorcade arrived at Georgetown University at 10:27am.

Pool is holding in vans.

Uneventful drive.

Pool report #4/leaving Georgetown University

Motorcade has departed. Pool did not see POTUS.

Pool report #5/back at White House

President Biden walked into the Oval at 10:54 am after an uneventful motorcade back from Georgetown University.

From press office:

The President will be receiving his ashes for Ash Wednesday from Rev. Brian O. McDermott, S.J. at Georgetown University, Wolfington Hall.

He will be greeted by Rev. Ronald Anton, S.J.

pool report #6/updated briefing time is 1pm

Press briefing will now be at 1PM.

pool report #7/Labor meeting participants

onpassing from the press office re
3:30 PM THE PRESIDENT and THE VICE PRESIDENT meet with labor leaders to discuss the American Rescue Plan and to get input on the President's infrastructure plan

Attendees:

• Richard Trumka, President, American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO)
• Elizabeth H. Shuler, Secretary-Treasurer, American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO)
• James T. Callahan, General President, International Union of Operating Engineers (IUOE)
• Eric Dean, General President, Ironworkers International Union (IW)
• Robert Martinez, Jr., International President, International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAMAW)
• Sean McGarvey, President, North America's Building Trades Union (NABTU)
• Mark McManus, General President, United Association Union of Plumbers, Fitters, Welders, & Service Techs (UA)
• Terry O'Sullivan, General President, Laborers' International Union of North America (LIUNA)
• Kenneth E. Rigmaiden, General President, International Union of Painters and Allied Trades (IUPAT)
• Lonnie Stephenson, International President, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW)

pool report #8/lunch lid until 3 pm

The briefing with Press Secretary Jen Psaki ended after about 55 minutes.
Lunch lid until 3.
POTUS meets with labor leaders with a pool spray scheduled at the top at 3:30.

Pool report #9/Netanyahu call

Flagging that Israeli PM has tweeted that he and Biden just spoke.

https://twitter.com/netanyahu/status/1362137064297406473?s=19

"The conversation was very friendly and warm and lasted about an hour."

Pool is still holding in the briefing room awaiting pool spray in Oval with labor leaders.

Pool report #10/Oval Office

Pool was ushered into the Oval Office at 4:06pm for a spray at the top of President Biden's meeting with labor leaders on infrastructure and the American Rescue Plan.

Over a half hour behind schedule. Pool is told the press office will release a readout of POTUS call with Israeli PM Netanyahu.

More tk

Repeating guest list from earlier pool report:

• Richard Trumka, President, American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO)
• Elizabeth H. Shuler, Secretary-Treasurer, American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO)
• James T. Callahan, General President, International Union of Operating Engineers (IUOE)
• Eric Dean, General President, Ironworkers International Union (IW)
• Robert Martinez, Jr., International President, International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAMAW)
• Sean McGarvey, President, North America's Building Trades Union (NABTU)
• Mark McManus, General President, United Association Union of Plumbers, Fitters, Welders, & Service Techs (UA)
• Terry O'Sullivan, General President, Laborers' International Union of North America (LIUNA)
• Kenneth E. Rigmaiden, General President, International Union of Painters and Allied Trades (IUPAT)
• Lonnie Stephenson, International President, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW)

Pool report #11/Oval spray part 2

On Netanyahu call: "Good conversation." He did not elaborate. Pool was being ushered out at that point.

"Dance with the ones that brung you." Re labor. To the labor leaders, he said, "It's good to see you all. It really is."

Pool ushered out at 4:10. More to come.

Pool report #12/Oval spray part 3

VP Harris seated to the right of President Biden. Trumpka across, near the Resolute Desk. Others spread around the room.

Biden: "Every once in a while as president, you get to invite close friends into the Oval….A lot of these folks have been my friends for a long, long, long time. As they say in parts of my state, these are the folks that brung me to the dance." (FIXING dance QUOTE from pool report #11)

"We are so far behind the curve. We rank like 38th in the world in terms of infrastructure, everything from canals to highways to airports, to everything we can do and we need to do to make ourselves competitive in the 21st Century."

More Biden: "I learned based on the polling data they want they want everything in the plan -- not a joke. Everything in the plan. … I asked a rhetorical question, those who opposed the plan: What don't they like?... Don't they want to help people with nutrition? Don't they want to help people be able to pay their mortgages? Don't they want to help people get their unemployment insurance? Don't they want to make sure that people are able to stay in their homes without being thrown out of their homes in the middle of this godawful pandemic? What don't they like?"

Then your pooler asked about the Netanyahu call and we got the "good conversation" response.

pool report #12a/spelling on Trumka

Report #12 misspelled the last name of Richard Trumka, AFL-CIO president.

pool report #13/lid

Travel/photo lid has been declared.

The president's meeting with labor leaders has ended.

Be careful out there tomorrow. Storm coming.