Pool Reports of January 12, 2022

Pool report #1 - checking in

Happy Wednesday from the White House, where it is 37 degrees and partly cloudy.

POTUS and FLOTUS are set to attend the funeral of General Raymond Odierno at Fort Myer in the early afternoon. Guidance is that the president will deliver remarks but they will be closed press. Pool will advise with any updates.

The press secretary's briefing is currently scheduled for 3 p.m.

Pool report #2 passing along info from White House

As pool waits to depart for the funeral, White House passes along this information:

On the heels of the President’s speech yesterday, he and the Vice President will be working the phones over the next several days pushing members of the Senate to support voting rights legislation and changes to Senate rules.

In addition, tomorrow afternoon, the President will meet with the Senate Democratic Caucus to discuss the urgent need to pass legislation to protect the constitutional right to vote and the integrity of our elections against un-American attacks based on the Big Lie, and to again underline that doing so requires changing the rules of the Senate to make the institution work again.

Pool report #3 - rolling

From the vans, pool observed POTUS walking out of the Oval Office at 12:53 p.m. and motorcade is now rolling to Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall.

Pool report #4 arrival at Fort Myer

After an uneventful 10-minute drive, motorcade arrived at Joint Base Myer-Henderson at 1:04 p.m. Pool was not able to observe POTUS and FLOTUS walking into the funeral and is now holding at a location nearby.

Also, White House shares that NEC director Brian Deese plans to join the press secretary at the 3 p.m. briefing.

Pool report #5 - departing funeral

Pool loaded back into vans and was not in a position to observe POTUS or FLOTUS before motorcade started rolling at 3:05 p.m.

Pool Report #6 - OTR stop at the Capitol

Motorcade pulled onto the east front of the U.S. Capitol at 3:15 p.m. for an OTR stop. Pool is holding in vans and did not observe POTUS entering the building but we believe he's now inside paying respects to former Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, who is lying in state.

The press briefing is now expected to begin shortly after pool is back at the White House.

Pool report #7 - rolling back to White House

Your pooler didn't have the best vantage point but it appeared POTUS emerged from the Senate side of the Capitol and motorcade is now rolling. Pool was not allowed into the Capitol during the approximately 45-minute stop and instead held in vans outside.

Pool report #8 - back at WH

After a short drive, the motorcade arrived back at the White House at 4:05 p.m. and pool observed POTUS walking into the Oval Office.

Now waiting for press briefing to start.

Pool report #9 - two minute warning

We have a 2-minute warning for the press briefing.

Pool report #10 - end of briefing and note from Capitol Hill

Briefing just wrapped up. Toward the end the press secretary referenced a comment the president made at the Capitol today, responding to the Senate minority leader's criticisms about his speech. As pool was not allowed into the Capitol to capture that particular exchange, I'll pass along this account from Trish Turner of ABC News:

After paying his respects to Harry Reid, Pres Biden spent some time - roughly 20 mins - behind closed doors with the Reid family in the Mansfield Room on the Senate side of the Capitol.

He then exited and took quite a bit of time talking to a large group of Senate pages after Sen Cory Booker pulled him over (they had been maneuvering outside the room for what seemed like an hour to get in the right place; Booker decided to help them).

You could hear laughter a number of times as the President spoke animatedly to the group of young people.

At one point, Sen Tom Carper joined.

The president and 2 sens then kneeled down in front of the pages for a "class" style photo. WH official photogs snapped pics.

Biden then pigeonholed Booker for few minutes — and I yelled, "Mr President, any response to Mitch McConnell who said your speech yesterday was ' profoundly un-presidential'?"

Biden took a moment, turned, removed his black mask and said, "I like Mitch McConnell. He's a friend."

After, he entered McConnell's office and was only there for maybe a minute.

Booker later told me Biden just spoke with the outer office staff.

Pool report #11 lid

We have a travel photo lid at 5:26 p.m. Enjoy your evening all!