Pool Reports of March 24, 2021

In town pool report # 1 -- good morning

Good morning. I'll be your print pooler on this rainy day. Passing the following along from the White House.

On Background from The White House

On Wednesday March 24th a delegation of Members of Congress and White House officials will travel to visit the Office of Refugee Resettlement Carrizo Springs Influx Care Facility. The Department of Health and Human Services will be allowing one network pooled camera into the Carrizo Springs Facility to accompany this visit. The pooled footage will be available to other media outlets following the delegation's departure. Earlier this week, the Department of Homeland Security provided B-roll footage of their Donna and El Paso facilities to members of the media. The Biden Administration is committed to transparency and will continue to work with agencies on creating avenues for media access and visibility at both Homeland Security and Health and Human Service facilities. Agencies will continue working to fulfill requests from Members of Congress for access to these facilities as well.

In town pool report #2 -- today's schedule

Your pooler is now physically at the White House, where it is grey and drizzling.

Today, there is a virtual coronavirus response team briefing at 10:30am and a press briefing with White House press secretary Jen Psaki, Council of Economic Advisers Chair Cecilia Rouse, and Council of Economic Advisers member Heather Boushey at 12:30pm. If you have questions for the latter briefing, feel free to send along and I will venture to get them answered.

President Biden and Vice President Harris are scheduled to meet with HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra and DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas at 2pm.

The president and first lady will then host an event on Equal Pay Day with members of the U.S. women's national soccer team at 4:15pm.

I'll keep you posted if anything changes and feel free to reach out to me with questions.

In town pool report #3 -- lunch lid

We've got a lunch lid until 12:15pm.

In town pool report #4 -- two-minute warning

Two-minute warning on the press briefing as of 12:31pm.

It will be streamed here: https://www.whitehouse.gov/live/

In town pool report #5 -- briefing begins

The press briefing with White House press secretary Jen Psaki and CEA members has begun. You can watch it here: https://www.whitehouse.gov/live/

In town pool report #6 -- briefing over

The press briefing has ended and pool is preparing to gather at the Palm Room doors at 1:40pm for the next event beginning at 2pm.

In town pool report #7 — holding

Pool is holding outside the State Dining Room ahead of POTUS and VPOTUS meeting with HHS and DHS secretaries and immigration advisers. I will send more details once we are let into the meeting. --

In town pool report #8 — Biden says Harris to lead diplomatic effort on addressing migration issue

Press let into room at 2:14pm.

Biden announced he has asked Harris "to lead our efforts with Mexico and the Northern triangle and the countries that are going to need help in stemming" migration at southern border.

Biden described Harris as the most qualified person to lead the effort.

Biden spoke of "Serious spikes" in people heading to southern border even amidst last administration

"This new surge we are dealing with now started in the past administration but it is our responsibility" now to deal with it

Harris has agreed to lead diplomatic effort to work with countries to enhance immigration enforcement at their borders."I can think of nobody who is better qualified to do this," Biden said, mentioning Harris' work as California AG

Harris said there is "no question this is a challenging situation," spoke of need to enforce laws and also address root causes
She said she looks forward to engaging in diplomacy with these countries, as well as engaging in private sector

In town pool report #9

Pool ushered out just after 2:20pm. Biden did not answer shouted questions. Will endeavor to send full quotes as soon as possible.

In town pool report #10 -- full quotes

Full quotes below. Video also available on CSPAN:

https://www.c-span.org/video/?510228-1/president-biden-taps-vice-preside...

Biden and Harris were seated at a long table with DHS Secretary Mayorkas, HHS Secretary Becerra and a number of other officials.

Biden started out by recognizing Becerra, who was recently confirmed.

"We've got ourselves a secretary. Xavier, welcome. Thanks for being willing to do this. I really appreciate it," Biden said.

"I said when we became a team and got elected that the vice president was going to be the last person in the room. She doesn't realize that means she gets every assignment."

He noted Harris' work helping to pass the American Rescue Plan and since traveling around the country to talk about the ARP.

"I have asked her, the VP today, because she is the most qualified person to do it, to lead our efforts with Mexico and the Northern Triangle and the countries that are going to need help in stemming the movement of so many folks, stemming the migration to our southern border," Biden said.

"Back when I was vice president, I got a similar assignment. One of the things we did was we made sure we got a bipartisan agreement with Democrats and Republicans to provide over $700 million to the countries in the Northern Triangle to determine the best way to keep people from coming is keep them from wanting to leave. The reason why so manty people were leaving we learned was not only gang violence and trafficking cartels but natural disasters, hurricanes, floods, earthquakes," he said.

"If you deal with the problem in the country, it benefits everyone. It benefits us, it benefits the people, it grows the economies there. Unfortunately, the last administration eliminated that funding and did not engage in it, did not use it, even though there was over $700 million to help get this done. We are reinstituting that program. And there are as I said, there are many factors as to why people leave in the first place. This is the source of one of the reasons why we've had a such a, before we took office, in the midst of the last administration's somewhat draconian policies of separating children at from their parents, etcetera, what happened was that we found that there were serious spike in the number of people heading to the southern border even in the midst of that," Biden said.

"That was because there were serious natural disasters that occurred in those countries, they were coming north and we did nothing to do much about it," he said.

"This new surge that we are seeing with now started with the last administration but it is our responsibility to deal with it humanely and to stop what is happening," Biden said.

"This increase has been consequential, but the vice president has agreed, among the multiple other things I have had her leading and I appreciate it, agreed to lead our diplomatic effort and to work with those nations to accept the returnees and enhance migration enforcement at their borders," Biden said.

"I can think of nobody who is better qualified to do this than a former -- this is a woman who ran the second largest attorney general's office in America after the United States attorney general in the state of California," Biden said, noting Harris has done a "great deal" on human rights and fighting organized crime.

"It's not her full responsibility job, but she is leading the effort because I think the best thing to do is to put someone who when he or she speaks, they don't have to wonder about, is that where the president is. when she speaks, she speaks for me, doesn't have to check with me, she knows what she's doing, and I hope we can move this along," he said.

"I gave you a tough job and you're smiling," Biden said as he turned to Harris, saying that there is "no one better" to take on this effort.

Harris then delivered brief remarks.

"Thank you Mr. President for having the confidence in me. There is no question that this is a challenging situation. As the president has said, there are many factors that lead [inaudible] to leave these countries. While we are clear that people should not come to the border now, we also understand that we will enforce the law and that we also –because we can chew gum and walk at the same time – must address the root causes that cause people to make the trek as the president has described to come here"

"I look forward to engaging in diplomacy with government, with private sector, with civil society and the leaders of each in El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras to strengthen democracy and the rule of law and ensure shared prosperity in the region," Harris said.

"We will collaborate with Mexico and other countries in the western hemisphere," she said.

"I also look forward to working with members of the Congress who I think share our perspective on the need to address root causes for the migration that we've been seeing. Needless to say, the work will not be easy but it is important work. It is work that we demand and the people of our countries I believe need to help stem the tide that we have seen," Harris said.

In town pool report #11 -- Megan Rapinoe sighting

Megan Rapinoe came into the briefing room for a few minutes with Jen Psaki and stood at the podium. Some of the photographers snapped photos of her.

She said she hadn't met with President Biden yet when asked. She is due to participate in an event with him and FLOTUS later this afternoon. Rapinoe also answered the following question.

Q: How does it feel to be at the White House on this day?

"It's really amazing. Both of us feel honored to even be invited and continue the fight that we've had for a long time."

In town pool report #12 -- Equal Pay Day event - two minute warning

Pool is in place for the Equal Pay Day event in the South Court Auditorium (details below from the daily guidance).

The event will stream live here, but I will send along color and highlights: https://www.whitehouse.gov/live/

4:15 PM THE PRESIDENT and THE FIRST LADY host a event with Margaret Purce, Megan Rapinoe, and members of the U.S. Soccer Women's National Team to mark Equal Pay Day
South Court Auditorium
In-House Pool Coverage (Final Gather 3:55 PM – Brady Press Briefing Room)

In town pool report #13 -- event highlights

Some highlights below in chronological order. Note, POTUS announced that as of today, 100 million direct payments have been dispersed to Americans that were funded by the ARP.

Margaret Purce spoke first, emphasizing the need for sports leagues to invest in women. She thanked the women's national team for being a "force for change" and thanked the Bidens and VP Harris for working to advance economic security for women.

FLOTUS, wearing a pink skirt suit, then spoke about how when she first started teaching she was earning only 75 percent of what a man who was hired at the same time earned.
"A job is so much more than a paycheck, but our paychecks reflect how we are valued by our employers and even by our communities."
"Equal work deserves equal pay no matter who does it."
"I don't want my granddaughters to have to fight this same battle."
"It's way past time to pay women equally."

Megan Rapinoe spoke, noting that despite her wins as a professional soccer player, "I've been devalued, I've been disrespected and dismissed because I'm a woman and I've been told I don't deserve any more than less because I am a woman."

She stressed the need for more work to be done on policies to support equal pay and fight against injustices and inequalities that women face.

She introduced President Biden as "one of our greatest allies."

President Biden then talked about the history of Equal Pay Day and recognized the way that the pandemic has exacerbated the gender gap.

"It undermines financial security for women and families. It hurts our entire economy."

He noted that the American Rescue Plan is designed to address this challenge, noting funding for school reopenings, direct payments. He also announced that as of today, 100 million direct payments have been dispersed.

"The 100th million check has been deposited as of today and many more are on the way."

He called on Congress to pass the Paycheck Fairness Act.

"My administration is going to fight for equal pay ... It's about justice, it's about fairness, it's about living up to our values."

Biden said that in order to fully recover from the pandemic the U.S. needs "to erase the gender pay gap."

Biden then signed a proclamation marking National Equal Pay Day 2021.

Event concluded at 5:23pm

In town pool report #14 - questions

Biden took a few brief questions from the pool before he left. Asked if he was ready for the press conference tomorrow, he joked, "What press conference?"

Asked if he can order equal pay for the women's soccer team, he answered, " If I could it would have been done a long time ago."

In town pool report #15 -- virtual participants and lid

At 5:28pm, the White House called a travel/photo lid.

Also, below is a list of the members of the U.S. women's soccer team who participated in the Equal Pay Day event virtually.

List of USWNT Participants Joining Virtually

Merritt Mathias
Molly Levinson
Katharine Verville
Becky Sauerbrunn (+ 4 others on screen with her, names not listed)
Tierna Davidson
McCall Zerboni
Alyssa Naeher
Carolyn Campbell
Tobin Heath (+1 not named)
Alex Morgan
Carli Lloyd
Andi Sullivan
Mal Pugh
Emily Sonnett (+1 not named)
Casey Murphy
Cardelle Spangler
Becca Roux
Jessica McDonald
Lynn Williams
Sam Mewis
Rose Lavelle
Abby Dahlkemper
Morgan Brian

In town pool report #16 -- a few more participants

From the White House, additional participants in today's event:

Additional USWNT Participants who joined virtually, identified below:

Samantha Mewis (was w Rose Lavelle)
Crystal Dunn, AD Franch, Sophia Smith, Lindsay Horan (w Becky Sauerbrunn)
Christen Press (w/Tobin Heath)
Kelley O'Hara (w/ Emily Sonnett)
Also I saw Ali Kreiger and Ashlyn Harris there with their new baby Sloane