Vice Presidential Pool Reports of August 1, 2022

VP travel pool report #1: arrival in Miami

The Vice President touched down at Miami International Airport at 12:21 PM.

She was greeted by Congresswoman Frederica S. Wilson (D, Florida - 24) and Congresswoman Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-FL-20).

She spoke with Wilson for several minutes and departed at 12:37 PM.

She’s set to visit the National Hurricane Center for a briefing by NOAA and FEMA about extreme weather events in the U.S., followed by a press availability around 3pm.

Next, she’s headed to Florida International University to announce the additional $1 billion in BRIC (Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities) funding for states to protect against extreme heat and flooding.

VP pool travel report #2: arrival at NHC

VP Harris arrived at the National Hurricane Center at 1:05 PM. She’s attending closed press meetings.

Backgrounder for the day here:

On background from a White House Official

• Building on Administration actions to make America resilient to climate change, Vice President Kamala Harris is traveling to Miami, Florida, on August 1, to announce over $1 billion for 53 states, territories, and D.C., to improve their infrastructure and make communities more resilient, with an emphasis on increasing resilience to the impacts of climate change and extreme weather events.
• Vice President Harris will receive a briefing at the National Hurricane Center by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) officials. She will then give remarks on climate resilience and taking climate action as communities face climate risks including hurricanes, floods, drought, extreme heat, and wildfires.
• This announcement and the Vice President’s visit to Miami come as millions of Americans live under heat advisories, wildfires threaten communities, over 100 million Americans experience the uncertainty associated with drought, and communities across the country face deadly floods.
• She will be joined by U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Administrator Deanne Criswell and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Administrator Richard Spinrad.

Additional background

• Vice President Harris has visited communities across the country to highlight the impacts of climate change and the need to take action on climate resilience in order to protect our communities, infrastructure, and economy:
  • In October 2021 the Vice President traveled to Las Vegas, NV and visited Lake Mead to highlight the impact of drought and urgent need to pass the now Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
  • In January 2022, the Vice President traveled to San Bernardino, CA to announce wildfire resilience funds.
  • In April 2022, the Vice President Philadelphia, PA to announce protections for workers from extreme heat.
• As a Senator, Vice President Harris led the Water Justice Act, which addressed drought resilience, and the Wildfire Defense Act, which addressed wildfire resilience.
• Throughout her career, VP Harris worked to address longstanding inequities through environmental and climate justice.

Please check any direct quotes against the official transcript.

The Vice President opened her remarks by thanking the various administrators, secretaries and acting directors for their service.

She talked about "how immediate, how current, how urgent" the issue of climate related disasters is and how they harm people and economies across the country.

Harris said she believes government officials have a duty to protect their constituents, and "the climate crisis has made that duty more important than ever before."

She referenced the simultaneous fires and floods across the nation as a sign of the increasing frequency and urgency of climate change.

"In 2021 alone, we count 20 climate disasters that each caused over $1 billion in damage," she said.

By comparison, she said, the 1990s had six such disasters in a year.

"The frequency has accelerated in a relatively short period of time," she said. "The situation is clear. Extreme weather will only get worse and the climate crisis will accelerate."

"We have within our ability the power to act in a way that recognizes the urgency of this moment and our ability to do something about it."

At 2:05 PM, the VP concluded her remarks and began a briefing with the people listed below:

National Hurricane Center Briefing

Participants:

- Vice President Kamala Harris
- Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, U.S. Department of Homeland Security
- Acting Director Jaime Rhome, National Hurricane Center (NHC)
- Acting Deputy Director, Dr. Michael Brennan, National Hurricane Center
- Administrator Richard "Rick" W. Spinrad, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
- Administrator Deanne Criswell, Federal Emergency Management Agency

VP pool travel report #4: VP leaves FIU

VP concluded her remarks at FIU at 4:30 PM and the motorcade is headed back to the airport now. Will share my notes on the remarks shortly.

VP pool travel report #5: VP remarks

Please check any direct quotes against the official transcript.

An audience of about 150 gathered at FIU's Sweetwater campus to hear local and federal leaders talk about the importance of funding climate resilience and the Biden-Harris' administration's newest $1 billion in BRIC funding to do just that.

Miami Beach Mayor Dan Gelber mentioned the upcoming second annual Aspen Ideas: Climate in his city, and talked about all that Miami Beach has done to adapt to climate change recently, including elevating 11 miles of roads, installing 46 stormwater pump, changing the zoning code to allow for elevate buildings and retrofitting public parks to include water storing cisterns.

"My city doesn't debate whether the climate is changing, we simply look at the ground on a sunny day and see flooding," he said.

Gelber praised the federal govenrment for its committment to funding these crucial projects.

"We are facing an incredible challenge right now, but this is an increidly surmountable challenge if we have the will to do the right thing," he said.

Congresswoman Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-Fl-20) talked about the importance of climate justice.

"Incorporating climate justice in resilience includes prioriritizng well being in communties most exposed," she said.

Congresswoman Frederica S. Wilson (D-Fl-24) mentioned that she and the VP are both members of Alpha Kappa Alpha and she was thrilled to introduce her.

"She is my friend and she is my sorority sister and i am tickled pink," she said.

"Thank you for coming to amplify the glaring, real existence and real view of climate change. We are it. We are the petri dish. You came to the right place, and we are grateful for this visit," she said.

Wilson said she was proud to deliver a "one in a generation" influsion of cash with the bipartisan Infrastructure Bill and said she hopes this additional funding reminds the nation that "dems dleiver."

"We fight every single day to deliver to the people, regardless of the roadblocks, the seatbacks. Dems aim to deliver always, and we do," she said.

Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas started his remarks by mentioning the 35 dead so far in the floods in Kentucky.

"Our hearts break for the affected communities. Our thoughts and prayers are with them, and so are out resources, our personnel and our expertise," he said.

He talked about last year's Hurricane Ida, the floods and wildfires and other extreme weather that has harmed the nation.

"We have no choice but to be candid about the fact that climate change poses a very real threat to the safety, security and prosperity of the US," he said. "The impacts are being felt in real time and are being felt most acutely by the most vulnerable communituties."

He mentioned the important innovations DHS is developing to help communties address climate change, like low cost flood and wildfire sensors and technology to help people evacuate a disaster.

"Through programs like BRIC, the Biden-Harris administration is ensuring communities, including udnerserved communities, are getting what they need to ensure they are prepared," he said.

FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell also began by talking about the tragedy in Kentucky, which she recently toured with Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear

"The magnitude of the loss is really hard to put into words. The stories of survival, they're heart wrenching," she said. "We will be with them in the days and the months to come."

Criswell said today, the first day of peak hurricane season, was the perfect tiem to announce the grantees of the fiscal year 2021 BRIC grants. The Biden adminstration doubled funding to $1 billion this year and doubled it again to $2.3 billion next year.

"The VP has been a champion of BRIC since her time as a senator. This level of support for one of our agencies most important programs remains unmatched," she said.

"The truth is, there is more need and demand for the projects this year then we were able to fund, but thanks to the Biden-Harris admin, we will be able to fund even more next year and in the year to come," she said.

She mentioned how a recently constructed flood wall in Washinton protected a community when the nearby river crested to 37 feet.

"This was a success story and it proves mitigation works," she said.

NOAA Administrator Rick Spinrad talked about how far his administration's hurricane forecasting technology has come since Hurricane Andrew struck Miami 30 years ago this month.

"Our hurricane model performance has improved up to 30%. We won't stop there," he said.

He also touted the adminstration's record breaking $1.1 billion invetsment in Everglades restoration.

"Over the next five years we will deploy nearly $3 billion to ensure our coasts are more resilient," he said.

Vice President Harris opened her remarks by acknowledging "the debate is over" on climate change.

"It is a very challenging time in our country right now on this topic and in many others," she said. "The time for debate is long past.. Climate change has become a climate crisis, and a threat is now a reality."

She talked about the 35 dead, including babies, in Kentucky, the hsitoric megadrought in the West and the wildfires burning in California.

"It has been devastating what we've been witnessing," she said.

In 2021 the adminstration counted 20 $1 billion disasters that killed more than 700 people.

This new $1 billion in BRIC funding will go to 343 cities, towns and counties nationwide, including underground water storage in Kern County, California, upgrading the power grid in Austin, Texas and $50 million to prevent sea level rise flooding in Miami.

"All of these projects will create good jobs and good union jobs," she said. "These projects will also strengthen our economy by preventing billoons of dollars of damage form exreme weather."

"In awarding these grants we have paid special attention to the issue of equity.
We know that the impact of the climate crisis is not felt equally in all communities," she said. "The climate crisis has exposed and intensified decades of environmental and economic inequities that have been present in communities across our nation. Our administration remains committed to correcting those inequities through enviro justice."

Harris also talked about the importance of stopping the source of climate change and the administration's goal to slash greenhosue emissions in half by 2030 and go to zero by 2050.

"Some say that is an amitiuous goal, I say it is doable," she said.
A woman in the crowd shouted "let's do it!" leading to another round of applause which punctuated almost every sentence of the VP's 15-minute speech.

She also touched on the agreement President Biden reached with Seantor Joe Manchin last week, which she said she "strongly supports."

"This is an historic opportunity to advance our fight against the climate crisis.
So congress, we ask that you pass it immediately," she said.

VP pool travel report #6: VP stops at Miami thrift store

The VP made an unscheduled stop at Dragonfly Thrift boutique in Little Havana, a consignment store that employs and supports women who were recently released from incarceration.

"I believe in you guys so much," Harris told the several women she met, some of whom were openly crying while explaining how meaningful the LEAP program at Dragonfly has been for them.

She talked about the concept of redemption and how society should support people who make mistakes.

"I've accomplished way more than I ever would have expected," said Danielle Estes, a LEAP graduate and administrative assistant for the boutique.

Harris left the boutique shortly after 5:15 PMcarrying a large shop bag. The motorcade headed to Miami International Airport.

VP travel pool report #7: VP boards Air Force 2

Harris boarded Air Force 2 after briefly posing for a picture with support staff at 5:39 PM.