Pool Reports by Christian Datoc, Washington Examiner
| Sent: | Reports: |
| July 27, 2021 12:14 |
VP Pool Report #1: Gathering Good morning from the White House, where pool is gathered ahead of VP event. She’s giving Virtual Remarks to the National Bar Association. Scheduled for 12, her remarks will be live-streamed: https://www.whitehouse.gov/live/ Will pass along any background we may receive from WH prior to event. |
| July 27, 2021 12:54 |
VP Pool Report #2: VP Remarks Begin Your pooler has no service inside South Court Auditorium, so apologies if any messages send late. I’ll provide color if necessary, but event is live streamed. VP took the stage promptly at noon. The auditorium is largely empty aside from some staffers/pool. VP began speaking at 12:03 pm. |
| July 27, 2021 12:58 |
VP Pool Report #3: Remarks Conclude Remarks concluded at 12:15. Some highlights, please check transcript to ensure accuracy: She spoke about the reasons for becoming a lawyer, "which include the values … instilled in us" and injustice. "For me, like many of you, it was a little bit all of that." VP spoke about her family, particularly Uncle Sherman, a lawyer/individual she looked up to. She spoke about voting rights, noting that the bar association and black lawyers "played an integral role in that history." "When the voting rights act was passed, black lawyers were there … it is black lawyers who helped lead the fight for the right to vote." VP said "the fight remains," calling the right to vote "the right that unlocks all of the rights." "Now state legislators are trying to limit these options," VP said as she detailed drop box changes, etc. "Not everyone can stand in line for hours to vote on Election Day. We all know that … Americans need options to be able to cast their ballot, which is their right." "Let's not lose sight of what's going on out there," VP added, saying "we must fight back against all of these efforts" and fight to pass For The People Act. "We know our democracy is stronger when everyone can participate, and it is weaker when anyone is left out," she said to end remarks. VP also briefly spoke about unvaccinated Americans, urging those who know people who haven't taken the shot to tell them to get vaccinated. Please feel free to reach out with any questions. That's all from me for today (no background for this event from WH). |
| July 27, 2021 15:51 |
VP pool report #4 — background on Native American voting rights discussion WH passes along the following background ahead of Vice President Kamala Harris' discussion with Native American community leaders on voting rights, scheduled for 4:15pm... Today at 4:15 PM EDT, the Vice President will host a discussion in her Ceremonial Office to engage with Native American community leaders about voting rights. She will hear from the participants about their experiences and thank them for their work protecting the right to vote. She will be joined at the event by Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland. Additional Background Participants:
Background on VP’s Leadership on Voting Rights
States with highest percentage of American Indian and Alaska Native populations:
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| July 27, 2021 16:06 |
VP pool report #5 — gathering As of 3:55pm for the short walk over to VP’s ceremonial office in EEOB |
| July 27, 2021 16:24 |
VP pool report #6 — remarks begin A note… VP's office came up to pool as we were waiting outside the office and instructed us DC had just issued new guidance/mandate regarding indoor mask use, as the city falls within the "moderate" transmission category. We masked up, either with personals or disposable medicals supplied by WH. Pool entered the ceremonial office at 4:21pm, and VP began speaking as soon as pool was set. VP at at the head of the conference table with Sec. Haaland to her right. More to follow… |
| July 27, 2021 16:37 |
VP pool report #7 — quotes/remarks over Harris and Haaland wrapped their remarks at the top at 4:31pm, and pool was ushered out after VP answered 1 question from pool on masks… "No one likes wearing masks… people need to get vaccinated. That's the only way we're going to cut this off. Nobody likes wearing a mask." The room: Highlights from VP's remarks: "It is part of our solemn duty to respect the sovereignty" of tribal governments "Native Americans were denied the right to vote" until 1924, and some states barred Native Americans from voting for years after legislation was passed. "All people should have their right to vote unencumbered" Today, 1 in 3 Native Americans who are eligible to vote aren't registered… access is key "We look at these new laws…" 30 laws in 18 states… "that directly impact our tribal communities" "We must pass" the For the People Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Act Harris says the admin has maintained communication with tribal leaders to make sure their voting rights fixes actually address what those communities need "Democracy is stronger" when people don't vote… Highlights from Haaland's remarks: "I knew that when we had a voice, we could" make a difference "Systematic barriers [to voting] for native people living on tribal lands still exist today…" "It's long let time we secure voting rights for people regardless of what community they come from" Voting is "sacred…" Otter audio and full quotes to follow… |
| July 27, 2021 17:12 |
VP pool report #8 — full quotes/audio link Otter link: https://otter.ai/u/VShVbloumj_cpgwvtVDf3lsyZdY HARRIS: Thank you for accepting my invitation to have a in-depth and serious discussion about the issue of voting rights, and what we must do to address long standing issues, and the most recent issue. It goes without saying that I would say that the United States is a very unique and very important nation to nation relationship with our tribal governments, and I believe it is part of the solemn duty of the United States government to respect the sovereignty and significance of those government-to-government relationships. So, I have asked these leaders to join me so we can talk, and I'm prepared to do that, most importantly, about what we must do to address the issue that is a long standing and a recent issue around attempts to interfere with all people's rights to vote. In particular, I think it is important to always speak truth to that history. So I will remind you that Native Americans were denied the sacred right to vote and faced discrimination and exclusion at the ballot box, and the history of the United States. Native Americans were not universally granted U.S. citizenship and the right to vote until 1924, 1924. Even after the Indian Citizenship Act was passed, states still barred Native Americans from voting for decades. Arizona and New Mexico barred Native Americans from voting utill 1948. And that was on tape. Much like what has happened [inaudible] We know that in many places, Jim Crow style policy still presented or denied meaningful access to the ballot box for our Native American voters. And so these truths must be told, they must be told in the context that all people should have their right to vote unencumbered, and that if we are truly a nation that prioritizes the voice of each person, we must make sure that they have meaningful access to the polls. Today, what we know in addition is that one in three Native Americans who are eligible to vote are not yet registered. A lot of that has to do with lack of access to the resources and the facilities that allow people to get registered to vote. We can look at the reality of where folks live in particular, we're talking about the playing space. And we're looking at the difficulty of getting to a polling location and the distances between where people live and where the location is located. In Montana and North Dakota, for example, I've heard stories about it taking at least one hour each way to get to the polling location. And then you get home [inaudible], in terms of the encumbrances on the ability of people to exercise their right to vote. And then we look at new laws in 18 states, those legislative bodies have passed 30 new laws, which target ballot collection, which target out of precinct voting, and this directly impacts our product community. So there are solutions. We must pass the For the People Act and we must pass the John Lewis Voting Rights Act. We must ensure that all people's rights to access to the polls is protected and encouraged. Specific to the Native American and Alaska Native communities, we must also ensure that communities get ballots to the polling places, right. So again, this is about once posted voting, actually getting those ballots where they can be counted. Language access is another issue that we must address, both in terms of historically, where that's presented as a barrier, but also what we're seeing acknowledge language access. And access to polling locations can be anything. Our administration issued an executive order on many issues that relate to voting rights, but particularly it also relates to Native American and Alaska Native votes and what we must do. To that end, we have been engaged in consultation with the tribes and tribal leaders in recognition of the government to government relationship, and in recognition, therefore, of the need to consult with these leaders to make sure that whatever it is that we are doing to fix the problem, it is informed by what the leaders in fact think are the problem. So with that, I will close my comments by saying that democracy is strongest when for our country [SEE AUDIO FOR HAALAND QUOTES] QUESTION: Madam Vice President can you talk a little bit about masks while we're here today? HARRIS: None of us like wearing masks. People need to get vaccinated. People need to get vaccinated. It will save their life. This virus is no joke. The people who are not with us today, due to COVID-19, the vast majority of them were unvaccinated. When you look at people who are dying right now from COVID-19, almost none of them have been vaccinated. People need to get vaccinated. That's the only way we're gonna cut this thing off. Nobody likes wearing masks. Get vaccinated. That's all from me, y'all. LMK if you have any other questions. |
| July 27, 2021 17:19 |
VP pool report #9 — comment from WH on reporters wearing mask One more from me... passing along from WH official: We follow CDC guidance and this afternoon Washington, D.C. was classified as having a substantial level of community transmission. Here is a link to the map: CDC COVID Data Tracker |
Kamala Harris, Vice Presidential Pool Reports of July 27, 2021 Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/node/332378