Vice Presidential Pool Reports of June 15, 2021

VP pool report #1 — gathering for CDFI remarks

Good morning on a perfect, 75-degree Tuesday afternoon at the White House.

Pool is gathering ahead of Vice President Kamala Harris' remarks on the disbursement of $1.25 billion for Community Development Financial Institutions, scheduled for 1:00pm ET.

VP, Treasury Sec. Janet Yellen, Congresswoman Maxine Waters, and Senator Mark Warner will all speak in the South Court Auditorium. The remarks will be live-streamed via the White House website, and pool will send relevant color and highlights.

As always feel free to reach out directly with any questions.

... and passing along some background from the WH

At 1pm today from the White House, the Vice President will announce the disbursement of nearly $1.25 billion for Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs), through the Rapid Recovery Program funding, a newly created program based on then-Senator Harris's bill with Senators Warner, Schumer, Booker and Chairwoman Waters which was passed in the December 2020 COVID/Omnibus legislation.

• The Vice President will be joined at the event today by Sec. Yellen, Sen. Warner, and Rep. Waters.
• The $1.25B is part of the $12 billion in CDFI/MDI funding in the December 2020 COVID/Omnibus legislation.
• The awards, through the CDFI Rapid Response Program (CDFI RRP), will enable the CDFIs to help their customers and their respective communities respond to the economic hardships created by the COVID-19 pandemic.

BROADER CONTEXT

• Major focus of the Vice President since taking office: ensuring small businesses – especially the smallest of the small - get the help and support they need as we navigate this pandemic and emerge from it.
  • CDFIs/MDIs: working with Sec. Yellen, Treasury staff and OVP staff to successfully implement the program to ensure small business owners in overlooked communities get access to capital
  • Less than three weeks into office: VP did an event on small business with Sec. Yellen and Black Chambers of Commerce. They discussed supporting CDFIs.
• Recent Forbes Essay: The Vice President's essay in Forbes this month lays out the Biden-Harris Administration vision to support American innovation – from ensuring every entrepreneur has the capital needed to realize their vision, to improving our nation's care infrastructure, to making affordable, high-speed internet available to all Americans. As the VP writes:
  • "Traditional banks and venture capital firms have not always seen the vision of women entrepreneurs and those of color. Community lenders, on the other hand, were founded to see that vision. Community lenders understand the value in providing access to capital in communities of color and low-income communities—and because they do, they add value to those communities and our country."
• VP's first event, on day two of the Administration, was with small business owners. Since then, the VP has visited in-person with small business owners nationwide including in Providence, Denver, Oakland, Alexandria, New Hampshire.

VP pool report #2 — in South Court

Pool was escorted over just before 12:50pm. Event is still slated to begin at 1pm. Symone Sanders and a number of other staffers are waiting with us in the audience.

The room has the usual setup... podium located at centerstage. The background banners read "Investing In Our Communities" emblazoned on top of some stock mainstreet imagery.

Pool will send a photo with VP, Sec. Yellen, Rep. Waters, and Sen. Warner once the event begins.

Again, you can stream the remarks here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XrOED3ofa7A&feature=emb_title

VP pool report #3 — event begins

VP and the other speakers stepped on stage at 1:07pm. A "CDFI stakeholder" (name to follow) began with a short introduction on CDFI's.

Third reminder that you can stream here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XrOED3ofa7A

VP pool report #4 — program over/highlights

Note from report #3: the CDFI stakeholder introducing VP was Opportunity Finance Network President and CEO Lisa Mensah

THE SCENE: https://twitter.com/TocRadio/status/1404850653512470539

VP opened by stating that emerging from the pandemic gives the US the opportunity to "take stock" of where "we're going."

...
"Right now, small business owners don't just need relief, they need access to capital..."

Harris said that over the past month, she's been in contact with communities across the country that "need a community lender" to recognize their work... "When they've got a good idea, let's invest in them"

"Access to capital" can help lenders and businesses alike...

VP told interested parties they can receive more info at Treasury.gov

Sec. Yellen noted that 863 CDFI's will receive part of today's disbursement.

She added that most CDFI's are located in communities of color, and that it was one of the first topics Harris raised with her after the election.

... Channeling more capital into CDFI's is what "Build Back Better" looks like in reality.

Rep. Waters called Minority Depository Institutions (MDI's) and CDFI's "instrumental in ensuring critical aid reaches small businesses" and "communities of color" during the pandemic. She noted that these initiatives have bipartisan support.

Sen. Warner called CDFI's and MDI's an "industry and cause whose time has come." He noted that after the first round of PPP loans went out during the pandemic — "very well intentioned" — the businesses that needed help the most often went overlooked due to lack of banking relationships.

"A lot more people get access to capital who look like me than the balance of the people up here [motioning to the other speakers]. And that's just not fair."

"This is a great first step, but it's not enough..."

Remarks concluded at 1:35pm. That's all from me, folks. Enjoy the rest of your Tuesday.

VP pool report #5 -- background for DACA event

I'll be your print pooler for Vice President Harris's event commemorating the 9th anniversary of DACA this afternoon, scheduled for 4pm. Passing along the following background from the White House --

Today, the White House is commemorating the ninth anniversary of the creation of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) by the Obama-Biden Administration. At 4:00 PM ET, Vice President Harris will convene immigrant women - including two DACA recipients - in care professions who are members of the National Domestic Workers Alliance.

During the event, the Vice President will elevate the urgent need for the U.S. Senate to pass the American Dream and Promise Act, discuss the state of the care economy, and pose solutions for economic recovery in the American Jobs Plan and American Families Plan. The Vice President will also be joined by U.S. Senators Bob Menendez (NJ) and Dick Durbin (IL), and Ai-Jen Poo and Jessica Morales Rocketto of the National Domestic Workers Alliance.

The Vice President's work leading this event is a part of the Administration's larger plan that tackles the many parts of our broken immigration system because we know these issues are interconnected: Expanding legal pathways for immigration, building a more fair and orderly infrastructure at our border, reunifying families who were separated, and providing a path to citizenship for Dreamers, TPS holders, and farmworkers.

Additional Background:

• Following President Biden's Oval Office meeting with six Dreamers on May 14, 2021, the Biden-Harris Administration aims to continue uplifting the urgent need for a pathway to citizenship for Dreamers, TPS Holders, and farmworkers.
• The morning of June 15th, the Senate Judiciary Committee will hold a hearing on the American Dream and Promise Act, the bipartisan piece of legislation that passed the House in March 2021 that would provide a pathway to citizenship for Dreamers & TPS Holders.
• National Domestic Workers Alliance (NDWA) promotes the rights of domestic workers in the United States. Their work advocates for low-income laborers in the context of broader social justice issues, including immigration reform, domestic violence, and the care economy.

Vice President Harris's Record:

• Vice President Harris has spent her career fighting for immigrants. As Attorney General and U.S. Senator, she has worked on these issues from a border state with the largest undocumented immigrant population.
• She has been a leading champion of DACA, opposed harmful policies of the Trump administration, like family separation, and continues to champion our immigrant communities.
  • Her first year in the Senate she was an original cosponsor of the Dream Act (now referred to as the American Dream and Promise Act)
  • In January 2017, during DHS Secretary-designee John Kelly's nomination hearings, she asked about whether he would uphold the DACA program, and questioned him about the use of law enforcement resources to target and deport Dreamers – which he declined to answer.
  • In November 2017, during the nomination hearing for DHS Secretary-designee Kirstjen Nielsen she asked her whether she would commit to not conducting immigration enforcement against DACA recipients or use their information for immigration enforcement. Nielsen replied that as Secretary of the DHS she would not do either.
• The Vice President is undertaking the important work of addressing the root causes of migration – focusing on giving people a sense of hope.

Policy Background:

• In 2012, the Obama-Biden Administration established the DACA policy, which allows certain undocumented people who entered the U.S. as children to live, work, and study in the U.S. To qualify, individuals must have entered the U.S. before age 16, pass a background check, and be enrolled in school or have a high school diploma/GED, among other requirements.
• The policy is extremely popular among both Republicans and Democrats. Today, more than 600,000 people are DACA recipients.

• Individuals seeking DACA must submit applications to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and must meet strict eligibility criteria related to their criminal history, identity, and the length of time they have lived in the U.S. The DACA policy allows DACA recipients to receive temporary, renewable work permits. As a result of this policy, previously undocumented youth now attend college, enter the workforce and contribute to their communities.
• Consistent with POTUS' campaign commitment to "remove the uncertainty" for DACA recipients and undocumented immigrant youth, POTUS issued a Presidential Memorandum directing the Attorney General and Secretary of Homeland Security to "preserve and fortify" DACA.
• The President's immigration bill, the U.S. Citizenship Act, includes a pathway to citizenship for Dreamers, and you have expressed support for the American Dream and Promise Act. The latter bill passed the House on March 18, 2021 on a bipartisan basis.
• Temporary Protected Status ("TPS") is designated when conditions in a country temporarily prevent the country's nationals from returning safely, or in certain circumstances, where the country is unable to handle the return of its nationals adequately.

VP pool report #6 - DACA meeting

Pool was ushered into the Ceremonial Office at 4:02pm. Vice President Harris was seated at a table with Sens. Durbin and Menendez and members of the National Domestic Workers Alliance.

Harris thanked the senators for their leadership on immigration in the Senate.

Harris recalled a hearing where she questioned John Kelly, former Trump DHS secretary, about his commitment to DACA.

"We knew it was under threat by the administration at the time."

She said she asked Kelly if he was willing to maintain it and he didn't directly answer.

Harris affirmed the Biden administration's commitment to DACA.

"We are here on this day on the anniversary of DACA ... to tell you this administration fully intends to do everything in our power to protect our Dreamers. … There is no question about that."

She called for the passage of immigration legislation.

"It is critically important that we provide a pathway to citizenship to give people a sense of security"

Harris called on the Senate to pass the American Dream and Promise Act.

She noted a hearing took place today and said a bipartisan group will engage with discussions on Wednesday.

"The immigrants that we are talking about are making incredible contributions" to our country and our history.

"There is an urgency to this moment and your stories are America's stories."

Pool ushered out around 4:10pm. I'll endeavor to send full quotes as soon as possible.

VP pool report #7 -- fuller quotes and video

Here are some fuller quotes from the meeting.

CSPAN also has video that you can view here:
https://www.c-span.org/video/?512621-1/vice-president-harris-remarks-daca

Harris talked about the nomination hearing for John Kelly to be DHS secretary under the Trump administration:

"I remember that hearing quite well."

"I was very specific in the subject that I was talking about, which was DACA."

"I was particularly interested in how this nominee thought of the role of our government on the issue of DACA. And so I asked him questions and I asked him how he felt about, of course, DACA which is the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals and was of course started by the Obama administration in June of 2012. And we knew it was under threat by the administration at the time and I was concerned about how the secretary, the nominee, would approach it. So I asked him, Gen. John Kelly, and I asked are you willing to maintain DACA? Are you willing to maintain the policy and he refused to answer the question directly."

"And I will tell you, we are here on this day, on the anniversary of DACA, and I'm here on behalf of the Biden-Harris administration to tell you this administration fully intends to do everything in our power to protect our Dreamers. There will be no question about that. There is no question about that."

"And it is really for one simple reason, and this I say to our Dreamers: Because you are home. This is the only home you know. And this issue is as fundamental as that. And so on this day I want to thank all of you for also doing the work that you've been doing to work with members of Congress, we have two of the greatest leaders from Congress here. But it's been the work of a coalition working with members of Congress to clear a pathway to citizenship, a pathway to citizenship for our Dreamers, for our farmworkers, for individuals with temporary protected status. Even with DACA in place, we know that Dreamers live in a constant state of fear about their status and about their future."

"It is critically important that we provide a pathway to citizenship to give people a sense of certainty and a sense of security."

The VP noted the House has passed the American Dream and Promise Act and the Farm Workforce Modernization Act.

"We are calling on the Senate to do the same, and these two have been two of the greatest leaders in that regard," she said, referring to Durbin and Menendez.

She noted Durbin held a hearing on the American Dream and Promise Act today and said "tomorrow talks will continue with a bipartisan group of senators."

"In addition, Chairman Menendez has been leading the way on the U.S. Citizenship Act and again I want to thank you for your leadership."

"Over the years I have met with so many who are students who are determined to serve our communities, farmworkers who work hard every day feeding our communities and highlighted by the incredible courage and hard work they did during the course of this pandemic, care workers who risked their own lives during the course of this pandemic every day out of a commitment to follow through on their life of service."

"The immigrants that we are talking about are making incredible contributions to our nation and dare I say as we all know history. This is a nation that was founded by immigrants. So, in this regard there is not much that is new except for how some people's perspective about what should happen at this moment in our history versus what has happened in the past. But it is time for us to correct course. It is time for us to renew our embrace of the traditions and the history of America and create a pathway to citizenship."

"There is an urgency to this moment and your stories are America's stories and that's why we're here today. To share stories and to renew our commitment to this issue both in terms of making progress, seeing action but also making it very clear that when we are talking about a fundamental issue that is about safety and security and citizenship, we should create a pathway and allow people that opportunity, people who in many cases for decades have been serving our country with courage and commitment."

That's all from me today, folks.