Vice Presidential Pool Reports of June 8, 2022

Pool report 1

Morning. Sorry for the late start.

10:52 am pool has entered the hall where Vice President Kamala Harris is scheduled to speak at 11 a.m.

11:04 President Kamala Harris entered the room at Intercontinental Hotel and speaking. Please check livestream.

Pool 1

Good morning from Los Angeles! Pool is in the plenary room for the Vice President's first event, which began at 11:04 am local time. It's livestreamed at whitehouse.gov/live. Highlights to follow.

Below is the background, via the Vice President's office.

From guidance:

The Vice President is delivering remarks at the CEO Summit to discuss progress made addressing the root causes of migration, with particular focus on the Call to Action for northern Central America, the innovative public-private partnership she launched in May 2021. She is discussing how the public and private sectors can further work together to build a prosperous and inclusive future for the people of the Western Hemisphere. This event at the InterContinental Hotel in Los Angeles is pooled press, open to pre-credentialed media, and livestreamed at WhiteHouse.gov/live.

VP Pool report 2

The VP remarks ended at 11:19 am.

Pool will now hold for second event. Highlights to follow.

Vice President Pool Report 3

Highlights from Vice President Kamala Harris first talk.

The room was about 3/4 full.

She spoke on immigration and how immigrants from Latin America really don't want to leave their countries.

"The governments alone cannot address this issue. We must partner with private sector."

"To attract meaningful investment part of our agenda and strategy must include a priority that is to combat corruption, promote the rule of law, reduce violence and empower women. So these are the guiding principles that inform our root causes strategy."

She mentioned the $3.2 billion investment in Central America she announced yesterday.

"Our administration has made tackling corruption a top policy priority."

"Another pilar of our strategy is to train, protect and empower women and to address gender-based violence."

VP Pool Report 4

Hi again,
It's 1:03 p.m. and media is waiting in shuttle for the Vice President. Should depart soon for the Dream Big Children's Center in Monrovia. Should be about a 30-minute drive.
Passing on some information from the VP's office:

On Background From a White House Official

Building on her leadership advocating for America's small businesses, today at 2:00pm PST, the Vice President will tour a Los Angeles small business, Dream Big Children's Center, to discuss the Biden-Harris Administration's policies that have led to a historic recovery for America's small businesses, and the Administration's ongoing work to address inflation.

The Vice President will be joined by Isabel Guzman, Administrator of the Small Business Administration (SBA). The Vice President will hear from the business owner, Cristina Cordeiro, about the critical role that SBA played in keeping Dream Big Children's Center afloat during the pandemic. Dream Big Children's Center, a play centered space where kids diagnosed with Autism can receive behavioral therapy, has four locations and more than 150 employees, the majority of whom are women of color. It is also provides home-based services to underserved communities.

Since taking office, the Biden-Harris Administration has invested more than $450 billion in emergency relief to more than 6 million small businesses, which helped 5.4 million small businesses launch in 2021 – which is 20 percent higher than any previous year on record. The boom in new business creation has been particularly strong for entrepreneurs of color. In 2021, Hispanic Americans started new businesses at the fastest rate in more than a decade and 23 percent faster than pre-pandemic levels.

The Vice President's first external meeting after taking office was with small business owners, and since then, she has played a lead role ensuring small business owners – in every community – have the capital and resources they need to start and grow a business. Building on her leadership in the Senate, where she secured $12B for community lenders in December 2020, the Vice President has worked with Secretary Yellen to get funds to community lenders who support small business owners in underserved areas. She also worked with President Biden to improve PPP and ensure the American Rescue Plan included relief for small business owners.

The Vice President has traveled the country meeting with small business owners to discuss challenges and opportunities they face – because she believes that if we harness the full potential and talent of all our entrepreneurs, we can build a better and more prosperous future.

Vice President pool 5

Pool departed Intercontinental at 1:23 pm on shuttle. Didn't see the Vice President get into vehicle Heading now for Dream Big Children's Center in Monrovia. Should be about a 30-minute drive.

Vice President Pool Report 6

Its's 1:47 pm and we got left behind by the motorcade. Press 1 shuttle is now with general traffic. Something happened with the van and we almost crashed. Unclear if it's the wheels or steering wheel. We're all OK but likely going to arrive late now. We're heading to Dream Big Children's Center in Monrovia.

VP pool report 7

It's 1:53 pm and there is something wrong with press one shuttle. We can't accelerate safely.

Still in general traffic but trying to catch up. Press pool shuttle two is ahead of us and with motorcade. I'm in press shuttle one, btw.

CHP vehicle not letting us through. Secret service is handling.

VP pool 8

We made it! At 2:03 pm, we are holding for VP. We are inside the Dream Big Children's Center in Monrovia. VP is inside but I can't see her.

VP pool report 9

It's 2:06 pm, VP is meeting with women eating masks. Harris is wearing mask. You can hear the laughter of children at the day care center. There is a chest full of toys, tambourine, drum. VP is wearing a brown suit. I'm too far away and can't make out what she is saying in room.

Vp press pool 10

Press escorted out at 2:16 pm. Vp is still inside the daycare talking with staff who works there. Holding for her. Will send highlights later.

Participants of the tour:
- Isabel Guzman, Administrator of Small Business Administration
- Cristina Cordeiro, Owner, Dream Big Children's Center
- Morgan Joyner, Center Manager, Dream Big Children's Center

- Amrin Vajifdar, Therapist, Dream Big Children's Center
- Kiyom (Kiki) Banks, Parent, Dream Big Children's Center
- Cecilia Jeong, Parent, Dream Big Children's Center

VP press pool 11

At 2:40 pm VP left day care facility. She gaggled some with press but not much. Will send highlights shortly. We are moving to press shuttles.

VP Pool report 12

Highlights from VP at the Dream Big Children's Center in Monrovia.

VP wore a mask and so did the manager and workers. Children were present. At one point, she met inside a glass partitioned room with some women. They spoke. Cameras were allowed in.

Print pool tried to get into the room but Secret Service didn't allow access so I couldn't hear what was said.

Few minutes later, she met with the center's manager and a therapist—both women.

VP asked about what it was like for them and the families they serviced during the early days of the pandemic.

"For these children, they thrive on consistency and the opposite actually occurs without consistency, they begin to spiral," Harris said.

The women nodded in approval.

They chatted for a few minutes before press was escorted away.

Will send brief gaggle's highlights soon.

VP Press Pool 13

Press shuttle arrived at permitir of Intercontinental at 3:20 pm and now holding before we take off for the Microsoft Center.

VP Press pool 14

It's 3:26 pm and we are moving to Microsoft event. We are about 15 minutes away. Running into some DTLA traffic .

VP Press pool 15

Pool arrived at Microsoft Theatre at 3:34 pm. Couldn't see VP. Moving through security. Outside the theatre there was changing from immigrant rights activists chanting "Biden escucha, estamos en la lucha."

Vice President Press Pool 16

Hi there.

Here are some highlights from the brief gaggle.

Question asked: "What does it mean for you to be at a Summit like this in your home state as one of the leaders of it and what are you most excited about in terms of the summit."

VP said she'd talk on the summit but first wanted to talk about the Dream Big Children's Center in Monrovia and the female business owner who runs the centers.

"It's a small business right here in the heart of California and she now has five and it's a business that serves the parents and the children of the community, in particular special needs children. The reason that I've been hearing about her work is not only because of what she does in such a loving way to help parents, parent but she did it through the pandemic when she, for just a short while, was under the threat that some of these small businesses were closing. And, the parents that she serves were desperate to know that she would be able to stay open and she did. And parents bring their children here five days a week for four hours a day. The parents of this community rely on the support that she gives their children throughout those early stages of their development. And if she had to close down it would have had a profound if not lifelong impact on those children, plus their families."

She said it's small businesses like Big Dreams that have been supported by the Small Business Administration, which gives loans that help these businesses grow and expand. She said the PPP program let her stay open through the height of the pandemic.

On the summit.

"One of the important components of the summit for my perspective is the work that we've been doing with the call to action, which is bringing CEOs together to invest at historic numbers to invest in the northern part of Central America."

"One of the things that is without question, when we are able to improve the prosperity and stability of our neighbors, we as a nation benefit. So the work that we have been doing in the summit has been to bring CEOs together, heads of state of a number of the countries in the Western Hemisphere are going to be here to talk about how we can continue to collaborate. But specifically on the issue of the economic investment that our CEOS are making, specifically on the subject of the beauty and strength of public-private partnerships, I'm very excited about the work that is being done and will continue to be done.

VP Pool report 17

Good evening from the Microsoft Theater in L.A. where opening ceremony at the ninth annual Summit of the Americas is about to begin.
Follow at WhiteHouse.gov/live

VP Pool Report 18

Opening ceremony for SOA started at 5:26 p.m. at the Microsoft Theatre. Everyone in the nearly full theater stood up. VP is scheduled to speak 10 minutes in. Follow livestream at WhiteHouse.gov/live

VP press pool 19

VP takes the stage after Gov. Gavin Newsom introduces her at 5:35 p.m.

VP hugs children on stage who are holding flags from Latin American countries.

"I know the future is bright when I look at these young leaders."

"I'm proud to call Los Angeles my home," she said. "California is a place where ambitions and dreams become a reality."

Please check quotes against livestream: WhiteHouse.gov/live

VP Press Pool 20

VP off stage at 5:41 p.m.

You can follow livestream here: WhiteHouse.gov/live