Vice Presidential Pool Reports of November 2, 2022

VP pool report 1: Arrival, Background

Hello all, I will be today's print pooler.

It is a beautiful day here in New England with clear blue skies, leaves in full fall colors, and temps in the 60s.

The VP arrived at Boston Logan International Airport aboard AF2 at 3:00 p.m. VP deplaned at 3:11 p.m. wearing a grey suit. VP was greeted on the tarmac by Boston Mayor Michelle Wu. The pair chatted on the tarmac for two minutes before VP waved to pool and entered convoy.

Trivia: Wu told reporter before arrival that in 2012 as a campaign worker for Elizabeth Warren's US senate campaign she picked Harris up from Logan and drove her to campaign events around the city.

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Below my signature you can find background relevant to the visit.

Here is background from WH on the announcements the VP will make at a union hall this afternoon:

https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2022/11/02/fact-sheet-biden-harris-administration-announces-new-actions-to-lower-energy-costs-for-families/

In New England, one of the major local utilities has already announced a 60 percent price hike for electricity this winter. Local utilities are also seeking price hikes for gas, and higher heating oil prices (still an important source of energy in the winter here) are already hitting pocketbooks.

Here is the list of speakers at tonight's rally in Roxbury (per Healey campaign) and background on the Massachusetts midterms:

Gubernatorial nominee Maura Healey (State attorney general 2015-present)
Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (D-MA)
Lieutenant governor nominee Kim Driscoll (Mayor of Salem, Mass., 2006-present)
Attorney general nominee Andrea Campbell (Boston city councilor 2016-2022)
Auditor nominee Diana DiZoglio (State Senator 2019-present)
Incumbent treasurer Deb Goldberg (Treasurer 2015-present)
Boston Mayor Michelle Wu (D)

Popular moderate Republican Governor Charlie Baker did not seek reelection, and Healey is widely seen as a shoo-in. The latest Boston Globe/Suffolk University poll showed Healey leading her Trump-backed opponent former state Senator Geoff Diehl by 23 points. Healey has focused her campaign on affordability and protecting abortion rights. The other Democratic candidates who will speak tonight led their Republican opponents by between 15 and 20 points in the poll.

Baker and the state Republican party have fallen out in recent years as the party has drifted further right. Baker has declined to endorse anyone on the Republican slate save a fellow moderate, the nominee for auditor, Anthony Amore.

The VP was last in Boston over Labor Day Weekend to attend the Greater Boston Labor Council's annual Labor Day breakfast. POTUS last visited Boston on Sept. 12 to relaunch his Cancer Moonshot Initiative and was in Southeastern Mass. on July 21 to tout his climate agenda.

VP pool report 2: arrival @ event 1

After approx. 17 min drive thru Boston VP arrived at 3:35 p.m. for the fuel assistance announcement event Sheet Metal Workers Local 17 Training Center in the Lower Mills area of Dorchester.

Pool did not see Harris exit convoy or enter trading center.

On the drive along I-93 southbound several motorists blocked on the on ramps had left their vehicles to look at or film the convoy as it passed. On Milton Street in Dorchester a man in a Celtics hoodie smiled broadly while filming and waving the convoy.

On Background from a White House Official

Today, Wednesday, November 2, 2022, Vice President Kamala Harris is traveling to Boston, Massachusetts to announce over $13 billion in new federal programs and funding, including more than $300 million for the state of Massachusetts. These programs and the funding will lower energy costs for American families – through energy-efficiency and electrification home upgrades, and by assisting with heating costs for low-income households this winter. The announcement will help families address heating costs this winter and make long-term cost-saving upgrades more accessible and affordable, while creating good-paying, union jobs. At 4:30PM, the Vice President will deliver remarks at the Sheet Metal Workers Training Center, which will be live-streamed at www.whitehouse.gov/live.

Over the last few months, the Vice President has touted the Inflation Reduction Act's historic investment in lowering costs of energy across the country. Shealso cast two tie-breaking votes as the US Senate worked to pass the historic Inflation Reduction Act.

Additional speakers at today's announcement

• U.S. Senator Ed Markey (D-MA)
• Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (D-MA-07)
• Mayor Michelle Wu (D-Boston, MA)
• Bob Butler, Business Manager, Local 17 Boston, MA
• Shamaiah Turner, Member of SMART Union, will introduce Vice President Harris

VP pool report 3: event 1 VP quotes

After an introduction from Bob "Bobby" Butler, Sheet Metal Workers Local 17's business manager, Wu, Pressley, then Markey spoke. Some quotes from them TK.

After an introduction by Local 17 member Samaiah Turner, the VP began speaking at 4:30 p.m. in front of a crowd of about 80 or 90 people in the training center's main hall. The VP had a mural of workers and ducts (made of sheet metal) behind her. The VP began speaking at 4:30 and spoke for about 13 minutes. After the event she stepped down from the dias and shook hands with the elected leaders that had spoken before her and then interacted with some in the crowd.

Pool was ushered out before the VP left the room.

Her are VP excerpts (recording TK)

"When the furnace breaks in the middle of the winter families call you [SMART union workers] to get the heat back on."

"The president and I continue to make lower costs one of our highest priorities ."

Touted the $35 insulin cap, passage of a tax cut for $8,000 to parents, and cancelling student loan debt. In particular, the VP highlighted that people who did not complete college are also eligible if they still have debt.

VP said that gas prices have fallen sharply since the summer and attacked oil companies for their high profits.

"Gas prices would fall -- they'd fall even further -- if oil and gas companies would use their record profits to help American families instead of their shareholders."

"One of the best ways a family can reduce their energy bills is to make their home more energy efficient. But here's the challenge, many homeowners, including many that are here today, known that energy efficiency upgrades are expensive. We know it could save you thousands of dollars in the long run, but the upfront costs are too high for so many families to afford it."

Gives examples of rebates of $800 per household for a new electric stove, $1,600 for new insulation, and $8,000 to replace their gas furnace.

The VP mentions she had seen a diagram of a heat pump backstage at the training center, which was very complex.

"I have mad respect for those who are putting them together and installing them," she said.

On average families that switch can save $500

VP encouraged those who need assistance to go to the web address energyhelp.us
"As the workers here know, these investments will also create jobs. Jobs for electricians who do the residential wiring; jobs for laborers who install energy efficient windows; jobs for sheet metal workers who build and install electric heat pumps, jobs for union workers who will be trained right here in this building."
The investments in cleaner home heating upgrades will help tackle "the intersection" of several of the administration's key priorities, from creating union jobs, reducing costs, and fighting climate change, the VP said.
"It's all connected with this effort, and it's helping us build a nation where all people can succeed and thrive."

VP pool report 4: arrival at rally

CORRECTION: The VP started speaking around 4:10 p.m. NOT 4:30 p.m. Apologies.

Left Sheet Metal Workers Local 17 Training Center around 4:25 p.m. and after uneventful 15 minute trip to the Reggie Lewis Track and Field Center and arrived at about 4:40 p.m. Pool has not seen the VP since we left the union hall.

Roxbury Community College interim President Jackie Jenkins-Scott began the speaking program promptly at 5 p.m.

Venue: We're in a basketball court with a large blue curtain draped across one wall. Risers with supports have a variety of signs for the candidates that will be speaking tonight. A large Healey Driscoll for Massachusetts sign is behind them.

VP pool report 5: Event 1 non-VP quotes

Wu said that even though the weather was beautiful today, winter and higher energy prices are "right around the corner."

Inflation reduction act is "truly a lifeline for so many," Wu said.

"I'm going to be plain," because many are already making hard choices due to higher cost of energy, Pressley said, "because the math doesn't work. It just doesn't add up."

Markey said that the money for appliance upgrades will make it "so cleaning your clothes won't empty your pockets."

There are potential employment gains for "millions" of union workers from the climate revolution, Markey said.

VP pool report 6: Rally ends

VP spoke for about 20 minutes and concluded at 6:12 p.m. VP shook hands with some in the crowd briefly then shook hands of those on the risers. VP left Reggie Lewis at about 6:19. Pool has not been around VP.

Quotes and recording TK real soon.

VP pool report 7: in plane

The VP arrived back at Boston Logan at 6:30 pm. She exited the convoy, took a photo outside the plane with staff, did not talk to pool, climbed stairs, turned and waved, before entering AF2 at 6:34 pm.

VP pool report 8: wheels up

AF2 was wheels up at 6:48 p.m.

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I will have quotes coming soon

VP pool report 9: Rally VP quotes

Harris spoke at a podium, but occasionally walked around the stage mic in hand. Healey, Driscoll, and Campbell, standing along the barrier to her left, frequently made comments to each other and smiled during her remarks.

During GOTV, volunteers will run into people who ask why they should vote, Harris said.
"Here's what I will say Roxbury, we got a lot of good material."
Voters "put in an order," when they voted in 2020, Harris said.

She spent the next several minutes listing the ways in which the administration has made good on those promises and connecting it to voters' decision to cast their ballot. The VP highlighted the expansion of the child tax credit, the bipartisan infrastructure bill, the insulin price cap, and Medicare's ability to negotiate for prescription drugs, rounding off each example with "because you voted."

"Because they stood in those lines and took time out of their busy lives, they said 'You know what? It's about time to have a Black woman on the United States Supreme Court.' And because they voted, you can call her Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson. Because you voted."

"We just witnessed the United States Supreme Court take a constitutional right that had been recognized from the people of America, from the woman of America."

"One does not have to abandon their faith or deeply held beliefs to agree that the government should not be telling her what to do with her body," Harris said.

"But when the court did, the proponents, the people who laud the decision, are now proposing and passing laws around our country to literally criminalize health care providers, doctors, nurses, healthcare providers, with jail sentences is the proposal, punishing people – no exception for some of the most vile, violent crimes one can endure and survive to their body."
"It is immoral. It is immoral."

Massachusetts should be a safe place for people coming from other states, the VP said.
"Let's remember that in that Dobbs decision, Clarence Thomas said the quiet part out loud." She then says the court could overturn protections for contraceptives and same-sex marriage.

In a nod to Massachusetts' deep blue hue, Harris told the crowd to "call your cousins who live in other states."

VP said she has met with more than 100 world leaders as VP, and that when she represents the US on the world stage she can enter the rooms confident that the US has the best Democracy in the world. Implies, but does not say explicitly, that GOP puts this at risk.

"What you know about being a role model is that people watch what you do and see if it matches up with what you say," she said.

Harris discussed the "duality of democracy" – that democracy is both incredibly strong and extremely fragile.

"It will only be as strong as our willingness to fight for it, and so fight for it must, and fight for it will, and when we fight we win."

Campbell and Healey joined her on stage to wave to the cheering audience.

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Working on recording. A few Mass state candidate quotes TK (they spoke before VP)

VP pool report 10: non-VP rally quotes

Michelle Wu
"There are an unprecedented number of power women that we're going to get to fill in those bubbles for up and down the ballot."

Ayanna Pressley
"She's [VP] broken more than glass ceilings, she's broken concrete ones."

"We have an unprecedented chance to elect a slate of leaders for our commonwealth, not just trailblazers and history makers, but champions for our communities. Indeed, representation does matter."

"We can't bring a new chair to an old table. In this moment, we're creating a whole new table," she said.

"These are some extraordinary women in public service. To pundits who might think it's a fluke, or a wave, or magic, or that we're up here for any of those reasons, we're here because we're damn good," she said to thunderous applause. "And we're here to stay."

Kimberley Driscoll
"What I'm most excited about is the sound of glass ceilings shattering everywhere," she said. "I mean look at this whole ticket."

HEALEY
"Today is a message to all the little girls out there and I am looking at your faces - like you," she said pointing into the crowd. "Like you. And Like you. You. And like you. And to the little boys too, the message today, kids, is that you can be anything that you want to be."
She said the Democratic slate offered "hope and optimism" and attacked her opponent over his antiabortion stances.

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Here's a google drive link to a folder that will contain a recording of the VP's remarks when I get to better wifi that will upload it!
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1Lwwe7dNxW2pAI06pInGVI9cAjiwKdVL3?usp=share_link

That's it for me this evening, thanks for coming along on a whirlwind tour of Boston with me.