Vice Presidential Pool Reports of September 21, 2021

VP pool report #1 — Gathering/Background on VP's Tues. stop in NW DC

Good morning from the White House. Pool was tested upon arrival and is preparing to gather for VP's short trip to visit with a family here in Northwest DC.

We're currently scheduled to depart at 10:45am, and pool will pass along the specific location upon arrival, in addition to quotes and color. Feel free to reach out to me directly with any questions.

Passing along additional background from WH:

Background from a White House Official
As Congress continues to negotiate the Build Back Better Agenda, Vice President Kamala Harris is continuing her leadership efforts to make the case for the Biden-Harris Administration's historic investments to lift up women and working families – through a kitchen table conversation Tuesday at the Washington, D.C. home of Jamie Smith, who is part of the "Sandwich Generation" caring for her children and her parents.

In conjunction with the Vice President's kitchen table conversation, the White House released a new Fact Sheet: How the Build Back Better Framework Will Support the Sandwich Generation

Working with President Biden, the Vice President has helped lead the effort on the challenges women in the workforce face, especially as we enter this critical period of negotiations:

• Last week, the Vice President made her first trip to the Treasury Department since taking office to hold an event with Treasury Secretary Janet L. Yellen and made the case for proposed investments in childcare and tax cuts like the Child Tax Credit and Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit that will benefit women, children, and working families.
• Last month, the Vice President convened business leaders to make the case for how childcare investments will help companies grow – she met with the President of Microsoft, the CEO of Chobani, and the CEO of Gap, among other corporate leaders. She also visited a healthcare center to highlight how the Build Back Better Agenda would lower healthcare costs and expand access.
• Immediately after taking office, Vice President Harris called the mass exodus of women leaving the workforce a national emergency – elevating the crisis. The pandemic has hit women workers hard – and the complete breakdown of childcare infrastructure is an important reason why.
• The Vice President has also convened leaders in Congress and women leaders of advocacy organizations, visited women-led small businesses across the country to hear how women have been impacted by the pandemic – including how they have been impacted by the child care system - visited child care centers to see firsthand the challenges that parents and workers face, traveled the country to raise awareness about the Child Tax Credit, and addressed international institutions on the issue of how to make the world work for women.

Tuesday's Visit to the Home of Jamie Smith
The "Sandwich Generation" consists of the roughly 8 million Americans, typically in their 30s, 40s, or early 50s, who provide care to both a living parent and their own children. This work is especially likely to fall on women, as 5 million mothers are part of the sandwich generation, compared to 3.2 million fathers. According to a Pew study (2018), 29% of Americans are parents, and, nearly half of these parents provide unpaid care for an older adult.

During the visit to the home of Jamie Smith in Washington D.C., the Vice President will hear directly from Jamie, an attorney, about the challenges Jamie faces caring for four children under 15 – including one child with multiple disabilities, as well as her two parents who have faced health issues in recent years. Vice President Harris and Jamie Smith will have a one-on-one conversation at Jamie's kitchen table, and the Vice President will also meet Jamie's family.

Build Back Better: Reducing Burdens on Women and Families – Especially for Parents in the "Sandwich Generation"
The Build Back Better Agenda would reduce burdens on women and families, bring more parents into the workforce, and boost economic growth in the long-run through capping the cost of child care and extending the Child Tax Credit and the Dependent Care Tax Credit; investing additional funding in child care providers and the child care workforce; offering free, Universal pre-K and guaranteeing 12 weeks of paid, parental, family, and personal illness leave; reducing the price of prescription drugs for Medicare recipients; increasing resources for Home and Community-Based Services and boosting wages for home care workers – so that seniors can live independently at home if they prefer.

In recent years, the "Sandwich Generation" has expanded due to both an aging population, which oftentimes has not or was unable to plan for retirement or longer-term care, and older children requiring more financial assistance from their parents. Furthermore, as a result of the Great Recession, and compounded by the COVID-19 pandemic, more older children need greater assistance for longer time periods, and older relatives have required increasing or new forms of care.

Read the fact sheet here: https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2021/09/21/fact-sheet-how-the-build-back-better-framework-will-support-the-sandwich-generation/

VP pool report #2 — Rolling

Pool hopped in the motorcade at 10:40am and we were rolling at 10:58am.

We did not get a glimpse of VP before departing, but her staff said to possibly expect a pool spray following her meeting with the family.

VP pool report #3 — arrival in Chevy Chase

Motorcade arrived at the home of Jamie Smith in Chevy Chase, DC at 11:09am.

Moving into position ahead of VP… more to follow

VP pool #4 — VP meets Jamie Smith and heads inside for meeting

VP exited the motorcade at 11:11am and spoke with Ms. Smith for less than one minute before entering the home.

VP thanked her for "sharing her story," and Ms. Smith responded by thanking VP for her "interest" and hopefully talked about getting the "Build Back Better bill passes."

We're now holding outside the house, waiting for meeting to conclude. More to follow…

VP pool report #5 — in the room

Pool entered the Smith residence to listen to brief remarks from Ms. Smith and VP at 11:44am

Pool exited the home at 11:54am

A few photos from arrival:
https://twitter.com/tocradio/status/1440338062815350797?s=21

Highlights from remarks (exact quotes to follow ASAP):

Jamie thanked VP for coming to her "kitchen" and listening to her family's story

"It's so refreshing to have this hope…"

"We're really in this historic moment where with full funding… the next generation of mothers and fathers don't have to" deal with the same problems she has

"The caregiving pressures" of caring for parents and children with special needs are "immense"

VP thanked Ms. Smith for her "courage" in telling her story

"There are at least 8 million… who are in this middle generation… the demands on them, the demand of what is required on a daily basis… are immense, and the skills that are required are very diverse and often require a lot of study and training"

"Everything from meal preparation, feeding children, to homework…"

"The unpredictability" of caring for elderly parents…

"Most of this carried by women and working women who have to leave their job…"

"Build Bavk Better is born out of a sense of what the president and I feel is our collective responsibility to society…"

"That's about the caregiving economy, the nobility of people who do that work"

BBB will "allow families to function in the way they want to function"

It's about saying "our seniors and elderly relatives have worked a hard life and want to stay in their homes," but need additional resources to live there "with dignity"

"It's not only the right thing to do but" the fiscally responsible decision

VP pool report #6 — departure/brief Haiti comments

VP and the Smith family exited the home 12:06pm.

VP recounted caring for her own mother as why she cares so much about helping the "Sandwich Generation"

It's a "false choice" to be a patent OR working professional

VP briefly stopped to answer questions from pool about the migrant situation in Del Rio… exact quotes to follow (along with remarks transcript) but see highlights below:

"What I saw… treating human beings as they were, horrible"

VP said she completely supports the CBP investigation and will be speaking with DHS Mayorkas about that shortly

On Haiti: "we have to do a lot more" to help support them, given the assassination and economic problems plaguing the country

VP pool report #7 — Otter links for Haitian migrant Q's and remarks with Ms. Smith

Pool will send along full quotes shortly, but feel free to listen to audio from VP's brief Q&A and full remarks following her meeting with Ms. Smith

Haitian migrants: https://otter.ai/u/kdPcH6mxzAuJnJruZFnJq7CkN_Y

Harris/Smith: https://otter.ai/u/jq8o1S4lWpuuvdoT5p6pvP2b13k

VP pool report #8 — back at WH

As of 12:21pm. Full quotes coming soon…

VP pool report #9 — Full quotes on Haitian migrants

1 more chunk of quotes coming from after this from VP's meeting with Ms. Smith...
Q&A

HARRIS: The reason I wanted to meet with Jami and her family is it really is an American story. There are some who believe — actually have calculated about 8 million that are documented, but so many more families, mostly women, but women and men who are in this situation. You know, I cared for my mom when she was, when she had cancer, in addition to obviously, caring for our kids over the years, and the skills and the work that is required to care for kids, and care for your aging parents, it's very different. And for those who are in that Sandwich Generation, who are doing both at the same time, people like Jamie, it's extraordinarily enormous. And it is the work of preparing for children from elementary to middle school, in all that [inaudible]...

And Jamie, she is a professional woman who wanted to continue with her profession, who went to school to do her work and had to leave. And women shouldn't have to, no parent should have to make those choices. And I believe that we as a society are presenting a false choice. If we say to individuals, that you either be a parent, or the daughter of aging parents, or you can pursue your profession and continue with the work that you care about. So that's why I'm here today to hopefully put a face and a story on these issues that we're fighting for with the Build Back Better agenda. And it really is about understanding these tracking systems throughout our country, everywhere, and the support that we want to give them.

POOL: Madame Vice President, how do you react to the border patrol agents using horse reins to rein in Haitian migrants at the Southern Border?

HARRIS: What I saw depicted about those individuals on horseback treating human beings the way they were, was horrible. And I fully support what is happening right now, which is a thorough investigation into exactly what is going on there. But human beings should never be treated that way. And I'm deeply troubled about it. And I'll also be talking to Secretary Mayorkas about it today.

POOL: And in your role, stemming migration from Central America. Are you also going to be looking into migration issues for Haitians as well?

HARRIS: Well, listen, the whole point is that we have to understand Haiti. I mean, talk about a country that has just experienced so much tragedy that has been about natural disasters, the head of state assassinated, and we really have to do a lot more to recognize that as a member of the Western Hemisphere, we've got to support some very basic needs that the people of Haiti have to get back up and to and to do what what we want to do be them from Haiti or in the countries in Central America. People want to stay home, they don't want to leave home, but they leave when they cannot satisfy their basic needs. So yes, this is a concern.

VP pool report #10 — Full quotes from meeting with Ms. Smith

That's all from me, y'all. Enjoy the rest of your Tuesday.

SMITH: I want to thank Vice President Harris for coming to my kitchen and taking the time to hear my family's story. It really shows your commitment to women and people with disabilities, children and seniors. And that just means so much to us, especially over the last four years. It's just so refreshing to have this hope that we can build back better and families have always had these caregiver needs. They will always have their unique needs. And we're really in this historic moment where with full funding, we can change thinking. We can make an incredible change so that my children, the next generation of mothers and fathers don't have the same worries that I have.

The Vice President and I talked about my family. I have four children. My oldest is Claire, who's 15. And she was born with complex medical needs and disabilities. I had to leave the workforce when she was born because we could not find reliable quality, affordable care for her. And then shortly thereafter, my parents became ill my mother suffered a stroke. My father had a series of heart attacks requiring quintuple bypass surgery, and he now is undergoing treatment for stage four cancer and the caregiving pressures are immense. And as much as I would like to I can't do it alone. And it's clear that the Vice President understands that and that there needs to be a fix, so that we can keep this country going and especially keep women in the workforce.

HARRIS: Well, I want to thank you, Jamie, for inviting us to have this conversation and you've proved the courage of your story and your ability to tell it. I know it's not easy.

When we talk about this issue, there are at least 8 million, some estimate as many as 60 million people, in America who are in this middle generation who are raising their children while taking care of their parents. And the demands on them that are the demands of what is required on a daily basis, the physical demands, the emotional demands, the financial demands are immense. And the skills that are required are very diverse, and often require a lot of study and training. It is taking care of children, which requires, of course, everything from meal preparation and feeding children to homework, to helping them tie their shoes, getting them to bed on time.

The skills that are required to take care of parents and aging parents, again, yes, meal preparation, but also taking them to doctor's appointments or chemotherapy appointments. The unpredictability of when they might have a fall or take a fall or would require immediate and sudden and unpredictable health care. And all of this, mostly carried by women, and working women, in America will have had to leave their chosen profession in their job to do this very important work that is work that is born out of love, and a sense of noble duty and commitment, but tireless. Tireless in terms of the work that is required. Jamie talks with me about the fact that she wakes up at the crack of dawn every day. She's never sure when the phone rings what it might be, and if it's the urgent need of somebody she loves to have her support and her health and our aid. So Build Back Better is born out of a sense of what Joe Biden, the president, and I feel is our collective responsibility as a society, to support parents to support the children of parents in the work that is noble, good and important work. Build Back Better is focused on human infrastructure as well as roads and bridges. Infrastructure I define as "what do you need to get where you need to go" and sometimes a parent just needs to go to sleep. And so what do we need to do and that's about the caregiving economy. That's about understanding the nobility of the people who do that work, which is physical work, emotional work, we don't pay them enough. No sick leave, no paid family leave. And so Build Back Better is constructed in a way that understands that to allow families to function in the way that we want them to be able to function. We've got to as a society, give them the support.

Eldercare. Build Back Better is about saying that seniors and our elderly relatives, they lived a long life of hard work and they want to stay in their home. But they may need to build some bars so that it helps them get through physically through the house and they need a ramp. If they use a wheelchair, let's give them the resources to be able to live in their home to where they want to stay with dignity. And by the way, all society benefits not just because it's the right thing to do. It's actually less expensive than requiring our seniors to go into some assisted facility.

So the conversation that we have had is really I hope about making clear that there are very real people, families hard working families that are behind the policies, and the effort of our Build Back agenda, which is to support these families in a way that if they were our neighbor or a relative of ours, we'd all want to do. So yeah there we are. Thank you again.

VP pool #10 - VP Harris meeting with PM Johnson

Vice President Harris met with UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson in the ceremonial VP office in the Eisenhower Executive Office building.

The two entered at 3:04 pm wearing face masks.

They stood at podiums with US and UK flags behind them.

They took no questions as pool shouted ones about France. Their full remarks to come.

Pool was ushered out at 3:08 pm as the two went out on balcony. They posed for pics on balcony and waved down to the pool.

VP pool #11 - VP and PM remarks

VP Harris and PM Johnson went inside from balcony at EEOB at 3:11 pm.

Here are their remarks. As always please check against transcript:

VP: "Good afternoon, Mr. Prime Minister. It is an honor to welcome you to the White House. And as you will discuss with the President, the relationship between our two countries is a long and enduring one, one that we value based on shared priorities and based on as we know, what is increasingly evident about partnerships and alliances around the world. We are indeed interconnected and interdependent in so many ways and in many ways, more than before."

She talked about "shared priorities" including covid pandemic and climate change.

More VP: "And of course we must work and continue to work together to uphold and protect democratic principles and values around the globe. And we look forward to that continuing relationship, and our relationship as partners."

PM: "Madame Vice President it's a great honor and privilege for me to be here to meet you for the first time. I've heard a lot about you but it's fantastic to be here and I want to thank the US government, your government, for the many ways in which we are cooperating now I think at a higher and more intense level than at anytime I can remember. I want to signal out the amazing work, the brave work, of the US military is helping the Kabul airlift. We could always done that without US leadership and I'm grateful for that."

He also expressed gratitude for the new travel rules announced yesterday. "That's great, that's an improvement on the previous arrangements and thank you for your hard work on that."

On trade the PM said he was glad "your curious ban" on British beef has been removed. "That's a wonderful thing."

More PM: "I just want to say, Madame Vice President, Kamala, on climate change I think that today was a really good day for the world. And I thank the US government and President Biden for the steps you've taken to reassure the world that America is committed to helping to tackle climate change. And the last point we certainly shoulder to shoulder."

And that's a wrap from your VP pool. Please reach out with any questions.

VP pool report #12 - meeting participants

One last VP pool report. Here is the list of meeting participants for the VP Harris/PM Johnson sit down, per the VP's office:

Meeting manifest

US Delegation
VPOTUS
1. Nancy McEldowney, Assistant to the President and National Security Advisor to the Vice President
2. Tina Flournoy, Assistant to the President and Chief of Staff to the Vice President
3. Philip Gordon, Special Assistant to the President and Deputy National Security Advisor to the Vice President
4. Uzra Zeya, Under Secretary for Civilian Security, Democracy, and Human Rights, Department of State
5. Lisa Sawyer, Special Advisor to the Vice President for Europe, Russia, and Defense
6. Yohannes Abraham, Chief of Staff & Executive Secretary for the National Security Council

Visiting Delegation
T.R.H. Boris Johnson, M.P, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
1. T.R.H. Liz Truss, Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs
2. Sir Stephen Lovegrove, National Security Advisor
3. H.E. Karen Pierce, Ambassador of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland to the United States
4. Mr. Will Gelling, Private Secretary for Foreign Affairs
5. Mr. Jack Doyle, Director of Communications
6. Mr. John Bew, Special Advisor