Day: January 22, 2023

     As a mark of respect for the victims of the senseless acts of violence perpetrated on January 21, 2023, in Monterey Park, California, by the authority vested in me as President of the United States by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, I hereby order that the flag of the United States shall be flown at half-staff at the White House and upon all public buildings and grounds, at all military posts and naval stations, and on all naval vessels of the Federal Government in the District of Columbia and throughout the United States and its Territories and possessions until sunset, January 26, 2023. …

The MoonTallahassee, Florida 12:21 P.M. EST THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Thank you.  (Applause.)  Dr. Sujatha Prabhakaran, where are you?  There she is.  She just left the stage — (laughs) — but is always on the stage.  AUDIENCE MEMBER:  We love you! THE VICE PRESIDENT:  And we love all of our frontline folks.  And this room is filled with them.  (Applause.)  Filled with them. Good afternoon, everyone.  It is good to be back in Florida.  (Applause.) AUDIENCE MEMBER:  (Inaudible) Tallahassee. THE VICE PRESIDENT:  And Tallahassee in the house.  (Applause.) So, before we — before we talk about the subject for which we are all convened, I do want to…

Meeting the needs of the whole child is essential to help America’s students grow academically and improve their well-being. That’s why the Biden-Harris Administration is committed to increasing and supporting the adoption of community school models across the country. Community schools meet the unique needs of the neighborhoods they serve by leveraging local non-profit, private sector, and public partnerships to bring wraparound services into school buildings, such as mental health supports, dental services, and assistance with shelter and nutrition. They operate with the assistance of school staff who coordinate with school administrators, stakeholders, and local organizations to deliver these services…

Today, we received more evidence that we are making real progress tackling inflation and lowering costs, successfully transitioning from a historic recovery to steady and stable growth. The inflation rate for producers fell further, and is now at its lowest level since March 2021. This decrease reflected a decline in food and energy prices, bringing real breathing room to working families.  And, price increases outside of food, energy, and trade services slowed and are at their lowest level since March 2021. We also learned that, adjusted for inflation, consumers continue to spend, albeit at a pace that is slowing compared to…

Jill and I send our deepest condolences to the families of all those killed in the tragic helicopter crash in Ukraine this morning, including Minister of Internal Affairs Denys Monastyrskyy and other senior Ukrainian government officials. Our hearts are also with the dozens of civilians who were killed or injured, including precious children, and their families.  We grieve with all those who are mourning this heartbreaking tragedy.  Mr. Monastyrskyy and his team were deeply involved in the preservation of Ukraine’s democracy—both its defense against Russian aggression, and the vital work of reforms to strengthen Ukraine’s institutions through this war and…

The President is announcing his intent to nominate four individuals to serve as federal judges—all of whom are extraordinar­­­ily qualified, experienced, and devoted to the rule of law and our Constitution. These choices also continue to fulfill the President’s promise to ensure that the nation’s courts reflect the diversity that is one of our greatest assets as a country—both in terms of personal and professional backgroun­­­ds. This will be President Biden’s twenty-ninth round of nominees for federal judicial positions, bringing the number of announced federal judicial nominees to 154.  President Biden has spent decades committed to strengthening the federal bench,…

James S. Brady Press Briefing Room 3:07 P.M. EST MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  Good afternoon, everybody. Q    Good afternoon. MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  Okay.  Tomorrow, President Biden will travel to areas impacted by the recent extreme weather in California.  Stops include the Santa Clara and Santa Cruz counties, where storms have caused severe floods and landslides. During these stops, the President will meet with first responders, state and local officials, and communities impacted by the devastation; survey recovery efforts; and assess what additional federal support is needed. FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell will travel with the President.  And while in California, the President will be…

Today, President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. made additional disaster assistance available to the State of California by authorizing an increase in the level of Federal funding for emergency protective measures undertaken in the State of California as a result of severe winter storms, flooding, landslides, and mudslides beginning on December 27, 2022, and continuing. Under the President’s major disaster declaration issued for the State of California on January 14, 2023, Federal funding was made available for Public Assistance, Hazard Mitigation, and Other Needs Assistance at 75 percent of the total eligible costs.          Under the President’s order today, the Federal share for debris…

Today, the National Security Advisors of the United States, Israel, Bahrain, and the United Arab Emirates met to discuss ways to deepen regional integration, including in the areas of clean energy, emerging technology, regional security, and commercial relations. Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs Jake Sullivan and Israeli National Security Advisor Tzachi Hanegbi participated from Jerusalem, with H.E. Sheikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa of Bahrain and H.E. Sheikh Tahnoun bin Zayed Al Nahyan of the UAE joining virtually from Abu Dhabi. The four counterparts looked forward to further deepening and expanding the progress achieved since the signing…

Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs Jake Sullivan traveled to Israel and the West Bank January 18-20.  He was joined by Deputy Assistant to the President and Coordinator for the Middle East and North Africa Brett McGurk.     In Jerusalem, Mr. Sullivan met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, President Isaac Herzog, and members of the senior national security team including Foreign Minister Eli Cohen, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, Minister of Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer, National Security Advisor (NSA) Tzachi Hanegbi, Mossad Director David Barnea, and Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Major General Herzi Halevi. During his engagements with the Prime Minister and senior Israeli officials, Mr. Sullivan restated…