Day: May 12, 2023

12 May

Statement from President Joe Biden Ahead of the Fifth Review Conference of the Chemical Weapons Convention

Politics

Chemical weapons have wrought unthinkable horrors upon our world, and should never again be developed or deployed—period. That’s the commitment the world made when the Chemical Weapons Convention created the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons in 1997—and it’s a commitment we must renew every day until our world is free from the threat of chemical weapons. Next week, the United States and our fellow States Parties will gather for the Fifth Review Conference of the Chemical Weapons Convention to review our progress and determine what more we must do to rid the world of chemical weapons. As we…

Read More

12 May

Readout of President Joe Biden’s Meeting with President Pedro Sanchez of Spain

Politics

President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. welcomed President Pedro Sanchez of Spain to the White House today to reaffirm the close partnership between the United States and Spain. The leaders underscored our unwavering support for Ukraine in the face of Russia’s brutal war, including through continued security, economic, and humanitarian assistance to Ukraine, as well as the imposition of measures to impose economic costs on Moscow. The leaders noted the recent signing of the expanded Agreement on Defense Cooperation between the United States and Spain, which facilitates the presence of additional U.S. warships in Spain and enhances NATO’s collective security. The…

Read More

12 May

Press Briefing by Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre and Infrastructure Implementation Coordinator Mitch Landrieu

Politics

James S. Brady Press Briefing Room 1:27 P.M. EDT MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Good afternoon, everyone. Okay, we have a special guest, as you all know, today. Today, we have Mayor Landrieu — Mitch Landrieu, Infrastructure Implementation Coordinator — who is here to talk about one of the President’s favorite things: Infrastructure Week. In fact, he loves this week or this — MR. LANDRIEU: Decade. MS. JEAN-PIERRE: — decade, right? He calls it “Infrastructure Decade.” So that’s what the President has coined it to be. So, Mitch, the podium is yours. MR. LANDRIEU: Thank you so much. I appreciate it. Thank you.…

Read More

12 May

Remarks by President Biden and President Pedro Sánchez of the Government of Spain Before Bilateral Meeting

Politics

Oval Office 2:11 P.M. EDT PRESIDENT BIDEN: Well, Mr. President, welcome. I’m glad to return the hospitality you provided for me in Madrid. And my only regret is I wish you were staying for a week. You know, during that visit, I said that — you said that our two nations are linked by a shared desire — I think the quote was — “to promote the principles of freedom.” I couldn’t agree with you more, because today it’s at stake in many parts of the world. And together, we’re supporting Ukraine. I can’t thank you enough for your significant…

Read More

12 May

President Biden Announces Nominees to the Federal Reserve Board of Governors

Politics

Today, President Biden announced his nomination of Dr. Philip Jefferson for Vice Chair and Dr. Adriana Kugler to serve as a Member on the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System. President Biden also announced that he will renominate Dr. Lisa Cook for an additional full term as a Member. Statement from President Biden: Since I took office, the economy has created nearly 13 million jobs, giving millions more families the dignity that a paycheck provides. Annual inflation has come down 45 percent since last summer, and is down 10 months in a row while our job market remains strong.…

Read More

12 May

Background Press Call by a Senior Administration Official on National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan’s Meeting with PRC Director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission Wang Yi

Politics

Via Teleconference 3:30 P.M. EDT MODERATOR:  Hi, everybody.  And thank you for joining us on such short notice.  I hope everyone is having a good afternoon. Today we’re going to have a quick call here on the National Security Advisor’s meetings in Vienna.  The call is going to be held under an embargo until the end of the call.  It’s attributable to a senior administration official. For awareness but not for reporting, joining us on the call today is [senior administration official]. With that, I will hand it over to [senior administration official], because I know we are tight on time.  Thanks. SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: …

Read More

12 May

A Proclamation on National Defense Transportation Day and National Transportation Week, 2023

Politics

     To have the world’s strongest military and leading economy, the United States must have the world’s best transportation system.  And to achieve that, we must prepare and equip the world’s best workforce to build it.  Today and this week, we celebrate the American workers who build our infrastructure, power our economy, bolster our national security, and are the backbone of this Nation.  We also recommit to investing in our Nation’s infrastructure and strengthening critical supply chains.       National Defense Transportation Day dates back to 1957, a year after President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed the landmark Federal-Aid Highway Act.  This…

Read More

12 May

A Proclamation on National Women’s Health Week, 2023

Politics

     During National Women’s Health Week, our Nation recommits to improving the health and well-being of women and girls across America and encouraging them to make their health a priority.      The White House officially observed its first National Women’s Health Week in 2010, the same year we passed the landmark Affordable Care Act.  This law ended the shameful practices of denying women coverage for pre-existing conditions and charging them more for health care simply because they are women.  It extended crucial preventive care, like cancer screenings, to millions more Americans and expanded access to basic health services, like…

Read More

12 May

A Proclamation on Mother’s Day, 2023

Politics

     On Mother’s Day, we celebrate the moms and the women filling the role of a mother in our lives, who bless us with a total sense of what it means to be family.  They believe in us so we can believe in ourselves.  They sacrifice to give us opportunities they never had.  They are there for us at our highest points and our lowest moments, lifting us up when we need it most.      The lessons I learned from my mother, Catherine Eugenia “Jean” Finnegan Biden, continue to guide me today.  She led with honor.  She believed everyone deserved…

Read More

12 May

A Proclamation on Peace Officers Memorial Day and Police Week, 2023

Politics

     Every day when law enforcement officers pin on their badges, they make an extraordinary commitment to the American people:  to rush toward danger regardless of the risk and to faithfully stand up for the rule of law.  Across our neighborhoods, towns, and cities, they put themselves in harm’s way, hoping to return home safely to their families.  On Peace Officers Memorial Day and during Police Week, we celebrate the remarkable courage of our law enforcement community and honor the fallen heroes who made the ultimate sacrifice to protect their fellow Americans.       As a Nation, we expect…

Read More