Politics

18 May

Remarks by Vice President Harris During Biden-Harris Administration Briefing on Preventing Default

Politics

Via Teleconference 12:49 P.M. EDT THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Thank you, Mayor Steve Benjamin, for your leadership and all that you do on behalf of our administration. Hello, everyone.  I want to thank you all for joining us today.  You — you can hear I have a bit of a frog in my throat.  Please forgive me.  I’ve been talking about this issue a lot recently.  (Laughs.) On this call, we have community leaders, labor leaders, state and local elected officials representing all 50 states and the territories.  And you all are on this call, so — obviously because you are leaders. …

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18 May

Background Press Call Previewing Day One of the G7 Summit

Politics

Via Teleconference 7:57 A.M. EDT MODERATOR:  All right.  I think we’ve got folks here.  We’ll go ahead and get started.  Apologies for the delay, everyone, and thanks for hopping on the call. As a reminder, this call is on background, attributable to a senior administration official.  For your awareness and not for your reporting, here with me is [senior administration official].  And this call is embargoed until 8:30 — sorry, it’s embargoed until 5:00 a.m. Japan time tomorrow, May 19th, and 4:00 p.m. Eastern on May 18th, for those of you stateside. And with that, I’ll turn it over to [senior…

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18 May

Readout of President Joe Biden’s call with Prime Minister James Marape of Papua New Guinea

Politics

President Joseph R. Biden, Jr., spoke today with Prime Minister James Marape of Papua New Guinea. President Biden, calling from Air Force One, personally conveyed that he would be unable to travel to Papua New Guinea to meet with Prime Minister Marape and other Pacific Island Forum leaders due to the need to return to Washington for meetings with Congressional leaders to ensure that Congress takes action by the deadline to avert default.  The President emphasized continued U.S. commitment to the renewed partnership with the Pacific Islands and conveyed that Secretary Blinken would represent him at the U.S. – Pacific…

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18 May

Remarks by President Biden and Prime Minister Kishida Fumio of Japan Before Bilateral Meeting

Politics

RIHGA Royal Hotel HiroshimaHiroshima, Japan 6:02 P.M. JST PRIME MINISTER KISHIDA: (As interpreted.)  Joe, the last time we met in person was in January upon my visit to the U.S.  And it is indeed a great pleasure to see you again in person and especially to welcome you, Joe, here in my hometown. The Japan-U.S. alliance is the very foundation of peace and security in the Indo-Pacific.  Japan and the United States have a strong relationship not only in the area of security, we have close and strong cooperation in all areas.  We very much welcome that the cooperation has…

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18 May

Readout of President Biden’s Meeting with Prime Minister Kishida of Japan

Politics

President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. met with Prime Minister Kishida Fumio of Japan in Hiroshima today to advance cooperation on a range of security, economic, and regional issues.  He underscored that the U.S.-Japan Alliance is the cornerstone of regional peace and prosperity, and reaffirmed the U.S. extended deterrence commitment using the full range of U.S. capabilities.  Both leaders discussed ways to further strengthen defense cooperation, building on Japan’s revised strategy documents and increased defense investments.  They also addressed efforts to bolster economic cooperation, including through negotiations on the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF), the promotion of clean and secure energy, and the establishment of diverse and resilient critical minerals supply chains.…

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18 May

A Proclamation on National Hepatitis Testing Day, 2023

Politics

     Thousands of Americans die every year of viral hepatitis — infections of the liver that can be managed or cured if patients know they are infected and can get treatment.  On National Hepatitis Testing Day, we urge Americans to get tested and recommit to ensuring that those who are diagnosed can receive lifesaving care.      Viral hepatitis is a hidden epidemic.  For those with hepatitis C, which spreads through contact with infected blood and is the most common strain, it can be years between the time someone is infected and when they first present symptoms, leaving far too…

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18 May

Fact Sheet: Biden-Harris Administration Announces New Actions to Tackle Nation’s Mental Health Crisis

Politics

Actions include $200 million to scale up 988 suicide and crisis lifeline and new resources for school-based mental health services This Mental Health Awareness Month, we honor all those experiencing mental health challenges and celebrate the mental health professionals, families, and caregivers who support them. It is clear that our country is facing an unprecedented mental health crisis impacting people of all ages. In 2021, two in five American adults reported experiencing symptoms of anxiety and depression and forty-four percent of high school students reported struggling with persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, social media, and gun…

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18 May

FACT SHEET: Biden-Harris Administration Announces New Initiative to Tackle Unsheltered Homelessness

Politics

Today, the Biden-Harris administration will announce the launch of ALL INside, a first-of-its-kind initiative to address unsheltered homelessness across the country. ALL INside is a key part of All In: The Federal Strategic Plan to Prevent and End Homelessness, which set a bold goal to reduce homelessness 25 percent by 2025 and ultimately build a country where every person has a safe and affordable home. Through the ALL INside initiative, the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness (USICH) and its 19 federal member agencies will partner with state and local governments to strengthen and accelerate local efforts to get unsheltered people…

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18 May

Remarks as Prepared for Delivery by First Lady Jill Biden at an Investing in America Event in Alaska

Politics

Bethel, AK Thank you, Mary. You’ve dedicated your life to lifting up the voices we all need to hear. From Bethel to Washington D.C., you’ve never stopped fighting for all Alaskans. First Lady Dunleavy, I am honored to be here with you. Thank you for welcoming me back to your beautiful state and to Bethel.  Secretary Haaland, you work every day to protect our environment, support our families, and work with tribes across the country.  I’d also like to thank Mayor Henderson, Ana, Vivian, and Walter for the work you do to lift up communities in the Y-K Delta. And…

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17 May

Statement from President Joe Biden on International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, and Transphobia

Politics

Everyone is entitled to be treated with dignity and equality—no matter whom they love, or how they identify. On the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, and Transphobia, we reaffirm our commitment to this ongoing work and stand with lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and intersex (LGBTQI+) people around the world. More than 30 years ago today, thanks to the tireless advocacy of LGBTQI+ activists the World Health Organization took the long overdue step of declassifying ‘homosexuality’ as a mental health disorder. Since then, we’ve seen real progress—including a powerful movement for LGBTQI+ liberation, more protections for LGBTQI+ people, and more…

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