Wednesday, February 16, 2022CONTENT TO SHARE NEWS OF THE DAY 1. President Biden’s Economic Plan is Working
2. Yesterday’s Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Announcement
3. President Biden’s Address on Russian Buildup at the Ukrainian Border
4. Supreme Court Vacancy
MESSAGE OF THE DAY 5. President Biden’s Ongoing Actions to Ease the Cost of Living for American Families
BIDEN-HARRIS ADMINISTRATION WEEK AHEAD CONTENT TO SHARE Bloomberg: U.S. Retail Sales Rise Most in 10 Months in Broad-Based Rebound @POTUS: My Build Back Better Agenda includes the largest investment to combat climate change in U.S. history. It’ll help meet the moment on climate, create good-paying jobs, and lower energy costs for Americans. Let’s get it done. @WhiteHouse: Update: Retail sales increased by 3.8% in January. This is no accident — @POTUS has taken concrete action to get Americans back to work, battle COVID-19, and address supply chain issues, helping our economy continue to build on what has already been a historic period of growth. @TheDemocrats: The Build Back Better Agenda would invest in America's future by lowering the costs of child care and prescription drugs for working families. President Biden is putting the American people first. [VIDEO]NEWS OF THE DAY1. President Biden’s Economic Plan is Working Today, we learned that retail sales increased by 3.8% in January, exceeding expectations. This strong, inflation-adjusted increase reflects the resilience of the economy even in the face of omicron.
Compared to this time last year, sales at grocery stores, restaurants, and clothing stores, among others, increased, underscoring the strength of the American economy as we recovered from the pandemic.
This data builds on the historic economic progress we’ve seen over the last year, and an extremely strong jobs report last month despite omicron, which was well above expectations.
In 2021, the economy created 6.7 million jobs – the strongest year of job growth on record. The unemployment rate declined more than any year on record and we achieved a 4% unemployment rate years earlier than previously projected, thanks to the American Rescue Plan.
Small business applications and inflation-adjusted household income are both up.
This progress positions the American economy and American consumers uniquely well to deal with the global challenge of pandemic-induced inflation.
Yesterday’s Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Announcement
As President Biden requested in his Executive Order on Competition, yesterday the FCC voted on a bipartisan, unanimous basis to crack down on exclusivity arrangements between landlords and internet providers -- “sweetheart deals” which lock tenants in apartments and office buildings into just one option for internet.
Exclusivity arrangements might be good for landlords and for internet service providers, but bad for tenants, who may have to pay more and accept lower quality service.
More than a third of Americans live in apartments and condos, and many businesses operate in multi-tenant buildings like office buildings or malls.
This is an important step by the FCC to increase competition and lower prices for consumers.
President Biden’s Address on Russian Buildup at the Ukrainian Border
Yesterday, President Biden spoke directly to the American people on Russia’s buildup of forces on the Ukrainian border, and made clear the United States is prepared no matter what happens next.
Working with our allies and partners, the Biden administration has engaged in non-stop diplomacy to improve stability and security in Europe and address legitimate security concerns.
The administration has proposed arms control and transparency measures, while making clear they will not compromise on basic principles, such as the right of every nation to sovereignty, territorial integrity, and the freedom to choose its own security alliances.
President Biden has also made clear that the United States is ready to respond decisively if Russia attacks Ukraine.
Together with our allies and partners, the Biden administration will impose swift and severe consequences on Russia – a package of sanctions and export controls that will have a devastating impact on Russia’s economy and undermine its long-term ability to compete. Those measures include the end of Nord Stream 2 – the pipeline that would bring natural gas from Russia to Germany.
The Biden administration provided training and equipment to the Ukrainian military to help them defend themselves. But the president will not send Americans service members to fight Russia in Ukraine.
The U.S. will give diplomacy every chance to succeed because an attack would impose unspeakable humanitarian costs on the Ukrainian people. But should Russia choose war, we will be ready to respond.
The administration is also taking steps to mitigate the impact of any invasion for the American people. We are coordinating with major energy consumers and producers and are prepared to deploy all tools and authorities at our disposal to provide relief at the gas pump.
No matter what happens next, Russia has already failed in its goal of dividing the west. The west is more united than ever. NATO is stronger, not weaker. And if Russia chooses to attack Ukraine, the consequences the United States and its allies and partners will impose will isolate it from the world and leave it weakened strategically, economically, and diplomatically.
Supreme Court Vacancy
President Biden is leading a thorough and rigorous process to name a qualified nominee, with strong experience, character, integrity, dedication to the Constitution and rule of law – and the first Black woman to serve on the highest court. He is currently reviewing the legal record and writings of potential nominees, all of whom deserve fair bipartisan review.
It’s long overdue that a Black woman serve on the Supreme Court, and it is in a bipartisan tradition to ensure the richness of our country is represented in its leadership and on the highest court.
As senators in both parties have suggested, President Biden is seeking a nominee in the vein of Justice Breyer, with wisdom and a deep understanding of the Constitution.
The president believes that choosing a Supreme Court nominee is among the most serious decisions any president faces.
As a longtime chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, he takes the “advice” part of the process very seriously. In addition to meetings with the leadership of the Senate Judiciary Committee, the president, vice President, White House Counsel Dana Remus, and Senator Doug Jones will continue to speak with a wide range of Members of Congress and outside legal experts as part of the bipartisan consultation process.
MESSAGE OF THE DAY5. President Biden’s Ongoing Actions to Ease the Cost of Living for American Families The Biden-Harris administration’s top economic priorities have been to create a growing economy with more good-paying jobs, and to lower the prices Americans have faced from the global problem of inflation related to the pandemic.
We have seen historic success on the first priority: The president’s first year in office saw historic economic growth and historic job creation – the fastest economic growth since 1984 and the most jobs created in one year ever.
On higher prices, the administration has been using every tool at their disposal, and while last month’s inflation numbers are a reminder that Americans’ budgets are being stretched in ways that create real stress at the kitchen table, there are also signs that we will make it through this challenge.
We have more work to do – to keep wages up and prices down – so that working families can actually get ahead.
The Federal Reserve plays the primary role in helping our economy achieve stable prices.
While inflation is a global challenge, the president is squarely focused on doing everything he can to bring down prices for the American people.
First, the administration is helping repair our supply chains and infrastructure to ease bottle necks and make more here at home.
Second, the president is fighting for his Build Back Better plan, which will lower the cost of living.
Third, the president is continuing his work to make our economy more competitive.
President Biden pledged that his administration will continue to be all hands on deck to win this fight.
BIDEN-HARRIS ADMINISTRATION WEEK AHEAD Thursday, February 17 President Biden will travel to Cleveland and Lorain, Ohio, and deliver remarks on how the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law delivers for the American people by rebuilding roads and bridges, upgrading water systems, cleaning up the environment, and creating good-paying, union jobs. First Lady Dr. Jill Biden will travel to Florida for a pair of events in Tampa and Miami to highlight the “Cancer Moonshot” program.
Friday, February 18 Vice President Kamala Harris will travel to Munich, Germany to attend the February 18-20 Munich Security Conference. Building on the Biden-Harris administration’s intensive engagement with European allies and partners, the vice president’s engagements in Munich will demonstrate our ironclad commitment to our NATO allies, reaffirm our shared interest in upholding the principles that have underpinned European peace and security since World War II, and underscore our commitment to Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
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