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( dncpress@dnc.org )Tuesday, February 15, 2022CONTENT TO SHARE NEWS OF THE DAY 1. President Biden’s Ongoing Actions to Ease the Cost of Living for American Families
2. Supreme Court Vacancy
MESSAGE OF THE DAY 3. Biden-Harris Administration Updates on the Fight Against COVID-19
4. Biden-Harris Administration Increases COVID-19 Testing in Schools to Keep Students Safe and Schools Open
5. President Biden and Democrats Deliver the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law
BIDEN-HARRIS ADMINISTRATION WEEK AHEADCONTENT TO SHARE@POTUS: As we celebrate Black History month, let’s carry forward the work of our lives together — to dismantle systemic racism, to fight for dignity, and to fulfill America’s promise for everyone. [VIDEO] @TheDemocrats: We just saw the greatest year of job growth in American history thanks to President Biden’s American Rescue Plan. Not a single Republican in Congress voted for it. @JoeBiden: The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law includes $7.5B for states to start building a national network of electric vehicle chargers. Using American parts, these chargers will be installed up and down our highways and the benefits will ripple thousands of miles in every direction. @VP: During Black History Month, we celebrate stories of endurance and empowerment, strength, solidarity and joy. Stories that inspire us all. [VIDEO] The White House: Fact Sheet: Biden-Harris Administration Advances Cleaner Industrial Sector to Reduce Emissions and Reinvigorate American ManufacturingNEWS OF THE DAY1. 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.
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 DAY3. Biden-Harris Administration Updates on the Fight Against COVID-19 Last week, we marked the progress of President Biden’s first year in office: over 210 million Americans fully vaccinated. Schools and businesses open. More treatments available than ever before.
As the president says, we know the job is not yet finished. But we have the tools to protect people: vaccines, boosters, treatments, tests, masks, and more.
And because of those tools, we’re moving toward a time when COVID won’t disrupt our daily lives. Where COVID won’t be a constant crisis but something we protect against and treat.
Vaccines: Vaccine requirements for health care workers are going into effect. Requirements to get federal government workers vaccinated resulted in over 98% compliance. We’re adding millions more vaccinations each week. And the president will continue efforts to reach unvaccinated individuals, help parents get their kids vaccinated, and urge those who are eligible to get boosted. Treatments: The U.S. has more effective treatments available in the month of January than ever before – 4 million doses – and that number will continue to increase over the coming weeks. This includes more treatment courses of Pfizer’s antiviral pills that the administration got out to the American people ahead of schedule. Tests: We continue to make tests more accessible for Americans. President Biden’s program to mail free tests to American households is up and running. In addition, the administration is standing up free testing sites across the country, increasing manufacturing, and at-home tests are now covered by private insurance. Surge Response: While we are seeing the omicron surge start to recede in some communities, the administration will remain focused on helping areas that are still seeing rising cases. More Surge Response Teams will support local hospitals. 400 million N95 masks are going out to the American people for free. And we will continue to work hand in hand with school districts to ensure they have the resources needed.
While we’re not there yet, the tools made widely available by President Biden are working. We’ll continue to make progress and get to where we all want to be.
Biden-Harris Administration Increases COVID-19 Testing in Schools to Keep Students Safe and Schools Open
Since day one, the Biden-Harris administration has taken every step available to keep schools safely open for full-time, in-person instruction.
Yesterday, the Biden-Harris administration doubled down on their commitment to keeping all schools safely open for full-time, in-person learning by taking new action to increase access to COVID-19 testing in schools by:
Sending 5 Million No-Cost Point-of-Care Tests Per Month to Schools. Providing 5 Million Additional Lab-Based PCR Tests for Free to Schools Per Month. Deploying Federal Surge Testing Units to Support Free Testing Access for Students, School Staff, and Families at Community Testing Sites. Connecting Schools with COVID-19 Testing Providers to Set Up School Testing Programs using American Rescue Plan Funds. New Training, Resources, and Materials for Implementing “Test to Stay” in Schools.
School districts can also take advantage of the below resources immediately, including:
Read the full fact sheet HERE
President Biden and Democrats Deliver the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law
President Biden ran for our nation’s highest office believing the only way to move our country forward is through compromise and consensus. Last fall, joined by members of Congress and a diverse group of leaders who fought for its passage, he signed the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is a monumental step forward in America's pandemic recovery from the pandemic – It will repair and rebuild the nation’s roads and bridges while strengthening resilience to climate change and creating good-paying, union jobs.
The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will:
Start to replace 100% of the nation’s lead pipes and service lines, so every American and every child can turn on the faucet and drink clean water – and tens of thousands of plumbers and pipefitters will get to work in good-paying jobs. Make high speed internet affordable and available everywhere in America – urban, suburban, and rural – and create jobs laying down broadband lines. Make the most significant investment in passenger rail in the past 50 years and in public transit ever, meaning Americans will be safer and get where they’re going faster. Modernize our ports, airports and freight rail – to make it easier for companies to get goods to market, reduce supply chain bottlenecks we’re experiencing now, and lower costs for working families. Build up our resilience for the next superstorm, drought, wildfire, and hurricane. It builds back our bridges, water systems, power lines and levees – better and stronger – so fewer Americans will be flooded out of their homes or lose power for days and weeks after a storm hits. Create, for the first time ever, a true national network of charging stations for electric vehicles, so you can charge up and drive across the country – creating thousands of jobs for electrical workers. Make it possible for America to get off the sidelines and into the game on manufacturing; solar panels, wind turbines and batteries. It will enable us to store energy and power for electric vehicles, including electric school buses, which will mean millions of our children will no longer inhale dangerous exhaust from diesel school buses. And, it will reward companies for paying good wages, and for buying American – sourcing their products from right here in America.
President Biden ran rebuilding the backbone of this nation — working people and the middle class. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law delivers on that long overdue promise. It will rebuild the economy from the bottom up and middle out, and create better jobs for thousands of Americans.
And no one earning less than $400,000 a year will pay a single penny more in federal taxes.
Thanks to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, this year will be the first year in 20 years where America’s infrastructure investments will grow FASTER than China's. With the investments in this law, America will be on track to lead the world into the 21st century – with modern cars and trucks and transit systems.
And, together with the Build Back Better Act – millions of lives will be changed for the better.
BIDEN-HARRIS ADMINISTRATION WEEK AHEAD Tuesday, February 15 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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