White House IGA Weekly Newsletter - 6/5

Sunday, June 5, 2022

President Biden Urges Congress to Take Immediate Action on Gun Violence

This week, President Biden forcefully called on Congress to finally take action — speaking to the nation in a prime-time address. He has done more through executive action in his first year than any of his predecessors, but he can’t do it alone. Congress needs to act.

According to new CDC data, guns are the number one killer of children in the United States of America—more than car accidents or cancer. Over the last two decades, more school-age children have died from guns than on-duty police officers and active duty military combined.

We can’t prevent every tragedy. But here’s what President Biden—and the overwhelming majority of the American people—believe we must do:

Ban assault weapons — or at least raise the age to purchase them from 18 to 21.
Ban high-capacity magazines.
Strengthen background checks.
Enact safe storage laws and red flag laws.
Repeal the immunity that protects gun manufactures from liability.
Address the mental health crisis deepened by the trauma of gun violence.

The President supports the bipartisan efforts that include a small group of Republican Senators trying to find a deal. But the fact that the majority of Senate Republicans don’t want any of these proposals to even debated or come up for a vote is unconscionable.

President Biden has been in this fight a long time. He knows how hard it is. But he will never give up. And if Congress fails, he believes the majority of the American people will not give up either.

READ: Full remarks here.

ICYMI: President Biden and First Lady Dr. Biden Visit Uvalde to Grieve with Families of the Victims

Wall Street Journal Op-Ed - Joe Biden: My Plan for Fighting Inflation

Check out President Biden's Wall Street Journal op-ed outlining his plan to fight inflation. An excerpt is below:

"The U.S. is in a better economic position than almost any other country. According to the International Monetary Fund, the U.S. economy will be larger at the end of this year—relative to its prepandemic size—than any other Group of 7 economy. The U.S. economy may grow faster this year than China’s economy for the first time since 1976.

With the right policies, the U.S. can transition from recovery to stable, steady growth and bring down inflation without giving up all these historic gains. During this transition, growth will look different. We will likely see fewer record job-creation numbers, but this won’t be cause for concern. Rather, if average monthly job creation shifts in the next year from current levels of 500,000 to something closer to 150,000, it will be a sign that we are successfully moving into the next phase of recovery—as this kind of job growth is consistent with a low unemployment rate and a healthy economy. Things should also look different from the decades before the pandemic, when too often we had low growth, low wage gains, and an economy that worked best for the wealthiest Americans."

President Biden Announces Third Operation Fly Formula Mission

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 1, 2022

President Biden Announces Third Operation Fly Formula Mission

United Airlines will air ship approximately 3.7 million 8-ounce bottle equivalents of Kendamil infant formula

Today, President Biden is announcing that his Administration has arranged the third Operation Fly Formula flight for the first shipment of Kendamil infant formula entering the United States. United Airlines has agreed to transport Kendamil formula free of charge from Heathrow Airport in London to multiple airports across the country over a three-week period. These are the first Operation Formula Flight to be donated by an airline carrier.

These Operation Fly Formula flights donated by United Airlines will contain over 300,000 pounds or approximately 3.7 million 8-ounce bottle equivalents of Kendamil infant formula and will begin shipping on June 9. These flights will contain approximately 3.2 million 8-ounce bottle equivalents of Kendamil Classic Stage 1 and 540,000 8-ounce bottle equivalents of Kendamil Organic.

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Additional Infant Formula Resources:

WH: WH.gov Formula Website
WH: Biden Administration Approves First Operation Fly Formula Mission
WH: FACT SHEET: President Biden Announces New Actions to Address Infant Formula Shortage
HHS: Find Formula During the Infant Formula Shortage

President Biden on Unemployment Claims and Manufacturing Progress

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 2, 2022

Statement from the President on Unemployment Claims and Manufacturing Progress

Today we received more data that, despite the global challenges we face, America is on the move. Unemployment benefits have reached historic lows. Since I took office, the number of Americans relying on unemployment benefits is now down 95%, and our economy has added 8.3 million jobs.

And, as we make the transition from an historic jobs recovery to steady, stable economic growth, companies are investing in manufacturing in America -- strengthening supply chains, lowering costs for working families, and securing our energy independence. During my first year in office, the U.S. economy created more manufacturing jobs on average per month than any other President in the last 50 years. Two new announcements today will add to that historic manufacturing boom. Ford’s $3.7 billion investment to create more than 6,000 good-paying, union jobs in Michigan, Ohio, and Missouri building new electric vehicles is great news for American workers. Stellantis’ agreement to purchase up to 25,000 metric tons of lithium per year that CTR is producing from geothermal brine in California’s Imperial County sets the U.S. on a path to being a leading producer of sustainably sourced, low carbon lithium. This builds on announced investments by dozens of companies over the past year, from Intel’s $20 billion investment to build semiconductors in America to Tesla, America’s largest manufacturer of electric vehicles.

This isn’t an accident – it’s the result of my economic plan to grow the economy from the bottom up and middle out. My Bipartisan Infrastructure Law was a major step forward in making America a place where businesses invest and good jobs grow, including our national electric vehicle charging infrastructure and battery supply chain. I urge Congress to continue this transition toward steady and stable economic growth that benefits all Americans, extend and expand incentives for clean vehicles, chargers, batteries, and semi-conductors, and to pass the Bipartisan Innovation Act to catalyze even more domestic manufacturing.

Vice President Kamala Harris on Protecting Roe v. Wade

Department of Defense Funding Opportunities - $90M for Infrastructure and $30M for Manufacturing

DoD’s Office of Local Defense Community Cooperation (OLDCC) has released notices of funding opportunities for two grant programs critical to the U.S.'s ongoing national security and the partnerships that underpin many of our efforts – the Defense Community Infrastructure Pilot Program (DCIP) and the Defense Manufacturing Community Support Program (DMCSP). Each program will be awarded prior to September 30, 2022, but applications are due in mid July.

Below you will find a quick overview of both programs.

Defense Community Infrastructure Pilot Program
$90 million supports off-post infrastructure projects to boost the military value, resilience, and/or family quality of life of a local installation. To qualify for funding, communities, states, and other eligible entities compete to construct transportation projects, schools, hospitals, police, fire, emergency response, or other community support facilities; or water, wastewater, telecommunications, electric, gas, or other utility projects.

For more formation and details on eligibility and the application process, please visit grant.gov DCIP page.

Defense Manufacturing Community Support Program
$30 million supports long-term community investments to strengthen national security innovation and expand the capabilities of the local defense industrial ecosystem. To qualify for funding, communities – through local consortiums – compete to attract and expand defense manufacturing through targeted public and private investments in critical skills, facilities, research and development, and/or small business assistance. Priority sectors include: biotechnology, hypersonics, kinetic capabilities, energy storage and batteries, castings and forgings, microelectronics, and submarine and shipbuilding sectors.

For more formation and details on eligibility and the application process, please visit grants.gov DMCSP page.

Interested parties may also visit the website at https://oldcc.gov for additional details and may sign up for further updates here.

NEW: White House Internship Applications Open Monday, June 6!

President Biden and Vice President Harris announced the launch of the White House Internship Program and that, for the first time in history, White House interns will be paid. The first session will commence in Fall 2022.

The Fall 2022 session will be hosted in-person on the White House campus. Program leadership will continue to monitor the public health landscape related to COVID-19 and will adapt the Program’s approach in order to ensure a safe and healthy work environment. All interns will be required to attest to their vaccination status and must adhere to any White House COVID-19 protocols.

The Fall 2022 session will be a 14-week program, beginning on Monday, September 12 and ending on Friday, December 16. Selected applicants will be notified the week of August 8.

Program participants must be U.S. citizens, at least 18 years or older before the first day of the Program, and meet at least one of the three following criteria:

Currently enrolled in an accredited undergraduate or graduate degree program at a college, community college, or university (two- to four-year institution)
Graduated from an accredited undergraduate or graduate program at a college, community college, or university (two- to four-year institution) no more than two years prior to the first day of the Program
A veteran of the United States Armed Forces who possesses a high school diploma or its equivalent and has served on active duty, for any length of time, no more than two years prior to the first day of the Program

President Biden and Vice President Harris have committed to building an Administration that looks like America, believing that qualified people from every background and walk of life should have equal opportunity to serve our Nation. That commitment is reflected in each White House Internship Program class, and all who are interested and meet the established criteria are highly encouraged to apply.

The White House Internship Program application and additional information about the Program can be found at WH.gov/intern.

Prospective candidates with questions about the Program, as well as college/university administrators, faculty, campus leadership, and others interested in more information to share with their communities can reach out to the White House Internship Program team at internship@who.eop.gov.

"Our Way Home" Housing Supply Initiative Launch

U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Marcia L. Fudge on Wednesday launched the Our Way Home initiative, a new effort to boost the nation’s affordable housing supply. Our Way Home builds on the Biden-Harris Administration's actions to address communities' housing supply needs in an equitable, inclusive, and sustainable fashion.

Our Way Home is a national initiative that uplifts the unique housing supply successes in local communities and connects cities, counties, Tribal communities, states, and U.S. Territories to the tools and resources needed to help preserve and produce ahttp://hud.gov/ourwayhome/ffordable housing in their area.

“Easing the burden of housing costs for families is a top economic priority for this Administration,” said Secretary Fudge. “For too long and in too many communities, housing supply has not kept up with the growing demand. It’s going to take government working at all levels to help close the housing supply gap. I am excited to launch Our Way Home, an initiative that will not only build on the momentum that’s already begun at the federal level, but will also put into focus the unique challenges and successes in communities when it comes to making sure we all find our way home.”

Biden-Harris Administration Launches Initiative to Modernize Building Codes, Improve Climate Resilience, and Reduce Energy CostsThe Biden-Harris Administration announced a National Initiative to Advance Building Codes that will help state, local, Tribal, and territorial governments adopt the latest, current building codes and standards, enabling communities to be more resilient to hurricanes, flooding, wildfires, and other extreme weather events that are intensifying due to climate change.

Modern building codes and standards provide a range of smart design and construction methods that save lives, reduce property damage, and lower utility bills—for example, by ensuring that roofs can withstand hurricane winds, that construction materials are resistant to flood damage, and that insulation keeps heating and cooling costs low. With extreme weather events threatening millions of homes each year, and taking a greater toll on underserved communities, every dollar invested in building code adoption provides eleven times more in savings by reducing damage and helping communities recover more quickly.

Additionally, modernized energy codes can save households an average of $162 dollars each year on utility bills, which is especially significant in reducing energy burden for low-income households. Unfortunately, nearly two out of every three communities in the U.S. have not adopted the latest building codes and, as a result, are vulnerable to climate impacts and higher energy costs.

President Biden is committed to lowering costs for families and protecting communities from extreme weather—especially communities that have long been underserved and are disproportionately impacted by climate change. Earlier this year, President Biden’s National Climate Task Force approved the new National Initiative to Advance Building Codes to accelerate the adoption of modern building codes to improve resiliency, create good-paying jobs, and lower energy bills.Happy Immigrant Heritage Month!

During National Immigrant Heritage Month, we honor the contributions of immigrants to our great Nation and celebrate their profound impact. The Biden-Harris Administration is committed to ensuring that our immigration system is accessible and humane.

Issue a proclamation for your state, city, town, or organization to honor June as Immigrant Heritage Month. You can check out the President’s Proclamation here.
On June 15th celebrate the 10 year anniversary of DACA by hosting or joining an event with DACA recipients, lift up the stories and contributions of DACA recipients in your community, issue a statement of support for the program and encourage DACA recipients to renew ASAP!
Post an old family photo and caption your family, parent, or other relative’s personal immigration story to your Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram accounts.

Throughout the month please use the hashtag #ImmigrantHeritageMonth so we can lift up your stories and celebration of IHM 2022!

Weekly IGA CallTune in weekly for Administration updates Thursdays at 4 PM ET.
When: Every Thursday at 4 PM ET
Register here:
https://pitc.zoomgov.com/webinar/register/WN_2fN1C5oHQ0Wuz06br1PbVwSee you next week!