Foreign Affairs

Letter on the Continuation of the National Emergency with Respect to Serious Human Rights Abuse and Corruption

Dear Madam Speaker: (Dear Madam President:) Section 202(d) of the National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 1622(d)) provides for the automatic termination of a national emergency unless, within 90 days prior to the anniversary date of its declaration, the President publishes in the Federal Register and transmits to the Congress a notice stating that the emergency is...

Updated: Thu Dec 16 2021

New version of the Advice to Travelers app (Dec. 16 2021)

A new version of the mobile Advice to Travelers app is now available. Created in 1999, the Advice to Travelers page has seen a massive increase in hits on the France Diplomatie site in recent years, with 32 million hits in 2020 compared with 9.4 million in 2019, and more than 58 million since the beginning of 2021. In light of the rapidly evolving health situation, it is more necessary than ever to make proper preparations for travel abroad. To meet the needs of French citizens who (...)

Updated: Thu Dec 16 2021

Northeastern Syria -Q&A - (16 Dec. 21)

Q: A 28-year-old French woman died in a camp under Kurdish control in Syria. Her lawyers say they had alerted you about her health in 2019 and asked that she urgently be returned to France but never received a reply. How do you respond to that? Will France bring home her daughter, who is now an orphan? A: We learned of the death of a French national detained in the Roj camp in northeastern Syria. The death of a French citizen is always very sad, especially when it occurs in tragic (...)

Updated: Thu Dec 16 2021

Press Briefing by Principal Deputy Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, December 16, 2021

James S. Brady Press Briefing Room 3:50 P.M. EST MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Hello. Q Heads up. MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Heads up, indeed. Good afternoon, everybody. Q Good afternoon. MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Okay. So, joining us today is Deputy National Climate Advisor Ali Zaidi, where he helps implement the President's domestic climate agenda, coordinating the all-of-government approach to tackle...

Updated: Thu Dec 16 2021

Remarks by President Biden After Meeting with Members of the COVID-19 Response Team

Roosevelt Room 4:48 P.M. EST THE PRESIDENT: Folks, I'm not going to take questions today because I have a direct message to the American people and, tomorrow, the team is going to be on television and talking in more detail about what I'm going to be speaking about today. But I want to send a direct message...

Updated: Thu Dec 16 2021

Remarks by President Biden at Presentation of the Medal of Honor

2:09 P.M. EST THE PRESIDENT: Please, be seated. Thank you. Good afternoon, and welcome to the East Room of the White House, decorated for the holiday season and to celebrate the gift of gratitude. It's an appropriate backdrop for this ceremony, we believe, because our hearts are overflowing with gratitude today as we honor...

Updated: Thu Dec 16 2021

Remarks by Vice President Harris on the Biden-Harris Lead Pipe and Paint Action Plan

AFL-CIO HeadquartersWashington, D.C. 9:52 A.M. EST THE VICE PRESIDENT: Good morning. Good morning. Have a seat. Have a seat. Good morning. Ms. Jackson, I want to thank you. Your leadership is so inspiring, and the whole group of women and men and the community leaders that - that really have been a voice on these issues for...

Updated: Thu Dec 16 2021

Statement by NSC Spokesperson Emily Horne on National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan's Call with B9 Counterparts

National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan spoke today with National Security Advisors, Foreign Ministers, and other officials from the Bucharest Nine (B9) group of our eastern flank NATO Allies. Mr. Sullivan briefed on the latest U.S. engagements with Russian officials and consulted his counterparts on issues of importance to Transatlantic security. Mr. Sullivan and his counterparts all...

Updated: Thu Dec 16 2021

Statement by NSC Spokesperson Emily Horne on National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan's Meeting with National Security Council

National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan met with National Security Council Secretary Armen Grigoryan of Armenia today. Mr. Sullivan conveyed the commitment of the United States to peace, security, and prosperity in Armenia and the South Caucasus region. He expressed concern over ongoing tensions between Armenia and Azerbaijan, and emphasized that military movements near un-demarcated borders are irresponsible and...

Updated: Thu Dec 16 2021

Statement from President Biden on the Build Back Better Act

I had a productive call with Speaker Pelosi and Majority Leader Schumer earlier today. I briefed them on the most recent discussions that my staff and I have held with Senator Manchin about Build Back Better. In these discussions, Senator Manchin has reiterated his support for Build Back Better funding at the level of the...

Updated: Thu Dec 16 2021

Nominations Sent to the Senate

NOMINATIONS SENT TO THE SENATE: Errol Rajesh Arthur, of the District of Columbia, to be an Associate Judge of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia for the term of fifteen years, vice Jose M. Lopez, retiring. Jessica G. L. Clarke, of New York, to be United States District Judge for the...

Updated: Wed Dec 15 2021

President Biden Announces Key Diplomatic and Agency Nominees

WASHINGTON - Today, President Joe Biden announced his intent to nominate the following individuals to serve in key roles: Caroline Kennedy, Nominee for Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Commonwealth of Australia Michelle Kwan, Nominee for Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Belize Robert Wood, Nominee for Alternate Representative of the United States of America for...

Updated: Wed Dec 15 2021

President Biden Announces Key Nominees and an Appointee to Board and Commission Roles

WASHINGTON - Today, President Joe Biden announced his intent to nominate the following individuals to serve in key roles: Chris Saunders, Nominee for Federal Co-Chair of the Northern Border Regional Commission Corey Wiggins, Nominee for Federal Co-Chair of the Delta Regional Authority Summer Mersinger, Nominee for Commissioner of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission Caroline Pham,...

Updated: Wed Dec 15 2021

President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. Amends Kentucky Disaster Declaration

Today, President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. made additional disaster assistance available to the Commonwealth of Kentucky by authorizing an increase in the level of Federal funding for emergency work undertaken in the Commonwealth of Kentucky as a result of severe storms, straight-line winds, flooding, and tornadoes beginning on December 10, 2021, and continuing. Under the...

Updated: Wed Dec 15 2021

Press Briefing by White House COVID-19 Response Team and Public Health Officials

Via Teleconference 11:20 A.M. EST MR. ZIENTS: Good morning, and thanks for joining us. Today, we'll start with an update from Dr. Walensky on Omicron cases in the U.S. and around the world. Over to you, Dr. Walensky. DR. WALENSKY: Good morning. Thank you, Jeff. I'd like to start by walking you through today's data....

Updated: Wed Dec 15 2021

Remarks by President Biden After Surveying Storm Damage During Tour of Mayfield, Kentucky

Downtown MayfieldMayfield, Kentucky 12:25 P.M. CST Q Can you tell us your impressions of what you've seen so far? THE PRESIDENT: What I've seen so far is a group of incredible people pulling together, helping each other. And they're hopeful. And we're going to stay until this gets finished and totally reconstructed. A lot of people are going...

Updated: Wed Dec 15 2021

Remarks by President Biden in Dawson Springs on the Response to the Tornadoes

Dawson SpringsDawson Springs, Kentucky 3:06 P.M. CST THE PRESIDENT: Gov, thank you. I want to introduce you to a new friend of mine. This is Dane. Dane lived down the street. And Dane and all his - he has cousins who are all together. And one cousin, I don't know where she is. There she is. Come...

Updated: Wed Dec 15 2021

Remarks by President Biden in Press Gaggle

Local NeighborhoodDawson Springs, Kentucky 3:27 P.M. CST Q Mr. President, should congressional Democrats move on to working on voting rights legislation this year and put off your Build Back Better plan until 2022? THE PRESIDENT: If we can get the congressional voting rights done, we should do it. If we can't, we got to keep going. There's...

Updated: Wed Dec 15 2021

Statement by President Joe Biden on 800,000 American Deaths from COVID-?19

As we mark the tragic milestone of 800,000 American deaths due to COVID-19, we remember each person and the lives they lived, and we pray for the loved ones left behind. I know what it's like to stare at an empty chair around the kitchen table, especially during the holiday season, and my heart aches...

Updated: Wed Dec 15 2021

Statement by Press Secretary Jen Psaki on the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act

The President welcomes the agreement by Congress on the bipartisan Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act. We agree with Congress that action can and must be taken to hold the People's Republic of China accountable for genocide and human rights abuses and to address forced labor in Xinjiang. That is why the Administration has already taken...

Updated: Wed Dec 15 2021

Taiwan - Q&A - (15 Dec. 2021)

Q: With regard to the visit by a delegation of French lawmakers to Taiwan, is France's representative on the ground taking part in their meetings? A: Under the separation of powers, French legislators make independent decisions on their travel plans and contacts. They were therefore free to develop their own program, which includes a meeting with the head of the French Office in (...)

Updated: Wed Dec 15 2021

United Arab Emirates - Q&A - (15 Dec. 2021)

Q: A new report by the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) reveals war crimes committed by the United Arab Emirates in Yemen. Does the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which has a seat on the Interministerial Commission for the Study of Military Equipment Exports (CIEEMG), support all French arms exports to the UAE, even though they may be used in conflicts in which civilian populations are targeted, in violation of the Arms Trade Treaty, or in violation of embargos (as in the case (...)

Updated: Wed Dec 15 2021