Foreign Affairs

Background Press Call by Senior Administration Officials on New National Action Plan to Combat Human Trafficking

Via Teleconference (December 2, 2021) 5:05 P.M. EST MODERATOR: Thank you very much. And good evening, everyone. And thank you for joining us for this background briefing on the soon-to-be released National Action Plan to Combat Human Trafficking. This call will be on background, attributable to "senior administration officials," and the call will be embargoed...

Updated: Fri Dec 03 2021

Bill Signed: H.R. 6119

On Friday, December 3, 2021, the President signed into law: H.R. 6119, the "Further Extending Government Funding Act" which includes a short-term continuing resolution that provides fiscal year 2022 appropriations to Federal agencies through February 18, 2022, for continuing projects and activities of the Federal Government; includes supplemental appropriations for the continuing support of Afghanistan evacuees;...

Updated: Fri Dec 03 2021

President Biden Announces Alaina B. Teplitz as Assistant Secretary of State for Administration

WASHINGTON - Today, President Joe Biden announced he has appointed Alaina B. Teplitz to serve as Assistant Secretary of State for Administration. Alaina B. Teplitz, Assistant Secretary of State for AdministrationAmbassador Alaina B. Teplitz is a career member of the Senior Foreign Service with the rank of Career Minister. Most recently, she has served as...

Updated: Fri Dec 03 2021

Press Briefing by Press Secretary Jen Psaki, December 2, 2021

James S. Brady Press Briefing Room 11:07 A.M. EST MS. PSAKI: Hi, everyone. Good morning. Okay, so we don't have a long time this morning because of a gather. If people want to stay, I'm happy to answer additional questions, but we wanted to get it in before the President left for his trip to...

Updated: Fri Dec 03 2021

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

Via Teleconference 11:10 A.M. EST MR. ZIENTS: Good morning, and thanks for joining us. Today, we'll start with Drs. Walensky and Fauci for an update on the Omicron variant. Over to you, Dr. Walensky. DR. WALENSKY: Good morning. I'd like to start by walking you through today's data. The current seven-day daily average of cases...

Updated: Fri Dec 03 2021

Remarks by President Biden at the National Christmas Tree Lighting

The EllipseWashington, D.C. 6:48 P.M. EST THE PRESIDENT: My name is Joe Biden. I am Jill Biden's husband. (Laughter.) On behalf of Jill and Kamala and Doug, we welcome you to the National Christmas Tree Lighting. Thanks to the Interior Secretary, Deb Haaland, for that introduction and her leadership. She has made me look awful good...

Updated: Fri Dec 03 2021

Remarks by President Biden on the COVID-19 Winter Plan

National Institutes of HealthBethesda, Maryland 1:37 P.M. EST THE PRESIDENT: Please, if there's any audience - if there's any audience in the world I should be standing for, it's you - not you standing for me. But thank you very much. Good afternoon. You know, in February, I came out here to the National Institutes...

Updated: Fri Dec 03 2021

Remarks by President Biden on the November Jobs Report

State Dining Room 10:46 A.M. EST THE PRESIDENT: Good morning. Before I start, I'd like to report that later today, I'll be signing the bill funding the government operations for the next few months. Funding the government isn't a great achievement. (Laughs.) It's a bare minimum of what we need to get done. But in these times, a...

Updated: Fri Dec 03 2021

Statement by National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan on G7 Collaboration and Build Back Better World

In June, President Biden-alongside G7 Leaders-announced Build Back Better World, a values-driven, high-standard, transparent, and catalytic infrastructure partnership led by major democracies to meet the enormous infrastructure need in the developing world. Since then, the United States and G7 partners have been undertaking efforts individually and jointly to increase the ambition and impact of our...

Updated: Fri Dec 03 2021

A Proclamation on International Day Of Persons With Disabilities, 2021

Thirty-one years ago, the bipartisan passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) enshrined our commitment to building a better Nation for all of us. In the years since, we have made profound progress to advance the rights, opportunities, full participation, and economic self-sufficiency of people with disabilities - both here at home and in...

Updated: Thu Dec 02 2021

Background Press Call by Senior Administration Officials on New Actions to Protect Americans Against the Delta and Omicron Va

Via Teleconference (December 1, 2021) 7:38 P.M. EST MODERATOR: Hi, everybody. Thank you for joining us tonight. Tomorrow, President Biden is going to announce new actions to protect Americans against the Delta and Omicron variants as we battle COVID-19 this winter. Tonight, we have [senior administration official] on the call. As a reminder, this call...

Updated: Thu Dec 02 2021

FACT SHEET: Biden-Harris Administration Announces Reforms to Increase Equity and Level the Playing Field for Underserved Smal

The federal government is the largest purchaser of goods and services in the world, buying everything from software and building construction to financial and asset management-making its procurement a powerful tool to advance equity and build wealth in underserved communities. Despite this, less than 10 percent of federal agencies' total eligible contracting dollars typically go...

Updated: Thu Dec 02 2021

French candidacy to the IMO Council (10 December 2021)

France is applying for a renewed term on the Council of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) in Category B (States with the largest interest in international seaborne trade). The election of the Council's members will take place in London on 10 December 2021 during the 32nd session of the IMO Assembly. As a coastal State keen to protect the marine environment and ensure maritime safety and security, France has sat on the International Maritime Organization's Council ever since its (...)

Updated: Thu Dec 02 2021

Nominations Sent to the Senate

NOMINATIONS SENT TO THE SENATE: Bidtah N. Becker, of Arizona, to be a Member of the National Council on the Arts for a term expiring September 3, 2022. (New Position) Estrellita Bograd Brodsky, of New York, to be a Member of the National Council on the Humanities for a term expiring January 26,...

Updated: Thu Dec 02 2021

OSCE - Franck Riester attending the Ministerial Council of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (Stockholm

Franck Riester, Minister Delegate for Foreign Trade and Economic Attractiveness, attached to the Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, is attending today's meeting of OSCE foreign ministers in Stockholm, under the chairpersonship of Sweden. He will reaffirm the importance of the role played by the OSCE - whose founding principles are enshrined in the Helsinki Decalogue - in Europe's collective security. He will call on all member States to rededicate themselves to the spirit of the Charter (...)

Updated: Thu Dec 02 2021

Press Briefing by Press Secretary Jen Psaki, December 1, 2021

James S. Brady Press Briefing Room 1:53 P.M. EST MS. PSAKI: Hi, everyone. Okay. On popular demand and request of the press corps, I'm joined today by Dr. Fauci, who will give a brief statement and then answer some questions. He does have a hard out a little bit after 2:00, so we're going to...

Updated: Thu Dec 02 2021

Remarks by President Biden During a Menorah Lighting in Celebration of Hanukkah

East Room 5:52 P.M. EST THE PRESIDENT: (Applause.) Thank you. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Please. Thank you. Please. Thank you. My name is Joe Biden, and I am Jill's husband - (laughter) - as I'm known here in Washington and many other places. I - Happy Hanukkah, everyone. AUDIENCE: Happy Hanukkah. THE PRESIDENT: ...

Updated: Thu Dec 02 2021

Statement from President Joe Biden on Unemployment Insurance Claims

This morning, we received additional evidence of the strength of America's historic economic recovery and Americans getting back to work. New unemployment claims are now at a level not seen since March 7, 2020 and last week's claims were revised down to their lowest level since 1969. In addition, the four-week average of unemployment claims fell...

Updated: Thu Dec 02 2021