United States

This report provides a snapshot of the US Executive Branch priorities via daily schedules and the prior day's press releases.

POTUS' Schedule*

9:00 a.m. EDT – THE PRESIDENT receives the President's Daily Brief | Oval Office

12:35 p.m. EDT – THE PRESIDENT welcomes H.E. Moon Jae-in, President of the Republic of Korea, to the White House | East Room

2:15 p.m. EDT – THE PRESIDENT participates in a bilateral meeting with H.E. Moon Jae-in, President of the Republic of Korea | Oval Office

3:15 p.m. EDT – THE PRESIDENT participates in an expanded bilateral meeting with H.E. Moon Jae-in, President of the Republic of Korea | State Dining Room

5:00 p.m. EDT – THE PRESIDENT participates in a press conference with H.E. Moon Jae-in, President of the Republic of Korea | East Room

VPOTUS' Schedule*

10:00 a.m. EDT – the Vice President will host H.E. Moon Jae-in, President of the Republic of Korea, for a bilateral meeting in the Vice President's Ceremonial Office

1:00 p.m. EDT – the President will award the Medal of Honor to Army Colonel Ralph Puckett for conspicuous gallantry during the Korean War in the East Room. H.E. Moon Jae-in, President of the Republic of Korea, the Vice President, the First Lady, and the Second Gentleman will also attend

White House Press Briefing Schedule*

11:00 a.m. EDT – Press Briefing by White House COVID-19 Response Team and public health officials | James S. Brady Press Briefing Room

12:00 p.m. EDT – Press Briefing by Press Secretary Jen Psaki | James S. Brady Press Briefing Room

*The US President (POTUS) and Vice President's (VPOTUS) daily schedules are subject to change, as is the White House press briefing schedule.

Recap of Thursday, May 20, 2021

Note: Bold hyperlinks spotlight COVID-19, the American Jobs Plan and reopening developments.

The White House

Remarks by President Biden on the Middle East
Readout of President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. Call with President Abdel Fattah Al Sisi of Egypt
Executive Order on Climate-Related Financial Risk
Fact Sheet: President Biden Directs Agencies to Analyze and Mitigate the Risk Climate Change Poses to Homeowners and Consumers, Businesses and Workers, and the Financial System and Federal Government Itself
Remarks by President Biden at Signing of the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act
Bill Signed into Law:
- 937, COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act
Readout of White House Meeting with Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Leaders
Transcript: Press Briefing by Press Secretary Jen Psaki, May 20, 2021
Statement by Press Secretary Jen Psaki on the Presidential Delegation to Ecuador to Attend the Inauguration of His Excellency Guillermo Lasso
Nomination Sent to the Senate

Department of Defense (DOD)

Readout of Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III's Phone Call with Israeli Minister of Defense Benjamin "Benny" Gantz
Readout of Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Dr. Colin Kahl Virtual Meeting with France, Germany, and the UK
Article: DOD Official Discusses 'Moral Obligation' to Help Those in Afghanistan Who Helped U.S.
Article: Future of Warfare, Strategy Will Dictate Special Ops Action
Article: Energy, Water Resilience on Installations Critical to Operational Security
Transcript: Department of Defense Leaders Update Reporters on DOD COVID-19 Efforts
Press Release: DOD Memorandum – Methods to Enable and Encourage Vaccination Against Coronavirus Disease 2019
Publication: Memorandum on Methods to Enable and Encourage Vaccination Against COVID-19
Article: DOD Seeing Encouraging COVID-19 Vaccination Rates, Health Leaders Say
Contracts for May 20, 2021

Department of State

Daily Schedule | Friday, May 21
May 20: Readout | Secretary Blinken's Calls with Israeli Foreign Minister Ashkenazi
May 20: Readout | Secretary Blinken's Meeting with Greenlandic Premier Egede
May 20: Remarks | Secretary Antony J. Blinken, Greenlandic Premier Mute Egede, Greenlandic Foreign Minister Pele Broberg, And Danish Foreign Minister Jeppe Kofod At a Joint Press Availability
May 20: Remarks | Secretary Antony J. Blinken Intervention at Arctic Council Ministerial
May 20: Statement | Release of the 2021 Arctic Council Joint Declaration and Strategic Plan in Reykjavik, Iceland
May 20: Sanctions | The United States Designates Houthi Militants
May 20: Advisory | Department of State Participation in Taiwan-hosted Event on Open Government and Anti-Corruption
May 20: Statement | Secretary's Message to the Cuban People
May 20: Statement | Cameroon National Day

US Agency for International Development (USAID)

Press Release: USAID Airlifts Urgent Health Supplies to Combat Deadly COVID-19 Surge in Nepal

US Mission to the United Nations (UN)

Remarks by Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield at the UN General Assembly Stakeout Following the Announcement of a Ceasefire
Remarks by Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield at a UN General Assembly Meeting on the Situation in the Middle East
Remarks at a UN Security Council Briefing on Sudan

Department of the Treasury

Press Release: Treasury Distributes $6.1 billion to Assist Renters and Landlords Through Emergency Rental Assistance Program | May 21, 2021
Remarks by Secretary of the Treasury Janet L. Yellen on the Executive Order on Climate-Related Financial Risks | May 20, 2021
Readout: Deputy Secretary Adeyemo Meets with Los Angeles Tenants and Landlords
Readout: S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Tax Policy Meetings
Press Release: Treasury Releases Report on the American Families Plan's Tax Compliance Agenda
Sanctions: Treasury Sanctions Senior Houthi Military Official Overseeing Group's Offensive Operations

Department of Justice

Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) | Daily Press Releases
Statement from Attorney General Merrick B. Garland on the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act
Readout of Attorney General Merrick B. Garland's Call with the United Kingdom's Home Secretary Priti Patel
Press Release: Former Managing Director and Two Former Loan Officers Plead Guilty for Roles in Widespread Bank-Fraud Scheme
Press Release: U.S. Government Seizes 68 Protected Big Cats and a Jaguar from Jeffrey and Lauren Lowe
Press Release: North Carolina Man Sentenced to 78 Months for Money Laundering and Filing False Tax Return in Tobacco Smuggling Scheme
Press Release: Owner of Montana Construction Company Sentenced to 15 Months in Prison for Employment Tax Fraud
Press Release: Owner of a Tanker Truck Repair Company Pleads Guilty to Lying to OSHA During Explosion Investigation
Press Release: Broiler Chicken Producer Indicted for Price Fixing and Bid Rigging

Department of Homeland Security (DHS)/ Customs and Border Protection (CBP)

Press Release: ICE to Close Two Detention Centers
Press Release: Three Human Smuggling Attempts Yield 56 Migrant Arrests in the RGV (Texas)
Press Release: RGV Border Patrol Agents Find Marijuana in Tunnel (Texas)
Press Release: Fugitive Migrant Arrested at the Border in Rio Grande Valley (Texas)
Press Release: CBP Officers Seize Mixed Narcotics Worth Over $224K at Del Rio Port of Entry (Texas)
Press Release: Phone Scam Alert – Callers Impersonating CBP Officers/Agents (Florida)
Press Release: CBP and NIKE, Inc. partner to prevent counterfeit shipments from entering the United States (Washington, D.C.)
Press Release: CBP announces additional partnerships for new and expanded services (Washington, D.C.)

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)

Press Release: FEMA Urges Hawaii Residents to Prepare for Hurricane Season
Press Release: FEMA Provides an Additional $13.3 Million to Utah for COVID-19 Response
Press Release: FEMA Provides $4.7 Million to the Minnesota Department of Health
Press Release: FEMA Provides $16.3 Million to Michigan for COVID-19 Response
Press Release: FEMA Provides $4 Million to Northwood University
Press Release: Renters Affected by March 25-26 Severe Storms and Tornadoes May Apply for Disaster Assistance (Alabama)

Office of the US Trade Representative (USTR)

Press Release: Ambassador Katherine Tai Applauds Enactment of the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act

Department of Commerce

Statement from U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina M. Raimondo Following Meetings with Semiconductor Industry Leaders
Press Release: NOAA Predicts Another Active Atlantic Hurricane Season

US International Trade Commission (USITC)

Press Release: USITC Institutes Section 337 Investigation of Certain Wearable Electronic Devices with ECG Functionality and Components Thereof

Federal Trade Commission (FTC)

Press Release: FTC Challenges Merger of Two Pennsylvania Cement Producers, Alleging It would Harm Regional Competition
Statement of FTC Acting Bureau of Competition Director Maribeth Petrizzi on Bureau's Motion to Dismiss Request for Preliminary Relief in Illumina/GRAIL Case

Federal Communications Commission (FCC)

Press Release: Over One Million Households Enroll for Emergency Broadband Benefit
Press Release: FCC Issues Fines for Misuse of Radio Location Spectrum
Press Release: Rosenworcel Announces Changes to Auctions Team Leadership
Press Release: FCC Relieves Certain Affiliates from Mixed-Support Merger Condition
Press Release: FCC Proposes New STIR/SHAKEN Date for Possible Robocall Facilitators
Press Release: FCC Lowers Interstate and International Prison Phone Rates

US International Development Finance Corporation (DFC)

Press Release: DFC and FMO Launch $75 Million Co-Financing Facility to Boost COVID-19 Response in Developing Countries

US Export-Import Bank (EXIM)

Readout: EXIM's Chairman's Council on China Competition Meets to Discuss Implementation of Program on China and Transformational Exports

Department of Agriculture (USDA)

Press Release: USDA Announces Assistance for Coastal Communities; Priority for National Scenic Areas Hit by Wildfire
Press Release: USDA Releases 90-Day Progress Report on Climate-Smart Agriculture and Forestry

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

Press Release: EPA and Partners Make Progress on the National Radon Action Plan, Saving Nearly 2,000 Lives Yearly from Radon-Induced Lung Cancer
Link: Other Daily EPA Press Releases

Department of Transportation

Press Release: U.S. Department of Transportation Issues New Guidance for Transit-Oriented Development Projects Seeking Loans Through the Build America Bureau | May 21, 2021

Department of Labor

Press Release: Unemployment Insurance Weekly Claims Report
Press Release: U.S. Department announces OSHA rule proposal to clarify handrail, stair rail system requirements in general industry Walking-Working Surfaces standard
Press Release: U.S. Department of Labor cites Columbus chemical company for exposing workers to host of safety hazards at manufacturing facility
Press Release: U.S. Department of Labor to host webinar for teens, parents, employers, educators on how federal, state laws protect Pennsylvania's teen workers
Press Release: OSHA's strategic partnership with Holder Construction, Georgia Tech results in improved workplace safety conditions and increased involvement from workers with their safety

Health & Human Services (HHS)

Press Release: HHS Announces $14.2 Million from American Rescue Plan to Expand Pediatric Mental Health Care Access

Food & Drug Administration (FDA)

Press Release: FDA Solicits Public Feedback on Discussion Paper as Part of its Ongoing Commitment to Patient Safety
Press Release: FDA Alerts Patients and Health Care Providers About Possible Problems with Mammograms Performed at Capitol Radiology LLC

US Government (USG) COVID-19 Webpages

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention COVID-19 webpage
Department of Defense COVID-19 webpage
Department of State COVID-19 Travel Advisory webpage
Office of Personnel Management COVID-19 webpage
Food and Drug Administration COVID-19 webpage
Department of Homeland Security Employee COVID-19 webpage
Department of Labor COVID-19 webpage
USAGov COVID-19 webpage

Non-USG COVID Webpages

Johns Hopkins University & Medicine

Coronavirus Vaccine Tracker (tracks vaccine distribution in the United States)
Coronavirus Resource Center
- COVID-19 Interactive Map

The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.

US Executive Branch Update – May 21, 2021

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