US Executive Branch Update – January 18, 2022

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

Note: The US Federal Government was closed on Monday, in observance of the Martin Luther King holiday.

POTUS' Schedule*

10:15 a.m. EST - THE PRESIDENT receives the President's Daily Brief

11:15 a.m. EST - THE PRESIDENT and THE VICE PRESIDENT receive the Weekly Economic Briefing | Roosevelt Room

VPOTUS' Schedule*

11:15 a.m. EST - THE PRESIDENT and THE VICE PRESIDENT will receive the Weekly Economic Briefing | Roosevelt Room

White House Press Briefing Schedule*

12:15 p.m. EST - Press Briefing by Press Secretary Jen Psaki and Infrastructure Implementation Coordinator Mitch Landrieu | 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 Friday-Monday, January 14-17, 2022

Note: Bold hyperlinks spotlight COVID-19 developments.

The White House

January 17

• Remarks by Vice President Harris at Martin Luther King Jr. Beloved Community Commemorative Service
• Remarks by Vice President Harris During Service Event at Martha's Table
• Statement by National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan on Houthi Attack Against UAE

January 16

• Statement by Press Secretary Jen Psaki on President Biden's Virtual Meeting with Prime Minister Kishida of Japan (Jan. 21)
• Remarks by President Biden on the Hostage Situation at Congregation Beth Israel in Colleyville, Texas
• Statement by President Biden on the Hostage Situation at Congregation Beth Israel in Colleyville, Texas
• Statement by Vice President Kamala Harris on the Hostage Situation at Congregation Beth Israel in Colleyville, Texas

January 15

• Disaster Declaration: President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. Approves Alaska Disaster Declaration
• Disaster Declaration: President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. Approves Tennessee Disaster Declaration

January 14

• Transcript: Background Press Call by a Senior Administration Official on Cybersecurity (RUS, UKR)
• Remarks by President Biden on the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law
• Fact Sheet: Biden-?Harris Administration Hits the Ground Running 60 Days into Infrastructure Implementation
• Transcript: Background Press Call on the Rollout of 500 Million Free Tests to American Homes
• Transcript: Press Briefing by Press Secretary Jen Psaki and FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell, January 14, 2022
• Fact Sheet: The Biden Administration to Begin Distributing At-Home, Rapid COVID-?19 Tests to Americans for Free
• Nominations: President Biden Nominates Sarah Bloom Raskin to Serve as Vice Chair for Supervision of the Federal Reserve, and Lisa Cook and Philip Jefferson to Serve as Governors
• Appointments: President Biden Announces Key Appointments to Boards and Commissions
• Nominations Sent to the Senate
• Proclamation on Martin Luther King, Jr., Federal Holiday, 2022
• Proclamation on Religious Freedom Day, 2022

Department of Defense (DOD)

• Statement by Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
• Transcript: Pentagon Press Secretary John F. Kirby Holds a Press Briefing (RUS, UKR, Vaccine Mandates, DPRK, Iran, Syria, JPN, etc.)
• Article: Russia Trying to Develop Pretext for Ukraine Invasion, DOD Official Says
• Article: Nation Observes Anniversary of Operation Desert Storm
• Article: Vietnam Combat Veteran Also Served as Desert Storm War Correspondent
• Article: DOD Technology Chief Emphasizes People, Teamwork
• Article: Medal of Honor Monday | Army Spc. 5th Class Clarence Sasser
• Article: Father and Son Deploy, Demonstrate Skills
• Contracts for January 14, 2022

Department of State

• Daily Schedule | Tuesday, January 18

Russia, Ukraine

• January 17: Readout | Secretary Blinken's Call with Kuwaiti Foreign Minister Al-Sabah (RUS, UKR, etc.)
• January 17: Readout | Secretary Blinken's Call with Polish Foreign Minister Rau (RUS, UKR, NATO)
• January 16: Readout | Secretary Blinken's Call with French Foreign Minister Le Drian (French presidency of the Council of the EU, RUS, UKR, Libya)
• January 16: Readout | Secretary Blinken's Call with EU High Representative Borrell (RUS, UKR, NATO)
• January 15: Readout | Deputy Secretary Sherman's Call with Canadian Deputy Foreign Minister Morgan (RUS, UKR, NATO)
• January 14: Readout | Secretary Blinken's Call with NATO Secretary General Stoltenberg (NATO, RUS, UKR)
• January 14: Readout | Deputy Secretary Sherman's Call with OSCE Secretary General Schmid (RUS, UKR)

Middle East

• January 17: Statement | Attacks in Abu Dhabi, UAE (Houthis)
• January 17: Readout | Secretary Blinken's Call with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan

Asia-Pacific

• January 17: Readout | Special Representative for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) Kim's Trilateral Call with Republic of Korea (ROK) Special Representative Noh and Japan Director General Funakoshi
• January 14: Readout | Secretary Blinken's Call with Republic of Korea Foreign Minister Chung
• January 14: Statement | The Passing of Zhang Qing, Wife of Human Rights Defender Guo Feixiong

Europe

• January 14: Readout | Fourth U.S.-France Cyber Dialogue
• January 14: Statement | Joint Statement on Serbia's National Referendum

Africa

• January 17: Statement | Appointment of Ambassador Lucy Tamlyn as Chargé d'Affaires at Embassy Khartoum
• January 14: Travel Advisory | Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Phee and Special Envoy for the Horn of Africa Satterfield (SAU, SDN, ETH)

Western Hemisphere

• January 16: Statement | U.S. Concern for Integrity of Guatemalan Judicial System

Other Developments

• January 14: Readout | Secretary Blinken's Virtual Meeting with UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Griffiths And President of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) Maurer (AFG, ETH)

US Agency for International Development (USAID)

• Readout: Administrator Power's Meeting with High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina Christian Schmidt
• Press Release: Deputy Administrator Paloma Adams-Allen at the ATscale: Mobilizing for Assistive Technology Event

US Mission to the United Nations (UN)

• Remarks at a UN Security Council Briefing by the ICC Prosecutor on the Situation in Sudan
• Remarks by Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield at a Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service Event in Alexandria, VA

Department of the Treasury

• Remarks by Secretary of the Treasury Janet L. Yellen to the National Action Network's Annual King Day Breakfast
• Statement by Secretary of the Treasury Janet L. Yellen on Federal Reserve Nominations

Department of Justice

• Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) | Daily Press Releases
• Press Release: Omaha Railcar Cleaning Company and its Owners Sentenced for Violating Environmental and Worker Safety Laws Resulting in Workers' 2015 Deaths
• Press Release: Former Acting Inspector General for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Pleads Guilty to Scheme to Defraud the U.S. Government
• Press Release: Loan Servicer Agrees to Pay Nearly $8 Million to Resolve Alleged False Claims in Connection with Federal Education Loans

Department of Homeland Security (DHS)/Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA)/Customs and Border Protection (CBP)

• Message from Secretary Mayorkas on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
• Press Release: $116K of Meth Seized at the Highway 86 Checkpoint (California)
• Press Release: Gang Member Arrested Near the Mountains of Ocotillo (California)
• Press Release: Rapper Arrested at Dulles Airport after CBP Officers Discovered illicit Narcotics Cache in Baggage (Virginia)
• Press Release: Philadelphia CBP Intercepts Fake COVID Vax Card – One of 30K Seized Nationally (Pennsylvania)
• Press Release: Philadelphia CBP Knocks Out Shipment of Dangerous Ketamine Concealed inside Boxing Mats destined to N.C. (Pennsylvania)

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)

• Link to daily press releases

Office of the US Trade Representative (USTR)

• Press Release: Week Ahead Guidance for the Week of January 17-21, 2022
• Statement by Ambassador Katherine Tai on Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service

Department of Commerce

• Blog: Department of Commerce Holds its First Equity Town Hall

US International Trade Commission (USITC)

• Press Release: USITC Institutes Section 337 Investigation of Certain Refrigerator Water Filtration Devices and Components Thereof

Federal Trade Commission (FTC)

• Statement of Chair Lina M. Khan on the Ruling by Judge Denise L. Cote Federal Trade Commission et al v. Vyera Pharmaceuticals, LLC et al

Federal Communications Commission (FCC)

• Press Release: FCC Deactivates Disaster Reporting for Winter Storm
• Press Release: Winter Storm Communications Status Report for January 17, 2022
• Press Release: FCC Assistance for Winter Storm Emergencies Available 24/7
• Press Release: Priority Telecommunications Services Reminder Due to Winter Storm
• Press Release: Emergency Communications Procedures for the Winter Storm
• Press Release: FCC Activates Disaster Information Reporting for the Winter Storm
• Press Release: FCC Adopts Rules To Implement Affordable Connectivity Program
• Press Release: Carr Concerned by Biden Broadband Rules
• Press Release: FCC Announces the Telecommunications Interagency Working Group
• Press Release: FCC Announces Winning Bidders In 3.45 GHz Auction

US Export-Import Bank (EXIM)

• Press Release: EXIM Chair's Council on Climate Meets to Discuss Climate-Friendly Technologies

Department of Agriculture (USDA)

• Statement by Secretary Vilsack on Martin Luther King Jr. Day

Department of Interior (DOI)

• Press Release: Interior Department Announces Infrastructure Investments for Desalination, Water Reclamation and Reuse Projects

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

• Link to EPA press releases

Department of Transportation (DOT)

• Press Release: DOT Announces Historic Bridge Investment Under Bipartisan Infrastructure Law

Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)

• Press Release: FAA Statements on 5G

Department of Labor

• Press Release: Departments of Labor and Education, Federal Communications Commission, National Telecommunications and Information Administration announce members of Telecommunications Workforce Working Group
• Press Release: West Virginia nursing care facility pays $270K in back wages, damages to 166 workers following U.S. Department of Labor investigation
• Press Release: U.S. Department of Labor cites Ohio auto-parts supplier after employee dies, several hospitalized following coronavirus exposure at Sanoh America
• Press Release: U.S. Department of Labor cites Montefiore Medical Center for inadequate workplace violence safeguards for employees
• Press Release: U.S. Department of Labor cites Watertown, Connecticut, manufacturer for 48 safety, health violations following employee's death

Health & Human Services (HHS)

• Readout of a Tennessee Virtual Panel on Health Care Access

Food & Drug Administration (FDA)

• Press Release: FDA Roundup | January 14, 2022

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.