US Executive Branch Update – February 7, 2022

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

POTUS' Schedule*

10:15 a.m. EST - THE PRESIDENT and THE VICE PRESIDNT receive the President's Daily Brief | Oval Office

1:30 p.m. EST - THE PRESIDENT participates in a bilateral meeting with H.E. Olaf Scholz, Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany | Oval Office

3:15 p.m. EST - THE PRESDENT and H.E. Scholz participate in a joint press conference | East Room

VPOTUS' Schedule*

10:15 a.m. EST - THE VICE PRESIDENT will receive the President's Daily Brief | Oval Office

White House Press Briefing Schedule*

1:45 p.m. EST - 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 Friday-Sunday, February 4-6, 2022

Note: Bold hyperlinks spotlight COVID-19 developments.

The White House

• Transcript: Background Press Call Previewing the German Chancellor's Visit
• Readout of President Joseph R. Biden, Jr.'s Call with President Emmanuel Macron of France
• Readout of President Joseph R. Biden, Jr.'s Call with Prime Minister Naftali Bennett of Israel
• Statement by President Joe Biden on 900,000 American Deaths from COVID-?19
• Executive Order on Use of Project Labor Agreements For Federal Construction Projects
• Remarks by President Biden at Signing of an Executive Order on Project Labor Agreements
• Remarks by Vice President Harris at Signing of an Executive Order on Project Labor Agreements
• Remarks by President Biden on the January Jobs Report
• Statement from President Biden on House Passage of the America COMPETES Act
• Proclamation to Continue Facilitating Positive Adjustment to Competition From Imports of Certain Crystalline Silicon Photovoltaic Cells (Whether or Not Partially or Fully Assembled Into Other Products)
• Transcript: Press Briefing by Press Secretary Jen Psaki
• Nominations: President Biden Announces Three Key Nominees (US AMB)
• Press Release: October 2021 Visitor Log Records Posted

Department of Defense (DOD)

• Transcript: General Kenneth F. McKenzie Jr., Commander, U.S. Central Command, Holds a Press Briefing
• Article: McKenzie Says ISIS Leader Who Died During U.S. Raid Was 'Evil'
• Article: U.S. Central Command Releases Report on August Abbey Gate Attack (AFG)
• Readout of Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III's Call with Australian Minister of Defence Peter Dutton
• Press Release: DOD Identifies Army Casualty (non-combat/Syria)
• Readout of Japan, Republic of Korea and U.S. Defense Trilateral Call
• Press Release: DoD Software Modernization Strategy Approved
• Article: New DOD Chief Digital?Artificial Intelligence Office Launches
• Article: Official Says DOD Is Seeking Pathways to Better Integrate Women Into Workforce
• Press Release: Navy to Commission Future Littoral Combat Ship Savannah
• Contracts for February 4, 2022

Department of State

• Daily Schedule | Monday, February 7

Europe, Russia, Ukraine

• February 6: Readout | Secretary Blinken's Call with French Foreign Minister Le Drian
• February 4: Readout | Secretary Blinken's Call with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Kuleba
• February 5: Statement | Joint Statement on the Strategic Dialogue Between the United States and Poland
• February 4: Readout | Secretary Blinken's Meeting with Polish Foreign Minister Rau
• February 4: Remarks | Secretary Antony J. Blinken and Polish Foreign Minister Zbigniew Rau Before Their Meeting
• February 4: Advisory | Counselor Chollet's Travel to Bulgaria, Romania, and Belgium

Asia-Pacific

• February 4: Advisory | Secretary Blinken to Travel to Australia, Fiji, and Hawaii (Feb. 7-13)
• February 5: Transcript | Briefing on the Secretary's Upcoming Travel to Australia, Fiji, and Hawaii
• February 6: Advisory | Travel of Special Representative for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) Kim to Honolulu, Hawaii
• February 4: Statement | New Zealand Waitangi Day
• February 4: Statement | Sri Lanka National Day

Africa

• February 4: Readout | Secretary Blinken's Call with Djiboutian Foreign Minister Youssouf

Middle East

• February 4: Advisory | Acting Assistant Secretary of State Yael Lempert Travels to Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and Kuwait

Other Matters

• February 4: Transcript | Department Press Briefing
• February 6: Statement | Observance of the International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation

US Agency for International Development (USAID)

• Statement on the International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation
• Remarks: Administrator Samantha Power at the USAID 2022 Black History Month Kick-Off
• Press Release: USAID Appoints Partnership for Peace Fund Board Chair, Announces Board Members

US Mission to the United Nations (UN)

• Transcript: Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield's Interview with Jake Tapper on CNN's "State of the Union"
• Transcript: Deputy to the U.S. Representative Jeffrey Prescott's Interview with Iryna Solomko of Voice of America
• Remarks by Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield at the UN Security Council Stakeout Following Consultations on the Democratic People's Republic of Korea
• Joint Statement on the January 30 Democratic People's Republic of Korea's Balgment: Reflections on the Work of ECOSOC Subsidiary Bodies

Department of the Treasury

• Press Release: Treasury Releases Study on Illicit Finance in the High-Value Art Market
• Press Release: Financial Stability Oversight Council Statement on Nonbank Financial Intermediation February 4, 2022

Department of Justice

• Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) | Daily Press Releases
• Speech: Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke Delivers Remarks at the Inaugural Meeting of the President's Advisory Commission on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders
• Press Release: Justice Department, ICE and the FBI Recognize International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation
• Press Release: Barrio Azteca Gunmen Who Committed Consulate Murders in Ciudad Juarez Found Guilty on All Counts
• Press Release: National Institute of Justice Funded Research Amasses Details of a Half Century of United States Mass Shootings
• Press Release: Former Executive Director of International Adoption Agency Pleads Guilty to Fraudulent Adoption Scheme
• Press Release: Former Alabama Correctional Lieutenant Sentenced for Failing to Intervene in Unlawful Inmate Assault
• Press Release: Federal Court Shuts Down South Florida Tax Preparers

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

• Press Release: 2021 | A Strong Year of Progress at the Department of Homeland Security
• Press Release: CISA Supports Inaugural US Cyber Games as Founding Sponsor
• Press Release: Air and Marine Operations and U.S. Border Patrol Rescue a Lost Migrant in the Baboquivari Mountains (Arizona)
• Press Release: Yuma Border Patrol Agents/AMO Break up Smuggling Ring (Arizona)
• Press Release: Agents Arrest Wanted Felon with Two "Ghost Guns" (California)
• Press Release: U.S. Citizen Arrested in an Attempt to Smuggle Meth in Spare Tire (California)
• Press Release: Agents Arrest Undocumented Individual Wanted for Homicide (California)
• Press Release: Carl E. Landrum Selected as Chief Patrol Agent, Laredo Sector (Texas)
• Press Release: CBP Memphis, HSI and Gwinnett County Georgia Crush nearly $16 Million Counterfeit Goods Seller (Tennessee)

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)

• Link to daily press releases

Office of the US Trade Representative (USTR)

• Statement from Ambassador Katherine Tai on the Passage of the America COMPETES Act
• Press Release: United States and European Union to Resume Trade in Live, Bivalve Shellfish

Department of Commerce

• Statement from U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina M. Raimondo on House passage of the America COMPETES Act
• Remarks by U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo on Passage of the America COMPETES Act
• Press Release: What They Are Saying | WHAT THEY ARE SAYING: Industry Leaders Applaud Swift House Passage of America COMPETES Act
• Blog: NOAA Satellites Helped Save 330 Lives in 2021

Federal Communications Commission (FCC)

• Press Release: Rosenworcel Notifies Congress of Demand for Rip and Replace Program

Department of Agriculture (USDA)

• Press Release: USDA Helps Schools Build Back Better, Issues Transitional Nutrition Standards for Coming School Years

Department of Energy (DOE)

• Press Release: DOE Announces $20 Million to Lower Costs of Geothermal Drilling

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

• Statement by Regional Administrator Martha Guzman on the Drinking Water Emergency at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam and the Plan for EPA Inspections
• Link to other daily EPA press releases

Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)

• Press Release: FAA Reaches One Million Airspace Authorization for Drone Pilots
• Press Release: Dangerous Laser Strikes Reach Highest Numbers

Department of Labor

• Statement by U.S. Secretary of Labor Walsh on January Jobs Report
• Press Release: U.S. Department of Labor recovers $47K in back wages for 30 workers after investigation finds Miramar Beach restaurant violated law
• Press Release: U.S. Department of Labor investigation of Bowling Green Home Instead operator reveals systemic wage violations in Alabama, Kentucky, Tennessee

Health & Human Services (HHS)

• Press Release: HHS Issues New Guidance for Health Care Providers on Civil Rights Protections for People with Disabilities

Food & Drug Administration (FDA)

• Press Release: FDA Roundup | February 4, 2022
• Press Release: FDA Sodium Reduction Efforts Underscored in USDA's Transitional Nutrition Standards for School Meals

Housing & Urban Development (HUD)

• Press Release: HUD Releases 2021 Annual Homeless Assessment Report Part 1

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.