US executive branch text over image of White HouseThis report provides a snapshot of the US Executive Branch priorities via daily schedules and the prior day’s press releases.

POTUS’ Schedule*

*The US President (POTUS) and Vice President’s (VPOTUS) daily schedules are subject to change.

11:30 a.m. EDT – THE PRESIDENT participates in a credentialing ceremony for newly appointed ambassadors to Washington, D.C. | Oval Office

2:25 p.m. EDT – THE PRESIDENT arrives at the National Archives Museum | Washington, D.C.

2:30 p.m. EDT – THE PRESIDENT delivers remarks at the White House Conference on American History | Washington, D.C.

3:10 p.m. EDT – THE PRESIDENT arrives at the White House

6:20 p.m. EDT – THE PRESIDENT departs the White House en route to Joint Base Andrews

6:40 p.m. EDT – THE PRESIDENT departs Washington, D.C., en route to Mosinee, WI

7:50 p.m. CDT – THE PRESIDENT arrives at Central Wisconsin Airport | Mosinee, WI

8:00 p.m. CDT – THE PRESIDENT delivers remarks at a Great American Comeback Event | Mosinee, WI

9:10 p.m. CDT – THE PRESIDENT departs Mosinee, WI, en route to Washington, D.C.

12:10 a.m. EDT – THE PRESIDENT arrives at Joint Base Andrews

12:30 a.m. EDT – THE PRESIDENT arrives at the White House

VPOTUS’ Schedule*

2:30 p.m. EDT – THE VICE PRESIDENT joins THE PRESIDENT for remarks at the White House Conference on American History | Washington, D.C.

4:30 p.m. EDT – THE VICE PRESIDENT participates in a meeting on safety and quality for nursing homes | Roosevelt Room

Looking Ahead:  On Friday, September 18, Vice President Mike Pence will travel to Phoenix, Arizona, to participate in a Libre Initiative Roundtable for Hispanic Heritage Month.  Following, the Vice President will participate in a Veterans for Trump event, before returning to Washington, D.C., later that evening.

On Thursday, September 24, Vice President Pence will travel to Wisconsin and Minnesota for a bus tour that begins Eau Claire, Wisconsin.  He will visit Midwest Manufacturing and deliver remarks at a Made In America event.  Vice President Pence will next visit Minneapolis, Minnesota, to participate in a Cops for Trump listening session.  Later that evening, the Vice President will return to Washington, D.C.

Recap of Wednesday, September 16, 2020

Note: All bold hyperlinks spotlight COVID-19 and reopening developments.

The White House

  • Remarks by President Trump in Press Briefing | September 16, 2020
  • Presidential Determination on Major Drug Transit or Major Illicit Drug Producing Countries for Fiscal Year 2021
  • Statement from the Press Secretary (re: congratulating Yoshihide Suga on his election as Japanese Prime Minister)
  • Transcript: Press Briefing by Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany | 9/16/20
  • Nominations: President Donald J. Trump Announces Judicial Nominees
  • Nominations: Three Nominations Sent to the Senate

Department of Defense (DOD)

  • Advisory: Secretary Esper Travels to California; Meets With Local Defense Industry Companies and Visits Indo-Pacific Power Projection Platforms
  • Remarks: Secretary Esper’s Speech as Delivered at RAND Corp.
  • Article: Esper Describes Steps to Maintaining Future Maritime Superiority
  • Article: Esper | Air Force, Space Force Leading Charge to New Technologies
  • Press Release: Trump Administration Releases COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution Strategy
  • Publication: Operation Warp Speed Strategy for Distributing a COVID-19 Vaccine
  • Publication: COVID-19 Vaccination Program Playbook
  • Publication: COVID-19 Travel Restrictions Installation Status Update, September 16, 2020
  • Article: Defense Experience, Capabilities Further ‘Herculean’ Operation Warp Speed Efforts
  • Article: Technology Proliferation, Influence Ops May Be as Disruptive as COVID-19
  • Press Release: DOD Identifies Air Force Casualty (non-combat/Kuwait)
  • Press Release: PDO Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs Dr. Michael Cutrone Conducts Virtual Discussion With Members of the Defeat-ISIS Global Coalition
  • Press Release: Acting Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Dr. James Anderson Co-Chairs the 11th Strategic Security Policy Dialogue in Singapore
  • Article: DOD Officials Discuss Fire-Fighting Foam Replacement, Remediation Efforts
  • Contracts for September 16, 2020

Department of State

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is on travel to Paramaribo, Suriname; Georgetown, Guyana; Boa Vista, Brazil; Bogota, Colombia; and Plano, Texas, from September 17-20, 2020.

  • Daily Schedule | Thursday, September 17
  • September 16: Transcript | Briefing With Senior State Department Official On the Secretary’s Upcoming Travel to Suriname, Guyana, Brazil, Colombia, and Texas
  • September 16: Fact Sheet | Guyana and the United States: More Than 50 Years Of Friendship
  • September 16: Fact Sheet | Suriname: Democratic Success, New Opportunities
  • September 16: Readout | Secretary Pompeo’s Meeting with Lithuanian Foreign Minister Linkevicius
  • September 16: Readout | Secretary Pompeo’s Meeting with United Arab Emirates Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Al Nahyan
  • September 16: Remarks | Secretary Michael R. Pompeo and UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab at a Press Availability
  • September 16: Transcript | Briefing With Special Representative for Iran and Venezuela Elliott Abrams On Developments in Iran and Venezuela
  • September 16: Advisory | Under Secretary Keith Krach’s Travel to Taiwan (Sept. 19)
  • September 16: Readout | State Department Hosts Business Roundtable on Women’s Economic Empowerment with the Republic of Korea
  • September 16: Statement | On Yoshihide Suga’s Election as Prime Minister of Japan
  • September 16: Sanctions | The United States Sanctions Russian Nationals for Phishing Campaign
  • September 16: Statement | On Presidential Revisions to the U.S. Marine Scientific Research Policy by the President of The United States
  • September 16: Statement | The Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations Announces Design Architect Selections for New U.S. Embassies and Consulates
  • September 16: Statement | Mexico’s Independence Day

US Agency for International Development (USAID)

  • Readout: USAID Acting Administrator Barsa’s Meeting with British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab, M.P.

US Mission to the United Nations (UN)

  • Remarks at a UN Security Council Briefing on the Situation in South Sudan (via VTC)
  • Remarks at a UN Security Council Briefing on the Humanitarian Situation in Syria (via VTC)

Department of the Treasury

  • Readout from a Treasury Spokesperson on Secretary Mnuchin’s meeting with His Excellency Obaid Humaid Al Tayer, Minister of State for Financial Affairs of the United Arab Emirates
  • Sanctions: Cyber-related Designations (re: Russia)
  • Press Release: Treasury International Capital Data for July

Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC)

  • Press Release: SEC Adopts Amendments to Enhance Retail Investor Protections and Modernize the Rule Governing Quotations for Over-the-Counter Securities

Department of Justice

  • Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) | Daily Press Releases
  • Speech: Remarks by Attorney General William P. Barr at Hillsdale College Constitution Day Event
  • Speech: Remarks by Deputy Attorney General Jeffrey A. Rosen at an Announcement of Charges and Arrests in Computer Intrusion Campaigns Related to China
  • Press Release: Seven International Cyber Defendants, Including “Apt41” Actors, Charged In Connection With Computer Intrusion Campaigns Against More Than 100 Victims Globally
  • Press Release: Two Iranian Nationals Charged in Cyber Theft Campaign Targeting Computer Systems in United States, Europe, and the Middle East
  • Press Release: Jacksonville Woman Pleads Guilty to Attempting to Illegally Exporting Maritime Raiding Craft and Engines to China
  • Press Release: U.S. Seeks to Recover More Than $300 Million in Additional Assets Traceable to Funds Allegedly Misappropriated from Malaysian Sovereign Wealth Fund
  • Press Release: United States Citizen Who Joined ISIS Charged With Material Support Violations
  • Press Release: Minnesota Man Charged with Providing Material Support to ISIS
  • Press Release: Kansas Man Indicted on Federal Child Pornography Charges
  • Press Release: Montana Broker Sentenced to Prison for Multimillion-Dollar Investment-Fraud Scheme
  • Press Release: Federal Court Bars Florida Tax Preparation Businesses and Their Tax Return Preparers From Preparing Tax Returns
  • Press Release: Owner of Long Island Diner Pleads Guilty to Not Paying Employment Tax

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

  • Congressional Testimony: Cuccinelli prepared testimony to the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Homeland Security on “Worldwide Threats to the Homeland”
  • Press Release: Cuccinelli Condemns House Homeland Security Committee Majority for Ignoring Worldwide Threats
  • Press Release: DHS Provides $10 Million to Local Communities to Prevent Targeted Violence and Terrorism
  • Press Release: Border Patrol Agents Arrest a Convicted Sex Offender for Illegally Entering the United States (California)
  • Press Release: Chaparral Stash House Case Nets 57 People (New Mexico)
  • Press Release: Del Rio Sector Border Patrol Agents Apprehend another Convicted Sex Offender (Texas)
  • Press Release: Smuggler’s Reckless Act Endangers Lives (Texas)
  • Press Release: Pittsburgh CBP Officers Seize Counterfeit and Potentially Harmful Child Pacifiers (Pennsylvania)
  • Press Release: Baltimore CBP Detects Nine Asian Gypsy Moth Egg Masses on Four Vehicle Carrier Vessels (Maryland)
  • Press Release: AMO seizes 3,941 Pounds of Cocaine, Arrest 2 Men near Vieques, Puerto Rico
  • Press Release: CBP in Puerto Rico Makes its Fourth Seizure of Apple AirPods (Puerto Rico)

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)

  • Press Release: Hurricane Sally and Western Wildfires Response Update (Washington, D.C.)
  • Press Release: ICYMI | FEMA Administrator Updates on Sally Response
  • Press Release: President Donald J. Trump Approves Florida Emergency Declaration
  • Press Release: FEMA Announces Lost Wages Grant for the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands
  • Press Release: Oregon Survivors Affected by Wildfires Can Apply for Federal Disaster Assistance
  • Press Release: FEMA Opens a Disaster Recovery Center (Iowa)
  • Press Release: How to Appeal a FEMA Decision (Iowa)
  • Press Release: Louisiana Recovery Hits $100 Million Mark for Housing, Other Needs Assistance
  • Press Release: Three Years After Hurricane María, FEMA Obligations Reach $7.3 Billion (Puerto Rico)

US International Trade Commission (USITC)

  • Press Release: USITC Makes Determinations in Five-Year (Sunset) Reviews Concerning Steel Concrete Reinforcing Bar from Mexico and Turkey

US International Development Finance Corporation (DFC)

  • Press Release: DFC and Akola Support Ugandan Women Through COVID-19 Pandemic

US Export-Import Bank (EXIM)

  • Press Release: EXIM Extends Assistance to Customers and Lenders in Federal Disaster Areas Affected by Recent Wildfires and Hurricanes
  • Press Release: EXIM Chairman Reed Highlights Trade Finance Tools in Remarks to Montana Business Organizations
  • Press Release: EXIM Chairman Reed Highlights Trade Finance Tools in Remarks to Alaska Business Organizations
  • Press Release: ICYMI | EXIM 2020 Annual Conference Underscores Agency’s Commitment to Empowering U.S. Businesses and Workers

Department of Agriculture (USDA)

  • Press Release: USDA Assists Farmers, Ranchers, and Communities Affected by Western Wildfires

Department of Energy (DOE)

  • Press Release: DOE Announces $24 Million for Commercial Scaling of Battery and Methane Detection Technologies

Department of Transportation

  • Press Release: U.S. Secretary of Transportation Elaine L. Chao Announces $1 Billion to Upgrade American Infrastructure

Department of Labor

  • Press Release: U.S. Department of Labor Cites Massachusetts Dental Practice For Failing to Fully Implement Workplace Respiratory Protections
  • Press Release: U.S. Department of Labor Investigation Results in Court Ordering New York Horse Trainer to Pay $425,000 in Back Wages, Damages and Penalties

Department of Education

  • Press Release: Secretary DeVos Launches New Web Tool to Help Parents, Educators Easily Access School Spending Data

Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)

  • Press Release: Trump Administration Releases COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution Strategy
  • Press Release: HHS Secretary Azar Declares Public Health Emergency in Oregon Due to Wildfires

Food & Drug Administration (FDA)

  • Press Release: Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update | Daily Roundup September 16, 2020

US Government (USG) COVID-19 Webpages

Non-USG COVID Webpages

Johns Hopkins University & Medicine

Synopsis of President Trump’s Tweets

  • September 17: “Democrats only want BAILOUT MONEY for Blue States that are doing badly. They don’t care about the people, never did!”
  • September 17: “Twitter makes sure that Trending on Twitter is anything bad, Fake or not, about President Donald Trump. So obvious what they are doing. Being studied now!”
  • September 17: “I am SUBSTANTIALLY LOWERING MEDICARE PREMIUMS. Have instituted Favored Nations Clause and Rebates on Drug Companies. Never been done before. Drug companies are hitting me with Fake Ads, just like sleepy Joe. Be careful! Drug prices will be reduced massively, and soon.”
  • September 17: “The big Unsolicited Ballot States should give it up NOW, before it is too late, and ask people to go to the Polling Booths and, like always before, VOTE. Otherwise, MAYHEM!!! Solicited Ballots (absentee) are OK. @foxandfriends”
  • September 17: “Because of the new and unprecedented massive amount of unsolicited ballots which will be sent to “voters”, or wherever, this year, the Nov 3rd Election result may NEVER BE ACCURATELY DETERMINED, which is what some want. Another election disaster yesterday. Stop Ballot Madness!”  Retweet:  True the Vote @TrueTheVote · Sep 15 · True the Vote needs YOUR HELP to ensure the voice of the MILITARY VOTE comes through loud and clear!   Visit http://truethevote.org/call-your-county. Call your local election administrator. Ask if military ballots have been sent. The deadline is FRIDAY!
  • September 16: “Don’t worry, wonderful & beautiful Alaska, there will be NO POLITICS in the Pebble Mine Review Process. I will do what is right for Alaska and our great Country!!!”
  • September 16: “Jim, you didn’t make a mistake. It’s true, and that’s why you said it. No pandering!”  Retweet:  The Recount @therecount · Sep 15 · Jim Cramer apologizes to Speaker Nancy Pelosi: “I made a very stupid comment.”
  • September 16: “Democrats are ‘heartless’. They don’t want to give STIMULUS PAYMENTS to people who desperately need the money, and whose fault it was NOT that the plague came in from China. Go for the much higher numbers, Republicans, it all comes back to the USA anyway (one way or another!).”
  • September 16:  “Vaccines are moving along fast and safely!”