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.

3:30 p.m. EST – The President meets with the Acting Secretary of Defense | Oval Office

VPOTUS’ Schedule*

8:00 a.m. EST – THE VICE PRESIDENT and THE SECOND LADY receive safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine | EEOB 350

3:30 p.m. EST – THE VICE PRESIDENT joins THE PRESIDENT for a meeting with the Acting Secretary of Defense | Oval Office

4:00 p.m. EST – THE VICE PRESIDENT hosts Space Force’s 1st Birthday Celebration | South Court Auditorium

Recap of Thursday, December 17, 2020

Note: Bold hyperlinks spotlight COVID-19 and reopening developments.

The White House

  • Bill Signed into Law:
    • R. 473, which authorizes the Every Word We Utter Monument to establish a commemorative work in the District of Columbia to commemorate the women’s suffrage movement and passage of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution.
  • Bills Signed into Law:
    • R. 4975, which designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 1201 Sycamore Square Drive in Midlothian, Virginia, as the Dorothy Braden Bruce Post Office Building;
    • R. 5062, which designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 9930 Conroy Windermere Road in Windermere, Florida, as the Officer Robert German Post Office Building; and
    • R. 5307, which designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 115 Nicol Avenue in Thomasville, Alabama, as the Postmaster Robert Ingram Post Office.
  • Nominations: Three Nominations and One Withdrawal Sent to the Senate

Department of Defense (DOD)

  • Article: Space Force Leader to Become 8th Member of Joint Chiefs
  • Article: Space Operations Chief Emphasizes Importance of Partnerships
  • Article: It’s a Wrap for Operation Christmas Drop 2020
  • Article: DOD Logistics Leader Ready to Ship Vaccine to Overseas Locations, Navy Fleet
  • Article: National Guard Supports Vaccination Efforts for Michigan
  • Article: Defense Officials Discuss Special Operations, Irregular Warfare Initiatives
  • Article: DOD, DHS Collaborating on Innovative Cybersecurity Solutions
  • Contracts for December 17, 2020

Department of State

  • Daily Schedule | Friday, December 18
  • December 17: Readout | Secretary Pompeo’s Call with Turkish Foreign Minister Cavusoglu
  • December 17: Readout | Secretary Pompeo’s Call with Japanese Foreign Minister Motegi
  • December 17: Readout | Deputy Secretary Biegun’s Call with Minister Kyaw Tin of Burma
  • December 17: Readout | Secretary Pompeo’s Call with Australian Foreign Minister Payne
  • December 17: Readout | The United States and Turkmenistan Hold Annual Bilateral Consultations
  • December 17: Statement | The United States Condemns the Kidnapping of Students in Kankara, Nigeria

US Mission to the United Nations (UN)

  • Remarks at a UN Security Council Briefing on the Situation in Afghanistan (via VTC)

Department of the Treasury/Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC)

Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC)

  • Press Release: SEC Approves 2021 PCAOB Budget and Accounting Support Fee
  • Press Release: SEC Charges Robinhood Financial With Misleading Customers About Revenue Sources and Failing to Satisfy Duty of Best Execution

Department of Justice

  • Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) | Daily Press Releases
  • Press Release: Eighth Circuit Reverses Tax Court in Case Involving Statute of Limitations and Bona Fide Residency
  • Press Release: Three Additional States Ask Court To Join Justice Department Antitrust Suit Against Google
  • Press Release: New Jersey Man Pleads Guilty to Violating the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act
  • Press Release: Former DoD Employee Sentenced for Violently Assaulting Two Neighbors While Living Overseas
  • Press Release: Biogen Agrees To Pay $22 Million To Resolve Alleged False Claims Act Liability For Paying Kickbacks
  • Press Release: Former Medical Director of Suboxone Manufacturer Indivior Sentenced in Connection with Drug Safety Claims
  • Press Release: North Carolina Restaurant Owner and Son Charged with COVID-Relief Fraud
  • Press Release: Home Depot to Pay $20,750,000 Penalty for Nationwide Failure to Follow Rules for Conducting Renovations Involving Lead Paint
  • Press Release: D.C. Tax Return Preparer Sentenced to Prison for Preparing False Tax Return

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

  • Speech: Center for Homeland Defense And Security Commencement Remarks as Prepared By Acting Secretary Chad F. Wolf
  • Press Release: Acting Secretary Chad F. Wolf Approves Appointments to the Faith-Based Security Advisory Council
  • Joint Statement by the FBI, CISA, and ODNI (re: cyberattack)
  • Press Release: CISA Releases ICT Supply Chain Risk Management Task Force Year 2 Report
  • Press Release: Counterfeit Viagra Pills, Footwear, Belts, Car Emblems and Headphones Worth Over $32 Million Seized at the LA/Long Beach Seaport (California)
  • Press Release: BP Arrests Smuggler With 3 in Rental Car Trunk (Arizona)
  • Press Release: Alien Apprehensions Increase in Del Rio Sector (Texas)
  • Press Release: Border Patrol Agents Seize Over $2M in Drugs in the Rio Grande Valley (Texas)
  • Press Release: Law Enforcement Cooperation Shuts Down Stash Houses (Texas)
  • Press Release: Stash House Shutdown by Laredo Sector Border Patrol and Partner Agency (Texas)
  • Press Release: Philadelphia CBP Seizes Non-Compliant Electric Car from China (Pennsylvania)

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)

  • Press Release: FEMA Updates Flood Maps in Sonoma County, Rohnert Park and Santa Rosa (California)
  • Press Release: Continued Rental Assistance May be Available from FEMA (California)
  • Press Release: Registration Ended But Stay in Touch With FEMA (Louisiana)

US Export-Import Bank (EXIM)

  • Press Release: EXIM Chairman Kimberly Reed Participates in 2020 G7 Heads of Export Credit Agencies Meeting
  • Press Release: #ICYMI | “One Year After Reauthorization, EXIM is Helping American Workers and Keeping China at Bay” by EXIM Chairman Kimberly Reed and U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer

Department of Agriculture (USDA)

  • Press Release: Trump Administration Sets the Pace for Food Loss and Waste Reduction Efforts to Continue
  • Press Release: USDA, NASA Sign Agreement to Improve Agricultural, Earth Science Research

Department of Energy

  • Press Release: Department of Energy to Provide $75 Million for Chemical and Materials Research in Quantum Information Science
  • Press Release: Secretary of Energy Signs Order to Mitigate Security Risks to the Nation’s Electric Grid

Department of Labor

  • Press Release: Unemployment Insurance Weekly Claims Report
  • Press Release: U.S. Department of Labor Announces More Standards Recognition Entities Ready to Deliver Industry-Recognized Apprenticeships
  • Press Release: Court Orders Three Kalamazoo, Michigan-Area Restaurants to Pay $225,000 in Back Wages Following U.S. Department of Labor Investigation
  • Press Release: Indianapolis Sportswear and Equipment Provider Agrees to Pay $600,000 To Resolve Discrimination Alleged by U.S. Department of Labor
  • Press Release: U.S. Department of Labor Recovers $85,753 in Back Wages For 414 Employees of Detroit-Area Car Wash Operator

Health & Human Services (HHS)

  • Press Release: HHS Releases First National Strategic Plan to Address Sexually Transmitted Infections
  • Press Release: HHS Continues COVID-19 Testing Support to States, Territories, and High-Risk Groups
  • Press Release: OCR Issues Audit Report on Health Care Industry Compliance with the HIPAA Rules

Food & Drug Administration (FDA)

  • Press Release: FDA Statement on Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee Meeting (re: Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine)
  • Press Release: Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update | December 17, 2020
  • Press Release: Trump Administration Sets the Pace for Food Loss and Waste Reduction Efforts to Continue
  • Press Release: FDA Warns Consumers to Avoid Certain Male Enhancement and Weight Loss Products Sold Through Amazon, eBay and Other Retailers Due to Hidden, Potentially Dangerous Drug Ingredients

US Government (USG) COVID-19 Webpages

Non-USG COVID Webpages

Johns Hopkins University & Medicine