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.

The President has no public events scheduled.

VPOTUS’ Schedule*

11:30 a.m. EST – THE VICE PRESIDENT leads a teleconference with higher education chancellors & presidents | White House Situation Room

2:00 p.m. EST – THE VICE PRESIDENT leads a White House Coronavirus Task Force meeting | White House Situation Room

2:30 p.m. EST – THE VICE PRESIDENT leads a governors video teleconference on COVID-19 response & recovery | White House Situation Room

Recap of Friday-Sunday, December 18-20, 2020

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

The White House

  • Bill Signed into Law:
    • J.Res. 107, the “Further Additional Continuing Appropriations Act, 2021,” which provides fiscal year (FY) 2021 appropriations to Federal agencies through December 20, 2020, for continuing projects and activities of the Federal Government.
  • Executive Order Promoting Redemption of Savings Bonds
  • Remarks by Vice President Pence at a Safe and Effective Vaccine Confidence Event
  • Remarks by Vice President Pence at the Space Force’s 1st Birthday Celebration
  • Presidential Message on the First Birthday of the United States Space Force
  • Statement from the Press Secretary (re: appointments to the 1776 Commission)
  • Appointments: President Donald J. Trump Announces Intent to Appoint Individuals to Key Administration Posts (re: 1776 Commission)
  • Bills Signed into Law:
    • 910, the “National Sea Grant College Program Amendments Act of 2020,” which reauthorizes the National Sea Grant College Program through fiscal year 2025; clarifies that the scope of the program includes financial assistance for research, training, and technology transfer; and modifies the Dean John A. Knauss Marine Policy Fellowship Program;
    • 945, the “Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act,” which requires certain issuers of securities to establish that they are not owned or controlled by a foreign government, specifically if the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board is unable to audit specified reports because the issuer has retained a foreign public accounting firm that is not subject to inspection by the Board;
    • 1069, the “Digital Coast Act,” which requires the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to maintain a program capable of integrating coastal data with decision-support tools, training, and best practices to improve local, State, and Federal capacities to manage the coastal region; and
    • 1982, the “Save Our Seas 2.0 Act,” which establishes a nongovernmental Marine Debris Foundation and a prize competition for the “Genius Prize for Save Our Seas Innovation”; increases efforts to engage, cooperate, and coordinate with other governmental and nongovernmental entities to raise international awareness of plastic waste and combat marine debris; and creates infrastructure grant programs to be administered by the Environmental Protection Agency.
  • Signing Statement by the President (re: S. 1982)
  • Statement from ONDCP Director Carroll on 2020 Monitoring the Future Survey & Trends in Youth Substance Misuse

Health & Human Services (HHS)

  • Press Release: HHS and DoD Statements on FDA Authorization of Moderna Vaccine
  • Guidance for National Guard Personnel Regarding COVID-19 Vaccines and Immunity under the PREP Act
  • Press Release: OCR Issues Guidance on HIPAA, Health Information Exchanges, and Disclosures of Protected Health Information for Public Health Purposes

Food & Drug Administration (FDA)

  • Press Release: FDA Takes Additional Action in Fight Against COVID-19 By Issuing Emergency Use Authorization for Second COVID-19 Vaccine (re:  Moderna)

Department of Defense (DOD)

  • Press Release: HHS, DOD Statements on FDA Authorization of Moderna Vaccine
  • Press Release: This Week in Operation Warp Speed – Dec. 18, 2020
  • Article: Operation Warp Speed Goes on Offense Against COVID-19
  • Statement on Transition Activities by Acting Secretary of Defense Miller
  • Article: Space Force Leader to Become 8th Member of Joint Chiefs
  • Article: Space Force Personnel to be Called Guardians
  • Article: Government Officials Announce U.S. Strategy to Prevent Conflict, Promote Stability
  • Press Release: Diversity and Inclusion Final Board Report
  • Publication: Actions to Improve Racial and Ethnic Diversity and Inclusion in the U.S. Military
  • Publication: Department of Defense Board on Diversity and Inclusion Report | Recommendations to Improve Racial and Ethnic Diversity and Inclusion in the U.S. Military
  • Article: Acting Secretary Accepts Inclusion Board’s 15 Recommendations
  • Statement on New Appointments to the Defense Science Board
  • Contracts for December 18, 2020

Department of State

  • Daily Schedule | Monday, December 21
  • December 20: Statement | Rocket Attack in Iraq
  • December 19: Statement | Passing of Niger’s Ambassador to the United States
  • December 18: Readout | Secretary Pompeo’s Call with Philippine Secretary of Foreign Affairs Locsin
  • December 18: Interview | Secretary Michael R. Pompeo With Mark Levin of The Mark Levin Show
  • December 18: Readout | Deputy Secretary Biegun’s Meeting with Surinamese Minister of Foreign Affairs Ramdin
  • December 18: Statement | Release of the U.S. Strategy to Prevent Conflict and Promote Stability
  • December 18: Transcript | Briefing with State Department Director of Foreign Assistance James L. Richardson, Assistant Secretary for Conflict and Stabilization Operations Dr. Denise Natali, and USAID Bureau for Conflict Prevention and Stabilization Deputy Assistant Administrator Robert Jenkins on the U.S. Strategy to Prevent Conflict and Promote Stability
  • December 18: Statement | The Free World’s Leadership Will Defeat COVID-19
  • December 18: Statement | U.S.-Australia-India-Japan Consultations (“The Quad”) Senior Officials Meeting
  • December 18: Statement | AIT and TECRO Sign an Agreement on Scientific and Technological Cooperation
  • December 18: Sanctions | U.S. Imposes New Sanctions on People’s Republic of China Actors Linked to Malign Activities
  • December 18: Sanctions | The United States Takes Actions Against Supporters of the Illegitimate Maduro Regime’s Fraudulent Elections
  • December 18: Fact Sheet | This Week in Iran Policy
  • December 18: Statement | Qatar National Day

US Agency for International Development (USAID)

  • Transcript: Briefing with State Dept. Director of Foreign Assistance James L. Richardson, Assistant Secretary for Conflict and Stabilization Operations Dr. Denise Natali, and USAID Bureau for Conflict Prevention and Stabilization DAA Robert Jenkins
  • Statement by Acting Deputy Administrator John Barsa (re: Fulfilling President Trump’s Commitment to Provide Ventilators)
  • Press Release: The Need for Humanitarian Access in the Tigray Region in Ethiopia

US Mission to the United Nations (UN)

  • Explanation of Vote on a Draft Resolution on the UN Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
  • Remarks at a UN Security Council Open Debate on Cooperation between the UN Security Council and the International Court of Justice (via VTC)

Department of the Treasury

  • Press Release: The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network Proposes Rule Aimed at Closing Anti-Money Laundering Regulatory Gaps for Certain Convertible Virtual Currency and Digital Asset Transactions
  • Sanctions: Treasury Continues Pressure on Maduro Regime for Role in Fraudulent Elections

Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC)

  • Press Release: SEC Announces the Creation of the Security-Based Swaps Joint Venture, Led by Division of Examinations and Division of Trading and Markets
  • Press Release: SEC Releases 2020 Office of Credit Rating Reports
  • Press Release: Small Business Advocate Releases Annual Report for Fiscal Year 2020
  • Press Release: SEC Charges Biotech Company and CEO With Fraud Concerning COVID-19 Blood Testing Device
  • Press Release: SEC Issues Multiple Whistleblower Awards Totaling Over $3.6 Million

Department of Justice

  • Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) | Daily Press Releases
  • Press Release: International Trio Indicted in Austin for Illegal Exports to Russia
  • Press Release: China-Based Executive at U.S. Telecommunications Company Charged with Disrupting Video Meetings Commemorating Tiananmen Square Massacre
  • Press Release: Texas Heart Hospital and Wholly-Owned Subsidiary THHBP Management Company LLC to Pay $48 Million to Settle False Claims Act Allegations Related to Alleged Kickbacks
  • Press Release: CEO of Medical Device Company Charged in COVID-19 Related Securities Fraud Scheme
  • Press Release: Four Men Indicted for Hate Crimes and False Statements After Racially Motivated Assault in Lynnwood, Washington

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

  • Press Release: Asylum Cooperative Agreement with Honduras Finalized
  • Press Release: CBP Releases 2021-2026 Strategy (Washington, D.C.)
  • Press Release: Counterfeit Shipment with 550 Pounds of Fake Apple, Samsung Products Seized by Cincinnati CBP (Ohio)

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)

  • Press Release: Renters Can Apply for FEMA Disaster Assistance (Alabama)

Department of Commerce

  • Remarks by Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross at the Export-Import Bank Virtual Board Meeting on Domestic Content Policy | December 17, 2020

US Export-Import Bank (EXIM)

  • Press Release: EXIM Chairman Reed Addresses International Economic Forum of the Americas’ Conference of Montreal 2020
  • Press Release: EXIM Chairman Kimberly Reed Addresses the Council on Foreign Relations on U.S. Global Competition With Respect to the People’s Republic of China
  • Press Release: EXIM Board Unanimously Approves Historic Policy to Support U.S. Exporters Competing with the People’s Republic of China
  • Press Release: What They Are Saying | EXIM’s Board Unanimously Approves Historic Policy to Support U.S. Exporters Competing with the People’s Republic of China

Department of Energy

  • Press Release: DOE Update on Cyber Incident Related to Solar Winds Compromise

Department of Transportation

  • Press Release: Air Travel Consumer Report | October 2020 Numbers

Department of Labor

  • Press Release: Indiana RV Manufacturer Agrees to Pay $103,318 in Back Wages to 168 Employees Following U.S. Department of Labor Investigation
  • Press Release: U.S. Department Of Labor Files Complaint to Protect Participants And Beneficiaries of Failing Medova MEWA Operating in 38 States
  • Press Release: U.S. Department of Labor’s OSHA Announces $3,646,228 In Coronavirus Violations

US Government (USG) COVID-19 Webpages

Non-USG COVID Webpages

Johns Hopkins University & Medicine