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.

12:00 p.m. EST – THE PRESIDENT presents the Presidential Medal of Freedom to Dan Gable | Oval Office

12:45 p.m. EST – THE PRESIDENT has lunch with THE VICE PRESIDENT | Private Dining Room

VPOTUS’ Schedule*

12:00 p.m. EST – THE VICE PRESIDENT joins THE PRESIDENT for the presentation of the Presidential Medal of Freedom to Dan Gable | Oval Office

12:45 p.m. EST – THE VICE PRESIDENT joins THE PRESIDENT for lunch | Private Dining Room

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

Recap of Friday-Sunday, December 4-6, 2020

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

The White House

  • Presidential Message on the 155th Anniversary of the Ratification of the 13th Amendment
  • Bill Signed into Law | December 5, 2020:
    • R. 8247, the “Veterans Comprehensive, Prevention, Access to Care, and Treatment Act of 2020 or the Veterans COMPACT Act of 2020,” which amends various VA authorities related to: transition assistance; suicide prevention; and improvement of care and services for women veterans.
  • Signing Statement by the President (re: H.R. 8247, the “Veterans Comprehensive Prevention, Access to Care, and Treatment (COMPACT) Act of 2020”)
  • Proclamation on National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day, 2020
  • Proclamation on Human Rights Day, Bill of Rights Day, and Human Rights Week, 2020
  • Bills Signed into Law | December 4, 2020:
    • R. 835, the “Rodchenkov Anti-Doping Act of 2019,” which imposes criminal sanctions on certain persons involved in international doping fraud conspiracies; and requires restitution for victims of such conspiracies;
    • R. 1668, the “Internet of Things Cybersecurity Improvement Act of 2020,” which establishes security standards for Internet of Things (IoT) devices owned or controlled by the Federal government;
    • R. 3589, the “Greg LeMond Congressional Gold Medal Act of 2019,” which provides for the award of a Congressional Gold Medal to Greg LeMond, in recognition of his service to the Nation as an athlete, activist, role model, and community leader;
    • R. 4104, the “Negro Leagues Baseball Centennial Commemorative Coin Act,” which requires the Department of the Treasury to mint and issue coins in commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the establishment of the Negro Leagues baseball;
    • R. 8276, which authorizes the President to posthumously award the Medal of Honor to Alwyn C. Cashe for acts of valor during Operation Iraqi Freedom while serving in the United States Army;
    • R. 8472, the “Impact Aid Coronavirus Relief Act,” which modifies the application requirements for the Impact Aid Program for fiscal year (FY) 2022 and the requirements for allocations to states under the Migrant Education program for FY 2021;
    • 3147, the “Improving Safety and Security for Veterans Act of 2019,” which requires VA to report to the Congress regarding VA policies and procedures on patient safety and quality of care, as well as steps taken to increase patient safety and quality of care both generally and at the VA medical center at Clarksburg, West Virginia; and
    • 3587, the “Department of Veterans Affairs Website Accessibility Act of 2019,” which requires VA to study and report on VA websites’ accessibility to individuals with disabilities.
  • Signing Statement by the President (re: H.R. 835, the “Rodchenkov Anti-Doping Act of 2019”)
  • Remarks by Vice President Pence in a Roundtable Discussion on Vaccine Distribution | Atlanta, GA | December 4, 2020
  • Press Release: President Donald J. Trump to Award the Medal of Freedom to Dan Gable

Department of Defense (DOD)

  • Readout of Acting Defense Secretary Christopher C. Miller’s Meetings with Indonesian Officials
  • Press Release: Somalia Force Posture Announcement
  • Statement on New Appointments to the Defense Business Board
  • Advisory: Acting Defense Secretary Miller Travels to Indonesia, Philippines, Indo-Pacom
  • Press Release: This Week in Operation Warp Speed – Dec. 4, 2020
  • Press Release: DOD Announces $74.9 Million in Defense Production Act Title III COVID-19 Actions
  • Article: Officials Describe How Arms Sales Benefit the U.S., Partners
  • Article: Air Safety Panel Recommends Flight Hour Increase, Emphasis on Maintenance, Steady Funding
  • Article: S., Australia Sign Agreement to Develop Virtual Training Range
  • Article: COVID-19 Draws Attention to Defense Industrial Base Vulnerabilities
  • Article: New DOD Directive Will Improve Acquisition Reform, Officials Say
  • Contracts for December 4, 2020

Department of State

  • Daily Schedule | Monday, December 7
  • December 6: Advisory | Deputy Secretary Biegun’s Travel to the Republic of Korea (Dec. 8-11)
  • December 6: Statement | Finland National Day
  • December 5: Statement | U.S. Welcomes First Meeting of the Afghanistan High Council for National Reconciliation Leadership Committee
  • December 5: Fact Sheet | U.S. Investors Are Funding Malign PRC Companies on Major Indices
  • December 5: Statement | Termination of PRC-Funded Propaganda Programs
  • December 5: Statement | The Kingdom of Thailand’s National Day
  • December 4: Sanctions | U.S. Imposes Sanctions on People’s Republic of China Officials Engaged in Coercive Influence Activities
  • December 4: Remarks | Secretary Michael R. Pompeo at the IISS Manama Dialogue
  • December 4: Readout | G7++ Friends of the Gulf of Guinea Virtual Plenary
  • December 4: Statement | U.S. Commends Slovenia for Designating Hizballah
  • December 4: Statement | The Department of State Breaks Ground on New U.S. Consulate General in Mérida, Mexico

US Agency for International Development (USAID)

US Mission to the United Nations (UN)

  • Introduction to the U.S. National Statement at a UN General Assembly Special Session on COVID-19
  • Remarks at a UN Security Council Open Debate on UN-AU Cooperation (via VTC)
  • Statement in a Meeting of the Fifth Committee on Agenda Item 141: Umoja

Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC)

  • Press Release: SEC Charges The Cheesecake Factory For Misleading COVID-19 Disclosures

Department of Justice

  • Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) | Daily Press Releases
  • Speech: Deputy Assistant Attorney General for the National Security Division Adam Hickey Delivers Remarks at the ACI 2nd National Forum on FARA
  • Press Release: Maryland Man Pleads Guilty to Submitting False Claim to Steal Funds Intended for Afghanistan Reconstruction
  • Press Release: Justice Department Files Complaint to Stop Distribution of Unapproved, Misbranded, and Adulterated “Poly-MVA” Products

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

  • Press Release: Carl E. Landrum Selected as Deputy Chief Patrol Agent of the Laredo Sector (Texas)
  • Press Release: CBP Officers at Hidalgo International Bridge Arrest Two Women with Hard Narcotics (Texas)
  • Press Release: Border Patrol Agents Seize Close to Half a Million Dollars in Drugs From an Ultralight Aircraft Smuggling Attempt (California)

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)

  • Press Release: Reasonable Accommodation Available at Disaster Recovery Center in Arecibo (Puerto Rico)

US International Trade Commission (USITC)

  • Press Release: USITC Makes Determinations in Five-Year (Sunset) Reviews Concerning Citric Acid and Certain Citrate Salts from China

US International Development Finance Corporation (DFC)

  • Readout from the Meeting with Ecuadoran President Lenin Moreno and DFC CEO Adam Boehler
  • Readout from the Meeting with Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez and DFC CEO Adam Boehler

US Export-Import Bank (EXIM)

  • Readout from EXIM Chairman Kimberly Reed’s Meetings with Bahrain’s Ministers of Finance, Foreign Affairs, and Commerce
  • Readout from EXIM Chairman Kimberly Reed’s Meeting with His Excellency Sayyid Badr bin Hamad bin Hamood Albusaidi, Foreign Minister of the Sultanate of Oman
  • Readout from EXIM Chairman Kimberly Reed’s Meeting with the Kingdom of Bahrain Minister of Oil Shaikh Mohammed bin Khalifa bin Ahmed Al-Khalifa
  • Readout from EXIM Chairman Kimberly Reed’s Meeting with His Excellency Dr. Fuad Hussain, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of the Republic of Iraq

Department of Energy

  • Press Release: Energy Department Awards $2 Million to American-Made Solar Prize Competitors

Department of Interior

  • Press Release: Trump Administration Disburses More than $8 Billion from 2020 Energy Production
  • Press Release: U.S. Senate Confirms Lanny Erdos as Director of the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement

Department of Transportation

  • Press Release: DOT Fines Aerolíneas Argentinas for Violating Tarmac Delay Rule

Department of Labor

  • Press Release: U.S. Department of Labor Applauds the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Customs and Border Protection’s Action on Forced Labor in China
  • Press Release: U.S. Department of Labor Reaches Agreement with Baker & Taylor to Resolve Allegations of Hiring Discrimination Found at Illinois Facility
  • Press Release: U.S. Department of Labor’s OSHA Announces $3,403,139 In Coronavirus Violations
  • Statement by U.S. Secretary of Labor Eugene Scalia on the November Jobs Report

Department of Education

  • Press Release: Secretary DeVos Extends Student Loan Forbearance Period Through January 31, 2021, in Response to COVID-19 National Emergency
  • Press Release: U.S. Department of Education Announces Major Settlement with Temple University for Fox School of Business Falsifying U.S. News & World Report Business School Rankings

Health & Human Services (HHS)

  • Press Release: HHS Announces False Claims Act Working Group to Enhance Efforts to Combat Fraud and Focus Resources on Bad Actors
  • Statement from Brian Harrison on HHS Chief of Staff’s Taxpayer Accountability Board

Food & Drug Administration (FDA)

  • Press Release: FDA Authorizes First COVID-19 and Flu Combination Test for use with home-collected samples
  • Press Release: Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update | December 4, 2020

US Government (USG) COVID-19 Webpages

Non-USG COVID Webpages

Johns Hopkins University & Medicine