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.

11:00 a.m. EST – The President addresses a rally | The Ellipse

VPOTUS’ Schedule*

1:00 p.m. EST – THE VICE PRESIDENT presides over a Joint Session of Congress to Count Electoral Votes | U.S. Capitol

Recap of Tuesday, January 5, 2021

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

The White House

  • Executive Order Addressing the Threat Posed By Applications and Other Software Developed or Controlled By Chinese Companies
  • Statement from National Security Advisor Robert C. O’Brien on the Executive Order Addressing Chinese Software Applications
  • Message to the Congress on Addressing the Threat Posed By Applications and Other Software Developed or Controlled By Chinese Companies
  • Presidential Memorandum on Inadmissibility of Persons Affiliated with Antifa Based on Organized Criminal Activity
  • Statement from the Press Secretary (re: Antifa)
  • Statement from National Security Advisor Robert C. O’Brien Regarding the National Maritime Cybersecurity Plan
  • Article:  President Trump’s Bold Vision Will Help Conserve, Manage, and Explore America’s Oceans
  • Grant Announcement:  President Donald J. Trump Announces Additional Support for the People of Puerto Rico as They Continue to Rebuild Following Natural Disasters (re: infrastructure/FEMA grant)
  • Disaster Declarations:  President Donald J. Trump Approves Tennessee Emergency Declaration
  • Bills Signed into Law:
    • R. 4356, the “Protecting Families of Fallen Servicemembers Act,” which expands Servicemembers Civil Relief Act protections to certain individuals for termination of contracts for telephone, multichannel video programming, or internet access service, and for other purposes
    • R. 6192, the “1921 Silver Dollar Coin Anniversary Act,” which requires the Department of the Treasury to mint and issue coins in honor of the 100th anniversary of the completion of coinage of the Morgan dollar and the 100th anniversary of the commencement of coinage of the Peace dollar;
    • R. 6435, the “Combating Pandemic Scams Act of 2020,” which requires the Federal Trade Commission to develop and disseminate information to the public regarding scams related to the COVID-19 pandemic; and
    • R. 8354, the “Servicemembers and Veterans Initiative Act of 2020,” which establishes the Servicemembers and Veterans Initiative within the Civil Rights Division of the Justice Department.
  • Bills Signed into Law:
    • R. 1240, the “Young Fishermen’s Development Act,” which requires the Commerce Department to establish the Young Fishermen’s Development Grant Program to provide training, education, outreach, and technical assistance initiatives for young fishermen;
    • R. 1503, the “Orange Book Transparency Act of 2020,” which amends the types of patents and exclusivity-related information for approved drugs listed in a publication of the Food and Drug Administration;
    • R. 1966, the “Henrietta Lacks Enhancing Cancer Research Act of 2019,” which requires GAO to complete a study on barriers to participation in Federally funded cancer clinical trials by populations that have been traditionally underrepresented in such trials;
    • R. 2468, the “School-Based Allergies and Asthma Management Program Act,” which increases the preference given, in awarding allergy and asthma-related grants, to States that require public schools to have allergy and asthma management programs;
    • R. 3976, which designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 12711 East Jefferson Avenue in Detroit, Michigan, as the Aretha Franklin Post Office Building;
    • R. 4031, the “Great Lakes Restoration Initiative Act of 2019 or the GLRI Act of 2019,” which reauthorizes the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative through FY 2026;
    • R. 4983, which designates the Department of Veterans Affairs community-based outpatient clinic in Gilbert, Arizona, as the Staff Sergeant Alexander W. Conrad Veterans Affairs Health Care Clinic;
    • R. 4988, which designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 14 Walnut Street in Bordentown, New Jersey, as the Clara Barton Post Office Building;
    • R. 5023, which designates the Department of Veterans Affairs community-based outpatient clinic in Youngstown, Ohio, as the Carl Nunziato VA Clinic;
    • R. 5123, which designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 476 East Main Street in Galesburg, Illinois, as the Senior Airman Daniel Miller Post Office Building;
    • R. 5273, the “Securing America’s Ports Act,” which requires the Department of Homeland Security to develop a plan for increasing to one hundred percent the rate of scanning of commercial and passenger vehicles and freight rail traffic entering the United States using large-scale non-intrusive inspection systems;
    • R. 5451, which designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 599 East Genesee Street in Fayetteville, New York, as the George H. Bacel Post Office Building;
    • R. 5458, the “Rocky Mountain National Park Boundary Modification Act,” which authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to acquire, by donation, an approximately 40-acre parcel of non-Federal land for inclusion within the boundary of the Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado;
    • R. 5459, the “Rocky Mountain National Park Ownership Correction Act,” which authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to exchange a small parcel of Federal land for an equal sized parcel of private land to correct a land ownership error within the boundary of the Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado;
    • R. 5597, which designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 305 Northwest 5th Street in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, as the Clara Luper Post Office Building;
    • R. 5663, the “Safeguarding Therapeutics Act,” which extends certain import refusal and destruction authorities to medical devices;
    • R. 5852, the “Weir Farm National Historical Park Redesignation Act,” which redesignates the Weir Farm National Historic Site in Connecticut as the Weir Farm National Historical Park;
    • R. 5972, which designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 500 Delaware Avenue, Suite 1, in Wilmington, Delaware, as the Mary Ann Shadd Cary Post Office;
    • R. 5983, which designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 4150 Chicago Avenue in Riverside, California, as the Woodie Rucker-Hughes Post Office Building;
    • R. 6016, which designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 14955 West Bell Road in Surprise, Arizona, as the Marc Lee Memorial Post Office Building;
    • R. 6100, the “Strengthening the Opposition to Female Genital Mutilation Act of 2020 or the STOP FGM Act of 2020,” which increases criminal penalties for performing a female genital mutilation on a minor and expands the scope of punishable offenses;
    • R. 6161, which designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 1585 Yanceyville Street, Greensboro, North Carolina, as the J. Howard Coble Post Office Building;
    • R. 6237, the “Proper and Reimbursed Care for Native Veterans Act” or the “PRC for Native Veterans Act,” which clarify the requirement of the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of Defense to reimburse the Indian Health Service for certain services;
    • R. 6418, which designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 509 Fairhope Avenue in Fairhope, Alabama, as the William “Jack” Jackson Edwards III Post Office Building;
    • R. 6535, which deems urban Indian organizations and their employees to be a part of the Public Health Service for purposes of liability protection under the Federal Tort Claims Act;
    • R. 7088, which designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 111 James Street in Reidsville, Georgia, as the Senator Jack Hill Post Office Building;
    • R. 7105, the “Johnny Isakson and David P. Roe, M.D. Veterans Health Care and Benefits Improvement Act of 2020,” which amends a number of VA authorities related to medical care; housing and homelessness; general benefits; education benefits; training programs; financial protections; addressing the particular needs of women veterans; military sexual trauma; memorials affairs; and extending the sunset dates of certain time-limited authorities;
    • R. 7259, the “Patents for Humanity Program Improvement Act,” which authorizes the holder of an acceleration certificate awarded under the Patents for Humanity program to transfer the certificate to another party;
    • R. 7347, which designates the medical center of the Department of Veterans Affairs in Ann Arbor, Michigan, as the Lieutenant Colonel Charles S. Kettles Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center;
    • R. 7460, the “Peace Corps Commemorative Work Extension Act,” which extends the authority of the Peace Corps Commemorative Foundation to establish a commemorative work on Federal lands in the District of Colombia to commemorate the mission of the Peace Corps and the ideals on which the Peace Corps was founded;
    • R. 7502, which designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 101 South 16th Street in Clarinda, Iowa, as the Jessie Field Shambaugh Post Office Building;
    • R. 7810, which designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 3519 East Walnut Street in Pearland, Texas, as the Tom Reid Post Office Building;
    • R. 7898, which establishes the National Landslide Hazards Reduction Program and the 3D Elevation Program within the Department of the Interior;
    • R. 8611, which designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 4755 Southeast Dixie Highway in Port Salerno, Florida, as the Joseph Bullock Post Office Building;
    • R. 8810, the “National Landslide Preparedness Act,” which establishes the National Landslide Hazards Reduction Program and the 3D Elevation Program within the Department of the Interior; and
    • R. 8906, the “Lifespan Respite Care Reauthorization Act of 2020,” which reauthorizes the Lifespan Respite Care Program through fiscal year (FY) 2024.

Department of Defense (DOD)

  • Statement by Acting Secretary of Defense Christopher Miller on Operation Warp Speed Vaccine Doses Delivered Today
  • Article:  Ramstein Airmen Receive Initial COVID-19 Vaccine
  • Article:  Medical Center Provides COVID-19 Vaccine Program Update
  • Press Release:  DOD and Mongolia Ministry of Defense Conduct 17th Annual Bilateral Consultative Council
  • Article:  DOD’s Inaugural Foray Into 5G Experimentation on Track
  • Article:  Space Force Senior Enlisted Advisor Talks Future of Enlisted Force
  • Contracts for January 5, 2021

Department of State

  • Daily Schedule | Wednesday, January 6
  • January 5:  Statement | The United States Welcomes the Breakthrough To Restore Gulf and Arab Unity
  • January 5:  Statement | The United States Continues To Recognize Interim President Guaidó and the Last Democratically Elected National Assembly in Venezuela
  • January 5:  Advisory | Travel of Special Envoy for the Sahel Region Ambassador J. Peter Pham to Ghana
  • January 5:  Statement | Sanctioning Companies Supporting Iran’s Metal Industry
  • January 5:  Interview | Secretary Michael R. Pompeo With David Rubenstein of Bloomberg News
  • January 5:  Interview | Secretary Michael R. Pompeo With Jan Jekielek of The Epoch Times’ American Thought Leaders Program

US Mission to the United Nations (UN)

  • Remarks at a UN Security Council Briefing on Chemical Weapons in Syria (via VTC)

Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI)

  • Joint Statement by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI), and the National Security Agency (NSA)

Department of the Treasury

  • Sanctions:  Treasury Sanctions Key Actors in Iran’s Steel Sector
  • Publication of CAATSA Frequently Asked Questions

Department of Justice

  • Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) | Daily Press Releases
  • Statement Regarding Federal Civil Rights Investigation Into Shooting of Jacob Blake
  • Press Release:  U.S. Government Collects $7 Million in Iranian Assets for Victims of Terrorism Fund
  • Press Release:  Michigan Restaurant and Strip Club Owner Sentenced to Two Years in Prison for Tax Crimes

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

  • Statement From Acting Secretary Wolf on The Completion of 450 Miles of Border New Wall System
  • Press Release:  Acting Secretary Wolf Signs Joint Declaration on Border Security Cooperation with Cypriot Foreign Affairs Minister Christodoulides
  • Joint Statement by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI), and the National Security Agency (NSA) – (re: Russia likely responsible for SolarWind/USG cyber-attack)
  • Press Release:  USBP Arrests Convicted Sex Offender (California)
  • Press Release:  Yuma Sector’s more than 107 miles of new border wall complete (Arizona)
  • Press Release:  Brownsville CBP Officers Seize $217K in Methamphetamine at Gateway International Bridge (Texas)
  • Press Release:  CBP Field Operations Detects Nearly $3 Million in Hard Narcotics, Seizes Over $188K in Unreported Currency at Hidalgo International Bridge (Texas)
  • Press Release:  Shots Fired at Border Patrol Agents During Vehicle Pursuit (Texas)
  • Press Release:  14,504 Fake ID Items Seized by Cincinnati CBP in 2020 (Ohio)
  • Press Release:  CBP Newark Kicks Off New Year Seizing Prohibited Bush Meat (New Jersey)
  • Press Release:  Seized Products Violating IPR Laws Reach New Statistical Highs in Puerto Rico and USVI (Puerto Rico)

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)

  • Press Release:  FEMA Modifies Order on Scarce Health and Medical Resources Exports (Washington, D.C.)
  • Press Release:  FEMA Announces Reinsurance Program to Manage Future Flood Risk in 2021 (Washington, D.C.)
  • Press Release:  President Donald J. Trump Approves Emergency Declaration for Tennessee
  • Press Release:  FEMA approves $13.5 million for Hurricane Michael Recovery (Florida)

Department of Commerce

  • Statement from U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross on President Trump’s Executive Order: “Addressing the Threat Posed by Applications and other Software Developed or Controlled by Chinese Companies”

US International Trade Commission (USITC)

  • Press Release:  4th Tier Cigarettes from Korea Do Not Injure U.S. Industry, Says USITC

US Export-Import Bank (EXIM)

  • Readout from EXIM Chairman Kimberly Reed Meeting with Credit Oman’s CEO Khalil Al-Harthy
  • Press Release:  The Export-Import Bank of the United States and the Foreign Ministry of Oman Agree to a Memorandum of Understanding to Promote U.S. Business Development Opportunities That Will Bring In-Country Value to Oman and Jobs to Both Nations

Department of Energy

Department of Labor

  • Press Release:  U.S. Department of Labor Issues Guidance on Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation and Mixed Earner Unemployment Compensation
  • Press Release:  Court Sentences Former United Industrial and Service Workers Union President After U.S. Department of Labor Embezzlement Investigation
  • Press Release:  U.S. Department of Labor Investigation Finds Kentucky Landscaping Contractor Violated Requirements of Guest Worker Visa Program

Department of Education

  • Press Release:  Secretary DeVos Quickly Makes Available an Additional $54 Billion in COVID Relief Aid for K-12 Students, Teachers, and Schools

Food & Drug Administration (FDA)

  • Press Release:  Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update | January 5, 2021

US Government (USG) COVID-19 Webpages

Non-USG COVID Webpages

Johns Hopkins University & Medicine