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*

TBD:  THE PRESIDENT receives the President’s Daily Brief | Camp David, Maryland

1:00 p.m. EDT – THE PRESIDENT arrives at the White House

3:45 p.m. EDT – THE PRESIDENT delivers remarks on Afghanistan | East Room

Note:  The President is slated for a two-week vacation schedule, that is subject to interruptions, such as today.

Upcoming White House Visit:

  • August 30:  Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy

VPOTUS’ Schedule*

The White House had yet to release the Vice President’s schedule for Monday.

Looking Ahead: The Vice President is slated to travel to Singapore and Vietnam this month (dates yet-to-be-announced) to strengthen relationships and expand economic cooperation with two critical Indo-Pacific partners of the United States.

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

Recap of Friday-Sunday, August 13-15, 2021

Note: Bold hyperlinks spotlight COVID-19 developments.

The White House

  • Statement by President Joe Biden on Afghanistan | August 14, 2021
  • Statement by President Joe Biden on Haiti | August 14, 2021
  • Statement by President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. Celebrating the Republic of India’s Independence Day | August 14, 2021
  • Readout from NSC Spokesperson Emily Horne on Senior Administration Officials Travel to Tunisia | August 13, 2021
  • Fact Sheet: How President Biden’s Build Back Better Agenda Helps Rural Communities | August 13, 2021
  • Fact Sheet: President Biden’s Build Back Better Agenda Will Deliver Historic Investments in American Families and Communities | August 13, 2021
  • Fact Sheet: How President Biden’s Build Back Better Agenda Helps Black Communities | August 13, 2021
  • Fact Sheet: How President Biden’s Build Back Better Agenda Helps Latino Communities | August 13, 2021
  • Fact Sheet: How President Biden’s Build Back Better Agenda Helps Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Communities
  • Statement by Press Secretary Jen Psaki on Eviction Moratorium | August 13, 2021
  • Fact Sheet: Biden Administration Takes Steps to Address COVID-⁠19 in Rural America and Build Rural Health Back Better
  • Proclamation on National Employer Support Of The Guard And Reserve Week, 2021
  • Appointments: President Biden Appoints Members to U.S. AbilityOne Commission
  • Disaster Declaration: President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. Approves Montana Disaster Declaration

Department of Defense (DOD)

  • Joint Statement from the Department of State and Department of Defense: Update on Afghanistan | August 15, 2021
  • Readout of Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III’s Phone Call With Canadian Minister of National Defense Harjit S. Sajjan (re: AFG, NORAD Modernization) | August 15, 2021
  • Article: Troops En Route to Afghanistan Aim to Help Remove Civilians, Pentagon Official Says | August 13, 2021
  • Transcript: Pentagon Press Secretary John F. Kirby Holds a Press Briefing | August 13, 2021
  • Contracts for August 13, 2021

Department of State

Afghanistan (AFG):

  • August 15: Joint Statement | Department of State and Department of Defense: Update on Afghanistan
  • August 15: Statement | Joint Statement on Afghanistan (Multiple countries)
  • August 15: Readout | Secretary Blinken’s Calls with Counterparts on Afghanistan
  • August 15: Interview | Secretary Antony J. Blinken with Jake Tapper of State of the Union on CNN (re: AFG)
  • August 15: Interview | Secretary Antony J. Blinken with Jonathan Karl of This Week with George Stephanopoulos on ABC (re: AFG)
  • August 15: Interview | Secretary Antony J. Blinken with Chuck Todd of Meet the Press on NBC (re: AFG)
  • August 14: Readout | Secretary Blinken’s Call with Canadian Foreign Minister Garneau (re: AFG)
  • August 14: Readout | Secretary Blinken’s Call with Afghanistan High Council for National Reconciliation Chair Abdullah Abdullah
  • August 14: Readout | Secretary Blinken’s Call with Afghan President Ghani
  • August 13: Readout | Secretary Blinken’s Call with Kazakhstani Foreign Minister Tileuberdi (re: AFG)

Other Developments:

  • August 15: Readout | Deputy Secretary Sherman’s Call with Haitian Prime Minister Henry
  • August 14: Readout | Deputy Secretary Sherman’s Call with Lithuanian Foreign Minister Landsbergis (re: NATO, PRC, Belarus)
  • August 14: Joint Statement on Venezuela Negotiations (EU, CAN)
  • August 13: Sanctions | Sanctioning Cuban Officials in Response to Violence against Peaceful Protestors
  • August 13: Sanctions | The United States Designates an Oil Broker Network Supporting Qods Force
  • August 15: Statement | Republic of the Congo National Day
  • August 15: Statement | Liechtenstein National Day
  • August 14: Statement | Indian Independence Day
  • August 13: Statement | Pakistan Independence Day
  • August 13: Statement | Republic of Korea’s National Day

US Agency for International Development (USAID)

  • Readout: USAID Administrator Samantha Power’s Call with Prime Minister of Haiti | August 14, 2021
  • Press Release: SAID Deploying Urban Search and Rescue Members to Haiti to Join USAID’s Disaster Assistance Response Team | August 15, 2021
  • Press Release: USAID Deploys a Disaster Assistance Response Team to Respond to Haiti Earthquake | August 14, 2021
  • Readout: Principal Advisor to the Administrator Mark Feierstein’s Meeting with World Health Organization Regional Director for Europe Dr. Hans Kluge | August 13, 2021

Department of the Treasury

  • Sanctions: Treasury Targets Oil Broker Network Supporting Qods Force
  • Sanctions: Treasury Sanctions Cuban Ministry of Interior Officials and Military Unit in Response to Violence Against Peaceful Demonstrators
  • Sanctions List Update: Counter Terrorism Designations; Global Magnitsky Designations; Iran-related Designation
  • Press Release: Treasury and IRS Disburse Second Month of Advance Child Tax Credit Payments

Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC)

  • Press Release: SEC Obtains Emergency Relief, Charges Two Florida Companies and their Principal Officer with Operating a Ponzi Scheme
  • Press Release: SEC Obtains Court Order to Stop Investment Adviser’s Alleged Ongoing Offering Fraud

Department of Justice

  • Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) | Daily Press Releases
  • Press Release: Justice Department Settles with Iowa-Based Nursing Home and Management Company to Resolve Immigration-Related Discrimination Claim

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

  • Press Release: DHS Issues New National Terrorism Advisory System (NTAS) Bulletin
  • Press Release: Disparan contra Agentes de la Patrulla Fronteriza desde México [Spanish version only available; rough translation:  Border Patrol Agents Fired on from Mexico] (California)
  • Press Release: CBP Officers Seize over $2 Million in Cocaine at Pharr International Bridge (Texas)
  • Press Release: Memphis Seizes Hundreds of Counterfeit COVID-19 Vaccination Cards EVERY NIGHT (Tennessee)

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)

  • Press Release: FEMA Authorizes Funds to Fight Utah’s Parleys Canyon Fire
  • Press Release: FEMA Authorizes Funds to Fight Bedrock Fire in Idaho
  • Press Release: FEMA’s COVID-19 Funeral Assistance Tops $1 Billion

Office of the US Trade Representative (USTR)

  • Readout of Ambassador Tai and Secretary Vilsack’s Virtual Meeting with the Agricultural Policy Advisory Committee and the Agricultural Technical Advisory Committees
  • Readout of Ambassador Katherine Tai’s Virtual Meeting with International Labor Organization (ILO) Director General (DG) Guy Ryder

Department of Commerce

  • Blog: Trade at the Local Level | 2020 Metropolitan Export Data Now Available
  • Blog: Department of Commerce’s NTIA Now Accepting Applications for $268 Million Connecting Minority Communities Pilot Program

US International Trade Commission (USITC)

  • Press Release: USITC Votes to Continue Investigations Concerning Urea Ammonium Nitrate Solutions from Russia and Trinidad and Tobago
  • Press Release: USITC Votes to Continue Investigations Concerning Acrylonitrile-Butadiene Rubber (NBR) from France, Korea, and Mexico
  • Press Release: USITC Institutes Section 337 Investigation of Certain Light-Based Physiological Measurement Devices and Components Thereof

US Export-Import Bank (EXIM)

  • Press Release: EXIM Approves $97.2 Million Working Capital Guarantee Facility to Support Embraer Executive Aircraft Exports Manufactured in Melbourne, Florida

Department of Energy (DOE)

  • Press Release: DOE Announces Nearly $83 Million to Increase Building Energy Efficiency and Cut Consumers’ Energy Bills

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC)

  • Press Release: FERC Staff Issues Environmental Assessment for the Mountain Valley Pipeline Amendment Project (Docket No. CP21-57-000) (Virginia to West Virginia)

Department of Interior (DOI)

  • Press Release: Secretary Haaland Highlights Conservation Investments in Visit to Yellowstone National Park

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

  • Link:  Other Daily EPA Press Releases
  • Press Release: EPA Methane Challenge Partners Lead in Efficiency and Emission Reductions
  • Press Release: EPA Announces Kerry E. O’Neill to Chair Environmental Financial Advisory Board

Department of Labor

  • Press Release: U.S. Department of Labor partners with Dimeo Construction, Connecticut OSHA, New Haven Building Trades to promote workplace safety

Health & Human Services (HHS)

  • Statement from Secretary Becerra on LIHEAP’s 40th Anniversary (re: Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program)
  • Press Release: Biden-Harris Administration Provides $20 Million to Support Native Hawaiian Health Care

Food & Drug Administration (FDA)