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*

8:30 a.m. EDT – THE PRESIDENT receives the President’s Daily Brief

9:15 a.m. EDT – THE PRESIDENT meets with his national security team to hear intelligence, security, and diplomatic updates on the evolving situation in Afghanistan | Situation Room

11:30 a.m. EDT – THE PRESIDENT participates in a bilateral meeting with His Excellency Naftali Bennett, Prime Minister of the State of Israel | Oval Office

11:55 a.m. EDT – THE PRESIDENT will participate in an expanded bilateral meeting with His Excellency Naftali Bennett, Prime Minister of the State of Israel | Oval Office

3:00 p.m. EDT – THE PRESIDENT meets virtually with a bipartisan group of Governors from across the country who have raised their hands to temporarily house or help resettle vulnerable Afghans and welcome them to their new communities | South Court Auditorium

Upcoming White House Visit:

  • August 30:  Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy

VPOTUS’ Schedule*

The Vice President is concluding her overseas trip with a stop in Vietnam.

White House Press Briefing Schedule*

10:30 a.m. EDT – Press Briefing by White House COVID-19 Response Team and public health officials | James S. Brady Press Briefing Room

12:00 p.m. EDT – Press Briefing by Press Secretary Jen Psaki | James S. Brady Press Briefing Room

*The US President (POTUS) and Vice President’s (VPOTUS) daily schedules are subject to change, as is the White House press briefing schedule.

Recap of Wednesday, August 25, 2021

Note: Bold hyperlinks spotlight COVID-19 developments.

The White House

  • Remarks by President Biden on Collectively Improving the Nation’s Cybersecurity
  • Fact Sheet: Biden Administration and Private Sector Leaders Announce Ambitious Initiatives to Bolster the Nation’s Cybersecurity
  • Transcript: Background Press Call by Senior Administration Officials on the President’s Upcoming Cybersecurity Meeting
  • Fact Sheet: Strengthening the U.S.-Vietnam Comprehensive Partnership
  • Transcript: Background Press Call by Senior Administration Officials on President Biden’s Official Working Visit with Prime Minister Bennett of the State of Israel
  • Transcript: Press Briefing by Press Secretary Jen Psaki, August 25, 2021
  • Bills Signed into Law:
    • H.R. 1448, the “Puppies Assisting Wounded Servicemembers for Veterans Therapy Act” or the “PAWS for Veterans Therapy Act,” which requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to carry out a pilot program on dog training therapy and authorizes the VA to provide service dogs to certain qualifying veterans; and
    • H.R. 3642, the “Harlem Hellfighters Congressional Gold Medal Act,” which provides for the award of a Congressional Gold Medal to the 369th Infantry Regiment, commonly known as the “Harlem Hellfighters,” in recognition of their bravery and outstanding service during World War I.
  • Appointment: President Biden Announces Elizabeth M. Allen as Assistant Secretary of State for Global Public Affairs
  • Nominations: President Biden Announces His Intent to Nominate Two Leaders in U.S. Foreign Policy and Aid (US AMB to Luxembourg; USAID)
  • Fact Sheet: Biden Administration Takes Additional Steps to Prevent Evictions as the Delivery of Emergency Rental Assistance Continues to Increase

Department of Defense (DOD)

  • Transcript: Tod D. Wolters, Commander, U.S. European Command and NATO’s Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR) and Pentagon Press Secretary John F. Kirby Press Briefing (re: AFG)
  • Article: EUCOM Ready for 25,000 Afghan Evacuees at a Time
  • Article: With Afghanistan Evacuation, It’s Lives Over Equipment … Period, DOD Spokesman Says
  • Readout of Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III’s Meeting With Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett
  • Remarks: Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III Welcomes Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett to the Pentagon
  • Press Release: DOD Awards $14.7 Million Contract to SteriPack to Establish Domestic Production Capability of ExpressCollect (Swab-in-Tube) Collection Devices
  • Transcript: Pentagon Press Secretary John F. Kirby and Major General Hank Taylor, Deputy Director of the Joint Staff for Regional Operations Press Briefing (re: Haiti, AFG, mandatory COVID-19 vaccines, etc.
  • Article: DOD Continues Providing Humanitarian Assistance to Haiti
  • Article: Secretary of Defense Mandates COVID-19 Vaccinations for Service Members
  • Press Release: Secretary of Defense Austin Issues Guidance for Mandatory Coronavirus Disease 2019 Vaccination of Department of Defense Service Members
  • Publication: COVID-19 Travel Restrictions Installation Status Update, August 25, 2021
  • Publication: Memorandum for Mandatory Coronavirus Disease 2019 Vaccination of Department of Defense Service Members
  • Contracts for August 25, 2021

Department of State

  • Daily Schedule | Thursday, August 26
  • August 25: Remarks | Secretary Antony J. Blinken on Afghanistan
  • August 25: Readout | Secretary Blinken’s Meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Bennett
  • August 25: Readout | Deputy Secretary Sherman’s Meeting with Omani Deputy Foreign Minister Sheikh Al Harthy
  • August 25: Statement | Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations Announces Renewal of Charter for Industry Advisory Group
  • August 25: Statement | Annual GDI-OBO Resilience Innovation Grant Winners Announced
  • August 25: Statement | Uruguay Independence Day

US Agency for International Development (USAID)

  • Press Release: Vice President Kamala Harris Announces New USAID Assistance in Vietnam

US Mission to the United Nations (UN)

  • Remarks by Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield at a UN Security Council Briefing on Iraq

Department of the Treasury

  • Press Release: Treasury Announces Seven Additional Policies to Encourage State and Local Governments to Expedite Emergency Rental Assistance

Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC)

  • Press Release: Chair Gensler Announces Addition of Barbara Roper to Senior Staff
  • Press Release: SEC Charges Former CEO of Technology Company With $80 Million Fraud
  • Press Release: SEC Obtains Emergency Relief, Charges Investment Adviser and Its Principal with Operating $110 Million Ponzi Scheme

Department of Justice

  • Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) | Daily Press Releases
  • Press Release: Multiple Defendants in ‘Grandparent Scam’ Network Indicted for Racketeering Conspiracy
  • Press Release: Justice Department Settles with Large Health Care Organization to Resolve Software-Based Immigration-Related Discrimination Claims
  • Press Release: Mississippi Pharmacist and Louisiana Marketer Plead Guilty to More Than $180 Million Health Care Fraud Scheme
  • Press Release: Justice Department Obtains Settlement from Kentucky Landlord and Rental Manager to Resolve Claims of Sexual Harassment Against Female Tenants
  • Press Release: Tennessee Man Charged with Civil Rights Violations for Series of Church Arsons

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

  • Press Release: Air and Marine Operations P-3 crews and partners seize nearly nine tons of cocaine over three events (Washington, D.C.)
  • Press Release: Another Dangerous Tactic Involving Human Smuggling Stopped by Laredo Sector Border Patrol Agents (Texas)
  • Press Release: CBP Officers Seize over $16 Million in Methamphetamine at Pharr International Bridge (Texas)
  • Press Release: CBP, Law Enforcement Assist 42 Haitian Migrants after Landing in Key Biscayne (Florida)
  • Press Release: Convicted Child Molester Arrested After Illegally Entering the U.S. (California)
  • Press Release: Human Smugglers Continue to Use Increasingly Dangerous Tactics (Texas)
  • Press Release: Laredo Sector Border Patrol Arrests Convicted Sex Offender (Texas)
  • Press Release: Baltimore CBP Officers Seize 550 Non-Compliant Tires from Malaysia (Maryland)

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)

  • Press Release: FEMA Fire Management Assistance Granted for the French Fire (California)
  • Press Release: President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. Signs Major Declaration for California
  • Press Release: Tennessee Storm Survivors and Communities in Three Additional Counties Can Now Apply for FEMA Assistance
  • Press Release: FEMA Approves Multi-million Dollar Allocation for Sports and Cultural Facilities (Puerto Rico)

Office of the US Trade Representative (USTR)

  • Readout of Ambassador Katherine Tai’s Virtual Meeting with Ethiopia’s Senior Policy Advisor and Chief Trade Negotiator Mamo Mihretu

Department of Commerce

  • Press Release: U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina M. Raimondo Joins White House Cybersecurity Summit

Federal Communications Commission (FCC)

  • Press Release: FCC Retains Industry Traceback Group for Robocall Consortium
  • Press Release: FCC Announces Over $5 Billion in Emergency Connectivity Fund Requests

Department of Agriculture (USDA)

Department of Energy (DOE)

  • Press Release: U.S. Department of Energy Announces $54 Million to Increase Energy Efficiency in Microelectronics Technologies

Department of Labor

  • Press Release: U.S. Department of Labor finds wage violations at northeast Louisiana drug and alcohol recovery center, recovers $23K in back wages for six workers
  • Press Release: Maryland subcontractor pays $531K in back wages to 45 ironworkers after U.S. Department of Labor investigation
  • Press Release: U.S. Department of Labor finds Tinton Falls transitional housing facility exposed workers to coronavirus hazards; 11 workers test positive
  • Press Release: U.S. Department of Labor cites Marietta manufacturer for exposing workers willfully to preventable fall hazards that led to employee’s death
  • Press Release: U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of the Solicitor welcomes applications from graduating law students, recent graduates to join Honors Program
  • Press Release: U.S. Department of Labor awards $22M in grants for training, employment services to workers displaced by pandemic’s impacts

Department of Education

  • Press Release: Extended Closed School Discharge Will Provide 115K Borrowers from ITT Technical Institute More Than $1.1B in Loan Forgiveness | August 26, 2021

Health & Human Services (HHS)

  • Press Release: HHS Expands Advisory Group to Find Inventive Approaches to Counter Rising Tick-Borne Illnesses
  • Statements by HHS Secretary Becerra, Dr. Levine, CMS Administrator Brooks-LaSure Celebrating Women’s Equality Day on August 26, 2021