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*

10:30 a.m. EST – THE PRESIDENT meets with his Supply Chain Disruptions Task Force and private sector CEOs to receive another progress update on getting goods moving, keeping shelves stocked, and lowering prices for Americans | South Court Auditorium

VPOTUS’ Schedule*

5:25 p.m. EST – THE VICE PRESIDENT and SECOND GENTLEMAN will depart Washington, D.C., en route Los Angeles, California

White House Press Briefing Schedule*

12:30 p.m. EST – Press Briefing by Press Secretary Jen Psaki | James S. Brady Press Briefing Room

3:00 p.m. EST – Press Briefing by White House COVID-19 Response Team and public health officials | 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 Tuesday, December 21, 2021

Note: Bold hyperlinks spotlight COVID-19 developments.

The White House

December 22, 2021

  • Fact Sheet: Biden-⁠Harris Administration Efforts to Tackle Prices for Americans
  • Statement by President Biden on 4.6 Million Americans Gaining Health Insurance This Year
  • Disaster Declaration: President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. Approves Disaster Declaration for the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation
  • Proclamation on the 50th Anniversary Of The National Cancer Act Of 1971

December 21, 2021

  • Remarks by President Biden on the Fight Against COVID-⁠19
  • Fact Sheet: President Biden Announces New Actions to Protect Americans and Help Communities and Hospitals Battle Omicron
  • Transcript: Background Press Call Previewing the President’s Speech on the Country’s Fight Against COVID-⁠19
  • Memorandum on the Presidential Determination Pursuant to Section 303 of the Defense Production Act of 1950, as amended (re: defense supply chains | Virginia Class submarines)
  • Memorandum for the Secretary of Defense on Presidential Determination Pursuant to Section 303 of the Defense Production Act of 1950, as amended (re: defense supply chains | radiation-hardened and strategic radiation-hardened microelectronics)
  • Memorandum on the Presidential Determination with Respect to the Efforts of Foreign Governments Regarding Trafficking in Persons
  • Memorandum on the Delegation of Authority Under Sections 110 (c) and (d) (4) of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000
  • Bills Signed into Law: H.R. 390, H.R. 4660, and H.R. 5545
  • Transcript: Press Briefing by Press Secretary Jen Psaki, December 21, 2021
  • Transcript: Background Press Call By Senior Admin Officials On National Security Advisor Sullivan’s Upcoming Travel To The State Of Israel And The West Bank
  • Disaster Declaration: President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. Approves Alabama Disaster Declaration
  • Statement by NSC Spokesperson Emily Horne on the 33rd Anniversary of the Bombing of Pan Am Flight 103

Department of Defense (DOD)

  • Transcript: Pentagon Press Secretary John F. Kirby Holds an Off-Camera Press Briefing
  • Article: Service Members Must Be Vaccinated or Face Consequences, DOD Official Says
  • Article: DOD Personnel, Families Can Renew Passports Online
  • Article: Sports Heroes Who Served | One of Basketball’s Greatest Also Served in the Army
  • Contracts for December 21, 2021

Department of State

Europe

  • December 21: Readout | Secretary Blinken’s Call with Lithuanian Prime Minister Simonyte
  • December 21: Readout | U.S.-Dutch Cyber Dialogue Meets in Washington, D.C.

COVID-19

  • December 21: Readout | Secretary Blinken’s Virtual Meeting with Foreign Ministers Regarding the Omicron Variant
  • December 21: Statement | Supporting Multilateral Responses to the COVID-19 Crisis
  • December 21: Fact Sheet | Announcement of ARPA – International Organizations and Programs (IO&P) Funds

Other Department Developments

  • December 21: Transcript | Secretary Antony J. Blinken at a Press Availability (re: COVID-19; Afghanistan; Russia/Ukraine/NATO; Indo-Pacific; Administration’s domestic policy renewal vs. foreign policy; Iran/JCPOA)
  • December 21: Statement | Secretary Blinken’s Visit of Johns Hopkins Anomalous Health Incident Medical Care Operations
  • December 21: Remarks | Secretary Antony J. Blinken at the Toys for Tots Ceremony

US Agency for International Development (USAID)

  • Readout: Administrator Samantha Power’s Meeting with Suzuki Takako, Japanese State Minister of Foreign Affairs
  • Press Release: USAID Providing Humanitarian Assistance in Response to Devastating Super Typhoon Rai in the Philippines

US Mission to the United Nations (UN)

  • Remarks at a UN Security Council Briefing on the Situation in the Middle East
  • Explanation of Vote following the UN Security Council Mandate Renewal of the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM)

Department of the Treasury

Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC)

  • Press Release: Nikola Corporation to Pay $125 Million to Resolve Fraud Charges
  • Press Release: William Birdthistle Named Director of Division of Investment Management

Department of Justice

  • Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) | Daily Press Releases
  • Statement by Attorney General Merrick B. Garland
  • Speech: Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco Delivers Remarks at the 33rd Pan Am 103 Memorial Service
  • Press Release: Harvard University Professor Convicted of Making False Statements and Tax Offenses
  • Press Release: NatWest Markets Pleads Guilty to Fraud in U.S. Treasury Markets
  • Press Release: Operators of Three Texas Pharmacies and Two Pain Clinics Arrested for Illegally Dispensing Nearly Four Million Opioid Pills
  • Press Release: North Carolina Business Owner Pleads Guilty to Filing False Tax Return
  • Press Release: Justice Department Finds that Manson Youth Institution Violates the U.S. Constitution and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
  • Press Release: Justice Department Alleges That Chicopee, Massachusetts, Housing Authority and its Executive Director Discriminated Against Tenants on the Basis of Race, National Origin and Disability

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

  • Press Release: ICE Announces Use of Body Worn Cameras in New Pilot Program
  • DHS Statement on the Importance of Seeking Safety and Support Regardless of Immigration Status Following Recent Severe Weather in the South and Midwest
  • Press Release: DHS Withdraws H-1B Selection Final Rule
  • Press Release: CISA Hosts Election Cybersecurity Navigators Forum for State and Local Election Officials
  • Press Release: Eagle Pass CBP Officers Seize Over $380K Worth of Cocaine at the Camino Real International Bridge (Texas)
  • Press Release: Marijuana Seizures from Brownsville to Roma (Texas)
  • Press Release: 34 Migrant Arrests and Two Firearms Seized (Texas)

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)

  • Link to FEMA press releases

Office of the US Trade Representative (USTR)

  • Press Release: USTR Announces 2021 Report on the Implementation and Enforcement of Russia’s WTO Commitments
  • Readout of Ambassador Tai’s Meeting with German Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Climate Action Dr. Robert Habeck

Department of Commerce

  • Readout of Secretary Gina M. Raimondo’s Call with Minister of Trade, Industry, and Energy of the Republic of Korea Moon Sung Wook
  • Press Release: CHARIoT Challenge Combines Augmented Reality and the Internet of Things for First Responders

Federal Trade Commission (FTC)

  • Press Release: FTC Approves Final Order Requiring Alabama Board of Dental Examiners to Stop Unreasonably Excluding Lower Cost Online and Teledentistry Providers from Competing
  • Press Release: FTC Finalizes Order Banning Stalkerware Provider from Spyware Business

Federal Communications Commission (FCC)

  • Press Release: FCC Awards Additional $42.7 Million for COVID-19 Telehealth Round 2

Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB)

  • Press Release: CFPB and DOJ Put Landlords and Mortgage Servicers on Notice About Servicemembers’ and Veterans’ Rights

Department of Energy (DOE)

  • Press Release: DOE Establishes New Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations Under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law

Department of Interior (DOI)

  • Press Release: Office of Hearings and Appeals Issues Update on January 2021 Data Breach
  • Press Release: Interior Department Advances Three Solar Projects in California, Marking Significant Progress to Develop a Clean Energy Economy
  • Press Release: Interior Department to Host Tribal Consultations on Bipartisan Infrastructure Law

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

  • Press Release: EPA’s New Report Shows How Climate Change is Influencing Seasonal Events in the U.S. and Impacting Peoples’ Health and Environment
  • Press Release: EPA Announces Over $3 Million in Funding to Small Businesses to Develop Environmental Technologies
  • Link: Other Daily EPA Press Releases

Department of Labor

  • Press Release: U.S. Department of Labor awards $10M to promote gender equity, reduce workplace discrimination, harassment in Mexico
  • Press Release: U.S. Department of Labor awards $5M grant to combat forced labor, child labor abuses in Malaysia’s palm oil, garment industries
  • Press Release: U.S. Department of Labor releases Supplemental Statement on private equity investments in participant-directed retirement savings plans
  • Press Release: U.S. Department of Labor cites four contractors after multiple inspections find workers at risk of falls, a leading cause of death, injury in construction
  • Press Release: Federal court orders care facility employers to pay attorneys’ fee to U.S. Department of Labor after failing to comply with OSHA subpoena
  • Press Release: U.S. Department of Labor finds violations at Mississippi fish farms, recovers more than $102K in back wages for 123 workers

Department of Education

  • Statement from U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona on CDC Test-to-Stay Data
  • Press Release: ED Will Award $5 Million to Support Parents and Families Informing Student Development and Academic Recovery

Food & Drug Administration (FDA)

  • Press Release: Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update | December 21, 2021
  • Press Release: FDA Announces Outbreak Investigation of Listeria monocytogenes Found in Fresh Express Packaged Salad
  • Press Release: FDA Grants Marketing Authorization for Inferior Vena Cava Filter Removal Device
  • Press Release: FDA Conditionally Approves First Oral Tablet to Treat Chemotherapy-Induced Diarrhea in Dogs