US Executive Branch Update – May 11, 2021

This report provides a snapshot of the US Executive Branch priorities via daily schedules and the prior day's press releases.

POTUS' Schedule*

9:30 a.m. EDT - The President receives the President's Daily Brief | Oval Office

1:00 p.m. EDT - The President meets virtually with a bipartisan group of Governors | South Court Auditorium

VPOTUS' Schedule*

4:00PM EDT, the Vice President will meet with members of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus in the Vice President's Ceremonial Office

White House Press Briefing Schedule*

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 Monday, May 10, 2021

Note: Bold hyperlinks spotlight COVID-19, the American Jobs Plan and reopening developments.

The White House

• Remarks by President Biden on the Economy
• Fact Sheet: President Biden Announces Additional Steps to Help Americans Return to Work
• Statement by President Biden on FDA's Expanded Emergency Use Authorization of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine to Include Adolescents
• Readout of President Joseph R. Biden, Jr.'s Participation in the Bucharest Nine Virtual Summit
• Statement by Press Secretary Jen Psaki on the Colonial Pipeline Incident
• Transcript: Press Briefing by Press Secretary Jen Psaki, Homeland Security Advisor and Deputy National Security Advisor Dr. Elizabeth Sherwood-Randall, and Deputy National Security Advisor for Cyber and Emerging Technologies Anne Neuberger, May 10, 2021
• Statement by President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. on One Million Americans Signing Up for Health Coverage During 2021 Special Enrollment
• Readout of National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan's Meeting with Jordanian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Ayman Safadi
• Nomination Sent to the Senate
• Disaster Declaration: President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. Approves Commonwealth of Virginia Disaster Declaration

Department of Defense (DOD)

• Article: In Strait of Hormuz, U.S. Vessels Exercised Right to Self Defense
• Advisory: Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen H. Hicks Travels to Texas to Visit Army Futures Command, Fort Hood
• Publication: Deputy Secretary of Defense Memorandum (re: Creating Data Advantage)
• Article: DOD Aims to Transform Itself Into a Data-Centric Organization
• Contracts for May 10, 2021

Department of State

• Daily Schedule | Tuesday, May 11
• May 10: Readout | Secretary Blinken's Meeting with Jordanian Foreign Minister Safadi
• May 10: Remarks | Secretary Antony J. Blinken And Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi Before Their Meeting
• May 10: Statement | Appointment of Ambassador Richard Norland as U.S. Special Envoy for Libya
• May 10: Advisory | Special Envoy Ricardo Zúniga Travel to El Salvador (May 10-12)

US Agency for International Development (USAID)

• Readout: Administrator Power's Meetings on Faith-Based Engagement, Human Rights, and International Religious Freedom

US Mission to the United Nations (UN)

• Remarks at a UN Security Council Briefing on the UN Investigative Team for Accountability of Da'esh/ISIL

Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI)

• Press Release: Unclassified Assessment of Conditions of Women in Afghanistan

Department of the Treasury

• Press Release: Treasury Launches Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds to Deliver $350 Billion

Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC)

• Press Release: SEC Awards $22 Million to Two Whistleblowers

Department of Justice

• Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) | Daily Press Releases
• Press Release: Attorney General Merrick B. Garland Honors Nation's Law Enforcement During National Police Week
• Press Release: University of Miami to Pay $22 Million to Settle Claims Involving Medically Unnecessary Laboratory Tests and Fraudulent Billing Practices

Department of Homeland Security (DHS)/ Customs and Border Protection (CBP)/U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS)

• Press Release: Border Patrol Agents Foil Heroin Smuggling Attempt (California)
• Press Release: Laredo CBP Officers Seize Over $976K in Hard Narcotics Over the Weekend (Texas)
• Press Release: RGV Agents Arrest Two Criminal Migrants (Texas)
• Press Release: CBP Officers at Hidalgo International Bridge Arrest Woman with $1.2 Million in Methamphetamine (Texas)
• Press Release: Border Patrol Finds Five Abandoned Unaccompanied Migrant Children (Texas)
• Press Release: CBP Seizes Designer Masks, Bucket Hats Worth Nearly $800K (Texas)
• Press Release: RGV Agents Apprehend Two Large Group of Migrants (Texas)
• Press Release: CBP Indianapolis Intercepts $495K Worth of Bogus Championship Rings (Indiana)
• Press Release: Cincinnati CBP Seizes $866K Worth of Fake Cartier, Van Cleef, Louis Vuitton Jewelry (Ohio)
• Press Release: Dulles CBP Agriculture Specialists Find Cake Surprise in Leftover Baggage (Virginia)
• Press Release: DHS Announces Continuation of International Entrepreneur Parole Program

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)

• Press Release: Got Rejected by FEMA? Read Your Letter Carefully
• Press Release: How to Appeal a FEMA Disaster Assistance Decision (Kentucky)
• Press Release: Deadline to Apply for Federal Disaster Assistance Today, But FEMA Remains in Louisiana
• Press Release: Get a Head Start on Readiness and Resilience During Hurricane Preparedness Week (U.S. Virgin Islands)
• Press Release: FEMA Updates State-Specific Funeral Assistance Information

Department of Commerce

• Blog: Spotlight on Commerce | Jenny Wang, Multimedia Specialist, National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)

US International Trade Commission (USITC)

• Press Release: USITC Institutes Section 337 Investigation of Certain Televisions, Remote Controls, and Components Thereof

Federal Trade Commission (FTC)

• Press Release: FTC Returns Nearly $60 Million to Those Suffering from Opioid Addiction Who Were Allegedly Overcharged in Suboxone Film Scheme

US International Development Finance Corporation (DFC)

• Press Release: DFC Announces First-Ever Chief Climate Officer and Deputy to Lead Agency Efforts to Tackle the Climate Crisis

Department of Agriculture (USDA)

• Press Release: USDA Awards $15 Million in Grants to Expand Wood Products, Wood Energy Markets and Community Forests | May 7, 2021

Department of Energy (DOE)

• Press Release: DOE Welcomes New Biden-Harris Appointees

Department of Interior (DOI)

• Press Release: Secretary Haaland Announces $150 Million to Create Public Parks, Expand Recreation Opportunities in Urban Areas

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

• Press Release: EPA Highlights National Hurricane Preparedness Week
• Press Release: EPA Announces $9.6 Million in BEACH Act Grants to States, Tribes, Territories
• Link: Other Daily EPA Press Releases

Department of Labor

• Press Release: OSHA cites 6 contractors for exposing workers to falls, other safety hazards at Medford luxury home site; proposes nearly $250K in penalties
• Press Release: Minnesota company debarred from federal guest worker program after investigation finds temporary foreign workers exploited

Health & Human Services (HHS)

• Statement by HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra on One Million Sign-Ups on HealthCare.gov During Special Enrollment Period
• Press Release: HHS Announces Prohibition on Sex Discrimination Includes Discrimination on the Basis of Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity

Food & Drug Administration (FDA)

• Press Release: FDA Authorizes Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine for Emergency Use in Adolescents in Another Important Action in Fight Against Pandemic
• Press Release: FDA to Hold Meeting of its Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee to Discuss Pediatric Use of COVID-19 Vaccines

US Government (USG) COVID-19 Webpages

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention COVID-19 webpage
• Department of Defense COVID-19 webpage
• Department of State COVID-19 Travel Advisory webpage
• Office of Personnel Management COVID-19 webpage
• Food and Drug Administration COVID-19 webpage
• Department of Homeland Security Employee COVID-19 webpage
• Department of Labor COVID-19 webpage
• USAGov COVID-19 webpage

Non-USG COVID Webpages

Johns Hopkins University & Medicine

• Coronavirus Vaccine Tracker (tracks vaccine distribution in the United States)
• Coronavirus Resource Center
  • COVID-19 Interactive Map

The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.