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

POTUS' Schedule*

10:05 a.m. EST – THE PRESIDENT and THE VICE PRESIDENT receive the President's Daily Brief | Oval Office

2:30 p.m. EST – THE PRESIDENT delivers remarks on the status of the country's fight against COVID-19 | State Dining Room

VPOTUS' Schedule*

10:05 a.m. EST – THE VICE PRESIDENT will receive the President's Daily Brief in the Oval Office

White House Press Briefing Schedule*

1:00 p.m. EST – 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, December 20, 2021

Note: Bold hyperlinks spotlight COVID-19 developments.

The White House

  • Fact Sheet: President Biden Announces New Actions to Protect Americans and Help Communities and Hospitals Battle Omicron | December 21, 2021
  • Statement from Press Secretary Jen Psaki on Staff Member Close Contact to the President
  • Readout of Jake Sullivan's Call with Yuriy Ushakov, Foreign Policy Advisor to the President of Russia
  • Statement by NSC Spokesperson Emily Horne on Senior Administration Official Trip to Israel and the West Bank
  • Transcript: Press Briefing by Press Secretary Jen Psaki, December 20, 2021
  • Appointments: President Biden Announces Intent to Appoint Commissioners to the President's Advisory Commission on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders
  • Fact Sheet: Biden-?Harris Administration Celebrates Expansion of Locally-Led Conservation Efforts in First Year of "America the Beautiful" Initiative

Department of Defense (DOD)

  • Article: DOD Issues Guidance on Plans to Counter Extremist Activity in the Force
  • Press Release: Force Health Protection Guidance (Supplement 23) Revision 3 – Department of Defense Guidance for Coronavirus Disease 2019 Vaccination Attestation, Screening Testing, and Vaccination Verification
  • Publication: Force Health Protection Guidance (Supplement 23) Revision 3 – Department of Defense Guidance for Coronavirus Disease 2019 Vaccination Attestation, Screening Testing, and Vaccination Verification
  • Press Release: Department of Defense Releases Report on Countering Extremist Activities and Outlines Next Steps
  • Publication: Report on Countering Extremist Activity within the Department of Defense
  • Publication: Secretary of Defense Memorandum on Countering Extremist Activities Within the Department of Defense
  • Contracts for December 20, 2021

Department of State

Asia-Pacific

  • December 20: Statement | Hong Kong Autonomy Act Report to Congress
  • December 20: Statement | G7 Foreign Ministers' Statement on Hong Kong Legislative Council Elections
  • December 20: Statement | Joint Statement on Hong Kong Legislative Council Elections
  • December 20: Statement | Designation of Under Secretary Uzra Zeya as the U.S. Special Coordinator for Tibetan Issues

Europe

  • December 20: Readout | Secretary Blinken's Meeting with Slovenian Foreign Minister Logar
  • December 20: Remarks | Secretary Antony J. Blinken and Slovenian Foreign Minister Anze Logar Before Their Meeting

Middle East

  • December 20: Advisory | Acting Assistant Secretary Lempert's Travel to Jordan, Israel, and the West Bank

Other Department Developments

  • December 20: Fact Sheet | U.S. Department of State Announces Complementary Initiatives in Support of President Biden's Leaders' Summit for Democracy
  • December 20: Remarks | Secretary Antony J. Blinken to Staff Members and Volunteers from Local Refugee Resettlement Agencies
  • December 20: Statement | Rewards for Justice – Reward Offer for Information on the Murder of Avijit Roy and Attack on Rafida Bonya Ahmed

US Agency for International Development (USAID)

  • Press Release: Administrator Samantha Power on New H-2B Visa Allocations for Northern Central America and Haiti

US Mission to the United Nations (UN)

  • Remarks at a UN Security Council Briefing on the Political and Humanitarian Situation in Syria

Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI)

  • Press Release: NCTC team pays respect at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier

Department of the Treasury

  • Sanctions List Updates: Hong Kong-related Designations Updates; Counter Terrorism Designation Update; Iran-related Designation Update; Global Magnitsky Designation Removal

Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC)

  • Press Release: SEC Charges Private Equity Fund Adviser with Fee and Expense Disclosure Failures
  • Press Release: SEC Charges Five Russians in $80 Million Hacking and Trading Scheme

Department of Justice

  • Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) | Daily Press Releases
  • Press Release: Justice Department Will Award $1.6 Billion to Reduce Violent Crime and Strengthen Communities
  • Press Release: Government Contractor Indicted for Bribing Public Official
  • Press Release: Bowling Green Man Arrested on Multiple Terrorism Charges
  • Press Release: Justice Department and CFPB Put Landlords and Mortgage Servicers on Notice About Servicemembers' and Veterans' Rights
  • Press Release: Justice Department Sues Ophthalmology Practice with 24 Facilities for Discriminating Against Individuals with Disabilities who Use Wheelchairs
  • Press Release: Montana Federal Court Finds Tax Shelter Promoter Liable for Over $8 Million in Penalties for Timeshare Donation Scheme
  • Press Release: Louisiana Federal Court Permanently Shuts Down Hammond Tax Preparer

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

  • Press Release: DHS to Address Life, Safety, Environmental, and Remediation Requirements for Border Barrier Projects Previously Undertaken by DoD
  • Press Release: For First Time, DHS to Supplement H-2B Cap with Additional Visas in First Half of Fiscal Year
  • Readout of CISA Call with Critical Infrastructure Partners on Log4j Vulnerabilities and the Need for Increased Vigilance this Holiday Season
  • Press Release: CISA?and FBI Launch Holiday Cyber Safety PSA
  • Press Release: CBP issues Withhold Release Order on Brightway Group (Washington, D.C.)
  • Press Release: CBP Selected as Homeland Security Today's Person of the Year (Washington, D.C.)
  • Press Release: Laredo CBP Officers Seize Hard Narcotics Worth Over $1 Million (Texas)
  • Press Release: Laredo Sector Border Patrol Agents Halt Several Human Smuggling Attempts (Texas)

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)

  • Link to FEMA press releases

Office of the US Trade Representative (USTR)

  • Joint Statement from Ambassador Katherine Tai and Secretary Xavier Becerra on President Biden's Announcement of Intent to Appoint Commissioners to the President's Advisory Commission on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders

Department of Commerce

  • Readout of Secretary Gina M. Raimondo's Call with Singapore's Minister for Communications and Information Josephine Teo

US International Trade Commission (USITC)

  • Press Release: USITC Institutes Section 337 Investigation of Certain Playards and Strollers

Federal Trade Commission (FTC)

  • Press Release: FTC Order Protects Retail Fuel Customers Following Global Partners LP's Acquisition of Wheels

Federal Communications Commission (FCC)

  • Press Release: FCC Deactivates Disaster Information Reporting for Kentucky Tornadoes
  • Press Release: Kentucky Tornadoes Communications Status Report for December 20, 2021
  • Press Release: FCC Commits Nearly $603M in Additional Emergency Connectivity Funding

Department of Agriculture (USDA)

  • Press Release: USDA Seeks Nominations for Membership on Food Safety Advisory Committee

Department of Energy (DOE)

  • Press Release: U.S. Secretaries of Energy and Health and Human Services Jointly Certify Sufficient Worldwide Supply of Critical Medical Isotope
  • Press Release: ICYMI | Secretary Granholm Traveled to California to Highlight the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law

Department of Interior (DOI)

  • Press Release: Secretary Haaland Highlights Infrastructure Investments in Tribal Communities, National Parks During South Dakota Visit
  • Press Release: Biden-Harris Administration Establishes Committee to Support Wildlife Conservation and Recreation Opportunities

Department of Labor

  • Press Release: U.S. Department of Labor awards $8M grant to promote worker safety, health in El Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala
  • Press Release: U.S. Department of Labor awards $5M grant to help agricultural supply chain workers in Honduras, Guatemala; garment workers in El Salvador
  • Press Release: U.S. Department of Labor finds Hawaii restaurants operator shortchanged cooks in Honolulu, Kailua, failed to pay overtime wages
  • Press Release: U.S. Department of Labor finds roofing contractors willfully ignored fall protections that led to 19-year-old worker's deadly fall
  • Press Release: U.S. Department of Labor finds Leawood contractor continues to expose workers to asbestos, other hazards at historic Kansas City site
  • Press Release: Federal court orders Massachusetts contractor with history of FLSA violations to pay $438K in unpaid overtime to 250 employees

Health & Human Services (HHS)

  • Press Release: HHS Announces PandemicX Accelerator with Health IT Cohort to Address COVID-19 Health Disparities
  • Press Release: Joint Statement from Secretary Xavier Becerra and Ambassador Katherine Tai on President Biden's Announcement of Intent to Appoint Commissioners to the President's Advisory Commission on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders
  • Press Release: HHS Issues Guidance on HIPAA and Disclosures of Protected Health Information for Extreme Risk Protection Orders
  • Press Release: HHS Announces Critical Investments to Implement Upcoming 988 Dialing Code for National Suicide Prevention Lifeline

Food & Drug Administration (FDA)

  • Press Release: FDA Approves First Injectable Treatment for HIV Pre-Exposure Prevention

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