Page 31 - White House

Prez Biden, top lawmakers to discuss debt limit at White House May 9

President Joe Biden has sought to ease a debt limit standoff by inviting the four Congressional leaders to the White House on May 9 signalling the growing fears of a default as the federal government might be unable to pay its bills as soon as June 1. Administration and congressional officials confirmed the individual calls to lawmakers and the meeting date, insisting on anonymity to discuss the plans. Sen. Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said he spoke with Biden and expects to speak with him again, though he did not say whether he will attend the meeting. Biden plans to stress that Congress must take action to avoid default without conditions and will discuss the urgency of preventing default, as well as how to begin a separate process for passing a separate fiscal 2024 budget. But if even the lawmakers talk, there is no guarantee of progress on an issue that has revealed a gulf in how Democrats and Republicans think the country should be governed. Biden and House Speaker

Republicans have used immigration reform as political tool: White House

The opposition Republican party has used comprehensive immigration reform as a political stunt and a political tool and they are not interested in resolving the issue, the White House has said. As we've seen, Republicans have continued to use this as a political stunt, a political tool, and not actually come to the table to have a conversation on how to protect Dreamers and farm workers. You know, more immigration judges and asylum officers are needed. More funding for border security is needed, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters at her daily news conference on Monday. This is something that we have put forward in that legislation and so much more. They don't want to do that. They want to do political stunts, as we've seen from governors and mayors across the country, she alleged responding to a question on comprehensive immigration reform in particular on legal immigration. President Joe Biden on the very first day of his administration, put forth ...

No plans to add new members to Quad at this time, says White House

There is no plan to add new members to the Quad at this point in time, the White House has said ahead of the summit of Quad leaders in Australia later this month. Head of State from Quad countries -- Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison, Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, Prime Minister Narendra Modi from India, and US President Joe Biden are scheduled to meet in Australia on June 24. The Quad was established two years ago. The Quad is still a relatively young partnership. There are no plans for new members at this time, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters at her daily news conference. Quad members, she said, have agreed that for now, they'll focus on cementing the quad's many strengths. However, the Quad welcomes opportunities to work with a wide range of Indo-Pacific partners, such as through its Indo-Pacific partners on maritime domain awareness, which is delivering cutting edge maritime domain awareness technology around the region, she ...

Biden plans to stringent limits on GHG emissions on coal, gas power plants

The White House is in the final stages of reviewing a draft proposal from the Environmental Protection Agency, which would target both new and existing power plants

US committed to working together with India in groups like Quad: WH

"The United States and India have a strong bilateral relationship, and that's including trade as well," the White House added

India-US people-to-people ties to get stronger, better: WH official

There is no stronger people-to-people ties between any country than what the US enjoys with India, a top White House official has said and observed that in many areas, governments need to get out of the way and let people from the two democracies work together. Kurt Campbell, the Indo Pacific Coordinator of US National Security Council, also said that the over the years the tow countries have built a "stronger relationship" that will only get better. "This is not just a meeting of elites. It is not just about technology. It's not just about working together on security issues. This is a relationship that is based at the people-to-people level. There is no stronger people-to-people ties between any country that the US enjoys than with India," he said while addressing a gathering of hundreds of Indian Americans at an event organised here by the Indian Embassy to celebrate the country's diversity. "This is the most powerful connectivity between two people I've ever experienced. In many

Trump raised $34 mn so far in 2023, including indictment bump: Report

Former President Donald Trump has raised more than USD 34 million for his 2024 White House run since the start of the year, according to his campaign. Trump's latest fundraising report due to be filed Saturday with the Federal Election Commission will show he raised more than USD 18.8 million between his main campaign account and a joint fundraising account over the the first three months of the year, the campaign said. Of that USD 18.8 million, USD 4 million was raised after March 30, when Trump was indicted by a grand jury in Manhattan on charges related to a hush money case stemming from the 2016 election. The fundraising numbers were first reported by Politico. Trump began raising money off the news of his indictment, and his campaign said he took in USD 15.4 million in the two weeks after the charges were filed and the reporting period closed for the fundraising reports. Trump, who is also facing several other criminal investigations, has tried to use his legal troubles to ...

US recognises Arunachal Pradesh as India's integral part: White House

The US has recognised Arunachal Pradesh as an integral part of India and strongly opposes any unilateral attempts to advance territorial claims by renaming localities, the White House has said. The US reaction came in response to Beijing announcing Chinese names for 11 more places in Arunachal Pradesh which the neighbouring country claims as the southern part of Tibet. The official names of the 11 places were released on Sunday by China's ministry of civil affairs. "The United States has recognised that territory (Arunachal Pradesh) for a long time (as an integral part of India). And we strongly oppose any unilateral attempts to advance territorial claims by renaming localities, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said on Tuesday. "And so, again, this is something that we have long stood by, Jean-Pierre told reporters at her daily news conference. India on Tuesday outrightly rejected China renaming some places in Arunachal Pradesh, asserting that the state is an integra

Several celebrities refuse to pay Elon Musk $8 for Twitter Blue: Report

The White House and The New York Times have already refused to pay for verified Blue with subscription service

White House refuses to pay for Twitter's Blue verification: Report

"It is our understanding that Twitter Blue does not provide person-level verification as a service. Thus, a blue check mark will now simply serve as a verification that the account is a paid user"

Former president Donald Trump indictment sets US on uncertain course

The grand jury on Thursday voted to indict 76-year-old Trump, a Republican, for his role in paying money to porn star Stormy Daniels in an attempt to buy her silence over an alleged affair

In Putin and Russia, Xi sees a counterweight to American influence: WH

In President Vladimir Putin and Russia, the Chinese President Xi Jinping sees a counterweight to the American and NATO influence in the world, the White House said Tuesday. The statement by John Kirby, National Security Council Coordinator for Strategic Communications at the White House, came as Putin hosted the Chinese leader. "I think you've seen over the years that these two countries are growing close together. I wouldn't go so far to call it an alliance. (it's) a marriage of convenience, because that's what I think it is. In President Putin and Russia, President Xi sees a counterweight to American influence and NATO influence, certainly on the continent and elsewhere around the world," Kirby told reporters at a daily news conference here. "In President Xi, President Putin sees a potential backer here. This is a man who doesn't have a whole lot of friends on the international stage. They can count them on one hand mostly. He really needs and wants President Xi's support for wha

Vandalism at Indian Consulate absolutely unacceptable, says White House

"State Department's diplomatic security service is working with local authorities to properly investigate. State department will work on infrastructure perspective to repair the damage"

TikTok can threaten America's safety, national security: White House

Chinese-owned video hosting service TikTok can threaten America's safety and its national security, the White House said on Thursday

White House applauds US Senators for introducing bill targeting TikTok

The White House on Tuesday applauded a group of Senators for introducing the Restricting the Emergence of Security Threats that Risk Information and Communications Technology (RESTRICT) Act

Joe Biden, German Chancellor Scholz to huddle on Ukraine war at White House

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz is visiting the White House on Friday for a private meeting with President Joe Biden as both allies become increasingly vocal about their concerns that China may step off the sidelines and supply weapons to Russia for its invasion of Ukraine. Such a step could dramatically change the war's trajectory by allowing Moscow to replenish its depleted stockpiles. China is Germany's top trading partner, and European nations have generally been more cautious than the United States in taking a hard line with Beijing. However, there are signs that may be shifting as global rivalries grow more tense. In a speech to the German parliament on Thursday, Scholz called on China to use your influence in Moscow to press for the withdrawal of Russian troops, and do not supply weapons to the aggressor Russia. The US and Germany have worked closely together to supply Ukraine with military and humanitarian assistance. But there has also been friction over issues such as ...

Chinese app TikTok a 'potential national security risk', says White House

The White House on Wednesday (local time) asserted that the Chinese-owned app TikTok is a "potential national security risk"

No more TikTok on government devices within 30 days, says White House

The White House is giving all federal agencies 30 days to wipe TikTok off all government devices, as the Chinese-owned social media app comes under increasing scrutiny in Washington over security concerns. The Office of Management and Budget calls the guidance, issued Monday, a critical step forward in addressing the risks presented by the app to sensitive government data. Some agencies, including the Departments of Defense, Homeland Security and State, already have restrictions in place; the guidance calls on the rest of the federal government to follow suit within 30 days. The White House already does not allow TikTok on its devices. The Biden-Harris Administration has invested heavily in defending our nation's digital infrastructure and curbing foreign adversaries' access to Americans' data, said Chris DeRusha, the federal chief information security officer. This guidance is part of the Administration's ongoing commitment to securing our digital infrastructure and protecting the

No definitive conclusion on Covid-19 origin theory, says White House

There is no definitive conclusion on the origin of COVID19, the White House said on Monday. "The intelligence community and the rest of the government is still looking at this. There's not been a definitive conclusion, so it's difficult for me to say, nor should I feel like I should have to defend press reporting about a possible preliminary indication here," National Security Council Coordinator for Strategic Communications John Kirby told reporters at a daily White House news conference. Kirby was responding to questions on the findings of the Department of Energy that a lab leak most likely caused the COVID19 pandemic, which was first reported in The Wall Street Journal over the weekend. "What the President wants is facts. He wants the whole government designed to go get those facts, and that's what we're doing. And we're just not there yet. And when we're there yet and if we have something that is ready to be briefed to the American people and the Congress, then we're going to d

White House promises crackdown on exploitation of migrant child labour

The Biden administration said Monday that it is creating a new task force to crack down on an explosion of the illegal exploitation of migrant children for labour in the U.S. Hundreds of companies that employed nearly 4,000 children last year were found in violation of federal labor laws, a dramatic increase in the last five years. The growing problem has put Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra in the hot seat, with concerns mounting that migrant children have been discharged from shelters and out of federal custody too quickly, pushing them into vulnerable situations where they're more likely to become victims of child labor. In a new video that's been circulating, first reported by The New York Times, the secretary urged his staff to discharge children from the federal government's broken system of shelters faster. If Henry Ford had seen this in his plants, he would have never become famous and rich, Becerra told staff during a meeting last summer in a recording. T