Aboard Air Force One
En Route New Orleans, LA
1:07 P.M. EDT
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Okay. Good to see everybody. So, let me just first say that the President is heading to the Gulf today for the people of the Gulf. That is going to be the purpose of his trip.
For as long as it takes for them to recover, clearly, we will — the federal government will be there for the people of the Gulf.
Q We can't hear you. We can't hear you at all. Can you come closer?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Okay. They can't hear me. (Laughter.) I'll start over so you can hear me. Got to make sure I'm heard here.
Okay. So, the President is here for the people of the Gulf for as long as it takes for the — for them to recover. The full force of the federal government is working closely governor — with the governor — with the governor in Louisiana and in Mississippi, clearly; Congressional members on both side of the aisles; local leaders.
This is not about politics, as you can imagine; this is about the people here in the Gulf that need the help in this difficult time.
But let me give you a little bit more about what today looks like. The President will meet with federal, state, and local leaders and surve- — that surveyed the impacts of storm damage from Hurricane Ida.
He will visit the St. John Parish emergency operations center; tour a neighborhood in LaPlace, Louisiana; and do an aerial tour of hard-hit communities, including Lafourche — my parents, hopefully, are proud of me with this French pronunciation here — (laughter) — I'm trying; Grand Isle; Port Fourchon; and La- — shoot. Let me step back. Including LaFitte, Grand Isle, Port Fourchon, and Lafourche Parish.
He will be joined today by FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell; Homeland Security Advisor Liz Sherwood-Randall; and Senior Advisor and Director of Public Engagement Cedric Richmond, who is — who is his head — who is the lead on the Hurricane Ida relief efforts that — the President announced that earlier this week.
The focus in Louisiana continues to be on power restoration efforts, and we're glad to see that power has returned for roughly 80,000 customers in Louisiana and Mississippi in the last 24 hours as transmission lines and substations returned to service.
However, power does remain out and boil water advisories remain in effect for more than 800,000 people. There were over 2,800 people were in shelters in Louisiana as of this morning.
Additionally, the Coast Guard and the Army Corps of Engineers are working day and night with the state of Louisiana and the maritime industry to fully reopen and constitute our vital ports and waterways as quickly as possible.
The President understands how important the smooth flow of maritime commerce is to this region and to our nation, and we are doing all we can to get it back up and running.
FEMA has reported that roughly 91,000 people in Louisiana have already received a one-time $500 payment to support critical needs.
This morning, the White House announced that Governor Jack Markell will be appointed to serve as the White House Operation Allies Welcome Coordinator. An experienced executive with a career spanning both the public and private sectors, he will work alongside the National Security Council — NSC; the Domestic Policy Council — DPC; the Department of Homeland Security — DHS; and other federal agencies to ensure vulnerable Afghans who pass screening and vetting reviews are safely and effect- — effic- — effectively resettled here in the United States.
Governor Markell is an experienced manager with a career that has spanned both the public and private sectors, and he will coordinate the administra- — the administration's resettlement policy development and engage with state and local governments, the private sector, and nongovernmental organizations to support the resettlement of evacuees and welcome them to their new homes.
In this role, which is a short-term appointment through roughly the end of the year, Markell will work hand-in-hand with National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan; Domestic Policy Council Director Susan Rice; DHS Secretary Mayorkas; and Homeland Security — and Homeland Security Advisor Sherwood-Randall; and Senior Response Official Bob Fenton, who leads the Unified Coordination Group at DHS.
The interagency team is working across the federal government to conduct rigorous security vetting; implement — implement COVID-19 testing; and process payroles [parolees] into the United States.
Today, we are — we are also announcing that the inaugural meeting of the White House Competition Council will take place at the White House next Friday, September 10th. The council was established to coordinate the President's whole-of-government approach to promoting competition, outlined in the executive order he signed on July 9th.
The council's members, including eight Cabinet members and the chair of six independent agencies, will discuss the essential role that competition plays in bringing to life POTUS's economic agenda and highlight the many initiatives already underway to lower costs of American families.
Today, we are also announcing that the CEC [SEC] will join the Competition Council and promote competition as part of a core agenda.
Some more. I have more for all of you.
As we announced this morning: On September 9th, the Biden-Harris administration will convene the U.S.-Mexico High-Level Economic Dialogue since 2016 in recognition of the broad, deep economic agenda that the United States shares with Mexico.
Established in 2013, the HLED advances strategic economic and commercial priorities for both countries, with the shared goal of fostering economic development and growth, job creation, global competitiveness, and reduction of poverty, and equality.
This year's Dialogue will focus on four central pillars: Building Back Together; Promoting Sustainable Economic and Social Development in Southern Mexico and Central America; Securing the Tools for Future Prosperity; and Investing in Our People.
The USG delegation is led by three co-chairs: Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo, and U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai. The Mexican delegation will be led by three co-chairs: Secretary of Foreign Relations, Secretary of Economy, and Secretary of Finance.
Last but not least, we have the week ahead for you. Just a very, very quick preview. We promise to have more in the upcoming days.
The President will give remarks on the administration's response to COVID-19 pandemic next week. We are finalizing those details, and we'll have more to share in the upcoming days.
