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

Note:  After 15 votes over four days, Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-California) secured Republican support in the early hours of Saturday morning to serve as the next Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives.  Shortly thereafter, the White House released a statement congratulating Speaker McCarthy.

POTUS’ Schedule*

The President is in Delaware for Saturday, with no public events.

7:25 p.m. EST – THE PRESIDENT departs New Castle, Delaware en route the White House

8:20 p.m. EST – THE PRESIDENT arrives at the White House

On Sunday, the President will travel to El Paso, Texas, to visit the crisis at the U.S. Southwest Border.  The President will travel to Mexico on Monday for the North American Leaders’ Summit.  The President will host the Japanese Prime Minister on January 13 at the White House.

VPOTUS’ Schedule*

The Vice President will be in Washington, D.C., for the weekend and has no public events scheduled.

*The U.S. President (POTUS) and Vice President’s (VPOTUS) daily schedules are subject to change, as is the White House press briefing schedule.

Recap of Thursday-Friday, January 5-6, 2023

Note: All colored text denotes hyperlinks.

The White House

January 6

• Statement by President Joe Biden on the December Jobs Report

• Remarks by President Biden at Presentation of the Presidential Citizens Medal

• Statement from the Vice President on the Second Anniversary of January 6, 2021

• Readout of National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan’s Meeting with Jean-Charles Ellermann-Kingombe, Permanent Under-Secretary of State at the Danish Prime Minister’s Office

• Transcript:  Press Briefing by Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre and National Security Council Coordinator for Strategic Communications John Kirby, January 6, 2023

• Memorandum on Delegation of Authority Under Section 506(a)(1) of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961

January 5

• Remarks by President Biden on Border Security and Enforcement

• Fact Sheet:  Biden-⁠Harris Administration Announces New Border Enforcement Actions

• Remarks by President Biden in Cabinet Meeting

• Joint Press Statement following a Call between President Joe Biden and Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany Olaf Scholz

• Readout of National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan’s Call with Francesco Talo, Diplomatic Advisor to the Prime Minister of Italy

• Statement from White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre on the Shooting in Enoch City, Utah

• Appointments:  President Biden Announces Key Regional Appointments for GSA, HHS

• Bills Signed into Law:  H.R. 680, H.R. 897, H.R. 1082, H.R. 1154, H.R. 1917, H.R. 7939, S. 450, S. 989, S. 1294, S. 1402, S. 1541, S. 1942, S. 2333, S. 2834, S. 3168, S. 3308, S. 3405, S. 3519, S. 3946, S. 3949, S. 4104, S. 4120, S. 4240, S. 4411, S. 4439, S. 4926, S. 4949, S. 4978, S. 5016, S. 5066, S. 5087, S. 5168, S. 5328, S. 5329

Department of Defense (DOD)

January 6

• Readout of Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin III’s Call with German Federal Minister of Defence Christine Lambrecht

• Readout of Under Secretary of Defense Colin Kahl’s Meeting with Danish Permanent Under Secretary of State Jean-Charles Ellermann-Kingombe

• Readout of Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III’s Call with Ukrainian Minister of Defence Oleksii Reznikov

• Press Release:  More Than $3 Billion in Additional Security Assistance for Ukraine

• Fact Sheet:  Ukraine Fact Sheet – Jan. 6

• Article:  U.S. $3 Billion Military Package to Ukraine Looks to Change Battlefield Dynamics

• Transcript:  Pentagon Press Secretary Brigadier General Pat Ryder and Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense Laura K. Cooper Hold a Press Briefing

• Contracts for January 6, 2023

January 5

• Transcript:  Pentagon Press Secretary Air Force Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder Holds an On-Camera Press Briefing

• Article:  Ukraine Troops to Get Bradley Fighting Vehicles

• Press Release:  DoD Begins Implementation of Naming Commission Recommendations

• Publication:  Plan of Actions and Milestones for Implementation of the Naming Commission Recommendations

• Article:  DOD Begins Implementing Naming Commission Recommendations

• Press Release:  Advancing JADC2 | Second SITE Summit Includes FVEY Partners

• Article:  DOD CTIP PMO Prevents Human Trafficking Through Innovation and Website Enhancements

• Article:  DHA Will Serve ‘Anytime, Anywhere — Always,’ Says New Director

• Article:  DOD Releases Memo Expanding Military Parental Leave Program 

• Contracts for January 5, 2023

Department of State

Western Hemisphere

• January 6:  Advisory | Secretary Blinken’s Travel to Mexico City, Mexico for the North American Leaders’ Summit

• January 6:  Advisory | High-Level U.S. Delegation to Visit Honduras for Strategic and Human Rights Dialogues

• January 6:  Readout | Secretary Blinken’s Call with Canadian Foreign Minister Joly

Europe, Ukraine, Russia

• January 6:  Statement | More Than $3.75 Billion in U.S. Military Assistance to Ukraine and Countries Impacted by Russia’s Brutal War

Middle East

• January 6:  Readout | Secretary Blinken’s Call with Jordanian Foreign Minister Safadi

• January 6:  Statement | New Sanctions Targeting Iran’s UAV and Ballistic Missile Industries

• January 5:  Statement | The United States and Türkiye Take Joint Action to Disrupt ISIS Financing

Asia-Pacific

• January 6:  Statement | 2023 U.S.-Japan Security Consultative Committee

• January 5:  Advisory | Under Secretary Fernandez’s Travel to Seoul and Tokyo

• January 5:  Statement | On the Appointment of Sonexay Siphandone as Prime Minister of Laos

Africa

• January 5:  Statement | Rewards for Justice – Reward Offer for Information on Maalim Ayman and Others Responsible for 2020 Attack on Manda Bay Airfield in Kenya

U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)

January 6

• Readout:  USAID Administrator Samantha Power’s Meeting with Green Climate Fund Executive Director Yannick Glemarec

• Readout:  Administrator Samantha Power’s Call with Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan

• Advisory:  Deputy Administrator Isobel Coleman Travels to Geneva

January 5

• Press Release:  The United States Contributes $30 Million to Support the Government of Moldova to Address Energy Impacts

• Advisory:  Administrator Samantha Power Travels to World Economic Forum

U.S. Mission to the United Nations (UN)

January 5

• Remarks at a UN Security Council Briefing on the Situation in the Middle East

• Remarks at a UN Security Council Briefing on Chemical Weapons in Syria

Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI)

January 5

• Press Release:  FBI and DHS – Strategic Intelligence Assessment and Data on Domestic Terrorism

Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)

January 5

• Press Release:  CIA Launches New Hiring Portal

Department of the Treasury

January 6

• Press Release:  Treasury Sanctions Suppliers of Iranian UAVs Used to Target Ukraine’s Civilian Infrastructure

• Sanctions List Updates:  Iran-related Designations and Designation Update; Non-Proliferation Designations and Designation Update; Russia-related Designation Update

January 5

• Press Release:  The United States and Türkiye Take Joint Action to Disrupt ISIS Financing

• Sanctions List Updates:  Counter Terrorism Designations

Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC)

January 5

• Press Release:  SEC Charges Former BlackRock Portfolio Manager with Undisclosed Conflict of Interest

Department of Justice

Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) | Daily Press Releases

January 6

• Press Release:  Multinational Corporation and Several Individuals Charged with Multimillion-Dollar Organic Grain Fraud Scheme

• Press Release:  Laboratory Owners and Executives Charged in Health Care Kickback Scheme

• Press Release:  Former West Virginia Parole Officer Pleads Guilty to Federal Civil Rights Offense for Sexually Assaulting Female Parolee

January 5

• Readout of Congressional Visit to the FBI’s Criminal Justice Information Services Division

• Press Release:  Former Judge Arrested for Bribery and Obstruction of Justice

• Press Release:  Two North Carolina Tax Preparers Sentenced to Prison for $5 Million Tax Conspiracy

Department of Homeland Security (DHS)/Customs and Border Protection (CBP)

January 6

• Readout of Secretary Mayorkas’s Meeting with Japanese Minister Nishimura

• Press Release:  Construction at Morelos Dam Scheduled to Begin (Arizona)

• Press Release:  CBP Officers at the San Ysidro Port of Entry Seize Over $2 Million Worth of Cocaine (California)

January 5

• Press Release:  DHS Continues to Prepare for End of Title 42; Announces New Border Enforcement Measures and Additional Safe and Orderly Processes

• DHS Statement on Safety and Enforcement During Severe Weather and Flooding in California

• Press Release:  Del Rio Sector Agents Arrest 2 Child Sex Offenders During Holidays (Texas)

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)

• Link to daily press releases

Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR)

January 6

• Press Release:  The United States and Japan Launch Task Force to Promote Human Rights and International Labor Standards in Supply Chains

Department of Commerce

January 5

• Readout of Secretary Raimondo’s Meeting with Japan’s Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Yasutoshi Nishimura

Federal Trade Commission (FTC)

January 6

• Press Release:  FTC Publishes Inflation-Adjusted Civil Penalty Amounts for 2023

January 5

• Press Release:  FTC Proposes Rule to Ban Noncompete Clauses, Which Hurt Workers and Harm Competition

Federal Communications Commission (FCC)

January 6

• Press Release:  FCC Proposes Updated Data Breach Reporting Requirements

January 5

• Press Release:  FCC Announces Tentative Agenda for January Open Meeting

Department of Agriculture (USDA)

January 5

• Press Release:  Biden-Harris Administration Invests in Projects to Promote Competition and Strengthen the Nation’s Meat Supply Chain

Department of Interior (DOI)

January 5

• Press Release:  Interior Department Welcomes Significant Progress for Indian Water Rights Settlements

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

• Press Release:  EPA Releases New PFAS Analytic Tools

• Press Release:  EPA Requires Reporting on Releases and Other Waste Management for Nine Additional PFAS

• Press Release:  EPA Proposes to Strengthen Air Quality Standards to Protect the Public from Harmful Effects of Soot

• Link to other EPA press releases

Department of Labor

January 6

• Statement by US Secretary of Labor Walsh on December Jobs Report

January 5

• Press Release:  Unemployment Insurance Weekly Claims Report

• Press Release:  U.S. Department of Labor recovers $55K in back wages for 7 workers after Durham restaurant fails to pay overtime, denies tips left by customers

• Press Release:  Charleston trampoline park pays $11K penalty after allowing 14- and 15-year-olds to work outside legally permitted hours

Department of Education

January 4

• Statement from Secretary Cardona on Legal Brief Filed with the Supreme Court on the Student Debt Relief Program

Food & Drug Administration (FDA)

January 6

• Press Release:  FDA Roundup | January 06, 2023

• Press Release:  FDA Grants Accelerated Approval for Alzheimer’s Disease Treatment

Housing & Urban Development (HUD)

January 6

• Press Release:  HUD Secretary Fudge held Bilateral Meeting with Korean Minister of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport

• Press Release:  HUD Proposes Rule Changes on Rental Housing Assistance for Native Hawaiian Housing Block Grant Program

• Press Release:  HUD Closes Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD) Conversion in Boston, MA, to Preserve 445 Affordable Rental Homes