What Did Joe Biden Do Today?
March 18 Recap
A Joint Statement on Efforts to Counter the Proliferation and Misuse of Commercial Spyware, issued during the third Summit for Democracy on March 18, 2024, marked a significant international commitment by multiple countries to address the challenges posed by commercial spyware. Initially announced at the second Summit for Democracy on March 30, 2023, this updated statement now includes Finland, Germany, Ireland, Japan, Poland, and the Republic of Korea, bringing together a total of 17 nations, including Australia, Canada, Costa Rica, Denmark, France, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
These countries have expressed a shared concern over the misuse of commercial spyware, which has been exploited by both authoritarian regimes and democracies to target perceived opponents, suppress dissent, limit freedoms, enable human rights violations, and compromise national security. In response, they have committed to implementing strict domestic and international controls to prevent the proliferation and misuse of such technology.
Key commitments outlined in the statement include:
Establishing robust guardrails and procedures to ensure that any use of commercial spyware by governments respects human rights, the rule of law, and civil liberties.
Preventing the export of software, technology, and equipment likely to be used for malicious activities, in line with existing export control regimes.
Sharing information on the proliferation and misuse of commercial spyware to better identify and track these tools.
Collaborating with industry partners and civil society groups to inform approaches, raise awareness, set standards, and continue supporting innovation.
Engaging additional governments and stakeholders worldwide to align policies and export controls to mitigate the misuse of commercial spyware and promote industry reform, including adherence to the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.
This joint effort represents a pioneering international initiative to develop and implement policies discouraging the misuse of commercial spyware and encouraging responsible use principles aligned with universal human rights and the rule of law.
President Biden has initiated a comprehensive effort to advance women's health research and innovation in the U.S. through an Executive Order and new actions. Here are the key points:
Vision for Women's Health Research: In his State of the Union address, President Biden proposed a $12 billion investment in women's health research, aiming to create a Fund for Women’s Health Research at the NIH and establish a nationwide network of research centers focused on women’s health.
White House Initiative on Women’s Health Research: This initiative, launched by President Biden and the First Lady, seeks to revolutionize the approach to women’s health research in the U.S., emphasizing interdisciplinary research and innovation.
Executive Order Details: The Executive Order aims to integrate and prioritize women’s health across the federal research portfolio. It includes directives to:
Develop and strengthen research and data standards on women’s health.
Prioritize funding for women’s health research and innovation.
Address research gaps in women’s midlife health and diseases occurring after menopause.
Assess unmet needs in women’s health research funding and support.
Federal Agencies' Actions: Over twenty new actions and commitments by federal agencies have been announced, including a $200 million investment by the NIH for interdisciplinary women’s health research and $100 million towards the ARPA-H Sprint for Women’s Health.
Research and Innovation in Women’s Health: The actions encompass a wide range of efforts, from improving clinical care for menopause-related issues to leveraging artificial intelligence in research. They also include investing in research on diseases affecting women differently or disproportionately and launching initiatives to encourage private-sector innovation in women’s health.
Support for Diverse and Multidisciplinary Research: There’s a strong emphasis on multidisciplinary solutions, including engineering and computational research, to address women’s health disparities. New research proposals are encouraged across various disciplines.
Enhanced Data Collection and Analysis: Efforts to standardize data collection and analysis related to women’s health aim to improve research outcomes and ensure women’s health needs are considered in national coverage determinations.
Strengthening Coordination and Training: Initiatives to coordinate research and improve care for service members, veterans, and women across different life stages are included. Training programs are expanded to build capacity in women’s health research.
Real-World Impact and Maternal Health: The initiatives aim to connect research to real-world outcomes, focusing on mental and behavioral health and supporting research on maternal health outcomes.
This suite of actions represents the most comprehensive effort to date to enhance and expand research on women's health. It aims to fill research gaps, promote innovation, and improve women's health outcomes across their lifespan.
The Biden-Harris Administration has announced a significant initiative as part of President Biden's Cancer Moonshot program to ban ongoing uses of asbestos, a known carcinogen, to protect public health and advance environmental justice. This decision, driven by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), marks the first major regulation under the updated chemical safety laws, highlighting the administration's commitment to combating cancer and protecting families and workers from hazardous substances.
Asbestos, responsible for tens of thousands of deaths annually in the U.S., is linked to various cancers, including lung, ovarian, and colorectal cancers. The ban specifically targets chrysotile asbestos, the only form still used or imported into the country, aiming to significantly reduce the cancer death rate by at least half by 2047 and prevent over four million cancer deaths.
This move aligns with the broader Unity Agenda and underscores the administration's efforts toward environmental justice, recognizing that asbestos use disproportionately impacts communities near facilities and workers. Alongside the asbestos ban, the administration is taking steps to protect communities and workers from other toxic chemicals known to cause cancer, including methylene chloride, carbon tetrachloride, perchloroethylene, and trichloroethylene, by proposing new rules and strengthening risk evaluation processes.
Moreover, the administration has focused on slashing emissions of ethylene oxide and other carcinogenic pollutants, addressing PFAS ("forever chemicals") pollution, and enhancing protections against cancer risks for firefighters. This demonstrates a comprehensive approach to reducing toxic chemical exposure and advancing public health initiatives.
The President signed into law:
S. 206, the “Eradicating Narcotic Drugs and Formulating Effective New Tools to Address National Yearly Losses of life Act” or the “END FENTANYL Act,” which requires U.S. Customs and Border Protection to review and update manuals and policies related to inspections at ports of entry to ensure the effective detection of illegal smuggling of drugs and humans along the border.
S. 1858, the “Disaster Assistance Deadlines Alignment Act,” aligns the application deadline for the Disaster Unemployment Assistance program with the application deadline for assistance under the Individuals and Households program.
A press briefing was held at The White House by Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre and National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, covering the following topics for discussion and questions from reporters:
Women's Health Executive Order: President Biden signed an executive order to enhance and broaden research on women's health as part of Women's History Month initiatives. This includes a substantial investment by the NIH and supports the First Lady's efforts in women's health research, emphasizing the administration's commitment to addressing women's health challenges comprehensively.
Support for Black Men's Health: The White House Office of Public Engagement organized a roundtable to discuss President Biden's efforts to improve Black men's mental health. This session featured notable participants and highlighted the administration's broader mental health strategy, including the 988 hotline and community mental health centers.
Update on Middle East Situation: National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan provided an update on President Biden's conversation with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu regarding the situation in Israel and Gaza. The focus was on the military operations against Hamas, the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, and the strategic considerations for a sustainable peace. The U.S. and Israel discussed the importance of a coherent strategy to defeat Hamas without exacerbating the humanitarian situation, especially concerning potential operations in Rafah.
Efforts Towards a Ceasefire: Ongoing negotiations for a ceasefire in Gaza, aimed at releasing hostages and addressing the humanitarian crisis, were highlighted. The U.S. is actively involved in these talks, emphasizing the urgent need for a ceasefire to facilitate humanitarian aid.
Strategic and Humanitarian Considerations: The briefing detailed concerns about a proposed Israeli military operation in Rafah, given the potential for civilian casualties and the impact on the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. The U.S. proposed alternative strategies to address security concerns without resorting to extensive military operations.
Biden's Dialogue with Netanyahu: The conversation between President Biden and Prime Minister Netanyahu was described as businesslike, focusing on their shared goal of defeating Hamas but differing on the approach, particularly regarding Rafah.
International Concerns and Collaboration: The briefing touched on international reactions to the conflict, Rafah's strategic importance, and the potential consequences of a military operation there. It underscored the U.S.'s commitment to finding a solution that addresses security and humanitarian needs.
A background press call provided updates on U.S. efforts to counter the misuse of commercial spyware and developments from the Third Summit for Democracy, hosted by South Korea. The main points discussed included:
Expansion of the Coalition: The U.S. announced six new countries joining a joint diplomatic statement against commercial spyware misuse, expanding the coalition to 17 governments. This statement outlines a shared vision of the threat posed by spyware and suggests actions to combat it.
Remarks by Secretary of State Antony Blinken: Blinken highlighted the coalition's growth and reiterated the commitment to counter spyware's proliferation.
Side Event on Spyware Misuse: A side event featured discussions among various stakeholders, including journalists targeted by spyware, investors, and tech representatives, emphasizing the collaborative efforts across sectors to address spyware threats.
Poland's Involvement: The Polish Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs shared insights on Poland's challenges with spyware, underscoring the reasons for joining the joint statement.
U.S. Actions: The U.S. has taken concrete steps, such as visa bans and financial sanctions against spyware vendors, demonstrating a commitment to tackling this issue.
International Collaboration: The call underscored efforts to create an international framework for regulating spyware, including discussions on export controls and the role of investor communities in promoting responsible capital use.
Concerns and Challenges: Questions from the press addressed the need for a unified approach to spyware regulation, the role of Gulf countries, India, and Israel in these discussions, and the involvement of major tech companies like Google and Apple in policy formulation.
Future Directions: The conversation highlighted the ongoing and future efforts to expand the coalition and take collective action against the misuse of commercial spyware, indicating a growing momentum in this area.
First Lady Dr. Jill Biden gave remarks at the signing of President Biden’s Executive Order on Advancing Women’s Health Research. She highlighted the historical neglect and underfunding of women's health research, illustrating it with a poignant example from the early 1970s, where a study on estrogen and heart attacks excluded women entirely despite women being half the population. This neglect has led to a significant gap in medical knowledge and treatment options tailored for women. However, she announced a pivotal change with President Joe Biden signing an executive order aimed at advancing research in women's health, marking it as the most comprehensive of its kind in history.
This executive order is a significant step toward rectifying healthcare research and treatment disparities for women. Jill Biden emphasized the importance of understanding and addressing health conditions that affect women uniquely, disproportionately, or differently. She praised the Biden administration's commitment to prioritizing women's health research. She outlined the measures taken to accelerate progress in this area, including the establishment of ARPA-H and significant proposed investments in women's health research. The First Lady's speech underscored the administration's determination to transform women's healthcare, ensuring that future generations of women receive more informed, effective, and equitable medical care.
President Biden expressed his congratulations to Volkswagen autoworkers in Chattanooga, Tennessee, for filing for a union election with the UAW (United Auto Workers). He highlighted that many of Volkswagen's international plants are unionized and voiced his belief that American workers should also have the opportunity to have a say in their workplace. Biden emphasized that the decision to join a union is one that belongs to the workers, underscoring his stance as the most pro-union president in American history.
President Biden and Prime Minister Netanyahu had a telephone discussion focusing on the ongoing hostage negotiations in Qatar and the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. President Biden emphasized the importance of significantly increasing the flow of lifesaving aid to those in need in Gaza, particularly in the north. He expressed deep concern about the possibility of a major ground operation in Rafah, which could affect over one million displaced civilians seeking shelter.
The President highlighted the need to combat Hamas in Gaza while also ensuring the protection of civilians and the unobstructed delivery of humanitarian aid across the region. Both leaders agreed to have their teams meet in Washington soon to explore alternative strategies that focus on targeting key Hamas elements and securing the Egypt-Gaza border without initiating a major ground operation in Rafah.
President Biden signs Executive Order on Advancing Women’s Health Research and Innovation
