Office of Intergovernmental Affairs

White House Weekly Recap

for State, local, Tribal officials

On behalf of the White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs (IGA), we are

providing you this top-line update of this week's resources, news, and guidance from

your Federal partners to help you serve your fellow citizens including:

Recap of COVID-19 National Briefing Call

Details of Another Month of Historic Job Growth

Designation of Wilmington, NC as First American WWII Heritage City

How the Trump Administration Is Committed to the Rule of Law and Keeping

Communities Safe

Update on Operation Warp Speed to Deliver Safe and Effective COVID-19

Vaccines and Therapeutics

Expanded Healthcare Access to Rural America

USDA Extension of Free Meals for Kids Program

The Vice President’s Briefing with Higher Education Leaders and State and Local

Officials on Campus COVID-19 Considerations

The First Lady's National Alcohol and Drug Addiction Recovery Month Event

Airport Improvement Grants Announcement

We appreciate your partnership and will continue to share pertinent updates as they

become available. As a reminder, IGA is the primary liaison between the White House

and America's State and local elected officials and Tribal governments. Please do not

hesitate to reach out if we can ever be of assistance.

Sincerely,

The White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs

William F. Crozer

Special Assistant to the President & Deputy Director

O: 202-456-8491 | C: 202-881-8545 | E: William.F.Crozer@who.eop.gov

@WilliamCrozer45

Nick Barbknecht

Associate Director

Cell 202-881-9124

Nicolas.Barbknecht2@who.eop.gov

Gabby Uli

Deputy Associate Director

Cell 202-881-8552

Gabriella.M.Uli2@who.eop.gov

COVID-19 National Briefing Call Recap

Ambassador Deborah Birx (White House Coronavirus Task Force

Coordinator): Dr. Birx highlighted her recent travel in Iowa, North Dakota, Illinois,

and Minnesota where she met with State, local, and Tribal leaders on COVID-19

response and recovery. Dr. Birx noted that we are seeing positive trends nationwide,

including a 35 percent decline in hospitalizations and cases since the peak 4-5 weeks

ago. We are also seeing declines in mortalities, which is an important lagging indicator.

Dr. Birx noted that the majority of cases we are seeing is through community/family

gatherings and she emphasized the importance of colleges and universities having

robust testing and contact tracing plans in place given the recent spikes in case positivity

rates we are seeing in college and university towns across the country.

Admiral Brett Giroir (Assistant Secretary of Health, U.S. Department of

Health and Human Services): ADM Giroir provided an update on the Federal

government's efforts to scale testing and support States, Tribes, and Localities across the

country. This includes the recent surge of Federal testing support and personnel to

Phoenix, Arizona (Pima County) and Honolulu, Hawaii. ADM Giroir highlighted the

Trump Administration's recent announcement regarding the purchase and

production of 150 million rapid tests to be distributed across the country. He also gave

an overview of the Administration's recent actions to protect our nation's seniors by

strengthening COVID-19 surveillance with new testing requirements for nursing

homes and other providers. The Administration continues to surge resources to our

Nation's nursing homes - including having already shipped over 2 million point-of-care

tests and over 5,600 point-of-care machines to the highest risk nursing homes (read

more here). The Administration is also distributing $5 billion more in Provider Relief

Funds for nursing homes - the first $2.5 billion of these funds will be distributed to help

nursing homes cover testing, PPE, and staffing expenses.

Ted McKinney (Under Secretary, U.S. Department of Agriculture):

Undersecretary McKinney detailed the USDA's work to care for all Americans from the

food supply chain to feeding America's children with the latest programs while

supporting America's farmers.

Jim Carroll (Director, Office of National Drug Control Policy -

ONDCP): Monday, August 31st marked International Overdose Awareness Day. To

mark the occasion, ONDCP joined our Federal partners at the Department of Health and

Human Services (HHS) and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) to unveil an

infographic explaining to first responders how they can safely administer

naloxone during the COVID-19 pandemic. As naloxone is frequently administered

nasally, concerns about possible COVID-19 transmission while employing the life-saving

drug caused understandable unease among some police, EMTs, and others. The

infographic explains in straightforward fashion how reasonable precautions can ensure

naloxone can be administered without fear of contracting COVID-19 in the critical

moments immediately following an overdose. Please share this naloxone guidance

during the COVID-19 pandemic with all of your first responders.

Keith Turi (Assistant Administrator for Recovery, Federal Emergency

Management Agency): Turi discussed new interim guidance from FEMA that

clarifies eligible work under the Public Assistance program as part of the response to

COVID-19. The interim policy defines the framework, details and requirements for

eligibility of work and costs under the Public Assistance Program to ensure consistent

and appropriate implementation across all COVID-19 emergency and major disaster

declarations. Only work associated with the performance of emergency protective

measures specifically listed in this policy is eligible for Public Assistance in COVID-19-

declared events. The interim policy is applicable to eligible applicants only and is

exclusive to emergency and major disaster declarations for the COVID-19 pandemic. The

guidance applies to work performed on or after September 15, 2020.

READ MORE: Americans are anxious to get back to work and to send their

children to school. The science backs them up. - Dr. Scott Atlas, Advisor to

the President

August Delivers Another Month of Historic Job Growth

Nominal average hourly earnings jumped up 0.4% in August

The amount of jobs added to the U.S. economy over the past 4 months, has surpassed

expectations by a combined 12.2 million jobs.

A record 10.6 million jobs have been gained since April, bringing back about 50% of the jobs

lost from the lockdowns.

249,000 retail, 174,000 leisure and hospitality, and 45,000 manufacturing and constructions

jobs were added in August.

American economy gained nearly 1.4 million jobs in August, making it the fourth month in a

row of over 1 million jobs added.

The Great American Comeback is underway all across our Nation!

Unlike the previous administration, which led a historically slow recovery, President Trumps’

pro-growth policies are unleashing a great American comeback and the recovery continues to

trounce the Obama administration’s sluggish recovery. Under Obama, it took nearly 9 years for

the unemployment rate to drop 6.3 percentage points, something achieved in just 4 months

under President Trump.

@realDonaldTrump: Great Jobs Numbers! 1.37 Million Jobs Added In August.

Unemployment Rate Falls To 8.4% (Wow, much better than expected!). Broke the

10% level faster and deeper than thought possible.

The unemployment rate has fallen to a level that forecasters didn’t expect to reach even by the

end of the year.

The CBO projected in July that we would end the year with a 10.5 percent

unemployment rate.

The Federal Reserve predicted the unemployment rate would be 9.3 percent by the end

of 2020.

The unemployment rate dropped by 1.8 percentage points to 8.4%, beating expectations

which only predicted a 0.4 percentage point decrease.

The August unemployment rate drop is the second largest decrease on record.

The unemployment rate fell for African Americans (-1.6 percentage points), Hispanic

Americans (-2.4 percentage points), and Asian Americans (-1.3 percentage points).

In addition, those without a high schools diplomas saw a 2.8 percentage point decrease

in unemployment, while the rate for adult women fell by 2.1 percentage points – the

second largest drop ever.

Trump Administration Designates Wilmington, North Carolina

as First American World War II Heritage City

On Wednesday, September 2, President Trump and U.S. Secretary of the Interior David

Bernhardt traveled to and designated the city of Wilmington, North Carolina as the

first American World War II Heritage City. The designation recognizes the countless

contributions of the women and men who stepped into the workforce to support

America's successful campaign during World War II.

� Watch the President's Remarks

� Read More from North Carolina Lt. Governor Dan Forest: Wilmington

and North Carolina's Battleship Have Earned Their National Praise

The City of Wilmington, known as the "Defense Capital of the State," was home to

several strategic defense industries, including the North Carolina

Shipbuilding Company. The city more than doubled in population during the war as

workers built 243 ships in five years and supported other rapidly expanding industries.

Wilmington, NC also served as a critical training hub for each branch of the military, and

it is now also home to the U.S.S. North Carolina, a battleship that took part in every

major naval offensive in the Pacific.

The Trump Administration is Committed to Keeping

Communities Safe; Operation Legend Update

On Tuesday, September 1, President Trump traveled to Kenosha, Wisconsin (population

~100,000) to view the impact of recent violence and rioting. The President met with

impacted small business owners and discussed response and recovery needs with

Federal, State, and local leaders, including law enforcement personnel. President Trump

underscored the Administration's full support for law enforcement and commitment to

restoring law and order to communities across the country.

� Watch the full Kenosha Roundtable with President Trump

READ MORE: President Donald J. Trump and Attorney General William

Barr Announce $41 Million in Emergency Funding to Address the Public

Safety Crisis in Wisconsin

“Law enforcement has just done such a great job working with the National Guard and working

with a lot of people . . . we’re here to show our support for Kenosha.” - President Trump

Across the Nation, Federal law enforcement is coordinating with State and local law

enforcement to bring justice to rioters, looters, arsonists, and other criminals preying on

our communities. Operation Legend—a Department of Justice-led initiative to

fight violent crime in America’s cities—has resulted in more than 2,000

arrests in less than 2 months. 147 arrests have been made for homicide; more than

544 firearms have been taken off the streets; and more than seven kilos of fentanyl, 14

kilos of heroin, 12 kilos of cocaine, and 50 kilos of methamphetamine have been seized.

In Kansas City, where the operation launched, the murder rate has been cut by 33

percent. In Chicago, the murder rate has been cut in half over the last month. Read

more here.

@Mike_Pence: I’m proud to report that since we launched Operation

LeGend, local & federal law enforcement have made more than 2,000

arrests, including suspects 90 homicides. The operation in LeGend's name

is going to continue to bring peace & security to cities across America, so

help us God.

Local News Roundup

� KRQE (Albuquerque): Operation Legend makes 2,000 arrests since July,

35 in Albuquerque

� Fox 32 (Chicago): Operation Legend responsible for 100 arrests so far in

Chicago

� 19 News (Cleveland): 54 people charged with federal crimes in Cleveland

since Operation Legend started

� Local 4 (Detroit): Operation Legend in Detroit - More than 40 people

charged with federal offenses

� KMBC (Kansas City): Prosecutors say 355 arrests made so far under

Operation LeGend

� KSDK (St. Louis): Here's how many violent offenders have been charged

since Operation Legend launched in St. Louis

Update on Trump Administration's Operation Warp Speed

On August 31, President Trump provided an update on Operation Warp Speed

announcing that a Phase III clinical testing of AstraZeneca's Coronavirus vaccine

candidate has begun. The trial will enroll approximately 30,000 adult volunteers at 80

sites in the United States to evaluate if the candidate vaccine can prevent symptomatic

coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

In total, three Operation Warp Speed-supported candidates are in Phase 3 trials in the

United States, and more are expected to enter United States Phase 3 trials by the end of

September.

Secretary Alex Azar: How We're Developing a COVID-19 Vaccine at 'Warp

Speed'

About Operation Warp Speed: On May 15, President Trump announced the

launch of Operation Warp Speed (OWS) to deliver safe and effective coronavirus

treatments and vaccines as quickly as possible. OWS aims to begin delivery of 300

million doses of an FDA authorized, safe and effective vaccine for COVID-19 by the end

of the year as part of a broader strategy to accelerate the development, manufacturing,

and distribution of COVID-19 vaccines, therapeutics, and diagnostics. OWS is a

partnership among components of the Department of Health and Human Services and

the Department of Defense, engaging with private firms and other federal agencies, and

coordinating among existing HHS-wide efforts, including the NIH’s Accelerating

COVID-19 Therapeutic Interventions and Vaccines (ACTIV) partnership, NIH’s Rapid

Acceleration of Diagnostics (RADx) initiative, and work by the Biomedical Advanced

Research and Development Authority within the HHS Office of the SAssistant Secretary

for Preparedness and Response. Find a helpful Fact Sheet here.

The Trump Administration Delivers on its Promise to Expand

Healthcare Access in Rural America; Releases Rural Action Plan

On Tuesday, August 2, the Trump Administration delivered on the promise to expand

healthcare access in and improve outcomes for rural America. Following President

Trump's August 3rd Executive Order on Improving Rural Health and Telehealth Access,

the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), U.S. Department of Health and

Human Services (HHS), and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced a

memorandum of understanding to work together on the Rural Telehealth Initiative.

@SecretarySonny: Increasing access to quality telehealth services is

critical especially now . . .

@FCC: Today, @FCC, @HHSgov, & @USDA announced the Rural

Telehealth Initiative, a joint effort to collabroate & share info . . .

On Thursday, September 3, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)

released a Rural Action Plan evaluating existing and upcoming efforts to improve rural

healthcare. The plan is the first HHS-wide assessment of rural healthcare efforts in more

than 18 years and the product of HHS’s Rural Task Force, a group of experts and leaders

across the department first put together by Secretary Azar in 2019.

@SecAzarL: @HHSGov, @USDA, and @FCC just teamed up on the Rural

Telehealth Initiative to help ensure rural America has access to broadband

and #telehealth . . .

The plan lays out a four-point strategy to transform rural health and human services,

with a number of actions that can be launched within weeks or months. The four points

of the strategy are:

Building a sustainable health and human services model for rural communities,

including actions such as:

Leveraging technology and innovation, including:

Focusing on preventing disease and mortality, including:

Increasing rural access to care, including:

READ MORE: HHS Releases Rural Action Plan

More Rural Health Resources

Executive Order on Improving Rural Health and Telehealth Access

President Donald J. Trump Is Expanding Access to Telehealth

Services and Ensuring Continued Access to Healthcare for Rural

Americans

Trump administration aims to keep telehealth revolution here to stay

Deregulation Sparks Dramatic Telehealth Increase During the

COVID-19 Response

President Trump and Secretary Shulkin Announce Veteran Telehealth

Initiatives

The Trump Administration Extends Free Meals for Kids

Program Through December

On August 31, the Trump Administration - through the U.S. Department of Agriculture

(USDA) - announced it will extend the free meals for kids program through December

21, 2020. The flexibility allows summer meal program operators to continue serving free

meals to all children into the fall months. This unprecedented move will help ensure - no

matter what the situation is on-the-ground - children have access to nutritious food as

the country recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic.

@SecretarySonny: Today at Bonaire Elementary School in Georgia I

announced USDA will extend free school meals for kids through December

31st

Since the start of the public health emergency, USDA's Food and Nutrition Service has

been maximizing existing program services and flexibilities to ensure those in need have

access to food through our 15 federal nutrition assistance programs. To date, USDA has

provided more than 3,000 flexibilities across these programs. USDA has also leveraged

new and innovative approaches to feeding kids, including a public-private

partnership that provided nearly 40 million meals directly to the doorsteps of low-

income rural children. For more information on FNS’ response to COVID-19,

visit fns.usda.gov/coronavirus.

READ MORE: USDA Extends Free Meals for Kids Through December 31,

2020

The Vice President’s Briefing with Higher Education Leaders

and State and Local Officials on Campus COVID-19

Considerations

On Friday, August 4, Vice President Mike Pence led a discussion with college presidents,

State and local leaders, the Secretary of Education, and members of the White House

Coronavirus Task Force to brief them on the principles contained in the recently

released “Recommendations for College Students.” These principles are intended

to keep schools open while mitigating community spread.

The Vice President highlighted a number of states and institutions that have taken

innovative and collaborative approaches to return students to their campuses. For

example: Colorado State University is using surveillance testing to monitor the potential

spread of COVID-19 and the University of Notre Dame quickly and efficiently dealt with

an outbreak on campus. The Vice President also emphasized the importance of keeping

our schools open and students on or near campus, and praised the efforts of all essential

workers who have made school reopening possible, including teachers.

READ MORE: Readout from the Vice President’s Briefing with Higher

Education Leaders and State and Local Officials on Campus COVID-19

Considerations

CDC Guidance for Schools & Higher Education Institutions Reopening

The CDC has released science-based resources and tools for school administrators,

teachers, parents, guardians, and caregivers when schools open this fall. The CDC

discusses the importance of reopening America’s schools this fall here noting that “as

families and policymakers make decisions about their children returning to school, it is

important to consider the full spectrum of benefits and risks of both in-person and

virtual learning options.” As noted previously by CDC Director Redfield, the

CDC is able to provide technical assistance to any State, school district, or

school. Please let us know if you have any interest.

K-12 Schools Guidance & Considerations here.

Higher Education Institutions Guidance & Considerations here.

White House Coronavirus Task Force Recommendations for College Students

here.

American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) COVID-19 Planning Considerations – Guidance

for School Re-entry: Full Guidance here.

National Alcohol and Drug Addiction Recovery Month Event

On Thursday, August 3, First Lady Melania Trump and the White House Office of

National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) partnered together to host “Recovery Works:

Celebrating Connections” in recognition of National Alcohol and Drug Addiction

Recovery Month. The White House officially commemorated Recovery Month with

a Proclamation Issued by President Trump on August 31, 2020.

The First Lady was joined by ONDCP Director Jim Carroll, Surgeon General

Jerome Adams, National Economic Council Director Larry Kudlow, First Lady of North

Dakota Kathryn Burgum, and recovery-friendly employers and their employees.

The First Lady opened the roundtable by thanking ONDCP, and those in attendance, for

recognizing all Americans in recovery and the incredible organizations that support

them. Mrs. Trump emphasized that “today, we are here to highlight two important

things in recovery: the power of recovery tools and resources in the workplace, and the

role personal connection to others plays in achieving sobriety.” The First Lady’s Be Best

initiative expands upon these themes by promoting healthy relationships and strong

families, and by supporting the people and programs in communities that give children

their best chance to succeed.

READ MORE: Readout from The White House National Alcohol and Drug

Addiction Recovery Month Event

Trump Administration Announces $1.2 Billion in Infrastructure

Grants to America's Airports

On Tuesday, September 1, U.S. Secretary of Transportation Elaine L. Chao announced

that the Trump Administration will award more than $1.2 billion in airport safety and

infrastructure grants through the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to 405

airports in 50 states and the Federated States of Micronesia, the Marshall Islands, the

Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, Palau, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

@SecElaineChao: Good news for America’s airports! Announcing today

$1.2 billion in federal funds to 405 airports in 50 states and 6 territories.

These dollars will improve our nation’s airport infrastructure and enhance

safety. Congratulations!

A complete listing of grants (PDF) and an interactive map of airports receiving

funding is available on the FAA's website. The total includes over $1 billion from the

Airport Improvement Program (AIP) and $152 million in Coronavirus Aid,

Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act grants to equal a 100 percent federal

share.