Vice Presidential Pool Reports of October 20, 2021

VP Print Pool Report #1

Good morning. I will be the print pooler for the vice president's roundtable with federal workers.

Labor Secretary Marty Walsh and Office of Personnel Management Director Kiran Ahuja will also attend. Gather time for pool is 11:15 a.m. Event begins at 11:35 a.m.

Press will be in the room for the beginning of meeting. The vice president will give opening remarks, then Secretary Walsh will speak, per the vice president's office.

Pool will not be in the room for the rest of the meeting. It will be livestreamed here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cQq_Mn6g890

VP Print Pool Report #2

The pool is holding in the South Court auditorium for the vice president's meeting with federal workers.

Secretary Walsh and VP desks are set up on stage right. A third desk is on stage left.

Walsh's desk is closest to audience, VP's desk is behind it.

There are five individuals on the screen facing the audience. They are all waiting on video chat for the event to begin. Full names and agencies forthcoming, event team seems to still be adjusting titles on screen.

The set on the stage in the auditorium has its usual windows and American flags. The screen behind the windows today displays a picture of a warehouse.
Signs on the set says: White House Task Force on Worker Organizing and Empowerment.

VP Print Pool Report #2a

Here are names of attendees on Zoom, per VP's office. Unions are in parenthesis.

- Warner "Andy" Venderheuel, Engine Captain, Firefighter, U.S. Forest Service (NFFE)
- Yolan Bender, Clinical Pharmacist, Department of Veterans Affairs (NFFE)
- Cheryl Monroe, Chemist at Federal Drug Administration, Department of Health and Human Services (NTEU)
- Erin Kidwell, Timber Technician at U.S. Forest Service, USDA (NFFE)
- Anita Autrey, Analyst, Center for Medicare and Medicaid (AFGE)

VP Print Pool Report #3

VP says at 11:54 a.m. has to leave to go break a tie vote for Catherine Lhamon nomination.

VP Print Pool Report #4

Here's what happened before Vice President Harris left the event to go to Capitol Hill.

Harris started speaking at 11:40 a.m. Staff sat in the audience, including her spokeswoman Symone Sanders.

Secretary Walsh spoke after the vice president. He wished Harris a happy birthday. Ahuja spoke next. Both Walsh and Ahuja wore the bracelets that indicate they received a coronavirus test from the White House today.

An aide handed the vice president a note during the speeches.

Pool was ushered out at 11:56 a.m., shortly after the vice president unexpectedly left the room to cast a tie-breaking vote in the Senate.

That's a wrap on pool duties for today. Have a good afternoon.