Biden: ‘US has no better partner than France’
Joe and Jill Biden have welcomed French president Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte to the White House for the first official state visit of the Biden administration.
Their meeting today, followed by a state dinner this evening, will cast a spotlight on the sometimes frosty recent relations between the US and one of its closest allies.
Biden was warm and fulsome in praise as he welcomed his French counterpart:
The United States could not ask for a better partner in its work than France.
For centuries, we’ve come together, charted a course toward a world of greater freedom, greater opportunity, greater dignity, and greater peace.
Macron was equally magnanimous, addressing the Bidens as “Dear Joe, and dear Jill”:
We’re both honored and moved to be with you at the White House, because our two nations are sisters in their fight for freedom.
Their bond was tested a year ago when Macron was blindsided by a security deal involving the US and UK that resulted in Australia tearing up a $90bn contract with France to buy nuclear submarines.
Biden sought to repair his broken personal and political relationship with Macron by apologizing in Rome last October, and admitting the US had been been “clumsy” in its handling of the episode. Exchanges since have suggested a thaw.
The Bidens greeted the Macrons with kisses after they emerged from their limousine. They shook hands with a line of dignitaries before posing for a photo op and listening to the countries’ national anthems before heading inside.
They will make further remarks following their talks at a press conference currently scheduled for 11.45am.
In her Wednesday briefing, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre would not be drawn on the content of the discussions, but almost certain to be on the agenda are Russia’s war in Ukraine, inflation, the climate emergency, China’s growing influence on the world stage, and US-European relations. And probably also soccer’s World Cup, in which the US and French teams have both qualified for the knockout stage.
“France is our oldest ally. And the president looks forward to meeting with President Macron,” Jean-Pierre said.
She hinted the recently passed inflation reduction act would come up: “It presents significant opportunities for European firms, as well as benefits to EU energy security. And this is not a zero-sum game for us.
“We see a constructive path of engagement with the EU on this [but] I’m just not going to get ahead of what will be on the agenda in their conversation.”
Key events
Here’s some more of Emmanuel Macron’s comments at the White House this morning, as he responded to Joe Biden’s remarks that the US and France had charted a centuries-long course together for world freedoms:
We bear a duty to this shared history. As war returns to the European soil following Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, and in light of multiple crises our nations and our societies face, we need to become brothers in arms once more.
This spirit of fraternity must enable us to build an agenda of ambition and hope because our two countries share the same faith in freedom, in democratic values, in empowerment through education and work, and in progress through science and knowledge.
Macron went on to address issues including the climate emergency, attacks on democracy around the globe:
Our democracies on both sides of the ocean are being shaken by the same doubts as to our ability to be sufficiently strong and effective when it comes to the challenges we share, those of the climate through do politics and technology. They’re endowed in the face of relativism, hate speech [and] false information and today’s fears.
We’re united today by the same determination and the same strength of mind. Together we need to find a path to offer a future for our children, one of justice, prosperity and equality.
The two leaders are holding their bilateral meeting now, and we expect to hear from them again at about 11.45am ET.
Durbin: Republicans stalling on rail strike deal
Senate Democrats say the passage of a bill to avert a national rail strike is in Republicans’ hands, after the House passed legislation yesterday to prevent it.
The chamber needs to also approve the measure to send it to Joe Biden’s desk, and earlier it looked like Bernie Sanders, the Vermont independent senator who caucuses with the Democrats, could be the one to derail its fast-track progress.
He wants a guaranteed seven paid sick days for rail workers, while the deal as it stands offers only one.
But on Thursday, Dick Durbin, senator for Illinois and the chamber’s No 2 Democrat, told CNN that it was Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell who appeared to be foot dragging on helping to schedule a vote:
I talked to [Senate majority leader] Chuck Schumer this morning about it and he’s still waiting for a sign from Senator McConnell that he’s ready for us to call this measure.
It takes bipartisanship to get to the measure, it takes bipartisanship to pass. So we can’t do it without help from the Republicans. The Democrats stand ready to back the president.
Read more:
It’s a bold gambit by the Americans, to meet the French in an arena over which they have long been masters par excellence: wine and cheese.
But such is Jill Biden’s sang-froid that she will offer America’s best to the French president, Emmanuel Macron, his wife, Brigitte Macron, and their entourage at a lavish White House dinner on Thursday – just one of the elaborate details and valuable gifts forming part of the diplomatic dance surrounding this state visit.
As the Élysée Palace unveiled a list of gifts that Macron will offer his American counterpart, Joe Biden, including a luxurious Christofle cup, the US president’s wife revealed the setting and menu for the night’s gala dinner.
It will be served under a large tent in the gardens, on tables laden with candlesticks and flowers in the colors of the two countries.
Lobster will feature – 200 live shellfish have made their last trip, to Washington – along with beef, squash from the White House garden, and cake, among other delicacies.
But the first lady particularly insisted on serving American cheeses, including a blue cheese from north-western Oregon that was the first American product to win the world cheese championships, in 2019.
Read the full story:
Biden: ‘US has no better partner than France’
Joe and Jill Biden have welcomed French president Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte to the White House for the first official state visit of the Biden administration.
Their meeting today, followed by a state dinner this evening, will cast a spotlight on the sometimes frosty recent relations between the US and one of its closest allies.
Biden was warm and fulsome in praise as he welcomed his French counterpart:
The United States could not ask for a better partner in its work than France.
For centuries, we’ve come together, charted a course toward a world of greater freedom, greater opportunity, greater dignity, and greater peace.
Macron was equally magnanimous, addressing the Bidens as “Dear Joe, and dear Jill”:
We’re both honored and moved to be with you at the White House, because our two nations are sisters in their fight for freedom.
Their bond was tested a year ago when Macron was blindsided by a security deal involving the US and UK that resulted in Australia tearing up a $90bn contract with France to buy nuclear submarines.
Biden sought to repair his broken personal and political relationship with Macron by apologizing in Rome last October, and admitting the US had been been “clumsy” in its handling of the episode. Exchanges since have suggested a thaw.
The Bidens greeted the Macrons with kisses after they emerged from their limousine. They shook hands with a line of dignitaries before posing for a photo op and listening to the countries’ national anthems before heading inside.
They will make further remarks following their talks at a press conference currently scheduled for 11.45am.
In her Wednesday briefing, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre would not be drawn on the content of the discussions, but almost certain to be on the agenda are Russia’s war in Ukraine, inflation, the climate emergency, China’s growing influence on the world stage, and US-European relations. And probably also soccer’s World Cup, in which the US and French teams have both qualified for the knockout stage.
“France is our oldest ally. And the president looks forward to meeting with President Macron,” Jean-Pierre said.
She hinted the recently passed inflation reduction act would come up: “It presents significant opportunities for European firms, as well as benefits to EU energy security. And this is not a zero-sum game for us.
“We see a constructive path of engagement with the EU on this [but] I’m just not going to get ahead of what will be on the agenda in their conversation.”
Good morning, US politics followers, and welcome to Le Blog, so named to commemorate French president Emmanuel Macron’s official visit to Washington, and a full day of activities including a head-to-head with Joe Biden and a state dinner later with 400 guests.
The leaders will hold a bilateral meeting at 10am ET, and talk about it at a lunchtime press conference. Subjects on the agenda are likely to include Russia’s war in Ukraine, and business and political relations between the US, France and the European Union.
We’ll bring you comments from the two presidents when they speak later on.
Here’s what else we’re watching today:
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The Senate will be debating a bill passed Wednesday in the House of Representatives seeking to avert a national rail strike, but fast-track approval remains in doubt following opposition from progressive Vermont senator Bernie Sanders over paid sick days.
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Barack Obama heads to Georgia for a rally in support of incumbent Democrat Raphael Warnock. The former president’s visit comes as Warnock’s Republican challenger in next week’s runoff election, Herschel Walker, faces new domestic violence allegations from an ex-girlfriend.
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Hillary and Chelsea Clinton will host a summit on women’s rights in Little Rock, Arkansas.
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Vice-president Kamala Harris and secretary of state Antony Blinken are hosting a luncheon for Macron at the state department.