White House Correspondents Insider

Behind the scenes of the most powerful city in the world — Washington, D.C. — and those who cover it.

Biden White House Press Briefings Return to Full Capacity

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This week, the James S. Brady White House Press Briefing Room finally returned to full capacity for the first time since March 16, 2020, marking a hopeful landmark as the White House returns to pre-pandemic norms.

Photo courtesy of CBS News.

The change was announced by the White House Correspondents Association on Sunday, along with the reintroduction of the pre-pandemic seating chart for the press room, featuring reporters from NBC, Fox News, CBS News, the Associated Press, ABC News, Reuters and CNN, reported Politico. The WHCA also announced that press capacity limitations for the North Lawn and indoor press workspaces would be lifted as well.

For over a year, the White House press briefing room had a severely limited amount of available seating, forcing the WHCA to issue seating rotations to give each outlet an opportunity to ask their questions – an arrangement that had pleased then-President Donald Trump who admitted back in March 2020 that there were only “two or three” reporters that he actually liked, Philip Wegman of RealClearPolitics recounts. “We should get rid of another 75 to 80% of you,” the president remarked at the time.

In late May, the press room returned to 50% capacity, allowing – for the first time in over a year – a full lineup of news outlets to fill the 24 available seats. However, some reporters were alarmed on Monday to see the James S. Brady room make such a quick turnaround. White House reporter and Co-author of Politico’s West Wing Playbook Alex Thompson noted that the briefing room had around 83 attendees on the first day back – far more than the available 49 seats.

Shortly after the two-minute warning leading into the press briefing, an unnamed voice asked the additional reporters not to stand in the aisles, as was customary prior to the pandemic. However, the request was not heeded.

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki, who has been giving briefings to a limited audience since she first started at the White House, was quick to adjust to the crowded room, reports CBS News. “I’m very thrown off to where everyone’s seated – I’ll adjust to it,” Psaki quipped before taking questions.

According to a survey issued by the WHCA, more than 97% of its members reported being fully vaccinated, serving as motivation for the most recent changes. As early as two weeks ago, journalists were required to take nasal swabs before entering the briefing room. Now, per the WHCA’s new guidance, fully vaccinated journalists do not need to be tested and the White House will not be asking for proof of vaccination.

The White House Correspondents Association’s President Zeke Miller wrote in the announcement that, “Since the onset of the pandemic, our priority has been to keep journalists safe, while ensuring that the critical work of informing the public could continue uninterrupted.”

“We appreciate the sacrifices made by every member of the press corps and we thank you all for your cooperation over the last 15 months,” he added.

New York Times Names Cafe Milano Among Top Restaurants for DC Power Dining

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Clint Hill, Franco, Nuschese, Marcello Muzzatti and Daniel DeSimone at Cafe Milano, Photo Courtesy of Haddad Media

Clint Hill, Franco, Nuschese, Marcello Muzzatti and Daniel DeSimone at Cafe Milano, Photo Courtesy of Haddad Media

A New York Times story out Wednesday, October 19th named Franco Nuschese’s Cafe Milano among the top restaurants for power dining. According to the Times’ Shivani Vora, “with the presidential election just weeks away, the scene has been heating up throughout town.”

Cafe Milano has hosted numerous celebrities and politicos. Frequenters include President Obama and First Lady Michelle. Vice President Joe Biden celebrated his granddaughter Finnegan’s 18th birthday there.

Also on the list of top power dining include Georgetown’s Fiola Mare, 14th Street institution Le Diplomate, Centrolina, and NoMa newcomer Masseria.

For more on the DC power dining scene, check out Vora’s article here.

Watch Vice President Joe Biden’s Message to Federal Employees at the Sammies Awards

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The Samuel J Heyman Service to America awards were held Tuesday, September 20th and Vice President Joe Biden delivered a special message to the winners as well as all federal employees saying, “You could have chosen a number of professions and be making a lot more money, but you chose to serve your country. You’re professional, you’re dedicated. You’re the best the buy the American people get and they don’t know it.”

You can find photos from the big event below.

Sammies Awards 2016

Biden Meets The Veep

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At last, Washington can breathe easy since Vice President Joe Biden finally met Vice President Selina Meyer.

Or, to put it this way, Biden and his fictional counterpart (played by Julia Louis-Dreyfus) broke bread today after HBO premiered the first two episodes of VEEP season two last night at the MPAA. Per the AP report on the matter:

“The White House says after the former ‘Seinfeld’ star won an Emmy award for her performance in the first season of “Veep,” Biden called her to offer his congratulations.”

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Which is true, as she remarked on The Tonight Show about how Biden called her to remark on the performance she gives as V.P. Meyer:

The first two episodes of the second season played out among some notable D.C. entertainment folks like MPAA President Chris Dodd and Louis-Dreyfus’ former SNL co-hort Senator Al Franken. While spoilers are useless in a town like Washington, supposedly when V.P. Meyer heads to a pig roast it will be funnier than a sequester. And as for today, V.P. met Veep in the latest installment of Being Biden.
Veep Season 2 premieres this Sunday on HBO.

Biden Abroad Leaves White House Pool Wanting

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While most of Washington slept, Vice President Joe Biden was off in Rome amusing the White House Press Pool.

The first dispatches from Rome came in at 3:06 a.m. eastern time:

“Gorgeous Rome morning, a few stray clouds, no coat necessary despite a slight chill — after the rain of the past couple of days. Pool/staff drove to VP’s Rome digs. It’s the Villa Richardson — the official residence of the US Ambassador to the Holy See (a post that is currently vacant). Pool is having coffee in the basement kitchen.”

It only grew from there:

“Arrived St Peter’s 8:08 am local. Did not see VP but am told only he and delegation allowed to walk past uniformed Swiss guards through the basilica of St Peter. Staff/press escorted around.”

The mystery of where Veep Biden was would become an ongoing issue for the Pool:

“Are told VP Biden will have a front row seat in the official delegation section (right side of the altar when looking at the basilica). But have yet to spot him.”

“Press area is a Tower of Babel — Italian, Spanish, Portuguese and others your pooler cannot identify.”

Even during the service, the Pool had to merely assume Biden was in attendance:

“The VP is sitting on an aisle seat and his sister Valerie is sitting next to him, according to the VP’s office. We cannot spot him from our bird’s-eye perch.”

and finally:
“Took off about 1:40 pm Rome time. Landed Ramstein Air Base in Germany at 3:10 pm local. Refueling stop. It’s raining. No VP encounter on this short leg. Should note that VP ended up more in the middle of the delegations at the mass. Previous pool suggested he might end up at the front.”

Biden is on his way back to the United States and will next be speaking in New York at the Irish America Hall of Fame luncheon on Thursday. The Press Corps will undoubtedly have an easier time keeping track of him in the Big Apple.

Insider Round-Up for the Day After The Inauguration

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The Inaugural is over and now Capitol Hill can (supposedly) get back to business. Here’s what you need to read so you too can say, “What about the Al Roker snub?”

  • Al Roker got snubbed by ‘interviewed’ President Obama and Vice President Biden while walking to the parade box.
  • Photobombs were dropped left and right during the ceremonial swearing-in. From Bill Clinton to Joe Biden and even “Grumpy” Gohmert made an appearence.
  • At our event with Huffington Post and Third Way, we had Old Ebbitt Grill staples like mini-lobster rolls, chicken empanadas, tuna tartare, oysters, chorizo and manchengo…oh, the list goes on. Even the Inaugural Luncheon sounded good. While our event was fantastic according to Variety, the Inaugural Ball itself got the short end of the culinary stick with Presidential Cheez It.
  • The stars came out to the district according to Politico:

    “Guests who had less trouble getting to the event, held at the Harman Center for the Arts, included the Goo Goo Dolls, Richard Kind, Tim Daly, Melissa Leo (wearing a maroon velvet pantsuit), Evan Handler and Wayne Knight. Knight of ‘Seinfeld’ fame applauded President Barack Obama for speaking ‘from his heart’ during his inaugural address. Handler, known for his role on ‘Sex and the City,’ agreed. ‘He did a great job with his speech,’ the actor said.”

  • People were definitely not shouting “Boo-urns” at Rep. Paul Ryan according to the Huffington Post. (It was “Boo!”)
  • Beyoncé lip-synched at the Inaugural. Let the Internet go crazy!

    • Insider Round-Up: The Gun Control Annonucement

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    The Inaugural isn’t the only thing happening on Capitol Hill today, along with President Obama’s 11:55 a.m. gun control program. Below is our round-up for what’s worth reading.

  • The New York Times lays out President Obama’s talking points, fact sheet and executive orders including “improve incentives for states to share information with the background check system.”
  • CNN explains what “universal background checks” are hinting at:
    “The “universal background checks” now being pushed by some gun control supporters is code for closing federal loopholes on such checks at gun shows and other private sales.”

  • The Wall Street Journal asks what qualifies as an assault rifle:
    “The definition of assault weapon is in the eye of the beholder. How it’s defined will depend on whatever legislation is proposed in Congress. Many of the firearms identified as assault weapons are semi-automatic rifles that look like weapons used by the military. An example is the Bushmaster rifle used in the Newtown, Conn., shootings.”

  • Politico already thinks the gun plan is “doomed:”
    “Interviews with multiple House Republicans from the Midwest and Northeast reveal almost zero appetite to vote on any sort of sweeping gun bill. In the month after the school shooting in Newtown, Conn., none have brought up the issue with Speaker John Boehner. Without internal pressure from such center-right Republicans, and given his difficulties with restive conservatives in his conference, Boehner would seem to have little political incentive to move on guns.”

  • Polygon examines the importance of the president’s call for the Center of Disease Control and exploring the effects of violence from video games:
    “For years, the CDC and other federally funded scientific agencies have been barred by Congress from using funds to “advocate or promote gun control.” Some have argued that that ban prevented the organizations from conducting research into the causes of gun violence. Today’s Presidential Memorandum on the topic looks to discount that argument.”

  • Meanwhile, the NRA ad targeting the president’s kids is called “repugnant and cowardly” while the NRA defends itself to WaPo:
    “‘The main aim of the ad is to make sure that we all act to keep our children safe. It’s not aimed at anyone’s child in particular,’ he said. ‘Anyone who claims otherwise is intentionally trying to change the topic or missing the point completely.'”

  • And yes, as The Daily Beast points out, there is an NRA game for iOS:
    “The NRA did not respond to requests for comment on the app from The Daily Beast or, apparently, any other news organization. If the app were an ugly hoax, the NRA would have been justified in crowing that it had been set up, and the media bought it hook, line, and sinker. Instead, crickets—a tacit admission of at least some guilt. My guess is that the app had been commissioned and forgotten about. But silence ain’t going to make the thing go away. At least someone decided they’d better change the age appropriateness of the app to ages 12 and up—because that will make it all better.”

    • Biden Breaks Out at the 113th Congress

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    The 113th United States Congress was sworn into office Thursday with the traditional smooth moves of Vice President Biden.

    CNN frames the 113th by the numbers while Buzzfeed keeps running with them into the 11 Surprisingly Endearing Pictures of Congressmen Getting Sworn In. MSNBC breaks down the race and sexuality of the new congress–also by the numbers–while the National Journal completes its own link dump.

    Which is why we come back to the Veep video. You can break down Congress all you want with your lists of numbers, numbered lists and numerals followed by links. At the end of the work day all hardworking people care about is how smooth is that man that made it cool to commute from Delaware to D.C. While the actual staffers are fretting about upcoming legislation or freaking out about jobs numbers. Stop. Relax.

    And then sign this petition to have an official reality show about Biden:

    Vice President Joe Biden has a demonstrated ability to bring people together, whether at the negotiating table or at the neighborhood diner. We, therefore, urge the Obama Administration to authorize the production of a recurring C-SPAN television program featuring the daily activities and interactions of the Vice President with elected officials, foreign dignitaries and everyday American families. Such a program would educate the American public about the duties and responsibilities of their Vice President, while providing a glimpse of the lighthearted side of politics even in the midst of contentious and divisive national debates.

    We’ve got until February 3rd.

    Brief Moments in Biden: The Other Kerry for Secretary of State

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    Not only is Vice President Biden crashing parties and giving speeches, but he’s even sending in the other Kerry!

    From the White House Pool Report of President Obama’s recent announcement to nominate Senator John Kerry for secretary of state:

    “One thing you probably didn’t see on TV — Biden and T(eresa) H(einz) Kerry entered the room first and stood before reporters for a couple of minutes before the president and Sen. Kerry came in. In the awkward silence, Biden turned to the pool and said he was there to announce the nomination of Teresa Kerry as Secretary of State. She then smiled and said, ‘another woman!’“

    The Pool also reports that Obama spoke to secretary Clinton today and “found her in good spirits.”