President Joe Biden met with the CEOs of a number of major retailers and grocers on Monday to discuss the holiday shopping season, part of the administration's ongoing effort to emphasize the strength of the nation's supply chains amid growing concerns.
The roundtable with CEOs had been slated to be one of two supply chain-related events on Monday. However, a previously scheduled presidential speech billed by the White House as "remarks on his Administration's work to strengthen the nation's supply chains, lower everyday costs for families, and ensure that shelves are well-stocked this holiday season" has been postponed until Wednesday.
"The President held a pool spray with reporters at the top of the CEO event and wanted to ensure ample time spent with the business leaders who traveled to the White House today," a White House official told CNN. "The President will deliver additional remarks on Wednesday on the economy, supply chains and lowering costs for the American people."
During the roundtable, Biden expressed optimism about the holidays, saying that compared with last year, Americans have "a little more hope."
The President thanked medical professionals and front-line workers for developing and administering Covid-19 vaccines in 2021, adding that "we were able to have a very different Thanksgiving as a consequence of that."
(cnn)