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Press Conference: Jen Psaki Holds a Press Briefing at The White House - May 21, 2021
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Jen Psaki Person
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Question Person
Jen Psaki
Very Positive
00:00:00-00:00:13 (13 sec)
"Happy Friday. Okay, I only have one item for you all at the top: a brief preview of the President's schedule for next week."
1
Jen Psaki
Neutral
00:00:13-00:00:20 (8 sec)
"On Monday, he will visit FEMA headquarters in D.C. to receive a briefing on the Atlantic hurricane outlook and preparedness efforts."
2
Jen Psaki
Very Negative
00:00:20-00:00:32 (11 sec)
"On Tuesday, he will mark the anniversary of the death of George Floyd. We'll have more details on what the plans are for that day soon -- maybe later today, maybe -- maybe later this weekend."
3
Jen Psaki
Neutral
00:00:32-00:00:36 (4 sec)
"On Thursday, the President will travel to Cleveland, Ohio to deliver remarks on the economy."
4
Jen Psaki
Neutral
00:00:36-00:00:44 (8 sec)
"And on Friday, his budget will be released and he will also travel to Wilmington, where he will remain over the Memorial Day weekend."
5
Jen Psaki
Neutral
00:00:44-00:00:48 (4 sec)
"With that, Darlene, why don't you kick us off?"
6
Question
Neutral
00:00:48-00:01:07 (19 sec)
"Thank you. I wanted to start with Israel. Does the President or the White House have any concerns that the extent to which the Israeli Prime Minister continued the war will affect the President's own ability to continue to defend Israel's right to defend itself? I know that's a little circular, but --"
7
Jen Psaki
Neutral
00:01:07-00:01:09 (2 sec)
"You mean domestically here or --"
8
Question
Very Positive
00:01:09-00:01:10 (1 sec)
"Yes. Yes."
9
Jen Psaki
Very Negative
00:01:10-00:01:34 (24 sec)
"Well, first, I would say that the President has set a clear objective from the beginning, which was to end the war -- play any role we can ending the war and bringing it to a conclusion as quickly as possible. And at the beginning, that seemed highly unlikely, given there were thousands of rockets falling on Tel Aviv and the Israelis were on a war footing and preparing for -- by many reports -- a ground invasion."
10
Jen Psaki
Negative
00:01:34-00:01:46 (12 sec)
"So I would say: What's important to look at and reflect on here is historic precedent and the fact that the conflict in 2014 -- many more lives were lost; also it went on for 51 days."
11
Jen Psaki
Somewhat Negative
00:01:46-00:02:04 (18 sec)
"So the President's view is that -- and his view from the beginning -- was that through disciplined, intensive, and qui-- in a disciplined, intensive, and quiet campaign of diplomacy, and one where we would lead coordination in the region, we could bring an end to the conflict more quickly than it was intended to be."
12
Jen Psaki
Negative
00:02:04-00:02:21 (17 sec)
"And it's also important to remember that Hamas is a terrorist organization, that Israel, of course, continues to have the right to defend itself. But what's most important from now forward, in his view, is to -- to contemplate where we go from here, Darlene."
13
Jen Psaki
Very Positive
00:02:21-00:02:37 (17 sec)
"And, certainly, he talked yesterday about replenishing support for the Iron Dome. And our view is that saved hundreds of lives, maybe more than that, given the effectiveness. Also, to support -- through the United Nations -- continued additional assistance in rebuilding Gaza."
14
Jen Psaki
Very Positive
00:02:37-00:02:51 (14 sec)
"We've already, of course, restarted our assistance that was ended in 2018 through UNRWA through the United States, but we'll work through the -- through the U.N. and we also will remain engaged deeply with diplomatic conversations with leaders in the region."
15
Jen Psaki
Positive
00:02:51-00:03:14 (23 sec)
"So, you know, obviously anyone here domestically will have to make their own decisions, but I would say that, you know, it's important to convey what our intention was, what we feel -- that we feel this was concluded as a result of the President's engagement and -- and, frankly, discipline from the beginning, much faster than these conflicts have been in the past."
16
Jen Psaki
Neutral
00:03:14-00:03:16 (2 sec)
"Go ahead. Oh, go ahead. Darlene, go ahead."
17
Question
Positive
00:03:16-00:03:31 (15 sec)
"We also heard this week a lot of Democrats shifting their tone on Israel. So, is it time for the President or the White House or the United States to also perhaps start thinking about shifting the approach -- its approach to Israel?"
18
Jen Psaki
Neutral
00:03:31-00:03:35 (4 sec)
"Shifting -- what are -- shifting in what way?"
19
Question
Very Negative
00:03:35-00:03:45 (11 sec)
"You had a lot of Democrats who were frustrated that the President didn't call for a ceasefire immediately -- that was one thing that a lot of people were upset about."
20
Question
Leans Negative
00:03:45-00:04:07 (22 sec)
"So -- and the, sort of, I don't want to say knee-jerk, but the U.S. position is that Israel has a right to defend itself. And there are a lot of Democrats who, I think -- from what we heard them say this week -- they don't necessarily buy into that. And so the thinking is, is there some shift in the approach to Israel [inaudible]?"
21
Jen Psaki
Slightly Positive
00:04:07-00:04:15 (8 sec)
"Well, Darlene, I think the reason I answered it the way I did is because obviously we all shared an objective of bringing an end to the conflict."
22
Jen Psaki
Somewhat Positive
00:04:15-00:04:36 (21 sec)
"The President's view and his strategic approach and that of his team was that the best way to do that was not to call out our allies and partners, but was to remain closely coordinated and to work in lockstep and, at the right moment, to convey it was time to wind it down. And that's exactly what he did."
23
Jen Psaki
Somewhat Negative
00:04:36-00:04:47 (11 sec)
"And now the conflict is concluded in 11 days. And frankly, he resisted calls to take an alternative approach that, in his view, would have had an alternative outcome. So that's why I answered it the way I did."
24
Jen Psaki
Neutral
00:04:47-00:04:48 (1 sec)
"Go ahead. Oh, one --"
25
Question
Neutral
00:04:48-00:04:49 (1 sec)
"I have one final question."
26
Jen Psaki
Somewhat Positive
00:04:49-00:04:50 ( sec)
"Sure."
27
Question
Neutral
00:04:50-00:04:54 (4 sec)
"Yesterday, we had a ceremony here -- the bill signing -- a large group of lawmakers --"
28
Jen Psaki
Slightly Positive
00:04:54-00:04:54 ( sec)
"Yeah."
29
Question
Very Positive
00:04:54-00:04:56 (1 sec)
"-- came. We had the Medal of Honor ceremony --"
30
Jen Psaki
Positive
00:04:56-00:04:56 ( sec)
"Yes."
31
Question
Neutral
00:04:56-00:04:57 (1 sec)
"-- today --"
32
Jen Psaki
Neutral
00:04:57-00:04:58 (1 sec)
"We're back."
33
Question
Very Positive
00:04:58-00:05:06 (7 sec)
"-- the meeting with the Kennedy Center Honors that we were told the President and First Lady had. I've seen handshakes, hugging, kissing."
34
Jen Psaki
Positive
00:05:06-00:05:06 ( sec)
"Yes."
35
Question
Neutral
00:05:06-00:05:15 (9 sec)
"Is the White House open again? Can you talk about some of the considerations that went into these events over the past couple of days? And is this the norm -- the new norm?"
36
Jen Psaki
Positive
00:05:15-00:05:15 (1 sec)
"Yes."
37
Question
Neutral
00:05:15-00:05:16 (1 sec)
"The new "new" norm going forward?"
38
Jen Psaki
Very Positive
00:05:16-00:05:26 (10 sec)
"I can confirm we are a warm and fuzzy crew, and we like to hug around here. But we were waiting for that to be allowed by CDC guidelines, which we certainly abide by."
39
Jen Psaki
Positive
00:05:26-00:05:45 (19 sec)
"So, we are -- as many organizations and companies are -- working to implement these guidelines here at the White House. And so what you've seen over the last coveral [sic] -- couple of days is efforts to do exactly that, and that includes welcoming back and having a full briefing room very soon."
40
Jen Psaki
Positive
00:05:45-00:05:57 (12 sec)
"It includes having more events with more people and, certainly, continuing to open the White House up -- the People's House -- up to the American public."
41
Jen Psaki
Neutral
00:05:57-00:05:57 (1 sec)
"Go ahead."
42
Question
Very Positive
00:05:57-00:06:11 (14 sec)
"Thanks. Back to Israel for a moment: One of the other examples I think that would fit into Darlene's question is this pressure from lawmakers over the $735 million pending sale of precision-guided missiles to Israel."
43
Question
Very Positive
00:06:11-00:06:18 (7 sec)
"I know the President said yesterday he's committed to replenishing the Iron Dome. But is he also committed to making sure that sale goes through?"
44
Jen Psaki
Very Positive
00:06:18-00:06:32 (14 sec)
"We have no plans to change our security assistance that we're providing to Israel. But I will say that the President's view is through -- is that we need to do -- we need to move forward on a couple of fronts. Certainly, supporting the security of Israel is one of them."
45
Jen Psaki
Very Positive
00:06:32-00:06:50 (18 sec)
"But another front is rebuilding -- playing a constructive role in rebuilding Gaza; providing assistance and funding through the U.N. efforts to do exactly that; ensuring that it is not Hamas, but is the Palestinian people who benefit from that assistance. And doing that through the U.N. is, in our view, the best way to do that."
46
Jen Psaki
Positive
00:06:50-00:07:06 (16 sec)
"It also includes continuing to have engaged diplomacy with leaders in the region, continuing discussions with officials across the Middle East -- Egyptians, Israelis, Palestinian leaders, Qataris, others -- about how we move forward from here."
47
Question
Slightly Negative
00:07:06-00:07:29 (22 sec)
"And then, one on police reform: It looks like this, sort of, soft Memorial Day deadline is going to slip without legislation being passed. Is the White House losing some confidence in the bipartisan talks that are going on on Capitol Hill? And also, how does President Biden plan to address that issue on Tuesday when he speaks about the anniversary of George Floyd's death?"
48
Jen Psaki
Very Positive
00:07:29-00:07:50 (21 sec)
"Well, I would say, first, that the President used the occasion of his joint address -- one of the highest-profile moments any President has -- to speak about, reiterate his view that police reform is long overdue, that the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act is exactly the right forum and bill that could help get that done, rebuild trust in communities."
49
Jen Psaki
Very Positive
00:07:50-00:07:57 (8 sec)
"What we've seen from the negotiators -- and we've been in close touch with the negotiators as well -- is that they still feel there is progress being made."
50
Jen Psaki
Very Positive
00:07:57-00:08:12 (14 sec)
"Yes, it's unlikely, as they've conveyed as well, we're going to meet the timeline that the President outlined in his speech, which he did because he felt it was important to lift it up, to be gold [sic] -- bold and ambitious in how we're talking about such an important piece of legislation."
51
Jen Psaki
Very Positive
00:08:12-00:08:20 (9 sec)
"But we have confidence in the negotiators, and we've seen them convey publicly that they feel the vibes are good and they're continuing to make progress."
52
Jen Psaki
Neutral
00:08:20-00:08:21 ( sec)
"Go ahead."
53
Question
Very Positive
00:08:21-00:08:30 (10 sec)
"Thanks, Jen. Is the President confident that this ceasefire will hold? And if so, can you explain a bit why? Did he receive any kinds of assurances from Prime Minister Netanyahu?"
54
Jen Psaki
Very Positive
00:08:30-00:08:45 (15 sec)
"Well, we have strong assurancens [sic] -- assurances -- sorry, I don't know why that was a hard word. Let me try again: We have strong assurances from the relevant parties that they are committed to the ceasefire. And obviously, this is something we will be watching extremely closely in the coming days."
55
Jen Psaki
Very Positive
00:08:45-00:09:14 (29 sec)
"And I think what's important to note is: In the final 24 hours leading up to the ceasefire -- obviously, the President was deeply engaged before that, but he was very -- he was especially deeply engaged in that period of time, as were high-level senior officials here. And they were back and forth on the phone between many different parties -- the Israelis; the Egyptians, who were in touch with Hamas; and others -- about the importance of not violating, even pre-violating the ceasefire in the hours leading up to it, as we see did not happen."
56
Jen Psaki
Very Positive
00:09:14-00:09:22 (8 sec)
"So we will be in close touch with all parties. We clearly will be watching it. But we do have assurances from the relevant parties that they are committed."
57
Question
Slightly Negative
00:09:22-00:09:40 (18 sec)
"And yesterday, before this was announced, you said you expected Israel to start winding down their operations because they had achieved significant military objectives. So how much of the timing of this do you think is because of the President's diplomatic approach? And how much of this is simply because the Israelis had exhausted much of their targets in Gaza?"
58
Jen Psaki
Very Negative
00:09:40-00:09:52 (12 sec)
"Well, I think what's, again, important to remember is to point back to how these conflicts have worked in the past. And we have seen these conflicts last for weeks and weeks -- many, many more lives lost."
59
Jen Psaki
Very Positive
00:09:52-00:10:26 (34 sec)
"Now we certainly know there were lives lost in this 11-day conflict; every one is a tragedy. But certainly, because of the President's deep engagement; his long relationships; the fact that he set a clear objective from the beginning that we were going to put out the noise and focus on our strategy of deep, intensive, quiet diplomacy; have conversations, not call out our partners and allies and do that -- do it -- do our engagements through -- through one-on-one conversations, we certainly think that had an impact."
60
Jen Psaki
Very Positive
00:10:26-00:10:38 (13 sec)
"Now, of course, we also were watching closely where -- and were in touch with them closely -- about -- about their military successes. And certainly, that was a part -- a factor, but a part of the discussion as well."
61
Question
Neutral
00:10:38-00:10:58 (20 sec)
"And, sort of, a scheduling question here: There had been an expectation that there was going to be a conversation of some kind today between Republicans on the Hill, some officials here at the White House about the status of infrastructure and the Republican counterproposal. Is that meeting still happening today? And can you give us, kind of, an update on where things stand, and any movement that may or may not be happening?"
62
Jen Psaki
Leans Positive
00:10:58-00:11:07 (9 sec)
"Sure, it is happening. It may be ongoing as we speak, but it started shortly before one o'clock over video conference this afternoon."
63
Jen Psaki
Neutral
00:11:07-00:11:24 (17 sec)
"Our team, including Steve Ricchetti, Louisa Terrell, Brian Deese, Secretary Raimondo, and Secretary Buttigieg, put forward a reasonable counteroffer that reduces the size of the package from $2.25 trillion in additional investment to $1.7 trillion."
64
Jen Psaki
Very Positive
00:11:24-00:11:48 (24 sec)
"And, in our view, this is the act -- the art, I should say, of seeking common ground. This proposal exhibits a willingness to come down in size, giving on some areas that are important to the President -- otherwise they wouldn't have been in the proposal -- while also staying firm in areas that are most vital to rebuilding our infrastructure and industries of the future, making our workforce and our country more competitive with China."
65
Jen Psaki
Slightly Positive
00:11:48-00:11:57 (9 sec)
"We actually have every intention to share the complete totality of the counterproposal with you all. We'll just wait for the meeting to conclude to do that."
66
Question
Slightly Negative
00:11:57-00:12:01 (4 sec)
"Until then, can you say any more about what was taken out to lower that price tag?"
67
Jen Psaki
Somewhat Positive
00:12:01-00:12:13 (12 sec)
"Sure, let me give you, kind of, some topline details. And then, again, what -- the counterproposal that we'll put out is very detailed, so you'll see all of the specifics for yourself. But, again, I noted the topline number that offered."
68
Jen Psaki
Slightly Positive
00:12:13-00:12:33 (20 sec)
"It -- our proposal also involved a shifting -- shifting investments in research and development, supply chains, manufacturing, and small business out of the negotiation and into other efforts, such as the Endless Frontier Act and the CHIPS Act -- which, as you know, there's ongoing discussions and negotiations on a bipartisan level about those, as well."
69
Jen Psaki
Positive
00:12:33-00:12:50 (17 sec)
"The President -- the proposal also agreed to reduce the funding request for broadband to match the Republican offer and to reduce the proposed investment in roads, bridges, and major projects to come closer to the number proposed by the senators. This is all in the spirit of finding common ground."
70
Jen Psaki
Very Positive
00:12:50-00:13:14 (25 sec)
"Now, at the same time, as I alluded to, we also -- the counteroffer also reflects our view that the Republican offer excludes entirely some proposals that are key to our competitiveness -- key to investments in clean energy and in industries of the future, in rebuilding our workforce, including critical investments in our power sector, building and construction, workforce training, veterans hospital construction, and the care economy."
71
Jen Psaki
Neutral
00:13:14-00:13:33 (19 sec)
"So, we push for increased funding levels for critical transportation infrastructure, like rail, especially considering China's level of investment in such projects, as well as the elimination of lead pipes that poison drinking water, and resilience projects as extreme weather events -- as we've seen around the country -- continue to become more common as a result of climate change."
72
Question
Slightly Positive
00:13:33-00:13:37 (4 sec)
"And lastly, any changes to how you would like to pay for all of this?"
73
Jen Psaki
Very Positive
00:13:37-00:14:01 (25 sec)
"We also reiterated -- or the intention is to reiterate the fact that the President is not willing to raise taxes on Americans earning under $400,000 a year through a gas tax or through user fees. He believes that the extraordinarily wealthy, the companies that, many of whom have not paid taxes in recent years, can afford a modest increase to pay for middle-class jobs."
74
Jen Psaki
Very Positive
00:14:01-00:14:05 (4 sec)
"Go- -- did you have another question, or are you good? Okay. Go ahead."
75
Question
Neutral
00:14:05-00:14:14 (9 sec)
"Just heard you describe the infrastructure negotiations as the "art of seeking common ground." At some point, does that become the "The Art of the Deal"?"
76
Jen Psaki
Neutral
00:14:14-00:14:16 (2 sec)
"I don't know. You're the professional, here, Peter."
77
Question
Very Positive
00:14:16-00:14:17 (1 sec)
"It was a joke. That was a joke."
78
Jen Psaki
Neutral
00:14:17-00:14:18 (1 sec)
"You're the TV star --"
79
Question
Neutral
00:14:18-00:14:18 ( sec)
"[Laughs]"
80
Jen Psaki
Neutral
00:14:18-00:14:19 (1 sec)
"-- you know?"
81
Question
Neutral
00:14:19-00:14:19 ( sec)
"Um --"
82
Jen Psaki
Neutral
00:14:19-00:14:21 (2 sec)
"What's the FOX chyron going to be?"
83
Question
Neutral
00:14:21-00:14:25 (4 sec)
""Art of Seeking Common Ground" does take a lot of characters --"
84
Jen Psaki
Neutral
00:14:25-00:14:26 (1 sec)
"It does."
85
Question
Neutral
00:14:26-00:14:28 (2 sec)
"I'll check with the control room."
86
Jen Psaki
Positive
00:14:28-00:14:31 (3 sec)
""The Art of the Deal" -- we'd be okay with that. Yeah."
87
Question
Neutral
00:14:31-00:14:33 (2 sec)
"With "The Art of the Deal"? I think that's a headline."
88
Jen Psaki
Slightly Positive
00:14:33-00:14:37 (4 sec)
"Well, there you go. An art of a different kind of deal -- a deal for the working people."
89
Question
Neutral
00:14:37-00:14:38 (1 sec)
"Got it."
90
Jen Psaki
Slightly Positive
00:14:38-00:14:39 (1 sec)
"Okay. Go ahead."
91
Question
Neutral
00:14:39-00:14:39 (1 sec)
"So, on --"
92
Jen Psaki
Positive
00:14:39-00:14:40 (1 sec)
"Glad we could work that out."
93
Question
Somewhat Positive
00:14:40-00:14:42 (2 sec)
"Thank you very much."
94
Question
Somewhat Positive
00:14:42-00:14:50 (8 sec)
"On Israel, how much credit does President Biden think he deserves for this ceasefire that was negotiated by the President of Egypt?"
95
Jen Psaki
Very Negative
00:14:50-00:15:09 (19 sec)
"Well, first of all, the President's focus was on one objective, which was bringing an end to the conflict as quickly as possible. As you know -- and as our briefing day-in-and-day-out was evidence of, there was criticism -- and as Darlene's question was evidence of -- there was criticism coming from many sides."
96
Jen Psaki
Positive
00:15:09-00:15:18 (9 sec)
"We kept our head down, focused on our strategic objective, focused on intensive, quiet diplomacy to bring an end to the conflict as quickly as possible."
97
Jen Psaki
Neutral
00:15:18-00:15:29 (12 sec)
"Our engagements with the leaders of Egypt were -- was -- the leader of Egypt was a key part of that discussion and a key part of bringing an end to the conflict, given their important relationships with Hamas."
98
Question
Somewhat Positive
00:15:29-00:15:35 (5 sec)
"And I -- because we are just trying to understand all these -- the dozens of calls and who played what role --"
99
Jen Psaki
Neutral
00:15:35-00:15:35 ( sec)
"Mm-hmm."
100
Question
Very Positive
00:15:35-00:15:48 (13 sec)
"-- the President extended his "sincere gratitude to President Al Sisi and the other senior Egyptian officials who played a critical role in the diplomacy." So, if their role was critical, how does the White House describe President Biden's role?"
101
Jen Psaki
Very Positive
00:15:48-00:16:12 (24 sec)
"Well, again, Peter, I think what I can do here -- what the President was conveying is that this was an effort -- much of it coordinated by the United States, much of which he was involved in personally -- engagements on the phone, engagements with his team, a commitment and a driving desire to keep the strategy aligned with what we knew would help bring an end to the conflict as quickly as possible."
102
Jen Psaki
Very Positive
00:16:12-00:16:21 (9 sec)
"He's also someone who wants to give credit where credit is due, and that includes the role the Egyptians played, and the role many countries in the region played in -- in working to bring an end to the conflict."
103
Question
Neutral
00:16:21-00:16:23 (1 sec)
"And then, quickly --"
104
Jen Psaki
Very Positive
00:16:23-00:16:33 (10 sec)
"And also his team. I mean, he called out Secretary of State, Tony Blinken. He called out his National Security Advisor, and also our UN Ambassador, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, who played an important role here as well."
105
Question
Neutral
00:16:33-00:16:55 (22 sec)
"Quickly on immigration: The governor of Tennessee says that he was asked and he declined a Biden administration request to house unaccompanied minors. And in coming days -- or in recent days, there have been some reports that at least four planes filled with unaccompanied minors landed in his state, some in the middle of the night. Can you explain what's going on there?"
106
Jen Psaki
Very Positive
00:16:55-00:17:09 (14 sec)
"Well, as we have been very clear about: Children -- our objective is to unite these unaccompanied children -- children under the age of 18 -- with families, with sponsor families. So children traveling -- were traveling through -- have been traveling through Tennessee."
107
Jen Psaki
Leans Positive
00:17:09-00:17:19 (11 sec)
"They're simply on their way to unite with relatives and sponsors -- to meet sponsors in the state, or just traveling through Tennessee until they reach another destination to unite with family members or legal sponsors."
108
Jen Psaki
Neutral
00:17:19-00:17:30 (11 sec)
"As you know, geographically, it's right in a place where it -- you know, there's a lot of states around it, so it's a place where some flights have gone through as children are moving to other destinations."
109
Question
Neutral
00:17:30-00:17:40 (10 sec)
"And since this was something that the governor of the state said he didn't want, this is not a case of federal officials trying to sneak something past the state-level officials."
110
Jen Psaki
Very Positive
00:17:40-00:17:59 (19 sec)
"I think I'm confirming here that Tennessee is a state that is right near in the middle of the country and some kids have to travel through there to get [DEL: through :DEL] [to] their destination. And we've been very clear that our objective is to treat these kids humanely, get them to safe homes, especially homes of loved ones and sponsored families."
111
Jen Psaki
Neutral
00:17:59-00:18:00 (1 sec)
"Go ahead."
112
Question
Slightly Negative
00:18:00-00:18:05 (5 sec)
"A point of clarification: You mentioned -- detailed some of the cuts to the counterproposal."
113
Jen Psaki
Slightly Positive
00:18:05-00:18:06 ( sec)
"Yeah."
114
Question
Somewhat Positive
00:18:06-00:18:16 (10 sec)
"Did I hear you right -- you said they're going to find a home in other Senate legislation that's currently through now, like the [inaudible] bills are -- while they're coming out of your counterproposal, they are going to find a home somewhere?"
115
Jen Psaki
Very Positive
00:18:16-00:18:25 (10 sec)
"There are some components, yeah, where there is some overlap in the Frontiers bill, in the CHIPS bill, where there is opportunity to still move forward on some of the President's ideas."
116
Question
Neutral
00:18:25-00:18:26 (1 sec)
"Gotcha."
117
Question
Somewhat Positive
00:18:26-00:18:42 (16 sec)
"Republican governors in some 22 states have rolled back those expanded unemployment benefits. What is the White House or the Biden administration doing to -- to preserve those benefits, if anything, at the state level?"
118
Jen Psaki
Somewhat Positive
00:18:42-00:18:50 (8 sec)
"Well, Jarrett, it is up to, of course, these governors to make a decision about what assistance they want to provide to the people of their states."
119
Jen Psaki
Neutral
00:18:50-00:19:20 (30 sec)
"Our view continues to be that unemployment insurance, of course, at a federal level -- which is something we advocate for and would work to pass through Congress, or have worked to pass through Congress -- is something that can help people -- during a time where there are still more than 8 million people out of work -- make ends meet. And that -- there is not overwhelming data that suggests that it is a driving factor in people not reentering the workforce, especially at a time where we're continuing to recover from the pandemic. But it's ultimately up to governors to make those decisions."
120
Question
Somewhat Positive
00:19:20-00:19:22 (2 sec)
"And there's nothing the federal government can do, just to be clear?"
121
Jen Psaki
Very Positive
00:19:22-00:19:31 (9 sec)
"We can continue to convey what we see in the data, what we advocate for, in terms of what we think will help get people back on their feet, and we use every opportunity to do that."
122
Question
Somewhat Positive
00:19:31-00:19:32 (1 sec)
"Sure."
123
Question
Neutral
00:19:32-00:19:47 (15 sec)
"The Washington Post just reported some details on the upcoming budget, specifically that the -- the public option to create a government run health insurance program and a pledge to cut prescription drug costs are not going to be in that budget proposal. Anything you can comment on that?"
124
Jen Psaki
Slightly Positive
00:19:47-00:19:57 (10 sec)
"Well, we'll be announcing and rolling out the President's proposed budget a week from today. Buckle up. I know it's a big day for Reuters those days. And I'm not going to get too far ahead of that."
125
Jen Psaki
Very Positive
00:19:57-00:20:24 (26 sec)
"But what I will tell you is that what it will outline is how we're proposing to pay for a range of the proposals the President has put forward. And he's clearly talked about and remains committed to his campaign pledge of pushing for a public option to doing something to address the rising cost of prescription drugs -- something he talked about in his joint session address. But every entity may not be reflected in this budget."
126
Jen Psaki
Neutral
00:20:24-00:20:25 (2 sec)
"Go ahead."
127
Question
Somewhat Negative
00:20:25-00:20:51 (25 sec)
"Thanks, Jen. Back to the Middle East: Prime Minister Netanyahu seemed to ignore President Biden's requests for a de-escalation of the violence over several days, and then a truce was struck once Egypt stepped in. So, I guess, the question is: Why should people have confidence that President Biden will be able to work with him for a de-escalation should there be another flare up?"
128
Jen Psaki
Neutral
00:20:51-00:20:53 (2 sec)
"Through -- with Prime Minister Netanyahu?"
129
Question
Neutral
00:20:53-00:20:53 (1 sec)
"Prime Minister Netanyahu."
130
Jen Psaki
Positive
00:20:53-00:21:16 (22 sec)
"I would just have to say, Kristen, that I don't think that's how any of the parties involved -- the Prime Minister, the Egyptian President, or this President -- would characterize what happened over the last 11 days. And obviously, some of this is going to remain -- continue to be -- remain behind the d- -- behind the scenes through what -- what was quiet diplomacy over the course of 11 days."
131
Jen Psaki
Very Positive
00:21:16-00:21:40 (25 sec)
"But there's no question that the President's engagement, both with the Israeli Prime Minister, both with the -- with the President of Egypt, with leaders in the region, our commitment to staying disciplined and remaining focused on our overarching objective of bringing an end to the conflict as quickly as possible, was contributed to -- to the ceasefire we saw last night."
132
Question
Negative
00:21:40-00:21:55 (14 sec)
"Well, I guess what I'm asking about is, based on your own readouts from the White House, President Biden pressed Prime Minister Netanyahu to de-escalate the violence. And then, in later phone calls, urged a ceasefire, and that didn't happen until recently."
133
Jen Psaki
Somewhat Negative
00:21:55-00:22:22 (27 sec)
"And there was a ceasefire last night, and he urged for a ceasefire about two days in advance of that. And, again, I would say that the President's objective from the beginning was to have these conversations quietly, to work in close coordination with the Prime Minister about how we could bring an end to the conflict, recognizing fully that at the same time there were thousands of rockets coming into cities in Israel from Hamas. And that was something the Prime Minister was going to work to defend."
134
Question
Neutral
00:22:22-00:22:29 (7 sec)
"And the President said yesterday that he told Prime Minister Netanyahu he would replenish the Iron Dome system."
135
Jen Psaki
Slightly Positive
00:22:29-00:22:29 ( sec)
"Yeah."
136
Question
Positive
00:22:29-00:22:37 (8 sec)
"Did he offer that as a promise in order to reach the ceasefire? And were there any concessions made a as part of this deal?"
137
Jen Psaki
Very Positive
00:22:37-00:23:01 (23 sec)
"First of all, the President did that because -- conveyed that because he felt that the effectiveness of the Iron Dome helped save hundreds of lives. And it remains -- the President remains steadfast, of course, in his support of Israel's right to defend itself, but also believes that the effectiveness of the Iron Dome is something that we should continue to support, and we will continue to support as United States."
138
Question
Neutral
00:23:01-00:23:02 (2 sec)
"Any concessions made --"
139
Jen Psaki
Positive
00:23:02-00:23:03 ( sec)
"By the United States?"
140
Question
Positive
00:23:03-00:23:06 (3 sec)
"in order to broker this deal -- by the United States in order --"
141
Jen Psaki
Slightly Negative
00:23:06-00:23:06 ( sec)
"No."
142
Question
Slightly Positive
00:23:06-00:23:07 ( sec)
"Okay."
143
Question
Neutral
00:23:07-00:23:16 (9 sec)
"Let me ask you, domestically: You just said it's unlikely they will reach a deal on the George Floyd Policing Act by next Tuesday."
144
Jen Psaki
Slightly Positive
00:23:16-00:23:18 (2 sec)
"Well, the negotiators have conveyed that."
145
Question
Very Positive
00:23:18-00:23:32 (14 sec)
"Correct. Yes, they have conveyed that. What will the pressure point be if not this one-year anniversary? How does President Biden make sure this gets done? And if you speak to civil rights groups, interest groups -- they want it done this summer."
146
Jen Psaki
Very Positive
00:23:32-00:23:43 (11 sec)
"Well, first of all, with the -- all of the negotiators are continuing to press forward on working to find common grand -- ground to get this done. The President wants to sign it into law."
147
Jen Psaki
Very Positive
00:23:43-00:24:04 (21 sec)
"And, of course, the anniversary of George Floyd's death -- something that impacted the President personally and deeply, as it impacted millions of Americans, was a moment to call for action, to call for forward movement. But the negotiators, by all accounts, are continuing to make progress. They're continuing to have good discussions, and that is a positive sign."
148
Jen Psaki
Somewhat Positive
00:24:04-00:24:15 (11 sec)
"So, you know, we are not going to slow our -- slow our efforts to get this done, but we can also be transparent about the fact that it's going to take a little bit more time -- that sometimes that happens and that's okay."
149
Question
Neutral
00:24:15-00:24:17 (2 sec)
"By the summer -- does the President want this done by the summer?"
150
Jen Psaki
Slightly Positive
00:24:17-00:24:20 (3 sec)
"Well, the President wants to sign it into law as quickly as possible."
151
Question
Neutral
00:24:20-00:24:24 (4 sec)
"To follow up on something that Mary was asking you -- this counterproposal."
152
Jen Psaki
Slightly Positive
00:24:24-00:24:24 ( sec)
"Yeah."
153
Question
Neutral
00:24:24-00:24:34 (9 sec)
"Can you tell us, specifically, about the corporate tax rate? Has there been any change to the corporate tax rate? Has it come down to 25 percent -- something that Democrats were asking for?"
154
Jen Psaki
Very Positive
00:24:34-00:25:05 (32 sec)
"Well, again, our counterproposal was primarily focused on the areas of investment, as you'll see when we provide the specific details. And what I reiterated to -- which is the President's bottom line, about not raising taxes on people making less than $400,000 a year -- encouraging the Republican ranking members and leaders to take a fresh look at the fact that many corporations can afford to pay a little bit more in taxes and so can many in the highest income, that was really what was in our counterproposal. In terms of what was discussed in the meeting, I don't have a readout of that quite yet."
155
Question
Slightly Negative
00:25:05-00:25:08 (2 sec)
"No change yet to the corporate tax rate, that you're aware of?"
156
Jen Psaki
Slightly Positive
00:25:08-00:25:09 (1 sec)
"Well, I mean --"
157
Question
Neutral
00:25:09-00:25:11 (2 sec)
"From the proposal of the corporate tax rate?"
158
Jen Psaki
Very Positive
00:25:11-00:25:23 (12 sec)
"I'm not a mathematician -- otherwise, I wouldn't be here -- but, obviously, we proposed a package that was $500 billion less expensive, so it needs less payfors. But what that looks like will have to be a part of the negotiation."
159
Jen Psaki
Neutral
00:25:23-00:25:24 (2 sec)
"Go ahead."
160
Question
Very Positive
00:25:24-00:25:32 (7 sec)
"Thanks, Jen. I'm hoping you can give us an update on international inbound travel. I'm wondering if the administration --"
161
Jen Psaki
Very Positive
00:25:32-00:25:35 (3 sec)
"I wish I could. It's a very popular question."
162
Question
Slightly Positive
00:25:35-00:25:45 (10 sec)
"Well, I was going to ask if the administration feels any urgency, ahead of the summer high season, to make any new policy moves."
163
Jen Psaki
Very Positive
00:25:45-00:26:03 (19 sec)
"Well, we certainly understand the desire of many Europeans to come travel to the United States and vice versa. And people -- that's part of returning to normal and part of what will make people feel good about the efforts to fight the pandemic."
164
Jen Psaki
Slightly Negative
00:26:03-00:26:13 (10 sec)
"But we can't respond to public pressure or even emotion; we have to rely on the health and guidance -- the guidance of our health and medical experts, which is exactly what we'll do."
165
Question
Neutral
00:26:13-00:26:29 (16 sec)
"But in terms of that guidance, at this point, the CDC is saying, for vaccinated individuals, they can go in and outside -- large crowds, small crowds. You know, they said that vaccinated individuals can travel internationally."
166
Jen Psaki
Leans Positive
00:26:29-00:26:42 (13 sec)
"Yeah, and -- and they're still required to wear masks, and airline travel is a little different. And, again, I'm not a doctor, but we rely on their advice, and they obviously are continuing to consider and update guidance as information becomes available."
167
Question
Slightly Positive
00:26:42-00:26:53 (11 sec)
"And in terms of possibly requiring, you know, proof of vaccination for non-U.S. citizens, is there any further consideration of that that you could share?"
168
Jen Psaki
Neutral
00:26:53-00:26:55 (1 sec)
"A vaccine passport?"
169
Question
Neutral
00:26:55-00:26:56 (2 sec)
"I didn't use that term."
170
Jen Psaki
Very Positive
00:26:56-00:27:02 (5 sec)
"Well, yeah, you mean the same basic thing: the federal government requiring vaccines --"
171
Question
Neutral
00:27:02-00:27:02 ( sec)
"[Inaudible]"
172
Jen Psaki
Neutral
00:27:02-00:27:04 (2 sec)
"-- vaccine -- proof of vaccination."
173
Question
Neutral
00:27:04-00:27:05 (1 sec)
"Proof of vaccination."
174
Jen Psaki
Neutral
00:27:05-00:27:07 (2 sec)
"That is not in our intended plan."
175
Question
Neutral
00:27:07-00:27:11 (4 sec)
"Just -- on a different topic, on Colonel Puckett, Jr."
176
Jen Psaki
Slightly Positive
00:27:11-00:27:12 (1 sec)
"Yeah."
177
Question
Neutral
00:27:12-00:27:14 (3 sec)
"Why was -- maybe you could take us a little bit --"
178
Jen Psaki
Somewhat Positive
00:27:14-00:27:15 ( sec)
"Sure."
179
Question
Very Positive
00:27:15-00:27:21 (6 sec)
"-- into the decision to have him be the first recipient of a Medal of Honor from the President."
180
Jen Psaki
Very Positive
00:27:21-00:27:41 (20 sec)
"Well, clearly, he has an incredible personal story and is part of what the President feels is one of the greatest generations in history. And he also has a great deal of support for the sacrifices he made and the incredible story we just heard the President tell at that event."
181
Jen Psaki
Very Positive
00:27:41-00:28:01 (20 sec)
"You know, it's -- and the President, I think, felt it was important to honor him, recognize him, you know, as one of the first people, given the service that he paid to the country and, you know, the fact that he is still a young man, but someone we want to recognize while his family can celebrate with him."
182
Jen Psaki
Neutral
00:28:01-00:28:03 (2 sec)
"Go ahead, Anne."
183
Question
Positive
00:28:03-00:28:08 (5 sec)
"Thanks. Let me try a different version of Kristen's question on Israel."
184
Jen Psaki
Slightly Positive
00:28:08-00:28:09 (1 sec)
"Okay."
185
Question
Very Positive
00:28:09-00:28:27 (18 sec)
"So, on Wednesday, the readout of the President's call with the Prime Minister was pretty blunt in saying that the President had told the Prime Minister he expected to see a significant de-escalation that day -- Wednesday."
186
Jen Psaki
Neutral
00:28:27-00:28:27 (1 sec)
"Mm-hmm."
187
Question
Very Positive
00:28:27-00:28:56 (28 sec)
"The ceasefire didn't come until more -- well more than 24 hours later to -- well, 36 hours later -- 2:00 a.m., Friday, local time. Was the President concerned? And was there a -- at a cert- -- was there any consternation around here as the day wore on on Wednesday and moved into Thursday that the Prime Minister was blowing him off, not listening to him, not doing what the President had asked him to do?"
188
Jen Psaki
Very Positive
00:28:56-00:29:22 (26 sec)
"No. And that is not a reflection of what happened behind the scenes either. Clearly, the President felt it was important to convey, even in a public readout, that his view and the view of the United States was it was time to move toward a ceasefire. And just over 24 hours later, there was an agreed ceasefire, and that required additional conversations behind the scenes, many of which the President was involved in himself, as you well know because we did readouts of them."
189
Jen Psaki
Very Positive
00:29:22-00:29:44 (21 sec)
"It required also an agreement, as you know -- and from the other side -- and required an agreement from Hamas that they also would engage in the ceasefire. Hence, the conversation the President had with President Al Sisi on Thursday -- just yesterday morning -- that was an -- a factor that led to that agreement on that side."
190
Jen Psaki
Somewhat Positive
00:29:44-00:30:03 (20 sec)
"So it was the moment in the discussions and negotiations where the President felt it was important to convey that publicly. Obviously, he was careful about what he conveyed publicly, what he said publicly, what we said in readouts publicly, but it was a reflection of that. But over -- the last 24 to 36 hours were clearly pivotal in bringing an end to the conflict."
191
Question
Leans Positive
00:30:03-00:30:35 (31 sec)
"But it's unusual for a President to throw a flag like that and to say to a foreign leader, effectively, "The U.S. President is setting a deadline for a specific action." If that specific action isn't met in the deadline the President sets -- even though I completely take your point that there was a ton of other stuff happening, and it wasn't a terribly long -- much longer time period than the one that President has set -- is there a risk that the President looks, in any way, weak or ineffective in having set the deadline to begin with?"
192
Jen Psaki
Somewhat Negative
00:30:35-00:30:43 (8 sec)
"Well, first of all, there was a ceasefire in 11 days. That was one fifth of the length of time of the 2014 conflict, with far fewer lives lost."
193
Jen Psaki
Very Positive
00:30:43-00:31:05 (22 sec)
"This was accomplished, in part, because of intensive, quiet diplomacy where we did not make him or leaders in the United States the centerpieces of this effort because we felt that was not -- that the most important thing we could do was play a role behind the scenes. That's exactly what we did. The conflict has now ended. There is a ceasefire just over 24 hours after that call was made, and that was an important point to convey publicly."
194
Jen Psaki
Slightly Negative
00:31:05-00:31:07 (2 sec)
"But, no, that is not our view from here."
195
Question
Very Positive
00:31:07-00:31:11 (5 sec)
"On one other topic. This month, the Justice Department had informed Washington Post reporters --"
196
Jen Psaki
Slightly Positive
00:31:11-00:31:11 ( sec)
"Yeah --"
197
Question
Neutral
00:31:11-00:31:27 (16 sec)
"-- and then this week, a CNN reporter, that the previous administration had obtained their -- their phone records as part of investigations into presumed leaks that lead to news stories. What is this administration's view of the appropriateness of seeking reporters' phone records? And do you plan to continue those investigations?"
198
Jen Psaki
Slightly Positive
00:31:27-00:31:38 (11 sec)
"Well, first, I will say that I learned of this issue for the first time after CNN's report yesterday. And I know similar sentiments have been expressed from many parts of this government."
199
Jen Psaki
Very Positive
00:31:38-00:31:54 (16 sec)
"As I understand it, the records sought and the legal process to obtain them began, as you noted, during the prior administration. We, of course -- this President is committed, strongly, to the rights of the freedom of press, as you have seen for decades, and to standing up for the rights of journalists."
200
Jen Psaki
Very Positive
00:31:54-00:32:08 (14 sec)
"And the Justice Department conveyed yesterday that they intend to meet with reporters to hear their concerns about recent notices. And they, certainly, intend to use the "Holder model" as their model -- not the model of the last several years."
201
Jen Psaki
Very Positive
00:32:08-00:32:11 (3 sec)
"But, really, these decisions would be up to the Justice Department."
202
Question
Somewhat Positive
00:32:11-00:32:27 (15 sec)
"Well, the Holder model included pretty significantly aggressive leak investigations. The specific question, though, is the appropriateness of seizing -- seeking and seizing personal phone records from journalists. Do you -- does this administration believe that's an appropriate tactic?"
203
Jen Psaki
Very Positive
00:32:27-00:32:38 (11 sec)
"Well, again, it was done by the prior Department of Justice; I would send you to the Department of Justice for any comment on what their intentions are moving forward."
204
Jen Psaki
Neutral
00:32:38-00:32:38 (1 sec)
"Go ahead."
205
Question
Neutral
00:32:38-00:32:51 (12 sec)
"There was a Marist Poll that came out earlier weighing race relations in the U.S., with 17 percent of people saying that they did not believe that things had -- sorry, 17 percent believing -- only 17 percent -- things had changed."
206
Question
Very Positive
00:32:51-00:33:02 (12 sec)
"Earlier, you talked about police reform and what the administration is doing. You mentioned building trust in communities. But what does that actually mean?"
207
Jen Psaki
Very Positive
00:33:02-00:33:28 (26 sec)
"Well, I think -- the reason I referenced that is because, obviously, passing -- or our view, I should say, is passing the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act into law, ensuring that there is more accountability, more requirements and restrictions in place for departments across the country. And also, it would be a contribution to rebuilding trust in communities. Obviously, there's more that needs to be done beyond that; that's not the only step -- far from it."
208
Jen Psaki
Neutral
00:33:28-00:33:34 (5 sec)
"But I think our view and the President's view is that signing this bill into law would make a contribution."
209
Question
Positive
00:33:34-00:33:54 (20 sec)
"Also, what concerns -- with concerns among parents about potential long-term effects on children associated -- if they've gotten the vaccine -- what type of -- any type of surveillance, outside of the two-year plan that's been described by Pfizer, has the administration considered to help kind of quell the concerns of parents?"
210
Jen Psaki
Neutral
00:33:54-00:34:00 (6 sec)
"Just so I understand your question, you mean surveillance of the impacts on kids?"
211
Question
Neutral
00:34:00-00:34:01 (1 sec)
"Mm-hmm."
212
Jen Psaki
Very Positive
00:34:01-00:34:23 (22 sec)
"Well, first, I would say that the most important thing we can say -- message we can convey from this administration is: It's okay to have questions and concerns, and your primary care physicians and doctors are the -- absolutely the right people to answer these questions now and a year from now and three years from now."
213
Jen Psaki
Very Positive
00:34:23-00:34:36 (12 sec)
"And, certainly, there has been a great deal the -- the process of approving vaccines in the United States is the gold standard. We have the highest standards in the world. And our health and medical experts are confident in that."
214
Jen Psaki
Very Positive
00:34:36-00:34:59 (24 sec)
"But we also know -- I'm a parent, many of us are parents -- parents have questions about what this means for their kids. And that's okay; that's valid. That's one of the reasons why we are trying to fund and empower local leaders, civic leaders, medical experts, partnering with primary care physicians so that parents feel like they can ask these questions to people they trust -- right? -- who they've been taking their kids to for years."
215
Question
Very Negative
00:34:59-00:35:28 (29 sec)
"Lastly, the Department of Agriculture, today, published the first notices of the funding available. And so, for Black farmers who've been talking about -- they have felt like there's a lot of racism within that system. We know that the banks had sent a letter to Secretary Vilsack earlier, pushing back on those funds being available, and many farmers took it as a threat. What is the administration prepared to do if we start to see that then banks don't offer any loans to Black farmers because of that decision?"
216
Jen Psaki
Positive
00:35:28-00:35:43 (15 sec)
"Well, I know this is very much on the mind of Secretary Vilsack, in terms of ensuring equity and how these funds are being distributed and delivered around the country. I'd probably have to check with the Department of Agriculture on, kind of, the status of this letter; I haven't been following this as closely."
217
Jen Psaki
Neutral
00:35:43-00:35:45 (2 sec)
"Go ahead, in the back."
218
Question
Neutral
00:35:45-00:35:54 (8 sec)
"On infrastructure, you mentioned some of the items removed in this newest counteroffer kind of migrating to other proposals that are pending legislation."
219
Jen Psaki
Slightly Positive
00:35:54-00:35:54 ( sec)
"Yeah."
220
Question
Neutral
00:35:54-00:35:56 (2 sec)
"Could some of those then be included in the Families Plan?"
221
Jen Psaki
Slightly Positive
00:35:56-00:36:12 (16 sec)
"Well, look, I think the reason I referenced the -- the CHIPS proposal and, of course, the Frontiers proposals is because, as you know, those are negotiating and working their way through in a bipartisan fashion at this point in time."
222
Jen Psaki
Very Positive
00:36:12-00:36:27 (15 sec)
"But as I've also said from here, but I'll restate: What the President's put forward is a -- is a bunch of large, bold ideas. Right? The mechanisms and the mechanics of how they move forward, we're very open to working with Congress on what that looks like."
223
Jen Psaki
Positive
00:36:27-00:36:42 (15 sec)
"So, there is some overlap in some of the pieces proposed in the Jobs Plan with some of the components in the CHIPS plan and the Frontiers plan, hence, there's an opportunity to move those ideas forward. But beyond that, you know, obviously, he'll continue to press for these in the months ahead."
224
Question
Very Positive
00:36:42-00:36:46 (4 sec)
"And the original proposal had pretty ambitious plans for electric vehicles."
225
Jen Psaki
Slightly Positive
00:36:46-00:36:47 (1 sec)
"Yeah."
226
Question
Negative
00:36:47-00:36:57 (10 sec)
"You referenced this a little bit before, but -- a lot of GOP skepticism about some of those plans. So, any counterproposal? Or are you guys ratcheting back on those at all?"
227
Jen Psaki
Very Positive
00:36:57-00:37:26 (29 sec)
"Yes, absolutely. And again, you'll see the specifics when we put out the -- our entire counterproposal. But certainly, investments in the electric vehicle industry, charging stations, industries of the future -- which, in our view, are going to be the backbone of communities around the country; including communities like Dearborn, where the President was earlier this week -- are areas where we feel we need to continue to invest to be competitive with China and boost our workforce."
228
Jen Psaki
Neutral
00:37:26-00:37:27 (1 sec)
"Go ahead, in the back."
229
Question
Negative
00:37:27-00:37:52 (24 sec)
"Thanks, Jen. The administration has said that it wants to work with Japan and South Korea to stand up to China's aggression. But, as you know, South Korea and China, they're heavily dependent on -- South Korea and Japan economies are heavily dependent on China. And there's also been some reports about the South Korean side being reluctant to add any language that might upset the Chinese in today's joint statement."
230
Question
Neutral
00:37:52-00:37:58 (6 sec)
"So, how is the administration going to work with South Korea and Japan when it comes to standing up to Beijing when their economies are so closely tied to China?"
231
Jen Psaki
Very Positive
00:37:58-00:38:10 (11 sec)
"Well, first, let me say that it is -- should send a clear message about the importance of these partnerships and alliances that the first two bilateral meetings the President had -- has had, after today, are with Japan and South Korea."
232
Jen Psaki
Somewhat Positive
00:38:10-00:38:22 (13 sec)
"And, obviously, there are a range of means we can [inaudible] coordinate and communicate with both of those countries, including through our trilateral discussions that we've already participated in, in a very high level from the federal government, with our National Security Advisor and our Secretary of State."
233
Jen Psaki
Very Positive
00:38:22-00:38:42 (19 sec)
"We certainly recognize that, fundamentally, our two countries -- the United States and South Korea -- may look at aspects of our relationship with China similarly and some aspects differently, and that will be a part of our discussion and a part of what we understand, going into these discussions that are ongoing now."
234
Jen Psaki
Very Positive
00:38:42-00:39:10 (29 sec)
"But, you know, at the end of the day, we feel there's areas of cooperation and partnership with South Korea. As you know, there was a big announcement that was made today which we welcomed, which is significant investments in the United States by South Korean companies totaling more than $25 billion -- which that reflects the longstanding close economic ties between the United States and South Korea. And we expect there to be continued opportunities for those type of economic engagements and cooperation."
235
Question
Leans Positive
00:39:10-00:39:20 (10 sec)
"Just one more. There's -- as you know, there's ongoing tension between South Korea and Japan. Will the President -- will he urge President Moon Jae-in today to improve its relationship with Japan?"
236
Jen Psaki
Very Positive
00:39:20-00:39:42 (21 sec)
"Well, first, we continue to promote expanded trilateral U.S-South Korea-Japan cooperation. Again, you've seen that through the trilateral meetings that we've had at a very high level. We not only want to strengthen America's relationship with our allies, but also between our allies. And nowhere is that more important than between South Korea and Japan."
237
Jen Psaki
Somewhat Positive
00:39:42-00:39:49 (7 sec)
"So, certainly, there's a range of topics they'll discuss, and they'll have a press conference to talk about all of it."
238
Jen Psaki
Neutral
00:39:49-00:39:50 (1 sec)
"Go ahead."
239
Question
Positive
00:39:50-00:39:52 (2 sec)
"Thank you. I want --"
240
Jen Psaki
Neutral
00:39:52-00:39:58 (6 sec)
"Oh, I'm sorry. I'll go right to you next. I'll go right -- I will not forget you. Sorry, I was jumping around."
241
Jen Psaki
Neutral
00:39:58-00:39:59 (1 sec)
"Go ahead."
242
Question
Very Positive
00:39:59-00:40:20 (22 sec)
"Thanks, Jen. I wanted to ask about President Biden's conversation with Rashida Tlaib on the tarmac in Michigan. What was his reaction to what she said, which was reported to be that she told him, "The U.S. can't continue to give the right-wing Netanyahu government billions of dollars to commit crimes against the Palestinians"?"
243
Jen Psaki
Very Positive
00:40:20-00:40:33 (13 sec)
"Well, the President spoke about how impressed he was by Congresswoman Tlaib at the event he had after he had the conversation with her. So I think he spoke to that already."
244
Jen Psaki
Very Positive
00:40:33-00:40:52 (19 sec)
"And, certainly, he understands that there are a range of viewpoints as it relates to the conflict in the Middle East, which we were in the heat of over the last several days. And he felt it was important to have a discussion with her on the tarmac so he could convey his point of view, certainly hear hers, and -- you know, he'll look forward to continuing to engage moving forward."
245
Jen Psaki
Neutral
00:40:52-00:40:53 (1 sec)
"Go ahead."
246
Question
Positive
00:40:53-00:41:02 (9 sec)
"Thanks, Jen. I'm following up on Darlene's question about the White House being open. Of course, now we're all masks off, at least in the press."
247
Jen Psaki
Slightly Positive
00:41:02-00:41:02 ( sec)
"Yeah."
248
Question
Very Positive
00:41:02-00:41:31 (29 sec)
"But I -- you know, I can only speak to our experience here: It seems to be on the honor system if we're vaccinated or not. So, now that the White House is having these events -- maskless hugging today and yesterday and, I assume, you know, kind of, forthright from here -- how is the White House tracking vaccinations beyond the folks who got vaccinated -- [someone sneezes] -- God bless you -- on TV, like Pelosi? For the folks who we haven't seen vaccinated on TV, how is the White House tracking who is vaccinated and who is not vaccinated?"
249
Jen Psaki
Very Positive
00:41:31-00:41:48 (17 sec)
"Well, again, what the guidance provided was information so people could take steps to protect themselves: either to get vaccinated -- which every American is eligible who's over the age of 12, at this point in time -- or to mask up if they're not yet vaccinated."
250
Jen Psaki
Neutral
00:41:48-00:41:59 (11 sec)
"So, the steps we're taking here -- so that means every individual in the White House, members of the press corps, can do exactly that: either get vaccinated or wear a mask."
251
Jen Psaki
Slightly Positive
00:41:59-00:42:06 (8 sec)
"So, the honor system is really about -- I don't actually even like that term because I think it's confusing. I'm not saying you're intending to do that."
252
Jen Psaki
Positive
00:42:06-00:42:19 (13 sec)
"But the real question is: How will people who are not yet vaccinated protect themselves? Right? Because people who are vaccinated -- what the CDC guidance is saying is that, "You're protected." So, people who are not vaccinated -- the guidance is, "You should wear a mask.""
253
Question
Very Positive
00:42:19-00:42:29 (9 sec)
"Okay. But the White House is not going to go out of its way to necessarily verify this individual -- or, like, "I've been vaccinated or not, so she's cleared to wear a mask." That's not the plan. That's --"
254
Jen Psaki
Somewhat Positive
00:42:29-00:42:30 (1 sec)
"That's not the role we're going to play."
255
Question
Very Positive
00:42:30-00:42:31 (2 sec)
"Okay, awesome. Just wanted to clarify."
256
Jen Psaki
Somewhat Positive
00:42:31-00:42:32 ( sec)
"Sure."
257
Question
Neutral
00:42:32-00:42:35 (4 sec)
"And then a quick follow-up on the budget proposal coming out next week."
258
Jen Psaki
Somewhat Positive
00:42:35-00:42:36 ( sec)
"Sure."
259
Question
Very Positive
00:42:36-00:42:43 (8 sec)
"A couple of things that were not included were very progressive ideas, like prescription drug reform and student debt relief. And you touched on this a little bit earlier --"
260
Jen Psaki
Slightly Positive
00:42:43-00:42:44 ( sec)
"Yeah."
261
Question
Very Positive
00:42:44-00:42:57 (14 sec)
"-- but I just want to get clarification. A message to progressives who might feel a little bit gypped or let down that, you know, they voted for Biden to get these specific things through in the first 100 days of the first year, and they feel like, well, maybe that's not going to be accomplished for them. Is there any message directly to those people?"
262
Jen Psaki
Slightly Positive
00:42:57-00:43:07 (10 sec)
"Well, first, I would say -- again, we'll roll out the totality of the budget. You'll have more paper and factsheets than you know what to do with a week from today. And so I don't want to get too far ahead of that."
263
Jen Psaki
Very Positive
00:43:07-00:43:23 (15 sec)
"But what is important for people to remember is that the President talked about his commitment to lowering the cost of prescription drugs in his joint session address. He remains committed to continuing to make healthcare more affordable and more accessible for Americans."
264
Jen Psaki
Very Positive
00:43:23-00:43:31 (8 sec)
"Is the totality of everything he wants to accomplish in his presidency done in the first 100 days? Clearly not, because we've passed that period of time."
265
Jen Psaki
Slightly Negative
00:43:31-00:43:46 (15 sec)
"And will every single thing he wants to get done in his presidency be reflected in the budget? It won't. But that doesn't mean he's not committed to it, and it doesn't mean that he do- -- doesn't have a desire to move all of these agenda items forward that he talked about in his joint session address, and that he talked about when he was running for President."
266
Jen Psaki
Neutral
00:43:46-00:43:47 (1 sec)
"Go ahead, in the back."
267
Question
Positive
00:43:47-00:43:57 (11 sec)
"Good afternoon. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has called for a diplomatic boycott of the 2022 Beijing Olympics. Does President Biden agree with that urging?"
268
Jen Psaki
Neutral
00:43:57-00:43:59 (2 sec)
"Our position hasn't changed."
269
Question
Neutral
00:43:59-00:44:00 (1 sec)
"At all?"
270
Jen Psaki
Neutral
00:44:00-00:44:01 (1 sec)
"Nope."
271
Question
Neutral
00:44:01-00:44:07 (7 sec)
"Human rights and all -- and as much as this administration forcefully defends human rights, and treating people [inaudible] --"
272
Jen Psaki
Very Positive
00:44:07-00:44:27 (20 sec)
"We are quite outspoken on human rights, the values of the United States in our conversations with the Chinese government and leaders, and any country where we have concerns -- as was clear in the readout that -- from the President's call with President Xi, and as has been clear in every engagement we've had with the Chinese leaders. But our position on the Beijing Olympics has not changed."
273
Question
Slightly Positive
00:44:27-00:44:29 (2 sec)
"Okay. And a follow-up, if I can."
274
Jen Psaki
Slightly Positive
00:44:29-00:44:30 (1 sec)
"Yeah."
275
Question
Somewhat Negative
00:44:30-00:44:42 (12 sec)
"In light of the Israeli-Palestinian fighting, genocide against the Uyghurs, the plight of the Rohingya, persecution of Christians across the globe -- this is the big question here: Going forward, how is the Biden --"
276
Jen Psaki
Neutral
00:44:42-00:44:43 (1 sec)
"That's a lot wrapped up."
277
Question
Very Positive
00:44:43-00:44:46 (3 sec)
"-- administration going to foster international religious freedom?"
278
Jen Psaki
Very Positive
00:44:46-00:45:06 (20 sec)
"Well, there was a lot wrapped up in there. What I will tell you is that, broadly speaking, the President and the administration and the Secretary of State will continue to advocate for freedom of religion, freedom of expression, freedom of media around the world when they have engagements diplomatically, when we have bilateral meetings, through public and private conversations."
279
Question
Very Negative
00:45:06-00:45:18 (12 sec)
"And closer to home, finally, we've seen gas prices rising -- this a much different topic, here -- gas prices rising significantly, and we all know that they've hurt poor people -- they hit them the hardest. I mean, every -- every dollar that comes in --"
280
Jen Psaki
Neutral
00:45:18-00:45:23 (5 sec)
"Which is why it's so perplexing that some are proposing user fees, but that's another topic."
281
Question
Very Positive
00:45:23-00:45:25 (2 sec)
"Okay. All right. Well, do you want to continue on your --"
282
Jen Psaki
Neutral
00:45:25-00:45:27 (2 sec)
"Go ahead. I don't know -- you had a question."
283
Question
Very Positive
00:45:27-00:45:48 (21 sec)
"Okay. [Inaudible] Well, my question is, is: Has the Biden administration considered -- does it have any plan or any sort of action it can take to try to bring down prices or at least somehow make the cost less -- whether it's a tax or something to help impoverished people? Otherwise, the money that's going to them -- in the form of the Rescue Plan and the other money -- is really money going back out the door to pay for higher gas, isn't it?"
284
Jen Psaki
Very Positive
00:45:48-00:46:20 (32 sec)
"Well, first, I would say that the President's plans, his proposals -- whether it was the American Rescue Plan, his American Jobs Plan, his American Families Plan -- have all been proposed through the prism of what he can do to help working people, help people trying to make ends meet, help people trying to put food on the table. His proposals have helped cut childhood poverty in half by this -- this year. It's helped bring -- put 1.5 million people back to work; has helped ensure that families and parents have a little bit of extra assistance so they can cover the cost of childcare."
285
Jen Psaki
Neutral
00:46:20-00:46:23 (3 sec)
"So that has been the prism through which he's made all of his proposals."
286
Jen Psaki
Neutral
00:46:23-00:46:25 (1 sec)
"I have to wrap this up in a minute here."
287
Question
Neutral
00:46:25-00:46:26 (1 sec)
"Just a quick point of clarification?"
288
Jen Psaki
Slightly Positive
00:46:26-00:46:26 ( sec)
"Yeah."
289
Question
Neutral
00:46:26-00:46:43 (17 sec)
"What did you mean when you said that this -- when it comes to spying on journalists, this DOJ is going to follow the "Holder model"? Because Eric Holder was the attorney general when the DOJ was spying on the Associated Press and was obtaining phone records for bureaus and individual journalists."
290
Jen Psaki
Very Positive
00:46:43-00:46:57 (13 sec)
"Well, the question that was asked, which was a good question, was about the -- the records that were taken or seized or whatever -- however you want to characterize it --during the last administration. And we're not going to follow the "Barr model.""
291
Jen Psaki
Very Positive
00:46:57-00:47:02 (5 sec)
"And I would say our -- I would point you at our Department of Justice to how they will approach that issue."
292
Question
Neutral
00:47:02-00:47:07 (5 sec)
"But you said the "Holder model," and Eric Holder did monitor the phone records of journalists."
293
Jen Psaki
Very Positive
00:47:07-00:47:13 (6 sec)
"I think I would point to the Department of Justice here. This -- all these decisions would be made by our attorney general and the Department of Justice."
294
Jen Psaki
Very Positive
00:47:13-00:47:23 (10 sec)
"And again, they are going to be meeting with journalists to hear their concerns. And certainly, we will continue to advocate for freedom of press, freedom of expression in the United States, of course, but also around the world."
295
Jen Psaki
Somewhat Positive
00:47:23-00:47:24 (1 sec)
"Thank you everyone."
296
Question
Neutral
00:47:24-00:47:25 (1 sec)
"You got to get the --"
297
Jen Psaki
Slightly Positive
00:47:25-00:47:29 (4 sec)
"Oh, I'm sorry. I always -- I don't intend -- I unintentionally forget. It's my favorite part of the week."
298
Jen Psaki
Neutral
00:47:29-00:47:31 (2 sec)
"Go ahead. Hello. How are you?"
299
Question
Very Positive
00:47:31-00:47:40 (9 sec)
"I'm good. Thank you, Jen, for the opportunity. My name is Andrew Peng. I'm with the Yappie, a publication, dedicated to tracking Asian American and Pacific Islander activism."
300
Question
Very Negative
00:47:40-00:47:58 (18 sec)
"I have two questions. The first one is on anti-Asian hate. In addition to the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act that the President signed yesterday, the administration also announced plans back in March to re-establish the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. The White House also said that the President would appoint a permanent director to lead that initiative."
301
Question
Neutral
00:47:58-00:48:03 (5 sec)
"Do we have any announcements or can we expect an update on an executive order reauthorizing the initiative?"
302
Jen Psaki
Very Positive
00:48:03-00:48:07 (4 sec)
"Sure. Well, thank you. It's very nice to meet you. Thanks for all the reporting you do."
303
Jen Psaki
Very Positive
00:48:07-00:48:18 (11 sec)
"I will first say that reinstating and expanding the White House Initiative on Asian American and Pacific Islanders and ensuring that it is successful is a top priority for the President."
304
Jen Psaki
Very Positive
00:48:18-00:48:29 (11 sec)
"He is committed to reestablishing the initiative, as he talked about early on in his presidency. We hope to have more on that soon. So, "soon" -- coming weeks -- on more specifics and an update."
305
Jen Psaki
Slightly Positive
00:48:29-00:48:43 (14 sec)
"As you noted, he signed into law a bipartisan bill -- the COVID Hate Crimes Bill legislation yesterday. First big event here at the White House with bipartisan support. Welcomed people to the White House. That just conveys how important that legislation was to him."
306
Jen Psaki
Positive
00:48:43-00:48:57 (14 sec)
"And he also committed to appointing a senior member of his White House team -- which he has done -- who has a seat at the table both on policy and personnel, to speak to the -- the initiatives that are important to the AAPI community."
307
Jen Psaki
Very Positive
00:48:57-00:49:04 (7 sec)
"But, hopefully, we'll have more soon. Maybe if we we're having this conversation next week I'd have more of an update, but it could be that soon. But it's very nice --"
308
Question
Very Positive
00:49:04-00:49:04 ( sec)
"Awesome."
309
Jen Psaki
Positive
00:49:04-00:49:07 (2 sec)
"-- to meet you. Thanks for joining us in the briefing room."
310
Jen Psaki
Very Positive
00:49:07-00:49:15 (8 sec)
"Thanks, everyone, so much. And have a wonderful weekend."
311