James S. Brady Press Briefing Room

1:52 P.M. EDT

Q Oh, my goodness.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Oh, my goodness. I wonder why.

Good afternoon, everybody.

Q Good afternoon.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Happy Friday. Don't say things don't get exciting in here sometimes.

I really — there's no introduction that really is needed here. I have a special guest, as you can see. Mark Hamill has decided to join us on this wonderful Friday, and I am really excited to turn it over to Mr. Hamill.
Here you go.

MR. HAMILL: Just for — okay. How many of you had "Mark Hamill will lead the press briefing" on your bingo card? Hands? [Laughter] Yeah, me either.

And look, I just got to meet the President. He gave me these aviator glasses to me.

Q What a treasure.

MR. HAMILL: I love the merch. Love it all.

But listen, I just wanted to say I was honored to be asked to come to the White House to meet the President — the most legislatively successful president in my lifetime. And, you know, I don't have to go through the list — the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the PACT Act, the CHIPS Act, all of that — Inflation. Fifteen million jobs. Look, it's all good.

I mean, I was really thrilled to meet the entire staff because you know it's not just one person. It's like a composite endeavor. And all these people — my goodness. You know, I mean, I have no idea — I had no idea just what went into what is on his plate on a daily basis.

So, that's pretty much it. I'm open to questions, although no "Star Wars" questions, please. [Laughter]

But I want to say once again how grateful I am. And it just shows you that one person can be so influential and so positive in our lives. And again, thank you so much.

And, Peter Baker, I loved your book.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Wow!

Q Thank you, Mark Hamill, for being here. What did you ask — what did you talk about with the President?

MR. HAMILL: Well, first of all, I only expected to be there for like five minutes. He showed us all these photographs. And, you know, it was really amazing to me because, you know, I was — I was invited to the Carter White House, and I came. And then I came to the Obama White House, but I never was invited into the Oval Office. And it was a large gathering. So, this one was really extra special.

Q All right, sir.

MR. HAMILL: So — yes.

Q Did President Biden bring up "Star Wars," too, sir?

MR. HAMMILL: Well, you know, I called him "Mr. President." He said, "You can call me 'Joe.'" And I said, "Can I call you 'Joe-bi-Wan Kenobi'?" [Laughter] He liked that.

But listen, I'm not really here to dominate. I have to turn it back over to our wonderful press secretary, Karine Jean-Pierre. So, thank you all so much.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Thank you.

MR. HAMILL: All right, thank you.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Thank you.

MR. HAMILL: Okay.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Thank you so much for being here. I got to get those shades.

Q Tell him [inaudible] only hope.

Q [Inaudible] [Laughter]

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Thank you, guys. Thank you. [Applause]

No one ever claps for me when I get off the podium. [Laughter] Just saying.

Q [Inaudible]

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I know. The unexpected — expect the unexpected.

I don't even know where to go from there, but I do have — now I feel very by myself. Let's let the team come in. [Laughter] Thank you. Thank you, Sam, for joining.

MR. MICHEL: Sure.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: All right. Okay.

I do have a couple of things before we get into — turn — turn it into some serious business and take your questions. Thank you so much for indulging us today. We thought that might be a nice thing to do for you all to see Mark Hamill, as he was here, as you just heard, visiting from — with the President — President Biden — President here today.

So, today marks World Press Freedom Day, an occasion that highlights the importance of a free press, both of our democracy here in the United States and for our societies around the world.

From exposing corruption and human rights abuses to covering communities and conflicts the world over, gen- — journalists risk their lives every day in the pursuit of truth — in the pursuit of truth.

In a statement this morning, President Biden reaffirmed his commitment to support and take action in defense of media freedom. The Biden-Harris administration has already launched a robust government-wide campaign and built a coalition of countries to counter the proliferation and misuse of commercial spyware which has been misused against journalists and continues to provide legal and other support for media who face persecution around the world.

The President also called again for the immediate, unconditional release of all journalists who have been detained around the world, including the Wall Street Journal's Evan Gershkowi- — Gershkovich, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty's Alsu Kurmasheva, and of course Austin Tice in Syria.

In the coming weeks, the President will take executive action in response to the global crackdown on press freedom, declare it a grave threat to national security, and authorize measures, including sanctions and visas bans, against those who attempt to silence the press.

The United States stands by media around the world and will continue to do our part to support their important work.

Today, we also have another important day event happening later today. The President — President Biden is naming 19 recipients of the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

The Presidential Medal of Freedom is the nation's highest civilian honor presented to individuals who have made exemplary contributions to the prosperity, values, or security of the United States; world peace; or other significant societal, public, or private endeavors.

We're honored to have these individuals or members of their families come to the White House today to celebrate their service.

President Biden often says there is no- — nothing beyond our capacity when we act together. These 19 Americans consistently demonstrated over their careers the power of community, hard work, and service.

Finally, this morning, Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona sent a letter to schools addressing the sharp rise in antisemitic hate on college campuses. His letter made clear to schools that not only is antisemitism abhorrent and unacceptable, it is also discrimination prohibited under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

Secretary Cardona reminded schools that the Department of Education provides a number of resources — including trainings, technical assistance — to ensure that school environments are free of discrimination.

His letter comes one day after President Biden spoke to this very subject. As you all know, Americans have a right to free speech and peacefully protest. But — but breaking into buildings, destroying property, and shutting down campuses is not peaceful protest. There is also no place on ca- — college campuses or in America for antisemitism.

This administration will continue to defend free speech while standing up for the rule of law.

And, Josh, good to see you.

Q Good to see you, Karine.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: All right.

Q May the Force be with you. [Laughter]

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: May the Force be with you, or, tomorrow, the 4th be with you — however you want to look at it. [Laughs]

Q Let's hope we've killed off the "Star Wars" jokes for the rest of the briefing. [Laughter]

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I — I doubt it. I feel like there's more to come in.

Q So, three subjects.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah.

Q First, a top orthopedic surgeon at Shifa has apparently died in Israeli custody. He was 50 years old. If medical personnel are not going to be exempt from the war, how can Gazans hope to have any medical care? And what can you say to other doctors working in that area?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: And so, look, that is devastating news and devastating to hear. And our hearts go out to friends and families — his friend and families. That is certainly one of the hardest news that you can hear — a family member can hear, especially as someone is providing care in this — in this situation in Gaza, where we know humanitarian aid is dire and the innocent people of Gaza, the Palestinian citizens, obviously need that care. They need that assistance. So, it is obviously devastating to hear.

And the President has said, and has said very clearly, that when it comes to people who are citizens who are in Gaza providing that all-important care — humanitarian aid, humanitarian care — they need to be protected. They should be protected. And so, certainly, those conversations are going to continue.

We — we believe that, certainly, Israel has made — the Israeli government has taken efforts to do just that and has taken into account our concerns. And so, we're going to continue to have those conversations.

But it is heartbreaking to hear. I can't speak specifically to that case and what occurred. Obviously, someone's life was lost. And we have to be, certainly, mindful. And we're — at this time, I can offer my condolences. And we want to make sure innocent lives — innocent civilians of — people who are, certainly, offering that humanitarian aid, their — their lives are protected as they're doing so.

Q Secondly, what can you say about reports that Israel has briefed the administration on its efforts to evacuate civilians before a Rafah invasion?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, what I can say this — and we — we've been pretty clear. We haven't seen a comprehensive plan — a plan as it relates to their thinking on the Rafah operations. We have been also clear that — of our concerns of a maj- — any major operations — military operations into Rafah.

We have said, and you all have heard us say, there's more than a million Palestinian civilians living in — n- — well, seeking refuge in — in Rafah. And we want to make sure that they are — their — their lives are protected.

And so, that is important. And we want to s- — we want to continue to have the conversations that we've been having with the Israeli government.

As you know, it's been — those conversations have been led by the National Security Advisor, Jake Sullivan. He was just here last week, as you all know, as well. And so, we had two virtual — virtual conversations. We're hoping to have one in person. We want those conversations to continue.

We believe that they are going to take — Israel government is going to take our concerns into account. But we have not seen a plan — a comprehensive plan. And we want to make sure that those conversations continue, because it is important to protect those Palestinian lives, those innocent lives, those more than a million citizens who are seeking refuge in Gaza — in — in that part of Gaza — in Rafah.

Q And — and then, lastly, on campus protests. The President has drawn the line at violence, but he said he's not bringing in the National Guard. Does he think the police presence deters violence or exacerbates it?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, just to be very clear about the National Guard: That is something that governors decide on. That is a decision for them to make, when it comes to the National Guard. And so, I want to just reiterate that again from here.

And, look, we have always been very clear. When it comes to police presence on college and universities, that is certainly something that — that universities and colleges have to make a decision on. That is something that they decide what is right to — how — right to — to move forward on their campuses and colleges.

And we understand — we understand how painful this moment is. We — you've heard me say it: It is a incredibly charged time. It is a charged environment. And it is very difficult, because of that charged environment, for law enforcement.

We also believe and it is important that all Americans can peacefully protest within the law. They have to be able to do that. It is — you heard from the President. It is — it is part of our fundamental American principles, part of our — or what make America's freedom — right? — to be able to — to protest peacefully in this country.

And it is also important, which is the second part that the President talked about yesterday — is the rule of law. We have to follow the rule of law. Violence is not protected here.

But Americans have the right to peacefully — peacefully protest within the law. And we're going to be very consistent here.

And as I said, these are incredibly pain- — incredibly painful time. And it is very charged moment. And we understand how difficult that could be.

And so, I'll just leave it there.

Is that your three topics?

Q Yes.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Okay. All right. Go ahead, Selina.

Q Thanks, Karine. So, you say that you haven't seen a comprehensive plan for Rafah, but I am told by a U.S. official that the U.S. has been briefed on some sort of initial plan. So, can you just tell us what the reaction was —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So —

Q — to Israeli counterparts about that initial brief?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, I'm going to be super mindful. These pri- — these conversations are — you know, these are diplomatic conversations. We don't read out in details, in specifics on — on the conversations that we have with our — with — certainly with all of our counterparts here.

The last time there was a virtual meeting, we did have a readout there. But I don't want to go into details.

We have been very clear, in public and in private, that our concerns with a — with a large military operation into Rafah — we do not — we're not in support of that.

And so, obviously, there's been conversations. There's been two virtual-led conversation led by the National Security Advisor on this particular topic, Rafah operations. We read out to all of you the last time that the President spoke with the Prime Minister of Israel, Rafah operations came up in that conversations.

We're not going to go into details from here. But I think we've made ourselves very clear. There are more than 1.1 — 1.5 million Palestinians who are seeking refuge there. And so, we believe those lives need to be protected. And we're going to continue to have those conversations.

Q So, to be clear, the U.S. was not satisfied with whatever —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I'm not —

Q — the U.S. was briefed on in this initial plan?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I'm just — I'm not going to go into details or specifics from here. We've been clear about our concerns. We're going to continue to be clear about our concerns here. Those conversations are going to continue. And I'm just going to leave it there.

Q And just switching gears a little bit.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah.

Q A new ABC News/Ipsos poll found that nearly 4 in 10 Americans say the U.S. is doing too much to support Israel. That's up from about 3 in 10 in January. So, it is showing that support for Israel is declining as the war drags on. Is the President concerned about this?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I'm not going to go into every poll that comes out. That's for political pundits to do. I used to be one. I'm not one anymore, standing here at this podium.

But what I can say is that we saw what happened on October 7th. We heard from Hamas, a terrorist organization, what they said that they would do. A leader from that organization said they want to see October 7th happen again and again and again.

More than 1,200 souls were taken on that day. Two hundred — more than two hundred Israelis, including some American hostages, were taken by Hamas. And, as you know, we are working very hard to get that hostage deal so that we can bring hostages home, including those American hostages, create a situation where we have a ceasefire — right? — so more humanitarian aid can go through.

That is incredibly important. We're doing — we're working around the clock to get that done.

You saw Secretary Blinken in the region, meeting with regional partners. And so, that is certainly a priority and continues to be a priority for us.

Our commitment to Israel's security is ironclad, as I've said and we've said many times. They live in a tough neighborhood. And we saw what Iran did, right? They tried — they — they launched missiles and drones into Israel. And it wasn't just us that stepped in. It was leaders in the region that stepped in to make sure that they — they were able to defend themselves at that time.

And so, we want to get that hostage deal. That's what we want to see. We want to make sure that — that innocent Palestinian lives are protected. That's why we're looking into the Rafah operations and having those conversations.

But getting that hostage deal is so critical to bring hostages home, to get that humanitarian — more humanitarian aid in and to have a ceasefire. And we are committed to doing that. And you see that from this President.

Go ahead.

Q Thank you, Karine. You said that the U.S. has been clear about concerns about invading Rafah. Has it been clear about potential consequences if Israel moves forward?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Look, I'm not going to go into — I'm not going to go into speculations or what consequences might be. Our co- — we've made our concerns publicly and privately to the Israeli government.

I just mentioned the — the President had a conversation with the Prime Minister in his last — in his last call with him and Rafah operations came up.

I'm not going to go into specifics. I'm not going to go into details.

We have been very clear. There are 1.5 million Palestinians who have — who are seeking refuge in — in Rafah, and we want to make sure those lives are protected, understanding that Israel needs to also defend itself and having those Hamas operators there — we understand that they want to dismantle Hamas, and I understand that — we understand that is a priority, obviously. And we are — we are — we — we certainly appreciate that.

We also want to make sure that those 1.5 million lives — Palestinian lives who are seeking refuge there are protected. And we believe there's a way to do that. And we're going to have those conversations.

I'm not going to get into specifics from here.

Q Okay. We have learned that the King of Jordan is meeting with President Biden here at the White House next week. Can you share any details and talk about what's on the agenda?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, I can confirm the King — that King Abdullah of Jordan will participate in a private meeting with President Biden at the White House next week while he is in town. I don't have any more details for you at this time.

Certainly, we will pr- — we will provide a readout when that — when that occurs. But I can confirm that that meeting is indeed happening next week.

Q And then, just to close the loop. What was Mark Hamill doing here today? [Laughter]

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I think he said. He said he was meeting with — he was having a meeting — did you not like having him here?

Q No, I mean, that's not — [laughter] —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I was like —

Q — we all loved seeing him —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: It sounded —

Q — but —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: It sounded — it sounded very — kind of like, "Why? Why here?"

Q Well —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: No, he said it himself. I — we — we wanted to make sure that he provided — which is one of the reasons he spoke to why he was here himself. He wanted to meet with the President. They had a meeting. And —

Q But about what? [Laughter]

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Well, he — I mean, you guys asked him questions. [Laughs]

They had a meeting about what the President has been able to do on behalf of the American people. Mark Hamill was in town. They met. I think it was — it was important.

As someone — you all — you all know Mark Hamill. He is someone who has — who is very much invested in our country, very much invested in — in the direction of this country. And so, they had a — you know, they had a meeting.

It was — he ex- — he went into that meeting — and I thought — we thought it would be fun for him to come out here and lighten up — lighten up the room a little bit on a Friday. We also believe that you guys are s- — there's some "Star Wars" fans in here.

But, you know, the President — I mean, the President meets with a lot of people. There's a lot of people that come through the White House that the President has an opportunity to sit down and talk with. You just happened to — you just happened to see Mark Hamill today because we thought it would be a nice gesture to have him come out and say hello.

But I wouldn't put to m- — I really wouldn't put too much into it. He meets —

Q Okay.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: — with a lot of people here.

Q Thank you.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah.

All right. Geez. Weijia is not happy about Mark Hamill being here. [Laughter] That's okay. I'm not going to tell him. He's not watching, probably. I won't tell him.

Q I don't — I haven't seen —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Do you not —

Q — the movies.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Do you not like "Star Wars"?

Q I will — I —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: You have not seen "Star Wars"?

Q I will now. I will now.

Q Booo —

Q I know.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: That's why that happened, folks. That's why I got the question. [Laughter]

Q I'm going to watch. I'm going to watch.

Q She's not alone.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Oh, there's more.

Q What?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Wow. All right. I'm going to let that go. Let's continue.

Q Weijia, we have to talk after this. I have stories.

Q For the record, I [inaudible].

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Oh, thank you, Gabe. All right. Thank you, Gabe. We thought — it's Friday, y'all. It's Friday. A little bit of — you know, a little bit of fun — "Star Wars" fun.

Go ahead, Gabe.

Q Thanks, Karine. I —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Let's transition to what you — what you actually want to talk about.

Q Yes, let's transition.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah.

Q I want to pick up on what Selina had asked.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah.

Q Look, I know you said that you don't want to get into specifics, but just want to make sure we —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Well —

Q — we understand you and we're clear. You did say that Israel has not provided a comprehensive plan to invade Rafah. However, our reporting and reporting of some others —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah.

Q — has suggested that they have briefed the White House on a plan. So, what you're saying — by not saying "comprehensive" —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah.

Q — you're saying that you have a plan, but you just don't think it's good enough.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: What I can say is that they have certainly — there's been conversations that have happened over the last two virtual meetings. And what I can say is we have been clear in our position. We continue to be clear on our position. We've expressed our concerns with a major ground invasion in Rafah — we've been very clear about that — which would have significant risk against civilian casualties and outlined — and outlined an alternative course of action. We have done that for them: outlined an alternative course of action for Israel to dismantle Hamas.

So, you can imagine, you know, that there's been some back-and-forth on that. And so, you know, we believe Israel will take our concerns on board, they will take our accounts into consideration as they plan their — their next operations. And so, we're continuing to have these conversations. We'll continue to have those conversations.

Q Could this be a tactic on the part of Israel to try and pressure Hamas to take the deal?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: That is — that's literally something for Israel to speak to. I cannot — I cannot speak to their tactics. I cannot speak to their plan.

I will say and reiterate that — that we are working very hard to get a hostage deal, obviously. And actually, what I will say is that Hamas has that deal. That is on the table. They need to take that deal.

And — and you've seen us — you've seen us be very clear about that. You've heard from the Secretary Blinken this week.

And so, we need that hostage deal so that we can — that could lead us to a ceasefire that can get those hostages home, including American hostages. And so, we think it's important to get that done.

But there is a — there is a hostage deal. It's on the table. Hamas needs to take it.

Q On a separate topic — well, sort of a similar topic.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah.

Q But one of the recipients today of the Presidential Medal of Freedom will be Congressman Jim Clyburn. He had some comments earlier today where he agreed with Senator Bernie Sanders's assertion that the Israel-Hamas war is President — could be President Biden's Vietnam. What's your response to that?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, look, a couple of things. I want to be super careful because that's kind of leading into a campaign space, so I want to be really mindful on how — what I say. And a couple of things that, you know, I did think through on those — on this — knowing we'd probably get this potential question.

Look, Joe Biden ended the longest war in American history and just succeeded in convincing both parties in Congress to make crucial investments in our national security in Ukraine to help ensure we won't be drawn into conflict in Europe. And that is the President's leadership that you have seen. Right? And that is one of the reasons he's been able to bring NATO together in a way that we have not seen before.

And — and obviously, one of the reasons we had to do that is because we had to make sure that Putin didn't succeed. He didn't succeed. And — and so, the President has been taking action, obviously, on that for the past more than two years.

You heard him say yesterday — he reiterated values that being — that being us, together, we have the right to dissent, right? But it must be peaceful. It must be peaceful. And antisemitimi- — and antisemitism is horrid. It is — it is — it is hate speech, and we should treat it as hate speech.

And there is overwhelming support for his agenda, whether it's having, you know, rich special interests pay their fair share — if you think about what the President has been fighting for, especially dealing with Congress, making sure that the billionaires and corporations pay their fair share and making sure that we're building an economy that helps everyone, that doesn't leave anyone behind.

And so, we've — you've heard him talk about that — beating Big Pharma, lowering healthcare costs, making sure that we move forward with his student debt relief.

And so, those are things that the President — and those agendas are incredibly popular. And so, he's going to continue to do that work.

And obviously, Congressman Clyburn is someone that he truly respects — we all respect. And — and so, just, you know, want to — want to be mindful because it's connected to — connected to a campaign-related question.

But this is a president who has taken action to make sure that he does everything, you know, on behalf of — that's right, whether it's national security or moving forward with domestic policies that the American people want us to move forward on.

Q So, the White House disagrees with that characterization.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Look, I think I just laid out what we believe we have been able to accomplish here in the more than three years in this administration. I think they have their opinions, and they're allowed to their opinions. And — and we respect — we respect what — their opinions on this.

Go ahead.

Q Does the U.S. believe that a Rafah operation is imminent?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: That's something for Israel to speak to. What I can say is we've made our concerns very clear, publicly and privately. We've had two — two virtual conversations that have been led by the National Security Advisor, as you know, Jake Sullivan. He was here last week talk- — speaking to this.

We are going to continue to be very, very clear on where we stand about — on this and our concerns for innocent civilian lives — more than 1 million innocent civilian lives that are now in Rafah that are seeking ref- — refuge there.

I can't speak to a timeline. That is certainly for Israel to speak to. What we will say is we've made our concerns very, very clear.

Q The deadline for the administration to report to Congress on whether Israel is abiding by international law — that is next Wednesday. Do you know if the President himself has made a personal decision on that or has a personal view on that at this point?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Nothing to read out at this time.

Q And just on another topic. The speech that he's giving on Tuesday for the Holocaust Memorial Museum — can you give us a sense of how he is preparing for that, how the team is preparing for that?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, let me just say a couple of things here. And you've heard us say many times before and we'll continue to underscore how fighting antisemitism is at the cor- — at the core — at the core of who this President is.

He has — he was moved to run by the grotesque display of antisemitism in Charlottesville, as you all know and covered — some of you covered back in 2017.

And like I mentioned on Monday, he will deliver the keynote address at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum annual Days of Remembrance Cerem- — Ceremony.

During the Days of Remembrance, we remember the — we remember and mourn the 6 million Jews who were systematically murdered by the Nazis and their collaborators during World War Two.

The President will discuss our moral duty to combat the rising scourge of antisemitism and the Biden-Harris administration's work to implementing the first-ever national strategy counter anti- — antisemitism to make real the promise of never, ever, ever again.

This is — when it comes to speeches, important, big moments like this, the President obviously takes this very seriously. He knows that this is going to be an important moment for the country to hear from him. And I don't have anything beyond what I just shared.

Q The — the focus of this speech will obviously be, as you said, the Holocaust survivors, antisemitism. Given just everything that's going on, does the President believe that it would be appropriate to also address in the speech the pro-Palestinian protesters and their sentiment? Or does he believe that that should be —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, I'm going to be —

Q — for a different setting?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: — super mindful. I'm not going to — I — as I say many times, I'm not going to get ahead of the President. This speech is, you know, in — in process. And so, I'm going to let the President think through what exactly that he wants to share with the American people.

Obviously, as I just stated at the beginning of — of my answer to you, you know, fighting antisemitism is at the core of this President. And we have seen a rise in antisemitism. And we want to make sure that we make it very clear that it is hate speech. It is abhorrent. And so, certainly, you'll hear from the President very, very clearly on Tuesday. And certainly, he'll share more.

Go ahead.

Q Thanks, Karine. The White House brought on a new border person, Blas Nuñez-Neto. Wh- — what is it — what is that — is there any — does that give any indications of urgency, speed of the executive order that the President has been considering?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, look, we — we are — we look forward to — to the DHS Assistant Secretary joining the White House and continuing his work in implementing the administration's vision across the border security and immigration spaces.

Don't have anything new to read out on any new announcements. But look, this is an administration that is committed to fixing the broken immigration system. On the first day — on his first day of the — of this administration, the first piece of legislation that he put forward was one to — a comprehensive piece of legislation to deal with a broken system, to deal with what we're seeing with — at the border, the challenges.

And then, we moved forward — when that legislation was not moving forward in Congress, we spoke to — had a two-month negotiation process with senators to come up with a bipartisan proposal.

And so, that was rejected, as you all know, by Republicans because of the former President stating that this would hurt him and help Joe Biden. And that is unfortunate.

We know that this is an issue — when we talk about the immigration system — that majority of Americans care about. And so —

Q But what are the steps —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: But —

Q — that he could take?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Look, we believe that the bipartisan border security agreement that came out of the Senate that was rejected — right? — by Republicans because of the former President is the best way to move forward in a comprehensive way. That's what we want to see.

And I've sa- — I've stated this many times before. As it relates to any other actions, we're always going to look at other opportunities, other actions. We always will. Don't have anything to — to speak to — to — to announce at this moment.

We actually want to see that bipartisan immigration agreement move forward. That's what we want to see. That is going to be the most comprehensive way to deal with a broken immigration system.

You've heard me say this: If it is put into law — signed into law by this President, it would be the toughest and the fairest piece of legisla- — or law that we have seen in some time.

This system has been broken — the immigration system has been broken for decades — for decades. And it's time that we act, and Republicans have an opportunity to do that. They have an opportunity to do that.

Go ahead, April.

Q Karine, there are some very loud voices that are out there asking for President Joe Biden to issue a pardon to Marilyn Mosby, the former Baltimore City state's attorney, who is waiting for sentencing — could face 40 years for taking her own money out of a retirement account to buy a house.

And this group — to include Bakari Sellers and Angela Rye — have pulled together a lot of civil rights leaders. What is the President's thought about all of this, especially as she was one of those who really was groundbreaking in efforts of policing and accountability?

And Bakari Sellers says that it looks like political persecution as well as retribution for what she did many years ago in the Freddie Gray case that still has yet to have accountability for his death.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, I want to be really mindful here because that is obviously a Department of Justice process. And I don't want to be certainly speaking to any individual pardon request. That is not something that I — I can do. DOJ has their process. Department of Joi- — Justice, as I just mentioned, employs a process that is thorough, that is deliberative — a process to review — when it comes to a process to review executive clemency petitions. And then individuals, obviously, submit their — their applications there. There's an application process.

I want to be super mindful. I don't want to speak to, you know, an individual case here. And so, I'm going to be really mindful. This is a Department of Justice kind of jurisdiction. And so, I'm just going to leave it there.

Q But the President could indeed say, "Yes, I would like to see this happen," and add his voice to this petition.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Well, this is — Department of Justice, they go through a process. It's very thorough.

Q Right.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: It's very deliberative.

I don't want to speak your — I don't want to speak to any individual process. I've got to be super mindful here and need to be really careful as DOJ runs — Department of Justice runs this process.

And so, there's a application process for individuals. Certainly, there's a route for them to go.

I want to be really, really mindful. This is not something that I — that we do from here — from this podium, as you can understand.

Q Yeah, I —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: No, I — go ahead, April. Go ahead.

Q But I mean — I get what you're saying.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah, yeah.

Q That there's an application process. But can the President support — or can the Vice President and the President support the fact, yes, there should be a pardon, even if there is an application process, whether it happens or not?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: As you know, when the President and the Vice President weighs in, that is a — that is, you know —

Q It tips the scale.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I mean, you just — yeah, you just laid that out.

So, I want to be really careful, because there is a process that the Department of Justice has to go through. It is thorough and it is deliberative. And so, we have to let that process go through. And I don't want to — it is — I don't want to speak on that process. And I just want to be really, really mindful here.

Q Well, is the President aware of what's happening in this case? Because she was one of the — she was one of the — the forefront persons —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: No — yeah, I know. I —

Q — calling for accountability. It didn't happen in Baltimore, but there was a ripple effect with Ahmaud Arbery and —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah.

Q — and — and Derek Chauvin and those with George Floyd.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I cert- — no —

Q Is he familiar with this?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I certainly know who you're speaking of. I have not had an opportunity to speak to the President about this. So, I can't — I can't say if — I can't say the President's thoughts on this because I have not spoken to him about it.

But obviously, it is very well known of what she has done, her — you know, but I don't want to — I just want to be super mindful. This is a Department of Justice process.

As you know, we're really, really careful from here, from this podium. We respect that process here.

Q Thank you.

Q Thanks, Karine. Russia's state-controlled energy company posted its first net loss since 1999 yesterday. Does the White House see that as efforts to isolate Russia working?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Say that one more time?

Q Yeah, Russia's state-controlled energy company posted its first net loss yesterday since 1999.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, I want to be —

Q And —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah, I want to be mindful. I want to talk to our team about this. I have not — I don't have any information for you — to dive into at this time.

Let me take that and bring it back to the team.

Q Can I ask another energy question, then —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah.

Q — to you? Does the White House think the FTC made the right decision in approving Exxon's acquisition of Pioneer, even though the company has been accused of colluding with OPEC?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah, I'm not going to comment on that either at this time.

Go ahead.

Q Thanks, Karine. The International Court — Criminal Court prosecutor issued a statement today warning against the, quote, "threats" and attempts to intimidate the court over his work. That comes after reports that both Israel and — and some people — there are some members of Congress that warned of retaliation against the ICC if it charges Israeli officials. I just wanted to get your reaction to that and, you know —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah.

Q — as to whether the — you know, the White House would back retaliation against the ICC for — for charges against Israeli officials.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, we obviously oppose any threats or intimidation to public officials that — including ICC officials. So, obviously, we're going to be always mindful and be very clear about opposing any type of a threats or attempts to intimidate. That is something that you'll hear from us pretty consistently.

But we've been clear. I was asked about this — this particular investigation by ICC a couple of days ago. We do not support it. We do not support this investigative probe. We do not believe it's within their jurisdiction. We've been very clear about that. And that obviously still remains.

I'm going to be really — you're asking me about what could be next and if we would — if we would weigh in if they were to move forward. I'm not going to get into hypotheticals from here. But we've been very clear. We oppose this — this investigation, and we do not believe it's within their jurisdiction.

Go ahead.

Q Yes, thanks, Karine. The President was very clear in condemning violence at the protests. But does he believe that any of the issues that are being raised by the protesters across campuses is legitimate?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: What's the specif- — can you tell me the specific issues that you're hearing?

Q Like, for instance, solidarity with the victims, the ceasefire, the request for more aid, "Free Palestine" chants — does he believes that any of the things that these protesters are manifesting for is legitimate?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Well, let — can — can I just speak to the things that I understand you to lay out. As it relates to ceasefire, the President is pushing for a hostage deal, which would lead to a ceasefire. The — and if you have a ceasefire — this hostage deal — it would create an environment to get more humanitarian aid into Gaza.

And you saw Secretary Blinken in the region. Just the other day, he did a press conference in Israel and he talked about the increased effort that we have ta- — undertaken to get more humanitarian — to get more trucks into Gaza.

And so, we have seen an uptick. And so, we want to continue to see that. But we have to see this hostage deal. So, get to a ceasefire, get more humanitarian aid.

We understand the dire situation that the Palestinian Americans are — pardon me, the Palestinian citizens — pardon me — are — are dealing with right now. And so, we want to make sure that we get humanitarian aid in.

Q But what about the — the requests from these protestors from universities to divest —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: We do not —

Q — in Israel —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: That is — that is —

Q — or — or to stop sending weapons to Israel?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I was asked this question, and we do not support that.

Go ahead, Adam.

Q Thanks. On the avian flu. We've talked with several hospital officials who have told us that the health system is essentially unprepared for another major health crisis if bird flu were to start spreading widely among people. In particular, hospitals don't have the manpower. There are still concerns about the ability to supply us quickly, and communication data-sharing, they say, hasn't improved markedly since even before COVID.

So, I'm curious what the White House's response is to those concerns and whether there are any preparations ongoing to ensure we can respond to that kind of a crisis.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, I want to — you know, we are monitoring this very closely and taking this very seriously. It is a top priority for this administration to make sure that communities are healthy, safe, and certainly informed. So, we're monitoring this closely.

The President has directed his administration to do the following: protect public health, protect our nation's food supply, and monitor all trends to prevent the spread of avian flu.

CDC report — they have reported that the risk for general public is low, and federal agencies are cornat- — coordinating with local authorities.

And so, monitoring closely. We want to make sure that communities feel safe, they feel protected and have the information that they need. And you heard from the CDC directly on this.

Q Is their belief that the hospital or the health system as it stands is prepared enough to withstand another major health crisis?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, that's not something for me to speak to from here. What we're doing is taking this very seriously. We're monitoring the situation. CDC has spoken to this and said the risk to the general public is low. I think that's important to note.

And the President is on top of this, making sure that his agencies are doing everything that they need to do to make sure that communities feel — are protected, that our communities are informed, and certainly are healthy.

Okay. Go ahead, Karen.

Q Thanks, Karine. On abortion. Does the administration have any reaction to this report that a Texas man has filed a petition to state district court in Texas to try and investigate possible illegal activity that was committed, he's saying, by his ex-partner, because she went to Colorado to get an abortion?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, wait. What's — say that one more time.

Q A man has — is looking to have an investigation into possible illegal activity. His ex-partner traveled out of state from Texas to Colorado to seek an abortion — get an abortion.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Look, that sounds like that's — there's a legal case. Going to be careful not to sort of respond from here.

What I will say more broadly — and what we have continued to say — that the attacks on reproductive healthcare that we have seen and makes it — makes it incredibly difficult for women to make decisions on their own body, for their own health is — is devastating. It is devastating what we're seeing.

And sadly, because of what happened — the overturning of Roe because of the Dobbs decision that happened almost two years ago — we have seen just chaos — chaos across the board. And we see tens of millions of women who are now at risk of not being able to make that decision.

I can't speak to individual cases. What I can se- — speak to is the chaos that we have seen. What I can speak to is what the President and this administration — the Biden-Harris administration are committed to protecting a woman's right to choose; a woman's right to make a decision on her own body, on her own healthcare.

And it's not just abortion, as you know. It's IVF that's under attack, contraception that's under attack.

And so, we're going to be very loud — continue to be loud and clear about that — and ask Congress to make sure that Roe becomes the law of the land, and they need to take action.

Don't want to get into legal — legal cases out there. I cannot do that from here. But as it — as it relates to reproductive healthcare, we've been very clear, and we continue to do that from here.

Q Karine.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Oh, go ahead. Go ahead.

Q Thanks, Karine. So, the President says that he wants to let the tax cuts — the Trump tax cuts expire. If that law expires, it does raise taxes on almost every American. So, does he still support that expiring without anything else in place?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, look, the — as you said, the President is going to allow — is going to — is — is going to let the Trump tax cut expire. And he was very clear. But he will not raise taxes on anyone making less than $400,000 a year. That is — that is part of the budget that you saw come out. And it's going to expire for the wealthy. So, been very clear about that.

You know, look, this is a president that's going to make sure that we protect and not raise taxes for — for people making $400,000 and less a year.

And — and Republicans want to do the opposite. They want to give tax breaks to corporations and billionaires. They've said that. They want to cut Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid. Who does that hurt? That hurts everyday Americans.

And so, the President has been really clear about that. He wants to expand Affordable Care Act, as you see him doing that, for Americans — making sure that they have good healthcare. And so, that's what the President is — is going to focus on.

Q But still, the President can't pick and choose which part of the law sunsets. The entire law will sunset. And the — the Tax Foundation says that someone who's married, two kids, making $85,000 would pay $1,700 more in taxes. That's somebody under $400,000 who would —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: The President has been very clear. He's going to protect working- — working- and middle-class Americans making less than $400,000 a year. He's been very clear on th- — about that.

Republicans want to do the opposite. They literally want to do the opposite. They want to give a tax break to billionaires and corporations. That's what they've said. They want to cut Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security. That's what they want to do.

And so, the President is going to do everything that he can, as he's building this economy from the middle out and the bottom up, to protect everyday Americans. That's what he wants to do: make sure that the middle class is strong. That's what he's going to do.

Republicans in Congress are saying the opposite. Literally, they're saying the opposite.

So, that's been the President's plan from day one, and he's going to continue that plan.

Go ahead, go ahead.

Q Thank you. A few things.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: A few things? No, just one. [Laughter]

Q Don't make me pick. [Laughter]

So, in the President's remarks yesterday, he was talking about Islamophobia on campuses.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah.

Q Lately, we've been seeing a lot of vile, antisemitic —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah.

Q — rhetoric on campuses. Does he think Islamophobia is just as big of a problem on campus as antisemitism?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: The President is always going to call out all forms of hate — always. And he had an opportunity to speak to the country. And we have seen what's been going on on these campuses.

Americans have the right to peacefully protest within — within the law, as we have said. It is our — it's part of who we are as a country, as — when we talk about our freedoms, our democracy — to disagree and agree with each other, even about this war. It is our right to do so. It is right for folks to do so.

You've got to do it peacefully. You've got to do it within the law.

And we have seen the antisemitism, and we have called that out over and over and over again. And we've seen a spike in antisemitism.

The President has been very forceful about that. He talked about his plan to counter antisemitism. He had an opportunity, as he's talking to the country — the world, really — on what has been happening across the country on college campuses — to call out antisemitism, to say that Americans have the right to peacefully protest.

And we also have to call out all forms of hate. I think — I believe — and I hope you would agree, Peter — that's an important thing for this President to do if he has the opportunity to do that. When the President speaks, people listen.

Q Something else that had somehow slipped my mind —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: How is that —

Q — over the last couple weeks.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Oh, goodness. [Laughter]

Q You are an alumna of Columbia University.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Wow, that's a shocker. [Laughter]

Q Well, you — in all the talking about it —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah.

Q — you haven't brought it up. You told Columbia students a few years back —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah.

Q — "Don't lose the idealism that you have." So, what do you tell them now?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Oh, you did — you did some research. Oh, my gosh. [Laughter]

Q All I do is research and just hope that you call on me.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: You did — [laughs]. You did some —

Q But now, I — what do you tell the —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I mean, look —

Q — the students —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Look —

Q — who have followed in your footsteps?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Look, I mean — look, going to be — oh, and that's actually going to be a great segue to — to the student re- — student journalist that we have in the room, Danie, after I answer this question.

Q I do have one more after that. [Laughter] Sorry, Danie.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: It's okay.

So, look, I'm not speaking on behalf of me. I'm — I'm not. I speak on behalf of this President. That's my job. And I believe in this President. I believe in the work that we do. It is an honor and a privilege to stand at this lectern every day to speak to you and all your colleagues and to take your questions. It is not about me.

And, really, your question and what you're asking me and — and what I have said to students is pretty much what the President has said: All Americans have the right to peacefully protest within the law. They have to — we have the right.

That's what makes this country so great, right? That's what makes what — when we're talking about our freedoms, our democracy, that's what's so important. The — to have the opportunity to agree and disagree and do it in a peaceful way — in a peaceful way, that's important.

And the President also called out — if you're — if you are breaking and entering and you're taking over buildings, that is not peacefully protesting. And the President was very clear about calling that out as well and also antisemitism and calling it what it is. It is hate speech.

Q My last one. At UNC-Chapel Hill this week, a group of fraternity brothers saved an American flag from an angry mob of protesters. There is now a GoFundMe where people can donate to throw them a rager. It has raised more than half a million dollars. Would President Biden donate?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: You never disappoint, my friend. [Laughter]

Q He donates to a lot of —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: You never disappoint.

Q — different causes. We saw it in his tax returns.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I'll say this, because this — there is a — there is actually a real — a real point in your question that I will address, which is — and — and I — you know, just to reiterate what we've said over and over again: Americans have — and I just said this moments ago, so I'll just reiterate this — all Americans have the — the right to peacefully protest.

It is not right to forceful- — forcefully take down the American flag to replace it with another flag. It is not right. And so — and so, I just wanted to — to make that clear as well. All right, Peter?

Q So, a donation — what about, like, a call to thank them for saving the flag?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Look, protecting the American flag is admirable. I'll leave it there, Peter.

Danie, we've — it's — it's your opportunity to shine. Everybody welcome Danie. [Applause]

Q Welcome.

Q Welcome, Danie.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Danie goes to Uniondale High School, and she is a journalist at Uniondale High School. She wants to be where you all are at some point in her — in her career.

But you have a question?

Q Thank you, Karine. Well, my question is: How can I, as editor of my school paper, be able to encourage engagement globally?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Encourage engagement? So, I think, as an editor, it is certainly important to always make sure that, you know, you listen to the community but also get that information, work on getting the facts, so that your community gets the facts, obviously.

And I believe young people want to know what's going on in their community. I believe that young people are incredibly curious right now. And laying that out for them and saying, "Hey, this is what is going on, this is how you can learn more, or this is what you should know" is so important.

And you should lead, you know, not by fear but by getting to the bottom of a story, getting to the bottom of how you're going to put those facts out.

And I think it's important, as you go through your career — your journalistic career — you have some really brilliant journalists here who certainly could give you advice, if — I'm sure they'd love to talk to you after this briefing. I'm sure they have time to do that because they're all looking at me and smiling.

And, you know, they could actually give you, I think, some really sound advice, some helpful advice on how to move through your career.

But young people are curious. They're very curious right now. They want to know more. And this is a great opportunity for you, as an editor at your high school, to do just that and to have those important conversation, whether they agree or disagree, and lay out the facts for them and so they can make decisions for themselves.

Thank you for the question.

All right. I'll take one more, guys.

Q Karine —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I'll take one more.

[Cross-talk]

Oh, my gosh. Go ahead. Go ahead.

Q Thanks, Karine. Just to follow up on the press freedom executive actions that you mentioned. Is there anything we can expect aimed at Russia in response to Evan?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, as you know, we're going to be announcing some executive action shortly. Don't want to — certainly don't want to get ahead of that. So, once we — in the next couple of weeks, we'll have more — we'll m- — we'll have more to share. Don't have anything at this time. But we're working through that.

And we think it's really important. We think it's really important to continue to take action. A free and independent media is critical, as I just took a question from a high school — a future general- — journalist — who's a journalist now, obviously, at her high school. And it is vital to our global security.

We appreciate the work that journalists do every day. And it is some of — some journalists, many journalists put their lives at risk, put their lives at stake.

All right. Thanks, everybody.

And so — and you hear me say this before, journalists are not the enemy and they should be protected. And freedom of the press — what we do here every day, it is — it is a — an exercise of the freedom of the press. And so, we want to make sure that that continues, not just here but, obviously, globally.
Q Thanks, Karine.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Have a great weekend.

2:46 P.M. EDT

Too many families know the pain of having their lives and livelihoods devastated by powerful hurricanes, tropical storms, and typhoons. During National Hurricane Preparedness Week, we shed light on the dangerous impacts of hurricanes and share best practices on how to prepare and stay safe. We also show our gratitude to the first responders, volunteers, and all those who help to prepare communities in advance and rescue, recover, and rebuild in the wake of their darkest moments.

In Louisiana, Florida, New York, and Puerto Rico, I have walked the empty streets that hurricanes left behind. Community members have told me about the homes, churches, and small businesses that stood there only a few days before — how everything they had worked for had been wiped out. Hurricanes have caused billions of dollars in damage. With the climate crisis, extreme weather events like hurricanes may grow more frequent and intense.

My Administration has taken action to make our Nation more resilient to and prepared for extreme weather. Our Bipartisan Infrastructure Law — the most significant investment in infrastructure in decades — is strengthening, restoring, and building roads, bridges, and ports across our country. I also signed the Inflation Reduction Act — the most significant climate investment in the history of the world. With these pieces of legislation, we are investing tens of billions of dollars in building a future that keeps Americans safe from the threat of extreme weather. We are modernizing building codes to be more protective and upgrading electric grids so the power does not go out when storms land. We are helping States prepare safe evacuation routes and launch new construction projects that keep vulnerable coastal communities safe against extreme weather events like hurricanes and storm surges. We are revitalizing critical ecosystems like reefs, beaches, and wetlands that naturally keep us safer during storms by buffering shorelines against the waves.

This week, as we approach hurricane season, every American can take steps to plan, prepare, and better protect their families and homes. Review emergency plans and insurance policies and make sure they are up to date. Store important documents in a secure and accessible place, learn local evacuation routes, and prepare an emergency kit. If a storm approaches, keep a close eye on storm surge and hurricane warnings, and follow guidance from local authorities. Spreading awareness about preparation for hurricanes can make a huge difference in keeping friends, families, and neighbors safe. For more information, visit ready.gov for tips on how to protect yourself from all hazards.

I have often said that America is the only country that has emerged from every crisis stronger than when we entered it. That is in no small part due to the courage and compassion of volunteers, first responders, and everyday people who show up in the wake of disaster. They have put roofs over people's heads, rebuilt what was lost, and saved lives. This National Hurricane Preparedness Week, we honor their service, and we recommit to doing our part in keeping America's communities safe and secure from these disasters.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim May 5 through May 11, 2024, as National Hurricane Preparedness Week. I urge all Americans to help build our climate-resilient Nation so that individuals, organizations, and community leaders are empowered to take action to make their communities more secure in the face of extreme weather and climate change. I call on our Federal, State, Tribal, territorial, and local government agencies to share information that will protect lives and property.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this third day of May, in the year of our Lord two thousand twenty-four, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-eighth.

JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR.

Teachers are the heart and soul of our Nation. They care for our Nation's students, pass on knowledge to rising generations, and inspire our children to dream up new possibilities for their futures. The power of a great teacher is profound, and — on National Teacher Appreciation Day and during National Teacher Appreciation Week — we thank them for their tireless efforts and recommit to taking care of our teachers, just as they have taken care of all of us.

Our Nation asks so much of our teachers, and that is why my Administration supports them in all that we do. Our American Rescue Plan provided historic funding for schools to reopen safely after the pandemic so that teachers could return to their classrooms. It also delivered critical support for schools — from supporting early childhood programs and funding after-school and summer programs to hiring more teachers, counselors, and school psychologists.

We also passed the most significant bipartisan gun safety law in nearly 30 years because teaching should not be a life-threatening profession and teachers should never be on the frontlines of the gun violence epidemic. The law enhanced background checks for people under the age of 21 and gave States funding to enact red flag laws. At the same time, the law provided $1 billion to help schools hire and train mental health counselors. But we need to do more — I continue to call on the Congress to implement commonsense gun safety laws that protect our kids and teachers.

Teachers deserve so much more breathing room: As I said in my State of the Union Address, let us give public school teachers a raise. Let us help relieve them of the student debt they took on to become teachers. My Administration has already worked to take the crushing weight of student debt off teachers' shoulders by fixing the Public Student Loan Forgiveness [PSLF] program. To date, we have canceled over $62.8 billion in student debt for nearly 900,000 public service workers, including teachers. That is up from the only 7,000 workers who had received PSLF when I took office.

There is still much more to do to make sure our teachers are fully supported. My Budget proposes investing nearly $3 billion in teachers and other educators, including $650 million to support pathways into the profession, help keep great teachers in the profession, and increase the diversity of the profession. My Budget also proposes eliminating the origination fees charged to borrowers on every new Federal student loan, which would save the typical teacher $1,000 or more throughout the repayment process. Further, my Administration proposed a rule that would boost Head Start teacher wages by $10,000 on average, ensuring that they are getting the wages they deserve.

The First Lady has reminded me over the years that for teachers, teaching is more than what they do — it is who they are. That sense of purpose powers our Nation's teachers every day — even through the long hours they spend setting up classrooms, preparing lesson plans, and educating our future leaders. I have had the honor of meeting so many of our Nation's great teachers, who have poured their hearts into caring for their students — not only by educating them but motivating and inspiring them. Teachers hold the kite strings that keep our national ambitions aloft. The future of our Nation is in their hands. Today and this week, may we all show them the gratitude they deserve. We will always have their backs.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim May 7, 2024, as National Teacher Appreciation Day and May 6 through May 10, 2024, as National Teacher Appreciation Week. I call upon all Americans to recognize the hard work and dedication of our Nation's teachers and to observe this day and this week by supporting teachers through appropriate activities, events, and programs.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this third day of May, in the year of our Lord two thousand twenty-four, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-eighth.




JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR.

During Yom HaShoah and these days of remembrance, we mourn the six million Jews who were systematically targeted and murdered in the Holocaust, one of the darkest chapters in human history. We also mourn the Roma, Sinti, Slavs, people with disabilities, LGBTQI+ people, racial minorities, and political dissidents who were killed or endured abuse by the Nazis and their collaborators, as well as those who risked or lost their lives to protect others. We honor the memories of the victims, the courage of the survivors, and the heroism of those who stood up to the Nazis, and we recommit ourselves to making real the promise of "Never Again."

I often reflect on memories of sitting around our kitchen table where my father would educate my siblings and me about the horrors of the Holocaust. Entire families wiped out. Communities savagely destroyed. Survivors left with memories and traumas that will never go away — even as the tattoos etched into their skin by the Nazis fade and the number of survivors dwindles. My dad taught us that silence is complicity — a lesson I have passed down to my children and grandchildren by taking them to the Dachau concentration camp in Germany. As United States Senator, as Vice President, and now as President, I have met with many Holocaust survivors, promising them that our Nation would neither forget what they endured nor ever again stand by silently in the face of antisemitism.

The charge has never been more urgent than in the aftermath of Hamas' vicious terrorist attack on October 7th — the deadliest day for Jews since the Holocaust. Among the 1,200 innocent people who were slaughtered and the hundreds taken hostage were elderly survivors of the Shoah, who were forced to relive the horrors they thought they had escaped decades ago. My Administration is working tirelessly to free the hostages who have been held by Hamas for over half a year — and as I have said to their families, we will not rest until we bring them home.

While Jews across the country and around the world are still coping with the trauma of that day and its aftermath, we have seen an alarming surge in antisemitism at home and abroad that resurfaces painful scars of millennia of antisemitism and hate against the Jewish people. This includes harassment and calls for violence against Jews — in our schools, in our communities, and online. This blatant antisemitism is reprehensible and dangerous. Antisemitic hate speech has absolutely no place on college campuses or anywhere else in our country. As Americans, we cannot stay silent as Jews are attacked, harassed, and targeted. We must also forcefully push back attempts to ignore, deny, distort, or revise the history of Nazi atrocities during the Holocaust or Hamas' murders and other atrocities committed on October 7th — including the appalling and unforgiveable use of rape and sexual assault to terrorize and torture Jewish women and girls.

My commitment to the safety of the Jewish people and the security of Israel is ironclad. Under the first-ever National Strategy to Combat Antisemitism, my Administration is mobilizing the full force of the Federal Government to crack down on antisemitism and to ensure hate has no safe harbor in America. We clarified civil rights protections for Jews under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The Department of Education is leading investigations into antisemitism on college campuses. The Department of Justice is investigating and prosecuting hate crimes. The Federal Bureau of Investigation is focused on delivering security resources to Jewish communities. We provided the largest-ever increase in funding for the physical security of non-profits, including synagogues, Jewish community centers, and Jewish schools. I appointed Deborah Lipstadt, a Holocaust expert, to be the first-ever Ambassador-level Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Antisemitism around the world.

During these somber days of remembrance, we mourn the lives tragically stolen in the Shoah and on October 7th. As we hold the Jewish community close to our hearts, we recommit to remembering so that what happened can never be erased. Some injustices are so heinous, horrific, and grievous that they cannot be buried, no matter how hard people try. In silence, wounds deepen, but in remembrance comes healing, justice, and repair. Toward those aims, we must all forcefully act against antisemitism and all forms of hate-fueled violence. As we do, we honor the courage, strength, and resilience of the Jewish people, who have inspired the world for generations by turning pain into purpose, healing into hope, and darkness into light.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim May 5 through May 12, 2024, as a week of observance of the Days of Remembrance of the Victims of the Holocaust, and I call upon the people of the United States to observe this week and pause to remember victims and survivors of the Holocaust.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this
third day of May, in the year of our Lord two thousand twenty-four, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-eighth.

JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR.

Our Nation's over 20 million public servants work hard to deliver for our families, communities, and country. Their work matters to people's everyday lives: They keep neighborhoods safe and the buses running, and build futures for people in their hometowns. They are the lifeblood of our democracy, acting as brave first responders, election workers, and service members defending our country. This week, we recognize our Nation's public servants, who do the humble yet critical work of keeping our country running.

When I came into office, our country was facing an unprecedented crisis — a pandemic was raging and the economy was reeling. But we turned things around — in no small part because of our public servants. I signed the American Rescue Plan, providing $350 billion to ensure public servants could stay on the job. That money put more police officers in our communities and more teachers and education support professionals in our schools. It went directly to every community in America so public servants could decide how to best help their communities. Because of public servants' work, child care centers stayed open, families stayed in their homes, and small businesses stayed afloat. At the same time, this legislation also made one of the biggest investments ever in public safety. Our public servants have done an incredible job of putting these resources to work by hiring more officers for accountable, effective community policing and supporting violence intervention programs that help prevent crime in the first place. Together, we created new jobs, new businesses, and new hope for folks across the country.

Our Nation relies on our public servants every day, and they deserve to be treated with dignity and respect. That is why I issued an Executive Order to increase the minimum wage for Federal employees to $15 per hour, ensuring our public servants are paid fairly while also attracting more competitive applicants to these critical roles. I established a White House Task Force on Worker Organizing and Empowerment, led by Vice President Harris, to strengthen the right to organize and bargain collectively, including for Federal Government workers. Further, I launched a Government-wide initiative to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion in the Federal workforce so that it reflects all the communities we serve. My Administration finalized a rule prohibiting Federal agencies from considering an applicant's current or past pay when determining their future salaries –- eliminating gender and racial pay inequities that can otherwise follow those seeking a job in public service. To ensure all Federal employees feel safe and supported in the workplace, I took executive action to protect Federal employees from discrimination on the basis of their gender identity or sexual orientation — pushing the Federal Government to become the model employer it can and should be.

My Administration has also taken significant action to provide student debt relief — giving our public servants some well-deserved breathing room. I fixed the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program, which was designed to make sure public servants could get their student loans forgiven once they made payments for 10 years. When I took office, only 7,000 public servants had had their debts forgiven — it was past time to fix it. Thanks to my Administration's reforms, nearly 876,000 public servants have had their student debts forgiven.

We must do more to protect our Nation's public servants, who provide the expertise necessary for our democracy to function. To guarantee that career civil servants can continue to share their expertise and keep our democracy working, my Administration finalized a rule to protect the jobs of 2.2 million career civil servants — no matter who is in office.

Meanwhile, my Administration is working to empower and strengthen the career Federal workforce more than ever before. My Budget includes a focus on hiring more public servants into mission critical jobs, helping provide better services to the American people.

This week, I hope all the public servants feel proud. Across the country, we are seeing new shovels in the ground, people going to work, and families thriving. People are feeling pride in their hometowns and their country again and in knowing that we can get big things done when we work together. We are witnessing the greatest comeback our country has ever known — in no small part because of the hard work and dedication of our Nation's public servants.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim May 5 through May 11, 2024, as Public Service Recognition Week. I call upon all Americans to celebrate public servants and their contributions this week and throughout the year.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this
third day of May, in the year of our Lord two thousand twenty-four, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-eighth.

JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR.

For decades, Native communities across this continent have been devastated by an epidemic of disappearances and killings, too often without resolution, justice, or accountability. On Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons Awareness Day, we honor the individuals missing and the lives lost, and we recommit to working with Tribal Nations to end the violence and inequities that drive this crisis, delivering safety and healing.

Across Indian Country, justice for the missing has been elusive for too long. Too many Native families know the pain of a loved one being declared missing or murdered, and women, girls, and LGBTQI+ and Two-Spirit individuals are bearing the brunt of this violence. In the depths of their grief, the work of investigating these disappearances, demanding justice, and fighting for the hopeful return of their loved ones has fallen on the shoulders of families. Legions of brave activists have sought to change that. We need to provide greater resources and ensure the accountability that every community deserves.

During my first year in office, I signed an Executive Order directing Federal agencies to join Tribal Nations in responding to this crisis with new urgency. Since then, the Department of Justice and the Department of the Interior have worked together to accelerate investigations and bring families closure in ways that respect their cultures and the trauma they have endured. The Department of the Interior created a unit dedicated to this work, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation has hired personnel to focus on these cases and ensure that victims' families are heard throughout this process. Further, as a result of an effort spearheaded by Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland when she was in the Congress, Federal agencies are responding to and implementing the recommendations of the Not Invisible Act Commission — a commission composed of loved ones of missing or murdered individuals, law enforcement, Tribal leaders, Federal partners, service providers, and survivors of gender-based violence — to combat this epidemic. We will continue working with the governments of Canada and Mexico through the Trilateral Working Group on Violence Against Indigenous Women and Girls to make sure our efforts are coordinated and incorporate Tribal input.

At the same time, we are supporting efforts within the community to crack down on gender-based violence in Indian Country. We reauthorized the Violence Against Women Act [VAWA] in 2022, which included historic provisions to strengthen Tribal sovereignty and safety, expanding Tribal jurisdiction to include prosecution of non-Native perpetrators of stalking, sexual assault, sex trafficking, and child abuse for crimes committed on Tribal lands. Further, my Administration invested in training for law enforcement and Federal court officers to ensure they respond to cases of gender-based violence through a trauma-informed and culturally responsive approach. My new Budget designates $800 million for the Department of Justice to support VAWA programs, including a new grant program that will work to address the missing or murdered Indigenous persons crisis.

The United States has made a solemn promise to fulfill its trust and treaty obligations to Tribal Nations and to help rebuild Tribal economies and institutions. Ending this devastating epidemic is an important piece of that work. Today, we mourn with the families who have lost a piece of their soul to this crisis, and we honor the Indigenous activists and advocates who have summoned the courage to shine light on the tragedy. Their actions have already saved countless lives. Together, we will resolve these unanswered questions and build a future for everyone based on safety, security, and self-determination.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim May 5, 2024, as Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons Awareness Day. I call on all Americans and ask all levels of government to support Tribal governments and Tribal communities' efforts to increase awareness and address the issues of missing or murdered Indigenous persons through appropriate programs and activities.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this third day of May, in the year of our Lord two thousand twenty-four, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-eighth.

JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR.

America's natural wonders and historic treasures are the heart and soul of our Nation. From the high plateaus and deep ravines of the Grand Canyon to the hallowed grounds of Gettysburg and the rolling forests of the Great Smoky Mountains, our national parks unite and inspire us, connecting us to something bigger than ourselves. This week, we recommit to protecting and caring for all 429 parks and encourage Americans everywhere to enjoy them.

Protecting our national parks preserves their majestic beauty as well as meaningful pieces of our Nation's history and future. They contain irreplaceable ecosystems that help sustain the air we breathe and the water we drink, and make our Nation more resilient to the threat of climate change. They give families priceless memories of sharing the great outdoors and exploring our past, and create hundreds of thousands of jobs in recreation. Many of them help preserve sites and places that are sacred to Tribal Nations, who have stewarded these lands since time immemorial.

My Administration has pursued the most ambitious land and water conservation agenda in American history — and I am on track to conserve more lands and waters than any other President in history. That work began with setting our first-ever national conservation goal: to protect and conserve at least 30 percent of all our Nation's lands and waters by 2030 by investing in locally led, voluntary conservation and restoration efforts through our "America the Beautiful" Initiative. I signed an Executive Order protecting America's forests and harnessing the power of nature to fight climate change while also launching a new National Nature Assessment to help evaluate the status of our lands, waters, and wildlife.

Since I took office, my Administration has conserved over 41 million acres of our Nation's precious lands and waters — from safeguarding the Tongass National Forest in Alaska, the Nation's largest national forest, to restoring protections for the desert buttes of Bears Ears National Monument in Utah. I established five new national monuments, including Baaj Nwaavjo I'tah Kukveni on the edge of the Grand Canyon, a place that is sacred to many Tribal Nations, and the Emmett Till and Mamie Till-Mobley National Monument, which tells the story of the events surrounding Emmett Till's murder and their significance in the civil rights movement. Just last month, I signed an Executive Order to better recognize and integrate the history of women and girls into the parks, monuments, and historic sites that the National Park Service helps protect.

National parks and the complex ecosystems they contain also help make our Nation more resilient to the existential threat of climate change. My Administration has made the biggest investment in conservation and climate action in history, including $700 million in our national parks for increased staff and much-needed maintenance. My Bipartisan Infrastructure Law invests in sustaining our lands and waters with projects to protect salt marshes, remove invasive species from sagebrush ecosystems to reduce wildfire risk, and more. It is helping to build new trails, roads, bridges, and other transportation for our national parks as well, making our parks easier to visit. It pays for bonuses and training opportunities for over 20,000 wildland firefighters. Meanwhile, we have been working closely with Tribal Nations to recognize the value of their Indigenous Knowledge and expand Tribal co-stewardship of national parks. My recent Budget asks for over $3 billion for the National Park Service itself to upgrade park infrastructure, work with Tribal Nations in stewarding and managing culturally significant lands, support youth programs that can lead to good-paying jobs, and more. Through the Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership, the National Park Service is helping to create and renovate parks and outdoor spaces in communities that have been without them for too long.

I encourage everyone to explore America's national parks — and on April 20, entry will be free. Each time my family and I have visited one, we have left feeling inspired by our Nation's natural beauty and humbled by the responsibility that we all share to make sure that it endures. This National Park Week, we recommit to the work of protecting our Nation's natural treasures for the ages.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim April 20 through April 28, 2024, as National Park Week.? I encourage all Americans to find their park, recreate responsibly, and enjoy the benefits that come from spending time in the natural world.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this nineteenth day of April, in the year of our Lord two thousand twenty-four, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-eighth.


JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR.

TO THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES:


I am returning herewith without my approval H.J.Res. 98, a resolution that would disapprove of the National Labor Relations Board's [NLRB] rule entitled "Standard for Determining Joint Employer Status."

Since day one, my Administration has fought to strengthen workers' right to organize and bargain for higher wages, better benefits, and safer working conditions. The NLRB's rule would prevent companies from evading their bargaining obligations or liability when they control a worker's working condition — even if they reserve such control or exercise it indirectly through a subcontractor or other intermediary. If multiple companies control the terms and conditions of employment, then the right to organize is rendered futile whenever the workers cannot bargain collectively with each of those employers.

Without the NLRB's rule, companies could more easily avoid liability simply by manipulating their corporate structure, like hiding behind subcontractors or staffing agencies. By hampering the NLRB's efforts to promote the practice and procedure of collective bargaining, Republicans are siding with union-busting corporations over the needs of workers and their unions. I am proud to be the most pro-union, pro-worker President in American history. I make no apologies for my Administration protecting the right to organize and bargain collectively.

Therefore, I am vetoing this resolution.


JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR.

THE WHITE HOUSE,
May 3, 2024.

Today, President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. declared that a major disaster exists in the State of Oklahoma and ordered Federal aid to supplement State, tribal, and local recovery efforts in the areas affected by severe storms, straight-line winds, and tornadoes during the period of April 25 to April 27, 2024.

The President's action makes Federal funding available to affected individuals in the counties of Douglas and Washington.

Assistance can include grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses, and other programs to help individuals and business owners recover from the effects of the disaster.

Federal funding is also available to State, tribal, and eligible local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations on a cost-sharing basis for debris removal and emergency protective measures in the counties of Douglas and Washington.

Lastly, Federal funding is available on a cost-sharing basis for hazard mitigation measures statewide.

Mr. Andrew P. Meyer of the Federal Emergency Management Agency [FEMA] has been appointed to coordinate Federal recovery operations in the affected areas.

Damage assessments are continuing in other areas, and more counties and additional forms of assistance may be designated after the assessments are fully completed.

Residents and business owners who sustained losses in the designated areas can begin applying for assistance at www.DisasterAssistance.gov, by calling 800-621-FEMA [3362], or by using the FEMA App. Anyone using a relay service, such as video relay service [VRS], captioned telephone service or others, can give FEMA the number for that service.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION MEDIA SHOULD CONTACT THE FEMA NEWS DESK AT [202] 646-3272 OR FEMA-NEWS-DESK@FEMA.DHS.GOV.

The U.S. labor market added 175,000 jobs in April, another solid month for job gains, with over 60% of private-sector industries adding jobs. The unemployment rate ticked up slightly to 3.9% —it went from 3.83% to 3.86%—and the labor force participation rate held steady at 62.7%. To extract a stronger signal from the monthly data, it's always useful to average over a few months; over the past three months, payrolls are up a strong 242,000 [see CEA's jobs day X threadfor a deeper dive into the report].

As we've discussed in many recent blogs, the persistently strong labor market—unemployment has now been below 4% for 27 months in row, the longest such period since the 1960s—has generated job and wage gains that are helping to power the strong, ongoing expansion.

At the same time, as economic expansions progress, we expect GDP and job growth to slow to a steadier and more stable pace than the breakneck growth pace coming out of the trough of the pandemic-induced recession. Economists have referred to this as "normalization" or sometimes, as "economic cooling."

In this post, we show what that means in terms of some of the key variables that matter most to working households. BLUF: cooling or normalizing is necessary and positive. It irons out some of the residual kinks from the pandemic period and allows the economy to settle into a more sustainable pace, while maintaining robust job and earnings opportunities. The evidence presented below shows a cooling job market, but one that is cooling from unsustainably hot to a pace consistent with maintaining full employment conditions as well as slowly easing inflation.

Figure 1 shows the ongoing realignment of labor demand and labor supply. It simply subtracts the labor force from the sum of jobs plus vacancies. Putting aside the frictional unemployment that always persists in job markets, and making up simple numbers to elucidate the concept, if employment was 7 and there were 3 openings, demand equals 10; if the labor force also equals 10, then there's no gap: supply and demand are aligned.

The figure shows that after sharply rebounding in 2020, labor demand soon far surpassed labor supply, a misalignment that can constrain a recovery. But as employment cooled and labor supply sped up, this measure started moving back towards its pre-pandemic level.

A relevant note on these dynamics that takes us back to today's report is that the rebalancing of the labor market has come not from a decline in the employment rate, but from a combination of declining vacancies [reflecting cooling demand without job loss] offset by strong growth in the labor force [reflecting growing supply]. One area where this important supply-side trend is particularly notable is in the labor supply of prime-age women [age 25-54]. In April, their LFPR hit 78%, the highest level on record with data back to the late 1940s.

Figure 2 shows cooling wage gains, though importantly, gains that are still handily beating inflation, and have done so for over a year [note that we do not yet have April inflation data; March CPI inflation was 3.5%]. The wage data here are for the 80% of private sector workers in non-managerial or blue-collar jobs. Over the past year, pay is up 4% for these low- and middle-wage workers. Driven by the sharp labor demand-over-supply pattern in the above figure, nominal wage growth for middle-wage workers spiked up to 7% in early 2022, but has gradually cooled to 4% in April.

As noted, for the past year or so, this wage series has outpaced inflation, meaning yearly real wage gains and greater purchasing power of these workers' paychecks.

The appendix shows a figure from the recent Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey that captures other aspects of the cooling labor market. Importantly, quits have come down notably since their COVID peak, reflecting both that the shift to more preferable jobs and work schedules that occurred after COVID has largely ended, as well as that labor demand has cooled. Cooling demand is also shown by the decline in the hiring rate. In contrast, the layoff rate has been stable, underscoring the point that labor-market is cooling to a more sustainable pace while still delivering solid job and wage growth.

We learned at least two things this morning about the U.S. labor market. First, most importantly, we learned that employers continue to hire at a strong pace, helping to generate record spells of both low unemployment and high women's LFPRs. Second, we learned that as the pandemic continues to fade into the rear-view mirror, some key economic misalignments are realigning in a manner consistent with steady, stable, sustainable growth.

With today's report of 175,000 new jobs, the great American comeback continues. When I took office, I inherited an economy on the brink, with the worst economic crisis in a century. I had a plan to turn our country around and build our economy from the middle out and the bottom up. Now we are seeing that plan in action, with well over 15 million jobs created since I took office, working-age women employed at a record high rate, wages rising faster than prices, and unemployment below 4 percent for a record 27 months in a row.

There's more work to do. I have a plan to lower the cost of rent and homeownership by building 2 million homes; to cut taxes for middle-class families and American workers; and to continue making health care, prescription drugs, inhalers, and insulin more affordable. Congressional Republicans have a different vision. They are fighting to slash taxes on billionaires and let special interests rip off Americans. I will keep fighting for the middle class and hardworking families I grew up with—for Scranton, not Park Avenue.

The free press is an essential pillar of democracy, and the women and men worldwide who uphold it do vital work. Journalists go to great lengths to expose corruption, document wars and other urgent world events, bring to light threats to public safety, and bring citizens the information they need to participate fully in their societies. Some journalists have given their lives to this work. Others have suffered grievous injuries or lost their freedom.

Journalism should not be a crime anywhere on Earth. On World Press Freedom Day, we honor the bravery and sacrifice of journalists and media workers around the world risking everything in pursuit of truth.

This is especially resonant today. 2023 was one of the deadliest years for journalists in recent memory. One reason for that is the war in Gaza, where far too many journalists, the vast majority of them Palestinian, have been killed. Additionally, over 300 journalists were imprisoned around the world last year – the highest number in decades. In Russia, American journalists Evan Gershkovich and Alsu Kurmasheva have been imprisoned in connection with their work for the Wall Street Journal and for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. And Austin Tice is still being held hostage in Syria after nearly twelve years.

On World Press Freedom Day, the United States calls for the immediate and unconditional release of all journalists who have been put behind bars for simply doing their jobs. And we call for the protection of journalists everywhere, including during military operations. My Administration will continue to support free and independent media worldwide. We have brought together a coalition of countries to counter the proliferation and misuse of commercial spyware, which is often used to monitor journalists worldwide. And we're taking action to combat crimes against journalists, strengthen security for independent media outlets, and provide legal support for investigative journalists around the world.

In the coming weeks, I will be taking executive action in response to the global crackdown on press freedom, as exemplified by the wrongful detention of journalists around the world. I will declare this crackdown on press freedom a grave threat to national security and will authorize measures, including sanctions and visa bans, against those who take abusive actions to silence the press.

Journalists and media workers are an essential part of any democracy, because well-informed dissent is critical to building stronger and more successful societies. Today and every day, we recognize their courage, support their right to do their jobs, and stand with them for press freedom.

The East Room

Thank you, Secretary Cardona. Miguel, Joe and I are so grateful for your work – when you're around, it's hard not to feel excited for our future. You know that education can change lives, and you're fighting every day for our students and their educators.

Second Gentleman Emhoff – Doug – You're the best second gentleman ever. And I'm so glad to be able to call you a fellow teacher.

Secretaries Becerra and Buttigieg, Carolina, Chasten – thank you, and the other administration officials here, for taking the time to be here tonight.

And we have so many incredible members of Congress joining us who have come out of the classroom or worked in education. I'm grateful to have you here – and we're all grateful for your work to support our educators.

Welcome to the White House! And the first-ever Teachers of the Year State Dinner.

Tonight, we celebrate you. Because teaching isn't just a job. It's a calling.

And all of you were called to this profession for a reason. You believe that a better world is possible – and you make that world real, one student at a time. As you sit here tonight, you don't just represent yourselves – you represent your entire communities, parents, students, and educators, who thought you were the best of them, and they selected you.

And none of that could happen without the support of our unions.

Randi, Becky – thank you for always showing up for your members. We're all so grateful for your leadership.

To CCSSO leaders here: we couldn't do this without you. You are treasured partners.

And CCSSO worked with your principals to present you with a gift from home – the surprise that was on each of your seats tonight. We're so grateful for all their hard work.

As I've traveled the country as your first lady, it's been my honor to meet so many incredible educators in classrooms and student centers and libraries.

Teachers who redid their lesson plans overnight during the pandemic and came to the rescue as students faced a crisis like never before. Teachers who support our military kids as they start over in their newest school, because the average military kid changes schools between six and nine times before they graduate from high school. Teachers who are helping students find career paths that will change their lives – leading dual enrollment courses, and providing hands-on learning in science labs and carpentry classrooms, so students can take a first step toward a career they love.

I always knew that Joe would be the education President. And he's delivered on his promises: An amazing Secretary of Education who comes out of the public school classroom. Following a devastating pandemic, he reopened our schools safely and quickly, making historic investments in public schools to support our teachers, the academic and mental health needs of students, community schools, and career and technical education. He fixed student loan relief for public servants.

And he's fighting to make sure educators are paid what they're worth. Since Joe took office, 30 states and DC have increased teacher pay!

To answer this call of service, is in itself, an act of hope. You look at your students and don't just see who they are today – you see all the possibility of tomorrow. You help them find the light within themselves. And that light lives on in all of you. Tonight, as I look out at the glow of these candles, you all shine so brightly. This room represents potential – the glittering hope ahead – what we give to the next generation.

When I was a little girl, my grandmother would sometimes take me to school with her, a one room schoolhouse in a small town in South Jersey. She loved her work, and her students loved her in return. And she used to call her students to class with a big brass bell.

When she died, she didn't leave behind a giant estate. But what I inherited from her – what I still have to this day – is that bell.

And I sometimes think about the way her legacy resonated into the world like waves of sound, changing those who heard its ring.

I think of every student she taught, and wonder what amazing things they grew up to do. Perhaps they are public servants working to make our communities a little stronger, a little fairer. Perhaps they are doctors saving lives, or architects building our cities, or scientists working to solve global challenges.

And of course, there's at least one teacher.

Today, all of you ring your own bell – pulling each person you teach into a harmony that never ends.

Right now, someone out there is a better thinker because of you. Someone is standing a little taller because you helped her find the confidence she needed. Someone is working a little harder because you pushed him to try. Someone is kinder because you showed her what that meant. And someone is braver because you helped him find his courage.

Never stop ringing that bell. Never forget that, student by student, the lives you change go on to change the world.

Let's raise a glass: to you.

Nestled among the Smoky Mountain peaks and rolling hills, sits Rogersville City School. And at that school, in a classroom lined with pictures of her students, there's a teacher like no other: Missy Testerman. For the last 31 years, she has supported students there, not just as learners, but as members of the community.

When their families need help going to the bank, she takes them. When students need to learn how to make a phone call, she teaches them. When the plumbing was making the entire school smell – she brought educators and community members together to get it fixed.

And, years ago, when she realized students weren't performing well academically – despite incredible teachers who were trying each day – she turned the first six weeks of school into Bootcamp Academy – where students learn how to understand questions and expectations – so they can learn how to learn. And her students thrived. She recruited colleagues, and suddenly, everyone was doing bootcamp academy – and students soared.

I'm honored to have Missy representing our profession.

As her students say: "She makes everyone feel important." "She helps us feel more welcome." "She made sure I was taken care of." "She makes me smile all the time." "She's the best."

Please welcome, your National Teacher of the Year, Missy Testerman.

This evening, First Lady Jill Biden is hosting the first-ever "Teachers of the Year" State Dinner at the White House. This event will honor the 2024 National Teacher of the Year, Missy Testerman from Tennessee, and the State Teachers of the Year from across the country for their excellence in teaching and commitment to students' learning. Ahead of tonight's dinner and Teacher Appreciation Week, the Biden-Harris Administration announced new efforts to strengthen the teaching profession and support schools across the country.

In an excerpt from her prepared remarks, Dr. Biden welcomes teachers to the White House, saying: "Tonight, we celebrate you, because teaching isn't just a job. It's a calling, and all of you were called to this profession for a reason. You believe that a better world is possible – and you make that world real, one student at a time. To answer the call of teaching, is in itself, an act of hope. You look at your students and don't just see who they are today – you see all the possibility of tomorrow. You help them find the light within themselves, and that light lives on in all of you."

As a classroom teacher for over 30 years, Dr. Biden continues to teach English and writing at Northern Virginia Community College, where she has been a professor since 2009. From championing teacher recruitment and retention, opportunities for career-connected learning, and more affordable options for education after high school, including free community college, Dr. Biden continues to shine a spotlight on educators and the teaching profession. This is the fourth year Dr. Biden has welcomed the National and State Teachers of the Year for a celebration at the White House.

The Council of Chief State School Officers [CCSSO], the U.S. Department of Education, American Federation of Teachers, and the National Education Association are supporting this event. CCSSO oversees the National Teacher of the Year Program, which identifies exceptional teachers across the country, recognizes their effective work in the classroom, engages them in a year of professional learning, and amplifies their voices.

More information about the program and a list of the 2024 State Teachers of the Year can be found HERE.

First Lady Jill Biden and Social Secretary Carlos Elizondo worked with White House Chief Floral Designer Hedieh Ghaffarian to create a guest experience that honors the 2024 Teachers of the Year and celebrates our nation's educators. Each of the 2024 State Teachers of the Year will receive a commemorative brass bell from the First Lady, continuing a tradition she started in 2021 in honor of her grandmother, a fellow educator and the person who inspired her to become a teacher. Irises, the official state flower of Tennessee, Mrs. Testerman's home state, will be incorporated in the floral arrangements. A personalized gold painted apple will serve as the place card holder at the place settings for the 2024 Teachers of the Year. The décor will be inspired by classrooms across the country, and the official flags of the states and territories of the 2024 State Teachers of the Year will line the East Portico entrance, greeting honorees and guests upon arrival to the White House. Organized by each teacher's school principal, when the 2024 Teachers of the Year arrive to their seats, they will be surprised with a handmade, personalized thank you note from their students, fellow teachers, and school leadership.

Ronald L. Batory, of New Mexico, to be a Director of the Amtrak Board of Directors for a term of five years, vice Christopher R. Beall, term expired.

Elaine Marie Clegg, of Idaho, to be a Director of the Amtrak Board of Directors for a term of five years, vice Yvonne Brathwaite Burke, term expired.

Abigail L. Dressel, of Connecticut, a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Minister-Counselor, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of Angola, and to serve concurrently and without additional compensation as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Democratic Republic of Sao Tome and Principe.

Marcus D. Graham, of Tennessee, to be a Member of the Farm Credit Administration Board, Farm Credit Administration, for a term expiring May 21, 2028, vice Glen R. Smith, term expired.

James Holtsnider, of Iowa, a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Counselor, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Independent State of Samoa.

Matthew Kaplan, of Maryland, to be Federal Cochairperson of the Great Lakes Authority. [New Position]

Tonya Parran Wilkerson, of Maryland, to be Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence and Security, vice Ronald S. Moultrie, resigned.

WASHINGTON – Today, President Joe Biden announced his intent to nominate the following individuals to serve as key leaders in his administration:

Tonya P. Wilkerson, Nominee to be Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence and Security

Tonya P. Wilkerson serves as the ninth Deputy Director of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency. Wilkerson brings a wealth of knowledge and over three decades of experience across the intelligence community, including leadership skills, experience across multiple mission areas, and deep expertise in the space sector.

Wilkerson previously served as the Associate Deputy Director of the Central Intelligence Agency for Science and Technology. She also held many prominent positions within the National Reconnaissance Office, spanning a range of activities including research and development, acquisition, and operations.

Wilkerson has a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University and a Master of Engineering Management from George Washington University.

Abigail L. Dressel, Nominee to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Republic of Angola, and to serve concurrently and without additional compensation as Ambassador to the Democratic Republic of Sao Tome and Principe

Abigail L. Dressel, a career member of the Senior Foreign Service with the rank of Minister-Counselor, is currently the Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Previously, she served as Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Maputo, Mozambique. Prior to that, she was Counselor for Public Affairs at the U.S. Embassies in Colombia and Brazil. As the Director of the Office of International Media Engagement in the Bureau of Public Affairs, Dressel led the U.S. Department of State's outreach to major international media outlets. Previous assignments include tours at the U.S. Embassies in Lisbon, Portugal; Luanda, Angola; Lima, Peru; and San Salvador; El Salvador. Prior to joining the Foreign Service, Dressel worked in international development. A native of Connecticut, Dressel holds a bachelor's degree from the George Washington University. She speaks fluent Spanish and Portuguese.

James Holtsnider, Nominee to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Independent State of Samoa

James Holtsnider is a career member of the Senior Foreign Service, class of Counselor. He currently serves as Deputy Chief of Mission of the U.S. Embassy in Kuwait City, Kuwait. Previously he was the Deputy Director of the Office of Iranian Affairs in the Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs at the U.S. Department of State. Earlier, Holtsnider was the Management Officer of the U.S. Mission in Somalia. He also served in Afghanistan as a Political Advisor to the U.S. military's Regional Command East in Bagram and in Iraq as a Provincial Action Officer on U.S. Provincial Reconstruction Team Ninewa, Mosul, Iraq. Holtsnider has also had assignments at the U.S. Embassy in Rome, Italy as a General Services Officer, at the U.S. Embassy in Tunis, Tunisia as a Consular Officer, and as a Special Assistant to the Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources. Prior to joining the State Department, Holtsnider served for six years in the U.S. Marine Corps. Holtsnider received his bachelor's degree from the University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado and his master's degree from Princeton University. He speaks Italian and French.

Elaine Marie Clegg, Nominee to be a Member of the AMTRAK Board of Directors

As the CEO of Valley Regional Transit, Elaine Marie Clegg provides leadership, strategic direction, and operational oversight for Treasure Valley's public transportation authority ensuring the directives of the Board of Directors are achieved. Clegg has been a public servant focused on transportation and land use for over 25 years, with nearly 20 years on the Boise City Council where she led many initiatives, including the Elaine Clegg City of Trees Challenge and an effort to reestablish passenger rail in Idaho and the greater Northwest.

As a city council member Clegg served on numerous boards, executive boards, advisory committees, and councils. She has held the Chair or President position on the boards of Valley Regional Transit, COMPASS, the Association of Idaho Cities at the state level, and the Association of Metropolitan Planning Organizations, and National League of Cities Transportation Infrastructure Services Committee nationally.

Clegg also led the statewide non-profit Idaho Smart Growth, serving on national non-profit boards while advocating and planning better transportation and land use policy and implementation, assisting over 50 Idaho communities directly to improve transportation plans, networks and programs. Since 1998 Clegg has worked to improve access and mobility across modes in the policies of the reauthorizations of the Surface Transportation Bill, including gaining support for establishing the Safe Routes to School Program and enhancing the rail portion of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.

Born and raised in Boise, Idaho, Clegg lives in Boise with her husband, where she frequently walks, bikes, rides the bus, and, drives when she must. She loves spending time with her five children, their spouses, and her 14 grandchildren.

Ronald L. Batory, Nominee to be a Member of the AMTRAK Board of Directors

Ronald L. Batory is a career professional with more than 45 years of field and system experience in the railroad industry. He spent the first 23 years of his career working for both eastern and western Class 1 railroads in addition to serving along with a court appointed Trustee's successful oversight of a regional railroad bankruptcy. In 1994 he was appointed President of The Belt Railway Company of Chicago, a multiple owned subsidiary of then nine competing Class 1 carriers. His leadership success of serving their needs in Chicago Gateway led to CSX and Norfolk Southern Corporation later recruiting him to Consolidated Rail Corporation in preparation of their STB approved partitioning of the eastern carrier and establishing the Shared Assets Areas. He was later appointed President & Chief Operating Officer for the entire corporate entity. Upon his retirement in 2017, he pursued public service in Washington, District of Columbia, Batory was nominated and appointed as Administrator of The Federal Railroad Administration.

Batory is a graduate of Adrian College, with a bachelor's degree along with a master's degree from Eastern Michigan University. He serves on various governing and advisory boards associated within the sectors of both industry and education. Batory resides in Santa Fe, New Mexico, with his wife, Barbara.

Marcus D. Graham, Nominee to be a Member of the Farm Credit Administration

Marcus D. Graham has served as Deputy Administrator for Field Operations since January 2021, leading the U.S. Department of Agriculture's [USDA] Farm Service Agency-Field Operations. He is responsible for the supervision and oversight of agency's network of over 2,100 state and county offices and provides leadership to more than 18,000 employees. Graham has efficiently delivered agency programs, administrative operations, and the use of agency resources to all states and Puerto Rico. He has successfully onboarded 50 diverse regional appointed State Executive Directors that provide effective program delivery and customer service to all producers, farmers, and ranchers. Additionally, Graham has created retention and recruitment incentives and hiring programs to support existing and future agency employees.

Before joining USDA as Deputy Administrator, Graham served at USDA for more than two decades. He has worked on the county, state, and national levels with the Farm Service Agency [FSA] in various positions, including Legislative Director-Office of External Affairs, Senior Policy Advisor to the FSA Administrator, and Senior Loan Specialist in the Farm Loan Division. In addition to his FSA employment, Graham served on the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry under Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow [D-MI] where he assisted on legislation for the Farm Bill's Title V-Credit Title.

Graham graduated from Tennessee State University with a Master of Science in Agribusiness and a Bachelor of Science in Agribusiness and Economics. He also is a graduate of the President's Management Council Interagency Rotation Program and Graduate School USA's Executive Leadership Program.

Matthew Kaplan, Nominee to be Federal Cochairperson of the Great Lakes Authority

Matthew Kaplan has a deep knowledge of the Great Lakes region's economic development, infrastructure and environmental needs, and the opportunities for the newly created Great Lakes Authority. As a longtime member of Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur's [D-OH-09] staff, Kaplan worked extensively on advancing the interests of the entire Great Lakes region in Congress and throughout the federal government. Kaplan was a key advisor to Congresswoman Kaptur in her leadership of the Energy and Water Appropriations Subcommittee, the Bipartisan and Bicameral Great Lakes Task Force, and in drafting the legislation to create the Great Lakes Authority. In that role, he worked with stakeholders from industry, labor, academia, and communities across the Great Lakes on issues such as managing invasive species, marshaling federal resources for economic development and developing alternative energy opportunities. Kaplan also taught and mentored undergraduate students in a politics course at Oberlin College.

Kaplan currently serves as a Senior Attorney at the Natural Resources Defense Council where he coordinates federal strategy on regenerative agriculture. He previously served as an Honors Attorney at the U.S. Department of Justice, and as a law clerk for the senior judges of the District of Columbia Court of Appeals. He is a graduate of the University of the District of Columbia David A. Clarke School of Law and Oberlin College.

President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. Approves Ohio Disaster Declaration

Today, President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. declared that a major disaster exists in the State of Ohio and ordered Federal assistance to supplement state and local recovery efforts in the areas affected by tornadoes on March 14, 2024.

The President's action makes Federal funding available to affected individuals in the counties of Auglaize, Crawford, Darke, Delaware, Hancock, Licking, Logan, Mercer, Miami, Richland, and Union.

Assistance can include grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses, and other programs to help individuals and business owners recover from the effects of the disaster.

Federal funding is also available on a cost-sharing basis for hazard mitigation measures statewide.

Mr. Toney L. Raines of the Federal Emergency Management Agency [FEMA] has been appointed to coordinate Federal recovery operations in the affected areas.

Additional designations may be made at a later date if requested by the state and warranted by the results of further damage assessments.

Residents and business owners who sustained losses in the designated areas can begin applying for assistance at www.DisasterAssistance.gov, by calling 800-621-FEMA [3362], or by using the FEMA App. Anyone using a relay service, such as video relay service [VRS], captioned telephone service or others, can give FEMA the number for that service.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION MEDIA SHOULD CONTACT THE FEMA NEWS DESK AT [202] 646-3272 OR FEMA-NEWS-DESK@FEMA.DHS.GOV.

Aboard Air Force One
En Route Charlotte, North Carolina

12:46 P.M. EDT

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: All right, hi, everybody. I just got — I just got a couple things at the top, and then I'll hand it over to the Administrator.

So, as you all know, we're on our way to Charlotte, where the President will meet with the families of the law enforcement officers who were killed in the line of duty as well as those who were wounded. As the President said, these are heroes who made the ultimate sacrifice to rush into harm's way to protect us.

We mourn for the fallen heroes and their loved ones. And we pray for the recoveries of the courageous officers who were wounded.

As you've heard the President say many times, we must do more to protect our law enforcement officers. That means providing them with the resources they need to do their jobs and keep us safe, and it means taking additional action to combat gun violence and prevent future tragedies.

Afterwards, we will — we will head to Wilmington, North Carolina, where President Biden will announce $3 billion to replace toxic lead pipes and deliver clean drinking water to communities across the country. That investment includes $76 million from the President's Bi- — Bipartisan Infer- — Infrastructure Law for the lead pipe replacement across North Carolina.

President Biden believes that every American should be able to turn on the tap and — and drink clean and safe water. Today's announcement is part of the historic $15 billion in dedicated funding for lead pipe replacement provided by the President's Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

Joining me here is the EPA Administrator, Michael Regan, to talk about today's trip to his home state and the Biden-Harris administration's ongoing work to ensure every American can access clean, safe water.

Administrator, over to you.

ADMINISTRATOR REGAN: Thank you.

Listen, really excited to join the President today for this big announcement. As you all know, this is the third installment of five. We are giving out or investing into grants that will amount to $15 billion in total. This is the third year, so the President has already put out $9 billion to erase these lead service lines in our country.

It's a really big step. We all know that there is absolutely no safe level of lead in our drinking water. It has tremendous disadvantages and impacts on our children and our elderly, especially.

And so, today is a really good day to make this announcement. And glad to be joining the President.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Okay. Go ahead.

Q Yeah, Karine. So, the President last night talked about Japan or —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Can you just ask the Administra- — anybody — any questions for the Administrator?

Q I got one.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah, and then — and then I'll take — and then I'll take.

Q Okay. Thank you, thank you.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Okay. Go ahead.

Q How long is it going to take to get all the lead pipes out of the country?

ADMINISTRATOR REGAN: Well, you know, the President has pledged that we will have 100 percent lead pipe removal within a 10-year period. We believe that with this $15 billion we're investing, plus the regulatory action we're taking at EPA, in addition to the training that we're providing to municipalities and the technical assistance, we believe that we can get 100 percent lead pipe removal done within a 10-year window in this country.

Q Do you have a percentage of where you are right now to that 100 percent?

ADMINISTRATOR REGAN: Well, we're still gathering a lot of intel. Part of these billions of dollars is to help ensure that we know exactly where all the lead pipes are.

We've seen those numbers grow. We've seen those numbers change over the past three years. As the states refine those numbers and get us that data, we will have a better understanding of where we are and how much further we have to go.

Q So, yeah —

Q Thank you.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Thank you, Administrator. Thank you so much.

Q So, yeah, thank you, Karine.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: No worries. No worries.

Q So, the — the President last night described Japan as "xenophobic" along with China and Russia. Was that intentional? And does — does the President want to apologize to Japan?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, look, I think the broader — the broader — the broader case that he was trying to make, which I think most — most leaders and allies across the globe understand, is he's — he was trying — he was saying that when it comes to — when it comes to — when it comes to who we are as a nation, we are a nation of — of immigrants. That is in our DNA.

And — and so — and you've heard the President say this, and you've heard us say it more as an administration. It's in — it makes us better. We are stronger for it because of the fact that in our DNA we are a nation of immigrants. And I think that's probably very important to note as well. And that's what he was —

Q The President —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: — the broader sense he was trying to make.

Q The President said today that, "There are always those who rush in to score political points. This isn't a moment for politics." Did he feel political pressure to speak out now? And it's notable that he's doing it after Donald Trump has started to ramp up his criticism of how the President has responded to these campus protests. Why did it take him so long to make this —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I mean —

Q — remarks today?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Look, I want to be careful because you asked me about Donald Trump, who's also — of course, the former President, but also a candidate in this — in this presidential cycle for — for the other side, obviously. And so, I want to be really, really mindful.

But the President, when it comes to something like this, he doesn't need to follow anyone or follow someone else. We've been really consistent, I believe, in stating that when it comes to — to violence, violence is not protected. As you heard from the President, there's no place for violence.

We believe Americans — all Americans have the right to peacefully protest, and — and that's important, just as long as within the law. And so, the President wanted to make sure — once again, he has spoken multiple times about that, calling out hateful rhetoric — in this case, calling out antisemitism. That is, indeed, hateful rhetoric.

And we're going to continue to do that as an administration. We've done that. We've done that the last three years. It has nothing to do with anybody — following anyone's lead. The President, if anything, has been a leader on this.

And so, you've heard directly from the President, and you just laid out something that he said — right? — which is, you know, violence is not protected. We are not an authoritarian nation. And — and he wanted to make sure that his voice, once again, was very clear on that.

Q I want to try one more time on —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah.

Q — on Japan.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah.

Q You know, he made the comments last night lumping them in with China and Russia, calling them "xenophobic." He's opposed this Nippon Steel acquisition of U.S. Steel. The U.S. has initiated a national security review of that transaction. It's something that's typically reserved for U.S. adversaries.

Is there a concern that he is pushing a key U.S. ally in a region and a key bulwark against China away from the U.S.? Is there concern that that relationship is being harmed by these off-the-cuff remarks?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, a couple of things. I mean, he was making a broader point, as I was saying earlier, when I was answering Karen's question about this country. And our allies and partners know very well that — how much this president respects them. As you know, in regards to Japan, they were just here for the state visit. That U.S.-Japan relationship is — is an important relationship. It's a deep, enduring — enduring alliance.

And — and so, we're — certainly, we — we share a commitment to democratic values and strong bounds of friendship between our — our peoples. And this was evidenced by, like, as I just said, with the recent — recent state dinner visit.

And so, he was making a more broad comment, speaking about this country and speaking about how important it is to be a country of immigrants and how it makes our country stronger. And so, that's what he was talking about.

As it relates to our relationship with our allies, that continues. Obviously, we have a strong relationship with — with — with India, with — with Japan. And the President, if you just look at the last three years, has certainly — certainly has focused on that diplomatic — those diplomatic relationships.

Q And yet, Karine —

Q Karine —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah.

Q — the word "xenophobic" is a very pejorative and negative word, particularly to use against an ally. Is that what he meant?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Look, he — I think he was — I think — look, the President was very clear. And I think — I —

Q He wasn't very clear.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Well — well —

Q I mean, that's why we're asking you.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Well, no, I — well, look, here's what I'm saying. He was talking about what — who we are as a country. Right? He was talking about the importance about being in a country of immigrants, especially as you see the attacks that we have seen very recently, in the last couple of years, on — those attacks on immigrants, in particular.

And so, it is important for us to remember that we are a country of immigrants. I'm explaining where he's — what he — what he was talking about and how he was — what he was focusing on in those comments: country of immigrants, it makes us stronger, it is important to let — to — to be very clear about that.

And the President is always going to be really clear on — on — on speaking to, you know, issues that matter to the American people. We are a country of immigrants. That matters. And we've seen these attacks. And so, the — the President is never going to shy away from that.

Go ahead, Michael.

Q Karine, would he phrase it again the same way? Would he phrase it again the same way?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: You know, that is up to the President. You know, he is — he is — he is the President. Whatever — however he sees a message — wanting to share a message to the American people, he will do so. And so, I can't speak to — I can't speak to that.

But go ahead, Michael.

Q The U.S. frequently condemns crackdown on — crackdowns on protests in other countries, whether it's China, Iran, Hong Kong. Can you help us understand why you see those crackdowns differently than what is happening here in the U.S. where the police are arresting protestors?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: You said that we have cracked down on protests?

Q No, no. The U.S. has condemned other countries.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: You know, I — look, I — we have seen other countries protests, and we've always said it is the right for — for citizens to protest. I mean, I — you know, I think — I don't — I don't think that we have gone as far. I would have to see the example of what you're — you're using in asking me this question.

What I can speak to is what we've been very consistent about. Right? You heard the President said it is our right to peacefully assemble. It is a right — it is part of what makes us a country of freedom. Right? We are — you know, which is really important. But it has to be peaceful. It has to be peaceful. It has to be within the law.

And we will continue to say that Americans have the right to peacefully protest. Violence is not protected. We are not an authoritarian nation. That's what you heard from the President. And so, as long as it's done in a peaceful way within the law, we're always going to support that.

Q Karine, Donald Trump said that by admitting refugees from Gaza, the President seems determined to create the conditions for an October 7th-style attack in the U.S. What's the White House response to that?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I mean, all you have to do — I'm going to be mindful. Again, he is a presidential candidate — he, being Donald Trump — and I cannot speak to — speak to anything that's related to 2024.

I mean, look, what I'll say more broadly, you have seen this President's commitment after what we saw on October 7th, what we saw Hamas — a terrorist organization — do. You know, we saw more than 1,200 people who were murdered and killed by this terrorist organization, and the President stepped in and offered assistance to our friends, obviously, in Israel.

And — and we have always said that we are committed to Israel's security. It is ironclad. You saw that, again, when you saw Iran launch missiles and drones attacking Israel. And we've been really committed to making sure that, again, Israel's security is — is ironclad, as it relates to our relationship.

And so, I — you know, I obviously disagree with that statement, but also need to be super, super mindful of — of how we speak to this.

Look, and you know — we say this: The — the President has a long couple-of-decades relationship with Prime Minister Netanyahu. They have — they have spoken more than — more than I be- — almost — almost more than a dozen times — almost less — right under 20. And so, that relationship continues. Certainly, that commitment continues.

And, look, what we're trying to do right now is get a hostage deal so that we can get to a ceasefire, so that we can get these hostages home, and so that we can get that humanitarian aid into Gaza, to the people of Gaza who truly need it. We need to make sure that we create an en- — an en- — we create an environment where we get more humanitarian aid in and we get to a ceasefire.

And we've also said — the President has been very consistent about this: He wants to see a two-state solution. We're — actually have a plan. We're actually trying to execute a plan, and the President is doing that through diplomacy.

Q But the accusation that the U.S. could be less safe if there were refugees brought into the United States —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I mean, this goes —

Q — what is the White House response?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: — this goes back — I mean, this goes back to the first question — right? — where I was saying that this is a country of immigrants. This is what is — makes us stronger, right? And I think that's really important.

And as we — you know, I don't have any announcement to make on refugees. I was asked about Palestinian refugees, specifically, yesterday. Don't have an announcement. We're always looking at every option.

I mentioned that there were 1,800 Americans — American citizens, Palestinian Americans that we tried to certainly get home or come — come to the States after October 7th. We were trying to make sure that we got that done, and we've been successful in many ways.

And, look, you know, as it relates to vetting and making sure that we are vetting folks who are coming to do that, that is something that we take very, very seriously.

But to — to make such a broad statement, we got to be really mindful. I also have to be, you know, really mindful in how I answer that question.

Q Karine, the former President said in an interview published yesterday that it was — he wasn't sure that he would honor the result of the 2024 election. What's your response to that? And what steps is the administration taking to ensure that the election results are counted accurately and certified at the end of the process, no matter who wins?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, again, got to follow the law. Got to be really careful not to comment on the campaign from here.

President Biden is committed to the rule of law and protecting American democracy. The dangerous election denial conspiracy theories fanned — fanned by figured — figured [figures] on the right cost brave law enforcement officers their lives. We saw that on — on January 6th of 2021. There is no place for attacking our Constitution and putting our fellow Americans in danger. There is no place for putting — putting yourself above your entire country.

Like President Biden has previously committed, he will accept the will of the American people. That is a commitment from the President.

Again, I've got to be super mindful responding to this.

Q Karine, do we have any updates on the hosta- — hostage negotiations? It seems like the President has been optimistic that you're getting close in the last couple days.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Look, we — you saw Secretary Blinken in the region. He has met with regional partners there.

You've heard from us how it's important for Hamas to take the deal. There's a deal on the table; they need to take it. I just went through how important it is to get that hostage deal that would lead to a ceasefire, that would get more humanitarian aid, that would get those — those hostages home. Let's not forget, there are American hostages that are — that are still being held by Hamas, and we need to get them home to their loved ones.

We're going to continue to be optimistic. Those diplomatic conversations are going to continue. I don't have anything else to share.

But Hamas — it's on the table. It is [on] Hamas to take that deal. It is on the table.

Q Karine, what is —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah.

Q — the administration's position on the antisemitism bill that passed the House yesterday? Some — sorry — some lawmakers expressed concerns that, you know, it could infringe on free speech. I'm just wondering if that's a concern of the administration. Would the President sign it —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, look —

Q — if it gets to his desk?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: — and I said this before, Joe Biden has — you know, has been — has fought antisemitism his whole entire life. Fighting back against the abhorrent poison of antisemitism is what motivated him to run for president after what he saw — the vile antisemitism that we saw in — on the streets of Charlottesville in Virginia. He became the first president to ever create and implement a National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism.

So, he welcomes congressional action in this fight. And so, we understand there are several bills being discussed, and so we're going to be careful on weighing in on — here. But obviously, he welcomes — he welcomes the effort that's being taken at this moment.

Q Karine, could you speak to the timing of the President's remarks today? You know, why wait until after police had moved in — in New York and California and arrested all these protesters?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I mean, look — look, you've heard from the President. I think that's important to note. He was very clear, and he basically re- — has reiter- — -iterated everything that we have said, everything that he has said since day one. And violence should be — any type of violent rhetoric or violence should be called out. Any form of hate — in this case, antisemitism; that is a form of hate — should be called out. We've been very consistent here.

And Americans have the right to peacefully protest as long as it's within the law, and violence is not protected.

And so, I think you've heard — this is not the first time that you've heard the President speak to this. And so, he'll continue to do so. We will continue to do so as an administration. We —

[Cross-talk]

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I have to sit down. Thanks.

Q Because I asked yesterday, has there been any follow-up or a- — not follow-up — has there been any outreach from the White House to any of the campuses — administrators, leaders on these campuses?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I don't have anything to read out at this time.

But thank you, guys.

Q Thanks, Karine.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: All right. I'll see you on the ground.

1:03 P.M. EDT

Through Proclamation 9194 of October 10, 2014, President Obama established the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument [monument] to protect the rich cultural history, striking geologic features, and vibrant ecological diversity contained within a portion of the Angeles National Forest. Situated in the mountains north of Los Angeles, the monument is a verdant oasis that contains abundant and distinctive flora and fauna; unique geology; and evidence of centuries of occupation and use by Tribal Nations and Indigenous peoples, Spanish missionaries and colonists, Mexican rancheros, and Euro-American settlers and prospectors. In addition to protecting these and other objects of historic and scientific interest, the monument's pristine natural lands and proximity to Los Angeles make it a unique place of rejuvenation and recreation for the people of the ever-changing urban and suburban communities of greater Los Angeles.

Expanding the monument to include the expanse of the Angeles National Forest that stretches south and west from the current boundary to the National Forest boundary near foothill communities of Los Angeles will protect additional objects of scientific and historic interest. This expansion area contains evidence of thousands of years of use and occupation by Indigenous peoples, as well as evidence of more recent human uses, including the ruins of grand recreation resorts and of a missile unit built during the Cold War. A diversity of animals, birds, reptiles, and other wildlife, including numerous threatened and endangered species, live among the unique geological and ecological features of the expansion area, including its unusual canyons, chaparral, and coastal sage scrub lands, and use the area to travel from the lowlands in the south to the soaring mountains in the north.

Since time immemorial, the rich landscape within the expansion area has sustained a mosaic of Indigenous peoples, including the people known as the Gabrielino, Kizh, or Tongva, and the Chumash Kitanemuk, Serrano, and Tataviam peoples. The displacement of these peoples from the area began between 1770 and 1816, when Spanish missionaries forcibly assimilated the region's Indigenous families into surrounding missions, and continued past California's admission into the Union. Today, their descendants are part of Tribal Nations and other Indigenous peoples in the region, some of whose members continue to use the area for ceremonial purposes, as well as for collecting traditional plants important for basketry, food, and medicine.

Evidence of many eras of human history can be found in the expansion area. Dozens of known sites shed light on the daily life and activities of Indigenous peoples, including seasonal habitation, plant and mineral resource collection, food processing, tool manufacturing, and transportation corridors. One known site contains a seasonal encampment where there is evidence of food processing and tool production use from 1150 to 1771, including midden, flaked lithics and tools, ground stones, and hearths and earth ovens. The area also contains evidence of use associated with permanent Indigenous villages that were located adjacent to the expansion area at the base of the area's canyons, including the Tongva villages of Muuhonga and Tohuunga.

Other sites contain lithic materials, including fused shale and obsidian that came from areas far to the north. These materials provide evidence of the ancient Indigenous trade routes that crisscrossed the area, bringing small game, deer, acorns, sage, piñon nuts, yucca, elderberry, and manzanita berry, among other resources, south into the Los Angeles Basin, and asphaltum, shell and soapstone cooking vessels, beads, pipes, effigies, pendants, and comals north into the mountains.

Mining made its way to the San Gabriel Mountains in the 19th century, following the discovery of gold in Placerita Canyon in 1842. Visitors to the area today can still see evidence of this first gold rush, including the remains of a mine shaft and ore cart rails of the Dawn Mine and mill site, which remained in operation until 1954. The remains of the Tujunga Mining District, including the shafts of the Josephine Mine above Mill Creek, evidence a second minor gold rush in the late 1880s.

The expansion area also contains evidence of Euro-American settlers who looked to these lands to provide mineral resources, wood for fuel and construction, other building materials, and water. Near Little Tujunga Canyon, three well-preserved limekilns, eligible for inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places, were constructed around 1870 with local limestone and granite cobbles within a mortar matrix. Visitors to the area can also traverse trails first developed by Indigenous peoples and later modified by Euro-American settlers. For example, ranchero and later Mayor of Los Angeles Benjamin Davis Wilson, also known as Don Benito, using labor from Indigenous and Spanish workers, built the trail known today as the Mount Wilson Trail to transport timber to his rancho. The Gabrielino Trail, which the Congress designated as America's first National Recreation Trail in 1970, incorporates trails that another 19th century trail maker, Wilbur Sturtevant, developed possibly along established Indigenous routes.

The expansion area also contains evidence of highly popular recreational pursuits of the Great Hiking Era of the early 20th century, when throngs of hikers and outdoor enthusiasts went to the mountains of southern California. This evidence includes the remains of the Mount Lowe Electric Railway [Railway], which was opened in 1893 to transport passengers from foothill communities to three impressive mountain resorts. The Railway, which is listed in the National Register of Historic Places as a Historic District, was the only scenic mountain electric traction railway ever built in the United States and became a tourist destination because of its remarkable location and engineering audacity. It recorded an estimated three million visitors between 1893 and 1938.

Today's visitors who hike to Echo Mountain will see portions of the railroad bed and crossties, a platform, trestle foundations, and scattered remains of the powerhouse's massive cog-wheel or "bullwheel" used to pull the incline car up the mountain. Nearby, visitors can also observe the remains of a once grand resort served by the Railway, including a staircase and the foundation footprint of a 70-room hotel, the remains of a zoo, the foundation of an observatory and telescope pedestal, two large concrete water tanks, and rock retaining walls outlining the tennis courts and casino. Visitors can also see remnants of a three million candlepower searchlight installed on the mountain from the 1893 Columbia Exposition World's Fair, and a largely intact, original "echophone" used by visitors to hear the canyon's echoes. A trestle abutment of the Railway can also be found near the Mount Lowe Campground. Nearby, at the head of Grand Canyon, visitors can see the rear wall of another of the resorts served by the Railway, the 12-room Swiss-style Ye Alpine Tavern.

To the north and west of the Railway, ruins of hike-in camps include the foundation of Switzer's Camp, developed by Commodore Perry Switzer in the early 1880s. That camp hosted Henry Ford, Shirley Temple, and numerous other celebrities.

The southeastern portion of the expansion area contains 64 cabins that were once part of the Big Santa Anita Canyon Summer Home Tract. This development was established to respond to the burgeoning early 20th century desire to be closer to, and have second homes in, natural settings. The tract originally contained 88 cabins and 12 associated campgrounds. Eligible for inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places, the cabins epitomized the rustic architectural design style of the early 20th century, and are notable for the care taken in sensitively siting them into the rugged topography.

Above El Prieto Canyon, in the southern portion of the expansion area, is the homestead site of a former cabin built and lived in by Robert Owens. Owens was a formerly enslaved person who built a thriving wood and building supply business in and around the canyon, becoming the wealthiest African American in Los Angeles County in 1865.

The expansion area also includes the historic Big Tujunga Dam, completed in 1931, and Brown Mountain Dam, constructed by the United States Forest Service [Forest Service] in 1943. The Lincoln Avenue Water Company water system is also in the area, which was constructed in the 1880s and is eligible for inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places.

The Los Pinetos Nike Missile site, which is eligible for inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places, played a vital role in United States national defense during the Cold War era. This site, along with the Mount Gleason Nike Missile site, which was destroyed by a wildfire in 2009, is among the 300 Nike Missile sites constructed across the country from 1955 to 1958 that were intended to serve as the last line of defense against Soviet bomber planes. The Los Pinetos Nike Missile site is unusual because its launch, administrative, and battery control facilities are located within a single line of sight.

In addition to extensive historical resources, the expansion area reflects massive geologic forces over hundreds of millions of years that created an exceptional landscape, providing views deep into the ancient Earth. The steep and rugged San Gabriel Mountains are one of the fastest growing mountain ranges in the world. These mountains form a major part of the east-west trending Transverse Ranges of southern California, a portion of which is in the expansion area. They were formed from eons of geological movement during the Mesozoic and Cenozoic Eras when the geologic Farallon Plate and the North American Plate crashed together. Dragged as much as 50 degrees in some places by these powerful forces, the San Gabriel Mountains have an unusual east-west orientation, instead of the more typical north-south orientation.

Around Mount Lowe, the uplift of rare anorthosite complex rocks that are 1.2 billion years old, including anorthosite pluton, syenite, and mafic rocks, reveals the dramatic twisting that can occur as mountains are formed. Evidence of this geological process typically lies far below the surface, making the area a hotbed of geological study and a natural classroom for the public. Around Mendenhall Peak, the bands and swirls of 1.7 to 1.8 billion-year-old Mendenhall Gneiss, the region's oldest rocks, are exposed.

The expansion area also contains scientifically important paleontological resources, particularly invertebrate fossils such as oysters and gastropods, at sites including Gold Canyon near Little Tujunga Canyon.

The expansion area is composed of many distinct and diverse ecosystem zones that support rich biodiversity, including more than 500 native plants and fungi, as well as important habitat including riparian woodlands, montane hardwood and conifer forests, coastal sage scrub, alluvial sage scrub, and extensive chaparral. The area also provides important connectivity to enable species to move from the foothills of the south to the soaring mountains of the north.

Perennial streams, springs, and associated riparian areas, and numerous seasonal tributaries, all support wetland-dependent plant species such as the California muhly and the Sonoran maiden fern, the latter of which is designated as rare by the State of California. These riparian areas also provide critical habitat for sensitive fish and amphibians, including the threatened Santa Ana speckled dace and the threatened Santa Ana sucker found in Big Tujunga Creek, and the endangered Arroyo Toad found in both the Arroyo Seco and Big Tujunga Creek. Habitats for the steelhead trout and the Arroyo chub, a State species of special concern, are also found in Arroyo Seco and Big Tujunga Creek.

A rich variety of rare plants can be found in the expansion area, including the San Gabriel manzanita, San Gabriel Mountains leather oak, San Gabriel Mountains sunflower, San Gabriel bedstraw, and San Gabriel Mountains dudleya, all of which are found only or primarily in the San Gabriel Mountains, and the California muhly, fragrant pitcher sage, Greata's aster, and Plummer's mariposa lily, found only in southern California. Other rare species include the Mount Gleason paintbrush, California satintail, and Chaparral yucca, which is part of an extraordinary, mutually beneficial partnership with the interdependent California yucca moth.

While extremely reduced from its overall historic range, pockets of alluvial scrub habitat, particularly around Big Tujunga Canyon, provide a home for the rare endemic Davidson's bushmallow. Southern California's bigcone Douglas-fir, which is well adapted to the region's natural wildfire regime, is present in strongholds around San Gabriel Peak, the Switzer Falls Trail, and south of Mount Wilson, providing important nesting and roosting habitat for the California spotted owl, which the United States Fish and Wildlife Service has proposed to list as endangered.

Coastal sage scrub, among the most threatened plant communities in California, occurs primarily at elevations below 2,500 feet south of Mount Wilson and along the north side of Big Tujunga Creek. This rare plant community includes California sagebrush, brittlebush, California buckwheat, and various types of sage. Coastal sage scrub, which can be found in Placerita Canyon, provides critical habitat for the threatened coastal California gnatcatcher.

Montane hardwood and conifer forests south of Big Tujunga Bridge and Mount Wilson are typified by live oak, bigleaf maple, California bay, incense cedar, Pacific madrone, Coulter pine, sugar pine, and California incense cedar, as well as understory species such as ceanothus, coffeeberry, gooseberry, and currants. These forests provide habitat for a wide variety of wildlife such as black bears, mule deer, various reptiles, birds, and butterflies, as well as fish and amphibians that rely on the cool water found there. Birds that can be found seasonally or year-round in the expansion area include the endangered California condor and Least Bell's vireo; the threatened western population of yellow-billed cuckoo; the Swainson's hawk, which is listed as threatened by the State of California; the Peregrine falcon; and the California-listed willow flycatcher. The southwestern pond turtle, which the United States Fish and Wildlife Service has proposed to list as threatened, is also found in the area, along with the two-striped garter snake and the Southern California legless lizard, which are designated as sensitive species by the Angeles National Forest. Many species of bats use the area's canyons and waters, including the pallid bat and big free-tailed bat, both California special status species, along with migrants and resident bats, such as the hoary bat, Yuma myotis, small-footed myotis, canyon bat, big brown bat, Mexican free-tailed bat, long-eared myotis, and California myotis.

In addition to these key habitats, the area also contains important migration corridors that connect vulnerable habitats throughout the greater region. A striking example in the northwest portion of the expansion area is Bear Divide, which funnels thousands of migratory birds through a narrow pass along the Pacific Flyway, the primary avian migration route on the West Coast that extends from Central America to the Arctic. Another important corridor is the Arroyo Seco-Hahamongna Corridor, which connects the south-central portion of the expansion area to other nearby natural areas outside the Angeles National Forest boundary.

Despite its proximity to urban Los Angeles, the expansion area includes secluded and largely undeveloped areas such as the 4,700-acre Arroyo Seco Inventoried Roadless Area, which is an iconic landscape feature.

Protecting the expansion area will preserve an important spiritual, cultural, prehistoric, and historic landscape; maintain a diverse array of natural and scientific resources; and help ensure that the objects of historic and scientific interest within the area endure for the benefit of all Americans. As described above, the expansion area contains numerous objects of historic and scientific interest in need of protection. In addition, it provides exceptional outdoor recreational opportunities, including hiking, hunting, fishing, biking, horseback riding, backpacking, scenic driving, and wildlife viewing, all of which are important to residents of and visitors to the Los Angeles region.

WHEREAS, section 320301 of title 54, United States Code [the "Antiquities Act"], authorizes the President, in his discretion, to declare by public proclamation historic landmarks, historic and prehistoric structures, and other objects of historic or scientific interest that are situated upon the lands owned or controlled by the Federal Government to be national monuments, and to reserve as a part thereof parcels of land, the limits of which shall be confined to the smallest area compatible with the proper care and management of the objects to be protected; and
WHEREAS, I find that each of the objects identified above, and objects of the type identified above within the area described herein, are objects of historic or scientific interest in need of protection under section 320301 of title 54, United States Code, regardless of whether they are expressly identified as an object of historic or scientific interest in the text of this proclamation; and

WHEREAS, I find that there are threats to the objects identified in this proclamation, and in the absence of a reservation under the Antiquities Act, the objects identified in this proclamation are not adequately protected by applicable law or administrative designations, thus making a national monument designation and reservation necessary to protect the objects of historic and scientific interest identified above for current and future generations; and

WHEREAS, I find that the boundaries of the monument reserved by this proclamation represent the smallest area compatible with the proper care and management of the objects of scientific or historic interest identified above, as required by the Antiquities Act; and

WHEREAS, it is in the public interest to ensure the preservation, restoration, and protection of the objects of scientific and historic interest identified above;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., President of the United States of America, by the authority vested in me by section 320301 of title 54, United States Code, hereby proclaim the objects identified above that are situated upon lands and interests in lands owned or controlled by the Federal Government to be part of the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument and, for the purpose of protecting those objects, reserve as part thereof all lands and interests in lands that are owned or controlled by the Federal Government within the boundaries described on the accompanying map, which is attached hereto and forms a part of this proclamation. The reserved Federal lands and interests in lands within the expansion area encompass approximately 150,919 acres. As a result of the distribution of the objects throughout the area, the boundaries described on the accompanying map are confined to the smallest area compatible with the proper care and management of the objects of historic or scientific interest identified above.

Nothing in this proclamation shall change the management of the areas protected under Proclamation 9194. The terms, conditions, and management direction provided by Proclamation 9194, including any term limiting the construction or effect of Proclamation 9194, are incorporated by reference and shall apply to the area reserved by this proclamation except to the extent that they are inconsistent with a provision in this proclamation.

All Federal lands and interests in lands described on the accompanying map are hereby appropriated and withdrawn from all forms of entry, location, selection, sale, or other disposition under the public land laws or laws applicable to the Forest Service, other than by exchange that furthers the protective purposes of the monument; from location, entry, and patent under the mining laws; and from disposition under all laws relating to mineral and geothermal leasing.

This proclamation is subject to valid existing rights. If the Federal Government subsequently acquires any lands or interests in lands not currently owned or controlled by the Federal Government within the boundaries described on the accompanying map, such lands and interests in lands shall be reserved as a part of the monument, and objects of the type identified above that are situated upon those lands and interests in lands shall be part of the monument, upon acquisition of ownership or control by the Federal Government.

The Secretary of Agriculture [Secretary], through the Forest Service, shall manage the expansion area pursuant to applicable legal authorities and in accordance with the terms, conditions, and management direction provided by this proclamation and, as described above, those provided by Proclamation 9194.

The Secretary shall prepare, in consultation with the Secretary of the Interior, a management plan for the expansion area set forth in this proclamation, which shall include provisions for continuing outdoor recreational opportunities consistent with the proper care and management of the objects identified above, and shall promulgate such rules and regulations for the management of the expansion area as the Secretary shall deem appropriate. At the Secretary's discretion, such management plan may be included as a component of the existing management plan developed pursuant to Proclamation 9194. The Secretary shall provide for maximum public involvement in the development of the management plan, including consultation with Tribal Nations and meaningful engagement with Indigenous peoples that have cultural, traditional, or ancestral ties to the area, with community environmental, conservation, health, and justice organizations, and with State and local governments. To the maximum extent practicable, the Secretary shall carefully incorporate Indigenous Knowledge in the development and implementation of the management plan, work with Tribal Nations to appropriately protect that knowledge, and, to the extent practicable, explain any limitations on the Secretary's ability to protect such information from disclosure before it is shared with the Forest Service. The management plan shall provide for the protection and interpretation of the objects of scientific and historic interest identified above. The management plan shall also provide for continued public access to the area to the extent consistent with the protection of the objects identified above.

The Secretary, through the Forest Service, shall establish an advisory committee under chapter 10 of title 5, United States Code, to provide information and advice regarding the development of the management plan and management of the expansion area. The advisory committee shall consist of a fair and balanced representation of interested stakeholders, including State agencies and local governments; Tribal Nations and Indigenous peoples with cultural, traditional, or ancestral ties to the area; recreational users; conservation organizations; wildlife, hunting, and fishing organizations; the scientific community; business owners; and the general public in the region.

Nothing in this proclamation shall be deemed to revoke any existing withdrawal, reservation, or appropriation; however, the monument shall be the dominant reservation.
Warning is hereby given to all unauthorized persons not to appropriate, injure, destroy, or remove any feature of the monument and not to locate or settle upon any of the lands thereof.

If any provision of this proclamation, including its application to a particular parcel of land, is held to be invalid, the remainder of this proclamation and its application to other parcels of land shall not be affected thereby.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this second day of May, in the year of our Lord two thousand twenty-four, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-eighth.

JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR.

Through Proclamation 9298 of July 10, 2015, President Obama established the Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument [monument] to protect an array of spectacular historic, cultural, geologic, and ecological resources in the heart of northern California's Inner Coast Range. Straddling the eastern edge of the monument boundary, Molok Luyuk — which means "Condor Ridge" in the language of the Patwin people — is a striking 11-mile north-to-south ridgeline that is sacred to the Patwin people and contains a mosaic of historic objects and rare natural communities supported by the unique geologic and hydrologic features of the area. The ridgeline, also known as Walker Ridge, is flanked by chaparral-covered canyons, serpentinite outcroppings, oak and cypress woodlands, and spring-fed meadows. Lands within the Molok Luyuk area show evidence of occupation by Indigenous peoples for more than 10,000 years. The historical significance of Molok Luyuk contributes to its cultural and spiritual significance to the Patwin people, and many other Indigenous peoples from northern California also have ties to the area, including the Pomo, Lake Miwok, Yuki, and Nomlaki. While much of the western slope of the ridge was designated as part of the monument by Proclamation 9298, expanding the monument's eastern boundary to include the full Molok Luyuk area — from the ridgeline to the point where the foothills recede into the flatlands of Bear Valley — will protect additional objects of scientific and historic interest and enable holistic management of a culturally significant landscape.

Since time immemorial, Molok Luyuk has held a deep cultural significance for Tribal Nations of the Patwin people, including the Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation, the Kletsel Dehe Band of Wintun Indians, and the Cachil Dehe Band of Wintun Indians. Their history is connected to Molok Luyuk and their lifeways are intertwined with the features, plants, and wildlife of the expansion area. The name Molok Luyuk recalls a time when condors were a common sight soaring above the ridge, and the Patwin people would often celebrate them with dances and ceremonies. On a clear day, the highest points of Molok Luyuk offer a commanding view of the surrounding rugged and undeveloped landscape, encompassing Mount Shasta to the north, Mount Tamalpais to the southwest, and Sutter Buttes to the east. This viewshed, and particularly the view of the sun rising over Sutter Buttes, is central to the Patwin origin story and connected the Patwin communities that once lived in the hills of Molok Luyuk and beyond with the River Patwin communities that populated Bear Valley, which lies just to the east, before they were displaced by trappers, ranchers, and miners. The expansion area includes sites of historic and ceremonial importance to members of all three Patwin Nations along the ridgeline and around its numerous natural springs.

The area around Molok Luyuk has long contained numerous objects of scientific and historic interest. Molok Luyuk played an important role in providing for the sustenance of the Patwin communities that were once found in the area. Occupants of nearby villages made seasonal forays to the ridge and flanks of Molok Luyuk in search of manzanita berries, clover, gray pine nuts, acorns, bulbs, and tubers, as well as to hunt elk and deer. Evidence of this cultural story marks the landscape today through numerous lithic scatters — sites containing ancient tools, tool fragments, and lithic flakes from tool production and maintenance — found along Molok Luyuk and around the area's cold springs. These scatter sites, which in some cases date back thousands of years, likely represent hunting and gathering camps and sites used by generations of Indigenous people for ceremonial purposes. Artifacts from these sites include obsidian tools made from sources in the region.

Trails once crossed and stretched out from the ridgeline. These trails, which ran atop the ridge and just inside the northern and southern boundaries of the expansion area, are important to the history of how Patwin communities were connected to other Indigenous communities in northern California. For instance, they enabled cultural exchanges among Indigenous people in the region, connected villages, and facilitated access to seasonal camps and ceremonial sites. Knowledge of the trails lives within Patwin oral history and cultural expertise and has been documented in ethnographic studies. Some trails were part of a larger interregional network by which other northern California Indigenous peoples would access Molok Luyuk and the healing hot springs that today lie on private land just to the south of the expansion area.

A tumultuous geologic history underpins the expansion area's diverse ecological communities. The backbone of Molok Luyuk is an ophiolite formed by unusual ultramafic rocks. Serpentinite, as this rock is more commonly known, was originally formed deep within the Earth's mantle and eventually thrust upward through the forces of plate tectonics. The landscape is subtly marked by the smoky gray-green of serpentine rocks and their derivative soils. Rare serpentine soils resulting from eroded serpentinite dominate the ridgeline and eastern flank of Molok Luyuk. These soils have unusually high levels of magnesium and iron and very low levels of nutrients, such as calcium and phosphorus, that are critical for the survival of most plants. This soil chemistry imposed evolutionary pressure resulting in a profusion of unique species and habitats that are inhospitable to non-native species that may dominate elsewhere.

Protecting serpentine soils like those found in the expansion area is essential to the preservation of California's endemic and rare plant life. While serpentine soils occur on less than 1.5 percent of California's land base, they are home to nearly 15 percent of California endemic species and nearly 11 percent of its rare plant taxa. Consistent with this State-wide data, the great majority of special-status plant taxa within the Molok Luyuk area occur primarily on serpentine soils.

Molok Luyuk's diverse topography and geology, which also include sandstone and shale, create the conditions for its 13 distinct plant communities, 9 of which spring from serpentine soils. These habitats include serpentine and non-serpentine chaparral, McNab and Sargent cypress and blue and live oak woodlands, serpentine riparian woodland, native wildflower fields, and serpentine seeps. This diversity of plants and plant communities provided the wide array of foods, tools, and medicines that the Patwin gathered from Molok Luyuk. Nearly 500 native California plant taxa have been identified within the expansion area, including at least 38 different special-status plant taxa. The expansion area also includes suitable habitat for another 30 special-status plants that have been documented in the surrounding area. Numerous studies — particularly those focused on species that grow on serpentine soils — have made use of botanical samples from the expansion area, and protecting these rare and sensitive plants will preserve opportunities for important future botanical research.

Brilliant fields of native wildflowers and bunchgrasses are scattered throughout Molok Luyuk. Springtime brings a kaleidoscopic display of butter-yellow golden fairy lantern, flame-like woolly Indian paintbrush, and brilliant orange starbursts of flame ragwort, all of which are native species that thrive in the area's serpentine meadows. The delicate violet flowers of the Indian Valley brodiaea, a bulbiferous perennial herb that is listed as a State of California endangered species, can also be found tucked into serpentine seeps. Throughout the summer, the small white flowers of the drymary dwarf flax, a Bureau of Land Management [BLM] sensitive species that is endemic to California, are widespread on Molok Luyuk's higher elevation serpentine slopes.

Unusual serpentine wetlands occur along Molok Luyuk, as well as on downslope benches and along Highway 20 near the Colusa-Lake county line. Many of these wetlands are fed by the numerous seeps and springs scattered across the area, which are of critical importance to the area's botanical richness. These include Barrel Springs in the northeastern portion of the expansion area, Cold Spring near the center of the ridgeline, and Til Jones and Eaton Springs in the south, along with numerous other unnamed springs. Protecting these springs, and the wetlands they feed, is critical to preserving the rare and endemic species that thrive within the monument and expansion area — and to preserving opportunities for future scientific study.

Despite substantial fragmentation due to fires in 2008 and 2018, McNab cypress woodland, a California-designated sensitive natural community that is vulnerable at both the global and State scales, dominates portions of the northern, higher elevations. In addition to being a rare and vulnerable natural community of scientific interest, the McNab cypress, for which these woodlands are named, have been used for Patwin ceremonies and medicines for generations and continue to be used today.

A wide variety of mammals, birds, reptiles, and amphibians use or make their homes in Molok Luyuk. More than 80 species of birds have been recorded in the area, including 18 special-status species. Both bald and golden eagles can be observed gliding through the sky above Molok Luyuk. Foothill yellow-legged frogs, a BLM sensitive species, can be found in lower-elevation streams within the expansion area. Members of the oldest free-ranging tule elk herd in California also reside within the expansion area. Tule elk, which are endemic to California, had vanished from the wild until a formerly captive herd was released in 1922 in Colusa County. Other wildlife species that make their homes in Molok Luyuk include black-tail deer, black bear, coyote, bobcat, gopher snake, and western rattlesnake. The slopes of Molok Luyuk provide an avenue for wildlife to move from the lower elevations of Bear Valley to the higher elevation of the ridgeline. Conserving this expansion area will fortify protection for the critical north-south migration corridor provided by the existing monument.

As night falls over Molok Luyuk, other residents of the area emerge. At least 14 species of bats occur in the area, including the western red bat, pallid bat, and Townsend's big-eared bat, each of which is a California Species of Special Concern. The night skies through which they fly are remarkably unmarred by light pollution, which can disturb many species of bats as well as other mammals and birds, and provide increasingly rare and extraordinary stargazing opportunities to those who venture out after sunset.

In light of threats, including impacts from climate change, increased recreational use, and development potential, expanding the boundaries of the Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument to protect the area described above will preserve a diverse array of natural and scientific resources and cultural and historic legacy sites, ensuring that the scientific and historic values of this area endure for the benefit of all Americans. The expansion area contains numerous objects of historic and scientific interest, and it also provides opportunities for those who seek out places of beauty and botanical wonder, whether through hiking, hunting, scenic driving, camping, wildflower viewing, or lying under a vast expanse of undimmed starry sky.

WHEREAS, section 320301 of title 54, United States Code [the "Antiquities Act"], authorizes the President, in his discretion, to declare by public proclamation historic landmarks, historic and prehistoric structures, and other objects of historic or scientific interest that are situated upon the lands owned or controlled by the Federal Government to be national monuments, and to reserve as a part thereof parcels of land, the limits of which shall be confined to the smallest area compatible with the proper care and management of the objects to be protected; and

WHEREAS, I find that each of the objects identified above, and objects of the type identified above within the area described herein, are objects of historic or scientific interest in need of protection under section 320301 of title 54, United States Code, regardless of whether they are expressly identified as an object of historic or scientific interest in the text of this proclamation; and

WHEREAS, I find that there are threats to the objects identified in this proclamation, and in the absence of a reservation under the Antiquities Act, the objects identified in this proclamation are not adequately protected by applicable law or administrative designations, thus making a national monument designation and reservation necessary to protect the objects of historic and scientific interest identified above for current and future generations; and

WHEREAS, I find that the boundaries of the monument reserved by this proclamation represent the smallest area compatible with the proper care and management of the objects of scientific or historic interest identified above, as required by the Antiquities Act; and

WHEREAS, it is in the public interest to ensure the preservation, restoration, and protection of the objects of scientific and historic interest identified above;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., President of the United States of America, by the authority vested in me by section 320301 of title 54, United States Code, hereby proclaim the objects identified above that are situated upon lands and interests in lands owned or controlled by the Federal Government to be part of the Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument and, for the purpose of protecting those objects, reserve as part thereof all lands and interests in lands that are owned or controlled by the Federal Government within the boundaries described on the accompanying map, which is attached hereto and forms a part of this proclamation. The reserved Federal lands and interests in lands within the expansion area encompass approximately 13,696 acres. As a result of the distribution of the objects throughout the area, the boundaries described on the accompanying map are confined to the smallest area compatible with the proper care and management of the objects of historic or scientific interest identified above.

Nothing in this proclamation shall change the management of the areas protected under Proclamation 9298. The terms, conditions, and management direction provided by Proclamation 9298, including any term limiting the construction or effect of Proclamation 9298, are incorporated by reference and shall apply to the area reserved by this proclamation except to the extent that they are inconsistent with a provision in this proclamation.

All Federal lands and interests in lands described on the accompanying map are hereby appropriated and withdrawn from all forms of entry, location, selection, sale, or other disposition under the public land laws; from location, entry, and patent under the mining laws; and from disposition under all laws relating to mineral and geothermal leasing, other than by exchange that facilitates the remediation, monitoring, or reclamation of historic mining operations under applicable law or otherwise furthers the protective purposes of the monument.

The enlargement of the boundary is subject to valid existing rights. If the Federal Government subsequently acquires any lands or interests in lands not currently owned or controlled by the Federal Government within the boundaries described on the accompanying map, such lands and interests in lands shall be reserved as a part of the monument, and objects of the type identified above that are situated upon those lands and interests in lands shall be part of the monument, upon acquisition of ownership or control by the Federal Government.

The Secretary of the Interior [Secretary], through the BLM, shall manage the expansion area pursuant to applicable legal authorities, as a unit of the National Landscape Conservation System, and in accordance with the terms, conditions, and management direction provided by this proclamation and, as described above, those provided by Proclamation 9298.

For purposes of protecting and restoring the objects identified above, the Secretary shall include the lands within the expansion area in the management plan for the monument provided for in Proclamation 9298. The Secretary shall promulgate such rules and regulations for the management of the expansion area as deemed appropriate.

Consistent with the direction in Proclamation 9298, in recognition of the importance of Tribal participation in the care and management of the objects identified above, and to ensure that management decisions are informed by and reflect Tribal expertise and Indigenous Knowledge, the Secretary shall explore entering into one or more memoranda of understanding with interested Tribal Nations to set forth terms, pursuant to applicable laws, regulations, and policies, for co-stewardship of the expansion area, as well as for educational and other outreach efforts regarding the history of the Tribal Nations in the area and the name Molok Luyuk.

In order to reflect the historic, spiritual, and cultural significance of Molok Luyuk to the Patwin Tribes as discussed throughout this proclamation, the geographic feature identified in the Federal Geographic Names Information System as Feature 237183 shall be renamed Molok Luyuk. The Secretary and the Board of Geographic Names shall take any necessary and appropriate steps to make this change in the Geographic Names Information System. Except as necessary for the care and management of the objects identified above, no new rights-of-way shall be authorized within the area reserved by this proclamation.

The Secretary shall issue a travel management plan that authorizes motorized and non-motorized mechanized vehicle use, including mountain biking, so long as such use is consistent with the care and management of the objects identified above. Further, the Secretary shall monitor motorized and non-motorized mechanized vehicle use and designated roads and trails to ensure proper care and management of the objects identified above.

The Secretary shall evaluate opportunities to enter into one or more agreements with governments, including State, local, and Tribal, regarding protection of the objects identified above during wildland fire prevention and response efforts.

If any provision of this proclamation, including its application to a particular parcel of land, is held to be invalid, the remainder of this proclamation and its application to other parcels of land shall not be affected thereby.

Nothing in this proclamation shall be deemed to revoke any existing withdrawal, reservation, or appropriation; however, the monument shall be the dominant reservation.
Warning is hereby given to all unauthorized persons not to appropriate, injure, destroy, or remove any feature of the monument and not to locate or settle upon any of the lands thereof.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this
second day of May, in the year of our Lord two thousand twenty-four, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-eighth.

JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR.

Through Proclamation 9298 of July 10, 2015, President Obama established the Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument [monument] to protect an array of spectacular historic, cultural, geologic, and ecological resources in the heart of northern California's Inner Coast Range. Straddling the eastern edge of the monument boundary, Molok Luyuk — which means "Condor Ridge" in the language of the Patwin people — is a striking 11-mile north-to-south ridgeline that is sacred to the Patwin people and contains a mosaic of historic objects and rare natural communities supported by the unique geologic and hydrologic features of the area. The ridgeline, also known as Walker Ridge, is flanked by chaparral-covered canyons, serpentinite outcroppings, oak and cypress woodlands, and spring-fed meadows. Lands within the Molok Luyuk area show evidence of occupation by Indigenous peoples for more than 10,000 years. The historical significance of Molok Luyuk contributes to its cultural and spiritual significance to the Patwin people, and many other Indigenous peoples from northern California also have ties to the area, including the Pomo, Lake Miwok, Yuki, and Nomlaki. While much of the western slope of the ridge was designated as part of the monument by Proclamation 9298, expanding the monument's eastern boundary to include the full Molok Luyuk area — from the ridgeline to the point where the foothills recede into the flatlands of Bear Valley — will protect additional objects of scientific and historic interest and enable holistic management of a culturally significant landscape.

Since time immemorial, Molok Luyuk has held a deep cultural significance for Tribal Nations of the Patwin people, including the Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation, the Kletsel Dehe Band of Wintun Indians, and the Cachil Dehe Band of Wintun Indians. Their history is connected to Molok Luyuk and their lifeways are intertwined with the features, plants, and wildlife of the expansion area. The name Molok Luyuk recalls a time when condors were a common sight soaring above the ridge, and the Patwin people would often celebrate them with dances and ceremonies. On a clear day, the highest points of Molok Luyuk offer a commanding view of the surrounding rugged and undeveloped landscape, encompassing Mount Shasta to the north, Mount Tamalpais to the southwest, and Sutter Buttes to the east. This viewshed, and particularly the view of the sun rising over Sutter Buttes, is central to the Patwin origin story and connected the Patwin communities that once lived in the hills of Molok Luyuk and beyond with the River Patwin communities that populated Bear Valley, which lies just to the east, before they were displaced by trappers, ranchers, and miners. The expansion area includes sites of historic and ceremonial importance to members of all three Patwin Nations along the ridgeline and around its numerous natural springs.

The area around Molok Luyuk has long contained numerous objects of scientific and historic interest. Molok Luyuk played an important role in providing for the sustenance of the Patwin communities that were once found in the area. Occupants of nearby villages made seasonal forays to the ridge and flanks of Molok Luyuk in search of manzanita berries, clover, gray pine nuts, acorns, bulbs, and tubers, as well as to hunt elk and deer. Evidence of this cultural story marks the landscape today through numerous lithic scatters — sites containing ancient tools, tool fragments, and lithic flakes from tool production and maintenance — found along Molok Luyuk and around the area's cold springs. These scatter sites, which in some cases date back thousands of years, likely represent hunting and gathering camps and sites used by generations of Indigenous people for ceremonial purposes. Artifacts from these sites include obsidian tools made from sources in the region.

Trails once crossed and stretched out from the ridgeline. These trails, which ran atop the ridge and just inside the northern and southern boundaries of the expansion area, are important to the history of how Patwin communities were connected to other Indigenous communities in northern California. For instance, they enabled cultural exchanges among Indigenous people in the region, connected villages, and facilitated access to seasonal camps and ceremonial sites. Knowledge of the trails lives within Patwin oral history and cultural expertise and has been documented in ethnographic studies. Some trails were part of a larger interregional network by which other northern California Indigenous peoples would access Molok Luyuk and the healing hot springs that today lie on private land just to the south of the expansion area.

A tumultuous geologic history underpins the expansion area's diverse ecological communities. The backbone of Molok Luyuk is an ophiolite formed by unusual ultramafic rocks. Serpentinite, as this rock is more commonly known, was originally formed deep within the Earth's mantle and eventually thrust upward through the forces of plate tectonics. The landscape is subtly marked by the smoky gray-green of serpentine rocks and their derivative soils. Rare serpentine soils resulting from eroded serpentinite dominate the ridgeline and eastern flank of Molok Luyuk. These soils have unusually high levels of magnesium and iron and very low levels of nutrients, such as calcium and phosphorus, that are critical for the survival of most plants. This soil chemistry imposed evolutionary pressure resulting in a profusion of unique species and habitats that are inhospitable to non-native species that may dominate elsewhere.

Protecting serpentine soils like those found in the expansion area is essential to the preservation of California's endemic and rare plant life. While serpentine soils occur on less than 1.5 percent of California's land base, they are home to nearly 15 percent of California endemic species and nearly 11 percent of its rare plant taxa. Consistent with this State-wide data, the great majority of special-status plant taxa within the Molok Luyuk area occur primarily on serpentine soils.

Molok Luyuk's diverse topography and geology, which also include sandstone and shale, create the conditions for its 13 distinct plant communities, 9 of which spring from serpentine soils. These habitats include serpentine and non-serpentine chaparral, McNab and Sargent cypress and blue and live oak woodlands, serpentine riparian woodland, native wildflower fields, and serpentine seeps. This diversity of plants and plant communities provided the wide array of foods, tools, and medicines that the Patwin gathered from Molok Luyuk. Nearly 500 native California plant taxa have been identified within the expansion area, including at least 38 different special-status plant taxa. The expansion area also includes suitable habitat for another 30 special-status plants that have been documented in the surrounding area. Numerous studies — particularly those focused on species that grow on serpentine soils — have made use of botanical samples from the expansion area, and protecting these rare and sensitive plants will preserve opportunities for important future botanical research.

Brilliant fields of native wildflowers and bunchgrasses are scattered throughout Molok Luyuk. Springtime brings a kaleidoscopic display of butter-yellow golden fairy lantern, flame-like woolly Indian paintbrush, and brilliant orange starbursts of flame ragwort, all of which are native species that thrive in the area's serpentine meadows. The delicate violet flowers of the Indian Valley brodiaea, a bulbiferous perennial herb that is listed as a State of California endangered species, can also be found tucked into serpentine seeps. Throughout the summer, the small white flowers of the drymary dwarf flax, a Bureau of Land Management [BLM] sensitive species that is endemic to California, are widespread on Molok Luyuk's higher elevation serpentine slopes.

Unusual serpentine wetlands occur along Molok Luyuk, as well as on downslope benches and along Highway 20 near the Colusa-Lake county line. Many of these wetlands are fed by the numerous seeps and springs scattered across the area, which are of critical importance to the area's botanical richness. These include Barrel Springs in the northeastern portion of the expansion area, Cold Spring near the center of the ridgeline, and Til Jones and Eaton Springs in the south, along with numerous other unnamed springs. Protecting these springs, and the wetlands they feed, is critical to preserving the rare and endemic species that thrive within the monument and expansion area — and to preserving opportunities for future scientific study.

Despite substantial fragmentation due to fires in 2008 and 2018, McNab cypress woodland, a California-designated sensitive natural community that is vulnerable at both the global and State scales, dominates portions of the northern, higher elevations. In addition to being a rare and vulnerable natural community of scientific interest, the McNab cypress, for which these woodlands are named, have been used for Patwin ceremonies and medicines for generations and continue to be used today.

A wide variety of mammals, birds, reptiles, and amphibians use or make their homes in Molok Luyuk. More than 80 species of birds have been recorded in the area, including 18 special-status species. Both bald and golden eagles can be observed gliding through the sky above Molok Luyuk. Foothill yellow-legged frogs, a BLM sensitive species, can be found in lower-elevation streams within the expansion area. Members of the oldest free-ranging tule elk herd in California also reside within the expansion area. Tule elk, which are endemic to California, had vanished from the wild until a formerly captive herd was released in 1922 in Colusa County. Other wildlife species that make their homes in Molok Luyuk include black-tail deer, black bear, coyote, bobcat, gopher snake, and western rattlesnake. The slopes of Molok Luyuk provide an avenue for wildlife to move from the lower elevations of Bear Valley to the higher elevation of the ridgeline. Conserving this expansion area will fortify protection for the critical north-south migration corridor provided by the existing monument.

As night falls over Molok Luyuk, other residents of the area emerge. At least 14 species of bats occur in the area, including the western red bat, pallid bat, and Townsend's big-eared bat, each of which is a California Species of Special Concern. The night skies through which they fly are remarkably unmarred by light pollution, which can disturb many species of bats as well as other mammals and birds, and provide increasingly rare and extraordinary stargazing opportunities to those who venture out after sunset.

In light of threats, including impacts from climate change, increased recreational use, and development potential, expanding the boundaries of the Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument to protect the area described above will preserve a diverse array of natural and scientific resources and cultural and historic legacy sites, ensuring that the scientific and historic values of this area endure for the benefit of all Americans. The expansion area contains numerous objects of historic and scientific interest, and it also provides opportunities for those who seek out places of beauty and botanical wonder, whether through hiking, hunting, scenic driving, camping, wildflower viewing, or lying under a vast expanse of undimmed starry sky.

WHEREAS, section 320301 of title 54, United States Code [the "Antiquities Act"], authorizes the President, in his discretion, to declare by public proclamation historic landmarks, historic and prehistoric structures, and other objects of historic or scientific interest that are situated upon the lands owned or controlled by the Federal Government to be national monuments, and to reserve as a part thereof parcels of land, the limits of which shall be confined to the smallest area compatible with the proper care and management of the objects to be protected; and

WHEREAS, I find that each of the objects identified above, and objects of the type identified above within the area described herein, are objects of historic or scientific interest in need of protection under section 320301 of title 54, United States Code, regardless of whether they are expressly identified as an object of historic or scientific interest in the text of this proclamation; and

WHEREAS, I find that there are threats to the objects identified in this proclamation, and in the absence of a reservation under the Antiquities Act, the objects identified in this proclamation are not adequately protected by applicable law or administrative designations, thus making a national monument designation and reservation necessary to protect the objects of historic and scientific interest identified above for current and future generations; and

WHEREAS, I find that the boundaries of the monument reserved by this proclamation represent the smallest area compatible with the proper care and management of the objects of scientific or historic interest identified above, as required by the Antiquities Act; and

WHEREAS, it is in the public interest to ensure the preservation, restoration, and protection of the objects of scientific and historic interest identified above;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., President of the United States of America, by the authority vested in me by section 320301 of title 54, United States Code, hereby proclaim the objects identified above that are situated upon lands and interests in lands owned or controlled by the Federal Government to be part of the Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument and, for the purpose of protecting those objects, reserve as part thereof all lands and interests in lands that are owned or controlled by the Federal Government within the boundaries described on the accompanying map, which is attached hereto and forms a part of this proclamation. The reserved Federal lands and interests in lands within the expansion area encompass approximately 13,696 acres. As a result of the distribution of the objects throughout the area, the boundaries described on the accompanying map are confined to the smallest area compatible with the proper care and management of the objects of historic or scientific interest identified above.

Nothing in this proclamation shall change the management of the areas protected under Proclamation 9298. The terms, conditions, and management direction provided by Proclamation 9298, including any term limiting the construction or effect of Proclamation 9298, are incorporated by reference and shall apply to the area reserved by this proclamation except to the extent that they are inconsistent with a provision in this proclamation.

All Federal lands and interests in lands described on the accompanying map are hereby appropriated and withdrawn from all forms of entry, location, selection, sale, or other disposition under the public land laws; from location, entry, and patent under the mining laws; and from disposition under all laws relating to mineral and geothermal leasing, other than by exchange that facilitates the remediation, monitoring, or reclamation of historic mining operations under applicable law or otherwise furthers the protective purposes of the monument.

The enlargement of the boundary is subject to valid existing rights. If the Federal Government subsequently acquires any lands or interests in lands not currently owned or controlled by the Federal Government within the boundaries described on the accompanying map, such lands and interests in lands shall be reserved as a part of the monument, and objects of the type identified above that are situated upon those lands and interests in lands shall be part of the monument, upon acquisition of ownership or control by the Federal Government.

The Secretary of the Interior [Secretary], through the BLM, shall manage the expansion area pursuant to applicable legal authorities, as a unit of the National Landscape Conservation System, and in accordance with the terms, conditions, and management direction provided by this proclamation and, as described above, those provided by Proclamation 9298.

For purposes of protecting and restoring the objects identified above, the Secretary shall include the lands within the expansion area in the management plan for the monument provided for in Proclamation 9298. The Secretary shall promulgate such rules and regulations for the management of the expansion area as deemed appropriate.

Consistent with the direction in Proclamation 9298, in recognition of the importance of Tribal participation in the care and management of the objects identified above, and to ensure that management decisions are informed by and reflect Tribal expertise and Indigenous Knowledge, the Secretary shall explore entering into one or more memoranda of understanding with interested Tribal Nations to set forth terms, pursuant to applicable laws, regulations, and policies, for co-stewardship of the expansion area, as well as for educational and other outreach efforts regarding the history of the Tribal Nations in the area and the name Molok Luyuk.

In order to reflect the historic, spiritual, and cultural significance of Molok Luyuk to the Patwin Tribes as discussed throughout this proclamation, the geographic feature identified in the Federal Geographic Names Information System as Feature 237183 shall be renamed Molok Luyuk. The Secretary and the Board of Geographic Names shall take any necessary and appropriate steps to make this change in the Geographic Names Information System. Except as necessary for the care and management of the objects identified above, no new rights-of-way shall be authorized within the area reserved by this proclamation.

The Secretary shall issue a travel management plan that authorizes motorized and non-motorized mechanized vehicle use, including mountain biking, so long as such use is consistent with the care and management of the objects identified above. Further, the Secretary shall monitor motorized and non-motorized mechanized vehicle use and designated roads and trails to ensure proper care and management of the objects identified above.

The Secretary shall evaluate opportunities to enter into one or more agreements with governments, including State, local, and Tribal, regarding protection of the objects identified above during wildland fire prevention and response efforts.

If any provision of this proclamation, including its application to a particular parcel of land, is held to be invalid, the remainder of this proclamation and its application to other parcels of land shall not be affected thereby.

Nothing in this proclamation shall be deemed to revoke any existing withdrawal, reservation, or appropriation; however, the monument shall be the dominant reservation.
Warning is hereby given to all unauthorized persons not to appropriate, injure, destroy, or remove any feature of the monument and not to locate or settle upon any of the lands thereof.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this
second day of May, in the year of our Lord two thousand twenty-four, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-eighth.

JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR.

Roosevelt Room

11:07 A.M. EDT

THE PRESIDENT: Good morning.

Q Good morning.

THE PRESIDENT: Before I head to North Carolina, I wanted to speak a few moments about what's going on on our college campuses here.

We've all seen the images. And they put to the test two fundamental American principles.

Excuse me. [Coughs]

The first is the right to free speech and for people to peacefully assemble and make their voices heard. The second is the rule of law. Both must be upheld.

We are not an authoritarian nation where we silence people or squash dissent. The American people are heard. In fact, peaceful protest is in the best tradition of how Americans respond to consequential issues.

But — but neither are we a lawless country. We are a civil society, and order must prevail.

Throughout our history, we've often faced moments like this because we are a big, diverse, free-thinking, and freedom-loving nation.

In moments like this, there are always those who rush in to score political points. But this isn't a moment for politics. It's a moment for clarity.

So, let me be clear. Peaceful protest in America — violent protest is not protected; peaceful protest is. It's against the law when violence occurs.

Destroying property is not a peaceful protest. It's against the law.

Vandalism, trespassing, breaking windows, shutting down campuses, forcing the cancellation of classes and graduations — none of this is a peaceful protest.

Threatening people, intimidating people, instilling fear in people is not peaceful protest. It's against the law.

Dissent is essential to democracy. But dissent must never lead to disorder or to denying the rights of others so students can finish the semester and their college education.

Look, it's basically a matter of fairness. It's a matter of what's right. There's the right to protest but not the right to cause chaos.

People have the right to get an education, the right to get a degree, the right to walk across the campus safely without fear of being attacked.

But let's be clear about this as well. There should be no place on any campus, no place in America for antisemitism or threats of violence against Jewish students. There is no place for hate speech or violence of any kind, whether it's antisemitism, Islamophobia, or discrimination against Arab Americans or Palestinian Americans.

It's simply wrong. There is no place for racism in America. It's all wrong. It's un-American.

I understand people have strong feelings and deep convictions. In America, we respect the right and protect the right for them to express that. But it doesn't mean anything goes. It needs to be done without violence, without destruction, without hate, and within the law.

You know, make no mistake: As President, I will always defend free speech. And I will always be just as strong in standing up for the rule of law.

That's my responsibility to you, the American people, and my obligation to the Constitution.

Thank you very much.

Q Mr. President, have the protests forced you to reconsider any of the policies with regard to the region?

THE PRESIDENT: No.

Thank you.

Q Mr. President, do you think the National Guard should intervene?

THE PRESIDENT: No.

11:11 A.M. EDT

WASHINGTON – This week, the White House announced the appointment of Donna Hayashi Smith as the new Curator. Ms. Hayashi Smith, the ninth White House Curator, joined the Executive Residence Office of the Curator in 1995 and has served under five administrations. She began her career as the administrative and collections assistant, then became the White House collections manager and registrar. Most recently, she was the associate Curator of the collections and registrar, a position where she was responsible for caring for and tracking over 60,000 objects in the White House Collection. She also led the Office of the Curator through its American Alliance of Museums re-accreditation in 2022, ensuring that the White House continues to be recognized nationally as an accredited museum. Ms. Hayashi Smith has been serving as the acting White House Curator since the retirement of her predecessor, Lydia Tederick, after her decades of service.

"Donna Hayashi Smith brings years of experience to this position, along with unique perspectives from serving under five administrations. She understands the history and legacy of the White House, as well as the intricate innerworkings of the building itself," said First Lady Jill Biden. "I look forward to continuing our work together to preserve the White House's living history, increasing opportunities for Americans to see themselves reflected here, and making the "People's House" more accessible to the millions of people who visit our Nation's Capital each year."

Originally from Wahiawa, Hawaii, Ms. Hayashi Smith received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Art History from the University of Hawaii at Manoa. In 1990, she moved to Washington, D.C. for a Smithsonian Institution minority fellowship at the National Museum of American History and was hired as a museum aide at the National Museum of American Art a year later. Shortly after arriving at the White House, Hayashi Smith earned a Master of Arts degree in Museum Studies at the George Washington University while continuing her work in the Office of the Curator. Ms. Hayashi Smith is the first Asian American to hold the title of Curator of the White House.

Actions will protect nearly 120,000 acres of culturally, ecologically, and historically important lands in California while expanding outdoor access for local communities

President Biden on track to conserve more lands and waters than any President in history

Since their first day in office, President Biden and Vice President Harris have delivered on the most ambitious climate and conservation agenda in history. This includes the President's America the Beautiful Initiative, which is supporting locally led conservation efforts across the country with a goal to protect, conserve, and restore at least 30 percent of U.S. lands and waters by 2030. The Biden-Harris Administration has already conserved more than 41 million acres of lands and waters – putting President Biden on track to conserve more lands and waters than any President in history.

Today, as part of the Biden-Harris Administration's unprecedented commitment to protect America's natural wonders for future generations, honor areas of cultural significance to Tribal Nations and Indigenous peoples, and expand access to nature, President Biden will sign proclamations expanding the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument and the Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument. Together, these actions will protect nearly 120,000 acres of lands in California of scientific, cultural, ecological, and historical importance, adding unparalleled value to these already beloved national monuments and expanding outdoor access to nearby underserved and disadvantaged communities. The proclamation for the Berryessa Snow Mountain expansion also renames the ridgeline at the heart of the expansion, previously known as "Walker Ridge," to Molok Loyuk, which means Condor Ridge in the language of the area's Patwin people.

These expansions honor Tribal Nations and Indigenous peoples by protecting sacred ancestral places and their historically important features, while conserving our public lands, protecting scientific features, including critical wildlife habitat and migration corridors, safeguarding clean water, and supporting local economies. Federal, state, and local leaders, Tribal governments, Indigenous communities, and a coalition of community-based and conservation organizations came together to advocate for the additional protections for both of these national monuments. The sites protected through these expansions will ensure that future generations can experience, learn from, and enjoy these irreplaceable resources.

Vice President Harris has been a critical leader on efforts to ensure protections for California public lands, including the lands protected by these proclamations. In 2018, then-Senator Harris introduced the "San Gabriel Mountains Foothills and Rivers Protection Act," the first Senate proposal to expand the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument. In addition, then-Senator Harris introduced the "Protecting Unique and Beautiful Landscapes by Investing in California [PUBLIC] Lands Act," a legislative package of three bills, including the "San Gabriel Mountains Protection Act," that together would have increased protections and access for over 1 million acres of California lands, including nearly 600,000 acres of new wilderness and over 100,000 acres of new national monument lands. The proclamation that the President is signing today will permanently protect the lands in the San Gabriel Mountains covered by those bills.

Since taking office, the Biden-Harris Administration has established or expanded seven national monuments [including through today's actions] and restored protections for three more; created four new national wildlife refuges and significantly expanded five more; protected the Boundary Waters of Minnesota, the nation's most visited wilderness area; safeguarded Bristol Bay in southwest Alaska; and withdrawn Chaco Canyon in New Mexico and Thompson Divide in Colorado from further oil and gas leasing which will protect pristine lands and thousands of sacred sites.

Expanding San Gabriel Mountains National Monument

President Biden is taking action to expand the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument, which President Obama designated in 2014, near Los Angeles, California. The proclamation will add 105,919 acres of U.S. Forest Service lands to the south and west of the current monument's 346,177 acres; protect additional cultural, scientific, and historic objects; and expand access to outdoor recreation on our shared public lands for generations to come.

Since time immemorial, the rich landscape within the expansion area has sustained Indigenous peoples, including the people known as the Gabrielino, Kizh, or Tongva, and the Chumash, Kitanemuk, Serrano, and Tataviam peoples. Today, their descendants are part of Tribal Nations and other Indigenous peoples in the region, some of whose members continue to use the area for ceremonial purposes, as well as for collecting traditional plants important for basketry, food, and medicine.

The lands added to the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument contain spectacular cultural, geological, and ecological resources. A diversity of animals, birds, reptiles, and other wildlife, including numerous sensitive, threatened, and endangered species, live among the unique geological and ecological features of the area, including its unusual canyons, chapparal and coastal sage scrub lands, riparian woodlands, and conifer forests. These lands also provide homes to some of California's most imperiled and iconic birds, including the endangered California condor. The area includes key habitats that support wetland-dependent plant species, sensitive fish and amphibians, and migration corridors. The area also holds important geologic significance; the exceptional landscape of the San Gabriel Mountains, shaped by massive geologic forces over hundreds of millions of years, provides views deep into ancient earth.

Though it is adjacent to highly developed areas of Los Angeles, the expansion area includes highly secluded and largely undeveloped areas, such as the 4,700-acre Arroyo Seco inventoried Roadless Area—an iconic landscape feature. The expanded monument's natural lands and increased proximity to the city make it a unique place of rejuvenation and recreation for the people of the ever-changing urban and suburban communities of the greater Los Angeles region.

President Biden's proclamation directs the U.S. Forest Service to manage the area according to the same terms, conditions, and management as the original national monument designation, which respects grazing permits, water rights, existing infrastructure, military use of airspace, state management of wildlife, and wildfire response, among other things. The proclamation directs the Secretary of Agriculture to develop a management plan for expansion area, incorporating Indigenous Knowledge and maximum community input. With this designation, the U.S. Forest Service will establish a Federal Advisory Committee to provide information and advice regarding the development of the management plan and management of the expansion. The committee will include state agencies and local governments; Tribal nations and Indigenous communities with cultural, traditional, or ancestral ties to the area; recreational users; conservation organizations; wildlife, hunting, and fishing organizations; the scientific community; business owners; and the general public in the region.

To better manage the high levels of visitation to this popular area, the Administration, alongside state and private partners, is also investing to improve outdoor recreation infrastructure, restore and protect resources, and increase staffing to create an improved visitor experience in the existing and expanded national monument.

Expanding Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument

President Biden will also sign a proclamation expanding the Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument, originally designated by President Obama in 2015, in northern California. This expansion honors Tribal Nations and Indigenous peoples through the protection of this sacred California landscape and its historically and biologically important features, while conserving our public lands and growing America's outdoor recreation economy. The expansion will add 13,696 acres of public lands, managed by the Department of the Interior, to the monument's original 330,000 acres, which are jointly managed by the Bureau of Land Management and the U.S Forest Service.

The expansion area includes the portion of Molok Luyuk that is outside the boundary of the existing monument. The striking 11-mile north-to-south ridgeline, sacred to the Patwin people, is dotted with a mosaic of unique geologic and hydrologic features. The ridge is flanked by iconic California chapparal-covered canyons, oak and cypress woodlands, and spring-fed meadows. Unusual and rare serpentine wetlands dot Molok Luyuk and its downward slopes are fed by the numerous seeps and springs scattered across the area, underpinning the region's prolific botanical richness—nearly 500 native California plant species have been identified within the expansion area, including at least 38 different special-status plants. Molok Luyuk also serves as a wildlife corridor for species such as tule elk, mountain lions, and bears, and is home to iconic species such as bald and golden eagles. Conserving this area fortifies protection for the scientifically critical north-south migration corridor provided by the existing monument.

The name Molok Luyuk recalls a time when California condors were a common sight soaring above the ridge, and the Patwin people would celebrate them with dances and ceremonies. On a clear day, the highest points of Molok Luyuk offer a commanding view of the surrounding rugged and undeveloped landscape, encompassing Mount Shasta to the north, Mount Tamalpais to the southwest, and Sutter Buttes to the east. The view of the sun rising over Sutter Buttes to the east is central to the Patwin origin story. The expansion area contains evidence of occupation by Indigenous people for more than 10,000 years.

This expansion of the Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument honors the Cachil Dehe Band of Wintun Indians, Kletsel Dehe Wintun Nation, Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation, and other Tribal Nations and Indigenous leaders who worked tirelessly to ensure protection of these sacred lands for generations to come. In order to reflect the historic, spiritual, and cultural significance of Molok Luyuk to the Patwin people, the President has also directed that the ridgeline be officially renamed Molok Luyuk. To further honor the ties of the Patwin people to these lands, the President's proclamation also directs the Secretary of the Interior to explore co-stewardship of the area with Tribal Nations.

The proclamation directs the Bureau of Land Management [BLM] to manage the area according to the same terms, conditions, and management as the original national monument designation, which respects grazing permits, water rights, military use of airspace, state management of wildlife, and wildfire response among other things. It also directs the BLM to include the expansion area in the monument plan for the entire monument and to issue a travel management plan.

Background on Antiquities Act Designations

Today's expansions only reserve federal lands and do not affect the property rights of state or private land owners. Any existing state or private lands within the boundaries are not included in the monuments.

Today's designations mark President Biden's ninth and tenth uses of the Antiquities Act. President Theodore Roosevelt first used the Antiquities Act in 1906 to designate Devils Tower National Monument in Wyoming. Since then, 18 presidents of both parties have used this authority to protect unique natural and historic features in America, including the Statue of Liberty, Colorado's Canyon of the Ancients, and the Grand Canyon.

Funding from President Biden's Investing in America Agenda Will Accelerate Progress Toward the President's Commitment to Replace Every Lead Pipe in the Country Within a Decade

President Biden believes that every American should be able to turn on the tap and drink clean, safe water. But over 9 million homes, schools, daycares, and businesses receive their water through a lead pipe, putting people at risk of lead exposure. Lead is a neurotoxin that can irreversibly harm brain development in children, and it can also accumulate in the bones and teeth, damage the kidneys, and interfere with the production of red blood cells needed to carry oxygen. Due to decades of inequitable infrastructure development and underinvestment, lead poisoning disproportionately affects low-income communities and communities of color. There is no safe level of exposure to lead. That is why the President made a commitment to replace every lead pipe in the country within a decade and coordinated a whole of government effort to deploy resources and leverage every tool across federal, state and local government to address lead hazards through the Lead Pipe and Paint Action Plan.

As part of this unprecedented commitment, President Biden is traveling today to Wilmington, North Carolina, to announce $3 billion through his Investing in America agenda to replace toxic lead pipes. This investment, administered by the Environmental Protection Agency [EPA], is part of the historic $15 billion in dedicated funding for lead pipe replacement provided by the President's Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Today's announcement delivers funding to every state and U.S. territory to help address lead in drinking water while creating good-paying jobs, many of them union jobs. In addition, this program funding is part of the President's Justice40 Initiative, which set a goal that 40% of the overall benefits of certain federal investments flow to disadvantaged communities, and is helping address the inequities of lead exposure.

Additionally, to further reduce lead exposure, the Department of Housing and Urban Development is announcing today nearly $90 million in available funding to reduce residential health hazards in public housing, including lead-based paint hazards, carbon monoxide, mold, radon, fire safety, and asbestos, advancing the President's Lead Pipe and Paint Action Plan.

Today's announcement from the EPA builds on more than $20 billion in water infrastructure investments that state and local governments have made through the President's American Rescue Plan. North Carolina has invested close to $2 billion from the American Rescue Plan in more than 800 clean water, wastewater, and stormwater projects across the state and is using another $150 million to test for and remove lead hazards in every school and child care center across the state, a historic effort to remove lead from North Carolina schools.

In Wilmington, North Carolina, President Biden will announce $76 million from his Bipartisan Infrastructure Law for lead pipe replacement across the state. The President will also meet with faculty and students from a Wilmington school that replaced a water fountain with high levels of lead with funding from his American Rescue Plan.

EPA estimates North Carolina has an estimated 300,000 lead pipes, and today the President will highlight his goal of replacing every lead pipe in the state. With today's new investment of $76 million, the President has now delivered $250 million in Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding to North Carolina for lead pipe replacement. This funding has already reached over 60 communities across the state to kick start lead pipe identification and replacement efforts.

One of these communities is Wilmington, North Carolina, which has already received over $4 million from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to identify and replace 325 lead pipes. Today, President Biden is announcing that the first Bipartisan Infrastructure Law-funded lead pipe replacement in Wilmington is now underway, kicking off this project for the city.

Progress Replacing Lead Pipes Across America

The Biden-Harris Administration is taking action to accelerate lead pipe replacement in communities across the country. The total lead pipe replacement funding announced by the Administration to date will replace up to 1.7 million lead pipes, protecting countless families and children from lead exposure.

To ensure that communities that bear most of the burden of lead exposure are not left behind in this opportunity, EPA and the Department of Labor are partnering directly with disadvantaged communities across the country to provide the support and technical assistance they need to secure funding for and execute lead pipe replacement initiatives. EPA has partnered with over 40 communities to date, and last November announced it would partner with 200 more communities through the EPA Get the Lead Out Initiative.

This work is also creating good-paying jobs, many of them union jobs, in replacing lead pipes – and accelerating the development of a skilled water workforce. Unions including the Laborers' International Union of North America [LIUNA], the United Association of Plumbers and Pipefitters, and the International Union of Operating Engineers are already training workers in lead pipe replacement and putting them to work on neighborhood blocks across the country. The EPA estimates that 200,000 jobs have been created by the Administration's investments in drinking water infrastructure alone.

In addition, last November, EPA issued a proposal to strengthen its Lead and Copper Rule that would require water systems to replace lead pipes within 10 years and drive progress nationwide toward reducing lead exposure.

The examples below highlight several communities where the Administration's investments are making an impact:

Broader Administration Actions to Deliver Clean Water

The funding announced today is part of the over $50 billion provided by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to upgrade the nation's water infrastructure – the largest investment in clean and safe water in American history. In addition, over $20 billion from the American Rescue Plan has been invested in water infrastructure, including lead pipe replacement, nationwide.

Beyond replacing lead pipes, these broader investments are helping to expand access to clean drinking water, improve wastewater and sanitation infrastructure, and remove per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances [PFAS] contamination in water. The Administration has launched over 1,400 of these projects to deliver clean water to date.

Delivering Clean Drinking Water. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law invests nearly $31 billion in funding to secure clean drinking water through infrastructure projects such as upgrading aging water mains and improving water treatment plants.

Improving Wastewater and Sanitation Infrastructure. Over 2 million people in the U.S. live without basic running water or sanitation systems in their homes. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law invests nearly $13 billion to improve wastewater, sanitation, and stormwater infrastructure.

Tackling PFAS Pollution in Water. Exposure to PFAS "forever chemicals" in drinking water is linked to severe health impacts including deadly cancers, liver and heart damage, and developmental impacts in children. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law invests $10 billion to address toxic PFAS pollution in water. In addition, this month EPA announced the first-ever national drinking water standard for PFAS, which will protect 100 million people from PFAS exposure.

Lowering Costs for North Carolina Families

As the President invests in all of America and all Americans, his agenda is lowering costs for North Carolina families:

Congressional Republicans have no plan to lower costs—in fact, their plan would increase costs for North Carolinians by:

The Mayflower Hotel
Washington, D.C.

6:03 P.M. EDT

THE PRESIDENT: My name is Joe Biden. I work for Tammy Duckworth. [Laughter]

Folks, I want to thank Tammy for that introduction — most of all, for her friendship and her partnership. And, Raja, your partnership and leadership in the House has been invaluable.

Excuse me. I've got a bit of a cold. [Clears throat]

And I also want to thank Senator Ma- — where is Mazie? She — where is Mazie Hirono?

AUDIENCE MEMBER: She [inaudible] —

THE PRESIDENT: She was here. I was saying hi to her a little bit earlier. Thank her for her friendship as well.

And Congressman Ted Lieu is also here. And I know several other members are on their way and couldn't her- — be here because of votes.

I want to thank you all and all of our co-hosts and all of you for your support. So many of you were with me from the beginning, back in 2019.

I'm honored and t- — to join you on this first day of Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month.

Folks, I'm honored to see that heritage across most of the diversem- — and I — let me say it another way. I told you, when I got elected, I was going to have an administration that looked like America. Well, guess what? It does. It does, starting with Kamala doing an incredible job as Vice President.

And I also want to thank Katherine Tai, who's here today. Katherine, you were here, anyway. [Applause] There you are.

As we enter the spring, we genuinely feel the excitement and momentum being built in the campaign. So far, 1.5 million individual people have contributed to our campaign, 550,000 of them being brand-new contributors, and 97 percent of all those contributors contributed less than $200. It's a real genuine movement.

And we're ra- — we're ramping up the campaign headquarters and field offices, hiring staff all across the country. And we're way ahead of Donald Trump's MAGA Republicans, which have done virtually nothing so far.

And while the press doesn't write about it, momentum is — momentum is clearly in our favor, with polls moving toward us and away from Trump. Just lack we- — last week, the Mor- — the Marist Poll had us up by three among all voters, six for the — points for the likely voters; Florida Atlantic poll has us up four, et cetera.

But you and I both know, this far out, the polls don't mean a lot. They don't mean a lot. People are really going — don't really begin to focus focus until they get closer to September.

But I know not everyone is feeling the enthusiasm. The other day, a defeated-looking man came up to me and said, "Mr. President, I'm being crushed by debt. I'm completely wiped out." And I had to look at him and say, "Donald, I'm sorry; I can't help you." [Applause, Laughter] "I'm not able to help you." [Laughter]

Trump is in trouble, and he knows that. Last week, I was in Florida, where today we're implementing — they're implementing the most extreme abortion bans in the country — one of them. He's only one — the only one person responsible is Donald Trump.

After bragging about he's the reason Roe v. Wade was overturned on television, on camera, making the case, he's now worried the voters are going to hold him accountable for all the cruelty and chaos he's created.

Well, I have news for Trump. They are going to hold him accountable. They are going to hold him accountable. [Applause]

Today, a six-week ban in Florida. And then Trump did a long interview in TIME Magazine. I — it's coming out. You got to read it. It's a mandatory reading. And he s- — he said in that magazine — he said states should monitor women's p- — now, get this: States should monitor women's pregnancies and prosecute those who violate abortion bans. Monitor women's pregnancies?

That's not all. He said, in a quote, "A lot of people liked it when I said I want to be a dictator for one — on day one." Asked if he thought violence would occur if he lost, and his response was, "It all depends."

He calls the insurrectionists who are in prison — he calls them "patriots," and if reelected, he wants to know — let everybody know he's going to pardon every one of them — his quote — every one of them.

Trump says when he loses again in November, there will be — if he loses, but he will — there will be a "bloodbath." And he means it. And said a whole lot more in that TIME interview. You got — TIME Magazine. I guess it comes out next week, if I'm not mistaken. You got to read it.

Look, chaos is nothing new to Trump. His entire presidency for four years was chaos. Trump is trying to make the country forget just how dark and unsettling things were when he was president. But we'll never forget.

We'll never forget lying about the pandemic, telling the Amer- — because th- — remember that interview he did — honest interview; he got exposed — telling them he knew it was — the pandemic was deadly? And he — what did he tell people? It was mentioned already: Inject bleach.

Well, all that bleach apparently injected into his hair instead of his arm. [Laughter]

We'll never forget the rise of anti-Asian hate crimes during the pandemic. And I'm proud to have signed the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act with your support.

We'll never forget his love letters with Kim Jong Un and his admiration for Putin.

Here's what he said in that TIME interview: He may not come to the — he said he may not — if he were president again, not come to the aid of an ally attacked in Europe or Asia if he felt the country wasn't paying enough for their own defense. Isn't that wonderful? A President of the United States of America.

Do you want to go back to any of that? I don't think so.

Look how far we've come: 15 million new jobs — a record for any one term for a President of the United States. [Applause] Because of you, historically low levels of unemployment for Asian Americans, while Asian American unemployment nearly doubled under Trump.

We're seeing record small-business creation, including among Asian Americans. In fact, we've increased loans to Asian American businesses through the Small Business Administration by one third since Trump left office.

Because we expanded the Child Care Tax Credit during the pandemic — not one — I might add, not one Republican voted for it — we cut Asian American child poverty by 25 percent — a record low.

More people have health insurance today than ever before in the history of this country, including among Asian Americans.

We took on Big Pharma — I've been fighting them since I was a senator, and we finally won — to lower prescription drug costs, like insulin. It used to cost $400 a month; now it's 35 bucks a month. It only costs them 10 bucks to make it. [Applause]

Folks, when I originally got that law passed, it affected everyone, not just the elderly. If I'm elected again, it's going to affect everybody. All Americans should be — I could put you on Air Force One, fly you to any — if you had a prescription from an American drug company, fly you to any major capital in the world, and I can get you that same prescription for 40 to 60 percent less.

Look, we made the most significant investment in climate ever. And I signed the most significant gun safety law in 30 years, which I know matters with the community as they mourned — as we mourned with you in Atlanta and Monterey Park.

I could go on. The point is we're lowering costs, expanding opportunities, protecting freedoms for the communities. We're keeping our commitments and our communities safe in combating anti-Asian hate. But a lot more is at stake.

Look, Trump is determined — determined to terminate the Affordable Care Act. Why? Because of — it's Obamacare expanded. He can't stand anything associated with Barack Obama.

He's determined to get rid of my climate law. Why? Because oil companies hate it. He said in that TIME interview, his — he has two goals, one of which is to drill, drill, drill. He's determined to cut taxes for the very wealthy while cutting Social Security and Medicare and do so much to — other damage.

Look, I proposed the most comprehensive immigration reform in decades while Trump is saying immigrants "poison the blood of the country," looking at many of you when he says it.

But the biggest threat Trump poses is to our democracy. Above all, what's at risk in 2024 are the freedoms and our democracy.

Let me close with this. This election is about competing values and competing visions in America. Trump values and visions are one of anger, hate, revenge, and retribution. That's not hyperbole.

I have a very different set of values that leads — like you do — leads me to a very different vision of America: one of hope and optimism. That's the heart of Asian American, Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islanders' story of our nation — in our nation.

I see an America where we defend democracy, not diminish it. I see an America where we protect our freedoms and not take them away. I see an America where the economy grows from the middle out and the bottom up and where working people have a fair shot, where healthcare is a right, not a privilege. And I see a future where we save the planet from the climate crisis and our country from gun violence.

Folks, this election is about freedom, America, and democracy. That's why I badly need you.

You know, one of the reasons why our economy is growing is because of you and many others. Why? Because we welcome immigrants. We look to — the reason — look, think about it. Why is China stalling so badly economically? Why is Japan having trouble? Why is Russia? Why is India? Because they're xenophobic. They don't want immigrants.

Immigrants is what makes us strong. Not a joke. That's not hyperbole. Because we have an influx of workers who want to be here and just contribute.

This community's vote will be critical in — from Virginia to Georgia to Nevada. I know we can do a lot together — a lot more.

And I've never been more optimistic about our future. We just have to remember who we are. We're the United States of America, for God's sake. There's nothing beyond our capacity when we act together.

Think about it. We're the only nation in the history — modern history of the world that's come out of every crisis stronger than we went in — stronger than we went in every time we've stood together.

And we're standing together, I promise you. You have my commitment. I'll never leave the value set I've laid out for you, I guarantee you.

Thank you all for what you're doing. Thank you for the enormous contributions you've made to this American society.

And whether you're immigrants or not, whether you're the children of immigrants, like I am, the fact of the matter is you're what makes America what it is. Not a joke. It's not a joke.

So, God bless you all. And may God protect our troops.

Thank you. [Applause] Thank you. Thank you.

6:15 P.M. EDT

New York, NY

Thank you, Lynn. You lead this organization always looking to the future – for the next opportunity that will change our world. And today is just another example of that. I'm honored you invited me to be a part of the Women's Health Summit's second year.

It was an ordinary Saturday in an extraordinary life. I was in my office in the East Wing doing what community college teachers do on weekends – especially on a weekend so late in the semester: I was grading papers. Just like right now.

It was late April last year. Earlier that morning, I'd read in the New York Times that our country loses $1.8 billion in working time every year to the menopause symptoms that upend women's lives.

It struck me – I'd experienced those kinds of symptoms too, so had many of my friends, but, I thought, that's the way life is, isn't it?

And then, that afternoon, Maria Shriver, the former First Lady of California, came in for a meeting.

She wanted to talk about women's health. She told me that it's not just menopause symptoms that don't have enough treatment options. It's all of women's health – for our whole bodies, for our whole lives.

It's a problem that's so simple – yet often ignored: women's health is understudied and research is underfunded. As a result, too many of our medications, treatments, health products, and medical school textbooks are based on men.

This has created gaps in our understanding of conditions that mostly affect women, only affect women, or affect women and men differently, leaving women seeking health care in a medical world largely designed for men.

Women's health is about understanding those conditions. And the discoveries we make will give us insight into all of human biology and experience.

It was one of those moments that happen in life, where you learn something and you can never see the world the same way again.

Suddenly, the problem felt so familiar – because we all know it.

If you ask any woman in America about her health care, she probably has a story to tell. You know her.

She's the woman who gets debilitating migraines, but doesn't know why, and can't find treatment options that work for her.

She's the woman going through menopause, who visits her doctor and leaves with more questions than answers, even though half the country will go through menopause at some point in their lives.

She's the woman whose heart attack isn't recognized because her symptoms don't look like a man's, even as heart disease is the leading cause of death among women.

She's the woman who needs treatments, and affordable and easy-to-use products that help her stay healthy or feel better when health needs arise.

Over the last few months, I've visited research centers and universities, and I've spoken with doctors and scientists to understand the research questions we need to ask – and the answers they could find if we invest in women's health.

All of you know that potential: In 2021, the Boston Consulting Group estimated that the size of the women's health market would grow from $9 billion to $29 billion in just eight years.

But those numbers don't tell the whole story. Because there's a cost to inaction.

Women spend more years of their lives in "poor health" than men. Time spent negotiating health conditions for which we need to find more answers. Time away from loved ones, time not spent following their dreams, or pursuing their careers.

We can change this. We can give hours and days and years back to women, and to the families who love them. Making it so women don't have to leave their careers because of treatable conditions. And it could add a trillion dollars annually to the world economy by 2040.

We have to invest in women's health. We can't afford not to.

That's why my husband, President Biden, is fundamentally changing how our nation approaches and funds women's health research. Last year, Joe and I launched the first-ever White House Initiative on Women's Health Research.

We're helping close the research gaps in women's health, so we can understand the science behind the conditions that so many women experience, building the knowledge that will create life-changing products and fuel innovation.

During his State of the Union, Joe called on Congress to make a bold investment to do just that – with $12 billion. And he signed an Executive Order to make sure that when the government funds studies, they include women from the beginning.

Earlier this year, ARPA-H – the agency Joe created to pursue health breakthroughs with lightning speed – launched its first-ever Sprint for Women's Health. Over this year, we will invest $100 million to fund transformative research and development.

We're "de-risking" investments in big ideas from researchers and start-ups – the ones that could revolutionize women's health – so that answers can get to the women who need them, quickly.

President Biden is taking a leap toward the future – making a change today that will open up all the possibilities of tomorrow with an all-of-government effort.

Investing in women's health matters to Joe – and to me. But we can't do this alone. We need industry to look ahead with that same vision.

The private sector – from entrepreneurs and investors, to companies like yours – is essential to bringing these discoveries to the marketplace, reaching millions of women who need solutions.

Thanks to leaders in this room, the momentum behind women's health feels unstoppable.

Thank you for being a part of this. We can't let this moment pass us by.

And together, we will build a health care system where women aren't an after-thought, but a first-thought. Where we leave doctors' offices with more answers than questions. Where we don't have to miss days of work or life for treatable conditions. Where no woman or girl has to hear, "it's all in your head," or, "it's just stress," ever again. Where women don't just survive, they lead long, healthy, and happy lives.

Thank you.

James S. Brady Press Briefing Room

12:57 P.M. EDT

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Good afternoon, everybody.

Q Good afternoon.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I just have a couple things at the top, and then we'll get going.

On May 7th, the President will travel to Capitol Hill to deliver the keynote address at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum's Annual Days of Remembrance ceremony.

During the Days of Remembrance, we remember and mourn the 6 million Jews who were systematically murdered by the Nazis and their collaborators during World War Two.

The President will also discuss our moral duty to combat the rising scourge of antisemitism and the Biden-Harris administration's work to implementing the first-ever National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism to make real the promise of never, never again.

Today, Florida's extreme six-week abortion ban takes effect. That's before many women even know they're pregnant.

We should all be concerned that this extreme abortion ban will put desperately needed medical care even further out of reach for millions of women in Florida and across the South.

But it's not just Florida, and it's not just abortion under — care under attack here. We are seeing the devastating impacts on women's reproductive freedom since Roe was overturned. In states across the country, women's health and lives now hang in the balance.

Twenty-one states have abortion bans in effect. In nearly all of these states, doctors can be charged with a fenaly — a felony for simply doing their jobs.

One in three women in America now live in states with extreme abortion bans.

Over 380 bills restricting access to abortion care were introduced in states houses just last year.

At the federal level, congressional Republicans have proposed three — three national abortion bans. IVF is under attack. Contraception is under attack. And women and families are fearful that their deeply personal medical data could be used against them.

All of this chaos and devastation was made possible by the former President, who worked very hard and got it done to overturn Roe v. Wade.

President Biden and Vice President Harris stand with the vast majority of Americans who believe that the right to choose is fundamental and that healthcare decisions should be made by a woman with the help of her doctor, not politicians.

They will continue to call on Congress to restore the protections of Roe v. Wade into federal law, the only way to ensure every woman can access the care she needs regardless of what state she lives in.

The reason we started early — I know a lot of people are asking — is because I — I have a meeting with the President at about 1:30 or so, and so I'm going to try and get to everybody's questions, or as many questions as possible.

With that, Zeke.

Q Let's stick with "everybody." [Laughter]

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I know. I said it, and I was like, "Oh, darn."

Q There's Rosen.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Oh, darn. There's Rosen in the back. To wit — Mr. To Wit in the back. [Laughter]

Q Hi. Thank you, Karine —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Go ahead, Zeke.

Q Starting overseas real quick. I understand — we understand Secretary Blinken is in — in the region right now, but has the President, has the White House gotten any — any indications for how Hamas might respond to this — the ceasefire proposal? And how can — what is the level of concern within the administration —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah.

Q — that Hamas could respond in the negative?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, our position remains — and we are going to be very consistent of what we've been saying — is that we believe that there should be a ceasefire as part of this hostage — hostage deal, and it should happen immediately –immediately. And there has not yet been a response from Hamas, as you know.

We believe that all efforts need — need to be brought to bear to convince Hamas to accept that — the proposal — immediately and have made that clear to our partners in the region.

As you just stated, Secretary Blinken is in the region meeting with our — with our regional partners. He is going to be holding an on-the-record presser in the one o'clock hour where he's going to be talking about the humanitarian aid that we've been able to get into — get into Gaza for the people of Gaza, the all-important humanitarian aid. As you know, that — it's a — it's a dire situation there. So he'll speak to that.

And sh- — and Hamas should just not continue to get in the way of much-needed relief for the people of Gaza. They need to move forward and — and move forward with this deal. And that is going to be — this deal is also going to, obviously, create an opportunity to get more of that humanitarian aid.

And let's not forget the innocent people who they took hostage — over 200 — and that includes Americans. They need to come home to the — to their — to their families, their loved ones. And we have, also, American hostages that are part of that — part of that — were part of that 200, as you all know.

So, Hamas needs to — there's a deal at the table — on the table: Hamas needs to take it.

Q And then, here at home, there's been some dramatic images, really, across the country over the last 24 to 48 hours, especially at the Columbia; UCLA, last night; University of Madison, Wisconsin; other campuses. Has the President been monitoring this?

And why have we not heard directly from the President about these protests that have taken over instit- — institutions of higher learning across the country, the police responses, instances of violence? Why have we not heard directly from the President?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, a — just a — a couple of things. The President is — is being kept regularly updated on — on what's happening, as you just stated, across the country. He is monitoring the situation closely, so is his team.

And I would just add that no president — no president has spoken more forcefully about combating antisemitism than this president.

Let's not forget, in 2017, he was very clear — what we saw — the antisemitic bile that we saw in Charlottesville, on the streets of Charlottesville — he called that out. He called that out.

And one of the reasons he stepped into the 2020 election is because of what he saw, is because he wanted to — he wanted to speak out and speak against what we were seeing in this country at that time. Democracy was under attack. Our freedoms were — were under attack. And we're still fighting for that today, obviously.

But it — he hasn't just done that by speaking, as you heard from my topper, he's taken action. He's taken action by moving forward with the first-ever U.S. National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism. More than 100 new actions have — were introduced, obviously, in that strategy, and that is how seriously this President takes it.

And I think what's important here is that he's taken action on this issue.

Q And just quickly, does the President support those police clearing operations, like we saw in New York, like we've seen on other — seen on other college campuses?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Look, we've been very clear on that. Americans have the right to peacefully protest. They have the right to peacefully protest as long as it's within the law and that it's peaceful.

Forceful- — forcibly taking over a building is not peaceful. It's just not. Students have the right to feel safe. They have the right to learn. They have to ri- — the right to do this without dis- — disruption. And they have a right to feel safe on campus. As I just said, they have the right to attend their commencement without feeling — feeling unsafe.

And what we're seeing is a small percentage of students. That's what we're seeing. They should not be able to disturb or disrupt the academic experience that students have.

So, look, that's what — that's how we see things. It is important that students and communities feel safe here. And at the same time, we are going to be really forceful here and continue to underscore how antisemitism is hateful speech. It is wrong. It is abhorrent. And we're going to continue to call that out.

Go ahead.

Q Thanks, Karine. To follow on that. Has anyone from the administration been in touch with administrators, leaders at Columbia or any of these universities that are seeing these protests?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I don't have any calls to read out at this time. Obviously, we're closely monitoring the situation. We are getting regularly — regular updates, and we're just going to — I'm just going to keep it there. Just don't have anything to share as far as calls or readouts.

Q On another topic. Has the White House received the recommendation from the DEA to reclassify marijuana from a Schedule I drug to a Schedule III drug? Can you comment on —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah.

Q — and confirm that?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, here is what I can say. I can say, as you know, last year — I believe in early fall — the President asked HHS and Department of Justice to look at reclassifying marijuana, to go — to go through that process. They are — that process continues.

D- — DOJ is looking into that. I just want to be really mindful there. They're moving with that process.

I don't have anything more to say. And so, we'll just leave it there.

Q But you can't confirm that it's now at [inaudible] —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I — I —

Q — for the next phase of this?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I — I cannot. All I can tell you is I would refer to DOJ. And what the President directed HHS and Department of Justice to do is to look at the classification of marijuana.

And let's not forget: This is something that the President talked about during his campaign. And he said no person, no American who possess marijuana — only possesses marijuana should be — go to jail.

It is affecting communities across the country, including communities of color. And so, this is why he — he — he asked HHS and Department of Justice to look into this. And that's what they're doing.

Q You mentioned campaign. Is this something the White House thinks can help the President right now in an election?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Well, I'm talking about the campaign in — in —

Q I know. [Laughter] And I'm looking forward.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I — I appreciate that. But I'm talking about the campaign and his cam- — he — this is a commitment, a promise that he made when he decided to run back in 2019. And he was very clear why it was important, he believed, to ask Department of Justice and HHS to review this. And that review continues, and so don't want to get ahead of what DOJ is — how they're moving forward.

Go ahead, Weijia.

Q Thanks, Karine. As the administration considers bringing Palestinians here to the U.S. as refugees, do you know how many people that the U.S. hopes to relocate?

And, secondly, given the challenges getting in and out of Gaza, will the U.S. assist in physically bringing Palestinians here?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, let me just first start saying that we just don't have anything to announce at this time. But I do want to lay out a little bit and take a step back of what — what we've been able to do since the beginning of the conflict. Right? We have helped more than 1,800 American citizens and their families leave Gaza, many of whom have come to the United States, many of that 18,000 is here.

And the President has said — and as — in his — with his direction, we have also helped and will continue to help some particularly vulnerable individuals, such as children with serious health problems and children who were receiving treatment for cancer, get out of harm's way and receive care at nearby hospitals in the region.

And let's not forget, the Pre- — the President, this — this administration continues to be the largest contributor of humanitarian assistance. This is something that the Secretary is going to be talking about in this hour — the Secretary assist- — I'm sorry, the humanitarian assistance going into Gaza to address the conditions — the humanitarian conditions in Gaza.

Obviously, as we know, they are very dire. And we are pressing hard to get more urgently needed aid in to more people as soon as possible. That's why this hostage deal is so critical besides, of course, getting the hostages home but also creating an opportunity to get that more additional humanitarian aid in and would lead to a ceasefire.

Now, in terms of the Refugee Admissions Program, which is what I believe you're asking me about, we are constantly evaluating policy proposals to further support Palestinians who are family members of American citizens and may want to come to the United States. So, we're evaluating it. I don't have anything to announce at this time.

Q And then a quick one on communications with protests and people related to protests. Has the President spoken to Mayor Adams since the NYPD became involved in dealing with them?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: No. Understand the question. Don't have anything to read out as far as a conversation with the mayor from the President. But I think we've been very, very clear about what we're seeing on the ground. I've been answering these questions for the past couple of days.

Go ahead.

Q Thanks. You said the President is monitoring the situation. Is he aware of the reports that a fair number of the people arrested on several campuses are not students?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Look, that is something for, obviously, local government to speak to, local govern- — pardon me, local — local police at — and law enforcement to speak to and what they're seeing and what they're reporting.

That is something that I can't speak to at this time. I've heard that reporting. But that is something for them to speak to at this time.

Q So, he's not aware of that?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Well, he's getting regularly updated on the situation and what — and monitoring. So, I assume that he's getting — that's part of his update, but he is getting regularly updated on what's happening across the country and campuses.

Go ahead.

Q Thanks, Karine. Because it's Federal Reserve decision day, I thought it'd be an opportunity to ask a for an updated view on the administration's view of central bank independence, but specifically because the President has, in recent months — twice at least — talked about the direction of interest rates.

I want to clarify: What is the administration's position on —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah.

Q — that fine line between directing the Fed versus predicting their actions?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, look, the President is very, very clear. We've been clear since the beginning of this administration. And we believe that the Federal Reserve is independent. It is important that they have their independence as they're making that very important monetary policies that they have to make. And so, the President believes in independence.

When the President has spoken about that — and I think I've said this, whether in a gaggle or here at the podium — he's reflected a public interpretation of recent data. That's what he's speaking to.

But as far as the independence of the Federal Reserve, we — we are very much — very clear on that. The independence is — is good for — the Federal Reserve's independence is good for economics. And it benefits workers. It benefits families. It benefits businesses. And so, that's what we want to continue to make sure — that they have their independence so they can make those really important decisions.

Q Okay. And a quick one, separately. I wanted to get the White House reaction to the news that Tesla has eliminated almost all of its Supercharger unit that was setting up the —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah.

Q — EV battery plants across the U.S. How — I mean, how do you think this impacts the goal of bringing 500,000 of those units to U.S. soil?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Look, so when it comes to any type of private company decisions, obviously, that's something that they have to make that decision on. What I will say broadly is that we — you know, we brought together public and private sectors to build a convenient and reliable national charging network that everyone can use.

And so, since this President, since the Biden-Harris administration, more than 40 EV charging infrastructure companies have announced new or expanded manufacturing facilities in the U.S. And so, this is a evolving and competitive market where multiple companies are playing leading roles here. It's not just one company.

But — so, want to be really careful on a — on a private company's personnel decision or any type of de- — decision that they have to make on behiv- — of behalf of their business.

But we have — believe that we have brought together both sides — the public and — and private sector — to really deal — to really speak to this and deal with this.

Go ahead, Gabe.

Q Thanks, Karine. I wanted to follow up on a previous question that was asked.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah.

Q And, respectfully, you didn't quite answer it. The question was: Why hasn't the President been more forceful —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah.

Q — in talking about the protests?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah.

Q You talked about how he's talked about antisemitism. But specifically on the protests —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah.

Q — why hasn't the President been more —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Well — no —

Q — forceful on that?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: And I hear that the question, Gabe, but, respectfully, the President has been one — the — no other president has spoken about antisemitism than this President.

Q But that's not — that's not the question.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: What —

Q It's the protest.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: And I'm — but I'm answering it in the way that I believe is the best way to answer your question, which is the President has been very, very clear. He's been clear about this. He's taken action. He put forth a — a strategic plan to deal — to counter antisemitism — more than 100 new actions. And not just taking actions, but it is actions that — across the administration. This is a whole-of-government process. Right?

We have the Department of Homeland Security that's involved. We have the Department of Education that's involved. We want to make sure that we're dealing with this — not just words, not just speaking out, but taking action.

And so, look, the President is going to continue to monitor this. Obviously, he's going to continue to get regularly updated on this. We have spoken from this administration. You've heard from the Vice President; you've heard from the Second Gentleman. You've also heard from this President, who has taken questions on this.

And what we believe — and we're very clear on this — is that peacefully protesting within the law is something that every American should have the right to do. And we are also going to call out any type of antisemitism that we are hearing, that we are seeing — the hate. That's something that we have done — not just throughout this administration — this President has done that throughout his — his political career. And he's going to — we're going to certainly continue to do that.

And so, look, that's ki- — that's where we stand. I think that is a very forceful place to be when we say we have taken action. We have taken action here.

Q You — you mentioned that the President has taken questions on this. Again, respectfully —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah.

Q — he — he hasn't. He did take a question where he said he condemns those who don't understand what's going on with the Palestinians. I know you've been asked about that.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah.

Q But since you brought up Charlottesville, what do you say to those critics who say that he is trying to have it both ways — that he's essentially, you know, trying to talk about both antisemitism and what's going on with the Palestinians?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I would say to those critics is — no, he's not doing a both-sides scenario here. When you think about Charlottesville, you think about the — the vile antisemitism that we heard on the streets of Charlottesville — right here — in Virginia — right? — not far from here — the President and many of us wanted to make sure that was called out.

Somebody died. A young woman lost her life. And when the President saw that, it put him in a situation where he believed it was the right thing to speak against that. He wrote an op-ed that was in The Atlantic, because about that — about that. He decided to run because of what he saw in Charlottesville. And that was just vile, nasty rhetoric.

And you had, you know, a former president talk about both sides. There was no "both sides" here. None. Absolutely none.

As it relates to the Palestinians, he was talking about the humanitarian — a dire humanitarian situation that we're currently seeing. I just mentioned the Secretary — Secretary Blinken is going to be talking about the humanitarian aid that we are trying to get into Gaza for the people of Gaza. We're trying to get this hostage deal done so that we can get hostages home and create an environment to get humanitarian aid that would lead — also, the hostage- — it would lead to a ceasefire.

Those things are not the same. They're just not the same — fundamentally not the same. And it is in bad faith — it is in bad faith to say that.

Go ahead, Anne. Oh —

Q Oh, ac- — no, no, no.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: [Laughs]

Q It's fine. I have a — I do — had a similar question. But I believe you addressed it. I am also just curious: What are you meeting with POTUS about? You mentioned you were meeting.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: [Laughs] Fair enough.

Well, as you know, the President is going to go to North Carolina tomorrow. So, that's going to be an important trip. And so, we'll be discussing that.

Okay. Go ahead. Yeah.

Q Oh, great. Okay. [Laughs] These protests that have been going on on college campuses, we're hearing that some of them are starting to wane a little bit. But they're not just a one-day protest; this has been going on for quite some time. Is there some concern within the Biden administration that this may be eroding public view — if the court of public opinion may be turning against what the President is standing for and that maybe they're not hearing the antisemitism message?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I mean, we have been very consistent from this administration about antisemitism, calling out hateful speech. Antisemitism is hateful speech. Calling out hateful rhetoric, violent rhetoric, that is something — when it pops up, when we hear about it, from this administration, we've been pretty consistent on calling that out. That should not be — we should not be seeing this on campuses, in communities. It should not be part of the political discourse.

I think we've been very clear during — throughout this administration, before this administration, throughout this President's career: We have to call that out.

I can't speak to polling. I can't speak to what is weighing in this poll. What I can speak to is what this President is going to continue to do, and what this administration is going to continue to do is call out — call out this hateful speech, including antisemitism — again, which is hateful speech. It is abhorrent. We got to call it out.

Go ahead.

Q Karine, what's your currently assessment of the risk to the U.S. milk and meat supply from the bird flu epidemic in cattle?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yep. So, I know that the Department of Agriculture has been on top of this. I know that they are not seeing any — any concerns to — to milk or any of the cattle or the meat — or meat that we are be- — that we are consuming. Well, I don't consume any meat, but some of you all — [laughter] — you out there.

And so, obviously they are taking this very seriously. They are monitoring the situation. As far as — as far as we understand it to be is that they believe that milk and — and consuming meat is safe.

Q And from an inflation standpoint, is there any concern that there might be supply disruptions in that area that might lead to higher prices?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Well, as you know, you know, what — because of the pandemic, there was a supply chain disruption. The President took action — the American Rescue Plan — which only, obviously, Democrats voted for — the President signed — helped deal with supply chain.

There is a — a task force that was created to deal — to make sure that, during the pandemic, that supply chain was dealt with in a way so that we can get out of this pandemic, get our — the economy — get back on our feet with the economy.

Look, this is something we're going to monitor. I don't have anything to share on — on the question of inflation. We're — obviously, we're going to continue to closely monitor.

Q And then, on another subject, the flooding in Kenya. I'm curious if there's any relief that's planned from the administration and whether it's affecting plans for the state visit later this month.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah, a couple of things on that. So, obviously, we extend our deepest condolences to the families, loved ones, and communities who have been impacted by the catastrophic flooding in East Africa — obviously not just Kenya — over the past month.

The U.S. is supporting some response efforts, particularly through the U.S. Agency for International Development — USAID — Bureau of Humanitarian Assistance.

For example, in Kenya, US- — USAID has provided $600,000 to Kenya Red Cross Society, the Government of Kenya's lead responder for emergency flood response. That's in addition to more than $40 million that USAID has provided to humanitarian organizations in Kenya, who also have flexibility to respond to the current floods this year.

So, we continue to offer our continued and — and resolute support to all who have been impacted and are closely monitoring the situation.

We do not see this impacting the state visit, as you just mentioned, on May 23rd. But we're going to continue to offer our assi- — our assistance and support.

Go ahead.

Q Thank you, Karine. The President, in less than three weeks, is going to be delivering commencement addresses at both Morehouse and West Point. What sort of environment is the White House preparing for the President to encounter there?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, when you speak about environment, security, or anything like that, that's something for the Secret Service to speak to. I can't speak to that. What I can say is the President is very much looking forward to speaking to graduates —

Q What mood does he expect to encounter on campus?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: What mood?

Q I know you can't talk about —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Well, I — I mean, look, I don't want to get into hypotheticals here. I — you know, the President is hoping to encounter and deal — and see family members and students who are thrilled and excited to be celebrating an important day. He's going to be celebrating that day with them, talking about their future, you know, hoping to deliver remarks that hit home for these graduates and — and their families.

It's a special day. It's a special day. And so, he's looking forward to doing that. He did two — two commencement speeches last year, two before then — before that — before — before 2023, obviously. And so, this is something that he looks forward to doing.

I can't speak to the mood. I can't speak to security situation. I can't speak to that. I can't get into hypotheticals. I can speak to how important that moment is going to be. And the President certainly looks forward to it.

Q But is it the White House's expectation that some of the — the current frustration on campus will have subsided by that time?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I —

Q And if so, why?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah, I don't have a crystal ball to look into and look into the future. I just don't. I — I that is not something that I have the ability of doing.

What I can say is this is an important day. This is an important month — important month, yes, graduation month — but important day for these graduates. And he's — you know, as the President tends to do when he speaks at graduation, he's going to meet the moment.

Q And just to follow up on a question about some of the reports from police that the protesters that were arrested in New York were not students. Yesterday, John Kirby said that there was no intelligence to support the idea that there were bad actors involved in some of these protests. Does the intelligence still support that?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I'm just going to be really mindful. I'm just not going to speak to that. There's local — local enforcement — local law enforcement on the ground. So I'll — will — I will speak to that.

I think what I can say, more broadly: This is a painful moment — and we understand that — for many communities, and we know that these kinds of charged moments pose challenges for law enforcement. And the President continues to believe, as I've said multiple times, that Americans have the right to peacefully protest within the law. That is their right. It is part of our freedoms here in America.

And at the same time, we are going to condemn anti- — anti- — antisemitism. We believe that is hate speech. We — it is abhorrent. And we're going to continue to condemn that.

Q Thank you.

Q To — what — with that said, I mean, does the President believe New York Mayor Adams and leaders of Columbia University and City College of New York acted appropriately by having the protesters at those colleges as- — colleges arrested and their encampments forcibly shut down?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: That is a decision for colleges and universities to decide on.

The law enforcement, if you think about local law enforcement, they know what's going on on the ground. They have a better sense of what's going on on the ground. And, obviously, they have to make decisions.

We are talking about protecting students and making sure that they feel safe on campus. We're talking about a small group of students who are disrupting that ability for students to have that academic experience. That's what we're talking about here.

We believe, and I will continue to say this, Americans have the right to peacefully protest within the law. That is incredibly important. And we also have to condemn hate. We have to condemn antisemitism. That is something that this President believes.

We also understand, as I just stated to your colleague, that many communities — this is a painful time and is a very charged — charged environment, charged moments. When you see those type of charged moments, they do pose challenges for law enforcement. But that is their decision to make.

Q But when we look nationwide, you know, all these protests erupting at college campuses, has the response, you know, been the appropriate response, or has it been, you know, too harsh?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So look, there's probab- — there's going to be local investigations. There's going to be cases on this. And I don't want to get ahead of that. I can't go into every case here.

What I can say is, in these charged moments, we understand how difficult it is. We understand how — how painful it is in this moment and how, because of that — because of those — of that — those charged moments, it can be challenging for law enforcement.

At the same time, students have to be allowed, Americans have to be allowed to peacefully protest. That is important. That is part of our freedoms here in America. We got to make sure that we continue to say that. We believe, in this administration, that we have to continue to say that and call out any antisemitism that we see. It is dangerous. It is abhorrent. We got to call that out.

Q Karine —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Go ahead. I'll [inaudible].

Q Thanks, Karine. On a different topic. Would the President encouraged Democrats to help protect Speaker Johnson from being ousted from his role if Marjorie Taylor Greene were to make good on her threat to —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: We've —

Q — move forward next week?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: We've been very clear. When it comes to internal leadership discussions in Congress, we just do not get involved. That is for Democratic — Democratic leadership to speak to. That's not something we get involved in.

Go ahead.

Q Thanks, Karine. I'm wondering if the White House has any response to the reports of violent clashes on UCLA's campus last night that there were — there was a group of counter-protesters that tried to forcibly dismantle the pro-Palestine encampment and the clash that resulted afterwards.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, look, what I can say more broadly: Any form of violence, we are going to denounce. We're going to call out violent rhetoric. Any type of — of violence, we have to call out. That doesn't change anything. We're going to continue to do that.

Go ahead.

Q Yeah, on that trip to North Carolina, does the President plan to visit the victims of Charlotte's mass shooting?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Don't have anything to share at this time. We'll have more later.

Go ahead, Jon.

Q To wit. Just to — just a follow-up —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Fair. Fair enough.

Q — a follow-up with that question with —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah. Which one? North Carolina?

Q North Carolina

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Okay.

Q Yeah, North Carolina. So, already on the schedule is the visit to Wilmington, North Carolina. It's expected that the President will also travel to Charlotte as well. Has the President reached out to the families of those law enforcement —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah.

Q — individuals who were killed in that tragic incident the —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, here —

Q — other day?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Here is what I will say: I don't have any — any details to share with you at this time. But the President — and you saw this in his statement yesterday — he talked about the fou- — four law enforcement officers. They were heroes who made the ultimate sacrifice. That's what you see. When they put on the uniform and the badge every day, they are putting their lives on the line, and they made the ultimate sacrifice.

So, obviously, we pray for — for them. We pray for their families and others who were — who were injured as a result of this senseless violence — senseless violence. And so, we're continuing — we'll continue to keep them intheir[our] prayers.

As it relates to North Carolina tomorrow, I just don't have anything to share at this time.

Go ahead.

Q I have a question on Elon Musk's China visit. He concluded a surprise visit recently, meeting with senior Communist Party officials and made some deals with — to work with the Chinese technology companies. Is the White House worried that the U.S. advanced electric vehicle technology will be in China's hands? And would the administration look into the deal if there is a national —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I —

Q — security concern?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I'm going to be really careful. Elon Musk is a private citizen. I'm just not going to speak to his travels from here. I'm just not going to speak to it.

Go ahead. Go ahead, Adam.

Q Hi. Thanks. I wanted to follow up once more on Gabe's question, because I think the way that —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah.

Q — you responded leaves maybe the impression that the White House views antisemitism as synonymous with the protests as a whole. That's the only issue you're going to [inaudible] —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: No, I was — I was very clear about —

Q So —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: There's a small number of students who are causing the disruption, and I've been very clear about that. And we have to make sure that we create a safe environment — a safe environment is created for students to — to learn, for students to be able to go to graduation. I've been very clear: a small number of students.

Q So, I — so, maybe this specific question because —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah, sure. Sure, sure.

Q What — what is the White House — how do they — how does the White House view the protests themselves, the causes behind them, the frustrations behind them? How do — does White House view those as legitimate?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, look, topline here: Every — every American has the right to peacefully protest within the law. That is something that we believe. Seizing buildings, taking over buildings is not peacefully protesting. I think we've been very, very clear about that. That is not peacefully protesting.

Students have the right to attend class and feel safe and feel like they are in a safe campus environment. That's what we want to see.

And I've also said over and over again, we believe that it is a small percentage of students who are causing this disrupt- — disruption, and they're causing a disruption that — that really takes away from students' academic experience — might take away, for some, their commencement experience, which is supposed to be a really important day for many of these graduates.

And so, at the same time, we're going to continue to underscore that antisemitism should be called out. It is hate speech, and that should not be allowed — not on college campuses, not in communities, not in the political discourse. And so, been very clear about that, and we're going to continue to do so.

Q And in terms of, you know, the causes that are driving these protests — the frustration —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah.

Q — with the war in Gaza, the frustration with U.S. support for Israel and this offensive — does the White House view the drivers of these protests as legitimate?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: We believe and understand — understand that this is a painful moment for many communities. We get that. I mean, we say that over and over again. That's why the President and senior White House officials here have had multiple conversations with members of that — of those communities — to hear from them, to listen to them.

And we also believe people have the right — Americans have the right to peacefully protest. That is part of what — freedoms here in America, that's what it all means. It is important to be able to peacefully protest within the law.

Hate speech should not be allowed. We should condemn that. That's what this administration has always been consistent about and clear about. And we're going to continue to do that.

Go ahead.

AIDE: Karine.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Oh.

Q Thank you, Karine. Some of these encampments, they had matching tents. We're being told that there are professional outside agitators involved. We don't know if they're being paid to sow chaos by domestic folks or foreign entities. Does President Biden want his administration to find out who is funding some of these protests?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: What I can say — I — you know, I cannot — I cannot speak to the organizations that are being reported — that — that's on the ground. That is not something for me to speak to. That is obviously something that local governments — local official — I keep saying "local government" — local officials are going to speak to. They'll have better information on that.

What we have said — and I don't think I've iterated that yet from here — is that the DOJ and FBI is going to continue to offer support to universities and colleges with — in respect to federal laws. So, that is something that the DOJ and FBI is doing.

As far as local organizations and what is all being reported on the ground, that is something that I'm — that local law enforcement certainly is looking into.

Q And I understand that President Biden historically has spoken very forcefully about antisemitism, but this week he's not. He's MIA. Is he that worried about losing the youth vote with these protestors?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I'm going to be mindful. You're talking about "youth vote." You're talking about 2024.

Q Support of young people.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: No, no, no. I — I have to say what I have to say and just give me a second. So, I'm not going to speak about —

[A cell phone rings]

Somebody's doorbell? Is that a doorbell? [Laughter]

[Cross-talk]

Q An alarm.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: An alarm. Okay. All right.

And I'll speak more broadly. I can't speak to youth pe- — youth and support and voters. That's not something I can do from here.

The President has taken a lot of policy actions here that he knows that young people care about. And a lot of those actions are popular with those young folks, whether it's giving a little bit of breathing room with student debt relief.

So- — we made an announcement today, matter of fact, and we are going to continue to do that because we think it's important as families or as an American and you coming out of college and you want to build a family, buy a home, you have the opportunity to do that and not be crushed by student debt. The President understands how important it is to deal with that issue.

Climate change — something that young people really, truly care about. One of the crises that the President said he came in to having to deal with was the climate change crisis. This is a president who has taken more — have taken aggressive, aggressive action to deal with climate crisis.

Look, I can't speak to — I can't speak to youth voters or their support. What we're going to do is continue to take actions that we believe helps all Americans in all communities.

Q And you mentioned what he said in 2017, after Charlottesville. He said about Trump's response then, "Charlottesville, for me, was a moment where I thought silence would be complicity."

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah.

Q So, how does he explain, how you explain —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah.

Q — his silence this week?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: The President has not been silent on this issue when it comes to hate speech, antisemitism. He started —

Q He — he has.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Wait. He started — he launched the first-ever antisemitism — Strategy to Counter Antisemitism, something that no other president did. No other president
do —

Q In the time since, a school building on a — at an Ivy League campus got taken over.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: And I — and we call that out. And we said: That is not peacefully protesting. Taking over a building at a university is — or a college is not peacefully protesting.

And we've been very clear. We've been very clear — taking more than a hundred new actions to deal with antisemitism in this administration, no one has ever done that before. Not any other administration has ever done that before.

Q Does he think it's working? You're talking about 2017 —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: We're going to continue — we're going to continue —

Q — vile, antisemitic rhetoric [inaudible] —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: We're going to continue to do the work. And it's not just here in the White House. We're talking about DOJ. We're talking about Homeland Security. Right? We're talking about Department of — Department of Education, talking and working with campuses and colleges to deal with this issue.

We have seen a uptick in antisemitism in the last, certainly, several months and in the past year. And we have to call that out. And it is not okay. It is not okay.

Go ahead, Phil.

Q Thank you. Two quick questions here. You've made the distinction between the President's support for peaceful protest and, say, less-than-peaceful protests. I'm curious, what is the President's view and what is the view of the White House on some of these college campuses where we've seen the U.S. flag torn down and the Palestinian flag replace it?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: What I will say is this. Americans have the right to peacefully protest within the law — within the law. And we have to re- — we have to also respect that, you know, we cannot disturb campuses in the way of taking over buildings, in the way that we have seen. That is not peacefully protest. It's just not.

And, you know, look, we have seen some really vile, hateful — hateful language used against the Jewish community — Jewish Americans in this country. It is a dangerous time for that community. And we have been very clear about what we need to do to fight that hate but also condemn that hate.

And so, we're going to continue to do that. And as it relates to what's happening, obviously, the actions that colleges and universities are — are taking, obviously, it's up to them. They're on the ground. But we're going to continue to call that out.

Q And then zooming out just a little bit here. You know, not all of these protesters have expressed antisemitism, but some have. And I'm — I'm curious: Does the President believe that at, perhaps, some of these universities that higher education has gone off the rails, that, you know, something more fundamental has gone wrong on these college campuses?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I mean, I wouldn't go that far. And I've been — and you said it in your question to me. It is a small percentage of students who are causing this disruption. And students should be — feel safe to go to school. They should be — feel safe to be able to have that all-important academic experience. They should be able to have — and have their commencement and be able to have their families and loved ones show up for them on that important day.

And I wouldn't go that far in your question because, as I stated and you stated, we believe it's a small number of students who are causing this disruption. And if they are going to protest, Americans have the right to do it in a peaceful way within the law. And we're going to continue to call out hateful speech as we have been.

Q One more. One more, Karine.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Thanks, everybody. Thanks, everyone.

1:38 P.M. EDT

On this National Day of Prayer, we recognize the power of prayer to strengthen our spirits, draw us together, and create hope for a better tomorrow.

The right to practice our faiths freely and openly is enshrined in the Constitution and remains at the core of our American spirit. For centuries, Americans of every religion and background have come together to lift up one another and our Nation in prayer. Throughout America's history, faith and prayer have helped fuel some of the greatest moral missions of our time — from the abolition of slavery to the fight for voting rights and the Civil Rights Movement. Many of our Nation's greatest leaders have been motivated by faith to push all of us toward a more perfect Union and to bend the arc of the moral universe toward justice.

Prayer is also deeply personal: For the First Lady and me, and so many across this Nation, prayer has helped us find solace during tough times and stay grounded in good ones. Prayer has helped the bravest among us — including our Nation's service members and their caregivers, survivors, and families – summon the courage to make great sacrifices for our democracy. It has guided the hands of medical professionals, who heal our loved ones, and steeled the nerves of our first responders, who put everything on the line to keep the rest of us safe. We will never know the full impact of prayer on our Nation or the world, but we remain confident that it makes a profound difference each and every day.

Scripture tells us to rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, and be constant in prayer. This year, my prayer for our Nation is that we keep faith that our best days are ahead of us and continue to believe in honesty, decency, dignity, and respect. May we see each other not as enemies but as fellow human beings, each made in the image of God and each precious in His sight. May we leave no one behind, give everyone a fair shot, and give hate no safe harbor. May we remember that nothing is beyond our capacity if we act together.

The Congress, by Public Law 100-307, as amended, has called on the President to issue each year a proclamation designating the first Thursday in May as a "National Day of Prayer."

NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim May 2, 2024, as a National Day of Prayer. I call upon the citizens of our Nation to give thanks, in accordance with their own faith and conscience, for our many freedoms and blessings, and I invite all people of faith to join me in asking for God's continued guidance, mercy, and protection.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this
first day of May, in the year of our Lord two thousand twenty-four, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-eighth.

JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR.