Press Briefing by Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre
James S. Brady Press Briefing Room
2:49 P.M. EDT
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: All right. Good afternoon, everybody.
Come on. Good afternoon, everybody.
Q Good afternoon.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Thank you. I was going to say “Weijia,” but you’re not Weijia. Yesterday she was — said good afternoon. Anyway. (Laughter.)
And hello —
Q It’s really almost evening —
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: — and welcome.
Q — at this point.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Mmm, no. It’s 2:46. (Laughter.) Not evening.
Okay. So, we continue to pray for the people of Florida and those along the southeast coast that are being impacted by Tropical Storm Debby, including those who have tragically lost their lives.
The president and his team continue to monitor the storm. And yesterday, the president approved an emergency declaration request from the governor of North Carolina, which will provide additional resources to support the state’s response efforts. This is in addition to emergency declaration requests the president has already approved from the governors of Florida, South Carolina, and Georgia.
The Biden-Harris administration remains in close touch with officials from affected states, and FEMA has over 600 staff in the region to assist as needed. FEMA’s National Response Coordination Center here in Washington and their Regional Response Coordination Center in Atlanta remain activated to further support the local response and coordinate federal efforts.
Additionally, personnel from the DOD, HHS, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and U.S. Coast Guards have deployed and are prepared to support as well.
I want to remind people out there that this storm isn’t over yet, so we continue to urge everyone in its path to remain cautious, heed the warnings of local officials, and visit Ready.gov — again, Ready.gov — for tips on how to stay safe.
And just a few more quick things that I want to add here.
Today, the president recorded a sit-down interview with Bob Costa for CBS “Sunday Morning.” The full interview will air this Sunday, August 11th.
Tomorrow, the president will call the governor of Hawaii and mayor of Maui County to commemorate the one-year anniversary of the tragic Maui wildfires and those who lost their lives, highlight the progress that has been made to date, and underscore the administration’s continued support to ensure the long-term recovery of survivors and impacted communities.
And tomorrow afternoon, the president will welcome the Texas Rangers to the White House to celebrate their 2023 World Series championship season.
We will keep you posted on additional engagements in the days ahead.
Finally — finally, finally — this is great; this is great news — Seung Min, I know this is your last briefing before you head out to maternity leave.
Q Oh.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, I’m sorry, I hope I didn’t —
Q No, it’s okay. (Laughs.)
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: (Laughs.) She’s like — she’s like on her smartphone. But we wanted to congratulate you.
Q Thank you.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: This is coming from the press team, all of us. We want to grat- — congratulate you and wish you well. This is exciting time. And obviously, congratulations to you and your growing family. Anyway.
Q Thank you very much. It’s very kind of you.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: And with that. (Laughs.)
Q Okay. I have two topics, if I may.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I like to throw you guys off from time to time. (Laughter.)
Go ahead.
Q First one on the economy.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Sure.
Q As you know, the — the stock market is up today, the U.S. stock market. So, I was wondering if the White House thought the sell-off on Monday was just a blip or if it signaled any sort of broader tor- — turmoil in the global economy ahead.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, as you know, we are very mindful when it comes to — to the stock market. What I — I will say is, look — and I said this yesterday, and I’ll say it again today — while there’s been some volatility, our economy is indeed resilient. The data shows this. I ticked off the data, as you have heard me say before.
Unemployment is still low at 4.3 percent; created nearly 16 million jobs, including more than 170,000 jobs per month over the last three months; inflation is down 2.5 percent; re- — wages are up. They are rising faster than the prices — faster than the prices for 14 months in a row. That’s important. And J- — GDP grew 2.8 percent last quarter, with consumers resilient and business investment up more than 5 percent. And expectations are for growth to remain solid this quarter.
What we are going to continue to do, as people ask what we’re — what we’re focused on for the next five months or so, is making sure that we continue to build on those — on those successes for middle-class families, working families. And that is incredibly important.
Let’s not forget, we got to continue to work on capping precrip- — prescription drugs. This is something that the president was able to do via the Inflation Reduction Act, where we are now able to negotiate — Medicare is able to negotiate for pharmaceuticals. And we expanded health care.
So, those are the things that we want to conti- — continue to do: rebuilding infrastructure; businesses investing $9 [900] billion in manufacturing and clean energy. Those are the things that we want to focus on — taking — taking on price gouging.
And while Republicans in the House are doing the complete opposite. They want to cut Social Security, which, of course, would raise — raise costs for American families, and they want to give tax cuts to billionaires and corporations.
That is not our focus. That’s not what we agree on. And you have seen what we have done in the last three and a half years, and, certainly, we’re going to keep building on that.
As it relates to your question, our eco- — economic team is going to continue monitoring developments — that’s what they do — and keeping the president and the vice president updated.
Q And a follow on the prisoner swap last week. There were some exiled political activists and relatives of political prisoners in Belarus who say the fact that none of the political prisoners there were involved in the swap means they are just not a priority for the West. So, can you give us any insight as to why none of the hundreds of the Belarusian political prisoners were not included in the exchange?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, let me just say that — and I think Jake has said this very eloquently — Jake Sullivan, our national security adviser. He said it here; he said it multiple times during interviews over the weekend. These are incredibly difficult decisions. These are not easy decisions to make. And, you know, this is a president that values human life — right? — that values American citizens.
And he has said from the beginning of this administration and he has shown — to get home innocent, wrongfully detained Americans back home to their loved ones, to their families. And you have seen this, I think, as — as — you know, might — some folks might say, you’ve seen the receipts in delivering on that.
And the work continues. The work continues. His team, the National Security Council, Jake Sullivan and his team, State Department, will continue to do everything that we can to bring home innocent Americans, wrongfully detained Americans. That is — continues to be a priority for this administration.
And I can’t speak to every case. What I can speak to is the commitment from this administration that you have seen over and over and over again.
It is not easy. This is not easy. We know what families are going through. We know how they’re feeling. We know that they’re missing their loved ones. And so, we are going to continue to do that work. We’re going to continue to do that work.
Go ahead, Steve.
Q Does the president feel like it’s time for the Federal Reserve to cut interest rates to sort of boost the economy?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: As you know, we believe that the Federal Reserve have — have the right and should have their independence.
Unlike the last administration, we believe in the independence of the Federal Reserve. We have been consistent with that. We continue to do that.
The Federal Reserve will make their own monetary policy decision when they choose, and that is something for them to decide on.
Q And on the Middle East. The president has been engaged in efforts to de-escalate tensions in the Middle East. Has he persuaded Iran not to retaliate against Israel?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Look, I’m not going to speak for what Iran will or will not do. It is up for them. Their — that is their plans to — they’re going to speak to their plans. They have been very public about what their next steps are going to be in — in responding publicly. They’ve been very public about that.
What we are going to do — and that’s why we’ve — we’ve shared the readouts that the president has had with Egypt, with Jordan, with Qatar — is that we’re going to continue to have those conversations with Middle East — our Middle East partners, Middle East leaders, and urge de-escalation. That’s what we want to see. We want to see de-escalation — tensions de-escalated in the region, and that’s our focus.
Go ahead.
Q Yeah. Thanks, Karine.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Joey.
Q Yeah — (laughs) — thanks, Karine.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I know last time — (laughs).
Q Yeah. Did — did President Biden watch last night’s rally with Kamala Harris debuting her VP pick, Tim Walz? What
was her impressions on that rally and that —
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: His — his impressions, you mean?
Q Yeah, what is — what his impressions on that?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah, okay. Well, look, I don’t have anything to share on if the president watched or not.
Look, I shared yesterday that the president spoke to Governor — Governor Walz yesterday and congratulated him. I think we shared that. Spoke to the vice president, Vice President Kamala Harris, before the announcement was made.
And so, we’ve been very clear. And I think he put out a statement — not I think — he did put out a statement talking about how it was a great decision.
Going to be really mindful — right? — because this — I don’t want to — there’s a Hatch Act situation. But what I will say is just reiterate what the president said is that he thought it was a great decision. He’s known Governor Walz for more than two decades.
He — this is — this is someone who enlisted — enlisted to serve his country at the age of 17; served in the — in the Army National Guard for 24 years; was a high school football c- — coach; was a teacher; served in Congress; obviously now he’s governor. This is someone who cares about working people, who cares about American lives. He grew up on a farm in the Midwest.
And so, his values is something that the president has always been impressed by. They have worked together on really key, important issues that matter to the American people.
And I think, you know, if you go back to read his statement, you’ll see exactly how the president feels about the vice president picking Governor — Governor Walz.
Go ahead, Dan.
Q Thanks, Karine. What’s the president’s thinking about the border incursion that Ukraine is currently making into Russia? Has he got any concerns that that could sort of make —
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, look —
Q — the situation deteriorate?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: — I can say — I can say this, is that we are going to — obviously, we’ve seen the reporting — obviously. So, we’re going to reach out to — to the Ukrainian military to learn more about their objectives.
We — as far as the specifics on that, I would refer you to the Ukrainian — Ukrainians to speak about their own military operations. That’s where I would — I would refer you to.
But we are — generally speaking, as you know, we have been supportive of Ukraine as they are — as they are defending themselves against Russia’s aggression. We think that is obviously important to do, as we talk about democracy and freedom. And so, we’re going to continue to do that.
And they are going to take actions — right? — commonsense actions to — certainly to protect themselves from these attacks.
But as for the specific operation, we’re going to reach out to them to see what their objective is and continue to stay focused. We are going to continue to stay focused on making sure they have what they need to defend themselves against Russia’s aggression.
Q Thanks.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Go ahead.
Q Thank you, Karine. You mentioned that you’ve seen the reports. I’m curious: I mean, was the White House made aware prior to —
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: No.
Q Okay. Is there any — any feeling that if there is evidence of — of U.S.-supplied weapons or munitions being used in this — this attack, could it lead to further escalation between them?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I’m just not going to get into hypotheticals. Let us do our outreach to the Ukrain- — Ukrainian military. I just don’t have anything beyond that.
We have to remember that — obviously, in this region, that there’s Russian troops there. They are in a region of Russia. And they’re in that region attacking Ukraine. And so, we can’t forget that.
But our policies has — has — policy has not changed. We’re going to continue, certainly, to support Ukraine as they continue to defend themselves.
Q One pivot, if I may.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Sure.
Q On the campaign trail. Today, Senator J.D. Vance has accused Governor Walz of stolen valor. I mean, obviously, military service is something that’s very deeply personal to the president, given the service of his son. I’m curious: I mean, how is he reacting to — to these statements?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, look, any specific attacks or — or comments, I would have to refer you to the campaign. I think when I was answering J- — your — your colleague Joey’s question about Governor Walz, I laid out — and you all have seen his bio, right? He — this is someone who enlisted at 17 years old to serve his country. He was part of the Army National Guard for 24 years.
This is someone who was a high school teacher — right? — a high school coach, as well, who grew up in a — in a small town in the Midwest.
And so, I think his bio speaks for itself. Who he is speaks for his self. His record speaks for itself. And I’m just not going to say bey- — anything beyond that.
Go ahead.
Q On Israel and Hamas and ceasefire negotiations. The administration has said you’re closer than ever. What are those final steps? And how is the president involved in the final stages?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, I’m going to be very mindful here and not negotiate from here. And — and obviously we have closed some gaps — you’ve heard us say this — some important gaps. And we feel like we are, you know, closer, as you just stated in your question. That was part of a readout from yesterday.
Our focus is going to continue to have those diplomatic conversations with Middle — Middle East leaders on de-escalation and the tensions there in the region, obviously bringing in the ce- — the ceaser- — the ceasefire and hostage release deal to a conclusion. That’s our focus.
This is something that the president has talked about for some time now. And his — he and his team are going to continue to work around the clock to get that deal done.
I’m not going to negotiate. I’m not going to get to specifics —
Q Any new —
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: — from here.
Q — calls that the president is making today?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, no — no new calls to speak of today. But the president continues to — obviously, he has been engaged these past couple of days with Middle East leaders. His team is continuing to engage as well with these diplomatic conversation.
What we want to see is a de-escalation in the region. Those are the conversations that we will continue to have.
And — and to your — your question at the top there is getting the ceasefire — the ceasefire deal and this hostage deal to a conclusion. That’s going to be our focus.
Q And then, secondly, if I may.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Sure.
Q Secretary Austin’s decision to overrule the 9/11 plea deal has created some confusion over the legal proceedings. Was it a surprise to President Biden? Was he involved?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, this decision has — this decision was made by Secretary Austin. And so, you — certainly, you’re going to have to go to Department of Defense for anything more to share about — about that step — the step that Secretary Austin took.
I will say this. The secretary wrote in his memo, “Entry into a plea deal (inaudible) is a significant decision.” And — and on the huge range of important and complicated issues that the Secretary Austin, the Department of Defense has to deal with, this is something that certainly they have a huge responsibility.
And so, because of that, certainly, Secretary Austin has the full support and confidence of this president, especially with active military prosecutions. And so, I would really have to leave it there.
This is a decision that Secretary Austin made, and that is a — certainly to talk about that particular step, Department of Defense would have to speak to.
Go ahead, Monica.
Q Karine, last night, Governor Walz said during the rally in Philadelphia — he praised the vice president’s leadership, but he also thanked her, in particular, for “bringing back the joy” to the campaign trail. Does the president share that assessment that Vice President Harris has returned joy?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, here’s what I will say. Again, it’s a campaign activity. But I’ll say this more broadly. And this is basically repeating what the president said.
He said the most important decision that he made in 2020 was picking Kamala Harris for his running mate, who obviously is now the vice president. And he did so because he believed she could lead on day one.
And he’s incredibly proud of her. He chose her to be his cri- — a critical partner in the — for the last three and a half years — and obviously, now in this transition period, if you will — because of her judgment, because of her leadership, because of her temperament, and because of her experience.
And so, what he has seen these past — what we’ve all watched and experienced these past couple of weeks is exactly what he was hoping for. The — you think about the energy, you think about the excitement, that’s what he wanted to see. Right? He talked about unity. He wanted to bring — bring the party together. So, I will leave it there.
Q Has the President been briefed on this alleged Austrian terror plot in which there were a couple of arrests today of individuals who were planning to target Taylor Swift concerts in Vienna specifically? Is he aware of that?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, I just — when I come — when I came out, the re- — I saw the reporting. I know that local law enforcement is taking the lead here. I just don’t have anything to share beyond that.
Q And, finally, you mentioned the CBS interview that the president did today. Is there anything else you can share about how he’s spending his day since he didn’t have public events yesterday or today? Anything else to share?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Well, you’ll see him tomorrow, as I just mentioned. As you — as you know, he’s made several head of state calls these past couple days, as it relates to de-escalating the tension in the Middle East. And he has been meeting with his senior — senior team.
I met with him, obviously, ahead of his interview today. And you’ll see him tomorrow.
And when we have more to share, certainly we will share that with all of you, as far as his schedule. We will do that.
Go ahead, Nadia.
Q Thank you. Just to follow up on Steve’s question. Also, the leader of Hezbollah said yesterday that retaliation is coming. So, despite the fact that the White House is being engaged in diplomatic efforts, do you believe at this stage that actually an attack by Iran and the proxies is inevitable?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: What I can say is we’re monitoring the situation. That’s what we’re doing. That’s what I can speak to. Iran, Hezbollah, they will speak for themselves. Obviously, Iran has been very public about this.
What we will continue to do is have these de-escalation conversation. We want to see a de-escalation in tension. You — you have seen — you’ve seen the readouts. I’m sure you’ve read the — the three readouts that we’ve put out this week with the head of — head of states’ leaders in the Middle East. And that’s what NSC and other members of the president’s team is going to continue to do.
I just don’t have anything to share. I don’t want to get into — I can’t speak for them. I don’t want to get into any sort of hypotheticals from here.
But our focus is very, very clear. Our focus is de-escalating tensions in the Middle East. That’s what we want to continue to do.
Q And I have two quick questions. On the Palestinian issues, there have been documented cases of rape against Palestinian prisoners in Israeli detention. That is being reported by Israelis, whether it’s human rights organizations or others. Has the White House has — raised these cases in particular with the Israelis and what were their response?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, the reports of rape, torture, and abuse are deeply, deeply concerning. And we have been clear and consistent with Israel that it must treat all detainees humanely and with dignity in accordance with international law, must respect detainees’ human rights, and must ensure accountability for any abuses or violations.
Reit- — reiterate that we support an IDF investigation into allegations of serious abuse of Palestinian detainees by IDF soldiers. It is essential that the rule of law and due process prevail. That is what we’re going to see. And obviously, we’re going to continue to have those conversations.
Q And, finally, what message does the U.S. send when you have powerful lobbies unseating two African American congressman and women with Jamaal Bowman and now Cori Bush because they criticized Israel? They’ve been labeled as antisemitic just because they criticized the conduct of the Israelis.
So, how can you project U.S. values to other countries when you see this nexus between money and lobbying influence in politics?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, I have not been covering these — these races, and I can’t speak to what has been happening on the ground. It’s not something that I’m going to speak to.
What I can say is, more broadly, just as we do speak to — when there is a primary election, we congratulate the winners of th- — yesterday’s primary elections. That’s what we’re going to do. And we want to be able to work on behalf of the American people with — with, you know, future congressional members. And that’s what I can speak to, and that’s what I’ll — that’s where I’ll stay.
Go ahead.
Q Thank you, Karine. You mentioned the CBS interview that will be airing this weekend. What was the impetus for the president to decide to sit for that interview?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I mean, look, the president has always said that he wanted — he wants to do interviews, speak in a way — speak directly to the American people. One way to do that is to do interviews with — with you all. And so, that is something that he wanted to do, a sit-down interview.
I’m not going to get into the specifics. You guys will see. They will promote. Obviously, CBS will promote.
Q Is there a message he’s wanting to get across?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I mean, look, the message with — for this president has always been the same — right? — which is he’s going to do everything that he can to deliver for the American people, to do — to work on issues that they care about. Whether it’s the economy, whether it’s about freedom and democracy, whether it’s about making sure that we lower costs, those are things that the president is always very clear about.
I’m not going to get ahead of the interview. He did an interview. He was happy to do it. And I think stay tuned. You all will see what his message is and what the interview was all about. But, you know, we’re hoping — obviously, we’ll continue to — he’ll continue to talk and take questions from you all in the next five months.
Q During that time, how is he thinking about using his executive authority to achieve anything left on his to-do list?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: And appreciate the question. I’m not going to get ahead of — ahead of the president on any execu- — potential executive action that he might take on any important issue that matters to the American people.
What I can say is he wants to build on the historic record that he has been able to lay out and deliver for the American people. That’s his focus. I’m not going to get in — ahead of the president.
Q And has he spoken to Vice President Harris after last night’s rally?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Well, I — they definitely spoke, as I’ve — we mentioned yesterday from here. The vice president called the president ahead of the announcement of her running mate. So, they had a conversation. They speak regularly. They are partners in this, as you know, and have a close relationship. I just don’t have anything to read out outside of that.
Go ahead.
Q Has the president spoken yet to any of the U.S. service members who were injured this week overseas by Iranian proxies?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Don’t have any conversations to speak of but — from the president. What I can say, just to give you all a little bit an — an update: Of the seven U.S. personnel injured during the attack, two personnel have been returned to duty, two personnel are recovering locally, and three personnel have been evacuated for further treatment and remain in stable condition.
Obviously, we wish them all a speedy recovery. If there is a call to speak to, we certainly will let you know.
Q I — I ask that because you’re saying that the president is very busy every single day, obviously in the Oval Off- — Office and within the walls of the White House. And I know you’re taking things day by day here, but can you give the American people maybe an expectation of how much or how little we expect to see the president —
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, let —
Q — out and about —
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Just to get back to —
Q — in the next six months?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Let’s just get back to the service members for a second.
Q Sure.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Obviously, we are wishing them a speedy recovery. They were injured, and so we have to give them some space and opportunity to get better, to get that treatment that they need. As the president, he’s also the commander in chief, as you know, and he takes that incredibly seriously.
So, I just wanted to make sure — hold on. Just want to make sure that I had a second to go back to that.
As it relates to the president’s schedule — public schedule, because I think that’s what you’re really asking me about, what his public schedule will look like. You’ll see him tomorrow. There will be more opportunities. We have five months left here. There will be plenty of opportunities, obviously, to see the president.
And certainly, when we have events — public events to share and travel to share, as we normally do, we will do just that.
Go ahead, Josh.
Q Two more.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: No. Go ahead, Josh.
Q Has he decided on how long he’ll go to the DNC for?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: How long?
Q Yeah.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: We’re still working that — that out. And once we have more information, obviously, we’ll work that through.
Q Has he spoken —
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: (Inaudible.)
Q Has he spoken with the vice president about how he can best support her? In other words, is he —
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah.
Q — giving her this moment, for lack of a better phrase, by doing more private events than public ones?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, look, I think what you can expect is the president is one — is going to be as supportive as he can to the vice president. I got to be mindful because a lot of this, obviously, that we’re talking about is campaign activity.
And they talk regularly. They talk frequently. And so, I’m probably just going to leave it there and not get too much into their private conversations.
You know, the president made this decision because he thought it was the right decision on behalf of this country. He thought it was the right decision to make in this moment. And he’s very proud of that decision. He’s very proud of the vice president.
And he believes, again, as I stated before, that when he selected her in 2020 to be his running mate, it was the right decision at that time and it was the right decision to — in moving forward with our country — the best decision that he made. And he’s incredibly plou- — proud of her. He believes she has the experience, the judgment, the temperament to do the job, and I think that’s what we’re seeing right now.
Q As a more minor point on a different subject. Is there any update you can share about the proposed purchase of U.S. Steel by Nippon Steel, the Japanese company?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I know that’s something that you care about a lot, Josh. (Laughter.)
Q It’s under review for quite a while.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: CFIUS review.
Q Eight months, something like that. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: CFIUS review, my favorite acronym.
Q Mm-hmm.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Don’t have anything to share. As you know, CFIUS is independent, and they’re going to make their decision whenever —
Q Is the — and it’s the administration’s position that you’re waiting on that?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: We’re — it’s under review.
Q All right.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: That’s — that’s — that’s —
Q Thank you. I’ll take it.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: That’s what I can give you.
Q Thank you. When the president dropped out of the race a couple weeks ago, you talked about how it presented an opportunity, more time to perhaps pursue different priorities now that he’s not running for re-election. Have you all come up with a list of what that’s going to look like? Any top to-do items that he wants to get done now that he has a little bit more time?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, look, we are — certainly will have more to share on that. What I can say is that, as you know, and you’ve heard me talk about this, the president was able to — to pass some in a bipartisan way and some with only Democrats only, right? If you think about the Inflation Reduction Act; if you think about CHIPS and Science Act, which is done in bipartisan way, obviously; bipartisan infrastructure legislation; the American Rescue Plan — those are important piece of legislation that has allowed him to build an economy — rebuild an economy, an economy that’s the strongest — leading economy that’s the strongest in the world; really deal with health care, lowering costs for Americans. Whether it’s health care, energy, prescription drugs, you name it — he has been able to do that work.
Now, there’s still a lot of implementation to be done. He wants to see — for example, when we think about the infrastructure law, we want to make sure that those project gets moving; the CHIPS and Science Act — you know, bring manufacturing back here to the U.S. There’s a lot of work that still needs to be done just on the stuff that he’s been able to get done.
As it relates to the next five months: lowering cost, building homes that are affordable, and continuing to — to strengthen the economy.
Obviously, we’ll have more specifics, more — more things to speak to in the upcoming, hopefully, weeks. But — but there’s a lot to think about. There’s a lot to think about, for sure —
Q Is there —
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: — on how to deliver — continue to deliver for the American people.
Q Is there a plan on how you’re going to lay that out? Is that going to be in some kind of speech?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Don’t have anything —
Q Is there any —
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Don’t have anything to share at this time. I don’t have anything to share.
Q Thanks.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Tune in.
Go ahead, Annie.
Q Thanks so much, Karine. I had two questions.
One is about Rahm Emanuel and Japan. He chose not to attend a memorial service in Nagasaki because Israel was not invited. And I’m just curious if that is a sort of broader policy from the White House or whether that’s sort of a one-off, or if there’s anything that you could sort of speak to in terms of that — whether it’s a kind of a larger boycott that the administration is (inaudible)?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, Annie, I appreciate the question. I wasn’t tracking this particular matter.
Q Oh.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So — (laughs) — I want to — I want go back and — and see exactly what occurred. And I — I know you’re laying out what — what you’re — what you’re reporting here, but want to go back. I don’t want to talk about a change in policy or anything like that without talking to — to the team.
Q Okay. And then just one other one. Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, in a recent interview, said that the president decided not to run again in part because of — well, entirely, I suppose, because of a lack of, quote, “stamina to serve for another four years,” unquote. And I wonder if you could comment about that. Is — is that your sense of why he chose not to serve? I’m not sure where the disconnect might be between the speaker and the president. I know that they’re —
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah.
Q — as you said yesterday, very close.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah. I mean, look, he respects, again, his good friend, Speaker Pelosi — former Speaker Pelosi.
What I can say is, speaking for the president and knowing what — the president, his decision, it wasn’t — certainly not because of that. It wasn’t because of lack of stamina. It was, as I just stated multiple times, unity, bringing the country together. That’s what he wanted to do. It wasn’t about him. This was about country first. That’s what the president — that’s how he has basically moved forward with his career this past 50-plus years. And that was his decision: passing along the torch.
This is stuff that he said in the Oval address, in the letter, in statements that you have seen from him. And he’s been very, very clear, from his perspective, as to why he wanted to make that decision.
But it certainly was not about stamina. He believed that he could have continued to do this job another four years. That’s why he decided to run for reelection.
But I would let the — the speaker speak for herself. I’m speaking for the president and what I know.
Q Karine?
Q Here?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Go ahead, Gerren.
Q Thanks, Karine. It’s my understanding that the Domestic Policy Council had a meeting on Monday with advocates on the topics of establishing a U.S. Commission on Reparations and U.S. Commission on Truth, Racial Healing, and Transformation.
I know I asked about this topic last week —
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah.
Q — but is there anything the White House can share about this meeting?
And then, also, separately, I spoke to one of those advocates who expressed that many of them are just really frustrated with the lack of progress and urgency that they feel is not being — happening on this particular topic, especially because some of their biggest champions in Congress will no longer be in Congress, including the death of Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee and —
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah.
Q — the defeats of Cori Bush, Jamaal Bowman, and Barbara Lee — will also not be in Congress.
Does the White House understand — or what is their response to that frustration?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Look, I’m not going to read out any private meetings from here. Not something that I — that I –that we do. So, not going to do that.
But we do believe that Congress has the power to study reparations. You — we — we’ve talked about this multiple times in here. That is our belief and continuing — and seeing reparations and the continuing impact, obviously, of slavery.
In addition to supporting an effort to — in Congress to study repres- — reparations, President Biden is actively delivering for the — for the Black — Black Americans, for the Black community throughout the three and a half years of his administration. As I talk about — as I talk about these different pieces of legislation that we’ve been able to get through, equity has always been at the center of that, making sure we don’t forget any communities — communities that are normally left behind.
And so, we want to make sure that our commitment continues to be the advancement of racial equity. That’s what we want to see: support for underserved communities; make sure, again, as some communities have been left out, we don’t want to see that. We want to see, for example, an economy that’s built from the bottom up, middle out.
And we have seen some historic wealth gains from — for the Black community. That’s because of the actions that this administration has taken.
And we’re going to continue to do that. We’re going to continue anything that we’re look- — we’re moving forward on, we want to make sure that — not just Black American community, but also all communities — we want to make sure that we deliver and don’t leave anybody behind.
But the study of reparations, we believe — and we’ll continue to say this — is something for Congress to do.
Go ahead, sir.
Q Thank you. A China question. So, the Chinese government website has added a new section on “Taiwan independence punishment” that encourages people to report Taiwan independent supporters. Some are calling it a “witch hunt.” Does the administration agree?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I mean, look, our — our policy has not changed. It will continue to be that: the “One China” policy. You’ve heard us say this many times. I can’t speak to this new development that you’re — that you just laid out, but our policy has not changed. We will continue to be consistent from here.
Go ahead. Go ahead.
Q Karine, thank you.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah.
Q The new Title IX went into effect last week — last Thursday. As you know, it’s faced lots of lawsuits. Many governors say they’re not going to even follow it. So, there’s that angle of it.
But critics say the new Title IX hurts women and girls. For starters, they say it will destroy women’s sports by allowing biological men to compete directly against women in sports. Does the president share that concern?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, let me just say — so, there’s still ongoing litigation, so I would have to refer you to DOJ.
But more broadly, every student deserves the right to feel safe. Every student deserve the right to feel safe in schools. That’s what the rule is all about: strengthening and restoring vital protections that the previous administration took away.
And ending violence against women and girls has been a priority — a priority not just for this president as president but, certainly, during Se- — during his Senate years, throughout his career. And that is something that he is very, very — has been always very focused on.
This is an important step in an ongoing work to end campus sexual assault. That’s what we want to see. And I cannot speak any further to the litigation. I’m not going to get ahead of — of any of that. So, I’m just going to leave it there.
Q But how do you address the concerns that the new regulations, the new Title IX rewrite will allow men — biological men into women’s locker rooms?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Look, I want to be, again, really careful here. It’s an ongoing litigation. I’m not going to say beyo- — anything beyond that.
Q Does the president have any concerns about this? Is he going to pull it?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I’m not going to s- — I’m —
Q Is he going to pull the —
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I’m not going to —
Q — Title IX?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I’m — it’s an ongoing litigation through DOJ. I’m just not going to say beyond that.
Go ahead.
Q Hey, Karine. A follow-up on Cori Bush. She gave a speech last night after the results came in, and she said to AIPAC, who spent heavily against her, “I’m coming to tear your kingdom down.” Does the president have an opinion on that statement?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, look, the president has always been very clear — and very recently, after the assassination attempt of the last president — about lowering rhetoric — right? — lowering political rhetoric and the importance of doing that. It is important — important that we be very mindful of what we say. This kind of rhetoric is inflammatory and divisive and incredibly unhelpful.
And, look, we’re going to continue to condemn any type of political rhetoric in that way, in that vein. And so, it is important to be mindful in what we say and how we say it. But we cannot have this type of inflammatory, di- — divisive language in our political discourse.
Q (Inaudible.)
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Not now, not ever.
Q And then quickly on the VP decision. You said a couple times that he spoke to the vice president about her decision. I don’t expect you to say what he counseled her on.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: (Laughs.)
Q But did he give her advice?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I appreciate that. Thank you.
Q But did he give her — did he say who he thought she ought to name as her vice president?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, what I can say is — and he said this himself — that he had talked to her, I think, like, over a week ago when he was asked —
Q Yeah.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: — about this particular VP decision. The vice president sought the president’s advice, and — and, you know, she certainly welcomed — the vice president welcomed his advice. I just don’t have anything beyond that.
But let’s not forget, they’re critical partners. They’re strong partners in this throughout the past three and a half years on important, different issues that matter to the American people, so not just — not just this pick but obviously throughout these past three and a half years.
But she sought his advice. He offered the advice. She welcomed the advice. And I’ll just leave it there.
Q Karine —
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I got — I know I got to wrap up.
Q Karine —
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Go ahead, Jon.
Q Thanks a lot, Karine. Can you just clarify an answer that you gave a little bit earlier?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah.
Q It involves that revocation of that plea deal for the 9/11 defendants, including Khalid Sheikh Mohammed. Did the secretary of defense give a heads-up to the president, the commander in chief —
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: This is a decision that he made —
Q Can I — can I just — can I — I just want to finish my —
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: — he made on his own.
Q I understand. Can I just finish my question?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I think that answers the question.
Q Well, it doesn’t. Because I want to know if — if —
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: For you, maybe. But go ahead.
Q Okay. I just simply wanted to know whether the secretary of defense gave a heads-up to the commander in chief about his decision.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: This decision was made by the secretary.
Q I understand.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: This was his decision to make. This is his decision to make.
Q I understand. Did he give a —
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: It was his —
Q — heads-up to the president (inaudible) —
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: This was his decision to make. This is not something that we are involved in. The president — what I can say is the president has the full confidence of the secretary. It was his decision to make.
Q I’m not doubting whether he has confidence or not in the secretary of defense. Just simply wanted to know, but I’ll move on.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Okay.
Q I wanted to ask you another question that just was out there on social media —
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Sure.
Q — and maybe you can reply to it. The former president has made this suggestion that the current president may still want to be the Democratic presidential nominee — put that out on social media.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: (Laughs.)
Q Does the president — I see your reaction on this. That’s why I want to ask you this. Does the president in any way lament his decision to drop out of the race?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: The president is proud of his decision. He’s proud of his decision.
Again, we had nothing to do with the 9/11 plea deal reversal. We had nothing to do with it. This was something for the secretary to make, and he made it. The president has full confidence in the secretary.
Thank you, everybody. I’ll see you tomorrow.
Q Thanks, Karine.
3:30 P.M. EDT
