On Wednesday, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre held a press briefing.
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NewsTranscript
00:00fallen officers across the country. As the President says, we must do more to
00:05protect our brave men and women in law enforcement. That means funding
00:12for more officers, more detectives, and more technology, so officers have what
00:17they need to do their job safely and protect us. From day one, President Biden
00:23has taken bold action to reduce crime, bolster public safety, and protect the
00:29safety of police who walk the beat. And thanks to the American Rescue Plan, this
00:36administration has invested the largest ever federal investment in fighting and
00:40preventing crime. Since President Biden took office, we have seen historic
00:45declines in crime because of the work of brave law enforcement officers and
00:49community leaders, but we can't stop there. That's why President Biden
00:54continues to call on Congress to pass his Safer America Plan to invest 37
00:59billion dollars to support law enforcement and crime prevention. And
01:03second, today the United States is taking coordination action in response to the
01:08Ortega-Murillo regime's continued repression of the people of
01:13Nicaragua and ongoing exploitation of the vulnerable migrants. The Departments
01:18of Treasury, State, and Homeland Security jointly issued a policy alert to travel
01:23companies with information about the ways in which smugglers are facilitating
01:27illegal migration to the United States to remind the industry of key steps that
01:33they should take to avoid complicity in the exploitation of migrants. This
01:39complements the International Air Transport Association and its
01:43members' action last week to address irregular migration. The Department of
01:49Treasury sanctioned a Russian military training center that supports repressive
01:55actions by the Nicaraguan National Police to prosecute political
02:00opposition and to gold companies that enrich the Ortega-Murillo regime.
02:07Additionally, the Department of State imposed visa restriction on the
02:13over 250 individuals supporting attacks on human rights and fundamental
02:17freedoms and repression of civil society organizations. These actions
02:21build on President Biden's effort to address irregular migration following
02:26last week's Los Angeles Declaration on Migration and Protection
02:30Ministerial in Guatemala, where we pledged $578 million to support our
02:36partners integrating millions of migrants in the region. Today's actions
02:40also support the President's affirmative agenda for a more democratic, secure, and
02:48prosperous for the Western Hemisphere. With that, Colleen.
02:52I wondered if you could talk about the timing of the decision to notify Congress
02:58about the weapons transfer to Israel. It came just as the House was preparing to
03:03vote on legislation that would have forced the President to do things.
03:07So when it comes to process on any type of weapons purchases or anything like
03:12that, that is something that the State Department can speak to. They can speak
03:16about it directly. What I want to do is reiterate what Jake Sullivan, our
03:19National Security Advisor, said here at the podium earlier this week, that the
03:26only pause that we have done is that one pause shipment. And so I just
03:33want to be really clear because of our concerns of what could be a
03:39RAFA operation. And so we've been really mindful of that. We've been really clear
03:43about that. We've addressed our concerns about a major operation in
03:47RAFA publicly and privately. But we've always said that we believe in
03:54– the President believes, obviously, the commitment – and we do as
03:59well – to Israel's security as ironclad. And we want to make sure that they have
04:03what they need – Israel has what they need – to defend themselves against their
04:07enemies, including Hamas. And so we've always been very clear about that. And
04:12when it comes to transfer of weapons systems, they are continuing, aside
04:16from that one shipment that we paused last week, the 500 and the 2,000 POM
04:21unguided munitions. So that is where we are at this moment. I cannot speak
04:26to timeline. I cannot speak to anything specific about this particular reporting
04:33on the weapons transfer package. That's something for the State Department to
04:37speak to.
04:38Okay. So then – I know he's an institutionalist, but he decided to
04:44circumvent the nonpartisan group that has done the debates for three decades.
04:48So I just wondered, you know, if you could talk a little bit about that.
04:52The debates?
04:53I know. It's about his schedule, so I thought I'd talk about his schedule.
04:56I get it. I get it. I know there's a lot of interest in what the campaign
04:59announced earlier this morning, obviously, through a video from the
05:04President. I'm going to be really mindful. We are talking about 2024
05:07election, and so we are committed to the rule of law here and want to
05:11respect that. So anything specific related to that, obviously you're going
05:15to have to go to the campaign, as we've been pretty consistent here.
05:18The President's agenda is pretty clear. He wants to create an agenda that
05:22works for all, leaves no one behind, and an economy that is built from the
05:27bottom up, middle out, an economy founded on strong, growing middle
05:31class. We've been very clear about that. He wants to make sure that we
05:34have an America that is more free. That's what he concerns about, right,
05:41including reproductive rights. He wants to make sure that we are not, the
05:45President has also said that we want to make sure that we don't stand for
05:48the dark, revenge-based policies put forward by Republican officials.
05:53That's not where we are. We want to make sure that we are continuing to
05:59deliver for the American people. That's what this President has been doing
06:02for the last three years. As it relates to the news about the debate
06:06challenge, that is something that the campaign has to speak to directly.
06:12Thanks, Corrine. Does the President worry that he muddies the message
06:17he's trying to send to Israel by approving this new transfer of weapons
06:23so soon after he withheld the transfer of these 1,000 and 2,000-pound bombs?
06:29I don't think no, to answer your question very directly. I think what
06:34Jake Sullivan did here on Monday, laying out the 10 parts of our
06:39commitment and how we're seeing the Middle East, obviously, in particular,
06:43the war in Israel and Gaza, and how we're moving forward in supporting
06:50our friend, Israel. We've been very clear that when it comes to their
06:55security, that continues to be ironclad. There is no change there.
06:58We believe that they need to be able to defend themselves, just like the
07:01President was able to do when Iran was able to bring together a coalition.
07:06We saw 300 missiles and drones that were targeted at Israel, that we were
07:11able to step in and help, obviously, Israel defend itself. I think that
07:15shows how committed we are to their security. And we have said that
07:20it is one pause, one pause on these bombs, one package, one shipment,
07:25and that is obviously connected to Rafa and the potential, what could
07:30happen in Rafa, and we've been very clear about that. Those conversations
07:34continue. You heard Jake Sullivan say himself in the upcoming days
07:38he's hoping to have an in-person, continuing that engagement that
07:44they've been having. There's been two virtual, but every day they're
07:47having these conversations with their counterparts. I'm talking about
07:50NSC and Jake, obviously, and his team. And so I don't think, we don't
07:56think that it muddies the waters. We've been very clear. Our commitment
08:01to Israel's security is ironclad, but when it comes to Rafa, where there
08:05is a densely populated citizens who are there, who are seeking refuge,
08:10more than a million, you heard that from Jake, you've heard that from us,
08:13you've heard that from the President, we want to make sure that there's
08:16a plan to protect their lives.
08:18Did the decision to approve this weapons shipment now have anything to do
08:23with the bill that Republicans have introduced that would force the
08:28President to approve all military aid for Israel?
08:31Here's what I would say. I think, again, our commitment to Israel's
08:34security is ironclad. That hasn't changed. We've been very clear about
08:38making sure that Israel's able to defend themselves against Iran,
08:41against their proxies. We've been very clear. Hezbollah attacks Israel
08:44almost every day, right? That's what we're seeing. And we have been
08:47very clear about making sure that they're able to defend themselves.
08:50And I can't speak to the process, the timing of this particular
08:57weapons transfer. That is something for the State Department to speak to.
09:01So I would have to leave it to them.
09:06Thanks, Green. So the U.S. has been very clear that it paused the
09:09shipment of those 2,000-pound bombs because of fears of how it could be
09:12used in Rafah. But does the President not share any concerns about how
09:16the weapons as a part of this $1 billion package could also be used
09:19to harm civilians?
09:21So, look, we have always been very clear, and we have been clear,
09:24certainly very recently, that while our support for Israel is ironclad
09:30and we believe that they should be able to defend themselves,
09:32we believe that they have the right to go after Hamas, a terrorist
09:35organization, and they should do that. We've also said two things can be true.
09:40We've also said that they have to do it in a way that protects civilian lives.
09:44That continues. That continues to be part of the conversation.
09:47That continues in a process for us to make that very clear directly to them.
09:52And we've been also very vocal about that privately and, obviously, publicly.
09:57So those two things can happen. Those two things can happen.
10:00And so, look, we're going to continue, again, to have a conversation
10:05with our counterparts. NSC, obviously, is going to continue to have
10:08those conversations as we move forward.
10:10And we've learned from two U.S. officials that Israel has amassed enough troops
10:14at the edge of the border with Rafah to launch a full-scale incursion.
10:18If Israel does so, as Netanyahu has vowed to, how will the U.S. respond?
10:23Look, that is for whatever the Prime Minister has said recently.
10:29That is something for him to speak to.
10:31Obviously, I can't speak for the Israeli government.
10:33That is not something that I do from here.
10:35We have been very clear. We're going to continue to monitor the situation.
10:39We believe that what we're seeing right now is targeted, a targeted operation.
10:45That's what Israel has told us.
10:47We have not seen a major operation moving forward.
10:50But we, obviously, we have concerns that that could happen.
10:54And so that's why these engagements continue.
10:56That's why these conversations continue.
10:59And we've been very clear about the fact that, again,
11:02more than a million civilian lives are in Rafah.
11:05We want to make sure that they're protected.
11:07But we also believe that Israel has the right to go after Hamas.
11:10We want it to be done in a strategic way, obviously.
11:14And those conversations continue.
11:16So just to be clear, the U.S. believes that what Israel is currently doing in Rafah,
11:20pushing in deeper with further military operations,
11:22the U.S. believes that is both targeted and strategic?
11:25I'm not going to go blow by blow with every reporting that is coming out
11:30and that is being laid out about what folks are seeing.
11:33I'm not going to go into blow by blow about that.
11:35What I can say is what we understand is those operations are targeted, they're limited.
11:40That's what we've been told.
11:41We're going to continue to monitor the situation.
11:43The conversations continue.
11:45The engagement about Rafah continues.
11:48You heard that directly from Jake Sullivan.
11:50And so we are talking about this every day, every day.
11:54Yes, we've talked about the two virtual engagements.
11:57Yes, Jake has talked about wanting to have an in-person meeting.
12:00But those conversations happen on a daily basis,
12:04and I think that's important to note as well.
12:07Thanks, Corrine.
12:08Did the Israelis give Jake any assurances of a no-Rafah offensive
12:13before he gets there this weekend?
12:15I'm not going to speak into private conversations.
12:17What I can tell you is those engagements, those conversations are concerns
12:22about a major military operation in Rafah continue, and they've been constructive.
12:28You heard directly from Jake about this,
12:30and I'm just not going to go into specifics on what the back and forth is.
12:37And I also cannot confirm Jake's travel.
12:40That's not something that I can do right now.
12:42Just to kind of go back to the decision to send a billion dollars in arms to Israel
12:48and then what the president said about his decision to pause sending some arms to Israel,
12:55I mean, it just appears inconsistent.
12:57We understand that your position is to make sure Israel can defend itself,
13:01but how should we sort of think about both of these decisions made at the same time?
13:08I mean, is he not concerned that those billion dollars in arms
13:11is actually going to impact civilians in Rafah?
13:14So, look, I don't believe it's inconsistent.
13:16We've been very clear.
13:17We've been very clear here.
13:18Two things can be true, right?
13:20Two things can be true.
13:21We can have tough conversations with our friends and allies.
13:24That is something that you've seen from this president in his diplomacy, right?
13:28And we can have constructive conversation.
13:30We can also share our concerns, and that's what you have seen.
13:34And we can say to our ally that, look, we want to make sure you're able to defend yourself.
13:39We want to make sure that we're going to continue to say that our commitment to you,
13:44Israel's security, is ironclad.
13:47That is, I mean, I just laid out, we saw what Iran did, right, not too long ago.
13:52We know Hezbollah is going after Israel almost on a daily basis.
13:56We know that.
13:57And so they have to be able, Israel has to be able to defend itself.
14:00But when we see a situation in Rafah with more than 1.4 million citizens
14:08who are seeking refuge there because they moved there to seek refuge,
14:12we're going to also share our concerns.
14:15And the thing to remember is that those conversations are continuing.
14:19They are happening.
14:20You heard that from Jake.
14:21On a daily basis, they are happening.
14:24And so we're going to monitor the situation.
14:27You know, those two things could be true, right?
14:29We can try to make sure that our friends and allies are able to protect themselves
14:34against their enemies, defend themselves.
14:39And we can also flag and say, hey, this is something that we are concerned about
14:43when it comes, in this particular instance, obviously, Rafah
14:46and potential operations, major operations, military operations in Rafah.
14:51But the President's comments about his decision to pause a shipment to Israel
14:56came in the light of campus protests.
14:58I mean, were those comments made in light of appeasing
15:03or reaching out to younger voters
15:05or how people were feeling in the country at that point?
15:07We have been very loud and clear about our concerns about a major military operations in Rafah
15:13for weeks, for months.
15:15This is something that we have been talking about for some time, for some time now.
15:20So they're not connected.
15:22The President is – this is not about politics for this President.
15:25This is about the right thing to do.
15:27And do you have a – sorry, on a different topic.
15:30Do you have a comment on the Putin-Xi meeting that's coming up this week?
15:35Does the President have any thoughts on that?
15:37So here's our thoughts.
15:38We don't comment on bilateral engagement.
15:41We've been always pretty consistent.
15:43But I want to make one point clear.
15:45We find it unacceptable that the Chinese companies
15:48are helping Putin wage this war against Ukraine.
15:51And if China purports to want good relations with Europe and other countries,
15:56it cannot continue to fuel the biggest threat to European security right now.
16:01This is not just a U.S. position.
16:03You also heard it from the G7 partners, NATO, and the EU.
16:07And that's our position on that.
16:09Go ahead.
16:10Thanks, Corinne.
16:11The IDF says that it has intensified military operations
16:15in specific areas of eastern Rafah.
16:17Can you first confirm whether it's still the U.S.'s assessment
16:21that this is not the full-scale, full incursion into Rafah
16:25that the President has been warning about?
16:27So, look, what I will say – and I'm going to be pretty consistent from here,
16:31pretty boring, I guess, for the next few minutes or so at this podium,
16:36behind this lectern, which is we're monitoring the situation.
16:40We've been told, and what we see, it is a targeted, limited operation in Rafah.
16:44That is what we're seeing.
16:46I can't go, like, by report by report here.
16:49That is not something that I'm going to do from here.
16:52We have made our concerns very clear, publicly and privately,
16:56about a potential major operations offensive in Rafah.
17:02And so, look, we do not believe they should be dropped in densely –
17:08these bombs, right, should be dropped in densely populated cities.
17:11So we are talking to the Israeli Government about this.
17:14That's why we put a pause on the shipment for one shipment, only one shipment,
17:20the 502,000-pound bombs, given our concerns, our major concerns here.
17:26And so I'm not going to go blow by blow here.
17:29I'm not going to go to every specific reporting.
17:32This is what we are monitoring.
17:33This is what we know.
17:35And the conversation's engagement on Rafah certainly will continue with our Israeli counterparts.
17:40But what you're seeing right now is not a major military operation.
17:44That's what I can share with you, yes, that I can say.
17:47Just to return to a question that I think a couple of my colleagues were trying to ask about,
17:52this new arms deal for Israel, it would include tank ammunition,
17:56tactical vehicles, and mortar rounds.
17:58That's according to our reporting.
18:00Is the President not concerned that those are the kinds of things that could be used
18:05in a military operation into Rafah?
18:09So I would have to refer you on the specifics of what is being talked about,
18:15with the weapons transfer package.
18:17That is something that the State Department would have to speak to.
18:21And I kind of addressed this already about how two things could be true.
18:25We believe that Israel has the right to defend itself.
18:30Obviously, when it comes to their security, it's ironclad,
18:35and we believe that they have every right to go after Hamas, a terrorist organization.
18:39We've been very clear about that.
18:41And we've also said they need to do this where we see protection of civilian lives.
18:47And so those things could be true, and those conversations are going to continue.
18:51I cannot speak to this package.
18:53That is something that the State Department can speak to.
18:55I can't speak to the process.
18:57I can't speak to what's in it.
18:58That's for the State Department to lay out.
19:00Well, you've drawn a real distinction, I think, between offensive and defensive operations,
19:05and the President was clear that the reason for pausing on the shipment of bombs
19:10is because those are the kinds of bombs that could be used in a Raqqa operation.
19:14So I'm just asking again whether tank ammunition, tactical vehicles, and mortar rounds,
19:19are those not things that could also potentially be used in a Raqqa incursion?
19:23So we have been clear.
19:24I can't speak to the specifics of what is in this transfer of weapons.
19:27I can't.
19:28What I can say is that we have been clear that Israel has a right to defend itself.
19:31We are committed to Israel's security.
19:35That is ironclad.
19:36That is true.
19:38We believe that they should have the right to defend themselves against their enemies,
19:41including Hamas, including Hamas.
19:44And so that is what you see here.
19:47That is what you're going to continue to see from us.
19:50When it comes to our potential concern of a major offensive operation in Raqqa,
19:55we've talked about that.
19:56We've talked about that, which is why we paused that one shipment,
20:00because of our concerns of a major offensive operation.
20:03Not asking you to confirm the details of the specific arms deal,
20:06but the list that I just gave, does the U.S. see those things as being purely defensive weapons?
20:13What we have been very clear about, Israel has the right to defend itself.
20:17That's what we believe.
20:18We paused one shipment that we believe could be used in a potential offensive operation in Raqqa,
20:26and we've been very clear about that.
20:28It's one shipment that we paused,
20:30but it doesn't take away from the fact that Israel should be able to defend itself against its enemies,
20:37and that's what this is about.
20:39That's what we're talking about here.
20:41I understand there's a group of American doctors who are in Gaza
20:44who are looking for the administration's help in getting out of there.
20:48They are with the Palestinian American Medical Association.
20:51They traveled to Gaza this month to provide some emergency medical assistance.
20:55Can you detail the administration's efforts to try to get them out?
20:59How is Israel cooperating with that assistance?
21:03We can say that we're tracking this matter closely
21:06and working to get the impacted American citizens out of Gaza.
21:09That is something that we're working on.
21:11We've been in touch with representatives for doctors and their families
21:15and are engaging directly with the government of Israel to make that happen.
21:19We're doing everything that we can.
21:21Is the goal to get them out immediately or before operations expand into Raqqa
21:27and there's military movement there that could further put them?
21:30Regardless if there was an operation in Raqqa or potential operation in Raqqa,
21:36we need to get them out.
21:38We want to get them out, and that has nothing to do with anything else.
21:41These are impacted American citizens, and so we're working to get them out.
21:46Just on the debates, can you explain why President Biden feels it's important
21:51to have a general election face-off one-on-one with former President Trump in late June,
21:56which is earlier than in past election cycles?
21:58Look, I can't speak to the timeline. I can't speak to the decisions on the debate.
22:02That is something that the campaign could speak to.
22:04I can speak to what the President has been trying to do for these past three years
22:08and make that stark contrast with what Republican elected officials have been trying to do.
22:11He's been trying to make sure that we build an economy for all,
22:14don't leave anybody behind, make sure that we're fighting big pharma,
22:17make sure that we're lowering costs for Americans,
22:20and you have congressional Republicans, actually that way,
22:23that are constantly trying to make sure that we increase health care costs,
22:28that we give tax breaks to corporations and billionaires.
22:32That's what they're offering. Cut Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security.
22:36That's what I can provide for you, what the President's policy has been,
22:39what he's been trying to do, and what we're up against here.
22:43And we're also talking about our democracy, our freedoms that are under attack,
22:47and so the President's going to continue to fight for that.
22:51But as it relates to the debate, timeline, or anything connected to that,
22:55that is something for the campaign to speak to.
22:57And just finally, the President put a statement out on this,
22:59but is there anything else you can share about this,
23:01what appears to be an attempted assassination attempt on the Slovakian prime minister?
23:05Yeah, as you just stated, the President put out a statement on this earlier today,
23:10and I will just reiterate that we're expressing –
23:14the President expressed his alarm and deep concern over the attack.
23:18As the President said, he and Dr. Biden are praying for a swift recovery,
23:22and our thoughts are with his family and the people of Slovakia.
23:27We condemn this horrific attack of violence,
23:30and our embassy is in close touch with the government and ready to assist.
23:35And I'm just going to leave it there for now.
23:38I want to ask about the inflation report, but first I wanted to just follow up.
23:42Does the President intend any direct outreach to allies in Slovakia?
23:47I don't have any calls to read out to you at this time.
23:50Okay. On the inflation report, obviously it was positive for you guys,
23:54but we're still seeing inflation above normal levels,
23:59despite everything the administration and the Fed is doing.
24:02Do you have a sense of when households can expect to see prices stabilize?
24:07So, look, here's what I can tell you what we're going to continue to do
24:10is make sure that we are – when it comes to our priority as it relates to the economy,
24:14we want to make sure that we're fighting inflation and continue to do so.
24:17And so we understand we have a lot more work to do. We get that.
24:21But I would state that inflation is down more than 60 percent,
24:24with the lowest core inflation in three years,
24:27and grocery prices fell over the last three months.
24:29Wages are up more than the prices over the last year and since the pandemic.
24:33More than 15 million jobs created, and unemployment is under 4 percent.
24:37And that is the longest stretch that we have seen in over 50 years.
24:40So we are seeing some progress, some macroeconomic progress,
24:44but we understand that there are Americans and families that are still struggling.
24:47That's why the president continues to do everything that he can to lower costs,
24:51whether it's insulin at 35 bucks for seniors
24:55and calling for that to be for all Americans,
24:58and a plan to build 2 million new homes, lower child care costs.
25:02This is what the president is trying to do
25:04and has been very clear about his plan for Americans as it relates to the economy.
25:09And again, in contrast to what GOP is trying to do,
25:12cut Medicare, cut Social Security, cut Medicaid,
25:16make sure that they want to make sure that there's a tax break
25:18for billionaires and corporations.
25:20That's not what this president is about.
25:22So the work continues. We're going to continue to fight inflation.
25:26We're going to continue to be really focused on that,
25:28and that's what you're going to see from this administration.
25:31Back to Ralph, is there a concern at all
25:34that these targeted attacks would still cumulatively add up
25:39to the amount of civilian casualties or damage?
25:44I know that the concern is a major ground operation,
25:47but as these more targeted attacks continue by the IDF,
25:52is there a worry that that would still add up ultimately
25:55to the kind of civilian casualties you're trying to avoid?
25:58What I can say is what Jake said, which is we're monitoring the situation,
26:02and we're going to continue to do that.
26:04We're going to continue to have engagements with our counterparts
26:07in the Israeli government.
26:09That is something that we're going to continue.
26:11We believe that it's been constructive.
26:13We have not seen a major military operation,
26:19and so we've been clear about that.
26:21Jake has been clear about that from here.
26:23But we're going to continue to have those conversations.
26:25I can't get into cumulative.
26:27That's hypotheticals that I don't want to get into from here.
26:31But the engagements continue.
26:33Jake said himself when he was here, he's hoping in the next couple of days
26:36or so to have an in-person meeting to talk about RAFA operations.
26:41He has had regular communications with his counterparts
26:46in the Israeli government, and that's going to continue.
26:49I know you said you couldn't preview Jake's travel,
26:51but are there any sense of a meeting happening in Washington
26:55when those in-person meetings would happen?
26:57Can you speak to any of that?
26:58When we have had virtual meetings with our counterparts in the Israel government,
27:05we have shared that information, including the virtual meetings,
27:10including when the President spoke to the Prime Minister,
27:13and we said in our readout that they talked about the RAFA operations.
27:17We certainly will share that with you.
27:19I just don't have anything at this time to speak to.
27:22With apologies, with the situations in Israel,
27:26you're saying that two things can be true at the same time.
27:30Can two things be true at the same time again?
27:32In other words, would the President again decide that the weapons,
27:38the most recent weapons package that he proposed,
27:42is being used for a large capacity of civilian deaths like the 2,000-pound bombs?
27:49Could he then again say, you know what, we're going to hold these back after that?
27:54I just am not going to get into hypotheticals for you.
27:56I'm just not.
27:57What I can say is that we have been very clear that when it comes to Israel's security,
28:05that is ironclad.
28:06We believe that they should be able to defend themselves.
28:08We've been very clear about that against our enemies, including Hamas.
28:12Clear about that.
28:13When there are concerns that we see, we will certainly speak to that,
28:18as we have done for the past several weeks.
28:20We have been consistent about that too.
28:22In this particular instance with the Rafah operations,
28:25the major military operations, we have said we have concerns,
28:28and those conversations continue.
28:31I'm not going to get into hypotheticals from here.
28:33I think we have laid out how we see our engagement, obviously,
28:40how we see this moving forward, whether it is the Rafah operations,
28:45obviously our major concerns there, and those conversations continuing,
28:49and also making sure that Israel has what it needs to defend itself,
28:53and that has been consistent here,
28:55and that is what we're going to continue to say from here.
28:58And you heard directly from the National Security Advisor,
29:01laid that out in ten parts on Monday,
29:05and I think in a pretty comprehensive, detailed way.
29:08Obviously, there's the hostage deal that we want to make sure that happens.
29:12We want to see a ceasefire.
29:14We want to see hostages come home.
29:16We want to see more humanitarian aid go in,
29:19and so that is also something that we're working as well towards.
29:23The President had a big event yesterday on terrorists.
29:26I wanted to circle back to the U.S. steel situation,
29:30the offer from Nippon Steel to buy a U.S. deal.
29:33The President has opposed that deal.
29:35Can you give us any update?
29:37Does he plan to try to block it?
29:39Is he hoping the proponent withdraws its offer?
29:41He's been on record opposing it for a month or two now.
29:45There's a CFIUS review.
29:47I'm going to be super mindful.
29:49It's an independent review, so I can't comment beyond that.
29:52There are calls from Republican senators that he can kill it without that review.
29:55I totally understand.
29:57We respect the CFIUS review.
29:59I'm just not going to get ahead of that.
30:01And on the border, can you give us any update on the President's thinking
30:04on that executive order that you folks are set to be conceding?
30:07Look, this is the same thing that I've been saying
30:10and we've all been saying for the past several months, right,
30:12especially since when we first introduced this national security supplemental
30:17back in October that included the border security piece in that.
30:21And then, obviously, we took that out
30:24and then went to a place of working a bipartisan way with senators
30:27in trying to come up with a negotiation that dealt with border challenges,
30:32that dealt with a broken system that we have seen for decades.
30:35And so we still want to see that.
30:37We still want to see Congress move forward with that.
30:39We believe it is the toughest, the fairest way to deal with the border,
30:44to deal with the immigration challenges.
30:46The President wants to sign that.
30:48He wants to sign that.
30:50As it relates to your question about any executive actions,
30:53any other movement that might be there,
30:58look, as you just said in your question to me,
31:01we're always looking at potential actions that we can take,
31:04but we are going to continue to push Congress to move on this.
31:08We believe that it could happen.
31:09We believe that it could happen.
31:11There are two reports today on potential actions,
31:13one from the AP, our friend Colleen right here,
31:15that the administration might consider sort of triaging new asylum cases
31:19to the front of the line to more quickly assess whether they are removed
31:24or stay for a more thorough review,
31:27and another from the New York Post that the President might consider
31:29an executive action to close the border at a threshold of 4,000 crossings a day.
31:35I'm wondering if you can speak to either of those reports.
31:37Look, it's basically the same answer that I gave you in your first question,
31:41which is we want to see – we understand this immigration system
31:46has been broken for decades.
31:47We want to see that Senate bipartisan negotiation plan that came forward.
31:51We want to see that moving.
31:53And as I've stated many times before, you've heard it from the President himself,
31:57we were ready to move forward.
31:58That was ready to be pushed out of the Senate in a bipartisan way.
32:01The former President, President Trump, told Republicans to reject it, to reject it.
32:06And that's what we're seeing.
32:08And we believe that Republicans should be where a majority of Americans are.
32:13They want to see an answer, a way to fix this.
32:16We believe legislatively to fix what's happening at the border,
32:20the challenges that we're seeing.
32:21I don't have anything beyond that.
32:23As I've said many, many times before, as you asked me your question,
32:27we're looking at all options.
32:28I just don't have anything to share at this time.
32:30I should testify with Seung Min Han.
32:33I don't want to get in trouble.
32:35Good. A call-out to Seung Min, who's not here.
32:38Go ahead, April.
32:40I have two topics.
32:42One, Marilyn Mosby.
32:44We understand that the application for a pardon has been delivered
32:48and accepted by the White House as well as Justice.
32:53What's the movement?
32:54What is the President thinking?
32:56What is he expected to do on this?
32:59April, I appreciate the question.
33:00I know we went back and forth on this last week.
33:02I certainly appreciate the question.
33:04I have to be really careful from this podium not to talk about individual pardon requests.
33:11It is inappropriate for me to do so, and so I need to be really mindful.
33:16DOJ, and I said this to you last time,
33:18employs a thorough and deliberative process.
33:21We've got to let them do that process.
33:24That particular question has to go to DOJ from this lectern at this podium.
33:30I cannot speak to individual cases and want to be super mindful.
33:33And we never have.
33:34We never have over the last three years.
33:36Other presidents have, but that's okay.
33:38But that's what I'm saying.
33:39We have it.
33:40We have it because we want to respect that process.
33:42To follow up on that topic,
33:45has the President gotten any communication personally
33:50from organizations like the NAACP, Women With Women,
33:54some of the organizations that have written letters to the President about this case?
34:00Because you've got the majority of the civil rights community,
34:02a lot of large organizations, black organizations,
34:06are really on the side of a pardon for her.
34:09Does he know about it?
34:10Has he talked to anyone specifically on it?
34:12I have not spoken to the President directly about it.
34:14I know the letters that you're speaking of.
34:16I know we get letters all the time.
34:19Obviously supporting an agenda.
34:22So obviously those letters have come through.
34:24I just haven't spoken to the President directly about this.
34:27And I want to be careful.
34:29We do not want to speak about individual cases.
34:34We believe it's inappropriate.
34:36We want to be really, really mindful.
34:38And lastly on this topic then.
34:39On this topic?
34:41On this topic.
34:42Oh, we continue.
34:43The 23rd is sentencing.
34:47Could it be realistic that everyone's waiting for the 23rd
34:51and then they will think about that thing?
34:53I can't.
34:54I want to be really mindful.
34:56I appreciate your efforts.
34:58I know.
34:59Clearly.
35:00Clearly.
35:01And I appreciate your effort.
35:02I just cannot comment on individual cases here.
35:06And lastly on the next topic.
35:07Oh, I thought this was the last one.
35:09No, I said two when we started.
35:10Okay.
35:11All right.
35:12At the beginning of the briefing,
35:14you talked about the commitment to policing.
35:17And for the last few years,
35:20particularly when then-candidate Biden was talking about
35:26holding police officers accountable
35:28when the George Floyd death happened.
35:30We all remember that.
35:32Now there is another call, yet again,
35:34from the mothers of the movement
35:36who are meeting with the members
35:38of the Congressional Black Caucus right now
35:40seeking for action.
35:42Particularly in the wake of what happened in Florida recently
35:45with the black man shot by police
35:48who was in the military.
35:50Wrong person, wrong place.
35:52What are the thoughts of this White House
35:55about the push for police reform as you support police,
35:59accountability, and civil rights at the same time?
36:01Yeah, and our hearts go out to anyone who lost a child.
36:07Under any circumstances, it is heartbreaking.
36:10It is heartbreaking.
36:11And our heart goes out to the families
36:13who've lost loved ones in police shootings.
36:16And you've heard that from this administration.
36:19You've heard that from this president.
36:21As you know, the president signed an executive order
36:23to hold federal law enforcement to the highest standards.
36:26And he believes that officers should be held to those standards.
36:30President Biden has been clear about his commitment
36:33to doing everything he can to make our community safer.
36:36Including by advancing effective, accountable policing.
36:40The vast majority of Americans want the same thing too.
36:43They want trust, they want safety,
36:45and they want accountability.
36:47That's why the president has pushed Congress
36:49to pass the George Floyd Justice for Policing Act
36:52and sign an executive order to make federal policing
36:55the gold standard, the gold standard of effectiveness
36:58and accountability.
36:59Let's not forget, when Congress could not get this done,
37:01the president took action and did that executive order.
37:04So we can't forget that.
37:06He is going to continue to push Congress,
37:08but he took action himself on the federal level
37:10of what he can do from here.
37:12And so he also continues to believe that we need to build
37:14a lasting trust between law enforcement
37:17and the communities that they are sworn to serve and protect.
37:20And so we're going to continue to encourage Congress
37:23to move forward with this.
37:25Is this the time to do it, to lean in,
37:27during a political election cycle?
37:29Is this the time for the president to lean in?
37:32This is not about a political cycle for this president.
37:34He's been leaning into this for three years.
37:37We talked about the crises.
37:40The president talked about four crises when he walked
37:42into this administration.
37:44One of them had to do with racial inequality.
37:46And from the beginning, he has pushed for Congress
37:50to move forward for the George Floyd Justice for Policing Act.
37:53It didn't move forward, and he acted.
37:56And he acted some time ago and moved forward
37:59with an executive order.
38:01And we're going to continue to push for that.
38:03It has nothing to do with politics.
38:05It has everything to do with this being the right thing to do.
38:09Why are you not acclaiming Tim Scott for holding it up?
38:12Oh, I'm not going to get into the blame game here,
38:15because I don't even know where the process is.
38:18We believe that Congress should move forward
38:21in getting this done in a bipartisan way.
38:24There's no reason why it shouldn't.
38:26Thank you.
38:28Thank you.
38:29What are the next steps after White House officials
38:31met with the Chinese this week in Geneva on AI?
38:34What are the next steps?
38:36Yes.
38:37Look, as you know, the president signed an executive order
38:41on AI, which is the most comprehensive executive action
38:45that he took.
38:47And what I would say with China is those conversations
38:50are going to continue.
38:51But this is an issue that the president believes
38:54that we need to act on and thinks
38:56it's an incredibly important issue to move forward on.
38:59Those conversations with China are going to continue.
39:01Those diplomatic conversations, I don't have anything
39:03to preview beyond that.
39:05A bipartisan group of senators this morning
39:07put out a roadmap for their view of legislation
39:10on artificial intelligence led by Senator Schumer.
39:13Does this White House have a perspective on it,
39:16and have you weighed in at all directly
39:18with those four senators?
39:19Yes.
39:20So this is very similar to the answer that I gave.
39:23But I will say to this particular legislation,
39:25we're grateful that Leader Schumer and Senators
39:27Rounds, Young, and Martin for their work
39:30on this important issue.
39:32We're very grateful.
39:33As you know, and I think we may have mentioned this,
39:36after the president did his executive order,
39:39as I mentioned, is the most significant action
39:42done by a government.
39:46Within days of signing it, he met with that exact group
39:50of lawmakers to underscore the importance
39:52of moving forward with a bipartisan legislation.
39:55So we are appreciative of that.
39:57We think it's important that they're doing that.
40:00As it relates to the exact approach
40:03of this piece of legislation, that is something
40:05that Congress is going to have to move forward on.
40:07But we are grateful.
40:08We are grateful that they're moving forward
40:10in a bipartisan way.
40:12Again, the president talked to this particular group
40:15about this, and so we're glad to see this moving forward.
40:18So I understand.
40:19So you're appreciative of them working on something
40:22related to AI, but you're not backing
40:24what's in the framework?
40:25Well, it has to.
40:27There's a process here, right?
40:28It has to move forward.
40:29They're going to have to figure out the exact approach.
40:31We're going to let them figure out the exact approach.
40:33The president said in that meeting
40:35that he had with that congressional group
40:38that they needed to move forward in a bipartisan way.
40:41We see that.
40:42We are grateful for that.
40:43But I'm not going to get into the specifics.
40:45They're working through it.
40:46They're going to figure out the exact approach.
40:47So we're going to let them do that.
40:48Thank you.
40:49OK.
40:50Go ahead, Karen.
40:51You briefly talked on Monday about the president's meeting
40:53tomorrow with the families involved
40:55in the Brown v. Board of Education case.
40:57Do you have more you can share about the details,
40:59who he's meeting with, how the meeting came about,
41:01and what his message will be tomorrow?
41:03I do.
41:04I have a little bit more detail on that.
41:06Obviously, these are a couple of days
41:08of really important engagement that the president has.
41:10I'll start with the Brown v. Board of Education.
41:15So this week at the White House,
41:17we're recognizing it is the 70th anniversary
41:19of the landmark Supreme Court decision,
41:21Brown v. Board of Education becoming the law of the land.
41:24President Biden will participate in a number of engagements
41:27that honor the legacy of those who paved the way
41:30for progress and hard-fought rights for black Americans.
41:34He will also highlight his vision
41:36for how we must continue to build on these freedoms.
41:39Tomorrow, President Biden will meet with the plaintiffs
41:42from the landmark Brown v. Board of Education case
41:45and their families at the White House.
41:47And then on Friday, as I stated earlier this week as well,
41:50May 17th, President Biden will deliver remarks
41:53at the NAACP 70th anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education
41:59at the National Museum of African American History
42:03and Culture in Washington, D.C.
42:06The president and the vice president will also meet with...
42:11Excuse me.
42:13I have a little cold, guys. Sorry. Sorry.
42:16The president and the vice president will also meet
42:19with the leaders of the Divine Nine,
42:21historically black sororities and fraternities.
42:24On Sunday, May 19th, also as you all are tracking,
42:27the president is going to deliver a commencement address
42:30at the 140th Morehouse College commencement in Atlanta, Georgia.
42:34So as you can see, there are a couple of engagements
42:37that he's having in the next four or five days,
42:41and so we will have more to share,
42:43and obviously you'll hear from him directly.
42:46So according to today's CPI report,
42:49rental inflation continues to be stubbornly high.
42:54How optimistic is President Biden
42:57that Congress will approve his plans
43:00to build 2 million more homes or preserve 2 million more homes?
43:05So, look, I think this is something
43:07that the president's going to continue to fight for, obviously.
43:09He's going to continue to speak towards how important it is
43:13for homeowners to be able to afford a home,
43:17to be able to afford rent,
43:19and we know what Americans are going through.
43:21That's why he created very early on in his administration,
43:25he created a task force to deal with that,
43:28to deal with what else we can do from here,
43:30from the federal government,
43:32to deal with what homeowners are dealing with,
43:34what Americans are dealing with when it comes to higher cost.
43:38But the way to actually address this in a more holistic way,
43:43we have to see legislation, we have to see Congress act,
43:46and we're certainly going to continue to be consistent here
43:50in calling on Congress to make that move.
43:54HUD has taken a lot of actions
43:57on making sure homeownership is more affordable,
44:01making sure that there is discrimination taken out of,
44:05especially with certain communities
44:07that have to deal with buying a home,
44:09and so they've been very effective there,
44:11so we appreciate their leadership there,
44:13but we need to do more, we need to do more.
44:15What's the progress, though, so far, of the Canadian homes?
44:18I mean, I don't have a progress report for you at this time,
44:22but we understand that this action, moving this forward,
44:26is important and critical to many Americans
44:28and their families across the country.
44:30We understand how difficult it is for homeowners, for renters.
44:35We understand that, and we understand that lowering costs
44:39has to be at the center of our economic plan,
44:42which is why the President continues to fight inflation
44:44and do everything that he can to lower costs.
44:46How worried is President Biden about his re-election bid
44:49based on this, because this affects Americans?
44:52I can't speak to that.
44:54What I can say is that the President's doing everything
44:56that he can to deliver for the American people every day,
44:58every day.
45:00It's not about politics, it's about the right thing to do.
45:02That's one of the reasons why he ran.
45:04We believe that he can do something, he can get things done,
45:07and we believe in the last three and a half years
45:09we've been able to do that.
45:11We've been able to create some jobs.
45:13We've been able to lower unemployment.
45:15We understand that people are still feeling this
45:18and there's more work to do, but it's not –
45:21as I'm speaking about this, it's not in a political lens.
45:24This is on what the President believes is the right thing to do
45:27on behalf of the American people as President of the United States.
45:31Thank you.
45:32No, I was calling.
45:33I was calling.
45:34Thank you.
45:35Okay, I'll wait a minute.
45:36No problem.
45:37How concerned is the President about the advances
45:39the Russian army is making around Kharkiv?
45:42I mean, you saw Secretary Blinken in Ukraine yesterday,
45:50and I think he laid out our commitment, obviously, to Ukraine,
45:57and that's one of the reasons that we fought so hard,
45:59certainly, to get that national security supplemental done.
46:03And so we are focused on supporting Ukraine's defense.
46:07We're going to continue to do that in Kharkiv, obviously,
46:10in that region where Ukrainian forces are fighting very hard.
46:14And as you know, on Friday we warned that we had anticipating –
46:18we had been anticipating that Russia would launch an offensive against Kharkiv
46:22and were anticipating that Russia would increase its attacks
46:26in an attempt to establish a shallow buffer zone along the Ukraine border,
46:30and we have been coordinating closely with Ukraine to help them prepare.
46:34And as you've heard us say, you heard Jake said this as well on Monday,
46:37how when the national security supplemental became law,
46:42the President right away moved forward with the President's authorization
46:46for $1 billion of military aid package.
46:49And so that continues to flow.
46:52Certainly the Department of Defense will have more on that.
46:56And so – and then on Friday he authorized a second military package
47:00to send more urgently needed weapons, including artillery, ammunition,
47:04air defense, interceptors, and aircraft – anti-aircraft missiles,
47:08armed vehicles, artillery rounds, javelins, and anti-armor systems,
47:11and other equipment needed to defend Kharkiv and other areas under threat.
47:16We are also working on another package to get to – to get urgently needed aid to Ukraine.
47:21So you've seen our commitment.
47:23You've seen our commitment through the Secretary, Secretary Blinken, obviously,
47:26who was just there.
47:27We are committed, committed to Ukraine continuing to fight for their democracy
47:32and continuing to fight the aggression, Russia's aggression.
47:39So U.S. government will send a former U.S. official to Taipei
47:45for the May 20th inauguration of the new President there.
47:48How does the White House decide the member of the delegation?
47:51Do you think China would respond to the inauguration?
47:55If so, how?
47:56You're talking about the Taiwan inauguration?
47:58Okay.
47:59So – and you're talking about the delegation.
48:01So – and inauguration is happening on May 20th.
48:07In January, the Secretary of State issued a statement congratulating President Lai
48:12on his electoral – President-elect Lai on his electoral victory
48:16and noted that the United States looks forward to working with his administration
48:19and leaders of all of Taiwan's political parties to advance our shared interests and values
48:25as well as furthering our longstanding unofficial relationship.
48:29Consistent with past practice, the United States will send an unofficial delegation
48:34to attend the inauguration.
48:36I don't have anything more to share about that.
48:38That is something that the State Department is running as it relates to the unofficial delegation,
48:42so they can certainly share more on what that looks like.
48:45But obviously, it's an upcoming inauguration on May 20th.
48:48Okay.
48:49Thank you.
48:50I know you don't want to talk about campaign stuff, so I would just look for your –
48:53I really don't.
48:54I would just look for your insight then.
48:55It's not even that I don't want to.
48:56I can't.
48:57I can't.
48:58Then how about your insight as the most prominent political communicator in the world,
49:02the White House press secretary?
49:03In the world?
49:04In the world.
49:05White House press secretary.
49:06In the world.
49:07Does a person generally want to debate when they are winning or when they are losing?
49:14I am not going to do political punditry from here, my friend.
49:17I'm just not going to do it.
49:18I used to do that in my old job.
49:20I'm not going to do it from here.
49:21So should we see this sudden offer from the President to debate as a signal that you guys realize
49:27you need to change the subject after some really bad polling?
49:31You know, we had a back and forth on polling yesterday,
49:35and it just goes back to the core of what I said to you,
49:42which is, look, this is a president that has had a pretty successful legislative,
49:47especially legislative tenure in the first three and a half years
49:51and has delivered on many things that are popular to the American people.
49:56And we're going to continue to talk about it.
49:58We're going to continue to travel the country and talk about investing for America.
50:01We're going to continue to talk about how we need to do more to lower costs for Americans.
50:05We get it.
50:06We understand how hard it is.
50:08The President talks about being around the kitchen table
50:10and how hard it is to make those difficult decisions sometimes every month on what you're going to pay for.
50:15So he gets that.
50:17And I just don't want to get into polling, any more details on polling.
50:21What I can say is the President is focused.
50:24He is laser focused on making sure we do everything that we can to give people,
50:29Americans, a little bit of breathing room, and that's what the President is going to continue to do.
50:35As it relates to the debate, you've got to talk to the campaign about it.
50:38That is a question for the campaign, and I'm sure they are eager, eager to answer your questions, Peter.
50:44Not a debate-specific question, but debate prep is something that traditionally can happen here at the White House.
50:52Who is going to stand in during the prep for Donald Trump?
50:55Who is going to stand in?
50:56Do you want to stand in for Donald Trump?
50:58Do you want to do that?
50:59I can connect you with the campaign.
51:02That might be fun for you.
51:03Actually, so you're saying I can go debate Joe Biden behind the scenes for as long as I want?
51:08You know what?
51:09I think that might be fun for both of you.
51:11It might be fun for both of you.
51:12I think that might be fun.
51:14I don't have anything for you on that.
51:16But I appreciate the question.
51:18I appreciate you trying.
51:19All right.
51:21I know we have to wrap up.
51:22Go ahead.
51:23I'm going to ask you about how the President talks about inflation.
51:26So two times over the past two weeks, the President said inflation was 9% when he came into office.
51:32Is the President misleading Americans on that?
51:34Or does he just not realize that inflation was 1.4% when he came in?
51:39And thank you for the question, because I know that we got a lot of incoming on this yesterday.
51:43And, look, what the President was – the point that he was making is that the factors that caused inflation was in place when he walked into the administration, when he took office.
51:56As you know, the pandemic caused inflation around the world to be – by disrupting our economy and breaking our supply chains.
52:05As you know, we had to act quickly on dealing with the supply chain.
52:08He put together a task force.
52:09You saw the President do that.
52:11And just a couple of examples here.
52:13One example, semiconductor shortages already existed when he took office.
52:17That increased costs on everything from auto parts to washing machines by some measures.
52:22It accounted for one-third of inflation in late 2021.
52:26Many countries saw worse inflation than we did.
52:29And obviously – and we have talked about this – we've been able to come out of that economic downturn in a better place than most of our counterparts across the globe.
52:39Reopening after the pandemic unavoidably increased inflation by unleashing pent-up demand.
52:45Inflation increased quickly as we reopened.
52:48Annualized core CPI in the second term of 2021 was 9 percent.
52:53And so he was talking about the factors that were in place that led to that.
52:58And look – and I said this earlier.
53:00I'm going to say it again.
53:01We're going to do everything.
53:02As we were talking about CPI, we're going to do everything that we can.
53:05This President is committed to doing everything that we can to fight inflation.
53:09And that's what the President was trying to speak to.
53:12But COVID started in March of 2020, so those factors were in place for about a year before the President took office.
53:18Look, I mean, look, the pandemic was happening, right?
53:21That caused inflation.
53:22That was happening.
53:23Supply chain was breaking our economy.
53:26That was happening.
53:27And it wasn't just us.
53:28It wasn't just us.
53:29It was globally.
53:31And they were – and other countries, our allies and partners – were seeing worse inflation than we were.
53:37And we are able to recover, and we are in a stronger position as we've recovered.
53:41But he was talking about what was in place, what was happening, the factors that led.
53:46And I talked about the second quarter of 2021.
53:48We saw that inflation was at 9 percent.
53:51So he was speaking specifically to the factors that led to that.
53:55All right.
53:56I've got to wrap – go ahead.
53:57Thank you, Corinne.
53:58What is the administration's reaction to Egypt's decision to block humanitarian aid from entering through the Raqqa Crossing?
54:06So, look, we've obviously seen the reports.
54:08We have concerns.
54:09We want to see humanitarian aid.
54:11It is critical for humanitarian aid to get into Gaza.
54:14We're going to continue to have those conversations.
54:17We know how dire the situation is in Gaza, the humanitarian situation.
54:23So we want to see that.
54:24Those conversations are going to continue.
54:25We're going to continue to have those diplomatic conversations.
54:28And so we've got to see that aid flow in, and the President is committed to that.
54:32How has Egypt justified its decision to the U.S. government?
54:35I'm not going to get into diplomatic conversations.
54:38What I can say is our commitment to get that aid in,
54:41and we're going to continue to have those conversations with our –
54:44I've got one more on the U.S. maritime port that I believe construction is basically done.
54:49Is that right?
54:50I don't have anything for you on that.
54:52Okay.
54:53So, but a very specific question.
54:54If a family of Gazans show up at that port as asylum seekers, will the U.S. government turn them away?
55:01I don't have anything for you on that.
55:03What I can say is that very – when October 7th happened,
55:08there were Palestinian Americans that were in Gaza who wanted to get out,
55:12and there were about 1,800 of them.
55:14We did everything that we can to get the ones who wanted to go out, right,
55:17who wanted to leave, and we did that.
55:19I can't speak to that particular question.
55:21I would have to go back to my team.
55:23I just can't speak to that question.
55:24Out of the 1,800, did we successfully manage to get out?
55:26I would refer you to the State Department.
55:28But there were 1,800 Palestinian Americans who were in Gaza.
55:32Not all of them wanted to leave.
55:34Some of them did, and we were successful in getting them out.
55:37I don't have that number in front of me.
55:39I would refer you to the State Department.
55:40Okay.
55:41You have the last.
55:42Republicans on Capitol Hill have been accusing the president of violating the Impoundment Control Act,
55:47which is an impeachable offense by withholding the bombs for Israel.
55:52Does the White House have a response to that?
55:54And what is the legal authority that the White House is citing for the president to withhold the weapons?
55:58So, look, I will say this.
56:01The administration, as you saw, we put out a SAP just yesterday,
56:08and that we just last night, a statement of administration's policy about this particular, the Israeli,
56:16I'm sorry, the Israel Security Assistance Act, we said that we would veto that bill.
56:22The administration strongly opposes this attempt to constrain the president's ability to deploy U.S. security assistance
56:28consistent with U.S. foreign policy and national security objectives.
56:31This bill raises serious concerns about infringing of the president's authorities under Article II of the Constitution.
56:37So that is, to answer your question, it's under Article II of the Constitution,
56:41and that is our legal authority here with that.
56:45What is your response to the accusations that withholding weapons violates the Impoundment Control Act?
56:50I mean, I just said that we believe that we were, it was in our legal authority to do so.
56:54We did, and we've been very clear.
56:56This is one shipment, one shipment, as we talk about the Rafah operations
57:00and our concerns about a major military operation.
57:03And you've heard us.
57:05I went back and forth with some of your colleagues about our commitment.
57:08You heard it from Jake Sullivan.
57:10Our commitment to Israel's security is ironclad.
57:12We believe that they should be able to defend themselves, and that is going to be consistent.
57:17We're going to continue to say so.
57:20And when it comes to something, a potential major military operation in Rafah,
57:25we're going to share our concerns publicly and privately, as we have been doing for the past several weeks.
57:30All right, everybody, I'll see you tomorrow.