English subtitles for clip: File:1-23-15- White House Press Briefing.webm

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Mr. Earnest: Good
afternoon, everybody.

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TGIF.

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It's been a long
week, but a good one.

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The Press: Yes,
no briefings.

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(laughter)

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The Press: Ooooh --

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Mr. Earnest: I was going
to say let me assure

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you, Bill, the
feeling is mutual.

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(laughter)

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Now, that we're
being so friendly --

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(laughter)

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-- The Press: Do you
have the week-ahead?

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(laughter)

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Mr. Earnest: Yeah.

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We could go right
there if you'd like.

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Before we get
started I do have --

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The Press: What better
way to say, welcome back.

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Mr. Earnest: Yes, exactly.

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Thank you.

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Before we get started I
do have one thing that

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I did want to mention.

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Joining us here today at
the briefing is Ben Holzer.

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He's the Director of Research
here at the White House.

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Today is his last day
at the White House.

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Many of you may
not recognize him,

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but he put in a lot of
work to support our

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efforts here over the
last four years.

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He is somebody who is
exceedingly skilled

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at what he does, but
he's also a person

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of very high character.

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So we're pleased --

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The Press: Will
there be champagne?

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Mr. Earnest: Not today.

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But we're pleased he could
join us for the briefing,

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and we certainly appreciate
all of his years

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of service here at the
White House, and wish

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him well as he moves on.

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Now that we've got
that out of the way --

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I think it's a
location TBD.

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But we'll let you know.

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So, with that, Mr.
Kuhnhenn, do you want

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to get us started today?

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The Press: Well, thanks, Josh.

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And good luck to Ben.

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And a belated happy birthday.

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I understand there's a bit
of an outbreak of birthdays.

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(laughter)

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So I want to talk about
Iran and a couple

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of other subjects.

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Mr. Earnest: Okay.

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The Press: In light of
the full-court press from

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the White House on the sanctions
bill that Senators Menendez

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and Kirk are pushing, is
the White House confident

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that you've been able to muster
enough support to sustain

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a veto if the bill
would come to that?

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Mr. Earnest: Well, Jim, you're
right that we've been quite

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clear about why we have
concerns about this piece

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of legislation passing the
United States Congress

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right now.

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This is an argument the
President made one week ago

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today when he stood at a
news conference with

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Prime Minister Cameron, who
was visiting the White House,

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and made clear that putting
in place additional sanctions

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against Iran right now
could undermine the broad

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international coalition
that we've put in place

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that's been so effective
in bringing

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the Iranian regime to
the negotiating table.

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And Prime Minister Cameron
echoed those concerns.

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He noted that he had
personally served

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as the interlocutor with
our European allies

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about the implementation
of the sanctions regime,

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and because he, working
closely with the United States,

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had succeeded in persuading
countries around

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the world to abide by
the sanctions regime,

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enormous economic pressure
was placed on Iran.

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And it, therefore, is not
a coincidence that

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the Iranian regime agreed to
come to the negotiating

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table to try to work
through the international

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community's concerns.

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As a part of the agreement
that sort of undergirds

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these talks is that the
Iranians would take concrete,

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specific, verifiable steps
to roll back certain

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aspects of their nuclear
program, and in exchange,

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the international community,
in part, agreed not

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to put in place additional
sanctions while

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talks were ongoing.

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This served to ensure that
the Iranians could not,

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as they have done in the past,
use diplomatic negotiations

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as cover to make progress
on their nuclear program.

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That's not the case.

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Right now, in fact, the
Iran nuclear program is not

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as advance as it was when
the talks began because

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of this agreement.

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So the success of this agreement
depends upon the international

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community continuing to
work with the United States

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and our allies to implement
the sanctions regime.

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If Congress were to pass
legislation putting in place

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additional sanctions, much of
the international community

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would understandably
perceive that as a violation

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of the agreement.

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And it would lead at least
some to conclude that they

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should no longer enforce
the sanctions regime,

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and in doing so, would
eliminate, or at least

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significantly reduce, the
economic pressure that

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has succeeded in bringing
Iran to this point so far.

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So what the President has said
is that we have a diplomatic

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opening that we can pursue here,
and there is no particularly

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persuasive reason that
anybody can marshal right now

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for why additional sanctions
need to go into effect,

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or additional sanctions
legislation needs

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to be passed right now.

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The President has merely said
let's pursue this diplomatic

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opening and if we reach
the point where it's clear

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that the Iranian regime can't
get to yes -- as I think

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the President described
it -- then the President

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is happy and, in fact, will
be more than willing

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to work with the Congress to
apply additional pressure,

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working closely with the
international community,

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on the Iranian regime.

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So that -- and the President
has been clear about the fact

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that that is a possibility,
that the likelihood

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of success for these
diplomatic talks is,

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at best, 50-50.

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But the reason they are
worth pursuing is they are

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the best way to resolve the
international community's

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concerns about Iran's
nuclear program.

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If Iran, in the context of
diplomatic negotiations,

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voluntarily agrees to live up to
widely accepted international

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standards, and agrees to
allow international experts

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to review their
facilities and give them

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access to regularly check
on their facilities,

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then we can ensure that that
agreement is verifiable.

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That is a preferable outcome
than some of the other

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options that have been
floated, including some

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of the military options.

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The Press: Are you satisfied
that this argument that

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you just proffered
has gained traction

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on the Hill and that you
can sustain a veto?

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Mr. Earnest: I think there is
plenty of indication that

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at least some members of
Congress have found this

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rather plausible line of
argument pretty persuasive.

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But ultimately -- I'm not
in the -- fortunately

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for the White House --
I'm not responsible

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for counting votes.

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But based on the extensive
consultations that have already

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taken place between the White
House and members of Congress

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on this issue, there is an
open line of dialogue,

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and the reaction that we've
gotten from many is that

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the President's argument
is pretty persuasive.

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And he had the opportunity
to do this when he spoke

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to Democratic senators last
week at their retreat.

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Let me just say one
other aspect of this

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that's important.

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The President believes
that Congress

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should be a full
partner in this effort.

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We want congressional
involvement.

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After all, the sanctions
regime that we've put in place

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is actually -- was something
that was passed by Congress.

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It passed in bipartisan
fashion; the President

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signed it into law.

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And then this administration
went and worked with our

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diplomatic partners, including
Prime Minister Cameron,

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who had an important
leadership role here,

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to implement it to maximize
the pressure on Iran.

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So this actually is -- outside
of the current debate,

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the success that we have had in
applying pressure to the Iranian

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regime actually is a really
good example of Democrats and

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Republicans in Congress and the
administration putting aside

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partisan differences and
actually working together

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to advance the national
security interests

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of the United States.

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So we would like to keep
that spirit of cooperation

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and coordination going.

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The Press: On that point then,
there's an alternative effort

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on the Hill, led by Senator
Corker, to have an up or down

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vote should there ever be
an agreement between Iran

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and the P5-plus-1.

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The administration seems
to be resisting that.

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Why?

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Mr. Earnest: Well, for
a couple of reasons.

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One is it would
undermine -- in our view,

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it would undermine the ongoing
negotiations in the same way,

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principally because when
the United States comes

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to the negotiating table
with several other countries

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and the Iranians, the
United States essentially

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is in a position of signing
on to an agreement

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that then is subject
to congressional approval,

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which means that there
still remains an open question

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about whether or not the
United States is going to live

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up to the commitments that
were reached at that table.

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The Press: But, Josh, that
happens with trade treaties.

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It happens with any
number of agreements that

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the government strikes.

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Mr. Earnest: Well, but this
is clearly a different

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kind of an agreement.

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And it's not a treaty, but
it is a scenario

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in which we welcome
congressional involvement.

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And as I mentioned, the
sanctions wouldn't have

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been put in place without
the Congress taking action,

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and we also have
benefited from being able

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to say that Republicans
and Democrats agreed

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this is a national
security priority that's

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worth pursuing.

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So we want to have a
constructive working

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relationship with Congress, but
steps that undermine the talks

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or steps that put in place
additional sanctions in this

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diplomatic negotiating period
while talks are ongoing

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aren't constructive and
aren't going to further our

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efforts to resolve what's a
pretty serious national

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security priority for the
United States of America.

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The Press: On Yemen,
you discussed this --

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President Hadi stepped down.

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In the gaggle, you discussed
continuing tracking

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of AQAP in Yemen.

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But I wonder if you could
comment on other aspects

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of this kind of unstable
situation -- what does

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it mean for U.S. interests
in the region, for

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security in the region,
to have an Iran-backed

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rebel force gaining control,
very anti-American --

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and to have Saudi
Arabia with Iran

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influence on its
southern border?

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Mr. Earnest: Well, I did not
get asked about this specific

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question yesterday, but I
can tell you that based

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on what we know right now,
it is not clear that Iran

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is exerting any sort of
command-and-control influence

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over the Houthi rebels.

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We are certainly aware of
the reports that there

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are ties between that rebel
group and the Iranians,

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and we are concerned
about that.

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But more generally,
I can tell you, Jim,

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that the people of Yemen
deserve a clear path back

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to a legitimate federal and
unitary Yemeni government,

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consistent with the Gulf
Cooperation Council Initiative,

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the outcomes of the National
Dialogue Conference,

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U.N. Security Council
resolutions, and Yemeni law,

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with clearly defined
timelines to finish writing

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a new Yemeni constitution,
to hold a referendum on this

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constitution, and then to
launch national elections.

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The future of Yemen,
to put it plainly,

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should be determined by the
Yemeni people in accordance

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with Yemen's constitution and
with the National Dialogue

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Conference outcomes.

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All Yemenis have both a right
and responsibility to peacefully

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participate in this process,
and the United States remains

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firmly committed to supporting
Yemenis in this endeavor.

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Jeff.

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The Press: Josh, a follow-up
to the death of King Abdullah

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00:11:32,224 --> 00:11:33,859
yesterday in Saudi Arabia.

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00:11:33,859 --> 00:11:36,662
Is the United States
confident that his successor

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00:11:36,662 --> 00:11:41,801
will maintain the same
track in terms of energy

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00:11:41,801 --> 00:11:44,437
and foreign policy?

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00:11:44,437 --> 00:11:46,806
Mr. Earnest: Well, Jeff,
let me start by saying that

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00:11:46,806 --> 00:11:50,142
the President, as articulated
in his statement last night,

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00:11:50,142 --> 00:11:53,946
expressed his deepest sympathies
and condolences to the family

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00:11:53,946 --> 00:11:57,616
of King Abdullah and to the
people of Saudi Arabia.

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00:11:57,616 --> 00:11:59,852
The President enjoyed a
genuinely close and warm

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00:11:59,852 --> 00:12:01,821
friendship with the
late King.

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00:12:01,821 --> 00:12:05,758
Under the King's reign, the
United States and Saudi Arabia

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00:12:05,758 --> 00:12:07,760
strengthened our strategic
partnership and worked

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00:12:07,760 --> 00:12:10,496
together to confront a
number of challenges.

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00:12:10,496 --> 00:12:12,731
King Abdullah was a proponent
of the Arab Ppeace Iinitiative,

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00:12:12,731 --> 00:12:15,935
an endeavor which is his legacy,
and we hope will one day result

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00:12:15,935 --> 00:12:19,505
in the vision we share of two
states, Israel and Palestine,

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00:12:19,505 --> 00:12:23,676
living side by side
in peace and security.

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00:12:23,676 --> 00:12:26,812
Jeff, I will say that the
President has not yet

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00:12:26,812 --> 00:12:31,317
had an opportunity to
speak with King Salman,

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00:12:31,317 --> 00:12:33,953
who is the new King
of Saudi Arabia,

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00:12:33,953 --> 00:12:35,420
but I anticipate that
in the coming days

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00:12:35,421 --> 00:12:37,790
he'll have the
opportunity to do so.

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00:12:37,790 --> 00:12:41,227
And the President certainly
hopes, and we expect,

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00:12:41,227 --> 00:12:44,130
that the strong relationship
that exists between

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00:12:44,130 --> 00:12:47,032
the United States and Saudi
Arabia will endure under

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00:12:47,032 --> 00:12:48,067
the leadership of the new King.

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00:12:48,067 --> 00:12:50,469
The Press: And do you
anticipate that their policies

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00:12:50,469 --> 00:12:52,738
with regard to energy, which
is especially important

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00:12:52,738 --> 00:12:55,040
to the United States,
will continue in the same

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00:12:55,040 --> 00:12:56,976
direction that they have?

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00:12:56,976 --> 00:12:58,644
Mr. Earnest: I wouldn't want
to speculate about any sort

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00:12:58,644 --> 00:13:02,581
of decisions that the Saudi
government will have to make

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00:13:02,581 --> 00:13:07,820
along these lines, but these
and other issues are among

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00:13:07,820 --> 00:13:09,588
the priorities with which
we closely coordinate

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00:13:09,588 --> 00:13:12,123
with our partners
in Saudi Arabia.

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00:13:12,124 --> 00:13:14,360
The Press: Do you see an
opening with the new King

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00:13:14,360 --> 00:13:17,196
to have perhaps a more aggressive dialogue with

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00:13:17,196 --> 00:13:20,466
Saudi Arabia about its
human rights policies

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00:13:20,466 --> 00:13:22,334
and some of its positions
that the United States

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00:13:22,334 --> 00:13:24,270
does not agree with?

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00:13:24,270 --> 00:13:25,538
Mr. Earnest: Well, I
can tell you, Jeff,

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00:13:25,538 --> 00:13:28,374
that we certainly will
continue to express and raise

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00:13:28,374 --> 00:13:31,377
those concerns as we have in
the past, but I think, at this

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00:13:31,377 --> 00:13:34,380
point, it's too early for
me to speculate about what

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00:13:34,380 --> 00:13:37,950
sort of policies or how
open the new Saudi King

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00:13:37,950 --> 00:13:41,053
might be to those concerns
as they're raised.

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00:13:41,053 --> 00:13:42,922
The Press: I understand Vice
President Biden is going

295
00:13:42,922 --> 00:13:44,423
to Saudi Arabia.

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00:13:44,423 --> 00:13:45,624
Mr. Earnest: That's
the current plan, yes.

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00:13:45,624 --> 00:13:47,927
The Press: Does the President
plan to travel there

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00:13:47,927 --> 00:13:51,897
any time soon and/or invite
the new King to Washington?

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00:13:51,897 --> 00:13:53,098
Mr. Earnest: I don't have any
announcements along those

300
00:13:53,098 --> 00:13:55,166
lines at this point, but we'll
certainly keep you apprised

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00:13:55,167 --> 00:13:57,870
if something like that
ends up on the schedule.

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00:13:57,870 --> 00:13:58,370
Jim.

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00:13:58,370 --> 00:14:00,172
The Press: Josh, just
to follow up on Jeff's

304
00:14:00,172 --> 00:14:03,108
questions, the Vice President
said in a statement

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00:14:03,108 --> 00:14:04,843
last night he'll be going
in the coming days.

306
00:14:04,843 --> 00:14:09,348
Any details yet on
when that might happen?

307
00:14:09,348 --> 00:14:11,617
Mr. Earnest: They have not
worked out the precise timing

308
00:14:11,617 --> 00:14:14,353
of that trip at this point,
but as soon as we have

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00:14:14,353 --> 00:14:16,354
more information about that
timing, we'll definitely

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00:14:16,355 --> 00:14:17,356
let all of you know.

311
00:14:17,356 --> 00:14:19,325
The Press: And as you
know, there's been a lot

312
00:14:19,325 --> 00:14:21,327
of discussion this week about
the President's relationship

313
00:14:21,327 --> 00:14:23,329
with Prime Minister Netanyahu
after that invitation

314
00:14:23,329 --> 00:14:25,664
from the Speaker to
speak before Congress.

315
00:14:25,664 --> 00:14:29,335
On a scale of 1 to
10, how irritated

316
00:14:29,335 --> 00:14:32,004
is the White House with
Prime Minister Netanyahu?

317
00:14:32,004 --> 00:14:33,539
(laughter)

318
00:14:33,539 --> 00:14:38,210
Mr. Earnest: Well,
Jim, let's unpack this

319
00:14:38,210 --> 00:14:39,245
a couple of different ways.

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00:14:39,245 --> 00:14:40,412
The first is --

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00:14:40,412 --> 00:14:41,647
The Press: 1 being
low, 10 being high.

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00:14:41,647 --> 00:14:42,548
(laughter)

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00:14:42,548 --> 00:14:44,683
Mr. Earnest: Right,
I was going to say

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00:14:44,683 --> 00:14:47,653
it's hard to tell what
the measure is there.

325
00:14:47,653 --> 00:14:49,822
I mean, the first thing --
let me restate the thing

326
00:14:49,822 --> 00:14:52,825
that I said before,
which is that it is

327
00:14:52,825 --> 00:14:56,128
consistent with longstanding
practice for the leader

328
00:14:56,128 --> 00:14:57,997
of a foreign government,
when they're planning

329
00:14:57,997 --> 00:14:59,998
to visit the United
States, to contact

330
00:14:59,999 --> 00:15:02,001
and coordinate that
visit with the leader

331
00:15:02,001 --> 00:15:03,468
of the United States.

332
00:15:03,469 --> 00:15:05,504
And so the invitation
that was extended

333
00:15:05,504 --> 00:15:07,806
and the acceptance of
that invitation did

334
00:15:07,806 --> 00:15:10,075
represent a departure
from protocol.

335
00:15:10,075 --> 00:15:12,077
But, ultimately, it's
the responsibility

336
00:15:12,077 --> 00:15:16,015
of the Speaker of the House
to make decisions about

337
00:15:16,015 --> 00:15:18,684
the floor schedule of the
House of Representatives.

338
00:15:18,684 --> 00:15:20,685
Certainly if we had the
opportunity to weigh

339
00:15:20,686 --> 00:15:22,888
in on that schedule a little
bit more, we would welcome

340
00:15:22,888 --> 00:15:24,890
that opportunity and
probably make a variety

341
00:15:24,890 --> 00:15:27,492
of changes.

342
00:15:27,493 --> 00:15:29,495
The other thing that we
have made clear, Jim,

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00:15:29,495 --> 00:15:32,331
is that the President at
this point does not plan

344
00:15:32,331 --> 00:15:35,334
to meet with Prime Minister
Netanyahu on this visit

345
00:15:35,334 --> 00:15:37,703
that apparently is
scheduled for March.

346
00:15:37,703 --> 00:15:40,305
The reason for that is that
Prime Minister Netanyahu's

347
00:15:40,306 --> 00:15:44,076
visit comes about two weeks
before the Israeli election.

348
00:15:44,076 --> 00:15:46,679
Aand this administration
goes to great lengths

349
00:15:46,679 --> 00:15:50,848
to ensure that we don't
give even the appearance

350
00:15:50,849 --> 00:15:54,953
of interfering or attempting
to influence the outcomes

351
00:15:54,953 --> 00:15:59,024
of a democratically held
election in another country.

352
00:15:59,024 --> 00:16:02,127
And for that reason the
President will not be meeting

353
00:16:02,127 --> 00:16:05,430
with Prime Minister
Netanyahu when he visits

354
00:16:05,431 --> 00:16:06,432
the U.S. in March.

355
00:16:06,432 --> 00:16:10,936
But as all of you have noted
on a number of occasions,

356
00:16:10,936 --> 00:16:14,573
the President has spent
more time talking

357
00:16:14,573 --> 00:16:18,944
to Prime Minister Netanyahu
than any other world leader.

358
00:16:18,944 --> 00:16:21,447
And the reason for that is
simply that the United States

359
00:16:21,447 --> 00:16:25,784
and this President recognizes
that we have a clear national

360
00:16:25,784 --> 00:16:31,223
security interest within
our alliance with Israel.

361
00:16:31,223 --> 00:16:33,525
And that kind of
commitment that we have

362
00:16:33,525 --> 00:16:35,494
to their national
security is unshakeable.

363
00:16:35,494 --> 00:16:38,063
It certainly transcends
partisan politics.

364
00:16:38,063 --> 00:16:41,934
And it's something that,
despite some of the differences

365
00:16:41,934 --> 00:16:43,968
of opinion that we have
with the current Israeli

366
00:16:43,969 --> 00:16:46,739
Prime Minister, it doesn't
undermine our commitment

367
00:16:46,739 --> 00:16:48,674
to Israel's security.

368
00:16:48,674 --> 00:16:52,010
Our differences of opinion
about the strategy we should

369
00:16:52,010 --> 00:16:54,980
pursue to resolve the
international community's

370
00:16:54,980 --> 00:16:58,684
concerns about Iran's nuclear
program are longstanding.

371
00:16:58,684 --> 00:17:00,853
We've been talking about
this difference of opinion

372
00:17:00,853 --> 00:17:03,388
for years now.

373
00:17:03,389 --> 00:17:05,691
Over that same time
frame, since 2011,

374
00:17:05,691 --> 00:17:07,860
which President Obama
has been in office,

375
00:17:07,859 --> 00:17:10,361
the United States has
provided Israel with more

376
00:17:10,362 --> 00:17:13,532
than $1 billion for its
Iron Dome system, including

377
00:17:13,531 --> 00:17:15,967
on a relatively short fuse
last summer when Israeli

378
00:17:15,968 --> 00:17:19,004
supplies were running low
while they were being shelled

379
00:17:19,003 --> 00:17:21,305
by extremists in Gaza.

380
00:17:21,306 --> 00:17:25,744
So we have not allowed --
this President has certainly

381
00:17:25,743 --> 00:17:31,617
not allowed the disagreement
over our Iran approach

382
00:17:31,617 --> 00:17:36,053
to in any way shake the
commitment of the United States

383
00:17:36,054 --> 00:17:38,023
to the national
security of Israel.

384
00:17:38,023 --> 00:17:40,024
The Press: And the way
this was hatched, though,

385
00:17:40,025 --> 00:17:43,695
the speaking engagement right
after the State of the Union

386
00:17:43,695 --> 00:17:46,498
address, it was a bit
of a slap, wasn't it?

387
00:17:46,498 --> 00:17:48,801
Mr. Earnest: I don't think --
I certainly didn't

388
00:17:48,801 --> 00:17:49,802
interpret it that way.

389
00:17:49,802 --> 00:17:52,870
I know that some in
the news media did.

390
00:17:52,871 --> 00:17:55,007
But the fact is it is the
responsibility of the Speaker

391
00:17:55,007 --> 00:17:58,410
of the House to determine
the floor schedule.

392
00:17:58,410 --> 00:18:00,479
The Press: And you didn't say
whether or not the President

393
00:18:00,479 --> 00:18:04,850
was annoyed by this, or people
inside the administration.

394
00:18:04,850 --> 00:18:05,984
Just not going to go there?

395
00:18:05,984 --> 00:18:07,653
Mr. Earnest: No,
because, I mean --

396
00:18:07,653 --> 00:18:09,054
The Press: You're not
going to quantify it?

397
00:18:09,054 --> 00:18:10,389
Mr. Earnest: Well, no,
I'm certainly not going

398
00:18:10,389 --> 00:18:10,988
to quantify it.

399
00:18:10,989 --> 00:18:16,995
But the fact is we did note
that this was a departure

400
00:18:16,995 --> 00:18:18,996
from protocol, but we
also noted that this

401
00:18:18,997 --> 00:18:20,999
is the responsibility of
the Speaker of the House

402
00:18:20,999 --> 00:18:23,902
to make a decision
about whether or not

403
00:18:23,902 --> 00:18:25,971
it's appropriate to give
Prime Minister Netanyahu

404
00:18:25,971 --> 00:18:26,972
a venue like this.

405
00:18:26,972 --> 00:18:27,940
The Press: Did the
President preconfer that

406
00:18:27,940 --> 00:18:30,442
the Prime Minister not
lobby members of Congress

407
00:18:30,442 --> 00:18:31,977
on sanctions legislation?

408
00:18:31,977 --> 00:18:34,480
The reason why I ask is
because just last

409
00:18:34,480 --> 00:18:37,416
week Prime Minister Cameron
was calling members

410
00:18:37,416 --> 00:18:41,053
of Congress about
this legislation.

411
00:18:41,053 --> 00:18:43,322
Mr. Earnest: Well, Jim,
what we'd prefer is we'd

412
00:18:43,322 --> 00:18:45,090
prefer that the Israeli
Prime Minister share

413
00:18:45,090 --> 00:18:48,793
the President's view about
our approach to resolving

414
00:18:48,794 --> 00:18:50,062
the international
community's concerns

415
00:18:50,062 --> 00:18:51,597
about Iran's
nuclear program.

416
00:18:51,597 --> 00:18:52,631
He doesn't share that view.

417
00:18:52,631 --> 00:18:55,567
We've done our best to try to
persuade him that pursuing this

418
00:18:55,567 --> 00:18:59,338
diplomatic opening that has been
created because of the forceful

419
00:18:59,338 --> 00:19:01,673
sanctions regime that's been
put in place is one

420
00:19:01,673 --> 00:19:03,876
that's worth pursuing.

421
00:19:03,876 --> 00:19:06,110
But time and time again, Prime
Minister Netanyahu has indicated

422
00:19:06,111 --> 00:19:08,514
that he does not believe
that that diplomatic opening

423
00:19:08,514 --> 00:19:10,515
is worth pursuing, and
we have a fundamental

424
00:19:10,516 --> 00:19:12,985
disagreement about that.

425
00:19:12,985 --> 00:19:16,588
And the President has made clear
what he thinks the strategy

426
00:19:16,588 --> 00:19:18,956
should be and why that is
the best strategy not just

427
00:19:18,957 --> 00:19:21,760
for the United States
but also for Israel.

428
00:19:21,760 --> 00:19:24,229
As Prime Minister Cameron
articulated during the news

429
00:19:24,229 --> 00:19:27,332
conference, he shares that
view with the President.

430
00:19:27,332 --> 00:19:31,136
And we're going to continue to
make that case both in public,

431
00:19:31,136 --> 00:19:33,472
as I am now, but also in
private conversations

432
00:19:33,472 --> 00:19:35,507
that White House officials
have with their Israeli

433
00:19:35,507 --> 00:19:37,376
counterparts, including
-- up to and including

434
00:19:37,376 --> 00:19:38,610
the President of
the United States.

435
00:19:38,610 --> 00:19:40,879
The Press: And this weekend,
Congressman Steve King

436
00:19:40,879 --> 00:19:45,484
is hosting a Republican
summit in Iowa.

437
00:19:45,484 --> 00:19:46,451
Mr. Earnest: I read
a little about that.

438
00:19:46,451 --> 00:19:47,286
The Press: Yes.

439
00:19:47,286 --> 00:19:49,821
And the reason I'm asking
you about this is because

440
00:19:49,821 --> 00:19:53,190
Congressman King referred to
one of the President's

441
00:19:53,191 --> 00:19:55,460
and First Lady's guests
on Tuesday night

442
00:19:55,460 --> 00:19:56,995
as "a deportable."

443
00:19:56,995 --> 00:19:58,729
What's the White House
response to that?

444
00:19:58,730 --> 00:20:00,032
Mr. Earnest: I don't
have a response.

445
00:20:00,032 --> 00:20:01,133
The Press: And can I ask
you one other question?

446
00:20:01,133 --> 00:20:01,567
Mr. Earnest: Sure.

447
00:20:01,567 --> 00:20:02,968
The Press: Because
it's been a big topic

448
00:20:02,968 --> 00:20:03,869
of conversation this week.

449
00:20:03,869 --> 00:20:06,705
What is the President's
reaction to DeflateGate?

450
00:20:06,705 --> 00:20:09,308
(laughter)

451
00:20:09,308 --> 00:20:10,342
Does he have one?

452
00:20:10,342 --> 00:20:11,376
He's a sports fan.

453
00:20:11,376 --> 00:20:13,011
Mr. Earnest: I haven't --
yes, he is a big sports fan.

454
00:20:13,011 --> 00:20:17,582
I have not actually spoken to
him about this specific issue.

455
00:20:17,583 --> 00:20:19,484
The one thing I can tell
you is that for years

456
00:20:19,484 --> 00:20:22,321
it's been clear that there
is no risk that I was

457
00:20:22,321 --> 00:20:24,255
going to take Tom Brady's
job as the quarterback

458
00:20:24,256 --> 00:20:27,492
of the New England
Patriots, but I can

459
00:20:27,492 --> 00:20:28,961
tell you that as of
today it's pretty clear

460
00:20:28,961 --> 00:20:30,996
that there's no risk of
him taking my job either.

461
00:20:30,996 --> 00:20:33,432
The Press: Ooooh --

462
00:20:35,367 --> 00:20:39,037
Mr. Earnest: But that said --
that was kind of fun, right?

463
00:20:39,037 --> 00:20:41,373
(laughter)

464
00:20:41,740 --> 00:20:43,241
The Press: Did you guys --

465
00:20:43,241 --> 00:20:44,643
Mr. Earnest: No, actually
that was -- I came up with

466
00:20:44,643 --> 00:20:45,143
that on my own.

467
00:20:45,143 --> 00:20:46,778
(laughter)

468
00:20:46,778 --> 00:20:47,312
Thank you.

469
00:20:47,312 --> 00:20:47,913
Thank you.

470
00:20:47,913 --> 00:20:49,348
The Press: That was
properly inflated.

471
00:20:49,348 --> 00:20:51,149
(laughter)

472
00:20:53,285 --> 00:20:56,088
Mr. Earnest: Well, the thing
that is clear, though,

473
00:20:56,088 --> 00:21:01,927
about Mr. Brady's job is that
it does cause him to make

474
00:21:01,927 --> 00:21:04,029
snap decisions in very
high-pressure situations --

475
00:21:04,029 --> 00:21:06,465
(laughter)

476
00:21:06,465 --> 00:21:08,265
-- and he does it very well.

477
00:21:08,266 --> 00:21:09,434
He also is in a
position where those

478
00:21:09,434 --> 00:21:12,471
decisions are regularly
second-guessed.

479
00:21:12,471 --> 00:21:13,672
So I think certainly
on that level,

480
00:21:13,672 --> 00:21:15,407
he and I can relate
to one another.

481
00:21:15,407 --> 00:21:16,808
(laughter)

482
00:21:16,808 --> 00:21:18,543
But at the same time,
he also is preparing for his

483
00:21:18,543 --> 00:21:21,947
sixth Super Bowl, so he must
be doing something right.

484
00:21:21,947 --> 00:21:22,848
The Press: You don't think
the Patriots should

485
00:21:22,848 --> 00:21:25,851
be penalized, or Tom Brady
should be penalized?

486
00:21:25,851 --> 00:21:28,353
Mr. Earnest: I understand
that's something the NFL

487
00:21:28,353 --> 00:21:30,722
is considering right now,
so we'll leave it to them.

488
00:21:30,722 --> 00:21:31,757
So let's move
around a little bit.

489
00:21:31,757 --> 00:21:32,591
Jared.

490
00:21:32,591 --> 00:21:35,260
The Press: Not to ruin
everybody's fun on this,

491
00:21:35,260 --> 00:21:36,762
I'm going to go
back to Israel.

492
00:21:36,762 --> 00:21:40,631
You said that the
President wants

493
00:21:40,632 --> 00:21:44,536
the Israeli Prime Minister
to share his view on Iran.

494
00:21:44,536 --> 00:21:46,438
Is that safe to say
that he would welcome

495
00:21:46,438 --> 00:21:48,707
a change of Israel's
Prime Minister?

496
00:21:48,707 --> 00:21:50,509
Mr. Earnest: In
fact, we would.

497
00:21:50,509 --> 00:21:53,278
And that's a case that we've
made to him on many occasions,

498
00:21:53,278 --> 00:21:55,914
and that case has been made
at a variety of levels.

499
00:21:55,914 --> 00:21:58,216
But ultimately, it's the
responsibility of the Israeli

500
00:21:58,216 --> 00:22:00,552
Prime Minister to pursue a
national security strategy

501
00:22:00,552 --> 00:22:03,621
that he believes is in the
interest of his country.

502
00:22:03,622 --> 00:22:05,757
The President happens to
have a difference of opinion,

503
00:22:05,757 --> 00:22:09,194
which is he believes that it is
worth pursuing this diplomatic

504
00:22:09,194 --> 00:22:13,831
option with the Iranians, and he
believes that doing so is not

505
00:22:13,832 --> 00:22:15,834
just in the national security
interest of the United States,

506
00:22:15,834 --> 00:22:17,836
but it's in the national
security interest

507
00:22:17,836 --> 00:22:19,838
of our closest ally in the
region, which is Israel.

508
00:22:19,838 --> 00:22:21,840
The Press: So you'd
welcome a new person

509
00:22:21,840 --> 00:22:24,141
in the Prime Minister's
job in Israel after March --

510
00:22:24,142 --> 00:22:25,744
Mr. Earnest: No, that's --

511
00:22:27,212 --> 00:22:27,979
The Press: The question
was whether or not

512
00:22:27,979 --> 00:22:30,248
whether you would welcome a
new Israeli Prime Minister.

513
00:22:30,248 --> 00:22:32,617
Mr. Earnest: I'm sorry, I
thought you said welcome

514
00:22:32,617 --> 00:22:37,389
a new position taken by the
Israeli Prime Minister.

515
00:22:37,389 --> 00:22:39,725
But you said do we want a
new Israeli Prime Minister?

516
00:22:39,725 --> 00:22:40,391
The Press: Yes.

517
00:22:40,392 --> 00:22:42,127
Mr. Earnest: That
is obviously a --

518
00:22:44,029 --> 00:22:45,230
The Press: I don't want
to -- I know we were

519
00:22:45,230 --> 00:22:47,733
all having a little
bit of fun so I --

520
00:22:47,733 --> 00:22:49,400
Mr. Earnest:
Well, maybe so.

521
00:22:49,401 --> 00:22:52,204
The point is, Jared,
I think, as you know,

522
00:22:52,204 --> 00:22:54,239
it is our well-established
position here -- this is,

523
00:22:54,239 --> 00:22:56,475
after all, the reason that
the President will not

524
00:22:56,475 --> 00:22:58,209
be meeting with Prime
Minister Netanyahu when

525
00:22:58,210 --> 00:23:01,012
he comes to the United
States in March --

526
00:23:01,012 --> 00:23:04,649
is that we have no
interest in even

527
00:23:04,649 --> 00:23:07,918
appearing to interfere or to
influence the outcome

528
00:23:07,919 --> 00:23:10,589
of a democratically held
election in another country.

529
00:23:10,589 --> 00:23:15,793
So the decision about who
should be the leader of Israel

530
00:23:15,794 --> 00:23:17,796
is the responsibility of
the voters of Israel,

531
00:23:17,796 --> 00:23:20,665
and I'm not going to weigh
in one way or the other.

532
00:23:20,665 --> 00:23:21,733
The Press: But you said
a moment ago that

533
00:23:21,733 --> 00:23:23,935
you'd welcome -- the
President would welcome

534
00:23:23,935 --> 00:23:25,303
someone who shared
his view.

535
00:23:25,303 --> 00:23:25,871
So you'd welcome --

536
00:23:25,871 --> 00:23:27,072
Mr. Earnest: That's not
what I -- I misunderstood

537
00:23:27,072 --> 00:23:27,539
your question.

538
00:23:27,539 --> 00:23:30,475
What I had thought you
had asked me was whether

539
00:23:30,475 --> 00:23:32,244
or not we would welcome the
Prime Minister taking

540
00:23:32,244 --> 00:23:34,279
a new position.

541
00:23:34,279 --> 00:23:38,817
And I think that is evident
based on our efforts

542
00:23:38,817 --> 00:23:41,887
to persuade him to take a
new position on this.

543
00:23:41,887 --> 00:23:43,789
But again, he has to make
-- as I mentioned earlier,

544
00:23:43,789 --> 00:23:46,925
he has to make his own
decision about what

545
00:23:46,925 --> 00:23:49,161
he believes is in the
national security interest

546
00:23:49,161 --> 00:23:50,162
of his own country.

547
00:23:50,162 --> 00:23:52,731
The President happens to believe
that pursuing this diplomatic

548
00:23:52,731 --> 00:23:56,134
option -- or this diplomatic
opportunity with Iran

549
00:23:56,134 --> 00:23:58,570
is in the best interest of
America's national security

550
00:23:58,570 --> 00:24:00,405
and in the best interest of
the national security

551
00:24:00,405 --> 00:24:03,742
of our closest ally in the region, and that is Israel.

552
00:24:03,742 --> 00:24:06,110
And the reason for that
is simply that getting

553
00:24:06,111 --> 00:24:09,481
the Iranian regime to
voluntarily come into

554
00:24:09,481 --> 00:24:11,416
compliance with generally
accepted international

555
00:24:11,416 --> 00:24:14,719
standards, and to do so in a
way that we can verify

556
00:24:14,719 --> 00:24:17,289
is the best way for us to
ensure that those concerns

557
00:24:17,289 --> 00:24:19,991
are resolved; that other options, including options

558
00:24:19,991 --> 00:24:22,227
that include a military
strike, don't have

559
00:24:22,227 --> 00:24:24,329
the benefit of a
policy change that's

560
00:24:24,329 --> 00:24:26,731
adopted by the leadership of
the country and don't have

561
00:24:26,731 --> 00:24:30,335
the benefit of continued
verification measures.

562
00:24:30,335 --> 00:24:32,337
So the President has
been clear, and I think

563
00:24:32,337 --> 00:24:35,674
it is pretty clear to
anybody who is -- and I think

564
00:24:35,674 --> 00:24:38,844
it is pretty clear that
this is the option that's

565
00:24:38,844 --> 00:24:40,846
in the best interest
of both our countries.

566
00:24:40,846 --> 00:24:43,181
But again, Prime Minister
Netanyahu is the elected leader

567
00:24:43,181 --> 00:24:45,317
of Israel and he should be
making the policy decisions

568
00:24:45,317 --> 00:24:48,153
that he believes are in the
best interest of his country.

569
00:24:48,153 --> 00:24:50,222
And where those
differences occur,

570
00:24:50,222 --> 00:24:54,292
we will discuss them robustly
in public and in private,

571
00:24:54,292 --> 00:24:58,196
but it will not prevent us from
continuing the very important

572
00:24:58,196 --> 00:25:01,099
ongoing national security
cooperation coordination

573
00:25:01,099 --> 00:25:03,601
that's so critical to
both of our countries.

574
00:25:03,602 --> 00:25:05,604
The Press: In his tenure
as Prime Minister,

575
00:25:05,604 --> 00:25:08,373
has the White House had any
indication from Prime Minister

576
00:25:08,373 --> 00:25:10,876
Netanyahu that he is willing
to meet the President

577
00:25:10,876 --> 00:25:13,144
where the President is
on this issue of Iran?

578
00:25:13,144 --> 00:25:15,347
Mr. Earnest: Well, I'm
not going to read out all

579
00:25:15,347 --> 00:25:18,149
the many, many, many
private conversations that

580
00:25:18,149 --> 00:25:20,185
President Obama and Prime
Minister Netanyahu have had.

581
00:25:20,185 --> 00:25:21,086
The Press: I'm not asking
you to read them out.

582
00:25:21,086 --> 00:25:21,686
I'm asking you --

583
00:25:21,686 --> 00:25:22,353
Mr. Earnest:
Well, you are.

584
00:25:22,354 --> 00:25:23,188
You're asking me to
characterize those

585
00:25:23,188 --> 00:25:25,090
conversations, and I'm
not going to do that.

586
00:25:25,090 --> 00:25:25,956
Kristen.

587
00:25:25,957 --> 00:25:26,391
The Press: Josh, thanks.

588
00:25:26,391 --> 00:25:28,827
I want to ask you first
about some news that broke

589
00:25:28,827 --> 00:25:30,562
just before the briefing,
which is that there are

590
00:25:30,562 --> 00:25:33,564
some reports that the two Japanese hostages who were

591
00:25:33,565 --> 00:25:35,333
taken by ISIS have,
in fact, been killed.

592
00:25:35,333 --> 00:25:36,835
Can you confirm
those reports?

593
00:25:36,835 --> 00:25:38,503
Are you aware of them?

594
00:25:38,503 --> 00:25:38,937
Mr. Earnest: I'm not.

595
00:25:38,937 --> 00:25:40,705
This is the first I'm
hearing of the reports.

596
00:25:40,705 --> 00:25:42,206
I can tell you that the
United States strongly

597
00:25:42,207 --> 00:25:46,478
condemns ISIL's threat to
murder Japanese citizens.

598
00:25:46,478 --> 00:25:48,446
We call for the immediate
release of these civilians

599
00:25:48,446 --> 00:25:51,315
and all other hostages that
they may be holding.

600
00:25:51,316 --> 00:25:53,184
The United States is fully
supportive of Japan in this

601
00:25:53,184 --> 00:25:56,454
matter, and we stand in
solidarity with Japan

602
00:25:56,454 --> 00:25:59,624
and we're coordinating
closely with them.

603
00:25:59,624 --> 00:26:01,026
The Press: And do you know
if Japan has been able

604
00:26:01,026 --> 00:26:03,295
to contact ISIS?

605
00:26:03,295 --> 00:26:05,764
Because I know that that was
the issue earlier this morning.

606
00:26:05,764 --> 00:26:07,098
Mr. Earnest: I don't
have an update on that.

607
00:26:07,098 --> 00:26:07,732
I'm not aware.

608
00:26:07,732 --> 00:26:09,000
The Press: And I want
to follow up on Yemen

609
00:26:09,000 --> 00:26:14,439
and the questions that
Jim was asking you.

610
00:26:14,439 --> 00:26:16,141
Moving forward, what
does it mean for

611
00:26:16,141 --> 00:26:18,843
the U.S. policy, this
instability, specifically

612
00:26:18,843 --> 00:26:20,578
on the issue of drones?

613
00:26:20,578 --> 00:26:24,950
These Houthi rebels are
opposed to the use of drones.

614
00:26:24,950 --> 00:26:27,285
They see it as a violation
of Yemen's sovereignty.

615
00:26:27,285 --> 00:26:30,422
So does the United States need
to stop its drone program?

616
00:26:30,422 --> 00:26:32,223
Is that part of the
discussions going

617
00:26:32,223 --> 00:26:33,825
on right now?

618
00:26:33,825 --> 00:26:34,726
Mr. Earnest: Well,
I'm not aware of any

619
00:26:34,726 --> 00:26:35,527
discussions like this.

620
00:26:35,527 --> 00:26:37,462
This administration remains
committed to pursuing

621
00:26:37,462 --> 00:26:41,032
a counterterrorism strategy
against AQAP to protect

622
00:26:41,032 --> 00:26:43,735
the American people
and our interests.

623
00:26:43,735 --> 00:26:46,004
We've indicated on a number of
occasions that we believe that

624
00:26:46,004 --> 00:26:50,841
AQAP is probably the most
dangerous al Qaeda affiliate

625
00:26:50,842 --> 00:26:52,077
around the world.

626
00:26:52,077 --> 00:26:54,713
Some of that is because of the
sophistication that they've

627
00:26:54,713 --> 00:26:57,949
demonstrated in terms of
their bomb-making program.

628
00:26:57,949 --> 00:27:00,285
And we remain vigilant
about the threat that

629
00:27:00,285 --> 00:27:01,619
is posed by AQAP.

630
00:27:01,619 --> 00:27:08,525
And we certainly did have a
strong working relationship

631
00:27:08,526 --> 00:27:13,531
with President Hadi and
other members of the Yemeni

632
00:27:13,531 --> 00:27:18,636
national security
infrastructure to jointly

633
00:27:18,636 --> 00:27:19,637
confronting that threat.

634
00:27:19,637 --> 00:27:21,639
After all, AQAP has
carried out a number

635
00:27:21,639 --> 00:27:25,377
of terror attacks against
the Yemeni people.

636
00:27:25,377 --> 00:27:29,880
And the United States certainly
welcomed, and welcomes,

637
00:27:29,881 --> 00:27:32,684
that kind of coordination
and collaboration.

638
00:27:32,684 --> 00:27:34,686
But I don't have any
policy changes to announce

639
00:27:34,686 --> 00:27:35,687
at this point.

640
00:27:35,687 --> 00:27:38,322
I would note one other thing
that I think is also relevant,

641
00:27:38,323 --> 00:27:43,495
is that the Houthi rebel
group is not at all

642
00:27:43,495 --> 00:27:44,629
aligned with AQAP.

643
00:27:44,629 --> 00:27:46,497
In fact, they are enemies.

644
00:27:46,498 --> 00:27:51,603
So the fact that there is this
political instability in Yemen

645
00:27:51,603 --> 00:27:57,375
is not an indication that AQAP
is gaining any influence.

646
00:27:57,375 --> 00:28:00,245
We do, however, remain
concerned because al Qaeda

647
00:28:00,245 --> 00:28:03,048
affiliates in other places
around the globe have tried

648
00:28:03,048 --> 00:28:07,052
to capitalize on political
insecurity in one country

649
00:28:07,052 --> 00:28:08,986
and to fill that
power vacuum.

650
00:28:08,987 --> 00:28:10,989
So we remain
vigilant about that.

651
00:28:10,989 --> 00:28:16,294
But it's not as if this is
some sort of AQAP sympathetic

652
00:28:16,294 --> 00:28:19,097
government or rebel movement.

653
00:28:19,097 --> 00:28:19,397
The Press: Understood.

654
00:28:19,397 --> 00:28:21,433
But they do see these
drones as violation

655
00:28:21,433 --> 00:28:22,700
of Yemen's sovereignty.

656
00:28:22,700 --> 00:28:25,370
So does that not complicate
U.S. foreign policy

657
00:28:25,370 --> 00:28:26,905
moving forward
and your ability

658
00:28:26,905 --> 00:28:28,106
to work with them?

659
00:28:28,106 --> 00:28:30,375
Has there been any
outreach to them?

660
00:28:30,375 --> 00:28:33,545
Mr. Earnest: No -- well, I
don't know the answer to that.

661
00:28:33,545 --> 00:28:38,316
The fact is we have worked
closely with the Hadi

662
00:28:38,316 --> 00:28:41,920
government, and we certainly
want to continue our work

663
00:28:41,920 --> 00:28:48,093
with the government of Yemen
to pursue this important

664
00:28:48,093 --> 00:28:49,661
counterterrorism
effort that, again,

665
00:28:49,661 --> 00:28:51,596
is clearly in the best
interest of the United States,

666
00:28:51,596 --> 00:28:54,032
but also clearly in the best
interest of the Yemeni people.

667
00:28:54,032 --> 00:28:57,001
AQAP has killed far
more Yemeni citizens

668
00:28:57,001 --> 00:28:58,269
than American citizens.

669
00:28:58,269 --> 00:29:04,976
So there is a good reason
for us to expect to have

670
00:29:04,976 --> 00:29:07,145
a counterterrorism partnership
with the leadership

671
00:29:07,145 --> 00:29:08,079
of that country.

672
00:29:08,079 --> 00:29:09,614
The Press: And it's my
understanding that many

673
00:29:09,614 --> 00:29:11,449
of the U.S. personnel
have been evacuated from

674
00:29:11,449 --> 00:29:13,284
the embassy, but the
embassy is still open.

675
00:29:13,284 --> 00:29:16,020
And I guess my question
is, is that still accurate?

676
00:29:16,020 --> 00:29:17,388
Has anything changed?

677
00:29:17,388 --> 00:29:19,756
And if not, why
is it still open,

678
00:29:19,757 --> 00:29:23,228
given what's happening
there right now?

679
00:29:23,228 --> 00:29:25,196
Mr. Earnest: I can tell you
that last fall there was

680
00:29:25,196 --> 00:29:27,966
drawdown of personnel
from the embassy to just

681
00:29:27,966 --> 00:29:31,136
the core essential staff
that was operating there.

682
00:29:31,136 --> 00:29:34,272
The U.S. embassy, as
of today, continues

683
00:29:34,272 --> 00:29:41,279
to remain open and
functioning in Yemen.

684
00:29:41,279 --> 00:29:44,415
And the reason for that is that
we have security experts

685
00:29:44,415 --> 00:29:47,752
on the ground in Yemen who are
regularly evaluating the

686
00:29:47,752 --> 00:29:51,156
security situation there,
and if additional steps need

687
00:29:51,156 --> 00:29:53,825
to be taken to ensure the
safety and security of American

688
00:29:53,825 --> 00:29:56,194
personnel, then we'll take
those steps, and we have all

689
00:29:56,194 --> 00:29:59,264
of the capacity that we
need to take those steps.

690
00:29:59,264 --> 00:30:02,433
That said, I would also want to
repeat something that people on

691
00:30:02,433 --> 00:30:04,669
both sides of -- leaders on both
sides of this conflict have

692
00:30:04,669 --> 00:30:08,973
articulated, which is that they
have committed to protecting

693
00:30:08,973 --> 00:30:13,378
the safety of foreign diplomats
that are operating in Yemen.

694
00:30:13,378 --> 00:30:17,048
And we certainly would expect
them to keep that commitment.

695
00:30:17,048 --> 00:30:22,420
But we're also going to be
vigilant as we monitor the

696
00:30:22,420 --> 00:30:25,456
security situation in Yemen,
and we'll take whatever steps

697
00:30:25,456 --> 00:30:28,659
that our experts believe are
necessary to ensure the safety

698
00:30:28,660 --> 00:30:30,695
and security of Americans
who are serving the country

699
00:30:30,695 --> 00:30:32,830
over there.

700
00:30:32,830 --> 00:30:33,497
The Press: Thanks, Josh.

701
00:30:33,498 --> 00:30:34,832
Back to the State of
the Union for a second.

702
00:30:34,832 --> 00:30:38,870
Why did the President
make no reference at all

703
00:30:38,870 --> 00:30:40,638
to what happened in
the midterm elections,

704
00:30:40,638 --> 00:30:44,375
specifically not
congratulating or welcoming

705
00:30:44,375 --> 00:30:47,011
Senator Mitch McConnell as
the new Majority Leader

706
00:30:47,011 --> 00:30:47,812
of the Republican Senate?

707
00:30:47,812 --> 00:30:51,882
Was that ever included
in any early ideas

708
00:30:51,883 --> 00:30:54,519
of the speech or
drafts of the speech?

709
00:30:54,519 --> 00:30:55,553
Mr. Earnest: Well, I wasn't
in all of the discussions

710
00:30:55,553 --> 00:30:56,921
about the speech, but it
didn't come up in any

711
00:30:56,921 --> 00:30:58,389
of the discussions
that I participated

712
00:30:58,389 --> 00:31:01,125
in and I didn't see it
in any of the drafts.

713
00:31:01,125 --> 00:31:03,628
I think at least one reason for
that is that the President,

714
00:31:03,628 --> 00:31:06,097
on a number of occasions
since the midterm elections,

715
00:31:06,097 --> 00:31:09,533
has had the opportunity to
congratulate Senator McConnell

716
00:31:09,534 --> 00:31:13,538
in his new position and to
indicate his desire to work

717
00:31:13,538 --> 00:31:17,842
closely with the new Republican
majority where we can to try

718
00:31:17,842 --> 00:31:21,179
to advance the interests of
the American middle class.

719
00:31:21,179 --> 00:31:25,717
So I think that's the best way
I can answer your question,

720
00:31:25,717 --> 00:31:28,686
which is to say that he
already has congratulated him.

721
00:31:28,686 --> 00:31:29,787
The Press: But in the
biggest audience ever,

722
00:31:29,787 --> 00:31:32,757
the biggest audience that the
President has had since then,

723
00:31:32,757 --> 00:31:33,958
he completely ignored him.

724
00:31:33,958 --> 00:31:36,594
What does that say about the
desire of this White House

725
00:31:36,594 --> 00:31:38,396
to work with the new
Republican leaders

726
00:31:38,396 --> 00:31:39,563
in Congress?

727
00:31:39,564 --> 00:31:40,832
Mr. Earnest: Well, I
guess, Jeff, what I would

728
00:31:40,832 --> 00:31:42,800
do is I would point you
to the number of meetings

729
00:31:42,800 --> 00:31:44,435
that the President has already
convened here at the White House

730
00:31:44,435 --> 00:31:46,870
with the new Republican
leadership to talk about

731
00:31:46,871 --> 00:31:48,973
our efforts to try to find
some common ground

732
00:31:48,973 --> 00:31:51,643
on where it exists.

733
00:31:51,643 --> 00:31:54,345
There were a number of
occasions in the speech where

734
00:31:54,345 --> 00:31:56,114
the President made specific
reference to opportunities

735
00:31:56,114 --> 00:31:58,383
that may exist to work
with Republicans.

736
00:31:58,383 --> 00:32:01,319
The President laid out what
I think -- I guess what

737
00:32:01,319 --> 00:32:04,289
all of you even described
as a pretty bold

738
00:32:04,289 --> 00:32:06,624
and ambitious agenda for
the remaining two years,

739
00:32:06,624 --> 00:32:08,860
and the President is
keenly aware that in order

740
00:32:08,860 --> 00:32:11,161
to advance that agenda,
we're going to have to work

741
00:32:11,162 --> 00:32:13,164
in bipartisan fashion, at
least if we're going

742
00:32:13,164 --> 00:32:15,166
to advance it through the
Congress because there's

743
00:32:15,166 --> 00:32:17,168
a Republican majority in
both houses of Congress.

744
00:32:17,168 --> 00:32:22,840
So that's why the President went
to great lengths in the speech

745
00:32:22,840 --> 00:32:26,043
to talk about how important
it is for us to focus

746
00:32:26,044 --> 00:32:27,045
on our shared values.

747
00:32:27,045 --> 00:32:29,113
It would be easy for us to
identify all the differences

748
00:32:29,113 --> 00:32:30,648
in our positions on things.

749
00:32:30,648 --> 00:32:32,617
And they are plentiful.

750
00:32:32,617 --> 00:32:34,619
But there are also many
areas where there

751
00:32:34,619 --> 00:32:36,620
are some value-based
agreements.

752
00:32:36,621 --> 00:32:38,623
And the President is hopeful
that we can capitalize

753
00:32:38,623 --> 00:32:40,625
on the common ground
where it does exist

754
00:32:40,625 --> 00:32:42,193
to try to move the
country forward.

755
00:32:42,193 --> 00:32:43,461
The Press: Wouldn't a hat
tip to Senator McConnell

756
00:32:43,461 --> 00:32:45,596
made that
easier, though?

757
00:32:45,596 --> 00:32:48,533
Mr. Earnest: I'm not sure
that it would have, really.

758
00:32:48,533 --> 00:32:49,634
The Press: It
wouldn't have hurt.

759
00:32:49,634 --> 00:32:50,401
Mr. Earnest: And this
is why I would say that.

760
00:32:50,401 --> 00:32:52,937
Senator McConnell is
somebody who has accepted

761
00:32:52,937 --> 00:32:56,640
the congratulations
of the President,

762
00:32:56,641 --> 00:32:58,643
so it wouldn't have been
the first time that

763
00:32:58,643 --> 00:33:00,645
he'd have heard that
from the President.

764
00:33:00,645 --> 00:33:02,613
I also know that Senator
McConnell is somebody who

765
00:33:02,613 --> 00:33:04,615
doesn't allow his own ego to
get in the way of actually

766
00:33:04,615 --> 00:33:06,617
pursuing a constructive
agenda for the country.

767
00:33:06,617 --> 00:33:08,619
So I'd be surprised if Senator
McConnell or somebody on his

768
00:33:08,619 --> 00:33:10,620
team were to say, well, we were
so offended by the President's

769
00:33:10,621 --> 00:33:12,623
speech, we're not going to
work with you on anything.

770
00:33:12,623 --> 00:33:15,693
That's not how -- that's not
the kind of leadership that

771
00:33:15,693 --> 00:33:17,695
Senator McConnell has shown
throughout his career.

772
00:33:17,695 --> 00:33:19,697
I think he has indicated on
a number of occasions

773
00:33:19,697 --> 00:33:21,765
his desire to try to
work with the President,

774
00:33:21,766 --> 00:33:25,470
and I think we should take
him at his word at it.

775
00:33:25,470 --> 00:33:26,504
Alexis.

776
00:33:26,504 --> 00:33:29,005
The Press: Can I follow up on
what Jeff was just asking,

777
00:33:29,006 --> 00:33:31,876
and that is, as you know, in the
past one of the rubs against

778
00:33:31,876 --> 00:33:37,382
President Obama is that his
speeches are very well received

779
00:33:37,382 --> 00:33:39,717
in the public, but that the
follow-through sometime

780
00:33:39,717 --> 00:33:44,389
with lawmakers falls apart,
it doesn't go anywhere.

781
00:33:44,389 --> 00:33:45,356
So my question is --

782
00:33:45,356 --> 00:33:47,024
Mr. Earnest: That is what
lawmakers often say.

783
00:33:47,024 --> 00:33:47,758
The Press: Yes.

784
00:33:47,759 --> 00:33:50,094
So my question to you is,
because the President is now

785
00:33:50,094 --> 00:33:53,498
dealing with Republican
majorities -- and I don't know

786
00:33:53,498 --> 00:33:56,234
if you saw, Speaker Boehner
and Mitch McConnell gave

787
00:33:56,234 --> 00:33:58,636
an interview to CBS -- it
will be on "60 Minutes."

788
00:33:58,636 --> 00:33:59,904
I saw part of
that last night.

789
00:33:59,904 --> 00:34:00,571
I'm sure you did, too.

790
00:34:00,571 --> 00:34:01,238
Mr. Earnest: I
didn't actually.

791
00:34:01,239 --> 00:34:02,273
That sounds interesting.

792
00:34:02,273 --> 00:34:03,674
I'll have to set my DVR.

793
00:34:03,674 --> 00:34:07,011
The Press: So my question
is, what's the President's

794
00:34:07,011 --> 00:34:09,580
actual technique now
to follow through?

795
00:34:09,580 --> 00:34:13,250
Is he going to convene the kind
of discussions that you're

796
00:34:13,251 --> 00:34:16,120
suggesting would be much more
meaningful where they talk

797
00:34:16,120 --> 00:34:19,690
about real issues and move
ahead piece by piece?

798
00:34:19,690 --> 00:34:21,426
Or how is he going
to approach his new

799
00:34:21,426 --> 00:34:25,362
relationship in trying to
push forward his agenda?

800
00:34:25,362 --> 00:34:29,866
Mr. Earnest: The President
values the -- well,

801
00:34:29,867 --> 00:34:30,368
let me say it this way.

802
00:34:30,368 --> 00:34:32,603
The President understands
how important it is for him

803
00:34:32,603 --> 00:34:35,206
to work with Republican
leaders to advance legislation

804
00:34:35,206 --> 00:34:36,741
in the Congress.

805
00:34:36,741 --> 00:34:41,978
And again, it's self-evident
that there is a Republican

806
00:34:41,978 --> 00:34:44,748
majority in the Congress and
so if we want to advance

807
00:34:44,748 --> 00:34:46,750
our agenda through the
Congress, we're going

808
00:34:46,751 --> 00:34:48,753
to have to work in
bipartisan fashion to do it.

809
00:34:48,753 --> 00:34:51,522
It may require doing
things like the President

810
00:34:51,522 --> 00:34:53,524
did at the end of
last year, where

811
00:34:53,524 --> 00:34:55,525
he had to sign a
piece of legislation,

812
00:34:55,525 --> 00:34:57,528
budget legislation that
overall was good for

813
00:34:57,528 --> 00:34:59,529
the country but it
included some things

814
00:34:59,530 --> 00:35:01,532
in it that the
President didn't like.

815
00:35:01,532 --> 00:35:03,534
I'm confident that there will
be other signing ceremonies

816
00:35:03,534 --> 00:35:05,837
where the President has to
do something similar,

817
00:35:05,837 --> 00:35:08,506
and that is I think sort of
the spirit of cooperation

818
00:35:08,506 --> 00:35:11,475
and compromise that
will be critical

819
00:35:11,476 --> 00:35:13,478
to making any progress
through the Congress.

820
00:35:13,478 --> 00:35:15,980
Now, the other thing that's
important to recognize --

821
00:35:15,980 --> 00:35:19,550
and certainly the President
understands this, too --

822
00:35:19,550 --> 00:35:22,053
that as the most
powerful elected leader

823
00:35:22,053 --> 00:35:24,288
in the United States of
America, there are other

824
00:35:24,288 --> 00:35:25,890
ways to advance your
agenda than just

825
00:35:25,890 --> 00:35:27,258
working through Congress.

826
00:35:27,258 --> 00:35:29,560
And that's been particularly
important because over

827
00:35:29,560 --> 00:35:33,865
the last four or six years,
we've seen Republican members

828
00:35:33,865 --> 00:35:35,732
of Congress execute a
political strategy to just

829
00:35:35,733 --> 00:35:37,969
try to block the President
in whatever he does.

830
00:35:37,969 --> 00:35:40,171
So if there's an opportunity
for the President to use

831
00:35:40,171 --> 00:35:42,740
his executive authority to
move the country forward,

832
00:35:42,740 --> 00:35:43,774
he won't hesitate to do that.

833
00:35:43,774 --> 00:35:49,180
And if there's an opportunity
for him to work with governors

834
00:35:49,180 --> 00:35:51,682
and mayors and local
elected officials to try

835
00:35:51,682 --> 00:35:53,683
to advance his agenda at
the state and local level,

836
00:35:53,684 --> 00:35:54,785
we'll do that, too.

837
00:35:54,785 --> 00:35:57,053
And in fact, the President is
meeting with members

838
00:35:57,054 --> 00:35:59,023
of the U.S. Conference
of Mayors later today

839
00:35:59,023 --> 00:36:01,025
at the White House to talk
about exactly that.

840
00:36:01,025 --> 00:36:04,262
So I would urge you not to
just use the passage

841
00:36:04,262 --> 00:36:09,367
of legislation as the
singular measure of success

842
00:36:09,367 --> 00:36:11,369
of the President's ability
to advance his agenda.

843
00:36:11,369 --> 00:36:14,939
And the reason I say that
is that's not the bar

844
00:36:14,939 --> 00:36:15,973
of success that we use.

845
00:36:15,973 --> 00:36:19,143
The Press: I was asking a
more particular question.

846
00:36:19,143 --> 00:36:21,546
So, for instance, when
Speaker Boehner said

847
00:36:21,546 --> 00:36:25,750
last night to CBS that
he's open to tripling

848
00:36:25,750 --> 00:36:28,085
the child care
tax credit --

849
00:36:28,085 --> 00:36:29,620
he went through a list
of things that he said

850
00:36:29,620 --> 00:36:32,323
are dead, but he said,
I'm open to that,;

851
00:36:32,323 --> 00:36:33,424
I'd like to see the
President's budget,

852
00:36:33,424 --> 00:36:34,792
we're going to
talk about that.

853
00:36:34,792 --> 00:36:39,096
And Mitch McConnell said,
I want to add trade --

854
00:36:39,096 --> 00:36:41,499
he said, I want to
talk about trade.

855
00:36:41,499 --> 00:36:43,500
So I'm asking a very
particular question.

856
00:36:43,501 --> 00:36:45,770
Is the President going to be
dealing with them offline,

857
00:36:45,770 --> 00:36:48,439
on the phone, talking
to them issue by issue?

858
00:36:48,439 --> 00:36:50,441
This is a new age.

859
00:36:50,441 --> 00:36:52,209
I'm just asking the
particulars of how does

860
00:36:52,209 --> 00:36:53,944
he want to deal with them
on a personal level --

861
00:36:53,945 --> 00:36:56,647
off-screen or what?

862
00:36:56,647 --> 00:36:58,149
Mr. Earnest: I'm confident
that the President will

863
00:36:58,149 --> 00:37:00,384
convene meetings and
have conversations with

864
00:37:00,384 --> 00:37:03,254
Republicans both in
public and in private.

865
00:37:03,254 --> 00:37:05,589
It's been that way for six
years and I think that

866
00:37:05,590 --> 00:37:06,857
that will continue.

867
00:37:06,857 --> 00:37:11,295
And we are hopeful that the
kind of spirit that apparently

868
00:37:11,295 --> 00:37:13,297
Speaker Boehner and Leader
McConnell were expressing

869
00:37:13,297 --> 00:37:16,000
in that interview
actually does bear fruit.

870
00:37:16,000 --> 00:37:20,037
As the President I think
conveyed pretty persuasively

871
00:37:20,037 --> 00:37:24,174
yesterday in Lawrence, Kansas,
he does believe strongly that

872
00:37:24,175 --> 00:37:29,647
significantly increasing the
tax credit for child care would

873
00:37:29,647 --> 00:37:31,716
have a very positive impact
on middle-class families

874
00:37:31,716 --> 00:37:32,717
all across the country.

875
00:37:32,717 --> 00:37:35,086
So if there are opportunities
like that where common ground

876
00:37:35,086 --> 00:37:38,221
exists, we're going to seize
it and that will include

877
00:37:38,222 --> 00:37:40,224
some presidential-level
conversations.

878
00:37:40,224 --> 00:37:42,226
I'm confident it will
include many more

879
00:37:42,226 --> 00:37:43,260
staff-level conversations.

880
00:37:43,260 --> 00:37:45,262
It will include some
public meetings.

881
00:37:45,262 --> 00:37:47,231
It may include a
private meeting or two.

882
00:37:47,231 --> 00:37:49,500
But the President is
determined to try

883
00:37:49,500 --> 00:37:51,135
to advance his agenda
wherever he can.

884
00:37:51,135 --> 00:37:53,137
And we certainly would
look for every opportunity

885
00:37:53,137 --> 00:37:55,206
we have to advance it
through Congress, but we're

886
00:37:55,206 --> 00:37:57,675
going to look for other
opportunities, too.

887
00:37:57,675 --> 00:37:58,309
Leslie.

888
00:37:58,309 --> 00:37:59,210
The Press: Thanks, Josh.

889
00:37:59,210 --> 00:38:01,779
You said last week that the
President would make a forceful

890
00:38:01,779 --> 00:38:05,650
case on trade to both
Republicans and Democrats,

891
00:38:05,650 --> 00:38:08,786
but I'm wondering why he hasn't
met with the Trans-Pacific

892
00:38:08,786 --> 00:38:12,023
Partnership caucus in Congress
and if you could tell

893
00:38:12,023 --> 00:38:15,393
me how vocal and how much
he plans to get involved

894
00:38:15,393 --> 00:38:18,896
in talking to members of
his own party on trade.

895
00:38:18,896 --> 00:38:20,698
Mr. Earnest: Well, I'm
confident there are members

896
00:38:20,698 --> 00:38:23,033
of that caucus that have
heard from senior

897
00:38:23,034 --> 00:38:26,137
White House officials,
including the United States

898
00:38:26,137 --> 00:38:29,140
Trade Representative, Mike Froman, on this issue.

899
00:38:29,140 --> 00:38:31,741
Again, we're committed to
working closely with Congress

900
00:38:31,742 --> 00:38:34,311
because, ultimately, to secure
and agreement like this,

901
00:38:34,311 --> 00:38:37,114
we're going to have to get
congressional approval for it.

902
00:38:37,114 --> 00:38:39,417
The President has been
clear that he's not going

903
00:38:39,417 --> 00:38:41,519
to reach any sort of
international agreement that

904
00:38:41,519 --> 00:38:43,687
he doesn't believe is clearly
in the best interests

905
00:38:43,688 --> 00:38:45,556
of American businesses,
American workers

906
00:38:45,556 --> 00:38:47,324
and American
middle-class families.

907
00:38:47,324 --> 00:38:50,227
That standard is one that
we're going to continue

908
00:38:50,227 --> 00:38:51,895
to apply.

909
00:38:51,896 --> 00:38:54,365
But I suspect that
that's a standard that

910
00:38:54,365 --> 00:38:56,366
a majority of members
of Congress agree with.

911
00:38:56,367 --> 00:39:00,504
And we're going to continue
to make that case both

912
00:39:00,504 --> 00:39:02,473
to Democrats and Republicans,
including members

913
00:39:02,473 --> 00:39:06,310
of the Transpacific Partnership
caucus in the Congress.

914
00:39:06,310 --> 00:39:07,712
The Press: -- had a
chance the meet with any

915
00:39:07,712 --> 00:39:08,446
of the members?

916
00:39:08,446 --> 00:39:09,380
Representative Reichert
said he's been asking for

917
00:39:09,380 --> 00:39:11,716
a meeting and hasn't gotten
one for several months.

918
00:39:11,716 --> 00:39:13,750
Mr. Earnest: I don't have any --
I'm not aware of any specific

919
00:39:13,751 --> 00:39:15,820
meetings that are on the
books, but I'm confident that

920
00:39:15,820 --> 00:39:18,889
if Congressman Reichert wants
to have a conversation with

921
00:39:18,889 --> 00:39:20,691
somebody at the White
House or somebody inside

922
00:39:20,691 --> 00:39:23,227
the administration about
the status of the talks

923
00:39:23,227 --> 00:39:26,430
that he'll get his
phone call returned.

924
00:39:26,430 --> 00:39:27,431
Byron.

925
00:39:27,431 --> 00:39:28,199
The Press: Thanks, Josh.

926
00:39:28,199 --> 00:39:30,401
You talked a little bit about
this in the gaggle yesterday,

927
00:39:30,401 --> 00:39:33,404
but what's the cutoff for
the President not meeting

928
00:39:33,404 --> 00:39:35,873
with world leaders who are
running for reelection?

929
00:39:35,873 --> 00:39:37,241
For example, he did a
joint interview

930
00:39:37,241 --> 00:39:38,809
with Francois Hollande.

931
00:39:38,809 --> 00:39:42,680
He went to Berlin ahead of
Angela Merkel's election.

932
00:39:42,680 --> 00:39:46,517
What's the period in which
these visits are acceptable?

933
00:39:46,517 --> 00:39:48,118
Mr. Earnest: Well,
Byron, I can't give you

934
00:39:48,119 --> 00:39:49,520
a specific time period.

935
00:39:49,520 --> 00:39:52,223
I'm not sure that
there's a big difference

936
00:39:52,223 --> 00:39:58,929
between 28 days or 45 days or
90 days, or whatever it is.

937
00:39:58,929 --> 00:40:03,734
I think we all probably, as
reasonable observers of the

938
00:40:03,734 --> 00:40:08,339
political process, would
conclude that having a meeting

939
00:40:08,339 --> 00:40:11,609
about two weeks before a
national election might raise

940
00:40:11,609 --> 00:40:14,511
questions in some quarters
about whether or not that

941
00:40:14,512 --> 00:40:17,515
was an attempt to interfere
or to try to influence

942
00:40:17,515 --> 00:40:19,517
the outcome of a
democratically held election.

943
00:40:19,517 --> 00:40:21,519
That's precisely what
we're trying to avoid.

944
00:40:21,519 --> 00:40:25,689
We want to avoid even the
appearance of doing so.

945
00:40:25,689 --> 00:40:28,125
And that's why the
President has decided that,

946
00:40:28,125 --> 00:40:30,127
on this trip that's
planned for March,

947
00:40:30,127 --> 00:40:32,129
that he will not be meeting
with Prime Minister Netanyahu.

948
00:40:32,129 --> 00:40:34,198
The Press: Changing
topics a little bit.

949
00:40:34,198 --> 00:40:37,634
The President said that the
2010 Citizens United decision

950
00:40:37,635 --> 00:40:40,504
allowed big companies,
including foreign corporations,

951
00:40:40,504 --> 00:40:43,040
to spend unlimited amounts
of money on our elections.

952
00:40:43,040 --> 00:40:45,442
He made that statement
in 2010; he made

953
00:40:45,442 --> 00:40:46,443
it again this week.

954
00:40:46,443 --> 00:40:48,445
What's the basis
for that statement?

955
00:40:48,445 --> 00:40:51,382
Because the decision did
not address specifically

956
00:40:51,382 --> 00:40:53,384
foreign corporations
spending money.

957
00:40:53,384 --> 00:40:55,386
In fact, federal courts
have upheld the ban

958
00:40:55,386 --> 00:40:56,353
on foreign spending.

959
00:40:56,353 --> 00:40:58,355
What's the basis
for that statement?

960
00:40:58,355 --> 00:41:00,357
Mr. Earnest: The President was
talking about the practical

961
00:41:00,357 --> 00:41:03,627
impact of that ruling, and the
practical impact of the ruling

962
00:41:03,627 --> 00:41:07,331
is that it blunted a lot of
transparency requirements

963
00:41:07,331 --> 00:41:10,134
and therefore, it's very
difficult for us to tell

964
00:41:10,134 --> 00:41:12,369
exactly who is funding
some of these campaigns.

965
00:41:12,369 --> 00:41:13,637
And this is something the
President has talked about

966
00:41:13,637 --> 00:41:15,773
pretty extensively,
as you point out.

967
00:41:15,773 --> 00:41:18,209
And that's why the President
is supportive of what

968
00:41:18,209 --> 00:41:23,413
will probably be required
to change that policy

969
00:41:23,414 --> 00:41:25,416
and it's likely to be a
constitutional amendment.

970
00:41:25,416 --> 00:41:27,351
Now, the viability of trying to
get that through the Congress

971
00:41:27,351 --> 00:41:31,388
and through the requisite
number of states is difficult.

972
00:41:31,388 --> 00:41:33,123
The odds of that are
pretty long at this point.

973
00:41:33,123 --> 00:41:36,694
But that's why the President
was very concerned about

974
00:41:36,694 --> 00:41:40,130
the impact of the
Citizens United ruling,

975
00:41:40,130 --> 00:41:41,565
and it's why he
continues to advocate

976
00:41:41,565 --> 00:41:43,534
for measures in
the Congress that would

977
00:41:43,534 --> 00:41:45,703
bring greater transparency
and disclosure

978
00:41:45,703 --> 00:41:47,872
to the political
financing process.

979
00:41:47,872 --> 00:41:49,272
The Press: But there are
things he can do unilaterally

980
00:41:49,273 --> 00:41:52,476
to make changes around the
margins in campaign finance,

981
00:41:52,476 --> 00:41:55,980
including -- there are four
FEC commissioners whose

982
00:41:55,980 --> 00:41:57,248
terms are expired.

983
00:41:57,248 --> 00:42:00,251
The White House was considering
a contractor disclosure

984
00:42:00,251 --> 00:42:01,819
executive order in 2012.

985
00:42:01,819 --> 00:42:04,521
Why haven't any of those things
gotten done if the President

986
00:42:04,521 --> 00:42:07,758
is so unhappy with the sort of
state of campaign finance?

987
00:42:07,758 --> 00:42:09,460
Mr. Earnest: Well, I don't think
either of those things would

988
00:42:09,460 --> 00:42:12,897
necessarily address exactly
the problem that you raised.

989
00:42:12,897 --> 00:42:15,665
But we certainly are
interested in this issue,

990
00:42:15,666 --> 00:42:18,102
and the President has
been pretty clear about

991
00:42:18,102 --> 00:42:20,404
why it's important.

992
00:42:20,404 --> 00:42:23,874
But I don't have any either
personnel announcements or

993
00:42:23,874 --> 00:42:26,209
speculation about executive
orders to contribute

994
00:42:26,210 --> 00:42:28,345
to at this point.

995
00:42:28,345 --> 00:42:29,379
Kevin.

996
00:42:29,380 --> 00:42:30,414
The Press: I wanted to
ask you about Mosul

997
00:42:30,414 --> 00:42:34,184
and the possibility of more
American boots on the ground.

998
00:42:34,184 --> 00:42:36,053
Can you unpack that for us?

999
00:42:36,053 --> 00:42:37,955
Mr. Earnest: Well, was
there a recent report

1000
00:42:37,955 --> 00:42:39,089
about this, or --

1001
00:42:39,089 --> 00:42:39,790
The Press: (inaudible)

1002
00:42:39,790 --> 00:42:40,190
Mr. Earnest: Okay.

1003
00:42:40,190 --> 00:42:41,759
I haven't seen that
specific report, but I can

1004
00:42:41,759 --> 00:42:44,828
tell you that the President
remains resolute about

1005
00:42:44,828 --> 00:42:47,096
what he believes is clearly in
the national security interest

1006
00:42:47,097 --> 00:42:49,600
of the United States, which
is he does not believe that

1007
00:42:49,600 --> 00:42:52,336
it would be in our best
interests for a large-scale,

1008
00:42:52,336 --> 00:42:57,174
military deployment to
be executed in Iraq,

1009
00:42:57,174 --> 00:43:02,846
that committing more
American ground troops

1010
00:43:02,846 --> 00:43:06,283
in a combat role to Iraq is
not in our best interest.

1011
00:43:06,283 --> 00:43:08,919
And the President believes that
we should continue pursuing the

1012
00:43:08,919 --> 00:43:11,754
strategy that has already
borne some fruit in Iraq,

1013
00:43:11,755 --> 00:43:17,261
that we can put a limited number
of military personnel into Iraq

1014
00:43:17,261 --> 00:43:22,666
to serve in a training role
to build up the capacity

1015
00:43:22,666 --> 00:43:24,902
of Iraqi security forces so
that they can take the fight

1016
00:43:24,902 --> 00:43:28,339
on the ground to ISIL
forces that are operating

1017
00:43:28,339 --> 00:43:29,340
in that country.

1018
00:43:29,340 --> 00:43:31,342
And the President
continues to believe

1019
00:43:31,342 --> 00:43:32,343
that that is the
best strategy.

1020
00:43:32,343 --> 00:43:34,345
The Press: I want to go
back to the Middle East.

1021
00:43:34,345 --> 00:43:36,346
And you'd acknowledge
some instability now,

1022
00:43:36,347 --> 00:43:38,349
especially with what's
happening in Yemen,

1023
00:43:38,349 --> 00:43:41,085
obviously, with the change in
leadership in Saudi Arabia,

1024
00:43:41,085 --> 00:43:43,120
and Iran's growing profile.

1025
00:43:43,120 --> 00:43:45,122
You talked about
a power vacuum.

1026
00:43:45,122 --> 00:43:47,124
They have tentacles
in places like Iraq

1027
00:43:47,124 --> 00:43:50,194
and Syria, obviously, Yemen
and even Lebanon.

1028
00:43:50,194 --> 00:43:51,895
How concerned is the
White House about

1029
00:43:51,895 --> 00:43:54,198
that growing influence?

1030
00:43:54,198 --> 00:43:57,901
Mr. Earnest: Well,
Kevin, the Middle East

1031
00:43:57,901 --> 00:44:00,104
is a turbulent place
and it's been quite

1032
00:44:00,104 --> 00:44:02,673
volatile for a
number of years now.

1033
00:44:02,673 --> 00:44:08,044
And it is why the United
States stands so closely with

1034
00:44:08,045 --> 00:44:12,249
our allies in Israel, that
they live in a pretty

1035
00:44:12,249 --> 00:44:13,484
dangerous neighborhood.

1036
00:44:13,484 --> 00:44:16,153
And the United States
is keenly aware of that

1037
00:44:16,153 --> 00:44:18,154
and it's why you've seen
such a strong commitment

1038
00:44:18,155 --> 00:44:20,391
to Israel's
national security.

1039
00:44:20,391 --> 00:44:22,993
It's also why the President
has devoted so much time and

1040
00:44:22,993 --> 00:44:26,397
attention and sweat
equity, if you will,

1041
00:44:26,397 --> 00:44:30,000
to pursuing these talks
with the Iranian regime

1042
00:44:30,000 --> 00:44:32,002
to resolving the
international community's

1043
00:44:32,002 --> 00:44:34,004
concerns about their
nuclear program.

1044
00:44:34,004 --> 00:44:36,006
The last thing we need in
this volatile region

1045
00:44:36,006 --> 00:44:38,042
of the world is another
nuclear arms race.

1046
00:44:38,042 --> 00:44:40,044
So trying to resolve
these concerns

1047
00:44:40,044 --> 00:44:42,046
is a top national
security priority.

1048
00:44:42,046 --> 00:44:44,048
And the best way to do
that is through diplomacy,

1049
00:44:44,048 --> 00:44:47,718
because we can get -- if
diplomacy is successful --

1050
00:44:47,718 --> 00:44:52,089
and the President has been pretty candid about his

1051
00:44:52,089 --> 00:44:57,528
assessment, at best the likelihood that these talks

1052
00:44:57,528 --> 00:45:03,466
will succeed is 50-50 --
but if we could pursue

1053
00:45:03,467 --> 00:45:05,402
this diplomatic option
and succeed in doing

1054
00:45:05,402 --> 00:45:10,274
so, it would serve to reduce
some of the tension there,

1055
00:45:10,274 --> 00:45:12,276
and certainly would ease
concerns that I think

1056
00:45:12,276 --> 00:45:15,412
people around the world
have about the possibility

1057
00:45:15,412 --> 00:45:18,649
of nuclear arms proliferation
and a nuclear arms race

1058
00:45:18,649 --> 00:45:21,984
in the Middle East that
would be really bad for

1059
00:45:21,985 --> 00:45:24,221
the stability of an already volatile region of the world.

1060
00:45:24,221 --> 00:45:26,223
The Press: But you can
understand why the Saudis,

1061
00:45:26,223 --> 00:45:28,659
in particular, might have an
issue with any negotiations

1062
00:45:28,659 --> 00:45:31,728
at all with Iran, given
sort of their influence.

1063
00:45:31,728 --> 00:45:34,498
Especially now, given the
change in leadership there,

1064
00:45:34,498 --> 00:45:38,135
can you at least acknowledge
their concerns at all?

1065
00:45:38,135 --> 00:45:41,138
Mr. Earnest: Well, we believe,
and the President continues

1066
00:45:41,138 --> 00:45:42,806
to believe, that it is
clearly in the best interest

1067
00:45:42,806 --> 00:45:46,210
of the whole planet, but
also certainly our allies

1068
00:45:46,210 --> 00:45:50,013
and partners, for Iran
not to have access

1069
00:45:50,013 --> 00:45:51,315
to a nuclear weapon.

1070
00:45:51,315 --> 00:45:53,784
That certainly would not be
in the best interests

1071
00:45:53,784 --> 00:45:54,785
of Saudi Arabia.

1072
00:45:54,785 --> 00:45:57,154
It certainly wouldn't be in
the best interests of Israel.

1073
00:45:57,154 --> 00:45:59,156
And it wouldn't be in the
best interests of any

1074
00:45:59,156 --> 00:46:01,158
of our other partners
in the region.

1075
00:46:01,158 --> 00:46:03,759
So this is something that
the President is pursuing

1076
00:46:03,760 --> 00:46:04,761
very aggressively.

1077
00:46:04,761 --> 00:46:09,967
And the potential here --
or the potential benefit

1078
00:46:09,967 --> 00:46:11,635
here is substantial.

1079
00:46:11,635 --> 00:46:14,138
And that is why, even
though the likelihood

1080
00:46:14,138 --> 00:46:19,176
of the talks succeeding is
at best 50-50, he believes

1081
00:46:19,176 --> 00:46:21,178
this is something that
we should pursue.

1082
00:46:21,178 --> 00:46:23,279
And he certainly doesn't
believe that Congress should

1083
00:46:23,280 --> 00:46:26,150
take some unprompted action
that could cause

1084
00:46:26,150 --> 00:46:29,853
the coalition that supports
those talks to crumble.

1085
00:46:29,853 --> 00:46:32,256
And that's why we've been very
assertive about our position

1086
00:46:32,256 --> 00:46:35,591
both with the Congress but
also in our conversations

1087
00:46:35,592 --> 00:46:38,829
with our allies, including
our allies in Israel.

1088
00:46:38,829 --> 00:46:42,099
The Press: Lastly, given
the closeness in their

1089
00:46:42,099 --> 00:46:44,101
relationship, wouldn't it make
sense for the President

1090
00:46:44,101 --> 00:46:48,972
to go to the funeral
for King Abdullah?

1091
00:46:48,972 --> 00:46:51,241
Mr. Earnest: Well, my
understanding is the funeral

1092
00:46:51,241 --> 00:46:55,312
is actually today, and
that is something that

1093
00:46:55,312 --> 00:46:57,714
is typically by tradition
and custom is only attended

1094
00:46:57,714 --> 00:46:59,917
by other Muslims.

1095
00:46:59,917 --> 00:47:02,586
But what is common in this
case is for world leaders

1096
00:47:02,586 --> 00:47:06,622
to go and express their
condolences, and to be received

1097
00:47:06,623 --> 00:47:09,860
by the Royal Family and other
leaders in Saudi Arabia.

1098
00:47:09,860 --> 00:47:13,430
At this point, the Vice
President will lead

1099
00:47:13,430 --> 00:47:16,033
the American delegation
because the President

1100
00:47:16,033 --> 00:47:18,569
is likely to be in India
while that's taking place.

1101
00:47:18,569 --> 00:47:19,937
The Press: It might change?

1102
00:47:19,937 --> 00:47:23,240
Mr. Earnest: At this point,
I don't have any changes.

1103
00:47:23,240 --> 00:47:24,908
Mike.

1104
00:47:24,908 --> 00:47:26,643
The Press: I just want to
drill down on this close

1105
00:47:26,643 --> 00:47:28,712
proximity doctrine that
you guys have put

1106
00:47:28,712 --> 00:47:30,614
forth over the last few
days, the longstanding

1107
00:47:30,614 --> 00:47:32,716
practice and policy of
not inviting a leader

1108
00:47:32,716 --> 00:47:35,319
to the White House so
close to an election.

1109
00:47:35,319 --> 00:47:38,388
As you just said a minute ago,
reasonable observers of the

1110
00:47:38,388 --> 00:47:40,591
political process, I think was
the phrase that you used --

1111
00:47:40,591 --> 00:47:43,160
in July 2008, a reasonable
observer of the political

1112
00:47:43,160 --> 00:47:46,163
process would have assumed
that Barack Obama,

1113
00:47:46,163 --> 00:47:49,466
Senator Barack Obama, was going
to be the Democratic nominee.

1114
00:47:49,466 --> 00:47:50,267
He went to Europe.

1115
00:47:50,267 --> 00:47:51,268
He met with Merkel.

1116
00:47:51,268 --> 00:47:53,136
He met with Sarkozy.

1117
00:47:53,136 --> 00:47:54,938
He met with Gordon Brown.

1118
00:47:54,938 --> 00:47:56,974
So what's the difference?

1119
00:47:56,974 --> 00:47:59,643
Mr. Earnest: Well, you're
talking about a July visit

1120
00:47:59,643 --> 00:48:02,579
in advance of a
November election.

1121
00:48:02,579 --> 00:48:03,780
The Press: He was the
Democratic nominee.

1122
00:48:03,780 --> 00:48:05,983
I mean, he had emerged
victorious in his primaries --

1123
00:48:05,983 --> 00:48:06,450
Mr. Earnest: Sure.

1124
00:48:06,450 --> 00:48:09,685
And I anticipate that
Prime Minister Netanyahu

1125
00:48:09,686 --> 00:48:11,521
will be the nominee of
his party, too.

1126
00:48:11,521 --> 00:48:13,590
The point is, we're talking
about a visit with a much --

1127
00:48:13,590 --> 00:48:17,261
that a visit in
July in advance

1128
00:48:17,261 --> 00:48:19,730
of a November election
is very different than

1129
00:48:19,730 --> 00:48:21,999
a March visit in advance
of a March election.

1130
00:48:21,999 --> 00:48:23,366
The Press: Clearly there were
political overtones to having

1131
00:48:23,367 --> 00:48:26,536
the presumptive nominee being
seen with these leaders,

1132
00:48:26,536 --> 00:48:27,104
world leaders.

1133
00:48:27,104 --> 00:48:28,571
Mr. Earnest: Some might
have made that case in 2012

1134
00:48:28,572 --> 00:48:30,374
when Mitt Romney visited many
of the same leaders

1135
00:48:30,374 --> 00:48:32,975
in Europe and in Israel
that you mentioned.

1136
00:48:32,976 --> 00:48:33,944
The Press: But we're
not talking about --

1137
00:48:33,944 --> 00:48:34,711
Mr. Earnest: We're not.

1138
00:48:34,711 --> 00:48:36,279
But there were no
concerns that were raised

1139
00:48:36,280 --> 00:48:38,282
here about that and I am
not aware of any concerns

1140
00:48:38,282 --> 00:48:39,850
that were raised
anywhere about that --

1141
00:48:39,850 --> 00:48:41,317
in the same way I'm not
aware of any concerns that

1142
00:48:41,318 --> 00:48:45,088
were raised by then-Senator
Obama's trip in 2008.

1143
00:48:45,088 --> 00:48:47,724
And I might add, at least
in 2008 there wasn't

1144
00:48:47,724 --> 00:48:50,193
a sitting President that
he was running against.

1145
00:48:50,193 --> 00:48:53,630
But in 2012, Governor Romney
was obviously running

1146
00:48:53,630 --> 00:48:55,732
against the incumbent President
of the United States.

1147
00:48:55,732 --> 00:48:58,702
But, again, I do think there
is a difference between

1148
00:48:58,702 --> 00:49:02,239
a July visit in advance
of a November election

1149
00:49:02,239 --> 00:49:05,375
and a March visit in advance
of a March election.

1150
00:49:05,375 --> 00:49:05,842
Jessica.

1151
00:49:05,842 --> 00:49:06,943
The Press: Thanks, Josh.

1152
00:49:06,943 --> 00:49:08,578
I just wanted to follow up
on the questions regarding

1153
00:49:08,578 --> 00:49:11,715
the death of the Saudi
King and, more broadly,

1154
00:49:11,715 --> 00:49:15,118
U.S.-Saudi relations with
respect to ISIL and Yemen.

1155
00:49:15,118 --> 00:49:17,554
What would you say the
message is and needs

1156
00:49:17,554 --> 00:49:19,790
to be to the Saudis with
respect to the instability

1157
00:49:19,790 --> 00:49:22,025
in Yemen?

1158
00:49:22,025 --> 00:49:26,263
Mr. Earnest: Well, I think the
message is pretty clear --

1159
00:49:26,263 --> 00:49:29,098
that the United States is
willing to work with anybody,

1160
00:49:29,099 --> 00:49:33,036
including our good
friends in Saudi Arabia,

1161
00:49:33,036 --> 00:49:36,139
as we try to prevent
extremists from gaining

1162
00:49:36,139 --> 00:49:38,909
a foothold in a war-torn
country and using that

1163
00:49:38,909 --> 00:49:46,283
foothold or that safe haven to
carry out terrorist attacks

1164
00:49:46,283 --> 00:49:47,284
anywhere in the world.

1165
00:49:47,284 --> 00:49:50,654
And I think for
understandable reasons,

1166
00:49:50,654 --> 00:49:53,990
given their shared border,
Saudi Arabia is particularly

1167
00:49:53,990 --> 00:49:57,493
concerned about the activities
of extremists in Yemen.

1168
00:49:57,494 --> 00:50:00,097
And that's why you have seen
to this point significant

1169
00:50:00,097 --> 00:50:04,401
cooperation not just
between the United States

1170
00:50:04,401 --> 00:50:08,205
and Saudi Arabia, but among
Saudi Arabia and a whole host

1171
00:50:08,205 --> 00:50:12,308
of other Western countries who
are concerneds that AQAP

1172
00:50:12,309 --> 00:50:16,613
could use a safe haven in
Yemen to carry out attacks

1173
00:50:16,613 --> 00:50:18,647
against interests not just
in the United States

1174
00:50:18,648 --> 00:50:20,217
but throughout the West.

1175
00:50:20,217 --> 00:50:23,320
We certainly have seen that
they have those aspirations.

1176
00:50:23,320 --> 00:50:26,390
And the United States is
going to continue to work

1177
00:50:26,390 --> 00:50:28,924
with our allies in the
West and our friends

1178
00:50:28,925 --> 00:50:30,927
in Saudi Arabia to
counter this threat.

1179
00:50:30,927 --> 00:50:32,929
The Press: And then in terms
of the fight against ISIL,

1180
00:50:32,929 --> 00:50:36,299
are you anticipating any
changes under the new king

1181
00:50:36,299 --> 00:50:38,402
in terms of cooperation on
that issue specifically?

1182
00:50:38,402 --> 00:50:40,437
Mr. Earnest: We certainly
welcome the kind

1183
00:50:40,437 --> 00:50:43,073
of cooperation and support
that the Saudis have offered

1184
00:50:43,073 --> 00:50:46,910
to the international
coalition against ISIL.

1185
00:50:46,910 --> 00:50:49,413
Saudi Arabia is one of the 60 --
more than 60 countries that's

1186
00:50:49,413 --> 00:50:55,152
part of the coalition, and there
are Saudi military aircraft

1187
00:50:55,152 --> 00:50:57,888
that are flying alongside
American military aircraft

1188
00:50:57,888 --> 00:50:59,890
and carrying out strikes
against ISIL in Syria.

1189
00:50:59,890 --> 00:51:02,859
And we certainly welcome the
kind of commitment that

1190
00:51:02,859 --> 00:51:05,796
that reflects to this
very difficult task.

1191
00:51:05,796 --> 00:51:10,834
And we are hopeful and expect
that that kind of cooperation

1192
00:51:10,834 --> 00:51:13,069
and coordination will
continue under the leadership

1193
00:51:13,069 --> 00:51:14,070
of King Salman.

1194
00:51:14,070 --> 00:51:17,507
The Press: And lastly, do you
expect the President to address

1195
00:51:17,507 --> 00:51:20,110
the King's death in his
remarks later today at all?

1196
00:51:20,110 --> 00:51:21,545
Mr. Earnest: I don't
anticipate that he will.

1197
00:51:21,545 --> 00:51:23,980
As you saw last night, we
put out a written statement

1198
00:51:23,980 --> 00:51:24,781
from the President.

1199
00:51:24,781 --> 00:51:27,551
I don't anticipate anything
more than that right now.

1200
00:51:27,551 --> 00:51:28,151
Annie.

1201
00:51:28,151 --> 00:51:29,886
The Press: Oh, thank you.

1202
00:51:29,886 --> 00:51:33,490
Josh, on the President's
changes to the 529 accounts,

1203
00:51:33,490 --> 00:51:38,495
I was wondering if you could
square those changes to his

1204
00:51:38,495 --> 00:51:40,363
message in the State
of the Union in which

1205
00:51:40,363 --> 00:51:43,098
he was saying it would support
middle-class families.

1206
00:51:43,099 --> 00:51:46,703
As you probably know,
the median income for

1207
00:51:46,703 --> 00:51:50,574
a family using a 529
account is about $140,000.

1208
00:51:50,574 --> 00:51:53,210
Mr. Earnest: Well, what
I would say, Annie,

1209
00:51:53,210 --> 00:51:55,679
is that the reforms that the
President has proposed for

1210
00:51:55,679 --> 00:51:59,716
the 529 program are reforms
that he would consider only

1211
00:51:59,716 --> 00:52:01,685
in the context of the
other education reforms

1212
00:52:01,685 --> 00:52:02,686
that he put forward.

1213
00:52:02,686 --> 00:52:04,688
And when you consider
that entire package

1214
00:52:04,688 --> 00:52:07,123
of reforms, the tax cut
that we're looking

1215
00:52:07,123 --> 00:52:09,125
at for middle-class
families is $50 billion.

1216
00:52:09,125 --> 00:52:12,295
So there is a pretty
substantial down payment

1217
00:52:12,295 --> 00:52:16,032
in the context of these
reforms that's made to help

1218
00:52:16,032 --> 00:52:18,034
middle-class families
afford a college education.

1219
00:52:18,034 --> 00:52:21,204
And the reason for that is
simply that we understand

1220
00:52:21,204 --> 00:52:23,206
and the President understands
that a college education

1221
00:52:23,206 --> 00:52:26,142
has never been more important
to getting the kind

1222
00:52:26,142 --> 00:52:29,645
of good-paying job for a
middle-class worker.

1223
00:52:29,646 --> 00:52:34,050
And so we want to make sure
that every middle-class family

1224
00:52:34,050 --> 00:52:37,554
has the opportunity to
pursue a college education

1225
00:52:37,554 --> 00:52:39,155
for their kids.

1226
00:52:39,155 --> 00:52:41,124
And there are a variety of
proposals the President put

1227
00:52:41,124 --> 00:52:43,125
forward -- some related
to the tax code,

1228
00:52:43,126 --> 00:52:46,596
but some also related to the
President's proposal to make

1229
00:52:46,596 --> 00:52:50,066
community college free for
hardworking students that are

1230
00:52:50,066 --> 00:52:52,602
getting good grades -- that
would have the benefit

1231
00:52:52,602 --> 00:52:54,738
of essentially cutting the
cost of a four-year

1232
00:52:54,738 --> 00:52:55,906
education in half.

1233
00:52:55,906 --> 00:52:58,074
And if you can do the first two
years at a community college,

1234
00:52:58,074 --> 00:53:00,544
have it paid for, then the next
two years are something

1235
00:53:00,544 --> 00:53:03,113
that you can pay for and
essentially your tuition

1236
00:53:03,113 --> 00:53:05,115
costs will have been
cut in half.

1237
00:53:05,115 --> 00:53:07,716
The Press: -- if just
the 529 section passed?

1238
00:53:07,717 --> 00:53:09,286
Mr. Earnest:
That's correct.

1239
00:53:09,286 --> 00:53:11,555
We would consider that as part
of the package of education

1240
00:53:11,555 --> 00:53:13,924
reform proposals that the
President has put forward that

1241
00:53:13,924 --> 00:53:17,460
would yield a $50 billion tax
cut for middle-class families.

1242
00:53:17,460 --> 00:53:18,128
Tamara.

1243
00:53:18,128 --> 00:53:19,996
The Press: Regarding
Yemen, the U.S.

1244
00:53:19,996 --> 00:53:22,899
has worked with Yemen
at least somewhat.

1245
00:53:22,899 --> 00:53:25,902
They had an agreement on
drone strikes and done some

1246
00:53:25,902 --> 00:53:29,239
training, other things like
that -- communications,

1247
00:53:29,239 --> 00:53:30,774
intelligence-sharing.

1248
00:53:30,774 --> 00:53:32,808
Where do those programs
stand right now,

1249
00:53:32,809 --> 00:53:37,180
given the uncertainty
about who's in charge?

1250
00:53:37,180 --> 00:53:38,615
Mr. Earnest: Well, one of the
things that we have talked

1251
00:53:38,615 --> 00:53:42,352
about, Tamara, in the
past is the effort that

1252
00:53:42,352 --> 00:53:45,288
we have made to try to
invest in the stability

1253
00:53:45,288 --> 00:53:47,324
of central governments
so that they can serve

1254
00:53:47,324 --> 00:53:50,193
to be an effective
partner with us as we try

1255
00:53:50,193 --> 00:53:53,096
to battle terrorists on
the ground in their country.

1256
00:53:53,096 --> 00:53:55,899
So one example that we've
talked about quite a bit is,

1257
00:53:55,899 --> 00:53:58,667
in Iraq, once ISIL had made
their significant advance,

1258
00:53:58,668 --> 00:54:01,104
we wanted to find good partners
in the central government

1259
00:54:01,104 --> 00:54:03,406
in Iraq who could unify
that country to face

1260
00:54:03,406 --> 00:54:04,741
down that threat.

1261
00:54:04,741 --> 00:54:06,743
We've made similar investments
in the central government

1262
00:54:06,743 --> 00:54:08,912
in Yemen to try to build
up the capacity of their

1263
00:54:08,912 --> 00:54:12,682
security forces, to build
up the capacity of their

1264
00:54:12,682 --> 00:54:14,783
civil institutions so that
they could be good partners

1265
00:54:14,784 --> 00:54:17,287
with the United States on
the ground in Yemen.

1266
00:54:17,287 --> 00:54:20,522
I can tell you that some of our
counterterrorism partnership

1267
00:54:20,523 --> 00:54:23,760
efforts continue in Yemen; that
there are national security

1268
00:54:23,760 --> 00:54:26,563
relationships that continue
to exist and continue

1269
00:54:26,563 --> 00:54:30,967
to be useful in protecting
the United States.

1270
00:54:30,967 --> 00:54:33,570
But we obviously are
concerned about the situation

1271
00:54:33,570 --> 00:54:36,172
in Yemen, about the
political instability there.

1272
00:54:36,172 --> 00:54:37,641
That is a source
of some concern.

1273
00:54:37,641 --> 00:54:41,111
And that's why you heard me
mention earlier that we are

1274
00:54:41,111 --> 00:54:46,982
hopeful that both sides in this
dispute will avoid violence

1275
00:54:46,983 --> 00:54:49,853
and actually pursue the
kind of political reforms

1276
00:54:49,853 --> 00:54:52,288
and political transition
that's consistent with

1277
00:54:52,288 --> 00:54:55,125
the traditions and diplomatic
agreements that have

1278
00:54:55,125 --> 00:54:58,194
previously been reached in
Yemen as it relates

1279
00:54:58,194 --> 00:55:00,196
to the governing of
that country.

1280
00:55:00,196 --> 00:55:02,198
The Press: So are you saying
that our programs are not

1281
00:55:02,198 --> 00:55:04,200
currently on hold,
or some of them are

1282
00:55:04,200 --> 00:55:05,201
and some of them aren't?

1283
00:55:05,201 --> 00:55:07,203
Mr. Earnest: What I'm saying
is that we continue to have

1284
00:55:07,203 --> 00:55:09,205
a strong counterterrorism
partnership with

1285
00:55:09,205 --> 00:55:11,341
the national security
infrastructure of Yemen,

1286
00:55:11,341 --> 00:55:14,210
and we continue to be
very vigilant about

1287
00:55:14,210 --> 00:55:18,848
the ongoing effort to
counter AQAP in Yemen.

1288
00:55:18,848 --> 00:55:20,984
But I also don't want to leave
you with the impression that

1289
00:55:20,984 --> 00:55:22,686
we're not at all concerned
about the political

1290
00:55:22,686 --> 00:55:23,720
instability in Yemen.

1291
00:55:23,720 --> 00:55:25,055
We are concerned
about that.

1292
00:55:25,055 --> 00:55:28,323
And we want to try to help the
Yemeni people and the Yemeni

1293
00:55:28,324 --> 00:55:32,829
people work through this
transition in a peaceful way

1294
00:55:32,829 --> 00:55:35,699
but also as quickly as possible,
because we believe that our

1295
00:55:35,699 --> 00:55:38,568
counterterrorism efforts are
enhanced when we have

1296
00:55:38,568 --> 00:55:41,504
a stable, functioning
central government there.

1297
00:55:41,504 --> 00:55:43,506
The Press: Regarding
529s, just briefly,

1298
00:55:43,506 --> 00:55:46,910
some on the Hill are
suggesting that the President's

1299
00:55:46,910 --> 00:55:49,745
proposal is basically
saying, middle-class kids,

1300
00:55:49,746 --> 00:55:51,047
you're going to go
to community college

1301
00:55:51,047 --> 00:55:52,749
and rich kids are
going to be the ones

1302
00:55:52,749 --> 00:55:55,151
that can afford a
four-year institution.

1303
00:55:55,151 --> 00:55:59,288
They're saying that the 529
thing is part of -- and more

1304
00:55:59,289 --> 00:56:02,092
broadly the President's
proposal is about shoveling

1305
00:56:02,092 --> 00:56:05,095
off middle-class kids into
community college, which

1306
00:56:05,095 --> 00:56:10,700
I did attend, so I'm not
bashing community college.

1307
00:56:10,700 --> 00:56:12,234
Mr. Earnest: My guess is
those who are saying that

1308
00:56:12,235 --> 00:56:15,705
are critics of the President
-- and that's fine.

1309
00:56:15,705 --> 00:56:20,043
I think the facts about the
President's proposal speak for

1310
00:56:20,043 --> 00:56:22,979
themselves, and specifically
if you look at the reforms

1311
00:56:22,979 --> 00:56:26,082
that the President put in
place for a whole host

1312
00:56:26,082 --> 00:56:31,121
of tax programs that benefit
middle-class families

1313
00:56:31,121 --> 00:56:33,289
and make a college
education more affordable,

1314
00:56:33,289 --> 00:56:36,392
that that would
yield a $50 billion tax cut

1315
00:56:36,392 --> 00:56:37,393
for middle-class families.

1316
00:56:37,393 --> 00:56:42,665
And that is reflective of the
President's commitment to make

1317
00:56:42,665 --> 00:56:47,003
a college education accessible
to every middle-class family.

1318
00:56:47,003 --> 00:56:48,004
Christi.

1319
00:56:48,004 --> 00:56:49,005
The Press: Thank you.

1320
00:56:49,005 --> 00:56:51,808
Counterterrorism seems
to be a major subject

1321
00:56:51,808 --> 00:56:53,409
for the President and
Prime Minister Modi

1322
00:56:53,409 --> 00:56:54,911
to discuss over
the next few days.

1323
00:56:54,911 --> 00:56:58,114
Can you say what asks are on
the table, what is the U.S.

1324
00:56:58,114 --> 00:57:01,785
seeking from them, what are
they seeking from the U.S.?

1325
00:57:01,785 --> 00:57:04,020
Mr. Earnest: I don't have
anything specific to preview

1326
00:57:04,020 --> 00:57:07,023
those conversations, but
certainly the United States

1327
00:57:07,023 --> 00:57:09,392
values the counterterrorism
coordination

1328
00:57:09,392 --> 00:57:13,029
relationship that we
have with India.

1329
00:57:13,029 --> 00:57:15,565
And we certainly are
interested in discussing with

1330
00:57:15,565 --> 00:57:18,301
them ways that we can
strengthen that relationship.

1331
00:57:18,301 --> 00:57:19,636
But I don't have any
sort of preview

1332
00:57:19,636 --> 00:57:21,070
of the talks to offer up
at this point.

1333
00:57:21,070 --> 00:57:22,772
The Press: The President
mentioned safe havens

1334
00:57:22,772 --> 00:57:25,174
in Pakistan in the interview
today with India Today.

1335
00:57:25,175 --> 00:57:28,044
Did he actually call
the Pakistani leader

1336
00:57:28,044 --> 00:57:29,645
to talk about that in
the last few days?

1337
00:57:29,646 --> 00:57:31,915
Was he just referencing
ongoing conversations between

1338
00:57:31,915 --> 00:57:32,982
the U.S. and Pakistan?

1339
00:57:32,982 --> 00:57:33,650
Mr. Earnest: There
was a reference

1340
00:57:33,650 --> 00:57:34,851
to ongoing
conversations.

1341
00:57:34,851 --> 00:57:37,720
For a long time, this
administration has expressed

1342
00:57:37,720 --> 00:57:44,459
concerns about some areas of
Pakistan where extremists

1343
00:57:44,460 --> 00:57:48,765
operate in virtual impunity,
and in many cases use that

1344
00:57:48,765 --> 00:57:50,933
safe haven to carry out attacks
against American forces

1345
00:57:50,934 --> 00:57:52,936
that are operating
in Afghanistan.

1346
00:57:52,936 --> 00:57:56,406
And that is something that
we are concerned about,

1347
00:57:56,406 --> 00:57:59,342
and we have raised
those concerns with our

1348
00:57:59,342 --> 00:58:00,443
partners in Pakistan.

1349
00:58:00,443 --> 00:58:03,580
And there has been recently
additional steps that have

1350
00:58:03,580 --> 00:58:07,549
been taken by the Pakistani
government to try to root

1351
00:58:07,550 --> 00:58:09,719
out the extremists that are
operating in that area.

1352
00:58:09,719 --> 00:58:13,423
And we certainly would
welcome those steps.

1353
00:58:13,423 --> 00:58:15,825
But those are steps that
are ultimately taken by the

1354
00:58:15,825 --> 00:58:18,627
Pakistani government
because they recognize that

1355
00:58:18,628 --> 00:58:21,764
the extremist threat that
exists in their country poses

1356
00:58:21,764 --> 00:58:23,867
a significant threat
to their citizens.

1357
00:58:23,867 --> 00:58:26,603
And we spend a lot of time
-- and for good reason --

1358
00:58:26,603 --> 00:58:28,605
talking about the terror
attacks that were carried

1359
00:58:28,605 --> 00:58:30,607
out in Paris a
couple of weeks ago.

1360
00:58:30,607 --> 00:58:32,609
But just a week or
two before that,

1361
00:58:32,609 --> 00:58:37,480
we saw an atrocious terrorist
attack carried out in Peshawar,

1362
00:58:37,480 --> 00:58:40,450
Pakistan, where more than a
hundred school children were

1363
00:58:40,450 --> 00:58:46,356
gunned down in their school
by extremists in Pakistan.

1364
00:58:46,356 --> 00:58:49,692
So it reflects what
we have often said,

1365
00:58:49,692 --> 00:58:53,730
which is that so many of these
al Qaeda affiliates that

1366
00:58:53,730 --> 00:58:57,433
are operating, when they
carry out acts of terror,

1367
00:58:57,433 --> 00:59:01,704
that there are far more
victims of their acts

1368
00:59:01,704 --> 00:59:06,075
of terror that are Muslim
than are anybody else.

1369
00:59:06,075 --> 00:59:09,412
And so we certainly understand
-- and I think a lot of these

1370
00:59:09,412 --> 00:59:13,415
Muslim-led countries understand
-- that they have a clear stake

1371
00:59:13,416 --> 00:59:15,685
in this fight, and they have
a reason and a motivation

1372
00:59:15,685 --> 00:59:18,354
and an interest in taking
the fight to extremists

1373
00:59:18,354 --> 00:59:20,356
that were operating
in their country.

1374
00:59:20,356 --> 00:59:22,358
The Press: Can you also,
while we're talking about

1375
00:59:22,358 --> 00:59:25,061
India, give us an update
on the press access while

1376
00:59:25,061 --> 00:59:28,131
the U.S. press is traveling
with the President in India

1377
00:59:28,131 --> 00:59:29,065
over the next few days?

1378
00:59:29,065 --> 00:59:32,769
Just both in terms of access
to the President and to our

1379
00:59:32,769 --> 00:59:36,339
whole pool being admitted
to all the events --

1380
00:59:36,339 --> 00:59:38,374
Mr. Earnest: Well, Christi,
these are conversations that

1381
00:59:38,374 --> 00:59:41,444
we have with other governments
leading up to presidential

1382
00:59:41,444 --> 00:59:43,947
visits any time the
President goes anywhere.

1383
00:59:43,947 --> 00:59:46,249
And certainly, we want to
make sure that you and your

1384
00:59:46,249 --> 00:59:48,984
colleagues have the
opportunity to get some access

1385
00:59:48,985 --> 00:59:50,987
to the President and get a
good sense about what

1386
00:59:50,987 --> 00:59:54,223
the President is doing
when he is representing

1387
00:59:54,223 --> 00:59:57,192
the United States of
America on foreign soil.

1388
00:59:57,193 --> 00:59:59,595
Fortunately -- you know,
sometimes these can be very

1389
00:59:59,595 --> 01:00:01,596
challenging negotiations,
particularly when we're

1390
01:00:01,597 --> 01:00:03,833
going to countries that
don't have the same

1391
01:00:03,833 --> 01:00:07,103
kind of respect for
-- or don't value

1392
01:00:07,103 --> 01:00:10,473
an independent
news media.

1393
01:00:10,473 --> 01:00:15,078
Sometimes that can make those
negotiations more complicated.

1394
01:00:15,078 --> 01:00:17,080
Fortunately, we're
traveling to India,

1395
01:00:17,080 --> 01:00:19,382
which is the world's
largest democracy.

1396
01:00:19,382 --> 01:00:21,985
And they have a very
healthy and robust

1397
01:00:24,253 --> 01:00:27,223
news media and professional
news media in India.

1398
01:00:27,223 --> 01:00:29,926
So the Indian government is
well aware of how important

1399
01:00:29,926 --> 01:00:32,328
it is for there to be a professional, independent

1400
01:00:32,328 --> 01:00:36,699
press corps that is holding
the elected leaders of that

1401
01:00:36,699 --> 01:00:38,334
country accountable.

1402
01:00:38,334 --> 01:00:41,971
And so the point is that
because we share these values,

1403
01:00:41,971 --> 01:00:44,440
I do anticipate that we'll
be able to resolve many

1404
01:00:44,440 --> 01:00:47,944
of the concerns that
we've articulated to them

1405
01:00:47,944 --> 01:00:50,013
about press access in India.

1406
01:00:50,013 --> 01:00:52,015
And let me say two
other things about that.

1407
01:00:52,015 --> 01:00:54,817
One is, there were some
complicated logistics associated

1408
01:00:54,817 --> 01:00:58,087
with the Prime Minister's visit
to the United States last year,

1409
01:00:58,087 --> 01:01:01,457
and we were able to work through
those logistical concerns

1410
01:01:01,457 --> 01:01:05,795
in a way that reflects the
strong working relationship

1411
01:01:05,795 --> 01:01:08,765
that exists not just between
the United States and India,

1412
01:01:08,765 --> 01:01:11,067
but also the strong working
relationship that exists

1413
01:01:11,067 --> 01:01:13,069
between President Obama and
Prime Minister Modi.

1414
01:01:15,405 --> 01:01:19,108
And the last thing is, Prime
Minister Modi has demonstrated

1415
01:01:19,108 --> 01:01:22,678
-- and he did this when he
visited the United States last

1416
01:01:22,678 --> 01:01:27,583
year -- has demonstrated a
sophisticated understanding

1417
01:01:27,583 --> 01:01:30,720
of the way that his actions
and his government's

1418
01:01:30,720 --> 01:01:34,756
actions are reported
in the media.

1419
01:01:34,757 --> 01:01:39,328
And he has a very strong
following of Indian Americans

1420
01:01:39,328 --> 01:01:41,030
who are closely watching
his administration

1421
01:01:41,030 --> 01:01:43,332
and are excited about
his leadership.

1422
01:01:43,332 --> 01:01:46,736
And I think that, as
a practical matter,

1423
01:01:46,736 --> 01:01:51,874
I think that he and his
government understand that

1424
01:01:51,874 --> 01:01:53,942
not successfully resolving
some of the concerns that

1425
01:01:53,943 --> 01:01:56,579
have been raised about press
access could have an impact

1426
01:01:56,579 --> 01:01:58,648
on the coverage of
the President's trip.

1427
01:01:58,648 --> 01:02:00,650
That's certainly something
that we want to work very

1428
01:02:00,650 --> 01:02:03,686
hard to avoid, and I'm
confident that our partners

1429
01:02:03,686 --> 01:02:05,655
in India will want
to avoid that too.

1430
01:02:05,655 --> 01:02:07,290
The Press: You sort of just
invited the comparison

1431
01:02:07,290 --> 01:02:10,893
to China, where our full pool
was admitted to most events

1432
01:02:10,893 --> 01:02:12,662
and also we had a chance
to question not only

1433
01:02:12,662 --> 01:02:15,263
the President but also
the Chinese leader.

1434
01:02:15,264 --> 01:02:17,767
So that sounds like
you're optimistically

1435
01:02:17,767 --> 01:02:18,901
comparing the two.

1436
01:02:18,901 --> 01:02:19,969
Am I reading you right?

1437
01:02:19,969 --> 01:02:23,539
Mr. Earnest: Well, what I'm
saying is that we succeeded

1438
01:02:23,539 --> 01:02:29,846
in persuading our counterparts
in China to provide what

1439
01:02:29,846 --> 01:02:32,915
we believe was important
access both to President Obama

1440
01:02:32,915 --> 01:02:35,183
and to President Xi
while President Obama

1441
01:02:35,184 --> 01:02:36,752
was traveling in China.

1442
01:02:36,752 --> 01:02:41,290
And if we can reserve -- or
if we can resolve those

1443
01:02:41,290 --> 01:02:43,860
logistical concerns with
a country that does have

1444
01:02:43,860 --> 01:02:46,696
a somewhat different view of
the news media than we do,

1445
01:02:46,696 --> 01:02:49,665
then surely we should be able
to resolve logistical concerns

1446
01:02:49,665 --> 01:02:53,636
with a country with whom --
that shares our value

1447
01:02:53,636 --> 01:02:56,739
of a free and independent
professional media.

1448
01:02:56,739 --> 01:02:57,340
Bill.

1449
01:02:57,340 --> 01:02:59,142
The Press: On Ukraine --
there seems to be reports

1450
01:02:59,142 --> 01:03:01,711
of a substantial
rebel offensive.

1451
01:03:01,711 --> 01:03:04,546
Has anything changed in
the U.S. position about

1452
01:03:04,547 --> 01:03:07,016
supporting the
government of Ukraine?

1453
01:03:07,016 --> 01:03:10,953
Have you made any
representations to the Russians?

1454
01:03:10,953 --> 01:03:16,726
Mr. Earnest: No policy
changes to report out today.

1455
01:03:16,726 --> 01:03:19,795
You'll recall that just last
week, I believe it was,

1456
01:03:19,795 --> 01:03:22,498
the President called for the
Congress to pass legislation

1457
01:03:22,498 --> 01:03:25,835
providing additional economic
assistance to the people

1458
01:03:25,835 --> 01:03:29,172
of Ukraine in the form of a
$1 billion loan guarantee

1459
01:03:29,172 --> 01:03:31,941
in the first half of
2015, contingent

1460
01:03:31,941 --> 01:03:33,942
on the adoption of some
important reforms.

1461
01:03:33,943 --> 01:03:37,513
And as those reforms
are implemented,

1462
01:03:37,513 --> 01:03:39,549
the President could imagine
a scenario where by the end

1463
01:03:39,549 --> 01:03:42,685
of the year Congress would be
passing legislation to offer

1464
01:03:42,685 --> 01:03:45,221
up an additional $1 billion
in loan guarantees.

1465
01:03:45,221 --> 01:03:47,924
This kind of economic
assistance is critical

1466
01:03:47,924 --> 01:03:49,926
to the functioning of
the government.

1467
01:03:49,926 --> 01:03:52,395
It's critical to the stability
of the economy in Ukraine.

1468
01:03:52,395 --> 01:03:55,431
And we're hopeful that the many
members of Congress who have

1469
01:03:55,431 --> 01:03:58,534
expressed concerns about
the situation in Ukraine

1470
01:03:58,534 --> 01:04:01,103
will enthusiastically take
up this priority.

1471
01:04:04,607 --> 01:04:08,444
But beyond that, no additional
policy changes to announce.

1472
01:04:08,444 --> 01:04:10,046
The Press: You haven't
talked to the Russians?

1473
01:04:10,046 --> 01:04:11,047
Mr. Earnest: I don't have
any calls to read out

1474
01:04:11,047 --> 01:04:12,715
at this point.

1475
01:04:12,715 --> 01:04:13,849
Juliet.

1476
01:04:13,849 --> 01:04:16,118
The Press: Josh, you alluded
earlier to the idea that

1477
01:04:16,118 --> 01:04:18,453
obviously the President is
going to advocate for some

1478
01:04:18,454 --> 01:04:20,623
of his policies when he meets
with mayors later today.

1479
01:04:20,623 --> 01:04:23,392
Could you just provide a
few more details on what

1480
01:04:23,392 --> 01:04:25,394
specifically the President
will be talking about

1481
01:04:25,394 --> 01:04:27,363
and what he hopes to get
out of that session?

1482
01:04:27,363 --> 01:04:30,031
Mr. Earnest: Well, in the
spirit of Christi's question,

1483
01:04:30,032 --> 01:04:32,401
there will be some press access
to the President's meeting

1484
01:04:32,401 --> 01:04:34,703
with mayors, so you'll get
a chance to hear from

1485
01:04:34,704 --> 01:04:37,573
the President directly about
what he hopes to bring

1486
01:04:37,573 --> 01:04:39,107
up in the context
of this meeting.

1487
01:04:39,108 --> 01:04:41,143
But let me just say
as a general matter,

1488
01:04:41,143 --> 01:04:43,145
in the past the President
has appreciated the kind

1489
01:04:43,145 --> 01:04:45,214
of bipartisan cooperation
and spirit that we've seen

1490
01:04:45,214 --> 01:04:47,216
in the context of these
meetings with mayors,

1491
01:04:47,216 --> 01:04:51,319
that mayors so often are
essentially on the front lines

1492
01:04:51,320 --> 01:04:55,491
of government and are very
in tune with the needs

1493
01:04:55,491 --> 01:04:57,493
of their citizens and
what's required from

1494
01:04:57,493 --> 01:04:59,495
the government to try
to meet those needs.

1495
01:04:59,495 --> 01:05:02,964
And what that often means is
that mayors are more easily

1496
01:05:02,965 --> 01:05:05,501
able to put aside partisan
differences and arrive

1497
01:05:05,501 --> 01:05:08,604
and very practical solutions
that benefit their citizens.

1498
01:05:08,604 --> 01:05:11,841
And the President certainly
appreciates the spirit with

1499
01:05:11,841 --> 01:05:14,343
which they approach their jobs,
and that kind of practical

1500
01:05:14,343 --> 01:05:16,511
problem-solving is
something that, frankly,

1501
01:05:16,512 --> 01:05:18,814
we could use a little bit
more of in Washington, D.C.

1502
01:05:18,814 --> 01:05:22,785
But this meeting essentially
serves as an opportunity for

1503
01:05:22,785 --> 01:05:25,187
the President to hear from
these mayors about where

1504
01:05:25,187 --> 01:05:27,256
they feel like they would
like to see additional

1505
01:05:27,256 --> 01:05:29,058
cooperation with the
federal government to help

1506
01:05:29,058 --> 01:05:30,459
them solve some of the
problems that they see

1507
01:05:30,459 --> 01:05:31,993
in their community.

1508
01:05:31,994 --> 01:05:33,229
And that's the reason the
President is looking forward

1509
01:05:33,229 --> 01:05:35,865
to the meeting, is that by
hearing from these mayors,

1510
01:05:35,865 --> 01:05:38,401
we're hearing from people
who are very close

1511
01:05:38,401 --> 01:05:41,136
and very closely in touch
with the needs and concerns

1512
01:05:41,137 --> 01:05:42,004
of the American people.

1513
01:05:42,004 --> 01:05:44,807
And it's one additional way
that the President can

1514
01:05:44,807 --> 01:05:47,843
hear those concerns and talk
to them about steps that

1515
01:05:47,843 --> 01:05:50,078
can be taken to try
to address them.

1516
01:05:50,079 --> 01:05:52,081
Goyal, I'll give you
the last one before

1517
01:05:52,081 --> 01:05:53,082
we go to India tomorrow.

1518
01:05:53,082 --> 01:05:54,083
The Press: Thank
you very much.

1519
01:05:54,083 --> 01:05:56,085
And first of all, I
wish you all the best

1520
01:05:56,085 --> 01:05:56,752
for a historical
visit to India.

1521
01:05:56,752 --> 01:05:57,153
Mr. Earnest:
Thank you.

1522
01:05:57,153 --> 01:05:57,886
We're looking
forward to it.

1523
01:05:57,887 --> 01:05:58,988
The Press: Josh, two
questions, please.

1524
01:05:58,988 --> 01:06:02,792
It was President Jimmy
Carter who (inaudible)

1525
01:06:02,792 --> 01:06:04,960
India, and then followed
by President Clinton,

1526
01:06:04,960 --> 01:06:08,397
and President Bush
opened the doors widely.

1527
01:06:08,397 --> 01:06:11,467
And of course, now
President Obama.

1528
01:06:11,467 --> 01:06:14,970
He embraced India when Prime
Minister Manmohan Singh

1529
01:06:14,970 --> 01:06:18,374
visited Washington and also
Prime Minister Modi.

1530
01:06:18,374 --> 01:06:20,776
My question is that this is
the first time there's ever

1531
01:06:20,776 --> 01:06:24,245
any U.S. President
will be honored during

1532
01:06:24,246 --> 01:06:27,183
the January 26th Republic
Day of India.

1533
01:06:27,183 --> 01:06:30,152
And also, this is the
first time that any

1534
01:06:30,152 --> 01:06:34,123
U.S. President visiting
India twice during his term.

1535
01:06:34,123 --> 01:06:36,125
Mr. Earnest: Goyal, it's
like you're reading

1536
01:06:36,125 --> 01:06:37,126
my talking points
up here, man.

1537
01:06:37,126 --> 01:06:38,127
(laughter)

1538
01:06:38,127 --> 01:06:39,128
The Press: Yes, sir.

1539
01:06:39,128 --> 01:06:42,231
My question is that, what do
we expect from this visit?

1540
01:06:42,231 --> 01:06:45,000
Because President Obama
is very much committed.

1541
01:06:45,000 --> 01:06:48,404
And also he's taking the
First Family to Taj Mahal.

1542
01:06:48,404 --> 01:06:48,871
Mr. Earnest: Yes.

1543
01:06:48,871 --> 01:06:49,739
The Press: Need
more talking points?

1544
01:06:49,739 --> 01:06:51,307
(laughter)

1545
01:06:51,307 --> 01:06:52,975
Mr. Earnest: I'll see
if I can find some.

1546
01:06:52,975 --> 01:06:55,745
Goyal, I can tell you
that the President

1547
01:06:55,745 --> 01:06:57,747
is very much looking
forward to this visit.

1548
01:06:57,747 --> 01:06:59,848
It is a genuine honor to
be invited as the guest

1549
01:06:59,849 --> 01:07:00,883
for Republic Day.

1550
01:07:00,883 --> 01:07:05,888
And the President is looking
forward to traveling there to

1551
01:07:05,888 --> 01:07:09,024
see the festivities associated
with Republic Day firsthand.

1552
01:07:09,024 --> 01:07:11,093
We've got many colorful
descriptions about

1553
01:07:11,093 --> 01:07:13,796
the parade and other
festivities that go along

1554
01:07:13,796 --> 01:07:15,798
with marking this
important day.

1555
01:07:15,798 --> 01:07:18,033
The President is looking
forward to seeing it firsthand.

1556
01:07:18,033 --> 01:07:22,004
He's also looking forward to
a series of serious meetings

1557
01:07:22,004 --> 01:07:26,342
with political leaders
in India, and certainly

1558
01:07:26,342 --> 01:07:29,678
the meeting that he'll have
with Prime Minster Modi.

1559
01:07:29,678 --> 01:07:31,480
I mentioned earlier that
Prime Minster Modi had

1560
01:07:31,480 --> 01:07:33,649
the opportunity to visit
Washington at the end

1561
01:07:33,649 --> 01:07:34,650
of last year.

1562
01:07:34,650 --> 01:07:36,819
The President certainly
enjoyed the conversation

1563
01:07:36,819 --> 01:07:39,721
that he had with Prime
Minster Modi, and I think

1564
01:07:39,722 --> 01:07:43,025
does see an opportunity
to build a strong working

1565
01:07:43,025 --> 01:07:45,261
relationship not just
between our two countries,

1566
01:07:45,261 --> 01:07:50,166
but between the two
leaders who do share

1567
01:07:50,166 --> 01:07:53,803
sort of a common sense
of purpose and vitality.

1568
01:07:53,803 --> 01:07:56,939
And we know that Prime Minster
Modi is very interested

1569
01:07:56,939 --> 01:08:01,911
in injecting that kind of
energy and vitality into

1570
01:08:01,911 --> 01:08:05,214
the relationship between the
United States and India,

1571
01:08:05,214 --> 01:08:07,216
and I can tell you
that President Obama

1572
01:08:07,216 --> 01:08:08,217
shares that desire.

1573
01:08:08,217 --> 01:08:11,987
And making the first ever
second trip by a U.S. President

1574
01:08:11,987 --> 01:08:14,256
to India during his
presidency I think reflects

1575
01:08:14,256 --> 01:08:17,460
the President's commitment to
India, the Indian people,

1576
01:08:17,460 --> 01:08:21,163
and the relationship
between the U.S.

1577
01:08:21,162 --> 01:08:22,163
and India.

1578
01:08:22,163 --> 01:08:23,165
Last one, Goyal.

1579
01:08:23,165 --> 01:08:25,835
The Press: Second question is
that when Prime Minster Modi

1580
01:08:25,835 --> 01:08:29,705
visited the U.S. and he met
the President in New York

1581
01:08:29,705 --> 01:08:32,140
and also in Burma and
Australia, my question

1582
01:08:32,140 --> 01:08:35,210
is how the two leaders
know each other?

1583
01:08:35,211 --> 01:08:38,080
And finally, when Prime
Minster Modi was in Washington

1584
01:08:38,080 --> 01:08:41,649
he addressed the U.S.-India
Business Council

1585
01:08:41,649 --> 01:08:44,353
"Make in India."

1586
01:08:44,353 --> 01:08:47,089
Do you think that during this
President's visit in India,

1587
01:08:47,089 --> 01:08:49,125
this will be the discussion,
"Make in India,"

1588
01:08:49,125 --> 01:08:52,261
because that's what Prime
Minster Modi is asking,

1589
01:08:52,261 --> 01:08:54,763
to create jobs in India and
to create jobs in the U.S.?

1590
01:08:54,763 --> 01:08:56,999
Mr. Earnest: Well, Goyal,
that's a good question,

1591
01:08:56,999 --> 01:08:59,268
because there is an
important economic

1592
01:08:59,268 --> 01:09:01,737
component to the policy
agenda in India.

1593
01:09:01,737 --> 01:09:03,739
And there will be
a number of U.S.

1594
01:09:03,738 --> 01:09:05,875
business leaders who will
be traveling to India

1595
01:09:05,875 --> 01:09:08,344
in conjunction with the
President's visit,

1596
01:09:08,344 --> 01:09:11,447
and that is because there
are tremendous economic

1597
01:09:11,447 --> 01:09:13,716
opportunities for American
businesses in India,

1598
01:09:13,716 --> 01:09:17,887
and we are interested in
strengthening those ties,

1599
01:09:17,886 --> 01:09:19,889
both for the benefit
of the Indian people.

1600
01:09:19,889 --> 01:09:21,891
But he's the American President
and he's most interested

1601
01:09:21,890 --> 01:09:24,292
in strengthening those ties to
benefit the American people.

1602
01:09:24,292 --> 01:09:26,996
And certainly the opportunity
-- the business opportunity

1603
01:09:26,996 --> 01:09:30,165
that exists in India serves
as a good opportunity

1604
01:09:30,165 --> 01:09:31,433
to do exactly that.

1605
01:09:31,433 --> 01:09:36,272
Let me just do a quick week
ahead before we go here.

1606
01:09:36,272 --> 01:09:38,274
As you all know, the
President is leaving

1607
01:09:38,274 --> 01:09:40,709
very early tomorrow
morning for India.

1608
01:09:40,709 --> 01:09:42,711
He will be there
for three days.

1609
01:09:42,711 --> 01:09:44,747
Many of you have seen the
robust schedule the President

1610
01:09:44,747 --> 01:09:47,316
plans for India, so I won't
read it all right now.

1611
01:09:47,316 --> 01:09:49,318
The President and the
First Lady will return

1612
01:09:49,318 --> 01:09:52,488
to the United States very
early on Wednesday morning.

1613
01:09:52,488 --> 01:09:54,490
Later on Wednesday, the
President will deliver

1614
01:09:54,490 --> 01:09:56,492
remarks at the Armed
Forces Farewell in honor

1615
01:09:56,492 --> 01:09:59,161
of Secretary of
Defense Hagel.

1616
01:09:59,161 --> 01:10:01,630
On Thursday, the President and
Vice President will attend

1617
01:10:01,630 --> 01:10:04,500
the House Democratic Caucus
Retreat in Philadelphia.

1618
01:10:04,500 --> 01:10:06,502
The President will
attend on Thursday

1619
01:10:06,502 --> 01:10:08,504
and the Vice President
will attend on Friday.

1620
01:10:08,504 --> 01:10:10,906
And the President will
return to the White House

1621
01:10:10,906 --> 01:10:13,242
from Philadelphia on
Thursday evening.

1622
01:10:13,242 --> 01:10:15,311
And right now, the President
is slated to attend

1623
01:10:15,311 --> 01:10:17,313
a variety of meetings at
the White House on Friday.

1624
01:10:17,313 --> 01:10:20,182
The Press: So both the Vice
President and the President

1625
01:10:20,182 --> 01:10:22,651
could be out of the
country at the same time?

1626
01:10:22,651 --> 01:10:24,519
Mr. Earnest: That
possibility does exist,

1627
01:10:24,520 --> 01:10:26,488
and it wouldn't
be the first time.

1628
01:10:26,488 --> 01:10:27,423
Thanks everybody.