English subtitles for clip: File:11-24-14- White House Press Briefing.webm

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Mr. Earnest:
Afternoon, everybody.

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Nice to see you all.

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Just a quiet Monday to get
our Thanksgiving week going.

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The Press: We
thought it was.

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Mr. Earnest: Yes,
well, we like to keep

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you on your toes.

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Let's get settled in here.

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Josh, would you like to
get us started, please?

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The Press: Sure.

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Thanks, Josh.

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The President this
morning said that

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it was the appropriate time
for Chuck Hagel's tenure

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at the Pentagon to
come to an end.

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What exactly did
he mean by that?

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Mr. Earnest: Well, Josh, the
President alluded to the fact

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that Secretary Hagel and the
President had convened a number

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of conversations more than a
month ago about the President's

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two remaining years in
office and the kinds

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of priorities that this
administration, this country

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would be facing when it
comes to our foreign policy.

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Over the course of
the last month or so,

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the President and the
Secretary have had a number

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of conversations, and they
determined that it would

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be best for the Pentagon to
transition to new leadership.

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Now, this is pretty consistent
with the tenure of previous

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Secretaries of Defense
that we've seen.

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For about the President's
first two years,

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Secretary Gates served, and
then the next two years,

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Secretary Panetta.

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And generally speaking, over the
course of the last two years,

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Secretary Hagel has been
running the Pentagon.

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So it certainly is
consistent with this pattern

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that we would have a new
Secretary of Defense

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for the two remaining years
of the presidency.

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I'll tell you that Secretary
Hagel departs with a pretty

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strong track record at the
Department of Defense;

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that he's put in place some key
reforms at the Pentagon that

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will -- that have strengthened
our military in the short term,

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but also will do a lot to
strengthen our military

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and our national security
in the years ahead.

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Obviously, he has served at a
-- in a very challenging budget

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environment, not just for the
Pentagon but for the government.

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And managing those
challenges, while also

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making sure that our
military had the resources

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that they needed to carry
out the very important

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missions that are protecting
the United States and our

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interests around the
globe, he was successful

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in that effort.

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He is somebody who also led
the effort at the Pentagon

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to ensure that the necessary
steps were being taken

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to stamp out the scourge
of sexual assault.

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There have been obviously
reports of sexual assaults --

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at the rate of sexual assaults
increasing in the military,

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and this is something
that the President and his

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Secretary of Defense
took very seriously.

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There's a review
underway on that,

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and that's -- that was
something that required

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a significant reevaluation
inside the military,

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and it required leadership.

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And that's exactly what
Secretary Hagel provided.

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The Press: So if all
those things were going

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so well then why did
he have to leave?

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Mr. Earnest: Well, the other
thing that we have seen, Josh,

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is just in the last year, there
have been some other significant

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challenges that have cropped
up that have required strong

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leadership at the Department of
Defense -- something, again,

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that Secretary Hagel has
provided -- from countering

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the threat that's posed
by ISIL, building

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an international coalition to
take the fight to them;

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to countering Ebola and using
Department of Defense resources

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in West Africa to try support
the ongoing international

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effort to stop that
outbreak at the source;

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and certainly, our ongoing
efforts to support

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the people of Ukraine as they
deal with the inappropriate

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interference from separatists
and Russian-backed

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separatists in
eastern Ukraine.

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All of those are crises that
have emerged in just the last

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year or so and are things that
will, on an ongoing basis,

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require the continued attention
of the Department of Defense.

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What I can tell you is that
over the course of the last

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two years, Secretary Hagel has
stepped in to fill a very

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important role, which is to
navigate that department

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through a very difficult
era of budget constraints

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and other threats to
the United States.

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And he is somebody
who has served ably,

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and he is somebody in
whom the President

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has the highest
respect.

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And the President is pleased
that he's agreed to stay

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on and serve in that role
until his successor

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has been confirmed by the
United States Senate.

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The Press: How much of a
role did the changing

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environment when it comes
to the threat posed

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by Islamic State play
in this decision?

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And is it fair to say that
the President is looking

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for a new Defense
Secretary who can bring

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a new approach to the
Islamic State issue?

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Mr. Earnest: Well, again, the
President has been working

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very intensively with his
national security team

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to deal with this rapidly
changing environment.

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And certainly to make sure that
we have the kind of strategy

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in place that will ensure that
our interests are protected

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against the threat that's
posed by ISIL is an important

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part of the kinds of
discussions the President

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has been having over the
last several months.

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I would anticipate that --
the President is mindful

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of the fact that the next
Secretary of Defense will

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have this as a top
priority when he or she

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steps into that office.

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And the President is
certainly mindful of that.

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But the other thing that I
think that it's important

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for us to not forget -- and
this is one of the reasons

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that Secretary Hagel was
nominated for this job

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in the first place -- is
that he was the first

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enlisted combat veteran
to ever serve as a

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Secretary of Defense.

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He is somebody who understands
firsthand -- who understood

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and understands firsthand
what our men and women

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in uniform and their families
sacrifice on a daily basis

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to ensure our safety
and security.

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And that firsthand knowledge
is not just a testament

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to Secretary Hagel's
character, it means he was

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the right person to
lead that department

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at a time when they were
going to have to make

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important reforms and
important budgetary decisions

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that would have a direct impact
on the ability of those --

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or our men and women in
uniform to do their jobs.

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So he served in a
leadership role at a very

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critical time for the
Department of Defense.

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He has been the right person
for the job and he has

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performed to the President's
expectations in a way,

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as the President mentioned
in his statement,

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will contribute to the
ongoing effort that has made

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the United States military
the most powerful force

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for good in the world.

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The Press: Do you have
any timeline for wanting

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to name and replace and
confirm a replacement?

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The end of this
year, at the start

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of the next
congressional session?

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Anything like that?

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Mr. Earnest: I don't have
any timeframe like that

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to lay out for you here.

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I would anticipate
that, as we always do,

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that when the President makes
a decision about who should

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succeed Secretary
Hagel at the Pentagon,

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that that is a person that will
be worthy of swift consideration

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and confirmation in
bipartisan fashion

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by the United States Senate.

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The Press: And just one
on Iran -- there are

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already members of Congress,
prominent members,

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who are calling for increased
sanctions to accompany

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this extension in the
nuclear talks.

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During the round of talks
that has just concluded,

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the President had threatened
to veto any such new

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sanctions from Congress.

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Is that veto threat still
valid and active now that

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the administration is asking
for another seven months

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to wrap up these talks?

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Mr. Earnest: Well, Josh, we
continue to believe that

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adding on sanctions while
negotiations are ongoing

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would be counterproductive.

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And the reason for
that is pretty simple.

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It's important for people
to understand how

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the sanctions regime works.

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The United States Congress
deserves credit for this aspect

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of the strategy.

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They put in place a very tough
sanctions regime against Iran.

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But the effect of that sanctions
regime was multiplied because of

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the diplomatic work that the
administration did to get other

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countries around the world
to abide by that regime.

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So basically, you had American
diplomats going around the globe

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urging their counterparts in
other significant countries --

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some of whom buy much more
Iranian oil than we do --

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saying, hey, we need to abide by
this sanctions regime so that

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we can resolve the broader
international community's

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concerns with the
Iranian nuclear program.

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And that required very
difficult diplomatic work.

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But that is, I think, a
pretty good illustration

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of how Congress and the
administration can work

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together to maximize the
impact of these sanctions.

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The concern that we have is that
layering on additional sanctions

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could leave some of our partners
with the impression that this

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sanctions regime is more
punitive in nature than anything

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else, and that could cause some
cracks in that international

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coordination to appear.

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And that would, therefore,
undermine the point of the

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sanctions regime
in the first place.

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So at this point, because
of the ongoing talks,

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we have succeeded in
actually rolling back

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Iran's nuclear program.

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You'll recall, Josh,
that a year ago,

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Iran had 200 kilograms of
uranium that had been enriched

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at the 20-percent level.

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They now don't have a single
ounce of uranium that

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has been enriched to the
20-percent level.

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They've eliminated
that stockpile.

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That was one of the terms
of these conversations.

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You'll recall that
Iran was -- has also,

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as part of this agreement,
suspended enriching uranium

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above the 5-percent level.

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So that is also an indication
that they are not making the

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same kinds of strides with
their nuclear program

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that they have previously.

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The same is true when it comes
to the heavy-water reactor that

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they were building in Arak.

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No progress has been made on
that reactor in the context of

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these talks because the
agreement was that they would

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not continue to develop
that site in the context

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of these talks.

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That also relates to
the kind of inspections

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that we've seen.

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We've got international
inspectors who are keeping

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close tabs on the Iranian
nuclear program,

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and the access that they've
gotten in the context of these

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talks is unlike any access
they've gotten to the Iran

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nuclear program in history.

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So again, there are
substantial gaps that remain.

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And the President on numerous
occasions has made clear that

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he believes the prospects of
a deal are 50-50 at best.

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The President has also
been clear that no deal

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is better than a bad deal.

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But we do believe that enough
progress has been made to

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warrant giving the Iranian
regime more time to answer the

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international community's
concerns about their nuclear

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program, and to put in place
a protocol for continuing

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to assure the international
community about

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their compliance with
these agreements.

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The Press: But if Congress
sends him a bill early

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next year with more sanctions,
will the President veto it?

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Mr. Earnest: Again, Josh, our
position on putting in place

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sanctions in the midst of
these ongoing negotiations

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has not changed.

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Steve.

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The Press: Josh, was
Secretary Hagel forced out?

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Mr. Earnest: Steve, again, the
decision that was announced

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today is the result of
conversations that the President

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and the Secretary have
been having for more than

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a month now.

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And in the context of
those conversations,

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the two of them arrived
together at the determination

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that new leadership should take
over at the Pentagon and --

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for the last two years of
the President's term,

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and that's what's
going to happen.

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The Press: Did the President
try to talk him out of leaving?

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Mr. Earnest: Well, certainly
they spent a lot of time

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00:11:09,101 --> 00:11:11,101
talking about the
progress that's been made

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00:11:11,103 --> 00:11:13,573
under Secretary Hagel's leadership.

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00:11:13,572 --> 00:11:17,072
They talked about some of the
critically important budget

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00:11:17,076 --> 00:11:19,416
reforms that were put in
place at the Pentagon.

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00:11:19,412 --> 00:11:23,352
They talked about the work that
Secretary Hagel has done with

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00:11:23,349 --> 00:11:25,649
our men and women in uniform
to combat sexual assault

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00:11:25,651 --> 00:11:26,851
in the military.

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00:11:26,852 --> 00:11:28,952
They also spent a lot of time
talking about the success that

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00:11:28,954 --> 00:11:32,154
Secretary Hagel has had in
strengthening our relationships

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00:11:32,158 --> 00:11:34,958
with NATO, strengthening
that alliance.

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00:11:34,960 --> 00:11:37,430
And you'll recall, Steve, or at
least those of you who traveled

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00:11:37,430 --> 00:11:44,140
with us to Asia last week, that
part of the context of the visit

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00:11:44,136 --> 00:11:50,106
with -- the state visit to
China was an agreement about

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00:11:50,109 --> 00:11:53,209
U.S.-China military relations;
that there was an agreement

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00:11:53,212 --> 00:11:56,552
on a protocol for stronger and
clearer communication

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00:11:56,549 --> 00:11:59,419
between the U.S. military
and Chinese military.

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00:11:59,418 --> 00:12:01,418
Those kinds of agreements
don't happen by accident,

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00:12:01,420 --> 00:12:03,760
particularly when you're
talking about agreements

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00:12:03,756 --> 00:12:06,756
between the U.S. military and
a pretty secretive military

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00:12:06,759 --> 00:12:09,729
like the one that's
maintained by the Chinese.

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00:12:09,728 --> 00:12:12,568
So again, that is an
illustration of the kind

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00:12:12,565 --> 00:12:14,565
of success and leadership
that Secretary Hagel

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00:12:14,567 --> 00:12:16,307
has provided at the
Department of Defense.

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00:12:16,302 --> 00:12:18,342
The Press: The Secretary had
written a two-page memo about

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00:12:18,337 --> 00:12:21,137
Syria in which he disagreed
with the President's policy.

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00:12:21,140 --> 00:12:23,740
Did that -- what effect
did that have here?

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00:12:23,742 --> 00:12:25,082
Mr. Earnest: It did
not have any effect.

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00:12:25,077 --> 00:12:29,717
As you know, Steve, the
President is looking for his --

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00:12:29,715 --> 00:12:32,615
the senior members of his
team to provide clear,

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00:12:32,618 --> 00:12:35,418
unvarnished advice based
on their experience

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00:12:35,421 --> 00:12:37,161
and their instincts.

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00:12:37,156 --> 00:12:40,156
And people like Secretary
Hagel are sought out

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00:12:40,159 --> 00:12:42,529
because of their
unique point of view.

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00:12:42,528 --> 00:12:46,768
The question, though, is how
reliable are those individuals

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00:12:46,765 --> 00:12:50,735
in terms of acting and
carrying out the strategy

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00:12:50,736 --> 00:12:52,706
that the President
has selected.

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00:12:52,705 --> 00:12:54,705
And in this matter,
Secretary Hagel has

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00:12:54,707 --> 00:12:56,907
performed extremely well.

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00:12:56,909 --> 00:12:59,479
He is somebody who has
understood the strategy.

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00:12:59,478 --> 00:13:02,148
Obviously, the Department of
Defense has a core component

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00:13:02,148 --> 00:13:03,318
of that strategy.

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00:13:03,315 --> 00:13:06,755
And Secretary Hagel has
demonstrated clearly

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00:13:06,752 --> 00:13:09,352
in a variety of public
settings that he believes

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00:13:09,355 --> 00:13:11,495
in the strategy that the
President has laid out,

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00:13:11,490 --> 00:13:13,490
that he believes that the
strategy the President

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00:13:13,492 --> 00:13:15,532
has laid out has made --
has yielded important

291
00:13:15,528 --> 00:13:18,868
progress in the short term,
and it will be successful

292
00:13:18,864 --> 00:13:19,864
over the long term.

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00:13:19,865 --> 00:13:22,005
The Press: And when exactly
did the Secretary turn

294
00:13:22,001 --> 00:13:23,371
in his resignation?

295
00:13:23,369 --> 00:13:27,739
Was there a meeting on Friday,
or -- how did this transpire?

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00:13:27,740 --> 00:13:29,310
Mr. Earnest: Well, Steve, I
probably won't get into

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00:13:29,308 --> 00:13:31,608
the tick-tock of all of the
meetings that they had.

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00:13:31,610 --> 00:13:34,010
But you heard Secretary Hagel
say in his statement today that

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00:13:34,013 --> 00:13:37,753
he had submitted his letter
of resignation today.

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00:13:37,750 --> 00:13:38,380
Jon.

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00:13:38,384 --> 00:13:39,614
The Press: Josh, is it safe
to say the President will

302
00:13:39,618 --> 00:13:42,158
be looking for some new blood,
some fresh perspectives,

303
00:13:42,154 --> 00:13:46,294
maybe somebody from outside
of his inner circle,

304
00:13:46,292 --> 00:13:49,862
the administration for a
replacement for Chuck Hagel?

305
00:13:49,862 --> 00:13:52,462
Mr. Earnest: Jon, at this
point I don't have a sense

306
00:13:52,464 --> 00:13:54,404
of sort of where that
process is, so I wouldn't

307
00:13:54,400 --> 00:13:56,540
want to handicap that
process at this point.

308
00:13:56,535 --> 00:13:59,105
But obviously, whoever the
next Secretary of Defense

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00:13:59,104 --> 00:14:01,074
is is going to have
some big shoes to fill

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00:14:01,073 --> 00:14:03,073
based on the success and
track record of somebody

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00:14:03,075 --> 00:14:04,075
like Secretary Hagel.

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00:14:04,076 --> 00:14:06,416
The Press: And let me get back
to -- Josh asked you a very

313
00:14:06,412 --> 00:14:08,712
direct question and I did not
hear a direct answer to --

314
00:14:08,714 --> 00:14:12,184
if he'd done such a wonderful
job, you listed all his

315
00:14:12,184 --> 00:14:14,624
accomplishments, why
did he have to go?

316
00:14:14,620 --> 00:14:15,190
I mean, why?

317
00:14:15,187 --> 00:14:17,157
Mr. Earnest: Well, again, this
is based on a conversation

318
00:14:17,156 --> 00:14:19,796
between the two of them about
what the next two years

319
00:14:19,792 --> 00:14:21,792
of this administration
is going to look like.

320
00:14:21,794 --> 00:14:24,194
And based on what those
priorities are going to be over

321
00:14:24,196 --> 00:14:28,606
the next two years, both men
determined that it was an

322
00:14:28,601 --> 00:14:32,001
appropriate time for Secretary
Hagel to step down and for

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00:14:32,004 --> 00:14:34,004
someone else to take the
reigns over at the Pentagon.

324
00:14:34,006 --> 00:14:37,006
The Press: How central was he
to crafting the strategy that

325
00:14:37,009 --> 00:14:42,149
the President has pursued
against ISIL and the strategy

326
00:14:42,147 --> 00:14:43,917
towards Syria in general?

327
00:14:43,916 --> 00:14:46,416
Mr. Earnest: Well, obviously the
Secretary of Defense has

328
00:14:46,418 --> 00:14:49,588
a very important role to
play in that strategy.

329
00:14:49,588 --> 00:14:52,388
Our men and women in uniform
are performing a variety

330
00:14:52,391 --> 00:14:53,691
of important functions in
that region of the world.

331
00:14:53,692 --> 00:14:57,062
The first and I think the most
significant are the airstrikes

332
00:14:57,062 --> 00:14:59,532
that are being carried out
against ISIL targets both

333
00:14:59,531 --> 00:15:00,671
in Iraq and in Syria.

334
00:15:00,666 --> 00:15:03,436
In Iraq, they're obviously
in support of ongoing ground

335
00:15:03,435 --> 00:15:06,075
operations by Iraqi and
Kurdish security forces.

336
00:15:06,071 --> 00:15:08,171
But there also is an important
role for our military to play

337
00:15:08,173 --> 00:15:13,143
in terms of providing equipment
to Iraqi security forces.

338
00:15:13,145 --> 00:15:17,985
There also is an important
training and advisory component.

339
00:15:17,983 --> 00:15:19,983
So there are a number
of important things that

340
00:15:19,985 --> 00:15:22,455
the Department of Defense
is doing against ISIL,

341
00:15:22,454 --> 00:15:24,454
and so obviously the
Secretary of Defense has

342
00:15:24,456 --> 00:15:27,696
to play an important
role doing two things.

343
00:15:27,693 --> 00:15:29,693
One is making recommendations
to the President about

344
00:15:29,695 --> 00:15:31,695
the capabilities of the
Department of Defense,

345
00:15:31,697 --> 00:15:33,897
and then two, once the
President has set out

346
00:15:33,899 --> 00:15:36,639
a strategy, implementing
it within his department.

347
00:15:36,635 --> 00:15:38,635
Obviously, there are a lot of
elements of the President's

348
00:15:38,637 --> 00:15:40,637
strategy that need to be
implemented that directly

349
00:15:40,639 --> 00:15:41,709
affect the Department
of Defense.

350
00:15:41,707 --> 00:15:43,107
The Press: Absolutely
no question about that.

351
00:15:43,108 --> 00:15:46,248
But what I asked, though,
is how central was he,

352
00:15:46,245 --> 00:15:48,845
how critical is he, how much
ownership does he have

353
00:15:48,847 --> 00:15:51,547
over the strategy that the
President has pursued?

354
00:15:51,550 --> 00:15:54,520
Obviously he's been
implementing the strategy

355
00:15:54,520 --> 00:15:57,390
insofar as it involves the
Department of Defense,

356
00:15:57,389 --> 00:15:59,689
but in terms of the
President's strategy,

357
00:15:59,692 --> 00:16:03,132
the approach he has taken
to Syria specifically

358
00:16:03,128 --> 00:16:07,028
and to the fight against
ISIS in Iraq and Syria,

359
00:16:07,032 --> 00:16:09,202
how much of a role did
Chuck Hagel have in that?

360
00:16:09,201 --> 00:16:11,201
Mr. Earnest: Well, the role
that he played was substantial,

361
00:16:11,203 --> 00:16:13,373
as it was with other
members of the President's

362
00:16:13,372 --> 00:16:14,372
national security team.

363
00:16:14,373 --> 00:16:16,673
We all have lots of
conversations in here about

364
00:16:16,675 --> 00:16:18,675
the number of national
security meetings that

365
00:16:18,677 --> 00:16:20,947
the President had convened
to discuss this issue.

366
00:16:20,946 --> 00:16:23,086
And obviously, again, there
are significant equities

367
00:16:23,082 --> 00:16:25,082
when it comes to the
Department of Defense,

368
00:16:25,084 --> 00:16:27,084
and so the President
expected to hear from

369
00:16:27,086 --> 00:16:29,186
his Secretary of
Defense on a number

370
00:16:29,188 --> 00:16:31,488
of these important
strategic decisions.

371
00:16:31,490 --> 00:16:33,490
And the President is
pleased with the advice

372
00:16:33,492 --> 00:16:35,492
and counsel that
Secretary Hagel provided.

373
00:16:35,494 --> 00:16:37,794
The Press: In an
interview today,

374
00:16:37,796 --> 00:16:41,396
John McCain said that he
spoke to Chuck Hagel and that

375
00:16:41,400 --> 00:16:43,800
Hagel was very frustrated
-- he said he has this

376
00:16:43,802 --> 00:16:46,202
conversation last week --
he was very frustrated.

377
00:16:46,205 --> 00:16:49,045
There had been leaks out of
the White House that he wasn't

378
00:16:49,041 --> 00:16:53,611
up to the job, and he felt
he was being micromanaged.

379
00:16:54,713 --> 00:16:57,953
Is John McCain onto
something there?

380
00:16:57,950 --> 00:17:01,190
Mr. Earnest: Well, I think that
given his relationship with

381
00:17:01,186 --> 00:17:03,726
the administration, I think
there might be reasons

382
00:17:03,722 --> 00:17:07,462
to view a readout of the phone
call from Senator McCain

383
00:17:07,459 --> 00:17:09,459
to be something less
than impartial.

384
00:17:09,461 --> 00:17:11,501
The Press: But a close
relationship with Hagel, though?

385
00:17:11,497 --> 00:17:12,197
I mean he's --

386
00:17:12,197 --> 00:17:13,467
Mr. Earnest: Yes, I don't
think that was on full

387
00:17:13,465 --> 00:17:14,665
display during his
confirmation hearings.

388
00:17:14,666 --> 00:17:16,866
(laughter)

389
00:17:16,869 --> 00:17:18,469
But I would grant that
they served together for

390
00:17:18,470 --> 00:17:20,470
quite some time.

391
00:17:20,472 --> 00:17:22,472
And both of them certainly
proudly served our country

392
00:17:22,474 --> 00:17:24,444
in the military, so I would
expect that would make --

393
00:17:24,443 --> 00:17:26,443
form some kind of personal
bond between the two men.

394
00:17:26,445 --> 00:17:30,385
But again, I can't speak to
any private conversation

395
00:17:30,382 --> 00:17:32,382
that Secretary Hagel had
with Senator McCain,

396
00:17:32,384 --> 00:17:36,084
but I can speak to Secretary
Hagel's proud record of service

397
00:17:36,088 --> 00:17:39,488
to this country, both as an
enlisted combat veteran,

398
00:17:39,491 --> 00:17:41,291
but also as
Secretary of Defense.

399
00:17:41,293 --> 00:17:42,393
The Press: And you wouldn't
expect this confirmation

400
00:17:42,394 --> 00:17:44,434
of the successor to happen
before the lame duck

401
00:17:44,430 --> 00:17:45,300
is up, right?

402
00:17:45,297 --> 00:17:46,297
This will be the
next Congress?

403
00:17:46,298 --> 00:17:47,368
Mr. Earnest: Well, before
we talk about timing,

404
00:17:47,366 --> 00:17:49,336
we'll find a nominee, and
then we'll -- then we can

405
00:17:49,334 --> 00:17:50,834
discuss time up here.

406
00:17:50,836 --> 00:17:51,406
Move around.

407
00:17:51,403 --> 00:17:52,173
Cheryl.

408
00:17:52,171 --> 00:17:52,841
The Press: Yes, thanks.

409
00:17:52,838 --> 00:17:53,768
Different topic.

410
00:17:53,772 --> 00:17:55,942
I understand that the
House and Senate are close

411
00:17:55,941 --> 00:17:59,381
on a package of tax
extenders and I'm wondering

412
00:17:59,378 --> 00:18:02,178
if you've seen that
package and what the --

413
00:18:02,181 --> 00:18:05,051
if the President
might support it.

414
00:18:05,050 --> 00:18:06,590
Mr. Earnest: I have
not seen that package.

415
00:18:06,585 --> 00:18:10,285
I've seen the reports
about that package, Cheryl.

416
00:18:10,289 --> 00:18:13,129
I can tell you that the
reports are not promising.

417
00:18:13,125 --> 00:18:16,525
The reports suggest that there
may be some in Congress who

418
00:18:16,528 --> 00:18:19,928
want to provide tax relief to
businesses and to corporate

419
00:18:19,932 --> 00:18:23,832
insiders, but not ensuring
that those benefits

420
00:18:23,836 --> 00:18:25,836
are shared by
middle-class families.

421
00:18:25,838 --> 00:18:28,178
So certainly the
administration would not

422
00:18:28,173 --> 00:18:31,813
be supportive of a package
that provided relief

423
00:18:31,810 --> 00:18:33,810
to corporations without
providing relief

424
00:18:33,812 --> 00:18:34,382
to middle-class families.

425
00:18:34,379 --> 00:18:36,819
That is consistent with
the President's view that

426
00:18:36,815 --> 00:18:39,215
we need to be focused on
expanding economic

427
00:18:39,218 --> 00:18:41,218
opportunity for middle-class
families because

428
00:18:41,220 --> 00:18:43,220
the President believes
that our economy

429
00:18:43,222 --> 00:18:45,222
is strongest when it's
growing from the middle out.

430
00:18:45,224 --> 00:18:49,694
And investment in significant,
unpaid-for tax breaks for

431
00:18:49,695 --> 00:18:52,395
corporations without giving
a tax break to middle-class

432
00:18:52,397 --> 00:18:58,507
families is not consistent
with that philosophy at all.

433
00:18:58,504 --> 00:19:00,804
The Press: But does the
President want to see that

434
00:19:00,806 --> 00:19:03,676
package move in the lame
duck, or does he think with

435
00:19:03,675 --> 00:19:05,515
these reports that maybe
we should hold off?

436
00:19:05,511 --> 00:19:07,651
Mr. Earnest: Well, we
certainly don't want

437
00:19:07,646 --> 00:19:09,616
to see a package that
benefits corporations but

438
00:19:09,615 --> 00:19:10,615
not middle-class families.

439
00:19:10,616 --> 00:19:12,616
That's something that
we'd strongly oppose.

440
00:19:12,618 --> 00:19:14,618
So we wouldn't want to see
that move in the lame duck.

441
00:19:14,620 --> 00:19:16,620
We wouldn't want to see
that move any point.

442
00:19:16,622 --> 00:19:19,392
We believe that if we're going
to have a conversation about

443
00:19:19,391 --> 00:19:22,061
lightening the tax load, that
we need to start that

444
00:19:22,060 --> 00:19:25,930
conversation by focusing
on how that will expand

445
00:19:25,931 --> 00:19:27,931
opportunity for
middle-class families.

446
00:19:27,933 --> 00:19:30,273
And again, just offering up
those benefits to corporations

447
00:19:30,269 --> 00:19:32,739
without offering up any benefits
to middle-class families

448
00:19:32,738 --> 00:19:35,278
is not something the
President would support.

449
00:19:35,274 --> 00:19:35,804
Ed.

450
00:19:35,807 --> 00:19:37,847
The Press: Josh, on -- in
terms of policy and substance

451
00:19:37,843 --> 00:19:40,543
with the new Secretary of
Defense, has the President's

452
00:19:40,546 --> 00:19:42,546
thinking evolved in
terms of whether or not

453
00:19:42,548 --> 00:19:44,388
there will be combat
missions for U.S. troops

454
00:19:44,383 --> 00:19:46,483
in Afghanistan next year?

455
00:19:46,485 --> 00:19:47,215
Mr. Earnest: It has not, Ed.

456
00:19:47,219 --> 00:19:49,589
I know there are some reports
about the role that U.S.

457
00:19:49,588 --> 00:19:54,928
men and women in our military
will play in Afghanistan.

458
00:19:54,927 --> 00:19:57,427
As you know, the U.S. combat
role in Afghanistan

459
00:19:57,429 --> 00:19:59,429
will end at the end of
this year, in just

460
00:19:59,431 --> 00:20:00,701
a little over a month.

461
00:20:00,699 --> 00:20:04,069
In 2015, the mission for our
men and women in uniform

462
00:20:04,069 --> 00:20:06,469
will shift into a different
role that will be focusing

463
00:20:06,471 --> 00:20:10,941
on training and equipping
Afghan security forces,

464
00:20:10,943 --> 00:20:16,183
and conducting targeted
counterterrorism operations

465
00:20:16,181 --> 00:20:18,651
against the remnants of al
Qaeda that still operate

466
00:20:18,650 --> 00:20:19,690
in that region of the world.

467
00:20:19,685 --> 00:20:23,025
That will be the focal point of
their mission in in Afghanistan.

468
00:20:23,021 --> 00:20:25,591
The Press: So there's
no expansion at all

469
00:20:25,591 --> 00:20:26,821
of the mission?

470
00:20:26,825 --> 00:20:28,595
Mr. Earnest: No, the mission
that the President has

471
00:20:28,594 --> 00:20:32,394
laid out remains consistent.

472
00:20:32,397 --> 00:20:35,767
The Press: And in terms of the
last two Secretaries of Defense

473
00:20:35,767 --> 00:20:39,107
writing books that were
pretty scathing about

474
00:20:39,104 --> 00:20:40,674
the leadership of the
President, and in some

475
00:20:40,672 --> 00:20:42,942
cases attacked him
personally -- Leon Panetta,

476
00:20:42,941 --> 00:20:44,941
Robert Gates -- did
that play any factor at all

477
00:20:44,943 --> 00:20:46,943
in terms of some of the
divisions that have been

478
00:20:46,945 --> 00:20:48,915
raised, any concerns that
Secretary Hagel was headed

479
00:20:48,914 --> 00:20:50,314
in that direction?

480
00:20:50,315 --> 00:20:51,955
Mr. Earnest: No, I haven't
seen any evidence of that.

481
00:20:51,950 --> 00:20:54,790
I think that one of the
hallmarks of Secretary Hagel's

482
00:20:54,786 --> 00:20:57,386
career is he is somebody who has
been extraordinarily loyal

483
00:20:57,389 --> 00:20:59,629
to his country and to his
Commander-in-Chief.

484
00:20:59,625 --> 00:21:02,165
And again, that was true when he
was an enlisted combat veteran,

485
00:21:02,160 --> 00:21:03,860
it was true when was in
the United States Senate,

486
00:21:03,862 --> 00:21:06,532
and that's been true
when he's served

487
00:21:06,531 --> 00:21:07,901
as Secretary of Defense.

488
00:21:07,899 --> 00:21:08,839
The Press: And a couple
other quick things.

489
00:21:08,834 --> 00:21:11,404
On immigration -- in his
interview with ABC News

490
00:21:11,403 --> 00:21:14,803
yesterday, the President was
sort of asked about future

491
00:21:14,806 --> 00:21:16,876
Presidents, Democrat
and Republican,

492
00:21:16,875 --> 00:21:18,575
using this as a precedent.

493
00:21:18,577 --> 00:21:21,717
And he seemed to say and
dismiss the idea that

494
00:21:21,713 --> 00:21:24,683
it could be used on taxes,
saying, "Absolutely not.

495
00:21:24,683 --> 00:21:27,123
It's not legitimate for the
next President to say

496
00:21:27,119 --> 00:21:29,459
we're not going to enforce
certain tax laws."

497
00:21:29,454 --> 00:21:32,594
How can he make such a blanket
statement when he's applying

498
00:21:32,591 --> 00:21:35,691
this principle to immigration
law that's on the books?

499
00:21:35,694 --> 00:21:37,894
And frankly, he doesn't know,
if it's a Democrat

500
00:21:37,896 --> 00:21:39,896
or a Republican, how they're
going to approach this.

501
00:21:39,898 --> 00:21:40,998
How does this not
open the door

502
00:21:40,999 --> 00:21:43,199
to a pretty large
precedent?

503
00:21:43,201 --> 00:21:44,201
Mr. Earnest: It's
a good question.

504
00:21:44,202 --> 00:21:46,342
I think there are a couple
of reasons for that, Ed.

505
00:21:46,338 --> 00:21:48,378
The first is, we're not
talking about whether or not

506
00:21:48,373 --> 00:21:50,573
the President is going to
enforce certain laws.

507
00:21:50,575 --> 00:21:52,645
We're talking about the
Department of Homeland Security

508
00:21:52,644 --> 00:21:58,684
using prosecutorial discretion
to sharpen the focus of

509
00:21:58,684 --> 00:22:02,654
enforcement on those who pose
a threat to national security,

510
00:22:02,654 --> 00:22:05,494
and those who pose a
threat to public safety.

511
00:22:05,490 --> 00:22:09,900
That is consistent with the
kinds of executive actions

512
00:22:09,895 --> 00:22:14,705
that previous Presidents have
taken in this area that every

513
00:22:14,700 --> 00:22:17,940
administration is challenged
to make a decision about

514
00:22:17,936 --> 00:22:21,006
how to use limited resources
to enforce the law.

515
00:22:21,006 --> 00:22:23,006
And in this case, the
President believes that

516
00:22:23,008 --> 00:22:25,908
those limited resources
should be focused on cracking

517
00:22:25,911 --> 00:22:29,181
down on criminals, on
those who pose a threat

518
00:22:29,181 --> 00:22:30,681
to public safety, and
those, of course,

519
00:22:30,682 --> 00:22:33,882
who pose a threat to
national security.

520
00:22:33,885 --> 00:22:37,625
The tax law thing is
obviously much different.

521
00:22:37,622 --> 00:22:42,092
I think the analogy would
be that refusing to enforce

522
00:22:42,094 --> 00:22:44,264
certain tax laws would
be akin to refusing

523
00:22:44,262 --> 00:22:46,332
to enforce any
laws as it relates

524
00:22:46,331 --> 00:22:48,071
to our border,
for example.

525
00:22:48,066 --> 00:22:50,066
That's not at all what
the President is doing.

526
00:22:50,068 --> 00:22:53,108
In fact, as we've discussed
quite a bit over the last couple

527
00:22:53,105 --> 00:22:55,775
of years, enforcement at the
border is actually up under

528
00:22:55,774 --> 00:22:58,414
President Obama, and that's
thanks to the investment

529
00:22:58,410 --> 00:23:00,210
that we've made in terms
of manpower and resources

530
00:23:00,212 --> 00:23:01,752
at the border.

531
00:23:01,747 --> 00:23:02,847
The Press: But I thought
George Stephanopoulos was

532
00:23:02,848 --> 00:23:04,688
trying to say, the next
President could say,

533
00:23:04,683 --> 00:23:06,053
I'm going to enforce
personal income tax,

534
00:23:06,051 --> 00:23:08,221
that's a bigger priority, I'm
going to enforce corporate

535
00:23:08,220 --> 00:23:12,190
taxes, but capital gains taxes
maybe not as important --

536
00:23:12,190 --> 00:23:13,990
and could pick and
choose, I think was

537
00:23:13,992 --> 00:23:15,762
the point that was made.

538
00:23:15,761 --> 00:23:18,801
So how do you know this
is not a precedent

539
00:23:18,797 --> 00:23:21,197
on laws across the books?

540
00:23:21,199 --> 00:23:23,199
Mr. Earnest: Well, I guess
that's the question that you

541
00:23:23,201 --> 00:23:25,201
could have asked President
Reagan after he announced

542
00:23:25,203 --> 00:23:27,203
his executive action in
terms of using prosecutorial

543
00:23:27,205 --> 00:23:30,975
discretion to reform
the immigration law.

544
00:23:30,976 --> 00:23:33,046
I guess the other thing is
this -- is that certainly

545
00:23:33,044 --> 00:23:37,684
when it comes to our tax
law, there are important

546
00:23:37,682 --> 00:23:40,922
restrictions as it relates
to political interference

547
00:23:40,919 --> 00:23:41,989
and the enforcement
of tax law.

548
00:23:41,987 --> 00:23:45,257
Those are laws that have been
scrupulously abided by in this

549
00:23:45,257 --> 00:23:47,297
administration, and we
anticipate that other

550
00:23:47,292 --> 00:23:48,222
administrations
would, as well.

551
00:23:48,226 --> 00:23:49,266
The Press: Last
one on tax laws.

552
00:23:49,261 --> 00:23:51,101
There was a rather long
story in The New York Times

553
00:23:51,096 --> 00:23:53,336
last week about Al
Sharpton having allegedly

554
00:23:53,331 --> 00:23:57,641
back taxes up to $4.5
million, between personally

555
00:23:57,636 --> 00:23:59,276
and his for-profit entity.

556
00:23:59,271 --> 00:24:01,541
He has said that he's
paid a bunch of it,

557
00:24:01,540 --> 00:24:03,880
and there's some dispute about
how much has been paid or not.

558
00:24:03,875 --> 00:24:06,645
He's here at the White House
frequently as an advisor

559
00:24:06,645 --> 00:24:09,045
to the President; the President
spoke to his organization

560
00:24:09,047 --> 00:24:10,017
a few months ago.

561
00:24:10,015 --> 00:24:13,355
Is the White House concerned
that he hasn't paid his taxes?

562
00:24:13,351 --> 00:24:15,351
Mr. Earnest: Ed, I have
to be honest with you,

563
00:24:15,353 --> 00:24:16,353
I haven't read those stories.

564
00:24:16,354 --> 00:24:19,054
I can tell you that the question
that you're asking, though,

565
00:24:19,057 --> 00:24:24,597
I think does illustrate the
kind of important and justified

566
00:24:24,596 --> 00:24:27,066
restrictions that there are on
political interference with any

567
00:24:27,065 --> 00:24:30,135
sort of tax investigations
and tax enforcement.

568
00:24:30,135 --> 00:24:35,845
So I'm confident that this
administration is allowing

569
00:24:35,841 --> 00:24:37,371
whatever enforcement
procedures are underway

570
00:24:37,375 --> 00:24:39,545
to be carried out.

571
00:24:39,544 --> 00:24:40,914
The Press: But an advisor
to the President should

572
00:24:40,912 --> 00:24:42,582
pay his or her taxes.

573
00:24:42,581 --> 00:24:43,551
Mr. Earnest: I'm sorry?

574
00:24:43,548 --> 00:24:45,788
The Press: An advisor to
the President should pay

575
00:24:45,784 --> 00:24:47,224
his or her taxes.

576
00:24:47,219 --> 00:24:48,589
Mr. Earnest: I think
every American should pay

577
00:24:48,587 --> 00:24:50,057
his or her taxes.

578
00:24:50,055 --> 00:24:52,255
Controversial
statement for a Monday.

579
00:24:52,257 --> 00:24:53,597
(laughter)

580
00:24:53,592 --> 00:24:54,562
Emel.

581
00:24:54,559 --> 00:24:56,429
The Press: Josh, Vice
President Biden just

582
00:24:56,428 --> 00:24:58,928
spent several days in
Turkey talking with

583
00:24:58,930 --> 00:25:02,830
Prime Minister Davutoglu
and President Erdogan.

584
00:25:02,834 --> 00:25:08,174
Other than (inaudible), what
progress was made on any

585
00:25:08,173 --> 00:25:13,383
of major issues between
Turkey and U.S., such as

586
00:25:13,378 --> 00:25:17,418
no-fly zone or use of
Incirlik Base -- Air Base?

587
00:25:17,415 --> 00:25:20,685
Mr. Earnest: Well, I got
only a very brief readout

588
00:25:20,685 --> 00:25:22,685
of the Vice
President's meeting.

589
00:25:22,687 --> 00:25:25,157
I know that he had very long
conversations with both

590
00:25:25,156 --> 00:25:27,826
the President and the Prime
Minister while he was there.

591
00:25:27,826 --> 00:25:30,426
I think that's indicative
of a couple of things.

592
00:25:30,428 --> 00:25:33,198
First, it's indicative of
the strong alliance that

593
00:25:33,198 --> 00:25:35,568
exists between the United
States and Turkey.

594
00:25:35,567 --> 00:25:38,467
It also is indicative of the
strong relationships that the

595
00:25:38,470 --> 00:25:41,970
Vice President personally
has with those two leaders.

596
00:25:41,973 --> 00:25:44,673
It's also indicative of the
significant stake that Turkey

597
00:25:44,676 --> 00:25:49,116
has in the outcome in
Syria, and in degrading

598
00:25:49,114 --> 00:25:51,584
and ultimately
destroying ISIL.

599
00:25:51,583 --> 00:25:54,623
There's a long border that
Turkey has with Syria.

600
00:25:54,619 --> 00:25:58,389
There's a substantial
humanitarian situation that's

601
00:25:58,390 --> 00:26:03,300
pretty dire that Turkey has
been focused on confronting.

602
00:26:03,295 --> 00:26:07,495
And so I would anticipate that
this is just the latest

603
00:26:07,499 --> 00:26:10,439
in what will continue to be
extensive consultations

604
00:26:10,435 --> 00:26:14,305
between U.S. officials
and Turkish officials

605
00:26:14,306 --> 00:26:17,346
in the region as it relates
to dealing with ISIL.

606
00:26:17,342 --> 00:26:20,482
But in terms of any agreements
or progress on those

607
00:26:20,478 --> 00:26:22,678
conversations, I'd refer you
to the Vice President's

608
00:26:22,681 --> 00:26:24,421
office for more details.

609
00:26:24,416 --> 00:26:25,416
Olivier.

610
00:26:25,417 --> 00:26:26,417
The Press: Thanks, Josh.

611
00:26:26,418 --> 00:26:28,758
You said that the President
and Secretary Hagel have

612
00:26:28,753 --> 00:26:30,993
been having more than a
month of conversations.

613
00:26:30,989 --> 00:26:35,289
Why wasn't there a successor
at this press event today?

614
00:26:35,293 --> 00:26:36,293
Does no one want the job?

615
00:26:36,294 --> 00:26:38,294
Mr. Earnest: I'm
sorry, what was the --

616
00:26:38,296 --> 00:26:40,296
The Press: Does no
one want the job?

617
00:26:40,298 --> 00:26:42,298
I mean, the array of
challenges is huge.

618
00:26:42,300 --> 00:26:43,470
You had about a month, I
guess, to figure out

619
00:26:43,468 --> 00:26:44,498
a potential successor.

620
00:26:44,502 --> 00:26:47,172
Why was there no
one up there today?

621
00:26:47,172 --> 00:26:48,142
Mr. Earnest: Well, I
don't want to leave you

622
00:26:48,139 --> 00:26:50,479
with the impression that
the very first conversation

623
00:26:50,475 --> 00:26:55,145
between the President and
the Secretary was --

624
00:26:55,146 --> 00:26:59,856
began with Secretary
Hagel's departure in mind;

625
00:26:59,851 --> 00:27:01,851
that this was a
more recent decision

626
00:27:01,853 --> 00:27:04,023
that came out of more than
a month of conversations

627
00:27:04,022 --> 00:27:05,322
between the two men.

628
00:27:05,323 --> 00:27:09,163
So I can tell you that there
has already been work done

629
00:27:09,160 --> 00:27:13,370
to start considering who the
next Secretary of Defense

630
00:27:13,365 --> 00:27:15,865
will be, but I don't have any
updates on that process.

631
00:27:15,867 --> 00:27:18,507
The Press: And then -- I'm
sorry to come back on this,

632
00:27:18,503 --> 00:27:21,573
but I'm confused -- you
told Josh -- you suggested

633
00:27:21,573 --> 00:27:26,713
to Josh that the increased prominence of the ISIL threat

634
00:27:26,711 --> 00:27:29,881
was a factor in Secretary
Hagel's departure,

635
00:27:29,881 --> 00:27:32,121
but you told Jon that
Secretary Hagel was

636
00:27:32,117 --> 00:27:34,287
implementing the
strategy perfectly.

637
00:27:34,285 --> 00:27:40,395
I don't understand, then, why
-- what role that campaign

638
00:27:40,392 --> 00:27:40,862
played in his departure.

639
00:27:40,859 --> 00:27:42,859
Mr. Earnest: That's
a good question.

640
00:27:42,861 --> 00:27:44,731
Let me try to clarify.

641
00:27:44,729 --> 00:27:46,729
The point I'm trying to
make is that -- simply,

642
00:27:46,731 --> 00:27:52,171
when Secretary Hagel was first
nominated for this job --

643
00:27:52,170 --> 00:27:54,840
I believe that was at
the end of 2012, even,

644
00:27:54,839 --> 00:27:59,909
before the first of the year --
that the threat that was posed

645
00:27:59,911 --> 00:28:03,211
by ISIL was not nearly as
significant as it is now.

646
00:28:03,214 --> 00:28:07,154
And that has caused the
threat that's posed by ISIL

647
00:28:07,152 --> 00:28:10,722
to rise up to near the
top of the priority list

648
00:28:10,722 --> 00:28:13,162
at the Department of Defense,
and that wasn't the case

649
00:28:13,158 --> 00:28:15,658
when Secretary Hagel
first took office.

650
00:28:15,660 --> 00:28:17,830
At the top of the
priority list was helping

651
00:28:17,829 --> 00:28:21,029
the Department of Defense
adjust to some of

652
00:28:21,032 --> 00:28:23,732
the budgetary challenges
that are facing that agency.

653
00:28:23,735 --> 00:28:27,775
Those challenges aren't over,
but substantial progress has

654
00:28:27,772 --> 00:28:31,912
been made in making sure that
our men and women in uniform

655
00:28:31,910 --> 00:28:34,950
have the resources that
they need to carry out

656
00:28:34,946 --> 00:28:37,746
their mission even as these
new challenges emerge.

657
00:28:37,749 --> 00:28:40,819
And that is, frankly, a
testament to the leadership

658
00:28:40,819 --> 00:28:43,419
and management of
Secretary Hagel.

659
00:28:43,421 --> 00:28:45,761
I think the point I'm
trying to make is just that

660
00:28:45,757 --> 00:28:48,527
the priorities of the
Department -- or at least

661
00:28:48,526 --> 00:28:52,166
of the new Secretary --
have changed, given

662
00:28:52,163 --> 00:28:55,633
changes in the
international community.

663
00:28:55,633 --> 00:28:58,233
It doesn't mean that Secretary
Hagel hasn't done an excellent

664
00:28:58,236 --> 00:29:00,906
job of managing these crises
as they've cropped up,

665
00:29:00,905 --> 00:29:03,775
but it does mean that as we
consider the next remaining

666
00:29:03,775 --> 00:29:06,775
two years of the
President's time in office,

667
00:29:06,778 --> 00:29:09,848
that another Secretary
might be better suited

668
00:29:09,848 --> 00:29:11,418
to meet those challenges.

669
00:29:11,416 --> 00:29:13,256
That was something that
the two of them agreed,

670
00:29:13,251 --> 00:29:16,351
and I'll anticipate that
we'll have an announcement

671
00:29:16,354 --> 00:29:19,824
about his successor
relatively soon.

672
00:29:19,824 --> 00:29:20,824
Justin.

673
00:29:20,825 --> 00:29:22,825
The Press: I have two things
I wanted to ask about.

674
00:29:22,827 --> 00:29:25,297
The first is, there's reports
that the Ferguson grand jury

675
00:29:25,296 --> 00:29:29,536
has come to a decision and will
be announcing that today,

676
00:29:29,534 --> 00:29:31,804
and so I'm wondering if there
are any plans here from the

677
00:29:31,803 --> 00:29:34,473
President to -- I know he spoke
about it in his interview

678
00:29:34,472 --> 00:29:37,572
over the weekend -- but to
address that verdict

679
00:29:37,575 --> 00:29:39,575
if it comes out, or in
the coming days.

680
00:29:39,577 --> 00:29:40,977
Mr. Earnest: I saw those
news reports right before

681
00:29:40,979 --> 00:29:42,449
I walked out here.

682
00:29:42,447 --> 00:29:44,887
I don't have any special
insight into those grand jury

683
00:29:44,883 --> 00:29:48,753
proceedings, neither does
anybody else at the White House.

684
00:29:48,753 --> 00:29:51,653
So if there's a need for the
President to make a public

685
00:29:51,656 --> 00:29:53,656
statement today, we'll obviously
let you know as soon as we've

686
00:29:53,658 --> 00:29:56,598
made that decision, but I don't
have any insight to share with

687
00:29:56,594 --> 00:30:00,294
you about what may be a part of
those -- of an announcement from

688
00:30:00,298 --> 00:30:02,298
the St. Louis County prosecutor.

689
00:30:02,300 --> 00:30:04,340
The Press: And then there was
a report in the Times

690
00:30:04,335 --> 00:30:06,635
last Friday, and so I'm
wondering if it's true,

691
00:30:06,638 --> 00:30:08,738
that the White House has
banned congressional staffers

692
00:30:08,740 --> 00:30:11,410
from meetings between the
President and lawmakers.

693
00:30:11,409 --> 00:30:13,679
Mr. Earnest: I don't
think that that's true,

694
00:30:13,678 --> 00:30:16,678
but I don't sit in on too many
meetings with the President

695
00:30:16,681 --> 00:30:18,681
and congressional
leaders these days.

696
00:30:18,683 --> 00:30:21,683
I think he prefers to have those
conversations just with the

697
00:30:21,686 --> 00:30:23,986
members, but I don't think that
that means that there's never

698
00:30:23,988 --> 00:30:27,058
been a congressional staff who's
participated in those sessions.

699
00:30:27,058 --> 00:30:29,158
The Press: I mean, the report
suggested that this is a new

700
00:30:29,160 --> 00:30:32,300
policy initiative that's
changed as part of what

701
00:30:32,297 --> 00:30:34,137
I've asked you about
a lot, which is kind

702
00:30:34,132 --> 00:30:36,672
of the continuing
drama between --

703
00:30:36,668 --> 00:30:37,798
Mr. Earnest: You have
asked me about it a lot.

704
00:30:37,802 --> 00:30:40,042
(laughter)

705
00:30:40,038 --> 00:30:41,068
The Press: It was
funny, even though --

706
00:30:41,072 --> 00:30:42,612
I was the only one
who cared about it.

707
00:30:42,607 --> 00:30:43,377
Mr. Earnest: I'm
just saying.

708
00:30:43,374 --> 00:30:45,014
The Press: There was a
very lengthy story

709
00:30:45,009 --> 00:30:45,979
in The New York Times.

710
00:30:45,977 --> 00:30:47,247
Mr. Earnest: Yes, I
did read that one.

711
00:30:47,245 --> 00:30:49,785
(laughter)

712
00:30:49,781 --> 00:30:52,221
The Press: Well, I'm sort
of wondering -- I mean,

713
00:30:52,217 --> 00:30:53,957
it described --

714
00:30:55,620 --> 00:30:56,420
Mr. Earnest: Let me
try to answer your

715
00:30:56,421 --> 00:30:56,991
question more directly.

716
00:30:56,988 --> 00:30:59,088
I don't know of any
specific policy that's

717
00:30:59,090 --> 00:31:01,090
been in place that bans
congressional staffers

718
00:31:01,092 --> 00:31:03,092
from participating
in meetings between

719
00:31:03,094 --> 00:31:05,094
the President
and members of Congress.

720
00:31:05,096 --> 00:31:07,096
I know that as a general matter,
the President prefers to have

721
00:31:07,098 --> 00:31:09,098
those meetings in smaller
settings with fewer people,

722
00:31:09,100 --> 00:31:11,100
but that doesn't mean that
there won't be members

723
00:31:11,102 --> 00:31:13,702
of congressional staff
included in the future.

724
00:31:13,705 --> 00:31:15,105
Major.

725
00:31:15,106 --> 00:31:16,446
The Press: Sifting through
what you've been able

726
00:31:16,441 --> 00:31:19,611
to tell us this afternoon,
a month ago these

727
00:31:19,611 --> 00:31:21,611
conversations started,
they did not start

728
00:31:21,613 --> 00:31:23,253
with the premise that
Hagel would leave.

729
00:31:23,248 --> 00:31:24,648
Mr. Earnest: That's correct.

730
00:31:24,649 --> 00:31:27,089
The Press: They discussed the
future of the obligations

731
00:31:27,085 --> 00:31:30,085
of the Secretary of Defense
and the very difficult

732
00:31:30,088 --> 00:31:32,088
challenges ahead,
preeminently, ISIL.

733
00:31:32,090 --> 00:31:36,430
And at the conclusion
of those conversations,

734
00:31:36,427 --> 00:31:38,427
it was determined by
both of them mutually

735
00:31:38,429 --> 00:31:40,299
that Hagel had to go.

736
00:31:40,298 --> 00:31:42,168
You also said that it was
important for the President

737
00:31:42,166 --> 00:31:44,336
to know that the person at the
head of the Defense Department

738
00:31:44,335 --> 00:31:49,045
would reliably implement his
strategy going forward.

739
00:31:49,040 --> 00:31:51,510
Taking those things together,
it sounds like there was a

740
00:31:51,509 --> 00:31:55,409
disagreement about the strategy,
and a lack of confidence

741
00:31:55,413 --> 00:31:57,683
in the President that Hagel,
if he remained there,

742
00:31:57,682 --> 00:31:59,552
would implement it
to his satisfaction.

743
00:31:59,550 --> 00:32:00,050
Fair enough?

744
00:32:00,051 --> 00:32:02,421
Mr. Earnest: No, I didn't mean
to -- the last part of it --

745
00:32:02,420 --> 00:32:03,760
I was with you until
the very last part.

746
00:32:03,755 --> 00:32:08,055
Secretary Hagel has been
very reliably implementing

747
00:32:08,059 --> 00:32:10,299
the strategy that the
President has directed.

748
00:32:10,295 --> 00:32:12,295
The President has been
completely comfortable, in fact,

749
00:32:12,297 --> 00:32:16,297
pleased, with the way that
the Secretary of Defense has

750
00:32:16,301 --> 00:32:18,641
implemented the very important
role that the Department

751
00:32:18,636 --> 00:32:21,606
of Defense has to play in the
execution of the strategy.

752
00:32:21,606 --> 00:32:22,806
So this is not about the --

753
00:32:22,807 --> 00:32:23,937
The Press: What about
going forward?

754
00:32:23,941 --> 00:32:27,441
Mr. Earnest: Well, the
President doesn't have any

755
00:32:27,445 --> 00:32:29,515
doubts about Secretary Hagel's
loyalty or his commitment

756
00:32:29,514 --> 00:32:31,914
to implementing the
strategy that the President

757
00:32:31,916 --> 00:32:32,916
has laid out.

758
00:32:32,917 --> 00:32:35,217
There's no concern
about that.

759
00:32:35,219 --> 00:32:37,759
The fact is that,
based on --

760
00:32:37,755 --> 00:32:38,925
The Press: Was Hagel
uncomfortable with carrying

761
00:32:38,923 --> 00:32:40,963
out the strategy as he saw
it the next two years,

762
00:32:40,958 --> 00:32:43,458
and therefore less
willing to serve?

763
00:32:43,461 --> 00:32:45,461
Mr. Earnest: You'd
have to ask him that,

764
00:32:45,463 --> 00:32:47,463
but I don't think that he would
say that that was the case.

765
00:32:47,465 --> 00:32:49,665
He is somebody who on a number
of occasions has publicly stated

766
00:32:49,667 --> 00:32:52,837
his confidence in the strategy
that the President and this

767
00:32:52,837 --> 00:32:55,477
nation is pursuing to degrade
and ultimately destroy ISIL.

768
00:32:55,473 --> 00:32:58,813
The Press: So they were in
agreement on everything

769
00:32:58,810 --> 00:32:59,940
but looked at each
other and said, after

770
00:32:59,944 --> 00:33:02,684
a month of conversations,
this can't go on?

771
00:33:02,680 --> 00:33:04,420
Mr. Earnest: Well, I
think they just -- again,

772
00:33:04,415 --> 00:33:06,415
I don't think they arrived
at that conclusion,

773
00:33:06,417 --> 00:33:09,157
because you saw the two of
them stand next to each other

774
00:33:09,153 --> 00:33:11,653
and talk about the respect
and admiration that they

775
00:33:11,656 --> 00:33:14,096
have for one another in the
State Dining Room today.

776
00:33:14,092 --> 00:33:17,762
I think there are genuinely warm
feelings between the two men;

777
00:33:17,762 --> 00:33:21,062
that Secretary Hagel formed
his friendship with then-newly

778
00:33:21,065 --> 00:33:24,605
elected Senator Obama at
a very formative time,

779
00:33:24,602 --> 00:33:29,312
and I think that really
sealed a strong bond between

780
00:33:29,307 --> 00:33:30,137
the two of them.

781
00:33:30,141 --> 00:33:31,171
The Press: Right, and yet
when Steve asked you

782
00:33:31,175 --> 00:33:33,775
if he was pushed out, you
had an opportunity to say,

783
00:33:33,778 --> 00:33:35,918
no, he wasn't pushed
out, and you didn't.

784
00:33:35,913 --> 00:33:38,383
Mr. Earnest: Well, again,
because I keep saying that

785
00:33:38,383 --> 00:33:39,853
the two men, in the context
of these conversations,

786
00:33:39,851 --> 00:33:41,151
made the decision together,
and I think that's

787
00:33:41,152 --> 00:33:44,492
a pretty clear indication
that this happened

788
00:33:44,489 --> 00:33:48,089
differently then what
you or he described.

789
00:33:48,092 --> 00:33:48,822
The Press: Okay.

790
00:33:48,826 --> 00:33:50,796
On Afghanistan, the
report Friday late

791
00:33:50,795 --> 00:33:53,265
in The New York Times, which
others here have confirmed,

792
00:33:53,264 --> 00:33:56,864
is that the President did
sign an order clarifying

793
00:33:56,868 --> 00:34:00,438
force protection for
U.S. military personnel

794
00:34:00,438 --> 00:34:02,208
remaining in Afghanistan
until they're all

795
00:34:02,206 --> 00:34:07,246
pulled out, meaning providing
air cover and authorizing

796
00:34:07,245 --> 00:34:11,185
the use of combat operations
if necessary to protect

797
00:34:11,182 --> 00:34:15,222
them from
potential attacks.

798
00:34:15,219 --> 00:34:17,519
Those questions were raised
on the various conference

799
00:34:17,522 --> 00:34:20,622
calls that the White
House organized.

800
00:34:20,625 --> 00:34:21,855
At the time the new
numbers were announced,

801
00:34:21,859 --> 00:34:22,859
and they weren't answered.

802
00:34:22,860 --> 00:34:26,860
So I just want to clarify that
the President has authorized

803
00:34:26,864 --> 00:34:30,804
air cover and combat operations
if it's needed for force

804
00:34:30,802 --> 00:34:33,572
protection for those remaining
U.S. military personnel

805
00:34:33,571 --> 00:34:35,511
until they're all pulled
out of Afghanistan.

806
00:34:35,506 --> 00:34:37,346
Mr. Earnest: Well, let's
go through a couple

807
00:34:37,341 --> 00:34:38,341
pieces of this.

808
00:34:38,342 --> 00:34:40,342
The first is, there's
no secret order.

809
00:34:40,344 --> 00:34:43,244
The reports of a secret
order are, at best,

810
00:34:43,247 --> 00:34:44,987
greatly exaggerated.

811
00:34:44,982 --> 00:34:47,922
There is a routine policymaking
process that the President

812
00:34:47,919 --> 00:34:51,789
engages in with his national
security team to determine

813
00:34:51,789 --> 00:34:56,429
these kinds of policies
and strategies, and when

814
00:34:56,427 --> 00:35:00,227
the President did sign
off on the strategy for keeping

815
00:35:00,231 --> 00:35:03,771
about 10,000 troops on the
ground in Afghanistan after

816
00:35:03,768 --> 00:35:08,438
2014, focused on this very
specific mission of training

817
00:35:08,439 --> 00:35:11,179
Afghan security forces
and conducting limited

818
00:35:11,175 --> 00:35:14,945
counterterrorism operations,
that in the context of that

819
00:35:14,946 --> 00:35:19,116
strategy, the President
also signed off on those

820
00:35:19,116 --> 00:35:21,556
service personnel doing
what is necessary

821
00:35:21,552 --> 00:35:23,822
to protect themselves.

822
00:35:23,821 --> 00:35:25,821
And I don't think that's
a particularly surprising

823
00:35:25,823 --> 00:35:29,193
development; that's pretty
consistent with the kinds

824
00:35:29,193 --> 00:35:31,893
of decisions that
the President makes

825
00:35:31,896 --> 00:35:36,166
as the military implements
other military strategies.

826
00:35:36,167 --> 00:35:38,407
So again, we're not talking
about a secret order here --

827
00:35:38,402 --> 00:35:43,242
at least in this case
there's no secret order.

828
00:35:43,241 --> 00:35:47,211
And the kind of guidance
that the President has

829
00:35:47,211 --> 00:35:50,951
shared with the U.S. military
is entirely consistent

830
00:35:50,948 --> 00:35:52,948
with the mission that
they'll be carrying out

831
00:35:52,950 --> 00:35:56,520
that we announced I guess it
was at least a year ago.

832
00:35:56,521 --> 00:36:00,121
The Press: Right, but air cover
will be provided if necessary,

833
00:36:00,124 --> 00:36:02,694
and there could be combat
operations, if required,

834
00:36:02,693 --> 00:36:04,793
to protect the forces
there, correct?

835
00:36:04,795 --> 00:36:08,335
Mr. Earnest: Again, for those
kinds of operational details

836
00:36:08,332 --> 00:36:09,032
in terms of air cover --

837
00:36:09,033 --> 00:36:10,163
The Press: Because that's
what the authorization is.

838
00:36:10,167 --> 00:36:13,307
Mr. Earnest: The authorization
is to make sure that our

839
00:36:13,304 --> 00:36:15,304
men and women in uniform
have the authorization

840
00:36:15,306 --> 00:36:17,276
to do what's necessary to
protect themselves, yes.

841
00:36:17,275 --> 00:36:20,545
But that is true in a variety
of -- wide variety of settings

842
00:36:20,545 --> 00:36:22,515
where our men and women
are stationed overseas,

843
00:36:22,513 --> 00:36:24,883
particularly when they're
serving in an area as dangerous

844
00:36:24,882 --> 00:36:26,882
as it continues to
be in Afghanistan.

845
00:36:26,884 --> 00:36:29,024
The other thing that's I think
important for people to more

846
00:36:29,020 --> 00:36:33,320
broadly understand is that we've
made substantial progress

847
00:36:33,324 --> 00:36:35,994
in carrying out the strategy
that this President has put

848
00:36:35,993 --> 00:36:39,133
in place for Afghanistan;
that we, at one point,

849
00:36:39,130 --> 00:36:41,630
did peak the number of
American boots on the ground

850
00:36:41,632 --> 00:36:44,102
in Afghanistan at over
100,000, by the end

851
00:36:44,101 --> 00:36:46,101
of this year we'll be
talking about 10,000 boots

852
00:36:46,103 --> 00:36:47,403
on the ground
in Afghanistan.

853
00:36:47,405 --> 00:36:49,775
And that will be part
of a trend that,

854
00:36:49,774 --> 00:36:54,274
at the end of 2016, will
have our military personnel

855
00:36:54,278 --> 00:36:56,778
back into an
embassy-protection role.

856
00:36:56,781 --> 00:37:01,121
And that I think represents the
fulfillment of the President's

857
00:37:01,118 --> 00:37:04,358
promise to wind down the
war in Afghanistan

858
00:37:04,355 --> 00:37:06,325
in a responsible way.

859
00:37:06,324 --> 00:37:07,554
The Press: One other
thing -- last week,

860
00:37:07,558 --> 00:37:09,528
the administration and
you took great pains

861
00:37:09,527 --> 00:37:11,297
to talk about this
particular figure related

862
00:37:11,295 --> 00:37:14,565
to immigration executive
actions taken under

863
00:37:14,565 --> 00:37:15,835
George Herbert
Walker Bush.

864
00:37:15,833 --> 00:37:18,873
Glenn Kessler has done
a tremendous amount

865
00:37:18,869 --> 00:37:21,369
of fact-checking for
The Washington Post.

866
00:37:21,372 --> 00:37:23,412
Understanding that
it's precedent that

867
00:37:23,407 --> 00:37:25,577
George H.W. Bush did take
some actions, they were

868
00:37:25,576 --> 00:37:29,046
not nearly as significant, statistically, as represented

869
00:37:29,046 --> 00:37:30,886
by this administration in
some of the news articles

870
00:37:30,881 --> 00:37:31,681
at the time.

871
00:37:31,682 --> 00:37:34,352
Will you either retract that or
stop using that in the future

872
00:37:34,352 --> 00:37:36,752
as part of the defense of
the President's actions?

873
00:37:36,754 --> 00:37:37,624
Mr. Earnest: I
will not, Major.

874
00:37:37,622 --> 00:37:40,222
The fact of the matter is,
the Bush administration

875
00:37:40,224 --> 00:37:42,894
did take an executive
action that did have

876
00:37:42,893 --> 00:37:44,633
an impact on 1.5
million people

877
00:37:44,629 --> 00:37:47,429
who were living in
this country, and that

878
00:37:47,431 --> 00:37:49,671
is about 40 percent
of the population --

879
00:37:49,667 --> 00:37:53,137
of the undocumented
population at the time.

880
00:37:53,137 --> 00:37:56,137
This is something
that, as you point out,

881
00:37:56,140 --> 00:37:58,140
has been reported by
The Associated Press,

882
00:37:58,142 --> 00:38:03,112
New York Times, and even the
Congressional Research Service.

883
00:38:03,114 --> 00:38:05,114
There actually is -- we did
a little digging on this

884
00:38:05,116 --> 00:38:07,316
because I anticipated
that somebody might ask,

885
00:38:07,318 --> 00:38:08,188
so --

886
00:38:08,185 --> 00:38:08,715
The Press:
It's a fair question.

887
00:38:08,719 --> 00:38:10,989
Mr. Earnest: It is
a fair question.

888
00:38:10,988 --> 00:38:13,588
February 21st, 1990 -- we
had to go far back into

889
00:38:13,591 --> 00:38:17,791
the archives -- Mr. Gene
McNary, who, at the time,

890
00:38:17,795 --> 00:38:21,165
was serving as the
INS commissioner,

891
00:38:21,165 --> 00:38:24,135
testified before Congress,
and he said -- he was asked

892
00:38:24,135 --> 00:38:28,005
a specific question by
Senator Morrison, I assume,

893
00:38:28,005 --> 00:38:30,005
who said, "Under your recent
administrative order,

894
00:38:30,007 --> 00:38:32,477
these 1.5 million people
essentially are here to stay,

895
00:38:32,476 --> 00:38:35,246
with work and travel
privileges, isn't that right?"

896
00:38:35,246 --> 00:38:39,586
And Mr. McNary said, under
oath, "We think you

897
00:38:39,583 --> 00:38:42,553
are right as to the 1.5
million being here.

898
00:38:42,553 --> 00:38:45,053
There is an estimate of another
1.5 million that could come

899
00:38:45,056 --> 00:38:47,456
as a result of this
change in definition.

900
00:38:47,458 --> 00:38:49,458
"So then Senator Morrison
follows up and says,

901
00:38:49,460 --> 00:38:51,460
"There is another 1.5
million who you think

902
00:38:51,462 --> 00:38:52,732
would become eligible?"

903
00:38:52,730 --> 00:38:54,870
Mr. McNary's answer to
that question was, "Yes."

904
00:38:54,865 --> 00:38:58,035
So according to reports
from The New York Times,

905
00:38:58,035 --> 00:39:00,035
The Associated Press, The
Congressional Research Service,

906
00:39:00,037 --> 00:39:03,977
and according to the under-oath
testimony of the Secretary --

907
00:39:03,974 --> 00:39:06,744
or of the commissioner of
the INS, about 1.5 million

908
00:39:06,744 --> 00:39:08,744
people were affected by
President Bush's order.

909
00:39:08,746 --> 00:39:11,016
The Press: Those were
estimates at the time.

910
00:39:11,015 --> 00:39:13,085
As Glenn pointed
out in his piece,

911
00:39:13,084 --> 00:39:16,584
subsequent numbers obtained
from those who actually

912
00:39:16,587 --> 00:39:19,887
applied are far, far lower.

913
00:39:19,890 --> 00:39:22,930
So those were estimates
of what might happen.

914
00:39:22,927 --> 00:39:25,427
There are numbers about what
actually did happen that

915
00:39:25,429 --> 00:39:26,899
are far smaller than that.

916
00:39:26,897 --> 00:39:29,067
Do you find that any
reason to revise your --

917
00:39:29,066 --> 00:39:31,066
Mr. Earnest: I do not, because,
again, what we're talking

918
00:39:31,068 --> 00:39:33,508
about is the number of
people who are eligible.

919
00:39:33,504 --> 00:39:36,004
There continues to be
this open question about

920
00:39:36,006 --> 00:39:37,776
the take-up rate, about
how many people will

921
00:39:37,775 --> 00:39:40,415
actually come forward
and apply for this

922
00:39:40,411 --> 00:39:44,181
deferred action
protection.

923
00:39:44,181 --> 00:39:46,281
But the fact is, there
are 1.5 million people,

924
00:39:46,283 --> 00:39:48,683
about 40 percent of the
undocumented population,

925
00:39:48,686 --> 00:39:51,256
that would have been eligible
for the executive action that

926
00:39:51,255 --> 00:39:53,555
President George H.W. Bush
announced, and about

927
00:39:53,557 --> 00:39:55,557
40 percent of the
undocumented population

928
00:39:55,559 --> 00:39:57,559
will be eligible for the
executive action that

929
00:39:57,561 --> 00:39:59,001
President Obama announced.

930
00:39:58,996 --> 00:39:59,626
The Press: Thank you.

931
00:39:59,630 --> 00:40:00,300
Mr. Earnest: Yes, sir.

932
00:40:00,297 --> 00:40:00,797
Mark.

933
00:40:00,798 --> 00:40:02,238
The Press: Yes, Josh, let me
come back to the Iran talks,

934
00:40:02,233 --> 00:40:02,803
if I may.

935
00:40:02,800 --> 00:40:04,200
Mr. Earnest: Sure.

936
00:40:04,201 --> 00:40:05,671
The Press: A number of the
lawmakers who have said they

937
00:40:05,669 --> 00:40:08,339
want to have additional
sanctions have spoken of passing

938
00:40:08,339 --> 00:40:11,379
something that's conditional
that would only take effect,

939
00:40:11,375 --> 00:40:14,345
impose new sanctions,
if the talks failed.

940
00:40:14,345 --> 00:40:15,815
How is that punitive?

941
00:40:15,813 --> 00:40:18,513
How does that signal in these --
not any lack of seriousness

942
00:40:18,516 --> 00:40:21,756
in the talks if it's held
-- if it, in effect,

943
00:40:21,752 --> 00:40:24,892
gives the negotiators
an additional weapon?

944
00:40:24,889 --> 00:40:26,319
Mr. Earnest: Well, at this
point, Mark, I can tell

945
00:40:26,323 --> 00:40:28,823
you that, so far, we have
felt we've needed -- we've

946
00:40:28,826 --> 00:40:30,796
gotten all the leverage
that we've needed from

947
00:40:30,795 --> 00:40:33,865
the Iranian regime to engage
in serious conversations

948
00:40:33,864 --> 00:40:36,004
with the broader
international community.

949
00:40:36,000 --> 00:40:38,670
That's principally because
we've had broad agreement among

950
00:40:38,669 --> 00:40:40,709
the international community
about the enforcement

951
00:40:40,704 --> 00:40:43,274
of these sanctions, and that
has had a substantial impact

952
00:40:43,274 --> 00:40:45,414
on the Iranian economy.

953
00:40:45,409 --> 00:40:48,149
So that is why we have suggested
that additional sanctions,

954
00:40:48,145 --> 00:40:50,015
at this point,
are not necessary.

955
00:40:50,014 --> 00:40:51,654
The Press: Because a lot of the
lawmakers -- and especially

956
00:40:51,649 --> 00:40:53,519
those who are critical of the
administration -- say, look,

957
00:40:53,517 --> 00:40:57,487
if the powers that be in Iran
haven't made the commitment

958
00:40:57,488 --> 00:41:00,558
necessary to reach agreement
in this period of time,

959
00:41:00,558 --> 00:41:03,398
just adding another seven months
is letting them play for time;

960
00:41:03,394 --> 00:41:05,664
that they've certainly proven
in the past they're willing to

961
00:41:05,663 --> 00:41:09,563
secretly try and build a bomb,
why is there not some alarm

962
00:41:09,567 --> 00:41:11,567
that they're not trying
to do the same thing?

963
00:41:11,569 --> 00:41:13,569
Mr. Earnest: Well, we're
mindful of that, Mark.

964
00:41:13,571 --> 00:41:15,571
And you raise what's a really
important point -- that

965
00:41:15,573 --> 00:41:17,573
previously, the Iranian
regime has used diplomatic

966
00:41:17,575 --> 00:41:20,575
conversations as cover to go
out and secretly develop

967
00:41:20,578 --> 00:41:22,278
a nuclear capability.

968
00:41:22,279 --> 00:41:25,179
What's different in this
instance is that there are --

969
00:41:25,182 --> 00:41:28,622
there is an inspections regime
that has been more thorough

970
00:41:28,619 --> 00:41:31,519
and transparent than has
previously been in place

971
00:41:31,522 --> 00:41:34,562
to confirm that the Iranians
are abiding by the agreement

972
00:41:34,558 --> 00:41:36,558
that they've committed to in
the course of these talks.

973
00:41:36,560 --> 00:41:38,560
And those agreements that they
made in the course of the talks

974
00:41:38,562 --> 00:41:41,032
actually have succeeded in
rolling back their program.

975
00:41:41,031 --> 00:41:43,901
They eliminated their
stockpile of uranium that

976
00:41:43,901 --> 00:41:46,041
had been enriched to the
20-percent level.

977
00:41:46,036 --> 00:41:48,036
That's important, because
uranium that's been enriched

978
00:41:48,038 --> 00:41:50,538
to the 20-percent level can
rapidly be enriched further

979
00:41:50,541 --> 00:41:53,341
to a weaponized form.

980
00:41:53,344 --> 00:41:57,514
We've also seen that they are
not actually continuing

981
00:41:57,514 --> 00:42:00,454
to develop the heavy-water
reactor at Arak,

982
00:42:00,451 --> 00:42:02,821
and that is a substantial
agreement, too.

983
00:42:02,820 --> 00:42:05,560
And again, we know that not
because the Iranians tell

984
00:42:05,556 --> 00:42:07,726
us that, we know that because
international inspectors

985
00:42:07,725 --> 00:42:08,725
have been there to verify it.

986
00:42:08,726 --> 00:42:10,726
And that will be the key
to any sort of agreement

987
00:42:10,728 --> 00:42:12,728
that we reach with
the Iranian regime.

988
00:42:12,730 --> 00:42:14,730
The Press:
Understanding all that,

989
00:42:14,732 --> 00:42:17,272
how do you answer the
argument that the incentives

990
00:42:17,268 --> 00:42:19,268
you already have at the
table didn't produce

991
00:42:19,270 --> 00:42:21,970
an agreement in a very
likely period of time?

992
00:42:21,972 --> 00:42:25,112
How is it going to -- how is
putting additional incentive

993
00:42:25,109 --> 00:42:28,779
on the table going to --
how is that not going

994
00:42:28,779 --> 00:42:31,119
to help the -- hurry things
toward an agreement?

995
00:42:31,115 --> 00:42:33,115
Mr. Earnest: That's
an important question,

996
00:42:33,117 --> 00:42:35,217
and it is our assessment --
or at least it has been our

997
00:42:35,219 --> 00:42:38,889
assessment that adding
additional sanctions would

998
00:42:38,889 --> 00:42:43,629
actually cause others who are
helping enforce these sanctions

999
00:42:43,627 --> 00:42:46,527
to break apart; that there
might be others who say, look,

1000
00:42:46,530 --> 00:42:48,600
we've put in -- we've had in
place a very tough sanctions

1001
00:42:48,599 --> 00:42:51,269
regime, and just piling on more
sanctions on the Iranians,

1002
00:42:51,268 --> 00:42:53,268
even though they've rolled
back their nuclear program,

1003
00:42:53,270 --> 00:42:55,270
is an indication that you
guys are more interested

1004
00:42:55,272 --> 00:42:57,272
in punishing them than
you are in actually

1005
00:42:57,274 --> 00:42:58,274
reaching an agreement.

1006
00:42:58,275 --> 00:43:00,245
So this is not a matter
just of applying

1007
00:43:00,244 --> 00:43:01,744
additional pressure
on Iran.

1008
00:43:01,745 --> 00:43:03,915
There is substantial pressure
on Iran, and that, frankly,

1009
00:43:03,914 --> 00:43:05,954
is why we've been able
to make as much progress

1010
00:43:05,950 --> 00:43:07,180
as we have so far.

1011
00:43:07,184 --> 00:43:09,384
We want to make sure that other
members of the international

1012
00:43:09,386 --> 00:43:11,386
community who need
to have buy-in

1013
00:43:11,388 --> 00:43:14,728
on this continue to enforce
this sanctions regime.

1014
00:43:14,725 --> 00:43:18,295
But the other important -- but
because of the important points

1015
00:43:18,295 --> 00:43:20,265
that you've raised that have
also been raised by other

1016
00:43:20,264 --> 00:43:23,004
members of Congress, this
administration is going to

1017
00:43:23,000 --> 00:43:26,500
continue to closely coordinate
and communicate with leaders

1018
00:43:26,503 --> 00:43:28,503
in Congress who are very
interested in this issue.

1019
00:43:28,505 --> 00:43:30,505
So I know that there
are senior members

1020
00:43:30,507 --> 00:43:32,177
of the administration up to and
including the President

1021
00:43:32,176 --> 00:43:34,516
of the United States who
have been making calls

1022
00:43:34,511 --> 00:43:35,911
on this in recent
days and will be over

1023
00:43:35,913 --> 00:43:37,753
the course of
this week as well.

1024
00:43:37,748 --> 00:43:38,518
Jim.

1025
00:43:38,515 --> 00:43:40,085
The Press: Josh, is
there a worry, though,

1026
00:43:40,084 --> 00:43:42,184
inside the administration, to
follow up on Mark's question,

1027
00:43:42,186 --> 00:43:48,756
that the Iranians are buying
themselves more time to develop

1028
00:43:48,759 --> 00:43:51,599
things covertly that the rest of
the world may not know about?

1029
00:43:51,595 --> 00:43:54,635
Mr. Ernest: Well, Jim, the
reason that we are less

1030
00:43:54,631 --> 00:43:57,571
concerned about that than we
have been in the past is we do

1031
00:43:57,568 --> 00:44:00,508
have this inspection team that's
been on the ground there,

1032
00:44:00,504 --> 00:44:03,474
and has been given much
greater access to the Iran

1033
00:44:03,474 --> 00:44:06,114
and nuclear program than
they have been in the past.

1034
00:44:06,110 --> 00:44:08,610
So again, were not in a
situation where were trusting

1035
00:44:08,612 --> 00:44:10,652
the Iranian regime that they
aren't making progress,

1036
00:44:10,647 --> 00:44:13,247
we're verifying that the Iranian
regime is not making progress.

1037
00:44:15,386 --> 00:44:18,026
In the context of engaging
in these conversations,

1038
00:44:18,022 --> 00:44:21,692
we've made some very difficult
asks of the Iranian regime to

1039
00:44:21,692 --> 00:44:24,862
take some steps to actually roll
back their nuclear program,

1040
00:44:24,862 --> 00:44:26,862
and based on the
inspections regime,

1041
00:44:26,864 --> 00:44:28,864
we know that that's
what they've done.

1042
00:44:28,866 --> 00:44:31,806
So we're not in a position, as
others have been in the past,

1043
00:44:31,802 --> 00:44:34,842
where Iran has just been playing
for time and engaging in

1044
00:44:34,838 --> 00:44:38,078
diplomatic conversations while
they could try to develop

1045
00:44:38,075 --> 00:44:40,515
some aspects of their
nuclear program secretly.

1046
00:44:40,511 --> 00:44:43,351
We're not as worried about that
this time because we know

1047
00:44:43,347 --> 00:44:46,517
that this -- that our
inspections team has been

1048
00:44:46,517 --> 00:44:48,517
able to confirm that they're
living up with the agreement.

1049
00:44:48,519 --> 00:44:50,519
The Press: And getting
back to Secretary Hagel,

1050
00:44:50,521 --> 00:44:52,521
you said earlier that the
President and Secretary

1051
00:44:52,523 --> 00:44:54,523
arrived at this
decision together.

1052
00:44:54,525 --> 00:44:56,365
That suggests that
this decision was not

1053
00:44:56,360 --> 00:44:59,500
solely Secretary
Hagel's, isn't that right?

1054
00:44:59,496 --> 00:45:00,536
Because it was also the
President's decision.

1055
00:45:00,531 --> 00:45:01,631
Mr. Earnest: Well, yes,
it's something that they

1056
00:45:01,632 --> 00:45:02,532
arrived at together.

1057
00:45:02,533 --> 00:45:06,433
The Press: But the President --
as my good friend Steve tried

1058
00:45:06,437 --> 00:45:09,207
to ask you -- the President
did not try to talk him

1059
00:45:09,206 --> 00:45:13,146
out of that decision, so
in essence, this was

1060
00:45:13,143 --> 00:45:14,213
also the President's
decision?

1061
00:45:14,211 --> 00:45:16,051
Mr. Earnest: In essence
I would say that this

1062
00:45:16,046 --> 00:45:17,886
was a decision that
they made together.

1063
00:45:17,881 --> 00:45:18,921
The Press: That's as far
as you want to -- okay.

1064
00:45:18,916 --> 00:45:21,186
And then on Ferguson, I
know you said earlier that

1065
00:45:21,185 --> 00:45:23,925
you don't have any insights
into the grand jury's decision,

1066
00:45:23,921 --> 00:45:27,061
but does the White House have
a message for the people

1067
00:45:27,057 --> 00:45:30,197
of Ferguson as this decision
is about to be released

1068
00:45:30,194 --> 00:45:30,994
later on today?

1069
00:45:30,994 --> 00:45:33,894
Mr. Earnest: Well, I think
-- in his interview with ABC,

1070
00:45:33,897 --> 00:45:35,797
the President I think delivered
a pretty forceful message

1071
00:45:35,799 --> 00:45:40,039
about his view -- that those
individuals in reaction

1072
00:45:40,037 --> 00:45:42,807
to the grand jury's decision
that want to protest should

1073
00:45:42,806 --> 00:45:44,206
do so peacefully.

1074
00:45:44,208 --> 00:45:48,178
And he cited the words
of Mr. Brown's parents,

1075
00:45:48,178 --> 00:45:51,378
who indicated that the proper
way to remember and pay tribute

1076
00:45:51,381 --> 00:45:54,551
to their son's memory is
for people to express

1077
00:45:54,551 --> 00:45:55,551
their views peacefully.

1078
00:45:55,552 --> 00:45:58,022
And that is a viewpoint
that the President

1079
00:45:58,021 --> 00:45:59,091
wholeheartedly embraces.

1080
00:45:59,089 --> 00:46:01,489
The Press: And on immigration --
Mr. Earnest: And I should say,

1081
00:46:01,492 --> 00:46:03,492
Jim, that that is the
message that the President

1082
00:46:03,494 --> 00:46:05,494
has for people not just in
Ferguson but for people

1083
00:46:05,496 --> 00:46:06,426
in communities all
across the country.

1084
00:46:06,430 --> 00:46:07,630
The Press: And are you concerned
that there could be unrest

1085
00:46:07,631 --> 00:46:09,801
around the country and
other parts of the country?

1086
00:46:09,800 --> 00:46:11,440
Mr. Earnest: Well, the
Department of Defense has been

1087
00:46:11,435 --> 00:46:13,305
engaged with local law
enforcement and communities

1088
00:46:13,303 --> 00:46:18,243
not just in the St. Louis area
but across the country,

1089
00:46:18,242 --> 00:46:19,612
because we are
mindful of -- 

1090
00:46:19,610 --> 00:46:20,940
The Press: Justice, you
mean, not Defense.

1091
00:46:20,944 --> 00:46:21,774
Mr. Earnest: I'm sorry.

1092
00:46:21,778 --> 00:46:22,848
We've been talking a
lot about them lately,

1093
00:46:22,846 --> 00:46:23,716
I apologize for that.

1094
00:46:23,714 --> 00:46:27,114
Yes, the Department of
Justice, that's correct.

1095
00:46:27,117 --> 00:46:29,117
The Press: And let me just ask
you very quickly on immigration,

1096
00:46:29,119 --> 00:46:31,119
the President said in
his speech in Las Vegas

1097
00:46:31,121 --> 00:46:33,221
on Friday that the Congress
should just pass a bill.

1098
00:46:33,223 --> 00:46:36,463
But haven't those
prospects dimmed --

1099
00:46:36,460 --> 00:46:38,460
Mr. Earnest: They
have, unfortunately.

1100
00:46:38,462 --> 00:46:40,532
The Press: -- by the President
taking executive action?

1101
00:46:40,531 --> 00:46:43,071
Why would the Congress race
out and pass a bill now?

1102
00:46:43,066 --> 00:46:45,066
Mr. Earnest:
Because they say --

1103
00:46:45,068 --> 00:46:47,068
it's a great question,
I'm glad that you asked.

1104
00:46:47,070 --> 00:46:49,070
The reason, simply,
that Congress would feel

1105
00:46:49,072 --> 00:46:51,842
motivated to pass legislation
now is they've had

1106
00:46:51,842 --> 00:46:53,942
such a strong negative
reaction to the President's

1107
00:46:53,944 --> 00:46:56,144
executive action that what
they could do is they could

1108
00:46:56,146 --> 00:46:58,316
pass a piece of legislation
that would supersede

1109
00:46:58,315 --> 00:47:00,315
the President's
executive action.

1110
00:47:00,317 --> 00:47:02,317
I've said this a couple of times
-- House Republican leaders

1111
00:47:02,319 --> 00:47:04,319
actually are holding the
trump card in their hands,

1112
00:47:04,321 --> 00:47:07,121
they just have to decide whether
or not to play it -- maybe

1113
00:47:07,124 --> 00:47:09,124
that's an apt analogy for those
of you who were in Las Vegas

1114
00:47:09,126 --> 00:47:10,096
over the weekend.

1115
00:47:10,093 --> 00:47:12,133
But the fact of the matter is,
the President has already said

1116
00:47:12,129 --> 00:47:14,929
if House Republican leaders want
to allow the bipartisan Senate

1117
00:47:14,932 --> 00:47:17,372
bill to come up for a vote in
the House of Representatives,

1118
00:47:17,367 --> 00:47:18,507
it would pass.

1119
00:47:18,502 --> 00:47:21,642
Even if John Boehner and others
who have been aggressively

1120
00:47:21,638 --> 00:47:23,638
critical of the President's
executive action want

1121
00:47:23,640 --> 00:47:25,640
to vote no because they
disagree with the bill,

1122
00:47:25,642 --> 00:47:26,642
just let it come
up for a vote.

1123
00:47:26,643 --> 00:47:28,643
It'll pass with
bipartisan support,

1124
00:47:28,645 --> 00:47:30,645
the President will
happily sign it into law,

1125
00:47:30,647 --> 00:47:32,987
and it will completely
supersede any executive actions

1126
00:47:32,983 --> 00:47:34,983
the President
announced last week.

1127
00:47:34,985 --> 00:47:36,985
The Press: But
putting that aside,

1128
00:47:36,987 --> 00:47:39,227
putting the talking points
to the side for a moment,

1129
00:47:39,223 --> 00:47:41,723
just the objective assessment,
political assessment --

1130
00:47:41,725 --> 00:47:44,495
I mean, it's just really not
likely, isn't that correct,

1131
00:47:44,494 --> 00:47:47,564
that Congress would pass a
bill, given that the President

1132
00:47:47,564 --> 00:47:49,504
just took executive action
and did what he wanted.

1133
00:47:49,499 --> 00:47:51,239
Mr. Earnest: I say that
it's not likely because

1134
00:47:51,235 --> 00:47:53,205
Republican leaders for a
year and a half have had

1135
00:47:53,203 --> 00:47:55,203
this opportunity and not
taken advantage of it.

1136
00:47:55,205 --> 00:47:57,205
And there's no reason to think
that they're going to now,

1137
00:47:57,207 --> 00:47:59,207
particularly because the
Speaker of the House won't

1138
00:47:59,209 --> 00:48:01,209
even commit to bringing
it up next year.

1139
00:48:01,211 --> 00:48:03,211
But the fact is, what
motivation do they have

1140
00:48:03,213 --> 00:48:04,213
for actually
passing the bill?

1141
00:48:04,214 --> 00:48:06,984
If they feel as strongly and as
negatively about the President's

1142
00:48:06,984 --> 00:48:12,654
executive action as they say,
then the easiest way for them to

1143
00:48:12,656 --> 00:48:15,426
counter it is to take the
President up on his offer,

1144
00:48:15,425 --> 00:48:17,425
to pass a piece of
legislation that would

1145
00:48:17,427 --> 00:48:19,427
fulfill these
principles generally.

1146
00:48:19,429 --> 00:48:21,429
And the President has indicated
that he would tear up his own

1147
00:48:21,431 --> 00:48:25,201
executive order, thereby
easing all of the strenuous

1148
00:48:25,202 --> 00:48:27,542
constitutional concerns that
have been raised by Republicans.

1149
00:48:27,537 --> 00:48:29,637
The Press: Would he tear it
up if the bill doesn't

1150
00:48:29,640 --> 00:48:31,580
go as far as he would like
to see in certain areas?

1151
00:48:31,575 --> 00:48:33,515
Is that negotiable
in any way?

1152
00:48:33,510 --> 00:48:36,850
Would it automatically
supersede the executive action

1153
00:48:36,847 --> 00:48:38,587
no matter what the
Congress pass and he sign?

1154
00:48:38,582 --> 00:48:40,752
Mr. Earnest: What we would
need to see Congress

1155
00:48:40,751 --> 00:48:44,891
do is to take action along the
lines of the comprehensive,

1156
00:48:44,888 --> 00:48:47,888
common-sense measure
that the Senate passed.

1157
00:48:47,891 --> 00:48:49,461
Does it have to be
exactly the Senate bill?

1158
00:48:49,459 --> 00:48:50,599
Not necessarily.

1159
00:48:50,594 --> 00:48:53,534
Certainly the Senate
bill would do it, though.

1160
00:48:53,530 --> 00:48:54,970
The Press: That's
not going to happen.

1161
00:48:54,965 --> 00:48:56,965
Mr. Earnest: Well, again, it
is the way that Republicans

1162
00:48:56,967 --> 00:48:59,167
can counter the executive
action that they feel

1163
00:48:59,169 --> 00:49:00,569
so strongly about.

1164
00:49:00,570 --> 00:49:03,710
And again, it is -- and this
isn't a matter of House

1165
00:49:03,707 --> 00:49:05,707
Republicans being
opposed to the President

1166
00:49:05,709 --> 00:49:07,009
on this immigration issue.

1167
00:49:07,010 --> 00:49:09,710
This is House Republicans being
opposed to the President,

1168
00:49:09,713 --> 00:49:12,683
every Senate Democrat,
14 Senate Republicans,

1169
00:49:12,683 --> 00:49:14,683
and the leaders of the
business community,

1170
00:49:14,685 --> 00:49:16,685
the evangelical community,
and even law enforcement

1171
00:49:16,687 --> 00:49:18,687
officials all
across the country.

1172
00:49:18,689 --> 00:49:20,689
So House Republicans, I can
understand why they're feeling

1173
00:49:20,691 --> 00:49:22,691
pretty defensive right
now, because they're

1174
00:49:22,693 --> 00:49:24,993
awfully isolated
on this issue.

1175
00:49:24,995 --> 00:49:25,725
Christi.

1176
00:49:25,729 --> 00:49:26,729
The Press: Thanks, Josh.

1177
00:49:26,730 --> 00:49:28,630
Does the President think
the rest of his national

1178
00:49:28,632 --> 00:49:31,572
security team is well-suited
to the new priorities?

1179
00:49:31,568 --> 00:49:35,868
Mr. Earnest: Well, I can tell
you that the President is very

1180
00:49:35,872 --> 00:49:38,542
proud of the important work
that his --- that members

1181
00:49:38,542 --> 00:49:41,812
of his national security team
have been conducting over

1182
00:49:41,812 --> 00:49:42,812
the last couple of years.

1183
00:49:42,813 --> 00:49:44,813
I just sort of highlighted that
even just in the last year,

1184
00:49:44,815 --> 00:49:47,555
if you take a look at the
crises that have emerged from

1185
00:49:47,551 --> 00:49:52,561
the Ebola outbreak, to the
unrest in Ukraine that's

1186
00:49:52,556 --> 00:49:55,926
been fomented by their Russian
neighbors, to, of course,

1187
00:49:55,926 --> 00:49:58,666
the emergence of ISIL
as a significant threat

1188
00:49:58,662 --> 00:50:00,732
to the Middle East,
that it's been a very

1189
00:50:00,731 --> 00:50:02,671
tumultuous environment.

1190
00:50:02,666 --> 00:50:07,536
And I mentioned in some
briefings prior to the election

1191
00:50:07,537 --> 00:50:10,737
that this a natural time
for people to announce

1192
00:50:10,741 --> 00:50:12,681
their decisions to leave.

1193
00:50:12,676 --> 00:50:14,776
Now, I don't have any
knowledge of anybody else

1194
00:50:14,778 --> 00:50:16,878
who's planning to leave;
I indicated that before

1195
00:50:16,880 --> 00:50:17,910
the election, too.

1196
00:50:17,914 --> 00:50:20,354
I didn't do that knowing
that Secretary Hagel was

1197
00:50:20,350 --> 00:50:22,990
engaged in these conversations
with the President.

1198
00:50:22,986 --> 00:50:26,326
But I at the time said that I
would anticipate that there

1199
00:50:26,323 --> 00:50:28,323
will be other members of
the President's team,

1200
00:50:28,325 --> 00:50:30,825
some of who work on national
security and some of whom don't,

1201
00:50:30,827 --> 00:50:33,797
they might take advantage of
this opportunity to depart

1202
00:50:33,797 --> 00:50:36,737
so that someone else can take
-- can come in and fulfill

1203
00:50:36,733 --> 00:50:38,733
those responsibilities for
the remaining two years.

1204
00:50:38,735 --> 00:50:40,735
So again, I don't know of
anybody who's planning

1205
00:50:40,737 --> 00:50:42,907
to leave, but I wouldn't be
surprised if somebody else

1206
00:50:42,906 --> 00:50:44,076
makes a similar decision.

1207
00:50:44,074 --> 00:50:45,004
The Press: What kind
of timeframe would

1208
00:50:45,008 --> 00:50:46,008
you be thinking
about for that?

1209
00:50:46,009 --> 00:50:47,979
I mean the President needs
time to nominate someone

1210
00:50:47,978 --> 00:50:51,678
else and presumably get them
confirmed in the near future.

1211
00:50:51,681 --> 00:50:53,581
Mr. Earnest: Again, it's hard
for me to characterize a

1212
00:50:53,583 --> 00:50:56,123
timeframe of something that I'm
not sure is going to happen.

1213
00:50:56,119 --> 00:50:57,489
I think it's possible
that it could happen,

1214
00:50:57,487 --> 00:50:59,427
but I don't know for
sure that it will.

1215
00:50:59,423 --> 00:51:00,293
Mara.

1216
00:51:00,290 --> 00:51:02,530
The Press: The President --
did Chuck Hagel indicate

1217
00:51:02,526 --> 00:51:06,026
in these conversations
the desire to stay on?

1218
00:51:06,029 --> 00:51:07,929
Mr. Earnest: Well, again,
this is a decision

1219
00:51:07,931 --> 00:51:09,731
that the two of them
arrived at together.

1220
00:51:09,733 --> 00:51:11,603
The Press: I understand
that, I'm just asking if he,

1221
00:51:11,601 --> 00:51:13,671
before they came to
the mutual decision,

1222
00:51:13,670 --> 00:51:15,370
he indicated a
desire to stay on?

1223
00:51:15,372 --> 00:51:17,572
Mr. Earnest: I'm not aware
of sort of the twists

1224
00:51:17,574 --> 00:51:19,174
and turns of the
conversations they've

1225
00:51:19,176 --> 00:51:20,406
had over course of
the last month.

1226
00:51:20,410 --> 00:51:21,240
The Press: Is it fair to
say the President

1227
00:51:21,244 --> 00:51:23,444
did not ask him to
stay on?

1228
00:51:23,447 --> 00:51:25,147
Mr. Earnest: It's fair to say
that the two men arrived

1229
00:51:25,148 --> 00:51:28,288
at the same conclusion
together that it was time

1230
00:51:28,285 --> 00:51:31,625
for Secretary Hagel to submit
his letter of resignation,

1231
00:51:31,621 --> 00:51:32,921
which he did today.

1232
00:51:32,923 --> 00:51:33,993
Chris.

1233
00:51:33,990 --> 00:51:34,620
The Press: Thanks, Josh.

1234
00:51:34,624 --> 00:51:36,664
You say you don't know of anyone
else who's planning to leave,

1235
00:51:36,660 --> 00:51:39,130
but it doesn't sound like
Secretary Hagel was planning

1236
00:51:39,129 --> 00:51:41,169
to leave; in fact, he
had given indications

1237
00:51:41,164 --> 00:51:43,934
in the last couple of weeks
that he had hoped to stay.

1238
00:51:43,934 --> 00:51:46,474
So is this the first step
in a broader shake-up

1239
00:51:46,470 --> 00:51:48,510
of the national
security team?

1240
00:51:48,505 --> 00:51:49,945
Mr. Earnest: Again, I
don't know of any other

1241
00:51:49,940 --> 00:51:52,980
staff changes that are
being contemplated either

1242
00:51:52,976 --> 00:51:54,176
on the national
security team or even

1243
00:51:54,177 --> 00:51:56,147
on the domestic policy
team for that matter.

1244
00:51:56,146 --> 00:52:01,116
That said, I wouldn't be
surprised if there are other

1245
00:52:01,117 --> 00:52:03,217
individuals who decide that
somebody else should serve

1246
00:52:03,220 --> 00:52:05,290
in their role for the last two
years of the President's

1247
00:52:05,288 --> 00:52:06,288
time in office.

1248
00:52:06,289 --> 00:52:09,489
But I'm not aware of any
impending announcements

1249
00:52:09,493 --> 00:52:10,393
on this front.

1250
00:52:10,393 --> 00:52:11,593
The Press: Another
question -- looking ahead,

1251
00:52:11,595 --> 00:52:13,935
you said that he was the right
person to lead at the time;

1252
00:52:13,930 --> 00:52:16,070
that certainly was the
suggestion that was made

1253
00:52:16,066 --> 00:52:18,366
at the time he was nominated
-- the particular skills,

1254
00:52:18,368 --> 00:52:19,668
the particular
background he had,

1255
00:52:19,669 --> 00:52:22,139
including the
combat experience.

1256
00:52:22,138 --> 00:52:25,738
What is important now as you
look at the things that -- if

1257
00:52:25,742 --> 00:52:30,552
indeed this change is being
made because the situation has

1258
00:52:30,547 --> 00:52:32,287
changed, the focus and the
priorities have changed,

1259
00:52:32,282 --> 00:52:34,782
what are the skills, what's
the background of the person

1260
00:52:34,784 --> 00:52:36,554
who you're looking at?

1261
00:52:36,553 --> 00:52:39,253
Maybe -- and I'm not asking
you for a specific name,

1262
00:52:39,256 --> 00:52:41,226
I know you're not going to give
it to me -- but what are you

1263
00:52:41,224 --> 00:52:43,924
looking for, what is the White
House looking for in terms

1264
00:52:43,927 --> 00:52:47,067
of meeting those new
and emerging needs?

1265
00:52:47,063 --> 00:52:48,763
Mr. Earnest: Well, just as
it relates to your question,

1266
00:52:48,765 --> 00:52:50,535
let me say one other thing,
which is there's another way

1267
00:52:50,534 --> 00:52:52,534
that we know that Secretary
Hagel was the right man for the

1268
00:52:52,536 --> 00:52:55,106
job, and that's to look
back at his two years --

1269
00:52:55,105 --> 00:52:58,075
nearly two years of service
as a Secretary of Defense;

1270
00:52:58,074 --> 00:52:59,844
that if you look at
his tremendous record

1271
00:52:59,843 --> 00:53:01,543
of accomplishment
over those two years,

1272
00:53:01,545 --> 00:53:03,885
we know that he was the
right person for the job.

1273
00:53:03,880 --> 00:53:06,320
As it relates to
the next person,

1274
00:53:06,316 --> 00:53:09,786
I don't have a particularly
specific answer to give you.

1275
00:53:09,786 --> 00:53:12,256
I can tell you that the
President is -- certainly wants

1276
00:53:12,255 --> 00:53:14,755
to make sure that the next
Secretary of Defense is somebody

1277
00:53:14,758 --> 00:53:17,828
who knows the inner workings
of that agency well,

1278
00:53:17,827 --> 00:53:22,037
and somebody who will bring the
kind of leadership skills and

1279
00:53:22,032 --> 00:53:25,202
management experience that's
necessary to guide such

1280
00:53:25,201 --> 00:53:30,171
a large organization at
a time of crisis;

1281
00:53:30,173 --> 00:53:33,143
that there are emerging
situations across the globe,

1282
00:53:33,143 --> 00:53:39,283
from Ebola to ISIL, that mean
that we need strong

1283
00:53:39,282 --> 00:53:40,822
and steady leadership
at the Pentagon.

1284
00:53:40,817 --> 00:53:41,817
And the President is going
to be looking for somebody

1285
00:53:41,818 --> 00:53:43,288
who can provide it.

1286
00:53:43,286 --> 00:53:45,856
The Press: The conversation
that Senator McCain

1287
00:53:45,855 --> 00:53:49,325
talked about that he had
with Secretary Hagel does

1288
00:53:49,326 --> 00:53:51,796
seem to reflect the same
criticisms that were

1289
00:53:51,795 --> 00:53:54,895
in the books that Ed mentioned
from Secretaries Panetta

1290
00:53:54,898 --> 00:53:57,868
and Gates -- that the
White House micromanaged,

1291
00:53:57,867 --> 00:54:01,007
that there was a
difficult decision-making

1292
00:54:01,004 --> 00:54:04,144
process, that the White
House dominated it.

1293
00:54:04,140 --> 00:54:08,710
Given those three Secretaries
of Defense and the unanimity --

1294
00:54:08,712 --> 00:54:11,052
what seems to be
unanimity of opinion,

1295
00:54:11,047 --> 00:54:12,447
of their criticism
of the White House,

1296
00:54:12,449 --> 00:54:15,519
is there -- or does there
need to be an assessment

1297
00:54:15,518 --> 00:54:19,518
of the relationship between the
White House and the Pentagon?

1298
00:54:19,522 --> 00:54:21,522
Mr. Earnest: Well, I'll say
a couple things about that.

1299
00:54:21,524 --> 00:54:24,794
I just want to revisit the
concerns that I raised

1300
00:54:24,794 --> 00:54:26,794
earlier when Ed first
asked this question.

1301
00:54:26,796 --> 00:54:29,366
The fact that Senator McCain
read out his conversation

1302
00:54:29,366 --> 00:54:31,936
with Secretary Hagel in a way
that's consistent with common

1303
00:54:31,935 --> 00:54:34,605
criticisms of the administration
should not be a surprise

1304
00:54:34,604 --> 00:54:35,604
to anybody in this room.

1305
00:54:35,605 --> 00:54:38,005
It's certainly not
a surprise to me.

1306
00:54:38,008 --> 00:54:38,508
Second --

1307
00:54:38,508 --> 00:54:39,608
The Press: Does that
necessarily mean that

1308
00:54:39,609 --> 00:54:42,279
he's misrepresenting
the conversation?

1309
00:54:42,278 --> 00:54:44,618
Mr. Earnest: Well, again, I
don't have any insight into

1310
00:54:44,614 --> 00:54:46,614
the conversation, so I'm
not going to say that.

1311
00:54:46,616 --> 00:54:49,316
I'm just going to observe that
it shouldn't be a surprise

1312
00:54:49,319 --> 00:54:51,389
to anybody that Senator McCain
would characterize the

1313
00:54:51,388 --> 00:54:55,028
conversation as consistent
with criticism that we have

1314
00:54:55,025 --> 00:54:57,265
received from others.

1315
00:54:57,260 --> 00:55:03,770
That being said, I can
tell you that if you look

1316
00:55:03,767 --> 00:55:07,507
at Secretary Hagel's
track record of success

1317
00:55:07,504 --> 00:55:10,704
in that agency, I think
it would lend many people

1318
00:55:10,707 --> 00:55:15,247
to the conclusion that the Department of Defense under

1319
00:55:15,245 --> 00:55:17,485
Secretary Hagel's
management worked very well

1320
00:55:16,846 --> 00:55:18,846
constraints of that
department could not have

1321
00:55:17,480 --> 00:55:21,580
with the White House; that
adjusting to the budgetary

1322
00:55:18,848 --> 00:55:20,818
been done without close
coordination between

1323
00:55:20,817 --> 00:55:22,817
the White House and
the Pentagon.

1324
00:55:22,819 --> 00:55:30,659
The prompt and efficient and
effective response to these

1325
00:55:30,660 --> 00:55:33,500
emerging situations in West
Africa and the Middle East

1326
00:55:33,496 --> 00:55:38,006
and in Ukraine are a
testament to the careful

1327
00:55:38,001 --> 00:55:41,601
and successful coordination
between the White House

1328
00:55:41,604 --> 00:55:43,104
and the Department
of Defense.

1329
00:55:43,106 --> 00:55:44,806
So again, looking --

1330
00:55:44,808 --> 00:55:46,548
The Press: And yet he's
leaving not totally

1331
00:55:46,543 --> 00:55:49,783
of his own accord, if any
of it is of his own accord.

1332
00:55:49,779 --> 00:55:51,979
Mr. Earnest: Well, he's
leaving based on a number of

1333
00:55:51,981 --> 00:55:54,421
conversations that he and the
President convened over

1334
00:55:54,417 --> 00:55:55,417
the last month or so.

1335
00:55:55,418 --> 00:55:57,318
And it's a conclusion that
they arrived at together.

1336
00:55:57,320 --> 00:56:00,790
The Press: You also suggested
that this was part of two years,

1337
00:56:00,790 --> 00:56:02,430
two years, two years.

1338
00:56:02,425 --> 00:56:04,995
There were, if my
memory serves me,

1339
00:56:04,994 --> 00:56:08,494
three Defense Secretaries in
the Clinton administration;

1340
00:56:08,498 --> 00:56:14,068
just two in over the course
of the Bush administration.

1341
00:56:14,070 --> 00:56:17,470
Is there some concern that
there is not consistency

1342
00:56:17,474 --> 00:56:19,144
at the Pentagon?

1343
00:56:19,142 --> 00:56:20,542
Mr. Earnest: Again,
no, there is not.

1344
00:56:20,543 --> 00:56:22,883
What the President has been
looking for is looking for

1345
00:56:22,879 --> 00:56:26,579
people who are highly qualified,
skilled and effective managers

1346
00:56:26,583 --> 00:56:28,883
who understand what it takes
to use the elements of the

1347
00:56:28,885 --> 00:56:30,985
Department of Defense to
keep the country safe.

1348
00:56:30,987 --> 00:56:33,557
And from Secretary Gates to
Secretary Panetta to Secretary

1349
00:56:33,556 --> 00:56:36,626
Hagel, we've had individuals
in that role who performed

1350
00:56:36,626 --> 00:56:38,026
at a very high level.

1351
00:56:38,027 --> 00:56:40,967
And I'm confident that whomever
the President nominates next

1352
00:56:40,964 --> 00:56:42,964
will serve at a
similarly high level.

1353
00:56:42,966 --> 00:56:44,966
The Press: And just really quick
on Ferguson -- now that we have

1354
00:56:44,968 --> 00:56:46,968
confirmation that there is
going to be an announcement

1355
00:56:46,970 --> 00:56:49,070
today from the St. Louis
prosecutor's office,

1356
00:56:49,072 --> 00:56:51,472
is the decision on whether the
President makes a comment based

1357
00:56:51,474 --> 00:56:56,414
on what the decision is, on what
happens on the ground there?

1358
00:56:56,412 --> 00:56:58,882
Mr. Earnest: Well, I don't
have an explanation for

1359
00:56:58,882 --> 00:57:01,122
why the President will
speak because I don't yet

1360
00:57:01,117 --> 00:57:03,117
know whether or not the
President will speak.

1361
00:57:03,119 --> 00:57:06,089
So after we have made that
determination and made an

1362
00:57:06,089 --> 00:57:08,629
announcement, then we can
certainly have a conversation

1363
00:57:08,625 --> 00:57:11,065
about why that
decision was made.

1364
00:57:11,060 --> 00:57:12,360
Byron.

1365
00:57:12,362 --> 00:57:13,262
The Press: Thanks, Josh.

1366
00:57:13,263 --> 00:57:16,733
Regarding the Iran talks, did
the President personally sign

1367
00:57:16,733 --> 00:57:18,203
off on the Iran extension?

1368
00:57:18,201 --> 00:57:19,971
And if yes, could
you tell us when?

1369
00:57:19,969 --> 00:57:22,139
Mr. Earnest: Well, Byron, I can
tell you that the President

1370
00:57:22,138 --> 00:57:24,878
was in close touch with the
negotiating team out in Vienna,

1371
00:57:24,874 --> 00:57:28,144
including in close touch
with Secretary Kerry.

1372
00:57:28,144 --> 00:57:30,114
The President was being
frequently updated

1373
00:57:30,113 --> 00:57:32,113
on these conversations
both over the weekend,

1374
00:57:32,115 --> 00:57:35,985
but also even last week when
these talks were sort

1375
00:57:35,985 --> 00:57:38,625
of reaching a fever
pitch, you might say.

1376
00:57:38,621 --> 00:57:42,591
I don't have any specific
tick-tock to tell you,

1377
00:57:42,592 --> 00:57:46,762
relate to you about what the
President's reaction was to

1378
00:57:46,763 --> 00:57:49,133
those briefings, or what sort
of conversations he may have

1379
00:57:49,132 --> 00:57:52,032
had with the team, other than
to say that the President

1380
00:57:52,035 --> 00:57:54,905
has been aware in a very
detailed fashion of how

1381
00:57:54,904 --> 00:57:57,274
those conversations
were proceeding.

1382
00:57:57,273 --> 00:57:57,943
Mark.

1383
00:57:57,941 --> 00:58:00,181
The Press: Josh, you said a
minute ago that the President

1384
00:58:00,176 --> 00:58:04,076
would tear up his executive
orders if Congress passed

1385
00:58:04,080 --> 00:58:06,250
a bill that he could sign
on immigration.

1386
00:58:06,249 --> 00:58:08,919
But I just want to check --
there are no executive orders

1387
00:58:08,918 --> 00:58:11,158
associated with this
immigration action, right?

1388
00:58:11,154 --> 00:58:12,154
Mr. Earnest: I
must have misspoke.

1389
00:58:12,155 --> 00:58:13,625
I meant executive actions.

1390
00:58:13,623 --> 00:58:14,253
So I apologize.

1391
00:58:14,257 --> 00:58:16,327
The Press: Can you tell us why
there are no executive orders

1392
00:58:16,326 --> 00:58:20,926
where the President wrote down
specifically and signed

1393
00:58:20,930 --> 00:58:23,700
what he was ordering be
done at his direction?

1394
00:58:23,700 --> 00:58:28,710
Mr. Earnest: I can follow up
with you for -- with a more

1395
00:58:28,705 --> 00:58:30,805
detailed question -- or a
more detailed answer on this.

1396
00:58:30,807 --> 00:58:34,377
But what I can tell you is that
the exercise of prosecutorial

1397
00:58:34,377 --> 00:58:37,047
discretion is something
that is implemented

1398
00:58:37,046 --> 00:58:39,216
by the Department of Homeland
Security under the leadership

1399
00:58:39,215 --> 00:58:41,185
of the Secretary of
Homeland Security.

1400
00:58:41,184 --> 00:58:43,184
Now, you'll recall that the
Secretary of Homeland Security

1401
00:58:43,186 --> 00:58:45,526
reviewed the law to determine
what the administration

1402
00:58:45,521 --> 00:58:48,221
could do to try to address
some of the shortcomings

1403
00:58:48,224 --> 00:58:50,224
in our legal
immigration system.

1404
00:58:50,226 --> 00:58:53,066
And my understanding is
that those changes could be

1405
00:58:53,062 --> 00:58:56,562
implemented within the confines
of the current law based on

1406
00:58:56,566 --> 00:58:59,436
exercising that prosecutorial
discretion that resides

1407
00:58:59,435 --> 00:59:02,135
in the Secretary of
Homeland Security's office.

1408
00:59:02,138 --> 00:59:09,808
The Press: And the idea of a
three-year delay in deportations

1409
00:59:09,812 --> 00:59:13,412
for certain people, isn't
that something that warrants

1410
00:59:13,416 --> 00:59:14,416
an executive order?

1411
00:59:14,417 --> 00:59:15,757
Mr. Earnest:
Apparently not.

1412
00:59:15,752 --> 00:59:18,122
Our lawyers looked
carefully at this.

1413
00:59:18,121 --> 00:59:20,461
But we can follow up
with you on these more

1414
00:59:20,456 --> 00:59:22,256
detailed legal questions
if you'd like.

1415
00:59:22,258 --> 00:59:23,528
Nadia.

1416
00:59:23,526 --> 00:59:24,626
The Press: Iran again,
just to follow up.

1417
00:59:24,627 --> 00:59:27,197
You just praised the
Iranians for cooperation

1418
00:59:27,196 --> 00:59:30,796
on good inspectors,
regarding the inspectors.

1419
00:59:30,800 --> 00:59:34,370
But the IAEA in the last
report, they criticize

1420
00:59:34,370 --> 00:59:36,340
them, and actually your own
ambassador in Vienna

1421
00:59:36,339 --> 00:59:38,439
slammed them for
lack of cooperation.

1422
00:59:38,441 --> 00:59:40,781
So how do you explain
that you praise?

1423
00:59:40,777 --> 00:59:42,777
Mr. Earnest: Well, I've
seen those reports.

1424
00:59:42,779 --> 00:59:46,079
What I'm suggesting is that
we have more insight into

1425
00:59:46,082 --> 00:59:48,752
the Iranian nuclear program
than we ever have before,

1426
00:59:48,751 --> 00:59:53,191
and that is because of the
inspections that have taken

1427
00:59:53,189 --> 00:59:57,529
place to review those
facilities and to have a clear

1428
00:59:57,527 --> 00:59:59,527
understanding of how they're
complying with the agreement.

1429
00:59:59,529 --> 01:00:01,529
And based on the
inspections that have

1430
01:00:01,531 --> 01:00:03,531
occurred and have been
conducted, we do have

1431
01:00:03,533 --> 01:00:05,903
a high degree of confidence
that the Iranians

1432
01:00:05,902 --> 01:00:08,002
are living up to their
end of the bargain.

1433
01:00:08,004 --> 01:00:10,344
The Press: On Iraq
again, how do you see

1434
01:00:10,340 --> 01:00:14,840
the President's strategy of
working with the Sunni tribes

1435
01:00:14,844 --> 01:00:17,084
to fight ISIS being affected
today by the decision

1436
01:00:17,080 --> 01:00:20,120
by the Iraqi government to
pass the death sentence

1437
01:00:20,116 --> 01:00:24,056
on a prominent
Iraqi Sunni leader?

1438
01:00:24,053 --> 01:00:28,623
And does this hinder your kind
of fight against ISIS in Iraq,

1439
01:00:28,624 --> 01:00:31,224
which is the biggest
component of the President's

1440
01:00:31,227 --> 01:00:34,297
kind of declared strategy?

1441
01:00:34,297 --> 01:00:36,337
Mr. Earnest: Well, Nadia,
I haven't seen the reports

1442
01:00:36,332 --> 01:00:39,002
about that
specific sentence.

1443
01:00:39,002 --> 01:00:41,342
I can tell you as a general
matter that we have long

1444
01:00:41,337 --> 01:00:46,077
identified as critical to
the success of this broader

1445
01:00:46,075 --> 01:00:48,815
operation the ability of the
Iraqi central government

1446
01:00:48,811 --> 01:00:50,281
to unify that country.

1447
01:00:50,279 --> 01:00:53,579
And that means even a Shia
leader like Prime Minister Abadi

1448
01:00:53,583 --> 01:00:57,023
governing that country in a
way that makes it clear to the

1449
01:00:57,020 --> 01:00:59,720
diverse population of Iraq
that the central government,

1450
01:00:59,722 --> 01:01:02,122
even though it's led by
a Shia, has the best

1451
01:01:02,125 --> 01:01:04,525
interests of every
Iraqi citizen at heart.

1452
01:01:04,527 --> 01:01:09,237
And there are plenty
of indications to --

1453
01:01:09,232 --> 01:01:12,172
that the Prime Minister
has had success in winning

1454
01:01:12,168 --> 01:01:14,838
over Sunni leaders to
demonstrate to them

1455
01:01:14,837 --> 01:01:17,637
that he's willing to
use the resources

1456
01:01:17,640 --> 01:01:20,440
and military of the central
government to protect

1457
01:01:20,443 --> 01:01:21,443
their interests, too.

1458
01:01:21,444 --> 01:01:23,744
And that was one of the
principal concerns with Prime

1459
01:01:23,746 --> 01:01:26,146
Minister Maliki, that he left
too many Iraqis with the

1460
01:01:26,149 --> 01:01:28,649
impression that he was willing
to use the central government,

1461
01:01:28,651 --> 01:01:31,691
the military of Iraq, to
protect his own interests

1462
01:01:31,687 --> 01:01:36,827
and the interests of the
Shia citizens of Iraq.

1463
01:01:36,826 --> 01:01:39,126
Prime Minister Abadi has taken a
much different approach and has

1464
01:01:39,128 --> 01:01:44,138
had much more success in
bringing on board and earning

1465
01:01:44,133 --> 01:01:47,103
the support of Sunni
leaders across the country.

1466
01:01:47,103 --> 01:01:49,103
Paul, I'll give
you the last one.

1467
01:01:49,105 --> 01:01:50,135
The Press: I want to come
back to something you said

1468
01:01:50,139 --> 01:01:52,309
about Afghanistan a
little while ago.

1469
01:01:52,308 --> 01:01:56,308
You said that basically troops
will be there to basically

1470
01:01:56,312 --> 01:02:00,782
mop up "remnants," was the
word you said, of al Qaeda.

1471
01:02:00,783 --> 01:02:02,323
So they've got nothing
left to do but mop up.

1472
01:02:02,318 --> 01:02:04,518
But if you drive an
hour beyond Kabul,

1473
01:02:04,520 --> 01:02:07,460
the Taliban is controlling
big parts of the country.

1474
01:02:07,457 --> 01:02:10,257
Why are you downplaying
the true threat that

1475
01:02:10,259 --> 01:02:12,499
the Taliban poses
in the country?

1476
01:02:12,495 --> 01:02:13,325
Mr. Earnest:
I'm not, Paul.

1477
01:02:13,329 --> 01:02:16,529
But there's a little
sleight of hand that

1478
01:02:16,532 --> 01:02:17,872
you use there in
your question.

1479
01:02:17,867 --> 01:02:20,567
There is a difference between
the Taliban and al Qaeda.

1480
01:02:20,570 --> 01:02:25,780
And the difference in
this mission after 2014

1481
01:02:25,775 --> 01:02:28,475
is that the U.S. military
will not be engaged

1482
01:02:28,478 --> 01:02:30,918
in specific
operations targeting

1483
01:02:30,913 --> 01:02:32,913
members of the Taliban just
because they're members

1484
01:02:32,915 --> 01:02:34,085
of the Taliban.

1485
01:02:34,083 --> 01:02:37,453
Any sort of combat operations
that are carried out

1486
01:02:37,453 --> 01:02:41,453
by U.S. military personnel
will be for force protection

1487
01:02:41,457 --> 01:02:45,227
or to go after remnants
of al Qaeda or other

1488
01:02:45,228 --> 01:02:47,228
extremists like al
Qaeda that work with

1489
01:02:47,230 --> 01:02:49,270
al Qaeda that pose a
significant threat

1490
01:02:49,265 --> 01:02:51,265
to the U.S. homeland
or to U.S. interests

1491
01:02:51,267 --> 01:02:52,267
around the globe.

1492
01:02:52,268 --> 01:02:55,738
And that's the change in the
mission that will move forward

1493
01:02:55,738 --> 01:02:58,038
at the end of this year
consistent with the directives

1494
01:02:58,040 --> 01:03:00,040
that the President has been
discussing for some time now.

1495
01:03:00,042 --> 01:03:02,042
The Press: Even so, you can
concede that the Taliban

1496
01:03:02,044 --> 01:03:05,414
still represents a tremendous
threat to Afghanistan's

1497
01:03:05,414 --> 01:03:06,854
stability as a whole.

1498
01:03:06,849 --> 01:03:08,549
Mr. Earnest: And that's why
it's so important that

1499
01:03:08,551 --> 01:03:10,091
the United States continue to
play an important role

1500
01:03:10,086 --> 01:03:12,256
in supporting the Afghan
central government

1501
01:03:12,255 --> 01:03:14,625
and supporting the Afghan
security forces that are

1502
01:03:14,624 --> 01:03:16,524
trying to maintain security
in that country in a very

1503
01:03:16,526 --> 01:03:17,796
difficult environment.

1504
01:03:17,793 --> 01:03:18,793
Thanks a lot, everybody.