English subtitles for clip: File:6-17-15- White House Press Briefing.webm

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Mr. Earnest: Good
afternoon, everybody.

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Nice to see you all.

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I do not have any
announcements to make at the

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top, so we can go
straight to questions.

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Darlene, do you
want to go first?

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The Press: Thank you.

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A question on trade.

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The current plan as it
stands is for the House to

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vote separately on TPA and
then have a separate vote on

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the TAA, send those to the
Senate where they'll have to

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vote on them separately.

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Is that a path forward
the White House supports?

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What is the President doing
to get Dems to vote for it?

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Mr. Earnest: Well, let me
say that that is one of many

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different legislative
strategies that's being

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discussed on Capitol Hill
and even by White House

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officials, including
the President, today.

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It's not clear to us here
at the White House that a

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specific strategy has been
settled upon by legislative

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leaders who ultimately will
be responsible for setting

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and implementing
that strategy.

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The one thing that we have
been clear about is that the

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only legislative strategy
that the President will

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support is a strategy that
results in both TPA and TAA

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coming to his desk.

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And as you point out,
Darlene, there are a variety

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of ways to do that, but that
is something that continues

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to be discussed as of a few
minutes before I walked out

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here.

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Let me just say one last
thing about that, and that

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is specifically that we also
know that for any of those

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strategies to succeed it
will require the support of

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Democrats in both the House
and the Senate, and it will

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require the House and Senate
to continue to operate in

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bipartisan fashion when
considering this issue.

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And over the last couple of
weeks I have had kind words

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to say to members of
Congress about their

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commitment to acting in
bipartisan fashion and that

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has been critical to the
significant progress that's

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been made thus far.

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But that commitment to
bipartisanship and the

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important role that
Democrats will have to play

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in this process moving
forward will be required for

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us to ultimately succeed.

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The Press: Has he had any
conversations with anyone,

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any lawmakers other than
Speaker Boehner since the

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vote on Friday?

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Mr. Earnest: Yes.

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I don't have
any specific telephone calls

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to tell you about.

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It's been principally
with Democrats, but not

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exclusively with Democrats.

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The Press: Including
Nancy Pelosi?

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Mr. Earnest: Again, I'm not
going to go through the

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details of the calls
that he's made.

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The Press: Can you say how
awkward it will be, it may

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be, for the President later
today to welcome members of

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Congress here for the picnic
and then, later this week,

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to also fund-raise with
Nancy Pelosi in

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San Francisco, so soon after the
House Democrats deserted him

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on the trade issue?

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Mr. Earnest: Well, again,
the President and the 

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First Lady have annually hosted 
a congressional picnic here at

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the White House.

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I think there have been at
least one or two years where

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weather has prevented
the event from actually

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occurring.

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But this is a nice
opportunity for members of

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Congress -- in both parties,
I might add -- to spend time

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with their families on a
nice summer evening on the

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South Lawn of
the White House.

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And it is a goodwill
gesture and a purely social

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occasion.

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And the President is looking
forward to spending some

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time out there this
evening as well.

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As it relates to the
President's relationship

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with Democrats, I think
what I said about the

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relationship between the
President and Leader Pelosi

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applies to the President and
his relationship with the

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House and Senate Democratic
caucuses, which is that the

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strength of their
professional and personal

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relationship is more than
strong enough to weather a

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difference of opinion over
one issue, even an issue as

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important as this one.

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The Press: Is it still the
case that he hasn't spoken

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with Leader Pelosi since
Friday, since he went

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to the Hill?

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Mr. Earnest: Again, I'm
not going to get into any

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individual telephone
conversations that the

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President has had other than
to confirm for you that he

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has had a number of them,
including as recently as

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this morning.

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The Press: And then,
finally, the State Department

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says that when
their folks go to New York

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later this year for UNGA,
they won't stay at the

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Waldorf-Astoria because
it's now owned by a

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Chinese company.

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Can you say whether the
President will stay at the

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Waldorf-Astoria, or will he
find someplace else to stay

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when he goes up for that?

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Mr. Earnest: I don't have
any details about the

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President's accommodations
when he travels to New York

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later this year, but as we
get more details on that

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we'll let you know.

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Roberta.

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The Press: What is the U.S.

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position, the White House
position, on the vote in

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Hong Kong on
election reforms?

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Mr. Earnest: I'm not aware
of a position that we have

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taken on this, but -- well,
I can have somebody follow

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up with you to let you know
if we have something to say

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about it.

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The Press: And also we've
heard the President talk a

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lot about trade and you talk
a lot about trade, but less

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so about Ex-Im Bank.

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Mr. Earnest: Principally in
response to questions, but,

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yes.

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The Press: But less
so about Ex-Im Bank.

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And there's less than two
weeks to go now before that

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deadline for the Ex-Im Bank.

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And I'm just wondering why
the President hasn't talked

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as much about
the Ex-Im Bank.

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Is that part of a deliberate
strategy to keep the two

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issues separate?

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Mr. Earnest: No, I think
it's principally that many

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of the questions that he has
entertained and that I've

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entertained over the last
couple of weeks have been

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focused on the trade issue
and not on the Ex-Im Bank

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issue.

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Over the last several
months, as Congress has

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debated the necessary
reauthorization of the Bank,

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we've indicated that
Congress succeeding in doing

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what many Congresses
before them have done in

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reauthorizing the Bank is
important for our economy.

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And that was a view that
was held by Republican

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Presidents, including
President Reagan when he

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signed legislation allowing
the Bank to continue to do

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its important work.

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President Obama shares that
view, and there is strong

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bipartisan support for
the Export-Import Bank in

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Congress.

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And I know that Senator
McConnell, at least, has

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made specific commitments
to some of the leading

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advocates of the
Export-Import Bank in the

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United States Senate to
work constructively to pass

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legislation that would
prevent the expiration of

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the Bank.

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The Press: Has the White
House, though, accepted that

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it looks likely that there
is going to be at least a

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temporary lapse on the
authorization with only two

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weeks -- or less
than two weeks to go?

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Mr. Earnest: Well, again,
this is something that

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Congress will
have to work out.

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I don't know that that
is a result that we have

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accepted.

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We continue to make a strong
case that Congress should

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allow -- give the
Export-Import Bank what they

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need to continue to do
their important work.

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We know that they play a
critically important role in

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helping U.S.

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businesses do
business overseas.

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That creates economic
opportunity and jobs right

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here in the United
States of America.

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That's a worthwhile pursuit,
and we believe that's

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important work that the
Congress should support.

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The Press: And as the
President and his top

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officials like Denis
McDonough have been talking

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with Speaker Boehner and
Leader McConnell and other

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Republicans, perhaps, on the
Hill, is this something that

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they're talking about as
well, as they talk about

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trade?

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Mr. Earnest: I don't know.

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I can't give you a
detailed readout of each

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conversation.

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There are some -- I wouldn't
be surprised if it came up

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-- let me just
say it that way.

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Pam.

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The Press: How does the
President feel about

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President Putin's
announcement that he's going

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to put 40 ICBMs into stock
and they can defeat the

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biggest missile defense
system that is available?

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Mr. Earnest: Pam, we had the
opportunity to talk about

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this a little bit yesterday.

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And what continues to be
true is that saber-rattling

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like this does nothing
to deescalate conflict.

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And the United States has
repeatedly stressed our

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commitment to the collective
defense of our NATO allies.

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That is a commitment that we
are willing to back up with

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action, if necessary.

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And that stands in pretty
stark contrast to the

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saber-rattling that we've
seen from Mr. Putin.

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And you could also make a
case -- and I think with

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some credibility -- that
invoking the nuclear arsenal

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is even an escalation
of that saber-rattling.

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That's unnecessary
and not constructive.

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The Press: Is there a danger
of another arms race?

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Mr. Earnest: Well, I think
the -- I did read in The New

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York Times today the
observation that because of

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the -- in part at least,
because of the sanctions

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regime that has been put in
place by the international

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community and the United
States, that Russia doesn't

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have access to the kind of
economic resources that they

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previously did, and that
there are legitimate

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questions that have been
raised about whether or not

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Russia would be able to
succeed in following through

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on many of the claims and
threats that President Putin

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has had to offer.

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So, again, we continue to be
concerned by saber-rattling

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that does nothing to
deescalate conflict in that

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region of the world.

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And that's why we continue
to take very seriously our

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Article 5 commitments
under the NATO Treaty, and

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continue to take steps that
we believe are necessary to

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prepare for the collective
defense of the United States

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and our allies.

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Ron.

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The Press: Over on the Hill,
Secretary Carter said that

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there had been a goal of
trying to recruit 24,000

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Iraqi recruits to the
military there, but as of

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now there are some 7,000.

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And this is, as I think you
would agree, the linchpin of

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the strategy.

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You say every time if
there's a viable and strong

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ground force backed by
American airpower, that the

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operational -- that
the strategy there is

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successful.

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But with such a dearth of
candidates stepping up, how

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can that strategy -- does
the President still have

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confidence in that strategy?

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And what do you do about
this missing tens of

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thousands of
potential recruits?

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Mr. Earnest: Well, Ron,
this is something that the

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President acknowledged in
the news conference that he

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convened in Germany last
week, where he noted that

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the training capacity of
the United States and our

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coalition partners exceeded
the number of recruits that

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were going into the program.

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So this is something that
the President has indicated

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as the source
of some concern.

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And I would acknowledge --
and, in fact, I've said

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before -- that having a
capable, well-trained,

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well-armed fighting force on
the ground is critical to

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the success of our strategy.

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But I would say that
actually the linchpin of our

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strategy is a central
government in Baghdad that

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00:11:13,506 --> 00:11:18,976
is committed to building an
inclusive, multi-sectarian

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00:11:18,978 --> 00:11:21,518
government, and an
inclusive, multi-sectarian

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00:11:21,514 --> 00:11:22,744
security force.

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00:11:22,748 --> 00:11:26,648
And part of that effort we
need to see them succeed in

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00:11:26,652 --> 00:11:31,892
is recruiting Iraqis
into the fight.

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00:11:31,891 --> 00:11:34,391
And they will only be
successful in those

252
00:11:34,393 --> 00:11:36,693
recruitment efforts if they
can continue to inspire

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00:11:36,695 --> 00:11:41,135
confidence in the diverse
Iraqi population that the

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00:11:41,133 --> 00:11:43,203
central government and the
Iraqi security forces are

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00:11:43,202 --> 00:11:46,272
committed to the defense
of every citizen in Iraq.

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00:11:46,272 --> 00:11:49,912
The Press: It's not just
that our training capacity

257
00:11:49,909 --> 00:11:52,409
exceeds the number of
recruits -- although that's

258
00:11:52,411 --> 00:11:56,781
true -- the problem seems
to be the other way around,

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00:11:56,782 --> 00:12:00,922
that there's just not enough
recruits, as I think you

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00:12:00,920 --> 00:12:02,150
were saying.

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00:12:02,154 --> 00:12:04,154
But are there specific
things that the United

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00:12:04,156 --> 00:12:06,626
States can do to push
the Iraqis to do this?

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00:12:06,625 --> 00:12:09,365
And further, with the
increasing number of

264
00:12:09,361 --> 00:12:13,301
American military forces now
going over there, doesn't

265
00:12:13,299 --> 00:12:16,269
the lack of success with
this program put them more

266
00:12:16,268 --> 00:12:18,908
at risk, particularly if
those numbers continue to

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00:12:18,904 --> 00:12:22,444
increase and they tend to
lily-pad out -- as I think

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00:12:22,441 --> 00:12:25,511
the term has been used -- to
other parts of the country?

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00:12:25,511 --> 00:12:26,711
Mr. Earnest: Well, I think
that was raised as a

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00:12:26,712 --> 00:12:27,742
possibility.

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00:12:27,746 --> 00:12:28,846
I don't think that that was
raised as an intention at

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00:12:28,848 --> 00:12:31,788
this point.

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00:12:31,784 --> 00:12:33,384
Let me say a couple
things about that.

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00:12:33,385 --> 00:12:35,185
One thing that the United
States can do and one thing

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00:12:35,187 --> 00:12:36,787
that the President can do
is raise these concerns

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00:12:36,789 --> 00:12:39,229
directly with Prime
Minister Abadi.

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00:12:39,225 --> 00:12:41,225
And that's something that he
also had the opportunity to

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00:12:41,227 --> 00:12:44,027
do in their face-to-face
meeting in Germany last

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00:12:44,029 --> 00:12:45,199
week.

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00:12:45,197 --> 00:12:47,397
The other thing that the
President indicated would be

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00:12:47,399 --> 00:12:52,169
useful -- and this is part
of the expansion of the

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00:12:52,171 --> 00:12:54,711
training mission that the
President announced last

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00:12:54,707 --> 00:12:58,307
week -- is that by
establishing this additional

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00:12:58,310 --> 00:13:03,520
base at Taqaddum and
deploying an additional 450

285
00:13:03,516 --> 00:13:04,516
U.S.

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00:13:04,517 --> 00:13:07,317
forces to Anbar Province
we can accelerate the

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00:13:07,319 --> 00:13:10,259
recruiting, mobilization,
training, and equipping of

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00:13:10,256 --> 00:13:13,596
Sunni fighters -- something
which the Iraqi cabinet has

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00:13:13,592 --> 00:13:15,862
indicated is part
of their strategy.

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00:13:15,861 --> 00:13:21,201
And there is some momentum
behind that effort, that we

291
00:13:21,200 --> 00:13:25,300
did see last week that 1,000
new Sunni fighters were

292
00:13:25,304 --> 00:13:28,704
inducted into the Iraqi
Popular Mobilization Force.

293
00:13:28,707 --> 00:13:31,407
And I understand that even
just today, another ceremony

294
00:13:31,410 --> 00:13:34,250
was held where several
hundred additional Sunni

295
00:13:34,246 --> 00:13:36,716
local fighters were
inducted into the Popular

296
00:13:36,715 --> 00:13:37,685
Mobilization Force.

297
00:13:37,683 --> 00:13:41,523
And again, for this effort
to offer advice and

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00:13:41,520 --> 00:13:44,060
assistance and training to
both Sunni fighters as well

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00:13:44,056 --> 00:13:48,996
as members of the Iraqi
security forces, we're going

300
00:13:48,994 --> 00:13:51,764
to need to see the Iraqi
government try to tap every

301
00:13:51,764 --> 00:13:53,764
element of their
population to build this

302
00:13:53,766 --> 00:13:54,836
multi-sectarian
security force.

303
00:13:54,833 --> 00:13:56,873
The Press: But the bottom
line, is it fair to look at

304
00:13:56,869 --> 00:14:00,169
this goal -- 24,000 -- and
this actuality of 7,000 and

305
00:14:00,172 --> 00:14:04,042
say that there's a huge
problem here and that in

306
00:14:04,043 --> 00:14:06,883
some limited time frame this
needs to be addressed and

307
00:14:06,879 --> 00:14:09,149
the numbers need to -- I
mean, here's a metric that

308
00:14:09,148 --> 00:14:11,648
we can look at, two weeks,
two months from now?

309
00:14:11,650 --> 00:14:13,950
What's a fair time frame to
look at that again and say,

310
00:14:13,953 --> 00:14:16,653
this is working, this is
not working, we need to do

311
00:14:16,655 --> 00:14:17,695
something radically
different?

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00:14:17,690 --> 00:14:18,820
Mr. Earnest: Well, again,
Ron, I think the first thing

313
00:14:18,824 --> 00:14:20,464
that we would do to evaluate
the success of this

314
00:14:20,459 --> 00:14:23,499
particular endeavor is to
examine the performance of

315
00:14:23,495 --> 00:14:25,195
those fighters that have
gone through the training

316
00:14:25,197 --> 00:14:26,237
program.

317
00:14:26,232 --> 00:14:29,332
And the early results are
encouraging in terms of the

318
00:14:29,335 --> 00:14:31,975
way that those forces have
performed after receiving

319
00:14:31,971 --> 00:14:34,511
training and when they
receive the support of

320
00:14:34,506 --> 00:14:37,806
military airstrikes from
the United States and our

321
00:14:37,810 --> 00:14:39,680
coalition partners.

322
00:14:39,678 --> 00:14:43,248
And what we want to do is we
want to see more recruits

323
00:14:43,249 --> 00:14:45,519
benefit from that kind
of training, advice, and

324
00:14:45,517 --> 00:14:46,517
assistance.

325
00:14:46,518 --> 00:14:49,158
There is some momentum in
terms of the more recent

326
00:14:49,154 --> 00:14:51,494
efforts related to
recruiting Sunni tribal

327
00:14:51,490 --> 00:14:53,490
fighters into the fight --
that will be critically

328
00:14:53,492 --> 00:14:55,292
important in Anbar Province.

329
00:14:55,294 --> 00:14:57,834
But there is no doubt that
we would like to see, as the

330
00:14:57,830 --> 00:15:04,270
President said last week,
an increased flow of Iraqi

331
00:15:04,270 --> 00:15:06,270
fighters through these
training programs.

332
00:15:06,272 --> 00:15:08,342
The Press: Just one
thing on the trade thing.

333
00:15:08,340 --> 00:15:11,640
Representative Clyburn,
just in an interview

334
00:15:11,644 --> 00:15:15,084
with Andrea Mitchell,
said that -- he kind

335
00:15:15,080 --> 00:15:16,450
of repeated what
Nancy Pelosi had been

336
00:15:16,448 --> 00:15:19,118
saying that the vote was
a sign that the caucus wants

337
00:15:19,118 --> 00:15:22,518
to slow this process
down and have input.

338
00:15:22,521 --> 00:15:25,891
In principle, does the
President agree with that

339
00:15:25,891 --> 00:15:31,361
notion that this process
needs to be slowed -- is he

340
00:15:31,363 --> 00:15:33,463
willing to accept that the
process should be slowed

341
00:15:33,465 --> 00:15:35,605
down, that there
should be more input?

342
00:15:35,601 --> 00:15:38,901
Or does he think that the
process should accelerate?

343
00:15:38,904 --> 00:15:42,144
Or does this -- will that
tie his hands in dealing

344
00:15:42,141 --> 00:15:45,281
with the other nations
he's negotiating with?

345
00:15:45,277 --> 00:15:46,647
Mr. Earnest: Ron, the
President has complete

346
00:15:46,645 --> 00:15:49,445
confidence in the most
progressive trade promotion

347
00:15:49,448 --> 00:15:51,548
authority legislation that's
ever passed both the House

348
00:15:51,550 --> 00:15:52,790
and the Senate.

349
00:15:52,785 --> 00:15:55,785
This is a piece of
legislation that writes in

350
00:15:55,788 --> 00:15:57,158
higher labor protections.

351
00:15:57,156 --> 00:15:59,856
It writes in enforceable
higher environmental

352
00:15:59,858 --> 00:16:00,858
standards.

353
00:16:00,859 --> 00:16:04,229
It writes in protections
for intellectual property.

354
00:16:04,229 --> 00:16:09,399
It codifies agreements to
protect basic human rights.

355
00:16:09,401 --> 00:16:11,401
This is entirely consistent
with the kinds of

356
00:16:11,403 --> 00:16:13,403
progressive values the
President has championed

357
00:16:13,405 --> 00:16:14,675
during his time in office.

358
00:16:14,673 --> 00:16:17,373
And so he is pleased
with the trade promotion

359
00:16:17,376 --> 00:16:19,946
authority legislation that's
already passed both houses

360
00:16:19,945 --> 00:16:23,415
of Congress with
bipartisan support.

361
00:16:23,415 --> 00:16:25,985
What he would also like
to see and what must be a

362
00:16:25,984 --> 00:16:29,354
component of this package is
trade adjustment assistance

363
00:16:29,355 --> 00:16:32,755
that offers meaningful
assistance to workers who

364
00:16:32,758 --> 00:16:35,398
are affected by these
broader global economic

365
00:16:35,394 --> 00:16:38,594
forces, many of them
completely unrelated to

366
00:16:38,597 --> 00:16:40,237
trade agreements.

367
00:16:40,232 --> 00:16:42,232
And the fact is the
President would be seeking

368
00:16:42,234 --> 00:16:44,504
an extension of trade
adjustment assistance even

369
00:16:44,503 --> 00:16:47,203
if we weren't in the middle
of trying to negotiate trade

370
00:16:47,206 --> 00:16:48,406
promotion authority.

371
00:16:48,407 --> 00:16:52,447
So what the President
believes is that we have

372
00:16:52,444 --> 00:16:54,544
bipartisan support for
a package that he feels

373
00:16:54,546 --> 00:16:57,786
confidence in -- that he has
confidence in that clearly

374
00:16:57,783 --> 00:16:59,783
reflects the kinds of
progressive values the

375
00:16:59,785 --> 00:17:01,085
President has
long fought for.

376
00:17:01,086 --> 00:17:03,656
The next stage, in the mind
of the President, is making

377
00:17:03,655 --> 00:17:07,525
sure that TAA is included as
a component in this package,

378
00:17:07,526 --> 00:17:10,996
and then giving Congress
ample time to actually take

379
00:17:10,996 --> 00:17:15,506
a look at a final TPP
agreement, if an when those

380
00:17:15,501 --> 00:17:17,701
negotiations are completed.

381
00:17:17,703 --> 00:17:20,803
And the President has
committed to making sure

382
00:17:20,806 --> 00:17:23,376
that Congress will have
ample time to consider that

383
00:17:23,375 --> 00:17:24,345
document.

384
00:17:24,343 --> 00:17:26,483
In fact, the President
himself has said he will

385
00:17:26,478 --> 00:17:29,778
refrain from signing that
document for 60 days to give

386
00:17:29,782 --> 00:17:32,152
the American public and
Congress opportunity to take

387
00:17:32,151 --> 00:17:34,521
a look at the agreement
before he even signs on the

388
00:17:34,520 --> 00:17:35,520
dotted line.

389
00:17:35,521 --> 00:17:39,121
If he chooses to do so, and
when he does, then that

390
00:17:39,124 --> 00:17:41,124
would then start the
process for congressional

391
00:17:41,126 --> 00:17:42,126
consideration.

392
00:17:42,127 --> 00:17:44,127
And there would be ample
time for Congress to then

393
00:17:44,129 --> 00:17:46,129
consider it when it's
been sent up there.

394
00:17:46,131 --> 00:17:50,201
So there is ample time for
Congress to consider any

395
00:17:50,202 --> 00:17:52,242
sort of trade agreement
prior to it going into

396
00:17:52,237 --> 00:17:53,237
force.

397
00:17:53,238 --> 00:17:55,238
The Press: So just to -- the
short answer seems to be,

398
00:17:55,240 --> 00:17:58,380
no, he is not inclined to
slow the process down?

399
00:17:58,377 --> 00:18:00,347
Mr. Earnest: The short
answer is that the President

400
00:18:00,345 --> 00:18:02,685
has a lot of confidence in
the most progressive trade

401
00:18:02,681 --> 00:18:04,721
promotion authority
legislation that Congress

402
00:18:04,716 --> 00:18:06,016
has ever passed.

403
00:18:06,018 --> 00:18:07,148
James.

404
00:18:07,152 --> 00:18:08,052
Nice to see you today.

405
00:18:08,053 --> 00:18:09,893
The Press: Josh,
nice to see you.

406
00:18:09,888 --> 00:18:11,888
I was going to take issue
with your assertion that

407
00:18:11,890 --> 00:18:13,890
tonight's picnic is a purely
social occasion because we

408
00:18:13,892 --> 00:18:16,162
both know there are no such
occasions in Washington, D.C.

409
00:18:16,161 --> 00:18:20,161
(laughter) Instead,
I'm going to just ask a

410
00:18:20,165 --> 00:18:21,665
couple on Iraq and
then one on trade.

411
00:18:21,667 --> 00:18:23,097
Mr. Earnest: Okay.

412
00:18:23,101 --> 00:18:26,271
The Press: Is Iraq
today a quagmire?

413
00:18:26,271 --> 00:18:30,111
Mr. Earnest: Well, James,
that's not the word that I

414
00:18:30,108 --> 00:18:31,108
would to describe it.

415
00:18:31,109 --> 00:18:37,079
Iraq is a chaotic place and
it is a place where our men

416
00:18:37,082 --> 00:18:42,552
and women in uniform who
are there are serving our

417
00:18:42,554 --> 00:18:45,094
country in a
dangerous place.

418
00:18:45,090 --> 00:18:47,430
At the same time, because
of the commitment of the

419
00:18:47,426 --> 00:18:50,696
central government in Iraq
to unify that country and to

420
00:18:50,696 --> 00:18:55,606
govern in a multi-sectarian
inclusive way, there is

421
00:18:55,601 --> 00:18:57,641
promise for Iraq's future.

422
00:18:57,636 --> 00:19:01,076
And a commitment to that
political path, and a

423
00:19:01,073 --> 00:19:04,243
commitment to building a
multi-sectarian security

424
00:19:04,243 --> 00:19:08,643
force that works hard not
just to push back ISIL but

425
00:19:08,647 --> 00:19:11,787
also to protect the basic
human rights of the Iraqi

426
00:19:11,783 --> 00:19:13,783
population will be critical
to their success in the

427
00:19:13,785 --> 00:19:14,785
future.

428
00:19:14,786 --> 00:19:18,726
The Press: We've talked
at length about the

429
00:19:18,724 --> 00:19:23,094
difficulties in establishing
real and meaningful

430
00:19:23,095 --> 00:19:25,265
sectarian
reconciliation in Iraq.

431
00:19:25,264 --> 00:19:29,364
But is one of the problems
in Iraq that the Sunnis

432
00:19:29,368 --> 00:19:32,668
don't trust America right
now -- our intentions, our

433
00:19:32,671 --> 00:19:34,071
capabilities?

434
00:19:34,072 --> 00:19:36,072
Mr. Earnest: Well, I think
it's hard to speak in a

435
00:19:36,074 --> 00:19:37,314
broad generalization.

436
00:19:37,309 --> 00:19:41,079
No doubt there are some who
may have some doubts about

437
00:19:41,079 --> 00:19:43,079
the United States
and our intentions.

438
00:19:43,081 --> 00:19:45,081
We've been clear about what
our intentions are, and that

439
00:19:45,083 --> 00:19:48,153
message has clearly gotten
through because just last

440
00:19:48,153 --> 00:19:51,723
week, 1,000 new Sunni
fighters were inducted into

441
00:19:51,723 --> 00:19:54,793
the Iraqi Popular
Mobilization Forces, several

442
00:19:54,793 --> 00:19:57,633
hundred were inducted today.

443
00:19:57,629 --> 00:19:59,799
And many of those tribal
fighters are actually going

444
00:19:59,798 --> 00:20:02,738
through training programs
that are being conducted by

445
00:20:02,734 --> 00:20:03,734
U.S.

446
00:20:03,735 --> 00:20:04,735
military personnel.

447
00:20:04,736 --> 00:20:06,736
And we're, in fact, trying
to capitalize on some of the

448
00:20:06,738 --> 00:20:08,738
momentum behind those
recruitment efforts by

449
00:20:08,740 --> 00:20:10,740
opening up another base
where we can do even more of

450
00:20:10,742 --> 00:20:12,812
this recruiting in Anbar
Province, which, as you

451
00:20:12,811 --> 00:20:15,981
know, is obviously
dominated by Sunnis.

452
00:20:15,981 --> 00:20:18,221
The Press: One more on Iraq.

453
00:20:18,216 --> 00:20:22,216
The President, during his G7
news conference in Germany

454
00:20:22,220 --> 00:20:24,890
last week, spoke of his
desire to get the Sunni

455
00:20:24,890 --> 00:20:27,630
tribes involved
more rapidly.

456
00:20:27,626 --> 00:20:34,096
He then said, "This is part
of what helped defeat

457
00:20:34,099 --> 00:20:35,869
AQI...during the Iraq War"
-- for the transcribers,

458
00:20:35,867 --> 00:20:38,467
there should be an ellipsis
between "AQI" and "during."

459
00:20:38,470 --> 00:20:41,740
But in any case, I was
struck by hearing the

460
00:20:41,740 --> 00:20:45,540
President refer to the
defeat of AQI because that

461
00:20:45,544 --> 00:20:50,244
suggests to me that he is
quite aware that AQI, as a

462
00:20:50,248 --> 00:20:54,188
precursor of ISIL, was
defeated, and therefore,

463
00:20:54,186 --> 00:20:57,026
that the rise of ISIS is
something that's entirely on

464
00:20:57,022 --> 00:20:59,292
his watch and something
for which he should accept

465
00:20:59,291 --> 00:21:00,291
responsibility.

466
00:21:00,292 --> 00:21:03,192
Mr. Earnest: The reason that
that's not the way that we

467
00:21:03,195 --> 00:21:06,735
see this, James, is that
there is no doubt that there

468
00:21:06,732 --> 00:21:08,732
are a couple of
important facts here.

469
00:21:08,734 --> 00:21:11,304
The first is that AQI didn't
exist until the United

470
00:21:11,303 --> 00:21:15,073
States had invaded Iraq in
the first place, under the

471
00:21:15,073 --> 00:21:17,243
leadership of the
previous administration.

472
00:21:17,242 --> 00:21:20,382
What's also true is that
out of the remnants of the

473
00:21:20,379 --> 00:21:23,619
defeated AQI sprang ISIL.

474
00:21:23,615 --> 00:21:26,285
And the primary
responsibility for that

475
00:21:26,284 --> 00:21:30,184
actually lies at the feet of
Prime Minister Maliki, who

476
00:21:30,188 --> 00:21:35,798
failed to govern Iraq in an
inclusive way, but rather,

477
00:21:35,794 --> 00:21:39,294
because of his failed
leadership, allowed

478
00:21:39,297 --> 00:21:41,797
sectarian divisions to
emerge and weaken that

479
00:21:41,800 --> 00:21:45,070
country and create an
environment where ISIL was

480
00:21:45,070 --> 00:21:48,970
able to make surprising and
significant gains across the

481
00:21:48,974 --> 00:21:49,974
countryside.

482
00:21:49,975 --> 00:21:53,445
And that's why, as Ron and
I were just discussing, we

483
00:21:53,445 --> 00:21:56,615
believe that the linchpin of
the strategy is actually a

484
00:21:56,615 --> 00:22:00,155
commitment, a genuine
commitment, on the part of

485
00:22:00,152 --> 00:22:03,022
the central Iraqi government
to unite that country, to

486
00:22:03,021 --> 00:22:06,721
govern in a multi-sectarian,
inclusive fashion, and to

487
00:22:06,725 --> 00:22:11,695
assemble a security force
that will essentially secure

488
00:22:11,697 --> 00:22:12,697
the country in the same way.

489
00:22:12,698 --> 00:22:15,938
The Press: So as the
group that the President

490
00:22:15,934 --> 00:22:20,274
disparaged as a "junior
varsity team" rose up from a

491
00:22:20,272 --> 00:22:25,342
defeated AQI and gathered
enough strength to be able

492
00:22:25,343 --> 00:22:30,213
to take over huge swaths of
territory in Syria and Iraq,

493
00:22:30,215 --> 00:22:33,715
this was chiefly the fault
of al-Maliki, and Barack

494
00:22:33,719 --> 00:22:35,719
Obama bears no
responsibility whatsoever?

495
00:22:35,721 --> 00:22:39,891
Mr. Earnest: Well, James, I
think the point is the Iraqi

496
00:22:39,891 --> 00:22:42,161
people, the Iraqi government
and the Iraqi security

497
00:22:42,160 --> 00:22:44,130
forces have to be
responsible for the security

498
00:22:44,129 --> 00:22:45,629
situation in
their own country.

499
00:22:45,630 --> 00:22:48,930
And the United States is
certainly ready to partner

500
00:22:48,934 --> 00:22:50,934
with the Iraqi government
and the Iraqi people as they

501
00:22:50,936 --> 00:22:52,906
try to take on that
difficult task.

502
00:22:52,904 --> 00:22:54,904
We've assembled an
international coalition to

503
00:22:54,906 --> 00:22:55,906
offer them that support.

504
00:22:55,907 --> 00:22:57,907
But ultimately, in the mind
of the President, it's

505
00:22:57,909 --> 00:22:59,909
clearly in the best interest
of the United States and our

506
00:22:59,911 --> 00:23:01,911
citizens and our national
security interest for the

507
00:23:01,913 --> 00:23:04,213
Iraqi people and the Iraqi
central government to take

508
00:23:04,216 --> 00:23:06,186
responsibility for
their own country.

509
00:23:06,184 --> 00:23:07,184
The Press: One on trade.

510
00:23:07,185 --> 00:23:10,825
You have declined to inform
us whether the President has

511
00:23:10,822 --> 00:23:15,392
been in touch with Minority
Leader Pelosi, but given the

512
00:23:15,393 --> 00:23:18,163
outcome of the trade vote
and particularly the large

513
00:23:18,163 --> 00:23:21,363
numbers of defections by
Democrats, does

514
00:23:21,366 --> 00:23:24,166
President Obama still
have confidence in

515
00:23:24,169 --> 00:23:27,309
Congresswoman Pelosi as
the minority leader

516
00:23:27,305 --> 00:23:28,745
of the Democrats in
the House?

517
00:23:28,740 --> 00:23:29,810
Mr. Earnest: Absolutely.

518
00:23:29,808 --> 00:23:31,378
And as I mentioned earlier,
the strength of their

519
00:23:31,376 --> 00:23:34,076
personal and professional
relationship is more than

520
00:23:34,079 --> 00:23:36,849
enough to withstand a
difference over one

521
00:23:36,848 --> 00:23:39,218
particular policy issue,
even one that's as important

522
00:23:39,217 --> 00:23:40,617
as this one.

523
00:23:40,619 --> 00:23:41,619
Thanks, James.

524
00:23:41,620 --> 00:23:42,620
Jon.

525
00:23:42,621 --> 00:23:44,621
The Press: Quick
clarification on trade.

526
00:23:44,623 --> 00:23:46,623
You said that the
legislative strategy

527
00:23:46,625 --> 00:23:48,995
the President wants
is TPA and TAA.

528
00:23:48,994 --> 00:23:51,834
Are you saying that the
President would veto trade

529
00:23:51,830 --> 00:23:54,830
promotion authority if it
came to his desk on its own?

530
00:23:54,833 --> 00:23:58,273
Mr. Earnest: Well, Jon, what
is currently being discussed

531
00:23:58,270 --> 00:24:02,970
on Capitol Hill is a
strategy for advancing this

532
00:24:02,974 --> 00:24:03,974
process forward.

533
00:24:03,975 --> 00:24:08,845
And the President has
made clear that TAA is a

534
00:24:08,847 --> 00:24:12,347
necessary component of
our strategy to help the

535
00:24:12,350 --> 00:24:14,350
American economy and
American workers weather

536
00:24:14,352 --> 00:24:18,992
these broader forces
of a global economy.

537
00:24:18,990 --> 00:24:22,690
So what we have said is that
the legislative -- the only

538
00:24:22,694 --> 00:24:27,034
legislative strategy the
President can support is one

539
00:24:27,032 --> 00:24:30,402
that will result in both
pieces of legislation

540
00:24:30,402 --> 00:24:31,402
arriving at his desk.

541
00:24:31,403 --> 00:24:33,643
Now, there's also this
fundamental question -- and

542
00:24:33,638 --> 00:24:36,078
this may go to what you're
asking -- about whether or

543
00:24:36,074 --> 00:24:38,314
not they have to arrive at
the same time, on the same

544
00:24:38,310 --> 00:24:40,610
day, as part of the same
legislative vehicle, or

545
00:24:40,612 --> 00:24:41,612
separately.

546
00:24:41,613 --> 00:24:43,613
That's exactly what's being
discussed on Capitol Hill

547
00:24:43,615 --> 00:24:44,615
right now.

548
00:24:44,616 --> 00:24:46,616
The Press: You have a
situation now where trade

549
00:24:46,618 --> 00:24:49,258
promotion authority, fast
track, has passed on its own

550
00:24:49,254 --> 00:24:50,254
in the House.

551
00:24:50,255 --> 00:24:53,255
It's passed as part of a
larger package including TAA

552
00:24:53,258 --> 00:24:54,258
in the Senate.

553
00:24:54,259 --> 00:24:57,729
If all that comes to the
President's desk is trade

554
00:24:57,729 --> 00:25:00,999
promotion authority without
that additional assistance

555
00:25:00,999 --> 00:25:04,169
for displaced workers,
would he veto that bill?

556
00:25:04,169 --> 00:25:06,969
Mr. Earnest: Well, if there
is a strategy that is put in

557
00:25:06,972 --> 00:25:11,212
place that only allows TPA
to pass, that's a strategy

558
00:25:11,209 --> 00:25:13,209
that the President
won't support.

559
00:25:13,211 --> 00:25:15,081
That's significant
because --

560
00:25:15,080 --> 00:25:16,620
The Press: I'm not asking
about strategies, I'm asking

561
00:25:16,615 --> 00:25:17,985
whether he would
veto a bill.

562
00:25:17,983 --> 00:25:20,183
Would he veto trade promotion
authority

563
00:25:20,185 --> 00:25:21,185
on its own?

564
00:25:21,186 --> 00:25:22,786
Mr. Earnest: And what I'm
saying, what I'm trying to

565
00:25:22,787 --> 00:25:23,887
convey is that I don't think
it's going to come to that.

566
00:25:23,889 --> 00:25:24,889
It won't come to that.

567
00:25:24,890 --> 00:25:30,530
And the reason that it won't
come to that is that the

568
00:25:30,528 --> 00:25:32,528
strategy that the President
will back is a strategy that

569
00:25:32,530 --> 00:25:36,130
will provide a clear path
for both TPA and TAA to come

570
00:25:36,134 --> 00:25:37,304
to his desk.

571
00:25:37,302 --> 00:25:39,302
The significance of the
President's backing for the

572
00:25:39,304 --> 00:25:42,974
strategy is that we know
that in both the House and

573
00:25:42,974 --> 00:25:46,244
the Senate, for the strategy
to succeed, it will require

574
00:25:46,244 --> 00:25:47,244
Democratic votes.

575
00:25:47,245 --> 00:25:49,345
The Press: Okay, and if
I can come back to the

576
00:25:49,347 --> 00:25:51,347
question of the
Waldorf-Astoria, now owned

577
00:25:51,349 --> 00:25:54,689
by the Chinese.

578
00:25:54,686 --> 00:25:56,486
First of all, can you
confirm that the U.S.

579
00:25:56,488 --> 00:25:59,228
will not set up the
traditional shop that's set

580
00:25:59,224 --> 00:26:01,664
up there when the President
goes up for UNGA?

581
00:26:01,660 --> 00:26:02,630
I'm not going to ask you
where the President is going

582
00:26:02,627 --> 00:26:06,997
to stay; I'm asking about
all the offices, the file --

583
00:26:06,998 --> 00:26:08,998
is there some kind of a
concern with the Chinese

584
00:26:09,000 --> 00:26:11,000
owning the Waldorf that we
are now going to -- the

585
00:26:11,002 --> 00:26:13,002
United States is now going
to move that operation?

586
00:26:13,004 --> 00:26:15,004
Mr. Earnest: Jon, I just
don't know what sort of

587
00:26:15,006 --> 00:26:17,006
accommodations will be in
place for the September

588
00:26:17,008 --> 00:26:18,008
trip.

589
00:26:18,009 --> 00:26:20,009
But as we get closer, we can
give you some more details.

590
00:26:20,011 --> 00:26:22,011
The Press: Is there a
security concern or an

591
00:26:22,013 --> 00:26:24,013
intelligence --
counterintelligence concern

592
00:26:24,015 --> 00:26:26,355
about the Chinese
purchase of the Waldorf?

593
00:26:26,351 --> 00:26:28,691
I mean, obviously I think
I'm still correct that the

594
00:26:28,687 --> 00:26:30,887
United States
Ambassador to the U.N.

595
00:26:30,889 --> 00:26:33,929
lives at the Waldorf.

596
00:26:33,925 --> 00:26:34,355
Mr. Earnest: You should
check with the

597
00:26:34,359 --> 00:26:35,289
State Department.

598
00:26:35,293 --> 00:26:37,533
I'm just not aware
of all these details.

599
00:26:37,529 --> 00:26:40,599
I think that may be true,
but, again, you should check

600
00:26:40,598 --> 00:26:42,668
with them.

601
00:26:42,667 --> 00:26:43,907
The Press: But do you know
if there is a concern about

602
00:26:43,902 --> 00:26:47,542
that now -- basically the
Chinese being the landlord

603
00:26:47,539 --> 00:26:49,639
for the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations?

604
00:26:49,641 --> 00:26:53,541
Mr. Earnest: Again, I'd refer
you to the Ambassador's Office.

605
00:26:53,545 --> 00:26:55,545
I'm sure they can give
you details about any

606
00:26:55,547 --> 00:26:57,547
precautions they
felt were necessary.

607
00:26:57,549 --> 00:26:59,549
The Press: Okay, and then
just one last 2016-related

608
00:26:59,551 --> 00:27:00,551
question.

609
00:27:00,552 --> 00:27:01,552
I know you like those.

610
00:27:01,553 --> 00:27:02,753
(laughter)

611
00:27:02,754 --> 00:27:07,894
Donald Trump, he
has said again that

612
00:27:07,892 --> 00:27:10,632
Oprah Winfrey would make a
terrific running mate.

613
00:27:10,628 --> 00:27:14,098
The President is very close
with Oprah Winfrey --

614
00:27:14,099 --> 00:27:17,699
tempted to support a
Trump-Oprah Winfrey ticket?

615
00:27:17,702 --> 00:27:19,442
Would that sway his --

616
00:27:19,437 --> 00:27:20,577
Mr. Earnest: I think the
President has been very

617
00:27:20,572 --> 00:27:21,972
clear that he intends to
support the Democratic

618
00:27:21,973 --> 00:27:24,673
nominee in the
Presidential race.

619
00:27:24,676 --> 00:27:25,576
The Press: That's all
you've got on that?

620
00:27:25,577 --> 00:27:27,117
Mr. Earnest: I think so.

621
00:27:27,112 --> 00:27:28,012
Thanks for asking, though.

622
00:27:28,013 --> 00:27:29,083
(laughter)

623
00:27:29,080 --> 00:27:30,220
Bob.

624
00:27:30,215 --> 00:27:31,515
The Press: Actually a
follow-up to what Jon was

625
00:27:31,516 --> 00:27:34,156
asking about on trade.

626
00:27:34,152 --> 00:27:37,052
The President wouldn't be
willing to take half of the

627
00:27:37,055 --> 00:27:40,255
loaf if it's the half in
particular that he does want

628
00:27:40,258 --> 00:27:43,898
out of this legislation?

629
00:27:43,895 --> 00:27:46,435
Mr. Earnest: Well, the
answer to that is no.

630
00:27:46,431 --> 00:27:51,301
And it's simply because the
President does believe that

631
00:27:51,302 --> 00:27:52,842
TAA is a priority.

632
00:27:52,837 --> 00:27:58,307
And that's why the strategy
that he will support in

633
00:27:58,309 --> 00:28:03,049
Congress is a strategy that
will allow both TPA and TAA

634
00:28:03,048 --> 00:28:04,378
to come to his desk.

635
00:28:04,382 --> 00:28:06,522
Look, the President felt
so strongly about trade

636
00:28:06,518 --> 00:28:09,058
adjustment assistance that
last week he traveled to

637
00:28:09,054 --> 00:28:13,524
Capitol Hill, attended a
House Democratic Caucus

638
00:28:13,525 --> 00:28:16,965
meeting at the last minute,
and made a forceful case to

639
00:28:16,961 --> 00:28:19,061
Democrats about why they
should support trade

640
00:28:19,064 --> 00:28:20,364
adjustment assistance.

641
00:28:20,365 --> 00:28:22,365
So the President's
commitment to that

642
00:28:22,367 --> 00:28:24,467
legislation and to this
issue I think should be

643
00:28:24,469 --> 00:28:25,539
pretty clear.

644
00:28:25,537 --> 00:28:30,237
And that is a policy
priority that continues to

645
00:28:30,241 --> 00:28:35,651
have an impact on our view
of the legislative strategy

646
00:28:35,647 --> 00:28:37,617
that should be put in place
to move this forward.

647
00:28:37,615 --> 00:28:40,785
But, look, the President
believes that both TPA and

648
00:28:40,785 --> 00:28:43,885
TAA are critical to the
future of our economy and

649
00:28:43,888 --> 00:28:45,888
critical to making
sure that the U.S.

650
00:28:45,890 --> 00:28:46,990
economy and that U.S.

651
00:28:46,991 --> 00:28:49,831
workers are well positioned
to deal with these rapid

652
00:28:49,828 --> 00:28:54,068
changes of a 21st century
globalized economy.

653
00:28:54,065 --> 00:28:56,165
The Press: One just
last quick one.

654
00:28:56,167 --> 00:29:00,267
Put aside TAA, could this
become a chicken-and-egg

655
00:29:00,271 --> 00:29:01,271
thing?

656
00:29:01,272 --> 00:29:05,812
Because the Democrats seem
to want to see a more solid

657
00:29:05,810 --> 00:29:09,880
version of TPP before
they're going to go for TPA.

658
00:29:09,881 --> 00:29:15,021
Is the President willing
to play that kind of

659
00:29:15,019 --> 00:29:17,559
chicken-and-egg game thing?

660
00:29:17,555 --> 00:29:18,955
Because it has now been
extended for a month.

661
00:29:18,957 --> 00:29:21,527
Mr. Earnest: The good news,
Bob, is that we've seen both

662
00:29:21,526 --> 00:29:25,026
Democrats and Republicans
support, in the House and

663
00:29:25,029 --> 00:29:26,599
Senate, TPA.

664
00:29:26,598 --> 00:29:29,198
So we built that
bipartisan majority.

665
00:29:29,200 --> 00:29:34,240
In both cases, the passage
of TPA depended upon

666
00:29:34,239 --> 00:29:35,979
Democrats.

667
00:29:35,974 --> 00:29:38,344
And so in determining this
legislative path forward to

668
00:29:38,343 --> 00:29:42,183
eventually get both TPA and
TAA to the President's desk,

669
00:29:42,180 --> 00:29:46,150
the view of Democrats will
be critical to determining

670
00:29:46,151 --> 00:29:47,891
the course of action here.

671
00:29:47,886 --> 00:29:49,886
And so that's why you see
the President and the White

672
00:29:49,888 --> 00:29:52,428
House staff so deeply
engaged with both Democrats

673
00:29:52,423 --> 00:29:54,423
and Republicans
on Capitol Hill.

674
00:29:54,425 --> 00:29:56,425
The Press: The TPP
information that's up on the

675
00:29:56,427 --> 00:30:00,467
Hill, is that being updated
on a regular basis or as

676
00:30:00,465 --> 00:30:03,535
negotiations or however
these things are going --

677
00:30:03,535 --> 00:30:05,735
Mr. Earnest: It is
updated as necessary.

678
00:30:05,737 --> 00:30:07,777
As you know, there is
actually an office on

679
00:30:07,772 --> 00:30:09,772
Capitol Hill that's
been opened up by USTR.

680
00:30:09,774 --> 00:30:12,674
This is an unprecedented
effort on the part of USTR

681
00:30:12,677 --> 00:30:15,347
to make sure that members of
Congress could have access

682
00:30:15,346 --> 00:30:20,356
to the current status of
TPP negotiating documents.

683
00:30:20,351 --> 00:30:24,691
But I'm not sure the last
time that it was necessary

684
00:30:24,689 --> 00:30:27,759
to update those documents.

685
00:30:27,759 --> 00:30:28,689
Toluse.

686
00:30:28,693 --> 00:30:29,863
The Press: Thanks, Josh.

687
00:30:29,861 --> 00:30:32,361
You've said multiple times
that there's no coherent

688
00:30:32,363 --> 00:30:34,233
strategy that you all
have endorsed yet.

689
00:30:34,232 --> 00:30:37,502
And I'm sort of wondering
why, several months into

690
00:30:37,502 --> 00:30:39,872
this debate, the White House
doesn't have a strategy for

691
00:30:39,871 --> 00:30:44,511
getting Democrats onboard,
given the fact that

692
00:30:44,509 --> 00:30:47,149
Nancy Pelosi said yesterday that
she doesn't even think that

693
00:30:47,145 --> 00:30:49,915
you need TPA.

694
00:30:49,914 --> 00:30:51,984
So I'm wondering why the
White House doesn't come out

695
00:30:51,983 --> 00:30:54,553
and endorse a strategy
and figure out how to get

696
00:30:54,552 --> 00:30:57,392
Democrats to support this
when you don't seem to have

697
00:30:57,388 --> 00:30:59,628
the allies that you need
among the Democratic

698
00:30:59,624 --> 00:31:00,754
leadership.

699
00:31:00,758 --> 00:31:01,958
Mr. Earnest: Well, Toluse,
you won't be surprised to

700
00:31:01,960 --> 00:31:03,160
hear that I strenuously
disagree with your

701
00:31:03,161 --> 00:31:04,761
description of the events.

702
00:31:04,762 --> 00:31:07,332
Let me just remind you that
TPA actually did pass the

703
00:31:07,332 --> 00:31:11,572
United States Senate with
the strong support of

704
00:31:11,569 --> 00:31:12,969
Democrats.

705
00:31:12,971 --> 00:31:16,011
TAA passed the United States
Senate with the strong

706
00:31:16,007 --> 00:31:19,177
support of Democrats.

707
00:31:19,177 --> 00:31:21,847
TPA also passed the House
of Representatives with the

708
00:31:21,846 --> 00:31:23,786
strong support of
Democrats and Republicans.

709
00:31:24,649 --> 00:31:27,449
But, yes, there still is
this missing element of TAA

710
00:31:27,452 --> 00:31:29,852
that the President has
described as a critical

711
00:31:29,854 --> 00:31:32,554
component of our
broader strategy.

712
00:31:32,557 --> 00:31:35,397
So we are working with
Democrats and Republicans on

713
00:31:35,393 --> 00:31:37,833
Capitol Hill to determine
the path forward that would

714
00:31:37,829 --> 00:31:40,929
allow both TPA and TAA to
come to the President's

715
00:31:40,932 --> 00:31:41,932
desk.

716
00:31:41,933 --> 00:31:43,933
The Press: Do you feel that
you have the allies that you

717
00:31:43,935 --> 00:31:47,275
need, given that Speaker
Pelosi has said that you

718
00:31:47,272 --> 00:31:51,142
don't need fast track, and
she did sort of stand up as

719
00:31:51,142 --> 00:31:55,882
the stumbling block to, many
have said, to basically shut

720
00:31:55,880 --> 00:31:59,120
this down and make sure you
didn't get it last week?

721
00:31:59,117 --> 00:32:00,717
And for the last few days
you've said that you don't

722
00:32:00,718 --> 00:32:03,318
have a strategy yet for
how to get it through.

723
00:32:03,321 --> 00:32:04,991
So I'm wondering if you feel
that you have the allies

724
00:32:04,989 --> 00:32:05,889
that you need.

725
00:32:05,890 --> 00:32:08,090
Mr. Earnest: Well, again,
Toluse, to be clear about

726
00:32:08,092 --> 00:32:10,562
this, TPA did pass the
Senate, it did pass the

727
00:32:10,561 --> 00:32:13,261
House, with bipartisan
support, with the support of

728
00:32:13,264 --> 00:32:15,764
Democrats, much to the
skepticism -- legitimate,

729
00:32:15,767 --> 00:32:18,067
understandable, credible
skepticism -- of people in

730
00:32:18,069 --> 00:32:20,209
this room about whether or
now that could get done.

731
00:32:20,204 --> 00:32:21,204
But it did.

732
00:32:21,205 --> 00:32:23,905
And so the question now is,
how are we going to carve

733
00:32:23,908 --> 00:32:27,448
out a path forward to bring
both TAA and TPA to the

734
00:32:27,445 --> 00:32:28,445
President's desk.

735
00:32:28,446 --> 00:32:30,446
And ultimately, that's
the responsibility of

736
00:32:30,448 --> 00:32:32,448
legislative leaders in the
Congress to figure out how

737
00:32:32,450 --> 00:32:33,450
to get these things done.

738
00:32:33,451 --> 00:32:35,451
The President served the
United States Senate for

739
00:32:35,453 --> 00:32:36,453
four years.

740
00:32:36,454 --> 00:32:37,454
He enjoyed his
time up there.

741
00:32:37,455 --> 00:32:39,455
But ultimately, he knows,
based on his own personal

742
00:32:39,457 --> 00:32:41,927
experience, that carving out
these kinds of legislative

743
00:32:41,926 --> 00:32:43,966
paths is ultimately
the responsibility of

744
00:32:43,961 --> 00:32:45,201
congressional leaders.

745
00:32:45,196 --> 00:32:47,436
Of course, the White House
has been engaged in those

746
00:32:47,432 --> 00:32:50,002
conversations, and, of
course, we're going to weigh

747
00:32:50,001 --> 00:32:52,601
in with some preferences,
but ultimately, that's their

748
00:32:52,603 --> 00:32:53,603
responsibility.

749
00:32:53,604 --> 00:32:56,574
And the only strategy that
we will endorse is one that

750
00:32:56,574 --> 00:33:01,044
results in both TPA and TAA
having a clear path to the

751
00:33:01,045 --> 00:33:02,045
President's desk.

752
00:33:02,046 --> 00:33:04,046
The Press: I want to ask you
about Greece and then the

753
00:33:04,048 --> 00:33:06,788
Dominican Republic.

754
00:33:06,784 --> 00:33:09,654
The Greek Prime Minister
said today that he's

755
00:33:09,654 --> 00:33:12,254
prepared to take
responsibility for talks

756
00:33:12,256 --> 00:33:16,096
breaking down and rejecting
what he says is a bad deal

757
00:33:16,094 --> 00:33:19,364
for solving the debt
crisis that they have.

758
00:33:19,364 --> 00:33:22,934
Given the fact that it seems
like the European Union and

759
00:33:22,934 --> 00:33:25,334
the Greek Prime Minister are
prepared for things to break

760
00:33:25,336 --> 00:33:27,776
down, is the White House
still sort of sticking to

761
00:33:27,772 --> 00:33:30,772
this confidence that you
have said that you have that

762
00:33:30,775 --> 00:33:32,215
things are going
to work out?

763
00:33:32,210 --> 00:33:35,680
Or are you feeling a need to
engage more and sort of turn

764
00:33:35,680 --> 00:33:37,720
up the notch in terms of
making sure this doesn't end

765
00:33:37,715 --> 00:33:38,885
up badly?

766
00:33:38,883 --> 00:33:40,183
Mr. Earnest: Well, Toluse,
ultimately this will be the

767
00:33:40,184 --> 00:33:44,224
responsibility of the Greeks
and their international

768
00:33:44,222 --> 00:33:46,122
partners to work this out.

769
00:33:46,124 --> 00:33:49,424
And Secretary Lew has
principally been responsible

770
00:33:49,427 --> 00:33:51,427
for representing the
interests of the United

771
00:33:51,429 --> 00:33:53,699
States and trying to
facilitate some of those

772
00:33:53,698 --> 00:33:55,698
conversations, but
ultimately it will be

773
00:33:55,700 --> 00:33:56,830
something for
them to resolve.

774
00:33:56,834 --> 00:33:58,834
You may have seen from the
Treasury Department that

775
00:33:58,836 --> 00:34:02,006
they read out a telephone
call that Secretary Lew and

776
00:34:02,006 --> 00:34:04,776
Prime Minister Tsipras had
just last night to discuss

777
00:34:04,776 --> 00:34:05,746
these issues.

778
00:34:05,743 --> 00:34:08,243
I think that's a pretty
clear indication that this

779
00:34:08,246 --> 00:34:10,746
is an issue that has
the attention of the

780
00:34:10,748 --> 00:34:12,918
administration and is
something that we consider

781
00:34:12,917 --> 00:34:14,117
to watch.

782
00:34:14,118 --> 00:34:16,818
But we continue to have
confidence that this is

783
00:34:16,821 --> 00:34:18,961
something that can and will
be resolved, principally

784
00:34:18,956 --> 00:34:21,396
because it is so clear in
the interest of everybody

785
00:34:21,392 --> 00:34:24,132
sitting around the
negotiating table to resolve

786
00:34:24,128 --> 00:34:27,728
them, again, in a way that
doesn't add undue volatility

787
00:34:27,732 --> 00:34:29,532
to the financial markets.

788
00:34:29,534 --> 00:34:34,304
And it is possible, if they
work collaboratively, to

789
00:34:34,305 --> 00:34:38,845
find a -- essentially to
lay the groundwork for

790
00:34:38,843 --> 00:34:42,883
sustainable economic
recovery in Greece, while

791
00:34:42,880 --> 00:34:47,490
also implementing critically
important fiscal reforms.

792
00:34:47,485 --> 00:34:49,785
And that's something that
they continue to work on.

793
00:34:49,787 --> 00:34:53,857
And the United States will
continue to play a role to

794
00:34:53,858 --> 00:34:55,858
facilitate those
conversations, but

795
00:34:55,860 --> 00:34:57,930
ultimately it will be the
responsibility of the Greeks

796
00:34:57,929 --> 00:35:00,669
and their international
partners to resolve

797
00:35:00,665 --> 00:35:01,565
the situation.

798
00:35:01,566 --> 00:35:03,736
The Press: And on the
Dominican Republic, there's

799
00:35:03,734 --> 00:35:06,034
a deadline tonight for
potentially hundreds of

800
00:35:06,037 --> 00:35:08,607
thousands of Haitian
nationals to be made

801
00:35:08,606 --> 00:35:10,576
eligible for deportation.

802
00:35:10,575 --> 00:35:12,515
It's sort of a
mass deportation.

803
00:35:12,510 --> 00:35:14,880
I'm wondering if the White
House is engaged on this.

804
00:35:14,879 --> 00:35:18,349
Has any here or in the
administration reached out

805
00:35:18,349 --> 00:35:25,459
to the Dominicans or the
Haitians to talk about what

806
00:35:25,456 --> 00:35:26,696
you think is the
best outcome?

807
00:35:26,691 --> 00:35:29,891
Mr. Earnest: I've read a
little bit about this issue.

808
00:35:29,894 --> 00:35:35,064
But for any sort of
information about the role

809
00:35:35,066 --> 00:35:37,066
of the United States or
conversations that we've had

810
00:35:37,068 --> 00:35:39,068
with either the Haitians or
the Dominicans, I'd refer

811
00:35:39,070 --> 00:35:40,840
you to the State Department.

812
00:35:40,838 --> 00:35:42,208
Jim.

813
00:35:42,206 --> 00:35:46,076
The Press: Yesterday at the
House Oversight hearing,

814
00:35:46,077 --> 00:35:49,347
they were discussing the
data breach at the Office of

815
00:35:49,347 --> 00:35:52,147
Personal Management, and
after that hearing, the

816
00:35:52,149 --> 00:35:55,149
Chair of the committee,
Jason Chaffetz, called on

817
00:35:55,152 --> 00:35:57,452
the Director of the OPM,
Katherine Archuleta,

818
00:35:57,455 --> 00:35:59,155
to step down.

819
00:35:59,156 --> 00:36:01,096
What does the
President make of that?

820
00:36:01,092 --> 00:36:03,732
Does he still have
confidence in Ms. Archuleta?

821
00:36:03,728 --> 00:36:08,028
Mr. Earnest: Jim, I can tell
you that Director Archuleta,

822
00:36:08,032 --> 00:36:12,072
other senior officials
from OPM, DHS, the

823
00:36:12,069 --> 00:36:14,669
administration's Chief
Information Officer, Tony

824
00:36:14,672 --> 00:36:18,372
Scott, even an official from
the Department of Interior

825
00:36:18,376 --> 00:36:21,546
spent nearly three hours
yesterday testifying before

826
00:36:21,546 --> 00:36:24,786
the House Government
Oversight Committee.

827
00:36:24,782 --> 00:36:26,782
That is an indication of
this administration's

828
00:36:26,784 --> 00:36:28,784
commitment to cooperating
with legitimate

829
00:36:28,786 --> 00:36:35,126
congressional oversight and
they understandably face

830
00:36:35,126 --> 00:36:36,696
some tough questions.

831
00:36:36,694 --> 00:36:38,694
And they've tried to provide
as much information as

832
00:36:38,696 --> 00:36:41,066
possible to the United
States Congress.

833
00:36:41,065 --> 00:36:44,135
The reason they were able to
do that is because this is

834
00:36:44,135 --> 00:36:46,805
an issue that they've been
working on for some time;

835
00:36:46,804 --> 00:36:53,314
that Director Archuleta, in
one of her first priorities

836
00:36:53,311 --> 00:36:56,181
that she identified after
taking that job, was to

837
00:36:56,180 --> 00:37:01,050
upgrade the OPM computer
network, particularly their

838
00:37:01,052 --> 00:37:03,022
cyber defenses.

839
00:37:03,020 --> 00:37:06,320
And this is obviously an
ongoing process, and the

840
00:37:06,324 --> 00:37:08,324
President does have
confidence that she is the

841
00:37:08,326 --> 00:37:09,296
right person for the job.

842
00:37:09,293 --> 00:37:12,533
The Press: And even though
one of the first jobs that

843
00:37:12,530 --> 00:37:15,930
she had was to upgrade their
cyber defenses, does he feel

844
00:37:15,933 --> 00:37:17,803
that she has done
an adequate job?

845
00:37:17,802 --> 00:37:19,902
Mr. Earnest: Well, Jim,
there obviously is a lot of

846
00:37:19,904 --> 00:37:21,904
work that needs to be done
there, but there's some

847
00:37:21,906 --> 00:37:25,076
important work that's
already been done.

848
00:37:25,076 --> 00:37:28,616
You'll recall that the
reason that this cyber

849
00:37:28,613 --> 00:37:33,013
intrusion was detected is
because OPM was in the final

850
00:37:33,017 --> 00:37:36,987
stages of adding important
security upgrades to their

851
00:37:36,988 --> 00:37:39,258
computer network.

852
00:37:39,256 --> 00:37:41,296
There has been some
discussion about this Office

853
00:37:43,728 --> 00:37:46,668
of Inspector General report
identifying some weaknesses

854
00:37:46,664 --> 00:37:51,164
in the OPM computer network.

855
00:37:51,168 --> 00:37:55,778
That report was issued after
OPM was already in the midst

856
00:37:55,773 --> 00:37:58,413
of upgrading their
cyber defenses.

857
00:37:58,409 --> 00:38:03,179
And the IG report identified
11 elements of the network

858
00:38:03,180 --> 00:38:06,350
that were particularly
vulnerable.

859
00:38:06,350 --> 00:38:10,660
The work had already been
started to upgrade the

860
00:38:10,655 --> 00:38:12,155
protections for those
networks prior to the

861
00:38:12,156 --> 00:38:14,296
issuing of the Inspector
General report.

862
00:38:14,291 --> 00:38:17,491
And OPM announced -- or at
least indicated yesterday in

863
00:38:17,495 --> 00:38:19,635
the hearing that that work
had been completed and that

864
00:38:19,630 --> 00:38:21,630
those vulnerabilities
had been addressed.

865
00:38:21,632 --> 00:38:26,242
And I think that is an
indication that OPM, under

866
00:38:26,237 --> 00:38:29,437
the leadership of Director
Archuleta, recognizes that

867
00:38:29,440 --> 00:38:31,480
this does need to be a
priority and that there is

868
00:38:31,475 --> 00:38:34,815
significant and important
work that needs to be done

869
00:38:34,812 --> 00:38:36,812
to make sure that
they're fulfilling their

870
00:38:36,814 --> 00:38:40,384
responsibility to protect
the data of federal workers.

871
00:38:40,384 --> 00:38:42,354
The Press: And has the
President or the Chief of

872
00:38:42,353 --> 00:38:44,953
Staff, anybody high level
here at the White House,

873
00:38:44,955 --> 00:38:47,225
spoken with Director
Archuleta to make sure that

874
00:38:47,224 --> 00:38:48,524
this is going to
get taken care of?

875
00:38:48,526 --> 00:38:50,296
Mr. Earnest: As you would
expect, when the Office of

876
00:38:50,294 --> 00:38:52,464
Personnel Management is
dealing with an issue as

877
00:38:52,463 --> 00:38:54,763
important as this one, that
a number of senior White

878
00:38:54,765 --> 00:38:56,705
House officials have been
in touch with the senior

879
00:38:56,701 --> 00:38:57,931
leadership at OPM.

880
00:38:57,935 --> 00:38:59,705
The Press: Can I
switch to Syria?

881
00:38:59,704 --> 00:39:01,944
Yesterday, at around this
time -- I think during this

882
00:39:01,939 --> 00:39:05,039
briefing -- the Secretary
of State was holding a

883
00:39:05,042 --> 00:39:08,642
briefing, I believe via
videoconference, over at the

884
00:39:08,646 --> 00:39:11,716
State Department, during
which he said, absolutely,

885
00:39:11,716 --> 00:39:15,086
he believes that Syria used
chemical bombs -- the Syrian

886
00:39:15,086 --> 00:39:19,286
regime has used chemical
bombs in that civil war.

887
00:39:19,290 --> 00:39:23,230
And I just want to go back
to the red line question.

888
00:39:23,227 --> 00:39:26,867
And I know it makes people
wince inside this

889
00:39:26,864 --> 00:39:28,834
White House when we bring
this up, but --

890
00:39:28,833 --> 00:39:29,833
Mr. Earnest:
I'm not wincing.

891
00:39:29,834 --> 00:39:30,834
The Press: Okay.

892
00:39:30,835 --> 00:39:31,935
Well, let me ask you this.

893
00:39:31,936 --> 00:39:35,636
Does the Secretary of
State's conviction that

894
00:39:35,639 --> 00:39:39,379
Syria absolutely has used
chemical bombs constitute

895
00:39:39,376 --> 00:39:41,446
crossing that red line
that the President drew?

896
00:39:41,445 --> 00:39:45,345
Mr. Earnest: Jim, we
indicated, back in the

897
00:39:45,349 --> 00:39:48,689
summer of 2013, the
intelligence community had

898
00:39:48,686 --> 00:39:50,686
concluded with high
confidence that the Assad

899
00:39:50,688 --> 00:39:53,158
regime had used
chemical weapons.

900
00:39:53,157 --> 00:39:55,697
And this administration
proceeded to engage in an

901
00:39:55,693 --> 00:39:59,993
effort to try to resolve the
significant concerns about

902
00:39:59,997 --> 00:40:01,137
an action like that.

903
00:40:01,132 --> 00:40:04,172
And what this administration
did -- working closely with

904
00:40:04,168 --> 00:40:06,838
our partners around the
world, including Russia --

905
00:40:06,837 --> 00:40:10,637
succeeded in getting the
Assad regime to acknowledge

906
00:40:10,641 --> 00:40:15,411
that they had a stockpile
of chemical weapons.

907
00:40:15,412 --> 00:40:16,812
We then worked with the
international community to

908
00:40:16,814 --> 00:40:18,484
round up those
chemical weapons.

909
00:40:18,482 --> 00:40:20,782
And we used the unique
capabilities of the United

910
00:40:20,785 --> 00:40:23,185
States to destroy those
chemical weapons, both to

911
00:40:23,187 --> 00:40:25,557
ensure that they cannot be
used against the Syrian

912
00:40:25,556 --> 00:40:28,496
population, but also to
prevent against the real

913
00:40:28,492 --> 00:40:30,992
risk of proliferation; that
those weapons could fall

914
00:40:30,995 --> 00:40:34,635
into the hands of extremists
or terrorists that actually

915
00:40:34,632 --> 00:40:36,802
seek to do harm to the
United States

916
00:40:36,801 --> 00:40:38,741
or our interests.

917
00:40:38,736 --> 00:40:41,106
The Press: But despite those
efforts, it appears the

918
00:40:41,105 --> 00:40:43,105
Assad regime is using
chemical bombs.

919
00:40:43,107 --> 00:40:44,077
Mr. Earnest: Well,
the reports --

920
00:40:44,074 --> 00:40:45,674
The Press: Chlorine bombs.

921
00:40:45,676 --> 00:40:46,576
Mr. Earnest: Right.

922
00:40:46,577 --> 00:40:49,417
So that's a very
important distinction.

923
00:40:49,413 --> 00:40:51,113
The Press: Well, maybe not
to the people on the ground.

924
00:40:51,115 --> 00:40:54,585
Mr. Earnest: Well, but it is
when it relates to the kind

925
00:40:54,585 --> 00:40:57,785
of threat that they pose
both when it comes to the

926
00:40:57,788 --> 00:41:02,258
proliferation risk and to,
yes, to the potential damage

927
00:41:02,259 --> 00:41:03,259
that it could do.

928
00:41:03,260 --> 00:41:05,660
There is no doubt -- you've
heard me use rather colorful

929
00:41:05,663 --> 00:41:08,533
language over the last two
or three years in describing

930
00:41:08,532 --> 00:41:11,002
the terrible atrocities that
have been committed by the

931
00:41:11,001 --> 00:41:12,001
Assad regime.

932
00:41:12,002 --> 00:41:14,002
That includes the use of
barrel bombs, and that

933
00:41:14,004 --> 00:41:16,004
includes the use of
chlorine as a weapon.

934
00:41:16,006 --> 00:41:19,576
But the fact is that
chlorine is also an

935
00:41:19,577 --> 00:41:23,347
industrial chemical that
it does have legitimate

936
00:41:23,347 --> 00:41:24,347
purposes.

937
00:41:24,348 --> 00:41:26,348
I don't think there's
anybody who stood at this

938
00:41:26,350 --> 00:41:29,090
podium or any other
suggesting that every --

939
00:41:29,086 --> 00:41:31,826
that all chlorine should
be removed from Syria.

940
00:41:31,822 --> 00:41:34,892
What we've insisted upon
is that the outrageous,

941
00:41:34,892 --> 00:41:37,592
catastrophic, violent
behavior of the Assad regime

942
00:41:37,595 --> 00:41:39,895
that's been perpetrated
against the Syrian people

943
00:41:39,897 --> 00:41:41,127
should come to an end.

944
00:41:41,131 --> 00:41:44,631
And that includes the use of
chlorine to try to attack

945
00:41:44,635 --> 00:41:45,635
people.

946
00:41:45,636 --> 00:41:48,976
The Press: And if the Assad
regime were to use something

947
00:41:48,973 --> 00:41:51,343
that the White House
considers to be chemical

948
00:41:51,342 --> 00:41:53,842
weapons -- the use of
chemical weapons -- that red

949
00:41:53,844 --> 00:41:57,314
line threat still
exists, does it not?

950
00:41:57,314 --> 00:41:59,614
Because even after all those
efforts to remove all those

951
00:41:59,617 --> 00:42:03,987
chemical munitions, I would
guess -- I would hazard to

952
00:42:03,988 --> 00:42:06,488
guess that this White House
would want to still enforce

953
00:42:06,490 --> 00:42:08,660
that red line in the future;
that that redline still

954
00:42:08,659 --> 00:42:09,859
exists.

955
00:42:09,860 --> 00:42:11,660
Mr. Earnest: Well,
Jim, of course it does.

956
00:42:11,662 --> 00:42:13,732
The point is, though, that
the declared chemical

957
00:42:13,731 --> 00:42:18,301
weapons stockpile that Assad
previously denied existed

958
00:42:18,302 --> 00:42:21,342
has now been acknowledged,
rounded up, removed from the

959
00:42:21,338 --> 00:42:24,138
country and destroyed,
precisely because of the

960
00:42:24,141 --> 00:42:26,211
work of this administration
and our successful efforts

961
00:42:26,210 --> 00:42:29,050
to work with the Russians
to accomplish that goal.

962
00:42:29,046 --> 00:42:31,746
So yes, that red line is
absolutely still in place.

963
00:42:31,749 --> 00:42:34,749
But the fact is, that's less
of a threat than it was two

964
00:42:34,752 --> 00:42:37,492
years ago because of the
concrete actions taken by

965
00:42:37,488 --> 00:42:40,088
this administration and
because of our ability to

966
00:42:40,090 --> 00:42:42,090
work successfully with the
Russians in this endeavor.

967
00:42:42,092 --> 00:42:43,162
The Press: And
one last thing.

968
00:42:43,160 --> 00:42:45,160
I don't know -- I don't
believe this has come up

969
00:42:45,162 --> 00:42:47,162
recently, so forgive
me if it has.

970
00:42:47,164 --> 00:42:51,634
But the VA hospital in
Denver -- the latest

971
00:42:51,635 --> 00:42:55,175
estimate is it is going to
cost $1.73 billion, nearly

972
00:42:55,172 --> 00:42:58,842
triple its original budget.

973
00:42:58,842 --> 00:43:01,012
What does the
President make of that?

974
00:43:01,011 --> 00:43:05,181
And after all of the efforts
that were made to reform the

975
00:43:05,182 --> 00:43:07,182
VA, how is something like
this still going on?

976
00:43:07,184 --> 00:43:09,224
Mr. Earnest: Jim, let
me have the Office of

977
00:43:09,219 --> 00:43:11,219
Management and Budget
follow up with you on this.

978
00:43:11,221 --> 00:43:13,221
The Press: But does that
concern you at all?

979
00:43:13,223 --> 00:43:15,223
Mr. Earnest: Well, of
course we're all concerned.

980
00:43:15,225 --> 00:43:17,225
We're concerned about
a couple of things.

981
00:43:17,227 --> 00:43:19,227
One is, we're concerned
about making sure that our

982
00:43:19,229 --> 00:43:21,229
nations veterans have access
to the kind of treatment

983
00:43:21,231 --> 00:43:22,231
that they have earned.

984
00:43:22,232 --> 00:43:24,302
But we also recognize that
there is an important

985
00:43:24,301 --> 00:43:27,241
responsibility that the
federal government has to be

986
00:43:27,237 --> 00:43:29,477
good stewards of the
taxpayers' dollars.

987
00:43:29,473 --> 00:43:33,143
And there should be a
way for us to use those

988
00:43:33,143 --> 00:43:35,143
resources to make sure
that we are caring for our

989
00:43:35,145 --> 00:43:37,145
veterans, and the President
is determined to make sure

990
00:43:37,147 --> 00:43:38,847
we do that.

991
00:43:38,849 --> 00:43:39,949
Rebecca.

992
00:43:39,950 --> 00:43:40,990
The Press: Thanks, Josh.

993
00:43:40,985 --> 00:43:43,025
I wanted to ask you about
the President's travel to

994
00:43:43,020 --> 00:43:45,720
California later this week.

995
00:43:45,723 --> 00:43:48,623
The DCCC event that he is
attending in San Francisco

996
00:43:48,625 --> 00:43:52,695
on Friday is being hosted
by Tom Steyer who has been

997
00:43:52,696 --> 00:43:54,736
pushing the President
to reject Keystone.

998
00:43:54,732 --> 00:43:56,732
And I'm just wondering, have
the President and Steyer

999
00:43:56,734 --> 00:43:58,904
spoken about Keystone in
advance of this event?

1000
00:43:58,902 --> 00:44:01,002
Mr. Earnest: No, I'm not
aware of any discussions

1001
00:44:01,005 --> 00:44:03,105
they've had on that
particular issue.

1002
00:44:03,107 --> 00:44:06,877
Mr. Steyer is a well-known
advocate for policies that

1003
00:44:06,877 --> 00:44:10,547
are good for the
environment, particularly

1004
00:44:10,547 --> 00:44:13,917
policies that will limit
carbon pollution and other

1005
00:44:13,917 --> 00:44:16,057
contributors to
climate change.

1006
00:44:16,053 --> 00:44:18,653
And obviously the President
has an exceedingly strong

1007
00:44:18,655 --> 00:44:20,955
record, maybe even a
historically strong record,

1008
00:44:20,958 --> 00:44:23,028
in confronting those issues.

1009
00:44:23,027 --> 00:44:25,027
So you'd have to talk to
Mr. Steyer to find out

1010
00:44:25,029 --> 00:44:27,029
exactly why he decided to
host the President, but I

1011
00:44:27,031 --> 00:44:29,031
wouldn't be surprised
if it was related to the

1012
00:44:29,033 --> 00:44:31,333
President's very strong
record of trying to cut

1013
00:44:31,335 --> 00:44:33,805
carbon pollution and putting
in place policies that will

1014
00:44:33,804 --> 00:44:35,804
be in the best interest of
our economy and the best

1015
00:44:35,806 --> 00:44:36,776
interest of our planet.

1016
00:44:36,774 --> 00:44:39,614
The Press: Steyer has also
been publicly urging an end

1017
00:44:39,610 --> 00:44:43,210
to a tax loophole that
allows private equity

1018
00:44:43,213 --> 00:44:45,883
managers and venture
capitalists to be taxed at a

1019
00:44:45,883 --> 00:44:46,883
lower rate.

1020
00:44:46,884 --> 00:44:48,384
Do you know if they have
spoken about that issue at all?

1021
00:44:48,385 --> 00:44:50,885
Mr. Earnest: No.

1022
00:44:50,888 --> 00:44:52,888
But I do know that that's --
it sounds like, based on the

1023
00:44:52,890 --> 00:44:54,890
way you described Mr.
Steyer's position, that

1024
00:44:54,892 --> 00:44:56,892
it may be a position that he
and President Obama have in

1025
00:44:56,894 --> 00:44:57,894
common.

1026
00:44:57,895 --> 00:45:00,465
Again, President Obama has
long advocated that we

1027
00:45:00,464 --> 00:45:02,704
should close loopholes that
only benefit the wealthy and

1028
00:45:02,699 --> 00:45:07,109
well connected, and use some
of that revenue to invest in

1029
00:45:07,104 --> 00:45:09,104
the kinds of things
that benefit everybody.

1030
00:45:09,106 --> 00:45:12,206
And whether that's free
community college or

1031
00:45:12,209 --> 00:45:15,279
expanded early childhood
education, or even important

1032
00:45:15,279 --> 00:45:17,279
investments in our
infrastructure.

1033
00:45:17,281 --> 00:45:19,281
So again, I'm not aware of
Mr. Steyer's position on

1034
00:45:19,283 --> 00:45:21,423
that particular issue, but
it sounds like it might be

1035
00:45:21,418 --> 00:45:23,688
something that he agrees
with the President on.

1036
00:45:23,687 --> 00:45:25,687
The Press: Is the White
House making any attempts to

1037
00:45:25,689 --> 00:45:26,719
close that loophole?

1038
00:45:26,723 --> 00:45:28,123
Mr. Earnest: Well, we are.

1039
00:45:28,125 --> 00:45:30,595
We put forward a very
specific plan earlier this

1040
00:45:30,594 --> 00:45:33,094
year, in the context of our
budget, for doing exactly

1041
00:45:33,097 --> 00:45:36,597
that, and using revenue
from that change to make

1042
00:45:36,600 --> 00:45:38,600
critically important
investments in the middle

1043
00:45:38,602 --> 00:45:39,602
class.

1044
00:45:39,603 --> 00:45:41,603
And it's entirely consistent
with the President's view

1045
00:45:41,605 --> 00:45:43,605
that expanding economic
opportunity for the middle

1046
00:45:43,607 --> 00:45:45,777
class should be
our top priority.

1047
00:45:45,776 --> 00:45:46,776
Jared.

1048
00:45:46,777 --> 00:45:49,447
The Press: Josh, you have
been meticulously careful,

1049
00:45:49,446 --> 00:45:52,986
and the President as well,
to avoid reacting to just

1050
00:45:52,983 --> 00:45:54,783
about everything that's
happening on the 2016

1051
00:45:54,785 --> 00:45:57,685
campaign trail, much to the
disappointment I guess of

1052
00:45:57,688 --> 00:46:00,488
everybody in here.

1053
00:46:00,491 --> 00:46:04,931
When we're talking about
the conversation between

1054
00:46:04,928 --> 00:46:07,598
Minority Leader Pelosi and
President Obama that hasn't

1055
00:46:07,598 --> 00:46:10,368
happened -- or at least you
haven't been able to confirm

1056
00:46:10,367 --> 00:46:14,537
for us that it's happened
in the last five days -- is

1057
00:46:14,538 --> 00:46:17,738
that because there was a
campaign trail callout from

1058
00:46:17,741 --> 00:46:20,811
Hillary Clinton to the
President to listen to

1059
00:46:20,811 --> 00:46:21,811
Nancy Pelosi?

1060
00:46:21,812 --> 00:46:23,612
And is that why we're
not hearing about this

1061
00:46:23,614 --> 00:46:25,614
conversation from you?

1062
00:46:25,616 --> 00:46:26,586
Mr. Earnest: No.

1063
00:46:26,583 --> 00:46:27,923
It's simply that I don't
have a list in front of me

1064
00:46:27,918 --> 00:46:29,918
of all the calls that
the President has made.

1065
00:46:29,920 --> 00:46:31,920
And I also don't want to be
in the business of reading

1066
00:46:31,922 --> 00:46:33,162
out some of the private
conversations that the

1067
00:46:33,157 --> 00:46:34,927
President has had as well.

1068
00:46:34,925 --> 00:46:36,925
The Press: Would you
consider the conversation

1069
00:46:36,927 --> 00:46:39,327
that Chief of Staff
McDonough had with Pelosi --

1070
00:46:39,329 --> 00:46:41,629
and then I'm guessing
relayed some of that to the

1071
00:46:41,632 --> 00:46:44,572
President -- fulfilling
Clinton's request that the

1072
00:46:44,568 --> 00:46:46,568
President listen
to Nancy Pelosi?

1073
00:46:46,570 --> 00:46:48,910
Mr. Earnest: Well, again,
you'd have to ask Secretary

1074
00:46:48,906 --> 00:46:50,906
Clinton if she thought
that was sufficient.

1075
00:46:50,908 --> 00:46:51,908
We're focused on --

1076
00:46:51,909 --> 00:46:52,879
The Press: But I'm asking
you if you think that you

1077
00:46:52,876 --> 00:46:54,916
did what she asked.

1078
00:46:54,912 --> 00:46:56,912
Mr. Earnest: Well, the call
between Mr. McDonough and

1079
00:46:56,914 --> 00:46:58,914
Ms. Pelosi would have
occurred regardless of any

1080
00:46:58,916 --> 00:47:00,216
comments on the
campaign trail.

1081
00:47:00,217 --> 00:47:00,887
Major.

1082
00:47:00,884 --> 00:47:02,884
The Press: Just to
go back to Syria.

1083
00:47:02,886 --> 00:47:05,286
Does the President share
Secretary of State's

1084
00:47:05,289 --> 00:47:08,289
certainty that chlorine gas
has recently been used

1085
00:47:08,292 --> 00:47:09,692
in Syria?

1086
00:47:09,693 --> 00:47:11,863
Mr. Earnest: Well, Major,
I haven't read sort of the

1087
00:47:11,862 --> 00:47:15,032
latest assessment either
from the Department of

1088
00:47:15,032 --> 00:47:17,032
Defense or the intelligence
community on this.

1089
00:47:17,034 --> 00:47:19,774
But for a definitive
view in terms of the --

1090
00:47:19,770 --> 00:47:21,770
The Press: Does the
President share the

1091
00:47:21,772 --> 00:47:22,872
Secretary of
State's certainty?

1092
00:47:22,873 --> 00:47:26,013
Mr. Earnest: Well, the
President would rely on both

1093
00:47:26,009 --> 00:47:28,009
the input of the Secretary
of State as well as

1094
00:47:28,011 --> 00:47:30,011
assessments from the
intelligence community, as

1095
00:47:30,013 --> 00:47:32,013
well as assessments from the
Department of Defense on

1096
00:47:32,015 --> 00:47:33,015
this matter.

1097
00:47:33,016 --> 00:47:35,016
The Press: I don't need to
tell you he's been reluctant

1098
00:47:35,018 --> 00:47:35,988
to so declare.

1099
00:47:35,986 --> 00:47:38,386
The Secretary of State
has and he still remains

1100
00:47:38,388 --> 00:47:41,158
reluctant to declare with
certainty that chlorine gas

1101
00:47:41,158 --> 00:47:42,158
has been used, correct?

1102
00:47:42,159 --> 00:47:44,859
Mr. Earnest: Again, the
President is going to rely

1103
00:47:44,861 --> 00:47:47,001
on the specific advice that
he gets from -- or the

1104
00:47:46,997 --> 00:47:51,397
specific assessment that he
gets from the intelligence

1105
00:47:51,401 --> 00:47:52,501
community and the
Department of Defense.

1106
00:47:52,502 --> 00:47:53,672
And obviously the Secretary
of State has information

1107
00:47:53,670 --> 00:47:55,670
that is relevant to that
discussion as well.

1108
00:47:55,672 --> 00:47:56,672
The Press: Okay.

1109
00:47:56,673 --> 00:47:58,673
Is it fair to assume, based
on what you told Jim, that

1110
00:47:58,675 --> 00:48:03,215
even if he is certain, it
wouldn't change policy --

1111
00:48:03,213 --> 00:48:04,713
that this chlorine gas is
different than the other

1112
00:48:04,715 --> 00:48:08,555
chemical munitions the
President believes he has

1113
00:48:08,552 --> 00:48:11,652
successfully moved
out of Syria?

1114
00:48:11,655 --> 00:48:13,395
Mr. Earnest: Yes, we
have the declared --

1115
00:48:13,390 --> 00:48:15,090
The Press: So we have
not changed policies?

1116
00:48:15,092 --> 00:48:17,092
Mr. Earnest: According to
our international observers

1117
00:48:17,094 --> 00:48:19,094
and experts, the declared
chemical weapon stockpile in

1118
00:48:19,096 --> 00:48:20,166
Syria has been destroyed.

1119
00:48:20,163 --> 00:48:26,033
But the use of chemical --
of chlorine weapons would

1120
00:48:26,036 --> 00:48:29,906
be, and is, entirely
consistent with the terrible

1121
00:48:29,906 --> 00:48:31,906
acts of violence that we
have seen the Assad regime

1122
00:48:31,908 --> 00:48:34,308
perpetrate against
innocent Syrians.

1123
00:48:34,311 --> 00:48:36,311
The Press: Right, but
other than rhetorical

1124
00:48:36,313 --> 00:48:38,313
condemnations, policy
would not change?

1125
00:48:38,315 --> 00:48:40,315
Mr. Earnest: Well, again,
I think the President has

1126
00:48:40,317 --> 00:48:42,317
indicated, as we've talked
about quite a bit over the

1127
00:48:42,319 --> 00:48:44,819
last several weeks, that the
President and his national

1128
00:48:44,821 --> 00:48:47,261
security team are always
reviewing their policy to

1129
00:48:47,257 --> 00:48:50,397
make sure that we have the
most effective one in place

1130
00:48:50,394 --> 00:48:51,394
to accomplish our goals.

1131
00:48:51,395 --> 00:48:54,635
The Press: Will there be
a visit next week here to

1132
00:48:54,631 --> 00:48:57,531
those working with the
President on the final

1133
00:48:57,534 --> 00:49:00,904
formulation of the hostage
review process to explain to

1134
00:49:00,904 --> 00:49:04,474
them where things are and
what the administration will

1135
00:49:04,474 --> 00:49:07,214
be attempting to achieve as
it revamps its approach to

1136
00:49:07,210 --> 00:49:08,650
that issue?

1137
00:49:08,645 --> 00:49:10,115
Mr. Earnest: Well, this is
obviously something that has

1138
00:49:10,113 --> 00:49:13,283
been a priority of the
President's and his national

1139
00:49:13,283 --> 00:49:15,953
security staff, including
Lisa Monaco, the President's

1140
00:49:15,952 --> 00:49:19,922
top counterterrorism
advisor, has been closely

1141
00:49:19,923 --> 00:49:24,363
watching this issue and
been working on some of the

1142
00:49:24,361 --> 00:49:25,631
review efforts.

1143
00:49:25,629 --> 00:49:28,129
Those review efforts have
included an intensive policy

1144
00:49:28,131 --> 00:49:30,731
process and they've included
detailed and frequent

1145
00:49:30,734 --> 00:49:34,604
consultations with those
families that have gone

1146
00:49:34,604 --> 00:49:38,744
through this
wrenching experience.

1147
00:49:38,742 --> 00:49:40,942
And what we've indicated is
that we expect to have the

1148
00:49:40,944 --> 00:49:44,644
results of that review
available soon.

1149
00:49:44,648 --> 00:49:47,818
And as we have more details
about how that announcement

1150
00:49:47,818 --> 00:49:49,818
will take place,
we'll let you know.

1151
00:49:49,820 --> 00:49:51,820
The Press: But are there
plans to meet with them and

1152
00:49:51,822 --> 00:49:53,822
discuss it with
them face to face?

1153
00:49:53,824 --> 00:49:55,824
Mr. Earnest: When we have
more details on this, we'll

1154
00:49:55,826 --> 00:49:56,826
let you know.

1155
00:49:56,827 --> 00:49:58,827
I certainly wouldn't
rule that out.

1156
00:49:58,829 --> 00:50:00,829
The Press: All this dancing
around whether or not there

1157
00:50:00,831 --> 00:50:03,101
was a phone call to Nancy
Pelosi indicates that you

1158
00:50:03,100 --> 00:50:05,170
now and the White
House believe --

1159
00:50:05,168 --> 00:50:06,208
Mr. Earnest: I'm not
really dancing around it.

1160
00:50:06,203 --> 00:50:07,773
I'm just telling you that --

1161
00:50:07,771 --> 00:50:10,711
The Press: Well, look, you
created this artificial

1162
00:50:10,707 --> 00:50:12,747
filter that you're not going
to read out -- we're not

1163
00:50:12,743 --> 00:50:14,043
asking for readouts.

1164
00:50:14,044 --> 00:50:16,514
We're asking did he pick up
the phone and did he talk to

1165
00:50:16,513 --> 00:50:19,253
the number-one Democrat in
the House that just stabbed

1166
00:50:19,249 --> 00:50:20,889
him in the back on TAA?

1167
00:50:20,884 --> 00:50:22,884
(laughter)

1168
00:50:22,886 --> 00:50:24,756
That's a real
simple question -- yes or no?

1169
00:50:24,755 --> 00:50:26,755
Mr. Earnest: And I'm telling
you that the White House

1170
00:50:26,757 --> 00:50:27,827
Chief of Staff picked up
the phone and called her on

1171
00:50:27,824 --> 00:50:28,494
Monday --

1172
00:50:28,492 --> 00:50:29,322
The Press: We know that --

1173
00:50:29,326 --> 00:50:31,226
Mr. Earnest: And the
President has made a large

1174
00:50:31,228 --> 00:50:31,758
number of calls over the
last three or four days.

1175
00:50:31,762 --> 00:50:32,862
The Press: Right.

1176
00:50:32,863 --> 00:50:33,963
I'm not asking about a large
number of calls to people

1177
00:50:33,964 --> 00:50:35,604
who are slightly less
relevant to resolving this

1178
00:50:35,599 --> 00:50:36,969
than the Minority
Leader of the House.

1179
00:50:36,967 --> 00:50:38,297
That's all we're
asking about.

1180
00:50:38,301 --> 00:50:40,371
Did he call her
-- yes or no?

1181
00:50:40,370 --> 00:50:43,470
Mr. Earnest: Major, I guess
-- let me question I think a

1182
00:50:43,473 --> 00:50:46,773
premise of your question
that is open to some

1183
00:50:46,777 --> 00:50:48,847
scrutiny, which is --

1184
00:50:48,845 --> 00:50:50,345
The Press: They're
always open to scrutiny.

1185
00:50:50,347 --> 00:50:52,317
Mr. Earnest: They are --
the nature of the job.

1186
00:50:52,315 --> 00:50:56,315
The people who are most
relevant to trying to find

1187
00:50:56,319 --> 00:50:59,689
this path forward are
people who are part of the

1188
00:50:59,689 --> 00:51:00,989
bipartisan majority
that have allowed this

1189
00:51:00,991 --> 00:51:03,191
legislation to advance.

1190
00:51:03,193 --> 00:51:05,093
That's why the President has
frequently been on the phone

1191
00:51:05,095 --> 00:51:08,135
with both the Speaker
of the House --

1192
00:51:08,131 --> 00:51:09,971
The Press: And Majority
Leader of the Senate --

1193
00:51:09,966 --> 00:51:11,306
Mr. Earnest: -- and Majority
Leader in the Senate.

1194
00:51:11,301 --> 00:51:13,171
It's why -- The Press: He
hasn't been on the phone

1195
00:51:13,170 --> 00:51:14,670
with Pelosi, right?

1196
00:51:14,671 --> 00:51:15,941
Mr. Earnest: But, again,
Major, she doesn't want the

1197
00:51:15,939 --> 00:51:17,339
legislation to advance.

1198
00:51:17,340 --> 00:51:18,710
The Press: So he
didn't call her, right?

1199
00:51:18,708 --> 00:51:19,878
Mr. Earnest: I'm not
going to read out every

1200
00:51:19,876 --> 00:51:21,076
conversation that
the President has.

1201
00:51:21,077 --> 00:51:22,077
The Press: I didn't
ask you for a readout.

1202
00:51:22,078 --> 00:51:22,918
Mr. Earnest: Okay.

1203
00:51:22,913 --> 00:51:24,013
That's fine.

1204
00:51:24,014 --> 00:51:24,944
The Press: But a readout is
not the same as confirmation

1205
00:51:24,948 --> 00:51:25,878
on a phone call.

1206
00:51:25,882 --> 00:51:26,952
Mr. Earnest: Major, I'll
look into it, but I don't

1207
00:51:26,950 --> 00:51:28,020
know this is a
fruitful exercise.

1208
00:51:28,018 --> 00:51:29,048
The Press: It's not an
irrelevant question.

1209
00:51:29,052 --> 00:51:31,592
It's not an
illegitimate question.

1210
00:51:31,588 --> 00:51:32,358
The Press: Can you answer?

1211
00:51:32,355 --> 00:51:33,455
Mr. Earnest: I didn't
say that it was.

1212
00:51:33,457 --> 00:51:34,757
I do think, though, that --
I think the premise of why

1213
00:51:34,758 --> 00:51:36,158
you think this is so
important, though, is open

1214
00:51:36,159 --> 00:51:37,559
to significant questioning.

1215
00:51:37,561 --> 00:51:38,631
The Press: Question the
premise all you want.

1216
00:51:38,628 --> 00:51:40,198
Just answer the question.

1217
00:51:40,197 --> 00:51:42,497
The Press: Well, we have to
assume the answer is no.

1218
00:51:42,499 --> 00:51:43,939
Mr. Earnest: You can assume
whatever you'd like.

1219
00:51:43,934 --> 00:51:46,374
The Press: But isn't
that a fair assumption?

1220
00:51:46,369 --> 00:51:47,539
Mr. Earnest: Have we
exhausted this, or can I

1221
00:51:47,537 --> 00:51:48,977
move on?

1222
00:51:48,972 --> 00:51:52,842
The Press: So then, to take
your last point, is the

1223
00:51:52,843 --> 00:51:56,643
Senate now the place where
this has to be reevaluated

1224
00:51:56,646 --> 00:51:59,186
and a new legislative
strategy has to be

1225
00:51:59,182 --> 00:52:00,052
formulated?

1226
00:52:00,050 --> 00:52:01,180
Mr. Earnest: Not
necessarily.

1227
00:52:01,184 --> 00:52:03,024
There is a bipartisan
majority for --

1228
00:52:03,019 --> 00:52:05,319
The Press: Why not?

1229
00:52:05,322 --> 00:52:06,592
Mr. Earnest: Again,
because there is a --

1230
00:52:06,590 --> 00:52:07,760
The Press: The House
appears to be stuck.

1231
00:52:07,757 --> 00:52:12,297
If you ask them, they say
they're sort of stuck.

1232
00:52:12,295 --> 00:52:13,595
Mr. Earnest: Can I
try to give an answer?

1233
00:52:13,597 --> 00:52:14,867
The Press: Go right ahead.

1234
00:52:14,865 --> 00:52:16,665
Mr. Earnest:
Okay, thank you.

1235
00:52:16,666 --> 00:52:18,236
The only legislative
strategy that the President

1236
00:52:18,235 --> 00:52:20,235
of the United States will
support is a strategy that

1237
00:52:20,237 --> 00:52:24,877
will result in both TPA and
TAA coming to his desk.

1238
00:52:24,875 --> 00:52:26,875
There are a variety of
proposals that have been

1239
00:52:26,877 --> 00:52:28,877
floated both in the House
and in the Senate for

1240
00:52:28,879 --> 00:52:29,879
successfully doing that.

1241
00:52:29,880 --> 00:52:32,380
Any strategy that will
succeed among those variety

1242
00:52:32,382 --> 00:52:36,952
will require both Democrats
and Republicans to support it.

1243
00:52:36,953 --> 00:52:38,953
I do not have a lot of
optimism, though you should

1244
00:52:38,955 --> 00:52:41,025
check with Leader Pelosi,
that she will be supportive

1245
00:52:41,024 --> 00:52:42,864
of any of these strategies.

1246
00:52:42,859 --> 00:52:45,229
I would anticipate that a
number of the Democrats,

1247
00:52:45,228 --> 00:52:48,268
maybe even all of the 28
Democrats in the House who

1248
00:52:48,265 --> 00:52:51,805
did vote in favor of TPA,
would likely cooperate with

1249
00:52:51,801 --> 00:52:52,971
that kind of strategy.

1250
00:52:52,969 --> 00:52:54,969
But they're going to be in
close consultation with both

1251
00:52:54,971 --> 00:52:56,971
the President and the White
House as they consider those

1252
00:52:56,973 --> 00:52:58,013
strategies moving forward.

1253
00:52:58,008 --> 00:53:00,008
But, ultimately, this will
have to be a decision that's

1254
00:53:00,010 --> 00:53:02,410
made by the Senate Majority
Leader and the Speaker of

1255
00:53:02,412 --> 00:53:03,412
the House.

1256
00:53:03,413 --> 00:53:05,413
But they're going to do it
in close consultation with

1257
00:53:05,415 --> 00:53:07,755
Democrats because they know
that Democratic support will

1258
00:53:07,751 --> 00:53:09,691
be required for the
success of the strategy.

1259
00:53:09,686 --> 00:53:10,586
The Press: Thanks, Josh.

1260
00:53:10,587 --> 00:53:11,287
Mr. Earnest:
Thank you, Major.

1261
00:53:11,288 --> 00:53:12,818
Byron.

1262
00:53:12,822 --> 00:53:13,822
The Press: Thanks, Josh.

1263
00:53:13,823 --> 00:53:16,823
In 2008 and 2012, the
President banned donations

1264
00:53:16,826 --> 00:53:19,996
from registered lobbyists
to both his campaigns.

1265
00:53:19,996 --> 00:53:22,336
This cycle, no major
candidate has followed that

1266
00:53:22,332 --> 00:53:26,232
example, including Democrats
Martin O'Malley and

1267
00:53:26,236 --> 00:53:28,436
Hillary Clinton, who are both
accepting lobbyist

1268
00:53:28,438 --> 00:53:29,978
contributions.

1269
00:53:29,973 --> 00:53:31,273
Is the White House
disappointed in those

1270
00:53:31,274 --> 00:53:33,274
decisions?

1271
00:53:33,276 --> 00:53:35,276
Mr. Earnest: Byron, the
President knows from having

1272
00:53:35,278 --> 00:53:38,548
run his own campaign that
these are essentially

1273
00:53:38,548 --> 00:53:40,788
policies that need to be
established by those who are

1274
00:53:40,784 --> 00:53:42,524
running the campaign.

1275
00:53:42,519 --> 00:53:47,119
So I would also note that
the President's foundation

1276
00:53:47,123 --> 00:53:51,163
has also indicated that they
will not accept donations

1277
00:53:51,161 --> 00:53:53,531
from PACs or lobbyists while
the President is in office

1278
00:53:53,530 --> 00:53:54,530
either.

1279
00:53:54,531 --> 00:53:56,531
So the President has been
very serious about this

1280
00:53:56,533 --> 00:53:58,533
commitment, and it's
something that he believed

1281
00:53:58,535 --> 00:53:59,605
was important.

1282
00:53:59,603 --> 00:54:01,603
But for decisions that
are made by individual

1283
00:54:01,605 --> 00:54:03,575
candidates, I'll
let them explain it.

1284
00:54:03,573 --> 00:54:05,573
The Press: Broadly, does he
think it's possible to run a

1285
00:54:05,575 --> 00:54:07,945
clean, ethical Presidential
campaign while taking

1286
00:54:07,944 --> 00:54:08,944
lobbyist donations?

1287
00:54:08,945 --> 00:54:11,185
Mr. Earnest:
Well, of course.

1288
00:54:11,181 --> 00:54:14,081
I think the President's
view, and the way that he

1289
00:54:14,084 --> 00:54:18,624
articulated this, is that
he felt it was important to

1290
00:54:18,622 --> 00:54:21,262
send a very clear signal
that we're going to change

1291
00:54:21,257 --> 00:54:23,257
business as usual
in Washington.

1292
00:54:23,259 --> 00:54:26,059
And lot of that was
focused on transparency.

1293
00:54:26,062 --> 00:54:28,232
There were a number of steps
the President took in the

1294
00:54:28,231 --> 00:54:30,801
context of his campaign to
be more transparent than

1295
00:54:30,800 --> 00:54:32,370
previous campaigns had been.

1296
00:54:32,369 --> 00:54:34,739
One example of that is the
administration -- or the

1297
00:54:34,738 --> 00:54:37,808
campaign began the practice
of releasing the name of

1298
00:54:37,807 --> 00:54:40,677
bundlers for his campaign.

1299
00:54:40,677 --> 00:54:44,017
That was a transparency
innovation of the campaign,

1300
00:54:44,014 --> 00:54:46,214
and reflected his broader
commitment to greater

1301
00:54:46,216 --> 00:54:49,786
transparency in financing of
the campaigns, but also in

1302
00:54:49,786 --> 00:54:52,526
sending a clear signal about
changing business as usual

1303
00:54:52,522 --> 00:54:53,992
in Washington.

1304
00:54:53,990 --> 00:54:55,990
But again, each of the
candidates will have to make

1305
00:54:55,992 --> 00:54:59,362
their own decisions about
the best way for them to

1306
00:54:59,362 --> 00:55:00,832
demonstrate that commitment.

1307
00:55:00,830 --> 00:55:02,170
The Press: One more.

1308
00:55:02,165 --> 00:55:03,805
The Benghazi Select
Committee heard yesterday

1309
00:55:03,800 --> 00:55:06,170
from a close confidant of
Hillary Clinton for more

1310
00:55:06,169 --> 00:55:07,809
than eight hours.

1311
00:55:07,804 --> 00:55:10,804
Top Democrats have said --
the top Democrat on the

1312
00:55:10,807 --> 00:55:12,277
committee said that it's
become the committee to

1313
00:55:12,275 --> 00:55:14,975
investigate Hillary Clinton.

1314
00:55:14,978 --> 00:55:16,478
Does the White House agree
with that assessment?

1315
00:55:16,479 --> 00:55:19,119
Mr. Earnest: Well, my
understanding is that that

1316
00:55:19,115 --> 00:55:21,555
is a conversation --
testimony that occurred

1317
00:55:21,551 --> 00:55:23,091
behind closed doors.

1318
00:55:23,086 --> 00:55:29,226
So it's difficult for me to
evaluate that exact -- that

1319
00:55:29,225 --> 00:55:30,225
claim.

1320
00:55:30,226 --> 00:55:34,766
But what I will say is that
there certainly have been

1321
00:55:34,764 --> 00:55:36,764
some questions and doubts
raised by the fact that

1322
00:55:36,766 --> 00:55:38,766
there have been eight
different congressional

1323
00:55:38,768 --> 00:55:40,708
committees that have
looked into this.

1324
00:55:40,704 --> 00:55:42,444
Mr. Gowdy leads the eighth.

1325
00:55:42,439 --> 00:55:48,079
The previous seven have been
very clear about what the

1326
00:55:48,078 --> 00:55:51,448
facts show, and the facts do
not substantiate the wide

1327
00:55:51,448 --> 00:55:55,088
variety of claims that we've
seen from the political

1328
00:55:55,085 --> 00:55:58,925
opponents either of
President Obama or Secretary

1329
00:55:58,922 --> 00:56:00,762
Clinton.

1330
00:56:00,757 --> 00:56:04,497
So I have no doubt that the
eighth committee will reach

1331
00:56:04,494 --> 00:56:05,494
the same conclusion.

1332
00:56:05,495 --> 00:56:07,495
I think the only open
question is how long it

1333
00:56:07,497 --> 00:56:08,867
takes them to get there.

1334
00:56:08,865 --> 00:56:09,635
Cheryl.

1335
00:56:09,632 --> 00:56:11,532
The Press: Thanks, Josh.

1336
00:56:11,534 --> 00:56:16,474
I have two budget questions,
just because OMB put out

1337
00:56:16,473 --> 00:56:18,913
familiar letters again last
night about the spending

1338
00:56:18,908 --> 00:56:19,908
caps.

1339
00:56:19,909 --> 00:56:24,519
My first question is, would
the Commander-in-Chief

1340
00:56:24,514 --> 00:56:27,984
really veto the defense
appropriations bill if the

1341
00:56:27,984 --> 00:56:32,654
non-defense bills -- if the
caps aren't lifted on those?

1342
00:56:32,655 --> 00:56:34,055
Mr. Earnest: Yes.

1343
00:56:34,057 --> 00:56:37,627
And the reason for
that is a serious one.

1344
00:56:37,627 --> 00:56:39,627
There are actually
several reasons.

1345
00:56:39,629 --> 00:56:41,929
One is that the funding
mechanism that Republicans

1346
00:56:41,931 --> 00:56:44,731
have floated is one that
many leading Republicans

1347
00:56:44,734 --> 00:56:48,104
have previously described as
nothing more than a gimmick.

1348
00:56:48,104 --> 00:56:50,244
The President does not
believe that is consistent

1349
00:56:50,240 --> 00:56:52,240
with any sort of serious
approach to national

1350
00:56:52,242 --> 00:56:53,742
security.

1351
00:56:53,743 --> 00:56:56,913
And that is the principal
objection of the way that

1352
00:56:56,913 --> 00:56:59,353
Republicans are currently
trying to move this

1353
00:56:59,349 --> 00:57:00,949
legislation
through Congress.

1354
00:57:00,950 --> 00:57:02,950
What also happens to be true
is there are critically

1355
00:57:02,952 --> 00:57:06,452
important national security
priorities included on the

1356
00:57:06,456 --> 00:57:08,726
so-called non-defense
side of the ledger.

1357
00:57:08,725 --> 00:57:10,725
This includes everything
from funding for Homeland

1358
00:57:10,727 --> 00:57:13,197
Security to funding
for our veterans.

1359
00:57:13,196 --> 00:57:17,266
So to suggest that
essentially gutting funding

1360
00:57:17,267 --> 00:57:19,967
on the non-defense side
doesn't have significant

1361
00:57:19,969 --> 00:57:24,509
consequences for our
national security is

1362
00:57:24,507 --> 00:57:25,977
dangerously naĂŻve.

1363
00:57:25,975 --> 00:57:27,215
So the fact is, the
President is going to -- is

1364
00:57:27,210 --> 00:57:33,180
determined to ensure that
the budgets that are

1365
00:57:33,183 --> 00:57:36,083
eventually signed into law
by the President of the

1366
00:57:36,085 --> 00:57:38,225
United States are budgets
that reflect our priorities

1367
00:57:38,221 --> 00:57:40,821
to keep the country safe and
to put in place policies

1368
00:57:40,824 --> 00:57:42,824
that are in the best
interest of expanding

1369
00:57:42,826 --> 00:57:44,826
economic opportunity for
middle-class families.

1370
00:57:44,828 --> 00:57:47,628
The Press: And then a
little bit bigger picture.

1371
00:57:47,630 --> 00:57:51,130
Wasn't it the President's
idea, sort of in the first

1372
00:57:51,134 --> 00:57:56,404
place, to want to eliminate
sequestration in his budget

1373
00:57:56,406 --> 00:57:59,246
this year and to lift the
spending caps for all of

1374
00:57:59,242 --> 00:58:00,242
these?

1375
00:58:00,243 --> 00:58:03,813
And then doesn't that mean
he should initiate bigger

1376
00:58:03,813 --> 00:58:05,813
budget negotiations
with Congress?

1377
00:58:05,815 --> 00:58:07,855
Mr. Earnest: Well, Cheryl,
what I would point out on

1378
00:58:07,851 --> 00:58:11,851
this is simply that the
way that this was resolved

1379
00:58:11,855 --> 00:58:13,855
previously, as you know --
I know that you cover this

1380
00:58:13,857 --> 00:58:18,397
very closely -- is that we
saw Paul Ryan and Patty

1381
00:58:18,394 --> 00:58:20,834
Murray -- a leading
Republican in the House of

1382
00:58:20,830 --> 00:58:22,830
Representatives, a leading
Democrat in the United

1383
00:58:22,832 --> 00:58:25,202
States Senate -- sit down
and work in bipartisan

1384
00:58:25,201 --> 00:58:28,971
fashion to cobble together
a bipartisan agreement to

1385
00:58:28,972 --> 00:58:32,442
reflect the budget
priorities of the country.

1386
00:58:32,442 --> 00:58:34,442
These are priorities both
related to our economy, but

1387
00:58:34,444 --> 00:58:36,144
also to our
national security.

1388
00:58:36,145 --> 00:58:38,245
We believe that that is an
effective template for how

1389
00:58:38,248 --> 00:58:40,488
this situation can
be resolved now.

1390
00:58:40,483 --> 00:58:42,483
And I recognize that
that raises all kinds of

1391
00:58:42,485 --> 00:58:45,085
questions about who plays
which role, and how the

1392
00:58:45,088 --> 00:58:47,788
conversations get convened,
and where the meetings take

1393
00:58:47,790 --> 00:58:50,130
place, and who's responsible
for paying for the coffee.

1394
00:58:50,126 --> 00:58:51,866
I get all of that.

1395
00:58:51,861 --> 00:58:54,061
But in the same way that
the White House was deeply

1396
00:58:54,063 --> 00:58:56,063
involved in those
conversations between

1397
00:58:56,065 --> 00:59:00,775
Mr. Ryan and Senator Murray,
I'm confident that the White

1398
00:59:00,770 --> 00:59:03,170
House and the administration 
would be involved in

1399
00:59:03,172 --> 00:59:05,872
facilitating future
conversations, because there

1400
00:59:05,875 --> 00:59:09,245
are significant
priorities involved.

1401
00:59:09,245 --> 00:59:12,545
And in many cases, the
administration will have

1402
00:59:12,548 --> 00:59:14,788
unique insight into the
intricacies of these

1403
00:59:14,784 --> 00:59:16,584
budgetary decisions.

1404
00:59:16,586 --> 00:59:18,986
So the administration will
be involved, but ultimately

1405
00:59:18,988 --> 00:59:23,828
it's the responsibility of
Congress to figure this out,

1406
00:59:23,826 --> 00:59:25,826
and the administration will
certainly be supportive of

1407
00:59:25,828 --> 00:59:27,298
those efforts.

1408
00:59:27,297 --> 00:59:29,967
And the last thing I would
point out is something that

1409
00:59:29,966 --> 00:59:32,906
you frequently hear from me,
which is I continue to be

1410
00:59:32,902 --> 00:59:35,202
confident that the only way
that's going to get resolved

1411
00:59:35,204 --> 00:59:37,944
is by working effectively
across the aisle; that in

1412
00:59:37,941 --> 00:59:39,941
order to get 60 votes on
anything in the United States

1413
00:59:39,943 --> 00:59:42,243
Senate, you're going
to have to earn the votes of

1414
00:59:42,245 --> 00:59:43,245
Democrats.

1415
00:59:43,246 --> 00:59:45,246
And in order to get anything
signed into law, you're

1416
00:59:45,248 --> 00:59:47,248
going to have to earn the
support of the Democratic

1417
00:59:47,250 --> 00:59:49,250
President of the United
States who is responsible

1418
00:59:49,252 --> 00:59:50,422
for wielding the pen.

1419
00:59:50,420 --> 00:59:53,420
So we're going to need to
see a bipartisan effort in

1420
00:59:53,423 --> 00:59:55,023
Congress to resolve this.

1421
00:59:55,024 --> 00:59:57,394
But again, the good news is
this is something -- this is

1422
00:59:57,393 --> 00:59:59,733
one of those rare occasions
where Congress has succeeded

1423
00:59:59,729 --> 01:00:01,969
in working in bipartisan
fashion to get something

1424
01:00:01,965 --> 01:00:04,105
important done, and we're
hopeful that they'll do it

1425
01:00:04,100 --> 01:00:05,440
again.

1426
01:00:05,435 --> 01:00:06,435
Thanks a lot, everybody.

1427
01:00:06,436 --> 01:00:08,436
Have a good Wednesday.