English subtitles for clip: File:8-6-15- 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 opening
remarks, so we can go

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straight to questions.

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Mark, would you like to
get us started today?

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The Press: Thanks.

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If I may, can we start with
the debate, and can I ask if

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the President is planning to
watch any part of the debate

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tonight and whether he is
rooting for Donald Trump or

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against Donald Trump?

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(laughter)

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Mr. Earnest: I don't think
the President will have a

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rooting interest in
the debate tonight.

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I think he'll be -- to the
extent that he watches it,

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and I'm not sure that he
will -- I do think, though,

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that he will be interested
in the coverage of the

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debate, and I'm confident
that he will be interested

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in the arguments that are
presented in the context of

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the first debate on
the Republican side.

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And I expect that he, like
many Americans, will find

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the values and priorities
that are articulated in that

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debate to be rather
illuminating, particularly

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when you contrast them with
the values and priorities

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that this administration has
been advocating for, for

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coming on seven years now,
and certainly when you

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compare them to the values
and priorities that will be

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championed by Democrats
when those candidates get

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together for
their own debates.

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The Press: Is he prepared to
hear his Iran deal take a

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beating tonight?

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And is he prepared for some
umbrage that, frankly, even

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some Democrats who have
doubts about the Iran deal

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have expressed that the
President was, in effect,

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calling them warmongers
yesterday with his argument

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that there really is no
alternative to this deal but

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a march to war?

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Mr. Earnest: Well, Mark,
I think the President was

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pointing out a simple fact,
and I think the President

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went on at some length to
explain how he arrived at

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that conclusion.

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And the fact is, if Congress
were to take the unthinkable

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step of killing this deal,
it would end up being a good

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deal for Iran.

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What would happen is Iran
would get billions in

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sanctions relief, but they
would not be required to

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remove 13,000 centrifuges;
they would not be required

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to reduce their stockpile by
98 percent; they would not

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be required to gut their
plutonium heavy-water

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reactor in Arak; and they
would not be required to

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submit to the most intrusive
set of inspections that have

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ever been imposed on a
country's nuclear program.

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And what would happen is
Iran would go back to doing

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what they did before when
the international community

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was previously fractured,
and that is pursuing a

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nuclear weapon.

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And it's not a significant
leap at all -- in fact, I

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think it follows rather
logically -- that there will

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be members of Congress who
will then be calling on the

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Commander-in-Chief to take
action to prevent Iran from

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obtaining a nuclear weapon.

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And the fact of the matter
is -- and this is even a

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fact that is acknowledged
by the people who would be

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comfortable being described
as proponents of military

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action against Iran -- they
acknowledge that military

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action would only have the
effect of setting back

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Iran's nuclear program for
two or three or maybe four

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years, when the fact is this
diplomatic agreement is

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going to set back Iran's
nuclear program by more than 10.

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So it's not just that the
President wants to try to

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avoid another war in the
Middle East -- he does; it's

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that diplomacy is the best
way for us to prevent Iran

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from obtaining a
nuclear weapon.

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The Press: Does he think
those Democrats who have

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looked at the deal and said,
you know, I think there's

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still a better deal to be
had out there, that they're

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also pursuing a fantasy,
as he put it yesterday?

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Mr. Earnest: The suggestion
that there is a better deal

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is a fantasy.

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The President stands by
those remarks entirely.

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The Press: Let me just ask
generally about the

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state of play.

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Frankly, the speech
yesterday sounded like a

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summing up to the jury.

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And here we have Congress
now, all of it out on

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vacation; the President is
about to go on vacation.

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Does the President think
there's any way of avoiding

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him having to use his veto?

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Does he think he has the
votes to sustain a veto?

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Mr. Earnest: Well, Mark, I
have previously expressed

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some confidence -- a lot of
confidence in the ability to

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sustain a veto in the
House of Representatives.

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The reason for that is we
saw back in the first week

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of May, a group of about 150
House Democrats -- that's

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enough to sustain a
presidential veto --

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indicate that they
would be supportive of a

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comprehensive final
agreement that was

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consistent with the
parameters that had been

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agreed to in the Lausanne
political discussions.

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And the fact is the final
agreement that has been

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produced doesn't just fit
the parameters of the

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previous agreement, it
actually exceeds them in a

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few key areas.

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And I think the best way
that I can document that to

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you is that we've actually
seen a couple of Democrats

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in the House of
Representatives who didn't

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sign the letter the first
week in May who have come

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out indicating their support
for the final agreement and

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indicating that they would
join an effort to sustain

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the President's veto
if it became necessary.

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So we do have a lot of
confidence that, at a

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minimum, that a veto could
be sustained in the House.

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The Press: Do you really
still harbor any hopes that

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you can avoid having
to exercise that veto?

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Mr. Earnest: Well, it's too
soon to tell at this point.

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The Press: Let me ask you
just real briefly about a

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report based on satellite
imagery that the Iranians

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have been doing some work in
recent weeks in Parchin that

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indicates -- that
involve crates, trucks,

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construction, et cetera --
that might indicate yet

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another attempt to cover up
whatever has been going

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on there.

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Have you guys seen that?

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Can you confirm that you're
-- are you troubled by it?

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Mr. Earnest: Well, I can't
talk about any specific

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intelligence matters.

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What I can tell you is that
we know that more than a

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decade ago we had
significant concerns about

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some of the activities that
the Iranians were conducting

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at Parchin.

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And for more than a decade,
the Iranians have gone to

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great lengths to
try to cover it up.

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And we're not particularly
concerned that over the

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course of the next couple of
weeks that they're going to

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succeed in covering up
something that they haven't

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been able to cover up
over the last decade.

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Jeff.

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The Press: Josh, the
President is going on

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vacation tomorrow.

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Does he -- will he be
engaged with lawmakers

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during that time about Iran?

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Do you have any particular
-- Mr. Earnest: I doubt it.

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I doubt it.

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The Press: Are there any
other plans generally for

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the administration to lobby
or engage with people over

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the next couple weeks?

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Mr. Earnest: Well, I
certainly wouldn't be

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surprised if other senior
administration officials --

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either on the President's
national security team or

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officials here at the White
House -- that they may be

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engaged in conversations
with members of Congress.

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And there has been a robust
dialogue back and forth.

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And there have been a number
of members of Congress that

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have sought one-on-one
briefings with senior

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national security officials,
that have sought classified

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briefings, that have
participated in all-member

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classified briefings that
our negotiators have hosted

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on Capitol Hill.

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I know a number of members
participated in or closely

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watched open hearings in
which our negotiators

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testified under oath about
the facts of the deal.

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So the administration has
gone to great lengths to

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provide a lot of information
about the substance

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of the agreement.

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And I'm confident that those
kinds of conversations and

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that kind of exchange of
information will continue

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throughout the
month of August.

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The Press: A couple weeks
ago we talked in this room

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about a plan on Guantanamo
coming shortly.

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Can you give us an update on
the status of that and the

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timing of it?

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Mr. Earnest: Well, Jeff, I
don't have much of an update

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on the timing.

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The President has made clear
that he is firmly committed

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to reducing the detainee
population at the prison at

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Guantanamo Bay so that we
can succeed in eventually

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closing it.

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And this administration is
working diligently to finish

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a plan to safely and
responsibly close the

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detention facility at
Guantanamo Bay, and we've

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made a commitment to share
that plan with Congress.

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I would point out that
Congress has left for the

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August recess, as you point
out, and it's unlikely that

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we'd be in a position to
provide that plan to them

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when they're not in session
and in Washington D.C. But

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certainly the work on this
plan continues here inside

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the administration.

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And I'd remind you that the
work on a plan like this

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involves consultation with
the Department of Defense,

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the intelligence community,
certainly the State

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Department, and other
agencies that have to work

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in a coordinated fashion
to put together and then

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eventually, hopefully,
implement the plan.

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But the work on that is
ongoing, and I don't have a

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specific timeline for
you at this point.

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The Press: And lastly, a
migrant ship carrying as

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many as 600 Syrian
refuges sunk yesterday.

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About at least 200 people
appear to have died.

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Is the White House
following that?

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Does it believe Europe is
doing enough to make sure

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these types of tragedies
don't happen, and is there

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more the U.S. can do as well?

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Mr. Earnest: Jeff, I haven't
seen much more about this

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incident other than the
reports that you're citing.

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I will say that it is just
the latest example of the

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terrible humanitarian
situation that's been caused

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by the ongoing
violence in Syria.

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And the United States
has offered significant

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financial support to other
countries that are bearing

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the brunt of a broader
humanitarian and refugee crisis.

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And it's why the
administration is redoubling

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our efforts to try to broker
some kind of political

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situation -- or political
resolution in Syria, that

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even if it doesn't bring the
violence all the way to an

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end, to try to find a way to
reduce that violence and try

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to reduce the terrible
humanitarian tool that this

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conflict has already taken
on the people of Syria.

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The Press: Thanks.

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Mr. Earnest: Jim.

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The Press: Josh, yesterday
the President said that the

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hardliners chanting "Death
to America" are making

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common cause with
the Republicans.

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Was that a little
over the top?

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Mr. Earnest: Jim, I think
it was a statement of fact.

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That you have in Iran a
group of hardliners who are

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strongly opposed to the
deal and advocating for

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its defeat.

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And here in the United
States you have Republicans

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in Congress who are
advocating against the deal

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and urging its defeat.

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And in fact, you saw some of
those same Republicans in

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Congress actually write a
letter to the Supreme Leader

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of Iran advocating for the
defeat of the deal, or at

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least promising to do so.

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So the fact is they've
taken the same position.

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The Press: But they're not
working with the hardliners

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chanting "Death to America."

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Mr. Earnest: Certainly not.

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The Press: They don't
share that same spirit --

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Mr. Earnest: No, but they
share the same position on

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the deal.

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And there's an element of
it that's a little ironic

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because one of the arguments
that's made by Republicans

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00:11:39,632 --> 00:11:44,569
is that the deal will only
strengthen the hand -- will

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00:11:44,570 --> 00:11:48,107
strengthen the hand and
benefit hardliners in Iran.

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00:11:48,107 --> 00:11:50,376
The fact is, we see
hardliners in Iran making

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00:11:50,376 --> 00:11:52,778
the same argument that
Republicans are that the

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00:11:52,778 --> 00:11:54,213
deal should be defeated.

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00:11:54,213 --> 00:11:57,348
The Press: So no regret
whatsoever about that?

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00:11:57,349 --> 00:11:58,818
Mr. Earnest: And so I guess
it is -- somebody asked me

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00:11:58,818 --> 00:12:00,386
about irony earlier.

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00:12:00,386 --> 00:12:03,155
This actually would be a
pretty good definition of irony.

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00:12:03,155 --> 00:12:07,393
And the fact is, Republicans
in Congress have the same

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00:12:07,393 --> 00:12:09,795
position on the Iran deal
as the hardliners in Iran,

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00:12:09,795 --> 00:12:12,665
despite the fact that
Republicans say they have

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00:12:12,665 --> 00:12:15,434
that position claiming that
they actually disagree with

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00:12:15,434 --> 00:12:16,435
those hardliners in Iran.

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00:12:16,435 --> 00:12:18,436
But the fact of the matter
is they have the same

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00:12:18,437 --> 00:12:19,438
position on this.

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00:12:19,438 --> 00:12:21,439
The Press: And Senator
McConnell has asked that the

260
00:12:21,440 --> 00:12:22,575
President retract
that comment.

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00:12:22,575 --> 00:12:23,742
I guess that's not coming?

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00:12:23,742 --> 00:12:25,111
He's not going to
retract that comment.

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00:12:25,111 --> 00:12:25,644
Mr. Earnest: That's correct.

264
00:12:25,644 --> 00:12:29,281
The Press: And how is
rhetoric like that supposed

265
00:12:29,281 --> 00:12:33,252
to get Republicans who may
be undecided on this

266
00:12:33,252 --> 00:12:34,719
off the fence?

267
00:12:34,720 --> 00:12:37,256
Senator Jeff Flake, who
accompanied the President to

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00:12:37,256 --> 00:12:41,794
Africa, on that recent trip
to Africa, he has said

269
00:12:41,794 --> 00:12:43,562
publicly that he's
undecided on this.

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00:12:43,562 --> 00:12:45,764
How is that kind of rhetoric
supposed to bring him to

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00:12:45,764 --> 00:12:48,534
your side?

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00:12:48,534 --> 00:12:51,003
Mr. Earnest: Well, Jim,
Senator Flake is going to

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00:12:51,003 --> 00:12:52,004
make his own decision.

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00:12:52,004 --> 00:12:53,072
I know that there were
some previously undecided

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00:12:53,072 --> 00:12:55,107
Democrats that after the --
The Press: You don't think

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00:12:55,107 --> 00:12:58,077
he's in common cause with
the hardliners, I suppose.

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00:12:58,077 --> 00:12:59,445
Mr. Earnest: Well, he is not
advocated aggressively for

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00:12:59,445 --> 00:13:03,315
the defeat of the deal, as
hardliners in Iran have and

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00:13:03,315 --> 00:13:07,186
as some Republicans
in Congress have.

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00:13:07,186 --> 00:13:09,989
But, Jim, as it relates to
the impact of the speech, I

281
00:13:09,989 --> 00:13:13,993
leave it to Senator Flake to
make a decision based on his

282
00:13:13,993 --> 00:13:18,330
own thinking about the
agreement, and I'm confident

283
00:13:18,330 --> 00:13:19,865
that that's what he'll do.

284
00:13:19,865 --> 00:13:24,170
I think Democrats who are on
the fence will do the same.

285
00:13:24,170 --> 00:13:27,872
And I know of at least five
Democrats who were on the

286
00:13:27,873 --> 00:13:31,143
fence before the President
gave the speech and within

287
00:13:31,143 --> 00:13:33,245
24 hours have announced
their support for the deal.

288
00:13:33,245 --> 00:13:35,915
So, apparently, at least a
handful of Democrats found

289
00:13:35,915 --> 00:13:37,882
the President's speech to
be remarkably persuasive.

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00:13:37,883 --> 00:13:41,153
The Press: And Senator
Cardin said earlier this

291
00:13:41,153 --> 00:13:43,389
morning that he does not see
a comparison between this

292
00:13:43,389 --> 00:13:45,724
vote on the Iran deal and
the vote to authorize

293
00:13:45,724 --> 00:13:47,459
war in Iraq.

294
00:13:47,459 --> 00:13:50,362
Might that have been a
comparison that was just a

295
00:13:50,362 --> 00:13:53,365
bit overwrought?

296
00:13:53,365 --> 00:13:56,735
Mr. Earnest: Again, we're
hearing the same kinds of

297
00:13:56,735 --> 00:13:59,738
arguments from
the same people.

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00:13:59,738 --> 00:14:02,174
So back in -- The Press:
Senator Cardin is not one of

299
00:14:02,174 --> 00:14:03,175
those people.

300
00:14:03,175 --> 00:14:05,411
Mr. Earnest: Again, Senator
Cardin is not actively

301
00:14:05,411 --> 00:14:07,845
advocating the defeat of
the -- he's not actively

302
00:14:07,846 --> 00:14:10,449
advocating the defeat
of the Iran agreement.

303
00:14:10,449 --> 00:14:13,017
But those who are are
suggesting things like,

304
00:14:13,018 --> 00:14:15,788
well, we can't trust Iran
and we shouldn't do any kind

305
00:14:15,788 --> 00:14:18,524
of -- engage in any kind
of diplomacy with Iran.

306
00:14:18,524 --> 00:14:21,060
Some of them are promising
that military action against

307
00:14:21,060 --> 00:14:24,396
Iran would be really easy
and almost painless.

308
00:14:24,396 --> 00:14:26,397
There are others who suggest
that we shouldn't really

309
00:14:26,398 --> 00:14:30,035
worry about the fact that 99
percent of the international

310
00:14:30,035 --> 00:14:32,404
community is supportive
of the agreement.

311
00:14:32,404 --> 00:14:36,742
We should sort of neglect
the concerns or opinions

312
00:14:36,742 --> 00:14:39,245
that are expressed by some
of our closest allies

313
00:14:39,245 --> 00:14:40,379
in the world.

314
00:14:40,379 --> 00:14:43,716
Those are the same arguments
that led us to war in 2003

315
00:14:43,716 --> 00:14:45,351
in Iraq -- the
same arguments.

316
00:14:45,351 --> 00:14:48,821
And the irony is,
it's the same people.

317
00:14:48,821 --> 00:14:51,323
And that's the argument that
the President is making.

318
00:14:51,323 --> 00:14:52,391
And it's a fact.

319
00:14:52,391 --> 00:14:55,728
The Press: And so what was
he after then in that

320
00:14:55,728 --> 00:14:56,728
speech yesterday?

321
00:14:56,729 --> 00:14:58,631
Was he trying to
convince anybody?

322
00:14:58,631 --> 00:15:01,132
Or does he just think that
people are in their camps,

323
00:15:01,133 --> 00:15:04,169
they're not going to be
moved, and that's that?

324
00:15:04,169 --> 00:15:06,538
Mr. Earnest: Jim, as I
mentioned, there were five

325
00:15:06,538 --> 00:15:08,774
Democrats in the House of
Representatives after the

326
00:15:08,774 --> 00:15:10,809
President's speech who,
within 24 hours since the

327
00:15:10,809 --> 00:15:13,545
President gave his speech,
have announced their support

328
00:15:13,545 --> 00:15:14,813
for the agreement.

329
00:15:14,813 --> 00:15:17,783
So, again, I do think that
there are at least some

330
00:15:17,783 --> 00:15:20,686
Democrats and one
independent senator that

331
00:15:20,686 --> 00:15:22,688
announced their support
for the deal after the

332
00:15:22,688 --> 00:15:23,689
President's speech.

333
00:15:23,689 --> 00:15:26,425
The Press: The message to
Democrats being that we

334
00:15:26,425 --> 00:15:29,594
don't want to go down the
road with the Iraq war, that

335
00:15:29,595 --> 00:15:31,597
some Democrats made
the wrong choice.

336
00:15:31,597 --> 00:15:33,598
The President was saying
yesterday, look at the

337
00:15:33,599 --> 00:15:36,769
people who made the wrong
choice in Iraq in 2003.

338
00:15:36,769 --> 00:15:39,972
He didn't mention the fact
that his Vice President,

339
00:15:39,972 --> 00:15:41,507
Secretary of State, former
Secretary of State, all cast

340
00:15:41,507 --> 00:15:43,375
votes in favor
of the Iraq war.

341
00:15:43,375 --> 00:15:45,177
Mr. Earnest: Jim, I think
this was a message to the

342
00:15:45,177 --> 00:15:48,147
country that we shouldn't go
down this path again, that

343
00:15:48,147 --> 00:15:50,582
we need to learn from
mistakes that were made in 2003.

344
00:15:50,582 --> 00:15:53,319
And when people say it's not
worth it to waste our time

345
00:15:53,319 --> 00:15:56,689
with diplomacy, and that
military action is easy and

346
00:15:56,689 --> 00:15:59,290
painless, and that we should
neglect and even ignore the

347
00:15:59,291 --> 00:16:01,827
opinions of our closest
allies in the world, that's

348
00:16:01,827 --> 00:16:04,697
the same argument that was
made in 2003, and that's the

349
00:16:04,697 --> 00:16:06,699
argument that we're hearing
from many Republicans who

350
00:16:06,699 --> 00:16:09,300
are advocating against
the deal here in 2015.

351
00:16:09,301 --> 00:16:12,171
The Press: Lastly, totally
different subject.

352
00:16:12,171 --> 00:16:14,340
The Democratic National
Committee announced that

353
00:16:14,340 --> 00:16:15,541
there will be six debates.

354
00:16:15,541 --> 00:16:18,677
Is that enough?

355
00:16:18,677 --> 00:16:21,180
The President, when he was
running for President back

356
00:16:21,180 --> 00:16:27,853
in 2008, was involved in
something like 26 or 27 debates.

357
00:16:27,853 --> 00:16:31,357
It was a wild
and wooly race.

358
00:16:31,357 --> 00:16:33,791
This sounds like the party
really doesn't want much of

359
00:16:33,792 --> 00:16:35,928
a debate here -- six
debates and then that's it.

360
00:16:35,928 --> 00:16:38,063
Mr. Earnest: Well, again,
I leave it to the DNC to

361
00:16:38,063 --> 00:16:40,833
decide the appropriate
number of debates.

362
00:16:40,833 --> 00:16:43,401
But I'm confident that six
debates would give the

363
00:16:43,402 --> 00:16:48,073
candidates ample opportunity
to make a direct

364
00:16:48,073 --> 00:16:50,576
presentation to the country
and to Democratic voters

365
00:16:50,576 --> 00:16:52,644
across the country about
what they're values and

366
00:16:52,644 --> 00:16:54,513
priorities would be if they
were elected President of

367
00:16:54,513 --> 00:16:55,781
the United States.

368
00:16:55,781 --> 00:16:57,049
April.

369
00:16:57,049 --> 00:16:58,884
The Press: Josh, I want to
ask you some questions on

370
00:16:58,884 --> 00:17:02,187
two different subjects
-- one, on the debate.

371
00:17:02,187 --> 00:17:05,691
They're expecting a very,
very large crowd to tune in

372
00:17:05,691 --> 00:17:08,894
tonight -- in the millions,
could be 15 million, give or

373
00:17:08,894 --> 00:17:14,767
take a few million --
but around that number.

374
00:17:14,767 --> 00:17:16,735
Mr. Earnest: The phrase that
comes to mind is, be careful

375
00:17:16,734 --> 00:17:17,602
what you wish for.

376
00:17:17,603 --> 00:17:19,338
The Press: I didn't say I
was wishing for it,

377
00:17:19,338 --> 00:17:19,805
I'm saying --

378
00:17:19,805 --> 00:17:20,305
Mr. Earnest: I'm
not suggesting that you were

379
00:17:20,305 --> 00:17:21,206
wishing for it.

380
00:17:21,205 --> 00:17:23,442
I think there might be some
Republican candidates who

381
00:17:23,442 --> 00:17:24,443
are wishing for it.

382
00:17:24,443 --> 00:17:29,348
The Press: Well, even with
that, they are going to be

383
00:17:29,348 --> 00:17:31,183
trying to vie for attention
and there are expected to be

384
00:17:31,183 --> 00:17:32,551
attacks on this President.

385
00:17:32,551 --> 00:17:36,822
How is this White House
expected to react and come

386
00:17:36,822 --> 00:17:42,460
back to correct what I'm
sure this administration

387
00:17:42,461 --> 00:17:49,301
would be considering
misspeak, misinterpretation

388
00:17:49,301 --> 00:17:53,138
of the Iran deal or
ACA or anything else?

389
00:17:53,138 --> 00:17:55,006
How is this administration
planning on coming back to

390
00:17:55,007 --> 00:17:57,209
fight back after
tonight's debate?

391
00:17:57,209 --> 00:18:00,479
Mr. Earnest: April,
there's no war room or

392
00:18:00,479 --> 00:18:02,848
rapid-response team that's
been assembled by the

393
00:18:02,848 --> 00:18:04,316
White House.

394
00:18:04,316 --> 00:18:06,552
The Press: DNC has one.

395
00:18:06,552 --> 00:18:08,587
Mr. Earnest: Well, then you
can talk to them about what

396
00:18:08,587 --> 00:18:10,254
they may be planning.

397
00:18:10,255 --> 00:18:15,828
I suspect that they may be
spending some time trying to

398
00:18:15,828 --> 00:18:20,132
pull the truth out of the
thicket of overheated

399
00:18:20,132 --> 00:18:23,735
rhetoric that we can
expect to see tonight.

400
00:18:23,735 --> 00:18:26,737
But I'm not aware of any
plan here at the White House

401
00:18:26,738 --> 00:18:30,309
to respond to the
Republican debate tonight.

402
00:18:30,309 --> 00:18:34,913
The Press: And also, today,
on this big day for the GOP,

403
00:18:34,913 --> 00:18:37,816
it's also a huge day in this
country -- 50th anniversary

404
00:18:37,816 --> 00:18:40,986
of the signing of the
Voting Rights Act into law.

405
00:18:40,986 --> 00:18:42,654
Why is it still
needed today?

406
00:18:42,654 --> 00:18:46,391
Because originally, it was
for Southern states who had

407
00:18:46,391 --> 00:18:52,297
obstacles in
helping blacks vote.

408
00:18:52,297 --> 00:18:54,099
They were trying to get
the -- make sure that --

409
00:18:54,099 --> 00:18:55,766
clearing the obstacles
for blacks to vote.

410
00:18:55,767 --> 00:18:58,504
Why today are we still
saying, 50 years later, in

411
00:18:58,504 --> 00:19:00,738
2015, that we need
a Voting Rights Act?

412
00:19:00,739 --> 00:19:03,442
Mr. Earnest: Well, April,
because I think for a couple

413
00:19:03,442 --> 00:19:04,443
of reasons.

414
00:19:04,443 --> 00:19:08,013
The first is there are
documented instances where

415
00:19:08,013 --> 00:19:11,015
Republicans have
acknowledged that they could

416
00:19:11,016 --> 00:19:14,219
seek a political advantage
based on the way that

417
00:19:14,219 --> 00:19:16,755
elections are administered.

418
00:19:16,755 --> 00:19:21,593
And that certainly is not in
keeping with the values that

419
00:19:21,593 --> 00:19:24,296
are enshrined in our
Constitution or the kinds of

420
00:19:24,296 --> 00:19:26,632
values that make
our country great.

421
00:19:26,632 --> 00:19:30,168
And I would point out that
even just yesterday, the 5th

422
00:19:30,168 --> 00:19:37,642
Circuit Court of Appeals
that's based in New Orleans

423
00:19:37,643 --> 00:19:41,580
issued a ruling raising
concerns about the

424
00:19:41,580 --> 00:19:46,351
discriminatory impact
of a Texas voting law.

425
00:19:46,351 --> 00:19:48,186
That occurred
just yesterday.

426
00:19:48,186 --> 00:19:52,724
So that's a case that is
still going through the

427
00:19:52,724 --> 00:19:55,127
legal process, so I
can't talk about it too

428
00:19:55,127 --> 00:19:57,763
extensively other than
acknowledging that this

429
00:19:57,763 --> 00:20:00,465
decision was handed down,
and I think it's an

430
00:20:00,465 --> 00:20:05,571
indication that there
continues to be a need for

431
00:20:05,571 --> 00:20:08,506
laws that protect the right
of every eligible American

432
00:20:08,507 --> 00:20:09,808
to vote.

433
00:20:09,808 --> 00:20:12,377
And the President -- I
think, as you'll hear him

434
00:20:12,377 --> 00:20:14,713
say a little bit later
today, but as he certainly

435
00:20:14,713 --> 00:20:18,850
said in the past -- has been
quite disappointed at the

436
00:20:18,850 --> 00:20:22,553
amount of energy and effort
that's been expended by

437
00:20:22,554 --> 00:20:25,591
Republicans to make it
harder for eligible

438
00:20:25,591 --> 00:20:28,327
Americans to cast a vote.

439
00:20:28,327 --> 00:20:31,763
And that's why -- that's in
part why you've seen the

440
00:20:31,763 --> 00:20:35,167
Department of Justice go to
such great lengths to try to

441
00:20:35,167 --> 00:20:39,538
protect the voting rights
of veterans and Spanish

442
00:20:39,538 --> 00:20:43,108
speakers and elderly
Americans who may not have

443
00:20:43,108 --> 00:20:47,546
driver's licenses -- and,
yes, even African Americans.

444
00:20:47,546 --> 00:20:54,086
And this principle of
ensuring that eligible

445
00:20:54,086 --> 00:20:57,489
Americans have the
opportunity to vote is one

446
00:20:57,489 --> 00:20:59,491
that this administration has
gone to great lengths to

447
00:20:59,491 --> 00:21:00,492
aggressively defend.

448
00:21:00,492 --> 00:21:02,094
The Press: So what is the
President going to do and

449
00:21:02,094 --> 00:21:04,329
what is he going to
say about restoration?

450
00:21:04,329 --> 00:21:06,531
We've heard him talk before
-- is he going to say

451
00:21:06,531 --> 00:21:08,000
something new today about
restoring the

452
00:21:08,000 --> 00:21:09,101
Voting Rights Act?

453
00:21:09,101 --> 00:21:14,439
Because there's a different,
I guess, problem when it

454
00:21:14,439 --> 00:21:17,109
comes to voting issues in
this country versus

455
00:21:17,109 --> 00:21:17,943
50 years ago.

456
00:21:17,943 --> 00:21:19,711
What is he going to say
today that's new as it

457
00:21:19,711 --> 00:21:21,713
relates to voting rights?

458
00:21:21,713 --> 00:21:22,681
Mr. Earnest: Well, April,
I think you heard the

459
00:21:22,681 --> 00:21:24,282
President speak quite
powerfully about this issue

460
00:21:24,282 --> 00:21:27,386
in Selma, Alabama,
earlier this year.

461
00:21:27,386 --> 00:21:30,155
And the President at that
time used that rather

462
00:21:30,155 --> 00:21:33,725
significant platform to urge
Democrats and Republicans --

463
00:21:33,725 --> 00:21:35,394
everybody who says they're
concerned about voting

464
00:21:35,394 --> 00:21:38,397
rights -- to act together
and to find common ground

465
00:21:38,397 --> 00:21:42,000
and advance and renew
the Voting Rights Act.

466
00:21:42,000 --> 00:21:44,936
And the President will
repeat that call today.

467
00:21:44,936 --> 00:21:47,139
Pam.

468
00:21:47,139 --> 00:21:49,306
The Press: Thank you.

469
00:21:49,307 --> 00:21:51,376
Following up on Jim's line
of questioning, do the

470
00:21:51,376 --> 00:21:55,013
Democrats who oppose the
Iranian nuclear deal also

471
00:21:55,013 --> 00:21:58,316
have common cause with
the Iranian hardliners?

472
00:21:58,316 --> 00:22:03,388
Mr. Earnest: Well, Pam, the
thing that I would say is

473
00:22:03,388 --> 00:22:07,292
that we have seen
Republicans, even before the

474
00:22:07,292 --> 00:22:10,995
deal was announced,
proclaim it a bad deal.

475
00:22:10,996 --> 00:22:14,232
I'd point you back to
Sunday, July 12 -- not a

476
00:22:14,232 --> 00:22:17,803
particularly notable day in
American political history,

477
00:22:17,803 --> 00:22:21,773
but it is a day when several
members of the Republican

478
00:22:21,773 --> 00:22:24,576
congressional leadership
took to the airwaves --

479
00:22:24,576 --> 00:22:27,679
including the airwaves on
your network -- to proclaim

480
00:22:27,679 --> 00:22:30,949
the Iran agreement a bad
deal, even though the Iran

481
00:22:30,949 --> 00:22:32,984
agreement hadn't
been agreed to yet.

482
00:22:32,984 --> 00:22:35,620
It wasn't rolled out
until two days later.

483
00:22:35,620 --> 00:22:42,427
And that is consistent with
the views that are even more

484
00:22:42,427 --> 00:22:46,564
colorfully expressed on
the streets of Iran by

485
00:22:46,565 --> 00:22:49,601
hardliners in Iran who are
strongly opposed to the deal.

486
00:22:49,601 --> 00:22:51,770
The Press: But the
difference is a rush to

487
00:22:51,770 --> 00:22:54,940
judgment -- the Democrats
took longer to decide they

488
00:22:54,940 --> 00:22:56,942
didn't think it
was a good deal?

489
00:22:56,942 --> 00:22:58,944
Mr. Earnest: Well, I think
that there are a number of

490
00:22:58,944 --> 00:23:03,281
Democrats who at least
considered the deal and at

491
00:23:03,281 --> 00:23:06,717
least listened to the
President and his national

492
00:23:06,718 --> 00:23:07,953
security team make the case.

493
00:23:07,953 --> 00:23:11,389
Now, I certainly disagree
with the conclusion that

494
00:23:11,389 --> 00:23:13,492
they've reached, but at
least they took their

495
00:23:13,492 --> 00:23:17,428
responsibilities seriously
and didn't just respond out

496
00:23:17,429 --> 00:23:20,499
of an ideological or
political or partisan

497
00:23:20,499 --> 00:23:22,501
opportunity to the
leader of the country.

498
00:23:22,501 --> 00:23:25,637
The Press: The President has
said that he wants members

499
00:23:25,637 --> 00:23:28,506
of Congress to judge the
deal on its merits,

500
00:23:28,507 --> 00:23:29,508
on the facts.

501
00:23:29,508 --> 00:23:33,011
Is that kind of rhetoric,
putting Republicans in with

502
00:23:33,011 --> 00:23:36,848
Iranian hardliners, keeping
the debate on the facts?

503
00:23:36,848 --> 00:23:39,851
Mr. Earnest: I think, Pam,
the other observation I

504
00:23:39,851 --> 00:23:42,654
would have for you is that
we haven't had a lot -- an

505
00:23:42,654 --> 00:23:45,590
extensive debate about the
facts, that there's been a

506
00:23:45,590 --> 00:23:48,126
desire on the part of
opponents of this deal to

507
00:23:48,126 --> 00:23:50,796
not really hone in on the
details of the agreement,

508
00:23:50,796 --> 00:23:54,299
but to make broader
rhetorical arguments, in

509
00:23:54,299 --> 00:23:56,902
some cases, even critiquing
the tone of the President's

510
00:23:56,902 --> 00:24:01,039
speech about the deal --
not actually raising any

511
00:24:01,039 --> 00:24:04,342
legitimate concerns about
the substance of the deal.

512
00:24:04,342 --> 00:24:06,344
I think that adds some
weight to the President's

513
00:24:06,344 --> 00:24:09,481
argument that there is no
legitimate alternative

514
00:24:09,481 --> 00:24:11,917
that's being put forward
by the other side.

515
00:24:11,917 --> 00:24:15,387
What's being put forward by
the other side is advocating

516
00:24:15,387 --> 00:24:19,890
killing a deal that would
leave military action as the

517
00:24:19,891 --> 00:24:21,893
only alternative to prevent
Iran from obtaining a

518
00:24:21,893 --> 00:24:22,894
nuclear weapon.

519
00:24:22,894 --> 00:24:23,895
The Press: One more.

520
00:24:23,895 --> 00:24:26,565
In Selma and in his op-ed
this morning, the President

521
00:24:26,565 --> 00:24:29,734
talked both about efforts
to make it harder for some

522
00:24:29,734 --> 00:24:32,404
people to vote, and the
fact that so many Americans

523
00:24:32,404 --> 00:24:34,105
choose not to vote.

524
00:24:34,105 --> 00:24:36,274
Which would he say is
a bigger threat to the

525
00:24:36,274 --> 00:24:39,511
exercise of democracy, the
efforts to restrict voter

526
00:24:39,511 --> 00:24:41,913
rights, or the fact that
people are just apathetic?

527
00:24:41,913 --> 00:24:44,516
Mr. Earnest: Well, Pam,
the President has made the

528
00:24:44,516 --> 00:24:50,856
observation that people do
have a choice when they walk

529
00:24:50,856 --> 00:24:54,359
into the voting booth of
voting for one candidate or

530
00:24:54,359 --> 00:24:57,829
another, and it is a choice
to say that you're not going

531
00:24:57,829 --> 00:24:58,830
to cast a ballot.

532
00:24:58,830 --> 00:25:00,831
It certainly is not a choice
that the President agrees with.

533
00:25:03,802 --> 00:25:06,538
But I think that is
materially different than

534
00:25:06,538 --> 00:25:09,307
people who expend
significant time and energy,

535
00:25:09,307 --> 00:25:12,177
and in some cases,
significant sums of money,

536
00:25:12,177 --> 00:25:16,715
to actually deprive eligible
Americans of the right to vote.

537
00:25:16,715 --> 00:25:18,683
So I would describe
that as worse.

538
00:25:18,683 --> 00:25:22,454
But people who choose not to
engage in their democracy,

539
00:25:22,454 --> 00:25:23,154
that's a problem, too.

540
00:25:23,154 --> 00:25:24,923
Jim.

541
00:25:24,923 --> 00:25:27,492
The Press: Let me start
with Iran, if I could.

542
00:25:27,492 --> 00:25:30,495
It does seem as if the
public still, beyond the

543
00:25:30,495 --> 00:25:33,398
Congress, the public seems
to be divided, at least

544
00:25:33,398 --> 00:25:38,102
according to polls --
very closely divided.

545
00:25:38,103 --> 00:25:41,406
And one of the key questions
that seems to be out there

546
00:25:41,406 --> 00:25:45,911
is the administration has
said that war there or an

547
00:25:45,911 --> 00:25:50,415
attack on Iran is not simple
and, in fact, would be more

548
00:25:50,415 --> 00:25:54,019
difficult, and you relate it
to what happened in Iraq.

549
00:25:54,019 --> 00:25:59,224
But isn't it different,
and won't people see it as

550
00:25:59,224 --> 00:26:04,095
different -- isn't it simple
to -- how different is it

551
00:26:04,095 --> 00:26:06,631
to, instead of -- you're
not trying to overthrow a

552
00:26:06,631 --> 00:26:08,466
government in this case.

553
00:26:08,466 --> 00:26:12,870
You would be trying to just
knock out their nuclear

554
00:26:12,871 --> 00:26:17,042
sites, which Israel has done
on occasion, and why can't

555
00:26:17,042 --> 00:26:18,243
the United States do that?

556
00:26:18,243 --> 00:26:20,245
Mr. Earnest: You think
that's how they'd see it,

557
00:26:20,245 --> 00:26:20,879
Jim?

558
00:26:20,879 --> 00:26:22,112
The Press: Pardon?

559
00:26:22,113 --> 00:26:22,948
Mr. Earnest: You think
that's how they would see it?

560
00:26:22,948 --> 00:26:25,583
I think the point is I don't
think that the Iranians

561
00:26:25,583 --> 00:26:27,018
would see it that way.

562
00:26:27,018 --> 00:26:32,290
And I think it is
entirely logical and even

563
00:26:32,290 --> 00:26:39,164
constructive, responsible,
to assume that a military

564
00:26:39,164 --> 00:26:42,834
action against what the
Iranian regime has called a

565
00:26:42,834 --> 00:26:46,972
national priority would
provoke a significant

566
00:26:46,972 --> 00:26:51,676
reaction from the
Iranian regime.

567
00:26:51,676 --> 00:26:53,678
The President talked about
this a little bit in the

568
00:26:53,678 --> 00:26:55,680
conversation he had with
some columnists in the

569
00:26:55,680 --> 00:27:01,152
Roosevelt Room yesterday,
that given the significant

570
00:27:01,152 --> 00:27:04,889
military advantage that the
United States has, it might

571
00:27:04,889 --> 00:27:08,193
be a little unlikely that
the Iranians would respond

572
00:27:08,193 --> 00:27:13,231
directly by attacking
the United States.

573
00:27:13,231 --> 00:27:17,869
But we know that Iran
and their proxies have a

574
00:27:17,869 --> 00:27:19,870
significant number of
missiles that are aimed

575
00:27:19,871 --> 00:27:21,806
at Israel.

576
00:27:21,806 --> 00:27:25,110
We know right now that Iran
is providing at least some

577
00:27:25,110 --> 00:27:31,582
support to Shia militia that
are operating inside of Iraq

578
00:27:31,583 --> 00:27:36,488
-- in some cases in rather
close proximity to U.S.

579
00:27:36,488 --> 00:27:38,123
military trainers.

580
00:27:38,123 --> 00:27:40,959
So there is some
vulnerability.

581
00:27:40,959 --> 00:27:47,399
And you can only imagine --
the other example, we saw

582
00:27:47,399 --> 00:27:51,168
reports just earlier today
that the Iranian military

583
00:27:51,169 --> 00:27:54,105
had undertaken some
provocative action against U.S.

584
00:27:54,105 --> 00:27:57,375
military personnel that were
operating in international

585
00:27:57,375 --> 00:27:59,811
waters around the
Strait of Hormuz.

586
00:27:59,811 --> 00:28:02,379
You can only imagine what
the reaction in the United

587
00:28:02,380 --> 00:28:08,286
States will be if Iran did
any one of those things or

588
00:28:08,286 --> 00:28:10,588
their proxies did
one of those things.

589
00:28:10,588 --> 00:28:13,124
And that's where the
march to war begins.

590
00:28:13,124 --> 00:28:18,229
And so there are some,
including Tom Cotton,

591
00:28:18,229 --> 00:28:22,200
Senator Cotton, who suggests
that -- again, as I alluded

592
00:28:22,200 --> 00:28:25,203
to earlier -- that military
action would be easy.

593
00:28:25,203 --> 00:28:28,039
But that's exactly the kind
of thinking that got us in

594
00:28:28,039 --> 00:28:31,743
trouble in Iraq in 2003 --
that the first month or so

595
00:28:31,743 --> 00:28:35,513
of that war did live up to
the hype; that there was

596
00:28:35,513 --> 00:28:38,149
shock and awe, and that
there was a rapid advance of

597
00:28:38,149 --> 00:28:42,419
U.S. forces across the
desert in Iraq.

598
00:28:42,420 --> 00:28:45,824
But 12 years later, we're
still dealing with the

599
00:28:45,824 --> 00:28:49,527
consequences of that
seemingly simply

600
00:28:49,527 --> 00:28:50,862
military operation.

601
00:28:50,862 --> 00:28:54,466
And again, I think the
parallels of these two

602
00:28:54,466 --> 00:28:56,033
situations are undeniable.

603
00:28:56,034 --> 00:28:58,670
The Press: Changing the
subject to the Voting Rights

604
00:28:58,670 --> 00:29:00,972
Act, a couple quick
questions on this.

605
00:29:00,972 --> 00:29:06,978
Just if you could -- you've
said that the voter I.D.

606
00:29:06,978 --> 00:29:10,615
laws discriminate against
older people who don't have

607
00:29:10,615 --> 00:29:13,118
licenses; you mentioned
Spanish speakers.

608
00:29:13,118 --> 00:29:16,254
What protection -- if,
in fact, voter I.D.

609
00:29:16,254 --> 00:29:19,657
laws were to be eliminated,
what protections would we

610
00:29:19,657 --> 00:29:22,894
have that only those who
were supposed to vote

611
00:29:22,894 --> 00:29:25,096
would vote?

612
00:29:25,096 --> 00:29:29,200
And does the President
support making it easier to

613
00:29:29,200 --> 00:29:32,437
vote on the other end by
having -- by moving the

614
00:29:32,437 --> 00:29:36,274
election from Tuesday during
the work day to days when

615
00:29:36,274 --> 00:29:40,245
people are not at work, or
evenings, where people could

616
00:29:40,245 --> 00:29:44,081
vote, as is done in
some other places?

617
00:29:44,082 --> 00:29:48,219
Mr. Earnest: Well, Jim, as
you know, the election rules

618
00:29:48,219 --> 00:29:53,224
are written by states and
administered by local officials.

619
00:29:53,224 --> 00:29:55,994
And the goal of the Voting
Rights Act was to try to

620
00:29:55,994 --> 00:30:01,399
provide some uniformity of
access to the ballot box for

621
00:30:01,399 --> 00:30:02,399
many Americans.

622
00:30:02,400 --> 00:30:06,404
And so in terms of the
protections, we obviously

623
00:30:06,404 --> 00:30:09,307
are going to rely on state
and local officials to put

624
00:30:09,307 --> 00:30:12,544
those protections in place
and to enforce them.

625
00:30:12,544 --> 00:30:14,779
There are a variety of ideas
that people have come up

626
00:30:14,779 --> 00:30:19,884
with to make it easier or
to somehow encourage more

627
00:30:19,884 --> 00:30:23,087
people to participate in
the electoral process.

628
00:30:23,087 --> 00:30:27,225
And I know that some who
have taken a close look at

629
00:30:27,225 --> 00:30:29,226
this issue, for example,
have found that there might

630
00:30:29,227 --> 00:30:32,697
be some downsides to moving
Election Day to a weekend

631
00:30:32,697 --> 00:30:35,199
instead of a weekday.

632
00:30:35,200 --> 00:30:38,136
But the President did
announce a blue-ribbon

633
00:30:38,136 --> 00:30:42,907
commission that included
political operatives and

634
00:30:42,907 --> 00:30:47,412
attorneys from both parties
to take a look at this and

635
00:30:47,412 --> 00:30:49,647
to put forward some
recommendations about how

636
00:30:49,647 --> 00:30:52,250
the process of registering
to vote and casting a ballot

637
00:30:52,250 --> 00:30:56,254
could be made more
convenient for voters.

638
00:30:56,254 --> 00:30:58,255
And we certainly would
encourage states to take a

639
00:30:58,256 --> 00:31:00,825
look at the results of that
blue-ribbon commission and

640
00:31:00,825 --> 00:31:02,827
even implement some
of those ideas.

641
00:31:02,827 --> 00:31:03,795
The Press: If I could just
turn to immigration for a

642
00:31:03,795 --> 00:31:07,966
moment -- does the
administration believe --

643
00:31:07,966 --> 00:31:13,604
continue to believe that
these private prisons for

644
00:31:13,605 --> 00:31:17,775
families, including
children, are a good idea,

645
00:31:17,775 --> 00:31:24,148
even though a judge has said
that you need to move on this?

646
00:31:24,148 --> 00:31:25,882
Does the administration
believe it's a good idea to

647
00:31:25,883 --> 00:31:28,386
be on the same side as
Chairman Bob Goodlatte, who

648
00:31:28,386 --> 00:31:33,224
has urged you to continue to
-- urged the DHS to continue

649
00:31:33,224 --> 00:31:36,159
to fight to keep detaining
women and children?

650
00:31:36,160 --> 00:31:37,829
Is that a good idea?

651
00:31:37,829 --> 00:31:40,632
Mr. Earnest: Well, Jim, I'm
limited in what I can say

652
00:31:40,632 --> 00:31:42,634
about this because of
the court case that

653
00:31:42,634 --> 00:31:45,036
you referenced.

654
00:31:45,036 --> 00:31:46,904
We have acknowledged from
the very beginning that this

655
00:31:46,904 --> 00:31:49,874
is a very complicated and
even difficult policy

656
00:31:49,874 --> 00:31:52,343
problem to confront.

657
00:31:52,343 --> 00:31:55,947
And the best way to confront
this policy is to try to

658
00:31:55,947 --> 00:31:57,881
prevent this occurrence
from happening in the

659
00:31:57,882 --> 00:31:59,317
first place.

660
00:31:59,317 --> 00:32:02,553
And that's why you've seen
the administration do a

661
00:32:02,553 --> 00:32:06,224
variety of things with our
partners in Mexico and in

662
00:32:06,224 --> 00:32:09,193
Central America to try to
stem the flow of women and

663
00:32:09,193 --> 00:32:11,429
children who are seeking
to illegally enter

664
00:32:11,429 --> 00:32:14,098
this country.

665
00:32:14,098 --> 00:32:16,334
So that's sort of
where this starts.

666
00:32:16,334 --> 00:32:18,336
There are some investments
that we've made in these

667
00:32:18,336 --> 00:32:20,338
individual countries;
there are steps that we've

668
00:32:20,338 --> 00:32:23,107
encouraged our Mexican
partners to take, and to

669
00:32:23,107 --> 00:32:25,109
their credit, they've
followed through on some of

670
00:32:25,109 --> 00:32:29,580
those commitments to
try to stem the flow of

671
00:32:29,580 --> 00:32:33,551
undocumented
workers northward.

672
00:32:33,551 --> 00:32:36,587
But what's also true is we
need to enforce the laws

673
00:32:36,587 --> 00:32:40,158
that are on the books, and
we do need to have a process

674
00:32:40,158 --> 00:32:41,158
for --

675
00:32:41,159 --> 00:32:43,461
The Press: But, Josh,
the law that's on the books

676
00:32:43,461 --> 00:32:48,232
says that women and children
should be put in places not

677
00:32:48,232 --> 00:32:52,570
like prisons and, in fact,
places that are certified to

678
00:32:52,570 --> 00:32:54,072
care for children,
or with relatives.

679
00:32:54,072 --> 00:32:56,440
And that's not what the
administration is doing.

680
00:32:56,441 --> 00:32:57,408
That is against the law.

681
00:32:57,408 --> 00:33:00,812
Does the administration feel
as though -- that it

682
00:33:00,812 --> 00:33:04,048
should change?

683
00:33:04,048 --> 00:33:06,684
Wouldn't it be better to put
that money you're spending

684
00:33:06,684 --> 00:33:09,787
on private prisons --
millions and millions of

685
00:33:09,787 --> 00:33:11,823
dollars -- into the court
system to process these

686
00:33:11,823 --> 00:33:14,959
people faster and get
them where they belong?

687
00:33:14,959 --> 00:33:17,729
Mr. Earnest: Well, some of
these specific proposals,

688
00:33:17,729 --> 00:33:19,731
I'd refer you to the
Department of Homeland

689
00:33:19,731 --> 00:33:22,433
Security for the feasibility
of implementing them.

690
00:33:22,433 --> 00:33:25,069
But all I can tell you is
that this is a difficult

691
00:33:25,069 --> 00:33:30,174
policy problem that we have
worked very hard to address.

692
00:33:30,174 --> 00:33:32,176
But in terms of weighing the
pros and cons here, it's

693
00:33:32,176 --> 00:33:34,178
hard for me to do that
because that's something

694
00:33:34,178 --> 00:33:37,014
that's being done in a
court of law right now.

695
00:33:37,014 --> 00:33:38,014
JC.

696
00:33:38,015 --> 00:33:40,852
The Press: How closely do
you think the American

697
00:33:40,852 --> 00:33:43,154
people are really paying
attention to this Iran

698
00:33:43,154 --> 00:33:45,390
nuclear debate?

699
00:33:45,390 --> 00:33:48,593
Mr. Earnest: I think it's
hard to tell -- particularly

700
00:33:48,593 --> 00:33:49,494
at this time of year.

701
00:33:49,494 --> 00:33:52,362
But that's certainly
not going to stop the

702
00:33:52,363 --> 00:33:57,168
administration or the
President himself from

703
00:33:57,168 --> 00:33:59,370
making the case publicly.

704
00:33:59,370 --> 00:34:01,805
And it's not going to stop
the opponents of this deal

705
00:34:01,806 --> 00:34:04,008
from making their case
to the public, as well.

706
00:34:04,008 --> 00:34:08,513
And I would expect that this
debate -- even in a month

707
00:34:08,513 --> 00:34:12,482
when many Americans are not
paying close attention to

708
00:34:12,483 --> 00:34:15,119
public policy issues like
this, where I think this is

709
00:34:15,119 --> 00:34:16,120
a debate that will continue.

710
00:34:16,120 --> 00:34:18,221
The Press: Speaking about an
opponent to the debate, how

711
00:34:18,222 --> 00:34:20,458
concerned is this
administration that Prime

712
00:34:20,458 --> 00:34:23,261
Minister Netanyahu will be
making additional overtures

713
00:34:23,261 --> 00:34:25,563
to defeat this bill to
Congress, in fact, maybe

714
00:34:25,563 --> 00:34:27,265
even in person?

715
00:34:27,264 --> 00:34:30,201
Mr. Earnest: Well, JC, I'm
not aware of any plans that

716
00:34:30,201 --> 00:34:32,870
the Prime Minister has, but
it's difficult for me to

717
00:34:32,870 --> 00:34:35,639
imagine that he would have
a more significant platform

718
00:34:35,639 --> 00:34:37,908
than he ascended back in
March when he spoke to a

719
00:34:37,909 --> 00:34:39,010
joint session of Congress.

720
00:34:39,010 --> 00:34:41,312
So he certainly has had
ample opportunity to make

721
00:34:41,312 --> 00:34:43,480
his views of
this deal known.

722
00:34:43,481 --> 00:34:44,248
The Press: Thank you.

723
00:34:44,248 --> 00:34:45,883
Mr. Earnest: David.

724
00:34:45,882 --> 00:34:47,118
The Press: Just a follow-up.

725
00:34:47,118 --> 00:34:49,587
Do you feel that -- the
President had Jewish

726
00:34:49,587 --> 00:34:51,556
American groups over to the
White House the other night,

727
00:34:51,556 --> 00:34:53,057
and he spoke publicly on
the deal, and I think he's

728
00:34:53,056 --> 00:34:54,759
giving an interview today
for a Sunday show for

729
00:34:54,759 --> 00:34:56,461
Fareed Zakaria.

730
00:34:56,460 --> 00:34:58,328
Does he believe that --
you said he's not going to

731
00:34:58,329 --> 00:35:00,331
engage with lawmakers during
this two-week vacation.

732
00:35:00,331 --> 00:35:02,333
Does he believe he's gotten
his arguments out now, that

733
00:35:02,333 --> 00:35:05,436
they're out there, he
himself has ticked off the

734
00:35:05,436 --> 00:35:07,472
criticisms and kind of
rebutted them already --

735
00:35:07,472 --> 00:35:09,240
does he feel confident that
he's okay to go off on the

736
00:35:09,240 --> 00:35:11,609
vacation and not have to
speak publicly and sell this

737
00:35:11,609 --> 00:35:14,078
deal for two weeks, and
that he's done all he can?

738
00:35:14,078 --> 00:35:16,514
Mr. Earnest: I think the
President has had ample

739
00:35:16,514 --> 00:35:20,218
opportunity -- both in the
context of the speech that

740
00:35:20,218 --> 00:35:21,519
he gave the morning after
the deal was announced, and

741
00:35:21,519 --> 00:35:24,321
the news conference that he
did with all of you where he

742
00:35:24,322 --> 00:35:26,858
spent more than an hour
answering questions and

743
00:35:26,858 --> 00:35:30,361
taking on directly many of
the criticisms of the deal,

744
00:35:30,361 --> 00:35:32,763
and of course, he had a
sizeable platform yesterday

745
00:35:32,763 --> 00:35:35,967
where he delivered the
speech at American University.

746
00:35:35,967 --> 00:35:38,436
So the President will do
an interview with Fareed

747
00:35:38,436 --> 00:35:41,906
Zakaria from CNN today, and
I think this will be the

748
00:35:41,906 --> 00:35:43,140
focus of most of
the interview.

749
00:35:43,140 --> 00:35:45,243
The Press: His opponents
tonight are going to be on

750
00:35:45,243 --> 00:35:47,411
national television talking
about their criticisms

751
00:35:47,411 --> 00:35:50,314
potentially of this deal,
and the next two weeks maybe

752
00:35:50,314 --> 00:35:52,316
making other statements, and
lawmakers back home hearing

753
00:35:52,316 --> 00:35:55,151
from their constituents.

754
00:35:55,152 --> 00:35:56,587
The President doesn't feel
he has to be out there

755
00:35:56,587 --> 00:35:57,855
during his vacation time
to weigh in on this?

756
00:35:57,855 --> 00:35:58,523
Mr. Earnest: He does not.

757
00:35:58,523 --> 00:36:01,559
But I wouldn't rule out that
other senior administration

758
00:36:01,559 --> 00:36:04,161
officials, however, over the
course of the next couple of

759
00:36:04,161 --> 00:36:06,297
weeks might be publicly
making the case.

760
00:36:06,297 --> 00:36:07,465
The Press: One other thing.

761
00:36:07,465 --> 00:36:09,367
This is the 70th anniversary
of the bombing of Hiroshima.

762
00:36:09,367 --> 00:36:14,238
Has the President ever
considered going to Hiroshima?

763
00:36:14,238 --> 00:36:16,307
If so, why has he not?

764
00:36:16,307 --> 00:36:18,341
If not, does he not believe
that such a visit would

765
00:36:18,342 --> 00:36:19,744
be appropriate?

766
00:36:19,744 --> 00:36:22,046
I believe there was a
WikiLeaks cable a few years

767
00:36:22,046 --> 00:36:26,384
ago that had some
discussions about U.S.

768
00:36:26,384 --> 00:36:29,120
diplomat John Roos talking
about the Japanese feelings

769
00:36:29,120 --> 00:36:30,354
about such a visit.

770
00:36:30,354 --> 00:36:32,356
Has the President
considered it?

771
00:36:32,356 --> 00:36:34,358
Is it a nonstarter
at this point?

772
00:36:34,358 --> 00:36:35,226
And what is his thinking
about whether it's

773
00:36:35,226 --> 00:36:38,229
appropriate for a sitting
President to visit?

774
00:36:38,229 --> 00:36:41,365
Mr. Earnest: Well, David, I
think it's first important

775
00:36:41,365 --> 00:36:45,703
to reflect on the 70th
anniversary of the end of

776
00:36:45,703 --> 00:36:48,873
WWII and the enduring
bilateral partnership that's

777
00:36:48,873 --> 00:36:50,875
been built between the
United States and Japan.

778
00:36:50,875 --> 00:36:57,348
And today, August 6th and
August 9th, remain days for

779
00:36:57,348 --> 00:37:00,817
somber reflection and a
renewed commitment to

780
00:37:00,818 --> 00:37:02,286
building a more
peaceful world.

781
00:37:02,286 --> 00:37:06,057
The United States looks
forward to continued work

782
00:37:06,057 --> 00:37:08,959
with Japan to advance the
goal that the President

783
00:37:08,960 --> 00:37:11,862
himself has articulated
of a world without

784
00:37:11,862 --> 00:37:13,164
nuclear weapons.

785
00:37:13,164 --> 00:37:17,735
You mentioned the ceremony
that took place at

786
00:37:17,735 --> 00:37:18,970
Hiroshima today.

787
00:37:18,970 --> 00:37:23,908
The United States Ambassador
to Japan, Caroline Kennedy,

788
00:37:23,908 --> 00:37:25,910
as well as the Under
Secretary for Arms Control

789
00:37:25,910 --> 00:37:29,779
and International Security
Affairs, Rose Gottemoeller,

790
00:37:29,780 --> 00:37:32,583
attended that ceremony and
they're planning to attend

791
00:37:32,583 --> 00:37:35,152
the Nagasaki Peace memorial
service that's scheduled for

792
00:37:35,152 --> 00:37:36,821
later this week.

793
00:37:36,821 --> 00:37:38,923
The Press: But that didn't
answer -- does the President

794
00:37:38,923 --> 00:37:41,792
believe it's not appropriate
for him to visit as a

795
00:37:41,792 --> 00:37:43,894
sitting President because it
would look like some sort of

796
00:37:43,894 --> 00:37:45,796
apology, or sort of a
contrite sort of position

797
00:37:45,796 --> 00:37:51,234
for -- obviously a decision
that killed a lot of

798
00:37:51,235 --> 00:37:52,903
Japanese but maybe ended the
war more quickly for

799
00:37:52,903 --> 00:37:54,671
U.S. military?

800
00:37:54,672 --> 00:37:57,341
I mean, does he think that
at some point we have to get

801
00:37:57,341 --> 00:37:59,844
past that and maybe a visit
would be appropriate at some

802
00:37:59,844 --> 00:38:01,846
point, whether him or
a future President?

803
00:38:01,846 --> 00:38:04,982
Mr. Earnest: Well, I
certainly wouldn't rule out

804
00:38:04,982 --> 00:38:07,718
that kind of possibility
into the future.

805
00:38:07,718 --> 00:38:10,421
But there has been a
robust debate particularly

806
00:38:10,421 --> 00:38:14,725
surrounding the President's
previous visits to Japan.

807
00:38:14,725 --> 00:38:17,094
He's been there three or
four times now, and I think

808
00:38:17,094 --> 00:38:19,563
in the context of each trip
there has been sort of this

809
00:38:19,563 --> 00:38:25,336
public debate and discussion
about the propriety of a

810
00:38:25,336 --> 00:38:26,803
presidential visit.

811
00:38:26,804 --> 00:38:30,241
And I don't have a lot of
internal thinking to share

812
00:38:30,241 --> 00:38:30,908
with you.

813
00:38:30,908 --> 00:38:32,276
The Press: Can you say
whether the President or his

814
00:38:32,276 --> 00:38:34,678
advisors came down
basically against it?

815
00:38:34,679 --> 00:38:37,114
I mean, in Burma he's done a
lot of things to make -- get

816
00:38:37,114 --> 00:38:41,385
past the sticking
points; Cuba, and so on.

817
00:38:41,385 --> 00:38:43,554
Does he just come down on
the other side on this one?

818
00:38:43,554 --> 00:38:46,524
Mr. Earnest: Well, I think
the fact that he didn't go

819
00:38:46,524 --> 00:38:50,594
to either Hiroshima or
Nagasaki on his three or

820
00:38:50,594 --> 00:38:53,364
four previous visits to
Japan I think does give you

821
00:38:53,364 --> 00:38:55,833
an indication of where the
President and his team

822
00:38:55,833 --> 00:38:57,868
ultimately came
down on this.

823
00:38:57,868 --> 00:39:02,306
But I think the other thing
that warrants mentioning is

824
00:39:02,306 --> 00:39:04,775
what Prime Minister Abe said
when he visited the United

825
00:39:04,775 --> 00:39:08,145
States earlier this year --
and I think you covered this

826
00:39:08,145 --> 00:39:11,582
news conference in the Rose
Garden, David, where Prime

827
00:39:11,582 --> 00:39:14,685
Minister Abe relayed a
constructive message in

828
00:39:14,685 --> 00:39:16,654
Washington about
reconciliation and

829
00:39:16,654 --> 00:39:19,123
U.S.-Japan relations
including his tribute to

830
00:39:19,123 --> 00:39:22,560
Americans who lost
their lives in the war.

831
00:39:22,560 --> 00:39:25,362
And we certainly take note
of Prime Minister Abe's

832
00:39:25,362 --> 00:39:28,199
expression of deep remorse
over the war and his

833
00:39:28,199 --> 00:39:30,201
reference to Japanese
actions that brought

834
00:39:30,201 --> 00:39:33,671
suffering to people in
countries throughout Asia.

835
00:39:33,671 --> 00:39:37,908
And it is in the interest
of all parties in that old

836
00:39:37,908 --> 00:39:40,911
conflict to address and
transcend the lingering

837
00:39:40,911 --> 00:39:43,547
historical issues
of that war era.

838
00:39:43,547 --> 00:39:44,615
Toluse.

839
00:39:44,615 --> 00:39:46,616
The Press: Thanks, Josh.

840
00:39:46,617 --> 00:39:48,252
The President in his speech
yesterday saved some of his

841
00:39:48,252 --> 00:39:51,522
harshest criticism for
people who had not -- or who

842
00:39:51,522 --> 00:39:55,125
came out against the deal
before actually reading it.

843
00:39:55,126 --> 00:39:57,094
You've done the
same thing today.

844
00:39:57,094 --> 00:39:59,530
I want to ask you about
Prime Minister Netanyahu.

845
00:39:59,530 --> 00:40:01,966
He has been a constant
opponent of the deal before

846
00:40:01,966 --> 00:40:06,237
the initial agreement,
before the final agreement.

847
00:40:06,237 --> 00:40:09,240
Do you put him in that
same category as -- do you

848
00:40:09,240 --> 00:40:11,808
believe he's done enough to
actually read the deal and

849
00:40:11,809 --> 00:40:15,179
make a decision
based on the merits?

850
00:40:15,179 --> 00:40:19,650
Mr. Earnest: Well, Toluse, I
think the President -- you

851
00:40:19,650 --> 00:40:21,652
were referring to his
remarks yesterday to the

852
00:40:21,652 --> 00:40:24,221
fact that he respects Prime
Minister Netanyahu and that

853
00:40:24,221 --> 00:40:27,792
he comes by his views on
this topic honestly, but the

854
00:40:27,792 --> 00:40:30,060
President does think
that he's wrong.

855
00:40:30,060 --> 00:40:35,399
And I think one illustration
I would remind you of is

856
00:40:35,399 --> 00:40:37,567
that when an interim
agreement was announced, I

857
00:40:37,568 --> 00:40:41,906
believe sort of at the end
of November of 2013 -- this

858
00:40:41,906 --> 00:40:45,409
was essentially the
agreement that predicated

859
00:40:45,409 --> 00:40:48,145
Iran rolling back key
aspects of their nuclear

860
00:40:48,145 --> 00:40:50,681
program in exchange for a
limited amount of sanctions

861
00:40:50,681 --> 00:40:54,485
relief while broader
negotiations took place to

862
00:40:54,485 --> 00:40:56,020
reach a final agreement.

863
00:40:56,020 --> 00:40:58,788
When that agreement was
announced, Prime Minster

864
00:40:58,789 --> 00:41:02,560
Netanyahu called it
a historic mistake.

865
00:41:02,560 --> 00:41:05,262
And yet in the run-up to
the completion to the final

866
00:41:05,262 --> 00:41:07,665
agreement, Prime Minister
Netanyahu was actually

867
00:41:07,665 --> 00:41:10,768
advocating that we just
leave that interim agreement

868
00:41:10,768 --> 00:41:13,103
in place permanently rather
than trying to reach a

869
00:41:13,103 --> 00:41:14,371
final deal.

870
00:41:14,371 --> 00:41:16,373
So something that Prime
Minister Netanyahu had

871
00:41:16,373 --> 00:41:19,677
previously called a historic
mistake 18 months later he

872
00:41:19,677 --> 00:41:23,414
was advocating remain
in place permanently.

873
00:41:23,414 --> 00:41:29,753
So, again, I think that
is why there's been some

874
00:41:29,753 --> 00:41:33,657
frustration that you've seen
from the White House and

875
00:41:33,657 --> 00:41:35,860
even from the President
about some of the Prime

876
00:41:35,860 --> 00:41:36,861
Minister's comments.

877
00:41:36,861 --> 00:41:39,930
But at the same time, the
President I think readily

878
00:41:39,930 --> 00:41:44,067
acknowledged the serious
responsibility that Prime

879
00:41:44,068 --> 00:41:46,570
Minster Netanyahu has to
provide for the national

880
00:41:46,570 --> 00:41:49,073
security of the nation that
he leads and for the people

881
00:41:49,073 --> 00:41:50,374
of that country.

882
00:41:50,374 --> 00:41:54,178
And that's what
he should do.

883
00:41:54,178 --> 00:41:58,214
And the commitment that
this President and this

884
00:41:58,215 --> 00:42:04,321
administration and this
country feel to cooperating

885
00:42:04,321 --> 00:42:08,058
and even strengthening
the security relationship

886
00:42:08,058 --> 00:42:11,695
between the United States
and Israel has never

887
00:42:11,695 --> 00:42:12,696
been stronger.

888
00:42:12,696 --> 00:42:14,999
And Prime Minister Netanyahu
himself has described the

889
00:42:14,999 --> 00:42:18,002
security cooperation between
United States and Israel

890
00:42:18,002 --> 00:42:20,704
under President Obama's
leadership as unprecedented.

891
00:42:20,704 --> 00:42:24,508
And the President has made
clear that his commitment to

892
00:42:24,508 --> 00:42:27,745
Israel's security is as
strong as ever, and that's

893
00:42:27,745 --> 00:42:31,448
why he sought to engage in
conversations with Prime

894
00:42:31,448 --> 00:42:34,317
Minster Netanyahu directly
about how to even further

895
00:42:34,318 --> 00:42:36,887
deepen our security
relationship.

896
00:42:36,887 --> 00:42:39,356
And I think that's an
indication of the amount of

897
00:42:39,356 --> 00:42:42,459
respect that President Obama
has for Prime Minister

898
00:42:42,459 --> 00:42:47,064
Netanyahu and for the nation
of Israel despite our

899
00:42:47,064 --> 00:42:49,600
legitimate and vigorous
disagreement about

900
00:42:49,600 --> 00:42:50,401
this one issue.

901
00:42:50,401 --> 00:42:52,703
The Press: Sort of following
up on the security relationship.

902
00:42:52,703 --> 00:42:57,207
The President mentioned
the idea of an additional

903
00:42:57,207 --> 00:42:58,776
10-year security pact.

904
00:42:58,776 --> 00:43:01,812
Do you have any information
about when we might hear

905
00:43:01,812 --> 00:43:06,116
more about that, what it
might entail, and what the

906
00:43:06,116 --> 00:43:09,753
conversations have been
so far between the U.S.

907
00:43:09,753 --> 00:43:11,021
and Israel on it?

908
00:43:11,021 --> 00:43:12,957
Mr. Earnest: Well, mostly
they've been pretty

909
00:43:12,957 --> 00:43:15,259
one-sided because the United
States has indicated our

910
00:43:15,259 --> 00:43:22,166
desire to try to deepen that
security relationship and

911
00:43:22,166 --> 00:43:26,370
there's been a reluctance
on the part of many of our

912
00:43:26,370 --> 00:43:28,872
national security team's
counterparts to engage in

913
00:43:28,872 --> 00:43:30,674
that discussion
at this point.

914
00:43:30,674 --> 00:43:33,143
But the fact is, there is a
memorandum of understanding

915
00:43:33,143 --> 00:43:39,249
that is in place and will
remain in place through, I

916
00:43:39,249 --> 00:43:40,484
believe, 2018.

917
00:43:40,484 --> 00:43:44,555
But the President and Prime
Minister Netanyahu indicated

918
00:43:44,555 --> 00:43:47,691
a desire to begin
conversations about

919
00:43:47,691 --> 00:43:50,493
extending that memorandum
of understanding when the

920
00:43:50,494 --> 00:43:52,997
President traveled to
Israel back in 2013.

921
00:43:52,997 --> 00:43:55,132
So the desire and commitment
to strengthen that

922
00:43:55,132 --> 00:43:57,134
relationship
exists on the U.S. side.

923
00:43:57,134 --> 00:44:04,608
And we look forward to --
and I'm confident that we'll

924
00:44:04,608 --> 00:44:08,145
have at some point --
constructive conversations

925
00:44:08,145 --> 00:44:14,852
with the Israelis to
complete that agreement.

926
00:44:14,852 --> 00:44:15,419
The Press: One more.

927
00:44:15,419 --> 00:44:19,022
The Senate went on its
vacation without addressing

928
00:44:19,023 --> 00:44:20,224
the cybersecurity bill.

929
00:44:20,224 --> 00:44:23,460
I'm wondering if you have
any reaction to that.

930
00:44:23,460 --> 00:44:26,563
And also sort of the idea
that -- for things that

931
00:44:26,563 --> 00:44:29,666
don't have a deadline
-- cybersecurity, AUMF,

932
00:44:29,666 --> 00:44:33,937
different nominations --
that when there's not a hard

933
00:44:33,937 --> 00:44:35,939
deadline some of these
things may get kicked so far

934
00:44:35,939 --> 00:44:38,075
down the road that we may
get to a point where the

935
00:44:38,075 --> 00:44:41,044
President is almost out of
office before those things

936
00:44:41,045 --> 00:44:42,980
get addressed.

937
00:44:42,980 --> 00:44:45,049
Mr. Earnest: Well, I think
our concern is less about

938
00:44:45,049 --> 00:44:51,321
the President and more about
the impact of Congress not

939
00:44:51,321 --> 00:44:53,190
taking care of business
before leaving on vacation.

940
00:44:53,190 --> 00:44:57,494
And I think what is true is
I think we can count on that

941
00:44:57,494 --> 00:44:59,596
even if Congress has delayed
consideration of the cyber

942
00:44:59,596 --> 00:45:01,598
bill that our adversaries in
cyberspace aren't going to

943
00:45:01,598 --> 00:45:03,333
take August off.

944
00:45:03,333 --> 00:45:05,502
And even though Congress has
delayed consideration of the

945
00:45:05,502 --> 00:45:09,006
AUMF almost indefinitely, I
don't think, unfortunately,

946
00:45:09,006 --> 00:45:12,209
that ISIL is going
to take August off.

947
00:45:12,209 --> 00:45:17,681
That being said, the
administration is encouraged

948
00:45:17,681 --> 00:45:20,250
that the Senate has agreed
to a path forward to

949
00:45:20,250 --> 00:45:23,253
consider important
cybersecurity legislation.

950
00:45:23,253 --> 00:45:26,056
And while there are still
some areas of concern that

951
00:45:26,056 --> 00:45:30,794
we hope to address, the
bill's sponsors have made a

952
00:45:30,794 --> 00:45:33,663
good-faith effort to address
some of our biggest concerns

953
00:45:33,664 --> 00:45:36,333
and have demonstrated their
intent to make further

954
00:45:36,333 --> 00:45:38,402
important changes.

955
00:45:38,402 --> 00:45:41,205
And there is no reason
that cyber legislation,

956
00:45:41,205 --> 00:45:43,507
particularly when it comes
to something as critical as

957
00:45:43,507 --> 00:45:46,577
information-sharing, should
be a partisan issue.

958
00:45:46,577 --> 00:45:48,779
We should have an
opportunity to work together

959
00:45:48,779 --> 00:45:49,780
in bipartisan fashion.

960
00:45:49,780 --> 00:45:52,449
And at least when it comes
to the bill's sponsors,

961
00:45:52,449 --> 00:45:54,451
there have been some
constructive conversations.

962
00:45:54,451 --> 00:46:01,158
And hopefully when Congress
does return in September,

963
00:46:01,158 --> 00:46:03,993
they'll be able to take some
steps down that path forward

964
00:46:03,994 --> 00:46:06,463
that now has been created.

965
00:46:06,463 --> 00:46:07,197
Margaret.

966
00:46:07,197 --> 00:46:08,699
The Press: Thanks.

967
00:46:08,699 --> 00:46:11,201
On Syria, the Pentagon said
today that it has lost track

968
00:46:11,201 --> 00:46:14,138
of the 50-odd
rebels it trained.

969
00:46:14,138 --> 00:46:16,840
They've scattered since
coming under attack.

970
00:46:16,840 --> 00:46:18,742
Has the President
been briefed?

971
00:46:18,742 --> 00:46:21,845
And is he disappointed at
the outcome of the mission?

972
00:46:21,845 --> 00:46:25,015
Mr. Earnest: Well, Margaret,
the thing that I would tell

973
00:46:25,015 --> 00:46:27,984
you is that the Department
of Defense is responsible

974
00:46:27,985 --> 00:46:31,989
for this train-and-equip
mission.

975
00:46:31,989 --> 00:46:35,058
And we've acknowledged that
it has been an effort that's

976
00:46:35,058 --> 00:46:38,061
been quite challenging
for a variety of reasons,

977
00:46:38,061 --> 00:46:41,165
including the need to
conduct thorough background

978
00:46:41,165 --> 00:46:44,067
investigations on those
individuals before they

979
00:46:44,067 --> 00:46:45,235
enter the program.

980
00:46:45,235 --> 00:46:47,237
We certainly -- we don't
want to be in the business

981
00:46:47,237 --> 00:46:49,606
of training and equipping
someone who could end up on

982
00:46:49,606 --> 00:46:52,109
the other side of the fight.

983
00:46:52,109 --> 00:46:54,444
The United States and our
coalition partners has

984
00:46:54,444 --> 00:47:00,183
already taken military
action to actively defend

985
00:47:00,184 --> 00:47:02,219
those individuals who have
gone through the training

986
00:47:02,219 --> 00:47:05,956
program from aggression
perpetrated by extremists

987
00:47:05,956 --> 00:47:07,958
inside of Syria.

988
00:47:07,958 --> 00:47:13,597
And we continue to be
pleased with the important

989
00:47:13,597 --> 00:47:17,668
progress that's been made in
northern Syria since May --

990
00:47:17,668 --> 00:47:20,771
so just three months -- over
the course of the last three

991
00:47:20,771 --> 00:47:25,776
months, we've seen anti-ISIL
forces, whose efforts have

992
00:47:25,776 --> 00:47:28,611
been supported by more than
2,200 coalition airstrikes,

993
00:47:28,612 --> 00:47:31,682
and backed by those
airstrikes, they've made

994
00:47:31,682 --> 00:47:34,384
significant progress
across northern Syria.

995
00:47:34,384 --> 00:47:39,756
They've regained more than
5,300 square kilometers

996
00:47:39,756 --> 00:47:40,757
from ISIL.

997
00:47:40,757 --> 00:47:46,430
And these are essentially
forces that liberated Kobani

998
00:47:46,430 --> 00:47:48,232
from ISIL.

999
00:47:48,232 --> 00:47:52,002
They have connected with
other forces that liberated

1000
00:47:52,002 --> 00:47:55,572
Tal Abyad from ISIL.

1001
00:47:55,572 --> 00:47:59,543
And just in the last month,
they've actually cleared

1002
00:47:59,543 --> 00:48:04,281
ISIL from the major
city of Hasakah.

1003
00:48:04,281 --> 00:48:06,883
So we know that scores of
ISIL fighters have been

1004
00:48:06,883 --> 00:48:09,852
killed in these airstrikes,
and we know that this

1005
00:48:09,853 --> 00:48:14,224
anti-ISIL fighting coalition
has made important progress,

1006
00:48:14,224 --> 00:48:19,596
including advancing to
within 30 miles of the

1007
00:48:19,596 --> 00:48:23,267
self-proclaimed ISIL
capital of Raqqa.

1008
00:48:23,267 --> 00:48:25,301
We know that those
significant gains have also

1009
00:48:25,302 --> 00:48:29,239
prompted some
defections from ISIL.

1010
00:48:29,239 --> 00:48:31,341
So that's an indication
that there is some progress

1011
00:48:31,341 --> 00:48:34,810
that's being made in
northern Syria, despite the

1012
00:48:34,811 --> 00:48:37,314
significant challenges
that our train-and-equip

1013
00:48:37,314 --> 00:48:38,915
operation has encountered.

1014
00:48:38,915 --> 00:48:39,850
The Press: But when it
comes to that specific

1015
00:48:39,850 --> 00:48:42,319
train-and-equip program that
the President authorized a

1016
00:48:42,319 --> 00:48:45,656
year ago, is he getting
briefed on specifically

1017
00:48:45,656 --> 00:48:47,791
what's happening with those
rebels who were vetted, who

1018
00:48:47,791 --> 00:48:49,893
have gone through training
-- millions of dollars'

1019
00:48:49,893 --> 00:48:52,596
worth of training -- and
have been in theater,

1020
00:48:52,596 --> 00:48:53,630
now lost?

1021
00:48:53,630 --> 00:48:55,966
Mr. Earnest: Well, the
President has been regularly

1022
00:48:55,966 --> 00:49:01,337
updated on the efforts to
stand up and implement this

1023
00:49:01,338 --> 00:49:04,174
train-and-equip mission.

1024
00:49:04,174 --> 00:49:06,276
And we've been pretty
forthright -- particularly

1025
00:49:06,276 --> 00:49:08,278
the Department of Defense
has been pretty forthright

1026
00:49:08,278 --> 00:49:10,279
about the significant
challenges that that

1027
00:49:10,280 --> 00:49:11,715
operation has faced.

1028
00:49:11,715 --> 00:49:17,220
But it has not significantly
encumbered the other aspects

1029
00:49:17,220 --> 00:49:20,589
of our strategy that are
yielding important results

1030
00:49:20,590 --> 00:49:21,591
in northern Syria.

1031
00:49:21,591 --> 00:49:23,527
The Press: But is there
anything specific to this

1032
00:49:23,527 --> 00:49:25,896
train-and-equip mission
that's informative for the

1033
00:49:25,896 --> 00:49:29,866
other efforts in Jordan,
in Turkey, and Qatar?

1034
00:49:29,866 --> 00:49:32,602
I mean, how is the White
House viewing this specific

1035
00:49:32,602 --> 00:49:34,870
instance of what happened to
those who've gone through

1036
00:49:34,871 --> 00:49:36,406
that American program?

1037
00:49:36,406 --> 00:49:38,642
I mean, how is it going to
change things going forward?

1038
00:49:38,642 --> 00:49:40,944
Mr. Earnest: I would
encourage you to ask that

1039
00:49:40,944 --> 00:49:42,946
question to DOD because
they're the ones that are

1040
00:49:42,946 --> 00:49:44,948
responsible for implementing
the deal -- or implementing

1041
00:49:44,948 --> 00:49:46,083
this mission.

1042
00:49:46,083 --> 00:49:48,485
But the President certainly
does have the expectation

1043
00:49:48,485 --> 00:49:56,526
that the United States and
our coalition partners learn

1044
00:49:56,526 --> 00:49:59,162
from the significant
challenges that we have

1045
00:49:59,162 --> 00:50:04,401
encountered in trying to
train, equip and empower

1046
00:50:04,401 --> 00:50:07,738
these Syrian opposition
fighters on the ground in Syria.

1047
00:50:07,738 --> 00:50:09,740
The Press: But you wouldn't
say at this point that the

1048
00:50:09,740 --> 00:50:11,640
White House is disappointed,
that the President is

1049
00:50:11,641 --> 00:50:13,443
disappointed with the
mission thus far?

1050
00:50:13,443 --> 00:50:15,879
Mr. Earnest: Well, I think
we've been pretty forthright

1051
00:50:15,879 --> 00:50:17,881
about the significant
challenges that they've

1052
00:50:17,881 --> 00:50:21,118
encountered and I know that
the Department of Defense is

1053
00:50:21,118 --> 00:50:24,988
working to improve
our performance here.

1054
00:50:24,988 --> 00:50:27,924
The Press: Is there a
decision at this point from

1055
00:50:27,924 --> 00:50:30,192
this building at least
whether there's a

1056
00:50:30,193 --> 00:50:33,864
responsibility to go in and
rescue or account for those

1057
00:50:33,864 --> 00:50:36,767
who have been scattered and
lost, and have been through

1058
00:50:36,767 --> 00:50:37,768
that training program?

1059
00:50:37,768 --> 00:50:40,170
Mr. Earnest: I'm not aware
of any policy decision

1060
00:50:40,170 --> 00:50:42,372
that's been made on
that kind of question.

1061
00:50:42,372 --> 00:50:44,374
I'd encourage you to check
with the Department of

1062
00:50:44,374 --> 00:50:45,375
Defense on that.

1063
00:50:45,375 --> 00:50:47,377
The policy decision that we
have announced and that was

1064
00:50:47,377 --> 00:50:50,180
announced I believe earlier
this week is that the United

1065
00:50:50,180 --> 00:50:53,149
States and our coalition
partners would not hesitate

1066
00:50:53,150 --> 00:50:57,087
to use military airpower
to defend those anti-ISIL

1067
00:50:57,087 --> 00:51:00,824
fighters if they come under
attack from extremists that

1068
00:51:00,824 --> 00:51:01,858
are operating in Syria.

1069
00:51:01,858 --> 00:51:04,494
And that is a step that
the United States and our

1070
00:51:04,494 --> 00:51:06,963
coalition partners has
already taken at least once,

1071
00:51:06,963 --> 00:51:08,965
and we're prepared
to do it again.

1072
00:51:08,965 --> 00:51:10,934
The Press: One more on
Syria, a different

1073
00:51:10,934 --> 00:51:11,935
matter, though.

1074
00:51:11,935 --> 00:51:14,203
Secretary Kerry said
today that the U.S.

1075
00:51:14,204 --> 00:51:15,939
and Russia have come to
an agreement on how to

1076
00:51:15,939 --> 00:51:21,310
establish accountability
for the continued use of

1077
00:51:21,311 --> 00:51:23,213
chemicals as
weapons in Syria.

1078
00:51:23,213 --> 00:51:26,149
And that's going to the U.N. tomorrow.

1079
00:51:26,149 --> 00:51:27,784
Would the White House like
to see a consequence for the

1080
00:51:27,784 --> 00:51:30,420
use of those
weapons if the U.N.

1081
00:51:30,420 --> 00:51:34,057
does find what the United
States already believes,

1082
00:51:34,057 --> 00:51:35,959
which is that Assad is
continuing to use

1083
00:51:35,959 --> 00:51:38,861
chemical weapons?

1084
00:51:38,862 --> 00:51:41,998
Mr. Earnest: Well, the
President, on a variety of

1085
00:51:41,998 --> 00:51:46,837
occasions, has made clear
his concern about the use of

1086
00:51:46,837 --> 00:51:48,672
chemical weapons in Syria.

1087
00:51:48,672 --> 00:51:52,108
And the administration did
work effectively with the

1088
00:51:52,108 --> 00:51:56,580
Russians to remove Assad's
declared chemical

1089
00:51:56,580 --> 00:51:58,048
weapons stockpile.

1090
00:51:58,048 --> 00:52:01,484
But there are ongoing
concerns based on reports

1091
00:52:01,485 --> 00:52:05,422
that you've cited that are
now being closely examined

1092
00:52:05,422 --> 00:52:07,657
by the United Nations, and
we certainly are supportive

1093
00:52:07,657 --> 00:52:08,658
of that process.

1094
00:52:08,658 --> 00:52:12,596
And I think I can say in
general that the United

1095
00:52:12,596 --> 00:52:15,899
States, using some of
our own resources and

1096
00:52:15,899 --> 00:52:19,502
capabilities, is also
monitoring those reports,

1097
00:52:19,503 --> 00:52:20,504
as well.

1098
00:52:20,504 --> 00:52:21,471
Kevin.

1099
00:52:21,471 --> 00:52:24,074
The Press: Thanks, Josh.

1100
00:52:24,074 --> 00:52:25,275
It's housekeeping.

1101
00:52:25,275 --> 00:52:26,943
I got to do it.

1102
00:52:26,943 --> 00:52:29,546
Give me a percent chance
that the President is not

1103
00:52:29,546 --> 00:52:30,881
going to be
watching tonight.

1104
00:52:30,881 --> 00:52:32,048
He's got to watch, right?

1105
00:52:32,048 --> 00:52:35,118
I mean a couple days ago
there was a letter sent to

1106
00:52:35,118 --> 00:52:38,020
supporters that said, "The
other side is counting on

1107
00:52:38,021 --> 00:52:40,156
folks like you sitting this
one out, so I need you to

1108
00:52:40,156 --> 00:52:42,558
say that you'll be
watching on Thursday."

1109
00:52:42,559 --> 00:52:46,463
So unless this is a "do as I
say and not as I do," he's

1110
00:52:46,463 --> 00:52:47,497
got to be watching, right?

1111
00:52:47,497 --> 00:52:48,498
(laughter)

1112
00:52:48,498 --> 00:52:50,500
Can we just say he's
going to be watching?

1113
00:52:50,500 --> 00:52:52,502
Mr. Earnest: I think it's
fair to say that the

1114
00:52:52,502 --> 00:52:54,504
Democratic National
Committee has got a lot of

1115
00:52:54,504 --> 00:52:56,506
political junkies on their
email list, and I think

1116
00:52:56,506 --> 00:52:58,508
there will be, as a result,
a lot of Democrats that are

1117
00:52:58,508 --> 00:53:00,509
tuning into the Republican
debate, even if they're not

1118
00:53:00,510 --> 00:53:02,546
planning to cast a vote in
the Republican primary.

1119
00:53:02,546 --> 00:53:06,448
Again, I'd be surprised if
the President spent a lot of

1120
00:53:06,449 --> 00:53:08,585
his evening devoted to
watching the debate.

1121
00:53:08,585 --> 00:53:11,154
But I'm confident that
the highlights -- or the

1122
00:53:11,154 --> 00:53:18,428
lowlights, as you might
describe them - (laughter)

1123
00:53:18,428 --> 00:53:18,895
The Press: You might.

1124
00:53:18,895 --> 00:53:20,063
The Press: As you
might describe them.

1125
00:53:20,063 --> 00:53:20,630
Mr. Earnest: Or as I might
describe them -- that the

1126
00:53:20,630 --> 00:53:20,997
President will get a chance
to take a look at those, too.

1127
00:53:20,997 --> 00:53:21,431
The Press: All right.

1128
00:53:21,431 --> 00:53:22,132
I appreciate that.

1129
00:53:22,132 --> 00:53:25,869
Wendy Sherman told the
Senate banking folks

1130
00:53:25,869 --> 00:53:31,408
yesterday that she didn't
see the final documents on

1131
00:53:31,408 --> 00:53:33,410
the -- and I know you've
pushed back on this example

1132
00:53:33,410 --> 00:53:36,011
of using the phrase "side
agreements" or "side deals"

1133
00:53:36,012 --> 00:53:38,048
-- how much of a concern is
it to you if she didn't even

1134
00:53:38,048 --> 00:53:41,283
see the final documents?

1135
00:53:41,284 --> 00:53:43,353
Mr. Earnest: We're not
concerned about this because

1136
00:53:43,353 --> 00:53:46,423
the United States and our
negotiating team is aware of

1137
00:53:46,423 --> 00:53:48,857
what's included in those
agreements, and our

1138
00:53:48,858 --> 00:53:51,661
negotiating team has taken
the extraordinary step of

1139
00:53:51,661 --> 00:53:55,265
actually convening
classified sessions with the

1140
00:53:55,265 --> 00:53:57,866
entire membership of the
House and the entire

1141
00:53:57,867 --> 00:53:59,869
membership of the United
States Senate in separate

1142
00:53:59,869 --> 00:54:03,239
sessions to describe to
them the contents of

1143
00:54:03,239 --> 00:54:04,240
those agreements.

1144
00:54:04,240 --> 00:54:06,810
And that's why members of
Congress can be confident

1145
00:54:06,810 --> 00:54:08,812
that they know what's
in those agreements.

1146
00:54:08,812 --> 00:54:10,814
And to the extent that that
factors into their ultimate

1147
00:54:10,814 --> 00:54:13,350
decision about whether or
not to approve the deal,

1148
00:54:13,350 --> 00:54:15,352
they have the information
that they need to make

1149
00:54:15,352 --> 00:54:16,353
that decision.

1150
00:54:16,353 --> 00:54:18,355
The Press: But that's
information not based on the

1151
00:54:18,355 --> 00:54:20,323
final documents,
is that correct?

1152
00:54:20,323 --> 00:54:22,459
Mr. Earnest: That
information is based on an

1153
00:54:22,459 --> 00:54:24,461
accurate accounting on
what's included in the

1154
00:54:24,461 --> 00:54:26,462
agreement between
the IAEA and Iran.

1155
00:54:26,463 --> 00:54:30,667
The Press: Speaking of the
IAEA and Iran, there are

1156
00:54:30,667 --> 00:54:32,836
some reports out there that
suggest that the Iranians

1157
00:54:32,836 --> 00:54:35,772
will be able to submit
their own soil samples

1158
00:54:35,772 --> 00:54:38,674
for testing.

1159
00:54:38,675 --> 00:54:42,278
Doesn't that again lend the
argument -- lend to the

1160
00:54:42,278 --> 00:54:45,247
argument that perhaps we
should have others on the

1161
00:54:45,248 --> 00:54:47,584
ground to actually observe
this because if they're

1162
00:54:47,584 --> 00:54:50,520
cleaning up past facilities,
if they're sort of

1163
00:54:50,520 --> 00:54:53,623
cherry-picking their own
soil samples and providing

1164
00:54:53,623 --> 00:54:56,059
them to the IAEA, can you
see how that would be a

1165
00:54:56,059 --> 00:54:58,361
major concern to
many on Capitol Hill?

1166
00:54:58,361 --> 00:55:01,364
Mr. Earnest: Not really,
principally because the IAEA

1167
00:55:01,364 --> 00:55:04,200
is an international,
impartial association of

1168
00:55:04,200 --> 00:55:06,535
nuclear experts -- The
Press: They may be

1169
00:55:06,536 --> 00:55:09,239
impartial, but if the
Iranians are giving

1170
00:55:09,239 --> 00:55:12,409
cherry-picked samples, how
can they be assured of

1171
00:55:12,409 --> 00:55:13,410
their authenticity?

1172
00:55:13,410 --> 00:55:15,412
Mr. Earnest: The point is
these nuclear experts know

1173
00:55:15,412 --> 00:55:18,481
exactly what information and
access they need in order to

1174
00:55:18,481 --> 00:55:20,850
write a report about the
possible military dimensions

1175
00:55:20,850 --> 00:55:22,018
of Iran's nuclear program.

1176
00:55:22,018 --> 00:55:24,354
And what the United States
and our international

1177
00:55:24,354 --> 00:55:26,556
partners have done is
actually made clear to the

1178
00:55:26,556 --> 00:55:30,593
Iranians that they need
to follow through on the

1179
00:55:30,593 --> 00:55:33,997
requests made by the IAEA
for all of the information

1180
00:55:33,997 --> 00:55:35,330
and access that they need.

1181
00:55:35,331 --> 00:55:37,701
And if Iran fails to do
that, they will not get any

1182
00:55:37,701 --> 00:55:38,702
sanctions relief.

1183
00:55:38,702 --> 00:55:41,771
And that's why, as you point
out, I've quibbled with the

1184
00:55:41,771 --> 00:55:44,774
description that others
have had in labeling these

1185
00:55:44,774 --> 00:55:46,375
agreements side agreements.

1186
00:55:46,376 --> 00:55:49,779
The fact is no aspect of
this agreement moves forward

1187
00:55:49,779 --> 00:55:52,449
unless Iran complies with
the request for information

1188
00:55:52,449 --> 00:55:54,651
and access that the
IAEA has submitted.

1189
00:55:54,651 --> 00:55:56,653
The other thing that the
United States has done is

1190
00:55:56,653 --> 00:55:59,589
we've actually -- with our
coalition partners -- we've

1191
00:55:59,589 --> 00:56:01,157
actually put a
timeline on it.

1192
00:56:01,157 --> 00:56:03,159
We have said that this
information and access has

1193
00:56:03,159 --> 00:56:04,994
to be provided
by October 15th.

1194
00:56:04,994 --> 00:56:07,363
And that's what our
expectation is, and if it's

1195
00:56:07,363 --> 00:56:09,832
not provided, all of that
access and information is

1196
00:56:09,833 --> 00:56:13,603
not provided by the
deadline, Iran won't get any

1197
00:56:13,603 --> 00:56:14,604
sanctions relief.

1198
00:56:14,604 --> 00:56:17,307
The Press: I want to ask you
again on D.C. statehood.

1199
00:56:17,307 --> 00:56:19,843
I know we talked a bit
about it the other day.

1200
00:56:19,843 --> 00:56:23,879
When you're talking about a
city with more people than

1201
00:56:23,880 --> 00:56:28,017
two states at least, and
probably a third, given the

1202
00:56:28,017 --> 00:56:30,986
growth in this area,
and yet they don't have

1203
00:56:30,987 --> 00:56:33,490
representation -- and
the President has the

1204
00:56:33,490 --> 00:56:36,526
opportunity to really be
someone who can use the

1205
00:56:36,526 --> 00:56:39,828
platform to really not only
defend but also support the

1206
00:56:39,829 --> 00:56:42,165
idea that hundreds of
thousands of American

1207
00:56:42,165 --> 00:56:44,300
citizens don't have the
opportunity to be properly

1208
00:56:44,300 --> 00:56:48,071
represented, and yet he
hasn't done so forcefully --

1209
00:56:48,071 --> 00:56:49,105
and I'm just curious why.

1210
00:56:49,105 --> 00:56:50,607
Mr. Earnest: I think
the President has.

1211
00:56:50,607 --> 00:56:52,575
The President does
support statehood.

1212
00:56:52,575 --> 00:56:54,109
The President supports home
rule in D.C. And we can

1213
00:56:54,110 --> 00:56:56,012
pull you the examples where
the President has done that.

1214
00:56:56,012 --> 00:56:57,280
I think you're right, I
don't think that he's done

1215
00:56:57,280 --> 00:56:58,281
that recently.

1216
00:56:58,281 --> 00:56:59,883
But certainly the
President's views on this

1217
00:56:59,883 --> 00:57:01,084
topic have not changed.

1218
00:57:01,084 --> 00:57:02,752
The Press: Thanks.

1219
00:57:02,752 --> 00:57:03,586
Mr. Earnest: Chris.

1220
00:57:03,586 --> 00:57:05,654
The Press: If I can follow
up on that, the Iran stuff.

1221
00:57:05,655 --> 00:57:09,192
You talked about the robust
briefings, and there's no

1222
00:57:09,192 --> 00:57:11,094
doubt -- John Kerry has
been out there, the Vice

1223
00:57:11,094 --> 00:57:13,196
President, Wendy Sherman was
on Capitol Hill yesterday.

1224
00:57:13,196 --> 00:57:16,598
Secretary Moniz, who is
well-respected on the Hill,

1225
00:57:16,599 --> 00:57:20,670
was involved in those
classified briefings.

1226
00:57:20,670 --> 00:57:23,807
And yet there does seem to
be an indication that this

1227
00:57:23,807 --> 00:57:25,475
is very close.

1228
00:57:25,475 --> 00:57:28,278
And even though you've
expressed confidence that

1229
00:57:28,278 --> 00:57:33,316
you'll hold the third --
maybe uncomfortably close --

1230
00:57:33,316 --> 00:57:38,221
it would seem to me that the
options for why this is, is

1231
00:57:38,221 --> 00:57:41,291
that either something in
these extensive amount of

1232
00:57:41,291 --> 00:57:46,196
briefings, including the
President's own speeches, is

1233
00:57:46,196 --> 00:57:50,567
lacking; that Bibi Netanyahu
and AIPAC are out-lobbying

1234
00:57:50,567 --> 00:57:53,203
you; that the clarity that
the President says he has on

1235
00:57:53,203 --> 00:57:56,840
this deal is not so clear to
a lot of other smart people,

1236
00:57:56,840 --> 00:57:58,107
including Democrats.

1237
00:57:58,107 --> 00:58:02,145
Why is it at this stage that
a number of Democrats who

1238
00:58:02,145 --> 00:58:04,547
are undecided have said that
it's because they need

1239
00:58:04,547 --> 00:58:07,183
more information?

1240
00:58:07,183 --> 00:58:09,786
Mr. Earnest: Well, I think
there's a lot there.

1241
00:58:09,786 --> 00:58:11,754
Let me start by saying
I don't know if the

1242
00:58:11,754 --> 00:58:13,756
administration has
been out-lobbied.

1243
00:58:13,756 --> 00:58:15,758
We certainly have
been outspent.

1244
00:58:15,758 --> 00:58:18,060
And we expected that that
will be true over the course

1245
00:58:18,061 --> 00:58:19,095
of August.

1246
00:58:19,095 --> 00:58:20,263
That's just a fact.

1247
00:58:20,263 --> 00:58:24,500
And there are a lot of
details in this agreement

1248
00:58:24,500 --> 00:58:25,869
to consider.

1249
00:58:25,869 --> 00:58:28,605
And I'm not surprised that
there are a lot of members

1250
00:58:28,605 --> 00:58:31,374
of Congress that are taking
a thoughtful approach to

1251
00:58:31,374 --> 00:58:34,843
this, that are taking their
time to consider all of the

1252
00:58:34,844 --> 00:58:37,981
details of the agreement,
to benefit from extensive

1253
00:58:37,981 --> 00:58:39,983
briefings from senior
administration officials,

1254
00:58:39,983 --> 00:58:42,352
including those who
negotiated the agreement.

1255
00:58:42,352 --> 00:58:44,354
I would expect that there
are even some members of

1256
00:58:44,354 --> 00:58:46,522
Congress that are taking
some time to talk to some

1257
00:58:46,522 --> 00:58:48,524
outside sources, maybe even
some of their constituents

1258
00:58:48,524 --> 00:58:49,525
about this.

1259
00:58:49,525 --> 00:58:50,660
That's perfectly
appropriate.

1260
00:58:50,660 --> 00:58:55,031
As you'll recall, Congress
has given themselves 60 days

1261
00:58:55,031 --> 00:58:58,500
with which to consider this
agreement, and I'm not

1262
00:58:58,501 --> 00:59:00,503
surprised to hear that it
looks like some of them may

1263
00:59:00,503 --> 00:59:02,772
take almost all
of those 60 days.

1264
00:59:02,772 --> 00:59:05,308
That seems like an
understandable approach.

1265
00:59:05,308 --> 00:59:08,811
We certainly welcome those
who have already decided and

1266
00:59:08,811 --> 00:59:12,081
come forward with their
public view of this.

1267
00:59:12,081 --> 00:59:14,083
But if there are other
members of Congress who say,

1268
00:59:14,083 --> 00:59:16,085
I want to take my time and
I want to look carefully at

1269
00:59:16,085 --> 00:59:18,054
this and benefit from all
the briefings and talk to my

1270
00:59:18,054 --> 00:59:20,056
constituents, that's
perfectly appropriate as well.

1271
00:59:20,056 --> 00:59:22,058
And I don't think it
indicates any sort of

1272
00:59:22,058 --> 00:59:24,060
weakness on either the
President's pitch or the

1273
00:59:24,060 --> 00:59:25,061
substance of the deal.

1274
00:59:25,061 --> 00:59:26,996
The Press: So how important
is that final number?

1275
00:59:26,996 --> 00:59:30,500
If it's breathtakingly close
-- for lack of a better

1276
00:59:30,500 --> 00:59:34,203
adjective -- if it's really
razor thin, what kind of

1277
00:59:34,203 --> 00:59:35,905
message does that send?

1278
00:59:35,905 --> 00:59:38,808
And how much do the numbers
matter to the President and

1279
00:59:38,808 --> 00:59:40,143
to the White House?

1280
00:59:40,143 --> 00:59:41,010
Mr. Earnest: Not at all.

1281
00:59:41,010 --> 00:59:42,078
And let me tell you why.

1282
00:59:42,078 --> 00:59:44,447
The fact is we don't need
Congress to approve this

1283
00:59:44,447 --> 00:59:48,117
deal; we just need Congress
not to screw it up.

1284
00:59:48,117 --> 00:59:50,119
So Congress has an
opportunity to play spoiler

1285
00:59:50,119 --> 00:59:52,989
here, and if they fail on
that effort, this deal will

1286
00:59:52,989 --> 00:59:53,990
move forward.

1287
00:59:53,990 --> 00:59:55,124
It will be implemented.

1288
00:59:55,124 --> 00:59:58,093
And we will have taken the
most important step we can

1289
00:59:58,094 --> 01:00:00,363
-- the best step we can
-- to prevent Iran from

1290
01:00:00,363 --> 01:00:01,263
obtaining a nuclear weapon.

1291
01:00:01,264 --> 01:00:04,901
The Press: Let me go to the
debate and the questions

1292
01:00:04,901 --> 01:00:07,736
about whether or not you
will react in any way.

1293
01:00:07,737 --> 01:00:09,806
I know you don't have a
rapid-response team, but I

1294
01:00:09,806 --> 01:00:12,308
wonder how the White
House sees its role.

1295
01:00:12,308 --> 01:00:16,112
Because whoever the nominee
may be -- and let's assume

1296
01:00:16,112 --> 01:00:18,848
that it is either Secretary
Clinton or Vice President

1297
01:00:18,848 --> 01:00:20,683
Biden, both of whom
have, obviously, a close

1298
01:00:20,683 --> 01:00:24,420
association with this White
House, and the status of

1299
01:00:24,420 --> 01:00:26,889
this White House and this
President could play a role

1300
01:00:26,889 --> 01:00:31,294
in how voters view them
and consider their vote.

1301
01:00:31,294 --> 01:00:34,096
What do you see the White
House role -- how does the

1302
01:00:34,097 --> 01:00:36,833
President view his role as
this campaign goes on in

1303
01:00:36,833 --> 01:00:39,068
terms of responding to
attacks that are inevitable

1304
01:00:39,068 --> 01:00:40,236
from the Republicans?

1305
01:00:40,236 --> 01:00:43,106
Mr. Earnest: Well, there
have been a couple of

1306
01:00:43,106 --> 01:00:46,209
occasions where you all have
had the opportunity to ask

1307
01:00:46,209 --> 01:00:48,911
questions of the President
about comments that have

1308
01:00:48,911 --> 01:00:52,448
been made by Republicans,
and there are a couple of

1309
01:00:52,448 --> 01:00:56,051
times where the President
has responded quite directly

1310
01:00:56,052 --> 01:00:57,587
and forcefully.

1311
01:00:57,587 --> 01:01:00,089
And there have been other
times where the President

1312
01:01:00,089 --> 01:01:03,558
has gotten those kinds of
questions and waved them off.

1313
01:01:03,559 --> 01:01:06,529
So I think we'll do this
on a case-by-case basis.

1314
01:01:06,529 --> 01:01:10,500
And I think the fact is --
here's the thing that I

1315
01:01:10,500 --> 01:01:13,036
think will -- this is the
other -- to the extent that

1316
01:01:13,036 --> 01:01:15,304
I have commentary in the
Republican debate -- this is

1317
01:01:15,304 --> 01:01:17,807
the other thing that I
think is illuminating.

1318
01:01:20,676 --> 01:01:24,013
I think it is -- while I
hesitate to speculate or

1319
01:01:24,013 --> 01:01:26,382
predict --

1320
01:01:26,382 --> 01:01:27,750
The Press:
Come on, come on.

1321
01:01:27,750 --> 01:01:28,184
Mr. Earnest: -- what the
debate is likely to include,

1322
01:01:28,184 --> 01:01:29,652
I will say this.

1323
01:01:29,652 --> 01:01:34,190
I feel confident in saying
that the Republicans

1324
01:01:34,190 --> 01:01:36,192
candidates are going to
spend more time talking

1325
01:01:36,192 --> 01:01:39,695
about the President's plans
than they are about their own.

1326
01:01:39,695 --> 01:01:44,000
And that's an indication of
the political capital and

1327
01:01:44,000 --> 01:01:47,837
influence that the President
still wields not just in

1328
01:01:47,837 --> 01:01:50,106
Washington D.C. but across
the country; that there are

1329
01:01:50,106 --> 01:01:52,075
going to be extensive
discussions in the debate

1330
01:01:52,075 --> 01:01:55,044
certainly about the Iran
deal, certainly about our

1331
01:01:55,044 --> 01:02:00,316
efforts to counter ISIL, but
also about the President's

1332
01:02:00,316 --> 01:02:03,252
executive action to do the
most significant thing we've

1333
01:02:03,252 --> 01:02:05,555
ever done to try to fight
the causes of climate

1334
01:02:05,555 --> 01:02:08,991
change, or the President's
executive actions to address

1335
01:02:08,991 --> 01:02:10,293
our broken
immigration system.

1336
01:02:10,293 --> 01:02:13,930
There's going to be a lot
of discussion tonight -- I

1337
01:02:13,930 --> 01:02:15,932
think the debate is
going to go on two hours.

1338
01:02:15,932 --> 01:02:18,234
But I think most of the
debate is going to be about

1339
01:02:18,234 --> 01:02:20,436
the President and the
influence that he wields.

1340
01:02:20,436 --> 01:02:21,737
The Press: -- in relation
to the Iran deal, just

1341
01:02:21,737 --> 01:02:24,707
yesterday, the President
gave a major speech, but in

1342
01:02:24,707 --> 01:02:26,475
the afternoon, so most
people will have only

1343
01:02:26,476 --> 01:02:28,044
seen clips.

1344
01:02:28,044 --> 01:02:30,246
In the meantime, you may get
13 million or however many

1345
01:02:30,246 --> 01:02:32,348
people they think might
watch this debate tonight

1346
01:02:32,348 --> 01:02:36,219
hearing all of it, and
hearing the other side in a

1347
01:02:36,219 --> 01:02:37,787
more extensive way.

1348
01:02:37,787 --> 01:02:40,823
Is that a problem,
especially as members of

1349
01:02:40,823 --> 01:02:43,158
Congress go back to
their constituents?

1350
01:02:43,159 --> 01:02:44,293
Mr. Earnest: If it is a
problem, it's not one that

1351
01:02:44,293 --> 01:02:46,863
we're worried about,
primarily because I do think

1352
01:02:46,863 --> 01:02:49,397
the American people will
consider the source.

1353
01:02:49,398 --> 01:02:51,067
The Press: And I have to ask
you, finally, so if -- it's

1354
01:02:51,067 --> 01:02:53,069
unclear exactly how much
time the President might be

1355
01:02:53,069 --> 01:02:55,204
spending watching
the debate tonight.

1356
01:02:55,204 --> 01:02:57,940
Any interest in the
happy hour debate?

1357
01:02:57,940 --> 01:03:01,210
Mr. Earnest: Oh, right, the
"undercard" I think as some

1358
01:03:01,210 --> 01:03:02,345
people have described it.

1359
01:03:02,345 --> 01:03:03,011
(laughter)

1360
01:03:03,012 --> 01:03:05,414
The Press: We won't be
back in there watching the

1361
01:03:05,414 --> 01:03:07,583
undercard at 5 o'clock --
Mr. Earnest: I doubt it.

1362
01:03:07,583 --> 01:03:09,418
I doubt it.

1363
01:03:09,418 --> 01:03:10,953
The Press: More importantly,
is Jon Stewart -- is he

1364
01:03:10,953 --> 01:03:12,155
going to stay up
and watch that?

1365
01:03:12,155 --> 01:03:14,790
Mr. Earnest: That might get
the President's attention.

1366
01:03:14,790 --> 01:03:15,525
Julie.

1367
01:03:15,525 --> 01:03:16,492
The Press: Thanks.

1368
01:03:16,492 --> 01:03:18,127
The President alluded in
his speech yesterday to the

1369
01:03:18,127 --> 01:03:19,629
millions of dollars of
advertising you just

1370
01:03:19,629 --> 01:03:21,330
mentioned -- you
expect to be outspent.

1371
01:03:21,330 --> 01:03:23,933
Is it a secret that AIPAC is
the group that has formed

1372
01:03:23,933 --> 01:03:29,105
the outlet that's going to
be running most of these ads

1373
01:03:29,105 --> 01:03:32,341
that members will see when
they're home for August?

1374
01:03:32,341 --> 01:03:34,477
Was he specifically
talking about AIPAC?

1375
01:03:34,477 --> 01:03:36,245
And does he think that what
they're doing is somehow

1376
01:03:36,245 --> 01:03:39,281
inappropriate, or that the
approach they've taken is

1377
01:03:39,282 --> 01:03:42,919
out of line in advocating
against the deal?

1378
01:03:42,919 --> 01:03:45,821
Mr. Earnest: Well, Julie, I
think there are some other

1379
01:03:45,821 --> 01:03:50,793
organizations that have
pledged to spend money

1380
01:03:50,793 --> 01:03:54,263
criticizing the deal.

1381
01:03:54,263 --> 01:03:56,365
I don't think AIPAC
is the only one.

1382
01:03:56,365 --> 01:03:58,533
But I haven't taken a close
look at this -- I wouldn't

1383
01:03:58,534 --> 01:04:01,170
be surprised if they are
the organization that's

1384
01:04:01,170 --> 01:04:03,773
committed to spending the
most amount of money on this.

1385
01:04:05,875 --> 01:04:09,111
I do think the President is
disappointed that too often

1386
01:04:12,615 --> 01:04:17,720
critically important policy
issues like this get reduced

1387
01:04:17,720 --> 01:04:21,424
to whoever can spend the
most amount of money

1388
01:04:21,424 --> 01:04:24,192
advocating for
or against it.

1389
01:04:24,193 --> 01:04:26,295
That's probably not the
healthiest way for us to

1390
01:04:26,295 --> 01:04:28,598
engage in this
political debate.

1391
01:04:28,598 --> 01:04:33,669
But given the rules of our
system, that's what people

1392
01:04:33,669 --> 01:04:38,007
are allowed to do, and I
certainly wouldn't raise

1393
01:04:40,443 --> 01:04:45,715
questions about the right
of anyone to express their

1394
01:04:45,715 --> 01:04:48,684
views, whether they're an
office holder or merely an

1395
01:04:48,684 --> 01:04:50,152
interested observer.

1396
01:04:50,152 --> 01:04:54,523
And I think the President
was direct in his speech

1397
01:04:54,523 --> 01:04:59,161
yesterday, and the President
was pretty direct in the

1398
01:04:59,161 --> 01:05:01,230
meeting that he had with
Jewish American leaders here

1399
01:05:01,230 --> 01:05:05,234
at the White House a
couple of days ago.

1400
01:05:05,234 --> 01:05:09,205
The concerns that some of
the strongest supporters of

1401
01:05:09,205 --> 01:05:16,612
Israel have about Iran
are entirely justified.

1402
01:05:16,612 --> 01:05:19,382
The President has
those concerns.

1403
01:05:19,382 --> 01:05:25,655
The President is concerned
about the offensive -- to

1404
01:05:25,655 --> 01:05:29,925
put it mildly --
anti-Semitic rhetoric that's

1405
01:05:29,925 --> 01:05:34,063
propagated by the
Iranian government.

1406
01:05:34,063 --> 01:05:36,866
He's got deep concerns about
the frequency with which

1407
01:05:36,866 --> 01:05:38,701
Iran threatens Israel.

1408
01:05:38,701 --> 01:05:43,039
He's got significant
concerns about the way that

1409
01:05:43,039 --> 01:05:53,849
Iran supports proxies in the
region that threaten Israel

1410
01:05:53,849 --> 01:05:57,086
-- I'm referring
to Hezbollah.

1411
01:05:57,086 --> 01:05:57,553
That's why the President
makes the case that

1412
01:05:57,553 --> 01:05:59,288
preventing Iran from
obtaining a nuclear weapon

1413
01:05:59,288 --> 01:06:04,393
is so important and so
clearly in the national

1414
01:06:04,393 --> 01:06:05,895
security interest of Israel.

1415
01:06:05,895 --> 01:06:13,336
I guess that's how it's
possible for people to have

1416
01:06:13,336 --> 01:06:18,774
such starkly different views
of the deal, but to do so

1417
01:06:18,774 --> 01:06:22,411
respectfully -- because the
concerns that are expressed

1418
01:06:22,411 --> 01:06:25,481
by many of those who are
supporters of Israel are

1419
01:06:25,481 --> 01:06:28,351
concerns that the President
shares, but the fact is that

1420
01:06:28,351 --> 01:06:30,353
leads them to
different conclusions.

1421
01:06:30,353 --> 01:06:33,923
The degree to which Iran is
able to threaten Israel is

1422
01:06:33,923 --> 01:06:36,459
precisely why the President
is pursuing what he believes

1423
01:06:36,459 --> 01:06:38,928
is the best way for us to
prevent Iran from obtaining

1424
01:06:38,928 --> 01:06:40,261
a nuclear weapon.

1425
01:06:40,262 --> 01:06:41,263
Not the only reason.

1426
01:06:41,263 --> 01:06:43,265
The main reason is that
he believes it's in the

1427
01:06:43,265 --> 01:06:45,234
national security interest
of the United States.

1428
01:06:45,234 --> 01:06:47,236
But there is no denying that
Israel's national security

1429
01:06:47,236 --> 01:06:49,238
is a priority for the
President as well.

1430
01:06:49,238 --> 01:06:51,240
And that's one of the
important reasons that he's

1431
01:06:51,240 --> 01:06:53,241
pursuing this diplomatic
agreement from preventing

1432
01:06:53,242 --> 01:06:54,677
Iran from obtaining
a nuclear weapon.

1433
01:06:54,677 --> 01:06:56,545
The Press: But he seemed to
suggest in his speech and,

1434
01:06:56,545 --> 01:06:58,247
to some extent, in that
meeting that you referenced,

1435
01:06:58,247 --> 01:07:01,216
that he believes that the
claims that are being spread

1436
01:07:01,217 --> 01:07:04,120
by some of these groups are
inaccurate --

1437
01:07:04,120 --> 01:07:05,520
and willfully inaccurate.

1438
01:07:05,521 --> 01:07:07,423
Does he think that they're
lying about the deal?

1439
01:07:07,423 --> 01:07:09,625
Does he think that they are
making charges that simply

1440
01:07:09,625 --> 01:07:10,826
aren't true?

1441
01:07:10,826 --> 01:07:13,896
Not to say whether their
concept of what the deal

1442
01:07:13,896 --> 01:07:16,532
will or will not do isn't
right, but just that they're

1443
01:07:16,532 --> 01:07:18,834
making false claims?

1444
01:07:18,834 --> 01:07:21,069
Mr. Earnest: Well, I haven't
done a specific fact check

1445
01:07:21,070 --> 01:07:24,306
of any television ads that
have run, so let me just say

1446
01:07:24,306 --> 01:07:27,710
in general -- and I don't
have anything specific in

1447
01:07:27,710 --> 01:07:30,146
mind when I say this -- but
I think, in general, there

1448
01:07:30,146 --> 01:07:37,420
have been a significant
number of criticisms lodged

1449
01:07:37,420 --> 01:07:43,325
against the deal that don't
stand up to scrutiny, and

1450
01:07:43,325 --> 01:07:46,261
that's been the source of
some frustration on the part

1451
01:07:46,262 --> 01:07:49,865
of the President, there's
no doubt about that.

1452
01:07:49,865 --> 01:07:50,832
Sarah.

1453
01:07:50,833 --> 01:07:51,834
The Press: Thanks, Josh.

1454
01:07:51,834 --> 01:07:53,935
Another question on
Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

1455
01:07:53,936 --> 01:07:55,971
A lot of the coverage is
focused on the fact that the

1456
01:07:55,971 --> 01:07:58,607
victims -- the average age
is 80 years old -- they are

1457
01:07:58,607 --> 01:08:02,044
the only generation of
people who have been the

1458
01:08:02,044 --> 01:08:04,013
victims of a nuclear attack.

1459
01:08:04,013 --> 01:08:08,284
And this is an issue that
has long been important to

1460
01:08:08,284 --> 01:08:11,587
the President since even
before he became President.

1461
01:08:11,587 --> 01:08:13,122
And I'm just curious if you
happen to know if their

1462
01:08:13,122 --> 01:08:17,026
stories have had any
particular impact on his own

1463
01:08:17,026 --> 01:08:20,162
conviction that
nonproliferation is a very

1464
01:08:20,162 --> 01:08:23,999
important goal?

1465
01:08:23,999 --> 01:08:27,670
Mr. Earnest: Well, Sarah, I
would say that there are a

1466
01:08:27,670 --> 01:08:29,672
number of American
officials, including

1467
01:08:29,671 --> 01:08:33,442
Ambassador Kennedy, that
have had the opportunity to

1468
01:08:33,442 --> 01:08:38,447
hear the experiences and
testimony of survivors.

1469
01:08:38,447 --> 01:08:43,618
And I think to a person,
each of those officials, has

1470
01:08:43,618 --> 01:08:46,322
found those survivors'
stories to be quite moving

1471
01:08:46,322 --> 01:08:48,324
and poignant.

1472
01:08:50,792 --> 01:08:52,795
And I don't know if the
President has engaged in any

1473
01:08:52,795 --> 01:08:53,796
of those conversations.

1474
01:08:53,796 --> 01:08:56,599
Presumably the possibility
that he would have had to

1475
01:08:56,599 --> 01:08:58,601
have those kinds of
conversations would have

1476
01:08:58,600 --> 01:09:00,603
come up during his trip
to -- one of his trips to

1477
01:09:00,603 --> 01:09:03,105
Japan, and I don't know
if that occurred or not.

1478
01:09:03,104 --> 01:09:05,241
But certainly the President
is a student of history, as

1479
01:09:05,241 --> 01:09:11,580
you all know, and there has
been extensive historic

1480
01:09:11,580 --> 01:09:16,050
discussion and review
about the consequences of

1481
01:09:16,051 --> 01:09:18,888
President Truman's fateful
decision that brought the

1482
01:09:18,888 --> 01:09:22,323
Second World War to an end.

1483
01:09:22,323 --> 01:09:26,261
And these are, to put it
mildly, weighty issues to

1484
01:09:26,261 --> 01:09:31,700
scrutinize and to discuss
and to, in some cases, even

1485
01:09:31,700 --> 01:09:34,470
debate, and people have
been doing it for 70 years.

1486
01:09:34,470 --> 01:09:39,074
I suspect that people will
be doing it for at least

1487
01:09:39,073 --> 01:09:41,143
another 70.

1488
01:09:41,143 --> 01:09:49,084
And there's no doubt that
at least some of this has

1489
01:09:49,084 --> 01:09:52,854
influenced the view, not
just of President Obama but

1490
01:09:52,854 --> 01:09:56,692
of many previous Presidents,
to set a goal of a world

1491
01:09:56,692 --> 01:09:58,327
without nuclear weapons.

1492
01:09:58,327 --> 01:10:00,329
And it certainly is a goal
that this administration and

1493
01:10:00,329 --> 01:10:02,331
this President is
committed to pursuing.

1494
01:10:02,331 --> 01:10:05,501
The President has convened a
couple of national

1495
01:10:05,501 --> 01:10:07,436
security summits.

1496
01:10:07,436 --> 01:10:11,874
The first one was here
in Washington D.C. and I

1497
01:10:11,874 --> 01:10:14,710
believe there's slated to be
another one next year, and

1498
01:10:14,710 --> 01:10:16,712
we'll have some more
details on that soon.

1499
01:10:16,712 --> 01:10:20,049
The Press: Thank you, Josh.

1500
01:10:20,049 --> 01:10:22,551
The Press: So do you foresee
any -- what's the next step?

1501
01:10:22,551 --> 01:10:27,823
He laid out a very ambitious
agenda in his Prague speech

1502
01:10:27,823 --> 01:10:29,024
in 2009.

1503
01:10:29,024 --> 01:10:32,461
Do you see us being able to
check anything else off of that?

1504
01:10:32,461 --> 01:10:34,330
And I have one
more question also.

1505
01:10:34,330 --> 01:10:38,267
His peace prize -- his Nobel
Peace Prize was based sort

1506
01:10:38,267 --> 01:10:41,570
of prospectively in part
on that speech and other things.

1507
01:10:41,570 --> 01:10:44,206
And in light of securing
this Iran deal, do you know

1508
01:10:44,206 --> 01:10:46,442
if the President has gotten
a chance to reflect a little

1509
01:10:46,442 --> 01:10:50,379
more on that prize and
if he feels that it's now

1510
01:10:50,379 --> 01:10:55,284
vindicated or
anything like that?

1511
01:10:55,284 --> 01:11:01,223
Mr. Earnest: In terms of our
ongoing nonproliferation

1512
01:11:01,223 --> 01:11:03,425
efforts, let me see if I can
have somebody follow up with

1513
01:11:03,425 --> 01:11:05,427
you -- if you're working on
a specific story, there may

1514
01:11:05,427 --> 01:11:07,429
be some additional facts
about our record and our

1515
01:11:07,429 --> 01:11:09,431
plans that we can share
with you for that story.

1516
01:11:09,431 --> 01:11:13,936
As it relates to the
President's Nobel Peace

1517
01:11:13,936 --> 01:11:17,139
Prize, I think what I can
say about that is I know

1518
01:11:17,139 --> 01:11:21,143
that the speech that the
President gave when he

1519
01:11:21,143 --> 01:11:26,649
received the prize back in
December of 2009 was on his

1520
01:11:26,649 --> 01:11:29,985
mind as he was writing the
speech that he delivered

1521
01:11:29,985 --> 01:11:35,290
yesterday, and I do think
that there are some rather

1522
01:11:35,290 --> 01:11:38,861
distinctive parallels
between those two speeches.

1523
01:11:38,861 --> 01:11:39,995
Rebecca, I'll give
you the last one.

1524
01:11:39,995 --> 01:11:41,530
The Press: Thanks, Josh.

1525
01:11:41,530 --> 01:11:43,565
In his speech yesterday, the
President chided opponents

1526
01:11:43,565 --> 01:11:45,668
of the Iran deal, saying
it's easy to play on

1527
01:11:45,668 --> 01:11:47,201
people's fears.

1528
01:11:47,202 --> 01:11:50,572
But isn't that what he's
doing in warning of war with

1529
01:11:50,572 --> 01:11:53,442
Iran as the only realistic
alternative to this deal?

1530
01:11:53,442 --> 01:11:56,445
Mr. Earnest: No.

1531
01:11:56,445 --> 01:11:58,813
I think what the President
is actually doing is the

1532
01:11:58,814 --> 01:12:05,087
President delivered a
powerful argument to give

1533
01:12:05,087 --> 01:12:07,956
diplomacy a chance to work,
because the President

1534
01:12:07,956 --> 01:12:10,059
believes that diplomacy
is the best way for us to

1535
01:12:10,059 --> 01:12:12,094
prevent Iran from obtaining
a nuclear weapon.

1536
01:12:12,094 --> 01:12:16,532
That is, after all, why the
President is pursuing this path.

1537
01:12:16,532 --> 01:12:22,805
And it is merely a fact
that if Congress kills this

1538
01:12:22,805 --> 01:12:28,977
diplomatic opening that a
military conflict becomes

1539
01:12:28,977 --> 01:12:33,415
much more likely and is, in
fact, the only alternative

1540
01:12:33,415 --> 01:12:34,883
to this diplomatic
agreement.

1541
01:12:34,883 --> 01:12:39,054
And I say that because we're
now 18 days or so into this

1542
01:12:39,054 --> 01:12:44,093
debate and we've yet to hear
the alternative that many of

1543
01:12:44,093 --> 01:12:50,199
our opponents swear exists
but it hasn't actually

1544
01:12:50,199 --> 01:12:51,633
materialized.

1545
01:12:51,633 --> 01:12:54,937
So I don't think it's a
stretch for the President to

1546
01:12:54,937 --> 01:13:00,909
point out the consequences
of Congress acting to kill

1547
01:13:00,909 --> 01:13:01,710
the deal.

1548
01:13:01,710 --> 01:13:02,644
Okay.

1549
01:13:02,644 --> 01:13:03,212
Thanks, everybody.

1550
01:13:03,212 --> 01:13:04,113
We'll see you tomorrow.

1551
01:13:04,113 --> 01:13:04,880
Enjoy the debate.

1552
01:13:04,880 --> 01:13:05,647
The Press: As you.

1553
01:13:05,647 --> 01:13:06,949
Mr. Earnest: Yes.