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% the biggest two-month jump in more than 30 years it's clear Americans are starting to feel President Biden's strong economy wages have risen faster than inflation for 10 months in a row the unemployment rate has remained below 4% for the longest stretch in 50 years inflation has fallen by about 2/3 we have more work to do obviously but we.

Are on the right path President Biden's agenda is a sharp contrast with Congressional Republicans plans to cut taxes for the wealthy and big corporations while raising health care and prescription drug costs for hardworking American families and a few moments ago I saw some of you have already been reporting this the.

President signed a continue resolution passed by bipartisan majorities in the House and Senate that prevents a needless shutdown maintains current funding levels and includes no extreme policies instead of wasting more time on Paran appropriation bills that violate the budget agreement 2third of them voted for last Spring House Republicans.

Must finally do their jobs and work across the aisle to pass full year funding bills that deliver for the American people and address urgent domestic and National Security priorities by passing the president's supplemental request today more good news President Biden announced his administration is cancelling debt for.

Another 74,000 student borers across Ross the country with today's action the Brien Harris Administration has now canceled debts for 3.6 million Americans and that's a big deal as some will say around here a big deal the the those receiving relief as a part of today's announcement include teachers nurses firefighters and others who earn.

Forgiveness after 10 years of Public Service it also includes people who have been in repayment for 20 years but never got the Rel that they earned and in Practical terms it means that today thanks to President Biden and this Administration millions of American families have a bit more breathing room to start a business save their save for.

Their kids college or buy their first home from day one of the of this Administration the president vowed to improve the student loan system so that obtaining higher education provide Americans with opportunity and prosperity not unag imaginable burdens of student loan debt the president will continue using every tool at his.

Disposal to get student loan bers uh the relief they need to reach their dreams turning to this this uh this afternoon the president's obviously scheduled this afternoon the president knows that Mayors get things done and he is looking forward to welcoming bipartisan Mayors attending the US Conference of Mayors winter meeting to the White House later.

Today the president will highlight the ongoing partnership between Federal and local governments to ensure communities across the country realize the full potential of investing in America agenda the president will highlight the most significant investment in our nation's infrastructure and generations the biggest investment in fighting climate.

Change progress preventing reducing crime our work to end homelessness and much more with that we have the the adal here John Kirby who's here to discuss everybody um President Biden had a chance to speak this morning prime minister net yon the president and the Prime Minister discussed ongoing efforts.

To secure the release of all remaining hostages that are being held byas two leaders also reviewed the situation in Gaza and the shift to targeted operations that will enable the flow of increasing amounts of humanitarian assistance while keeping the military pressure on Hamas and its leaders significant the president welcomed the.

Decision from the government of Israel to commit the shipment of flour for the Palestinian people directly through ashad Port while our teams are separately working on options for more direct Maritime delivery of assistance in President also discussed recent progress in ensuring the Palestinian authorities revenues are available to.

Pay salaries including for the Palestinian security forces in the West Bank President also discussed Israel's responsibility even as it maintains military pressure on our and its leaders to reduce civilian arm and to protect the Innocence uh the President also discussed his vision for a more durable.

Peace and security for Israel fully integrated within the region and a two-state solution with Israel's security guaranteed now and we'll have a formal we out of the call here is not out just one last thing this morning US forces conducted three successful self-defense strikes against hookie Targets in Yemen this is the.

Fourth uh preemptive action that the US military has taken in the past week against 2 missile launchers that were ready to launch attacks in this case uh anti-ship missiles ccom Central Command we'll have more more details on this a little bit later but as you know our US Navy ships in the Red Sea as well as International shiping uh these actions.

Were I want to stress again done in self-defense but it also helps for international waters or both Naval vessels as well as John so the call with BB and the president today was the first since Christmas can you talk a little bit about why the delay especially because they were talking so frequently over the.

Fall and then also on BB does the president think a two-state solution is possible with BB in the office what on the modalities of the call and the frequencies as I've said best OPP get another call and I have no doubt addar the president still believes in the promise and the possibility of a.

Two-state solution he recognizes that's going to take a lot of hard work it's going to take a lot of leadership there in the region particularly on both sides of the issue um and the United States uh stands firmly committed to to eventually seeing that outcome right now and and we're obviously we're talking to them actively about post conflict Gaza and.

What governance there needs to look like and the importance of uh an independent Palestinian state for long-term security not just for the Palestinian people but for the Israeli people as well currently of course we're lightly focused as I said in the opening statement on making sure Israel has what it continues to has have what it needs to defend.

Itself thanks thanks John um so you continue to reiterate the administration's policy that you support a two-state solution Senator Elizabeth Warren says that if Netanyahu opposes that then we need to question why we are supporting the Netanyahu government so why is the US supporting a government that opposes US policy I'm not sure what.

The cont mean of supporting the government but let's just take it I'm going to assume it's meant in the context of this War they're fighting um it is certainly supporting the is we're certainly supporting the Israeli governments to defend themselves but it's really bigger than that we it's about supporting the Israeli people's.

Right to exist right to be a nation I mean again you don't have to look any further than the 2017 Manifesto of Hamas to see what their ultimate plans are they want to wipe the country off the face of them the map so we're defending Israel's right to defend itself uh the Israeli people get to decide who repres.

Represents them who their elected officials are we don't decide that um and we will always work with whoever the Israeli people decide to put in uh into power and government will always uh work with them regardless of the differences uh maybe on on political issues U they chose this government this is the government that is uh in charge of.

Conducting Warfare against Hamas we're going to make sure that they have what they need in addition to making sure as I said in the opening statement that we're doing everything we can to alleviate the humanitarian suffering in Gaza Warren's not alone in expressing these these concerns is the president worried that given um what Netanyahu has.

Said about opposing a Palestinian state it could complicate the efforts to pass the supplemental the president's under uh two things and under no illusions of how uh elusive a two-state solution has been um and how much hard work there's going to be ahead for all of us uh to try to get there on the on the supplement.

Again I don't want to negotiate here in public uh we believe that we're making progress here in terms of working in a bipartisan way with the with Senators um and uh we'll see where this goes but uh uh but the the president comes away from the meeting with Congressional leaders uh the other day largely that was meeting about Ukraine and bipartisan.

Support on Ukraine but that they understand uh uh the the urgency of of supporting Israel as well thanks John thanks um thanks John you you've said that or you said yesterday that us is taking away capabilities from the houthis with each and every one of these strikes and making it harder for them to continue to propagate these attacks can.

You quantify that progress describe that I would leave it to the Pentagon to go through their battle damage assessment after every um they'll they'll do an assessment on how successful it was um they believe that they have had good effects on degrading some of these houie capabilities but clearly and the president alluded to this yesterday they.

Still have some offensive capability and um uh we're going to keep uh taking the actions we believe we need to take to defend ourselves but I I couldn't give you a percentage that's really a better question for us Central Command or for DOD to speak to and you also said yesterday the US has additional options available to take on the whoees what is.

The administration waiting for to use those other options is there some red line or something that would happen I don't think it'd be fair to say we're waiting on I mean we've been we've been taking uh shots as needed including this morning while you know three anti-ship cruise missiles were sitting on the rails ready to go and we knocked them.

Out before they had a chance to launch them and we also uh designated the houthis as a especially designated Global terrorist that allows us some additional economic levers that we didn't have available to us before uh and we'll keep reviewing our options going forward uh again I'll say it uh that the the huies need to stop these.

Attacks they can make that choice clearly they've made opposite choices so we have choices to make too and we have options available to us as well uh we'll continue to explore those options clearly one of the options uh that we are and will continue to take are in the military realm if needed joh just uh um on the North.

Korean underwater nuclear weapon systems test yesterday do you have any information on that what's your response to that I don't have a lot of specific information we're not in a position where we can validate those claims um uh we're in touch obviously with our South Korean Partners uh to see uh whatever information and context they might have.

About that so I I can't I can't verify the claim of the north that they've that they've actually tested such a weapon it is it does though underscore um the continued Prov provocations by Kim Jong-un and his regime and Pyongyang uh the continued Pursuit again whether this is true or not there's little doubt that they.

Continue to pursue Advanced military capabilities uh to threaten their neighbors and to threaten the region and that is why President Biden has taken significant steps to shore up our alliances in the region you saw in Camp David historic agreement between Japan and South Korea to improve trilateral cooperation a new nuclear consultative.

Group session with South Korea that was announced when President Yun was here uh as well as the addition of US military particularly intelligence capabilities on and around uh the peninsula so that we can get better information about what Kim John is is up to but we haven't taken ey off this one bit okay and then I'm sorry just just on on Gaza and and.

That conflict we've spoken before about your concerns about the conflict spreading now we have reports that a Palestinian American Teenager was kill today in the West Bank can you confirm that and was that something that President Biden discussed with n yaho during the conference we're seriously concerned about these reports well the.

Information is scanned at this time we don't have perfect uh context about exactly what happened you're seriously concerned about it um and we're going to be uh in constant touch uh with counterparts in the region to to get more information but it's it's definitely deeply concerning but afraid I don't have more.

Information I I uh I don't believe that it was a subject of the call just um back to the issue of the two-state solution what would you say is the president's hope and expectation here is it that the prime minister's stance on this will eventually shift the hope is.

That when there's a when this conflict is over that we can work in a collaborative way with the Israeli government on and counterparts in the region on good governance in Gaza um good governance that the president hopes can lead to uh a viable two-state solution bless.

You um and again again he's not he's not panish about this he understands how hard this is something he's been uh pushing for for a long long time um he knows it's going to take dedicated leadership on all sides here to bring it about um and and that means constant engagement by his administration and and the National Security team so so we're.

Going to we're going to keep at that work I guess I'm just wondering if the two leaders are completely at odds on something as fundamental as the creation of of the Palestinian state do you know if the president has reason to believe that at some point the prime minister's view on this will change publicly he has been very clear about where he stands on.

This you mean the president has been very clear publicly where he stands the Prime Minister has been very clear on the fact that he rejects the idea of a Palestinian State the President also has been clear that he wants to chose State solution yeah look this is just we we're not going to agree on everything we've said that and good friends and allies.

Can have those kinds of candid forthright discussions and we do it's not going to change the president's view that the best long-term solution for regional security particularly the security of the Israeli people uh is a free and independent Palestinian State uh that that can live in in in peace and security with and this is an important.

Caveat with Israel's security also guaranteed he still believes in that and uh we're going to continue to talk Israeli counterparts this isn't about you know trying to twist uh twist somebody's arm or um or or or force a change in their thinking president uh sorry prime minister Netanyahu has has made clear his concerns about that.

President Biden has made clear his uh strong conviction that a two-state solution is still the right path ahead and we're going to continue to make that case so so what is the overlap there I guess you know when the two lead leaders are having a conversation like their phone call today what is it that the prime minister is saying to the.

President to to indicate that that Gap can be bridged I'll get into the prime minister's side of the conversation I think that's better for his staff to to to speak to all I can tell you is that the president reiterated his strong conviction in the viability of a two-state solution understanding of.

Course that we're not going to get there tomorrow that there's an active conflict going on and that we want to make sure Israel has what it needs to defend itself but as we're talking about Co postconflict Gaza and we have been now for many many weeks you can't do that uh without also talking about the aspirations of the.

Palestinian people and what that needs to look like for them and so we're going to continue to have those conversations joh were the prime minister's comments yes yesterday a factor in why this call took place today was that something that the US decided they wanted the president to speak with him today about that no this was a we've.

Been actually trying to land on the schedule for uh quite a bit of time here so this was not you shouldn't read into the fact that the call happen today is as some sort of response to the prime minister's discussions or comments yesterday and did they talk specifically about those comments yesterday or it was a more general reiteration of the.

President's support for a two State Sol again without getting more beyond the redout I would just say that uh uh there was certainly on the agenda for both leaders was to talk about uh postconflict Gaza governance in Gaza uh and of course a two-state solution and can you just tell me a bit more about what the president meant yesterday when.

He was asked by my colleague whether the strikes in Yemen are stopping the houis and the president said no I think you know if you just look at what happened yesterday it's it's pretty self-evident uh they continue to have offensive capability and they continue to be willing to use it we also have plenty of uh defensive capability.

Available to us and we continue to use it as well did the president address nyaku use of phrase from from the river to the sea in their conversation today I know the White House previously said that phrase is divisive so I'm not aware that that specific phrase was discussed do you condemn him using that.

Phrase there's a there's a notation with that uh phrase we've talked about this before um but when you know when you use the phrase River to the Sea it it speaks basically to the Mantra of boss and in their Manifesto where they basically describe the geographic bounds of what they believe to be Palestine and if you look at it on the map if you go look at.

The the Four Corners that they describe it it's basically the state of Israel they just don't believe it should exist so uh again it's it's not a phrase that um that we recommend uh uh using given because of that context this wasn't hos this was I understand I I don't have anything more on that and I certainly don't have anything more on the convers.

To read out with respect to that um you had talked about the hard work it will take to kind of come to an agreement of sorts on a two-state solution can you outline what that kind of work and conversation would look like does this mean more calls between Biden and N BB how how does he expect to I think there's certainly going to be more calls.

Between the two leaders and there'll be more conversations between our two teams I mean Secretary of State blinn's been there what four or five times since theth of October and I have every expectation he'll be back again as well and we're going to continue to have discussions with the team across a range of issues I understand that the two.

State solution is the issue today because of the comments uh in the Press here but um every discussion we're having in the region um ha hasn't a component of it about postconflict Gaza and governance and what that looks like and yes of course our continued interest in a two-state solution but it also has to do with humanitarian assistance with.

Getting the hostages released and making sure that Israel has the weapons and capabilities that it that it needs to to uh to defend itself and I'll just end with this I mean h prior to the 7th of October as you all know we were working closely with Israel and Saudi Arabia on a potential normalization deal uh a normalization deal that the president.

Believes Hamas was also aware of and and certainly could have been a contributing factor to the violence that they visited on the Israeli people on the 7th bless you um um I lost my train of thought but um but the the point is we're we're still having discussions with counterparts about that normalization and we've gotten some.

Positive feedback even from Saudi Arabia about what that could look like going forward as a part of that normalization should should we able to get there and we were making progress before the 7th obviously there would be a component in there for the Palestinians there have there would have to be um and we're not giving up on that and if you're able to.

Get to that normalization that could be a significant Milestone um in overcoming some of the challenges of a two-state solution did the president in his call today with Netanyahu um express any concern about Netanyahu continuing to say that he doesn't stand for a two-state solution I think I'll just leave my description of the call the way.

It was and again you'll see a read out here coming from us on on paper uh but yes they talked about they they talk in general talked about uh the possibilities of a two-state solution and the president reaffirmed and reiterated um his strong belief uh in that possibility all thank you so much uh um you mentioned progress on the.

Front of the tax revenue issue uh in the West Bank does that mean um the Israel prime minister has committed to release this tax revenue there was there was discussions uh in their in their cabinet uh about that and that was what I was referencing there was ongoing discussions within the cabinet about the revenue and um and using it.

Appropriately John earlier this week you talked about the uh 500 entities about Iran 500 entities that have been sanctioned by the administration last year have you seen any impact of these sanctions any type of impact that has that on Iran's Behavior 500 entities since the beginning of the administration not last year some 50.

Sanctions resum about 500 entities um we know they've had an impact on Iran's economy uh which uh which struggles um uh but look we also know that there's other ways that you have to push back on Iran's destabilizing behaviors including uh bolstering and strengthening our uh our military capabilities in the region as well as working with Partners I mean.

We've now got a coalition of 20 some OD countries um ships and aircraft and other capabilities trying to protect Red Sea shipping so there's been a lot of effort here to to uh to hold a run accountable for their destabilizing activities and if you allow me uh John a colleague has asked me to uh ask you um yesterday Mexico and Chile requested the.

International criminal court to investigate potential crimes against civilians in Gaza and October 7 Hamas attack on Israel any reaction on this we're aware of those uh of that uh report and um the potential referral to the IC I I don't have a comment for you uh on it at this time we're still Gathering more information about what.

This what this would entail but I want to say again um that uh uh we we don't have any indications that there's deliberate uh deliberate uh uh efforts to commit war crimes by the Israeli Defense Forces um John yesterday Jake Sullivan met with with the family members of hostages being held by Hamas I'm.

Wondering if he can give us any any readout where was he able to provide any updates to the families what what message did he have have for them the main message was that we're still working out this and as I said in the uh readout of the call that was right at the top of the list for the president to talk to prime minister Netanyahu about.

Efforts to to get another hostage deal going and I I want to protect the private nature of the conversation but but Jake also made sure that they were aware that those efforts are ongoing and that they're serious the discussions we're having are sober and serious about uh potentially getting another deal in.

Place I'm not suggesting and you shouldn't take away from this that we'll have something to announce imminently uh or that we're over the Finish Line I don't mean to suggest that at all there's a lot of hard work still ahead but uh we haven't given up on the effort and the efforts um uh are being taken very seriously by the National Security.

Team and you know Brett mcgurk was just in Doha last week and that was a big reason why he was there so that was Jake wanted to bring them together a to make sure they knew you know we still kept we that we kept that connective tissue with them that we still obviously care about their loved ones and getting them home that they're a priority for President.

Biden and updated them in general terms uh about the discussions that we've been having in the region was he able to give any kind of update about the condition or what was known about the condition of any of the hostages is do we have new information or any information about how the hostages are doing it I don't have any information to share with you about.

Uh what we know about the the individual hostages uh I will say as I've said before or regrettably we just don't have a lot of tactile information about where they are or what specific condition uh they're being held and as I think you can imagine um it is very likely that they are being moved around uh quite a bit so it's hard to get real fingertip.

Feel on on exactly how they are but we have to assume they're being held in just the utmost deplorable of conditions um on the supplemental just given latest developments I I mean how's the president thinking of this idea a of conditioning Aid to Israel is being pushed by some of his allies is that something he supports we believe that.

The approach that we're taking right now has had results and we're going to continue that approach which is um obviously making sure that Israel has the capabilities it needs continues but also urging them at every turn uh to be more precise more targeted more deliberate um with respect to civilian harm urging an increase in humanitarian.

Aid and assistance uh and of course trying to get another humanitarian POS in place so we can do a hostage deal I would tell you as I've said before that this approach that we've taken of at once supporting Israel and their military capabilities but also providing advice and Council lessons learn from our own experiences and this kind of.

Fighting has had results they have changed the way they have conducted operations in fact they have already started a transition to lower intensity operations again uh largely at our urging uh they opened up Kum Shalom a second gate of human humanitarian assistance largely our urging so the president's continued um discussions.

With prime minister Netanyahu and at lower levels across our team has had results thank you K John uh am I correct to understand that the the president believes there is wiggle room in the prime minister's position in opposing Palestinian statehood and what is the president prepared to offer Beyond pushing for a Saudi Israel normalization.

Deal to convince the prime minister to accept the two-state solution the Prime Minister should speak to his own head space when it comes to that and of course he's talked publicly about uh uh about the two-state solution all I can do is say what I've said before the president still believes in the promise and possibility of that he believes it's.

Going to hard work and Leadership he's willing to put his shoulder to the wheel for that eventual outcome at the same time we've got to make sure that they have what they need to defend themselves and we get humanitarian assistance and and I'm sorry your second question was yeah I mean uh what does he prepared to offer whether it's a carrot or a stick.

In terms of trying to persuade the prime minister to go in line with us policy I'm certainly not going to go negotiate here from the podium about a two-state solution it is something that is remains his policy his desire to see it we're going to continue to push for that okay and Jordan says that Israel targeted their field hospital and communist today.

Injuring one patient and a staff can you confirm this I cannot and one more does the administration believe that the houis will stop their attacks if there's a ceasefire Gaza and does that play a factor into the calculus of you take anything the H say with big assault we're not we're not taking what they say to the bank and this idea that this is.

Somehow about Gaza just doesn't square with the facts I mean that most of the ships that they're going after have nothing to do with Israel so we're not taking anything at face value they need to stop these attacks we've got capabilities available to us to use it if we have to just so just to clarify what's happening in the Red Sea the.

Attacks from the hoopies does not play a factor into the calculus of whether or not you're pushing Israel for a ceasefire no thank you thanks a lot thanks John on Ecuador is the US and and the president considering uh wrapping up its military assistance to Ecuador as it um confronts these violent drug Gams I'm aware of No Such plans to do that the US.

Had an inaugural working group on defense issues with Ecuador last year um is the president um wanting to ramp up that cooperation I'm aware of No Such plans right thank you Gren thank you to on two questions first does the president plan similar calls as he had with prime minister Netanyahu with President alisi of Egypt and Crown.

Prince Muhammad Ben Salon in Saudi Arabia I have little doubt that there'll be addition conversations with both those leaders as well as I'm I'm I'm I suppose King Abdullah of Jordan as well but I don't have anything on the schedule to speak to you today the other question is that when before he was inaugurated president arama follow of.

Guatemala came to the US and made with Jake Sullivan and others in the National Security Council I believe he had a call from the president before he was sworn in uh is the administration discussing an apology for the 1954 coup in Guatemala come this June on its 60th anniversary not that I'm aware of okay thank you uh so on this call between the.

President and the Prime Minister how much of it was focused on getting a better handle of kind of the timeline uh of these Israeli operations the transition I guess to the less intense operations and more broadly is the president is the administration satisfied with the progress that they're seeing Israel make and reaching its.

Objectives in the war I I don't have a time hack for like you know how long they talked about each topic I went through quite a list of topics the call was about 30 to 40 minutes long as uh um and where they discussed all these things um clearly the president was is interested in the prime minister's assessment of uh how things are going on.

The battlefield and as I said earlier and they've acknowledged that they have in fact begun a transition to lower intensity operations which uh means less troops they pulled out a whole division uh from uh from the north um uh uh a slackening Reliance on air strikes uh but I again you know it's really for the IDF to describe what those look like and.

And the progress that they're making and clearly yes the president was interested in Prime min netanyahu's assessment of the progress they're making I won't divulge that that's really for the IDF to speak to but they have in general in their press conferences talked about the pressure that they've been putting on leaders of Hamas um and the the numbers.

Of leaders that they've been able to take off the battlefield and the resources and quite frankly underground architecture that they've been able to take away and degrade thanks behind me okay okay okay John thanks thanks um when it comes to prime minister netanyahu's comments is there concern that his public comments.

About a two-state solution could negatively impact the discussions on a hostage release the short answer I think to that is no um look obviously each of the two leaders have stated publicly um a different view on the promise of a two-state solution it's not going to.

Change President Biden's mind one bit he still believes in it they also still both believe in the importance of getting these hostages home to their families um and that's why we're continuing to work at this and as I said earlier to a previous question that work is serious and it's sober and it's ongoing um and and we are represented at.

That table uh in the region trying to get those hostages released and and uh uh I I again I don't want to I'm not going to put odds one way or another except to say that that there's a lot of people in the region including our Israeli counterparts that are that are working on this thank you thank you thank you Ken and thank.

You John I have two questions on Russia and South Korea North Korea the Russian ambassador to South Korea said in an interview with the South Korean media that he was ready to improve relationship with South Korea and denied the North Korea and Russia arms deals as you know the North Korea and uh Russia supporting ministers and President Putin.

Have met in Russia this week what is your interpretation of this and the followup we've talked about the burgeoning relationship between North Korea and Russia um um I stood up here and showed you a graphic in a slide of the the belief we have and the desire by the Russians to purchase ballistic.

Missiles from uh North Korea has happened have been used in Ukraine um as well as artillery ammunition so um the this burgeoning relationship between the two countries is is certainly worrisome it's worrisome for the people of Ukraine and our interest there as well as well as it's for uh for the peninsula Kim said that South Korea was.

A hostile country he then he then threatened to devastate South Korea and United States and Japan with nuclear weapons do you think these threats from Kim Jong-un are just words or do you think there would be a real word you have to take rhetoric like that seriously uh from a man in charge of a regime that continues to pursue Advanced.

Military capabilities including nuclear capabilities that's why why and I won't go through the list of all the things that I already said to previous question that we're doing to try to address that threat you have to take that seriously uh Kim Jong-un ought to focus more on feeding his people than on uh buying and purchasing Advanced military.

Capabilities thank yes thanks John uh do you John do you still oppose a general ceasefire do we still oppose a general ceasefire yes for the same reason that we have in the past we believe a ceasefire um is going to be to the benefit of anybody but Hamas uh we do support humanitarian deposits as I.

Said to try to get hostages out and more Aid in uh but we don't support a ceasefire at this time I think it's important to remember that there was a ceasefire in place on the 6th of October and Hamas Mr senoir Mr sinir chose to break that ceasefire he's the one that chose chose this war there was a ceasefire which we.

Obviously Wen supportive and Hamas chose to break it is this is the current situation beneficial to Israel speaking strategically here the current situ is the current situation beneficial to Israel the current situation what do you mean by the current situation ongoing conflict the Israeli people have every right to expect that they're military.

And that their government is going to act in their Safety and Security and I guarantee you that if if if this is any other country including this one we wouldn't stand for that kind of threat to live next door to us like that a threat that truly has existential Ambitions they want to wipe Israel off the face of the map so the Israeli.

People have a right to expect that their government's going to try to protect them from that threat which we still believe and certainly was verified in the call today that is it still a viable threat to the Israeli government to the Israeli people one more question on the H how long you you believe you can maintain the uh current uh course I mean.

Striking them and then they strike back you said you have other options at what point you can use another option well I'm not going to get ahead of the president or his decision making have plenty of military capability available to us we'd like these just I'm sorry no no it's my fault I just got my throat caught and I I caught on my word we we.

Want we we obviously are not seeking a conflict with the houis or a war in Yemen uh the best outcome would be for these Reckless attacks by the houthis to stop today but we have the capability we need sorry sorry sorry I did it again all right last two and then thanks K uh John President Biden admitted yesterday that the retaliatory.

Strikes against the houthis aren't working why aren't they afraid of the US well you'd have to ask the houthis uh what's in their mindset I'm not going to get in between the ears of houti leaders um they claim it's about Gaza it's not uh they claim that uh this is some sort of you know uh us and and Britain effort to to to have to wage war on them it's.

Not we're simply trying to do two things we're trying to defend our Navy ships and sailors and the Navy ships and sailors of other nations that are in the Red Sea with us and two protect international shipping this is about self-defense um and again this this conflict that well first of all we don't we don't seek a conflict there doesn't.

Need to be a conflict but the exchange of fire that we have seen in recent days doesn't have to go on one day one day more if the uies would make the right decision to stop these attacks right but they a terrorist group group attacking you interests you know wouldn't your response make them stop again uh.

Terrorists commit acts of violence often times for not not just for the sake of committing acts of violence but um for political posturing or political messaging of some sort or perhaps tied to religious fervor um and they are a designated terrorist group they are conducting uh terrorist attacks on shipping in the Red Sea and we have to.

Respond to that I don't know what the alternative would be should we just stop uh stop defending ships uh and just let them have their way uh with the southern Red Sea I don't think that's in anybody's interest so we're not going to we're not just going to lay down here and uh and wait for them uh to come to a a different approach they need to stop.

The attacks if they don't we'll continue to defend ourselves and make it harder for them to conduct them thanks Admiral uh the house arm Services committee has asked Secretary of Defense FL Austin to appear publicly before them next month for failing to disclose its hospitalization would the White House support the secretary testifying.

Publicly that'll be a decision for the Secretary of Defense and and he has to make that decision and since he was released from the hospital has he clearly explained to the president or any senior officials here what exactly happened I'm not going to get into the the personal and private discussions that the secretary has had with the.

President of the United States they have spoken as recently as late last week um and as you heard the president say himself he has full trust and confidence in Secretary Austin and his leadership at the Pentagon G and that will continue thank you so much apprciate it great we all right Colleen um thank you so I wanted to ask.

About the evaldi report yesterday um the president had said that he hadn't seen the full findings but that he wasn't sure that there was criminal liability so a couple things I wondered if he had time to look through the full findings and if his opinion has changed at all and then also um if not is there another way that law enforcement.

Should be held accountable for the failures so there's a couple things I want to say about that um the doj's report which is you're obviously referring to Colleen uh shows that there were multiple points of failure uh with the law enforcement response in Uvalde and so uh we can only imagine uh how this news adds to the heartbreaking uh.

Uvalde families uh how they're feeling and uh certainly as as a mom Mom myself I this is one of those days that you you wish never ever happens and you don't want to imagine uh so this obviously is very heartbreaking not just for the families for that uh for that community and so no community no Community should have to ever go through uh what you w.

They uh Community suffered and um uh but I'll say this and I think it's really important that these families were able and youal were able to turn things around uh and they put up they they turned their pain into purpose uh and uh helped pass the bipartisan safer communities act which we know which we see it's already starting to save lives.

And uh and so while the president is going to continue to take uh to certainly to do everything that he can through executive action to protect uh communities from gun violence he's not going to stop to ask Congress to uh you know to do something you hear me say that you hear him say that often they need to do this something to stop this.

Epidemic of of gun violence and so uh we've been very clear we need Universal background checks and National red flag law uh we must ban assault weapons obviously and high capacity uh magazines and this uh these actions can't wait these actions can't wait and so I just wanted to lay that out because um that report was uh was was I'm sure very.

Difficult forget about us in the room very difficult for the Uvaldi community and the president understands that I just don't have anything beyond that to add okay um just sorry one more um on the um the debate or the the discussions on funding um it sounded like yesterday there they were pretty close on um the.

Immigration and Ukraine funding um agreements and I just wondered if the White House was willing to concede more um I think part of the one of the main issues they were talking about was Parole Authority I wondered if there were in more concessions being made or like what's happening so um for the past several.

Months I've been very careful not negotiate from here so I'm not going to to um uh break that uh what I'll say is and I've said this uh many times we really appreciate that Senators uh both Republican and Democrats continue to have this conversation continue to negotiate on border security obviously this is something that's the P that is.

Very important to this President uh it came up uh in the in the Congressional meeting that they had two days ago and the president was uh very clear that Congress needs to act we need to be zeroed in and focused on this and also uh the funding for Ukraine as uh Ukraine continues uh continues to uh defend themselves from against Putin's uh.

Aggression right Putin's Invasion and so that is some something that we need to continue to do uh obviously there's been a global Coalition that the president has help held uh to uh including NATO alliances uh more than 50 countries in support of Ukraine as they're trying again uh to fight for their freedom so we need to continue to do that the.

President believes all of the all of the parts and the pieces and what he's asked for in his uh in his National Security Supplemental needs to pass uh but going back to board of security for a second we think the conversations are going in the right direction uh we are optimistic about it it is important to act now uh the immigration system uh what we've.

Seen at the border has been broken for decades now needs to get fixed uh and so the Pres the president's going to continue to encourage uh Congress to act and again we are very uh thankful and appreciative and encouraged uh by what we're seeing by Senators both Republicans and Democrats uh continuing these negotiation processes follow on.

That you say that you're encouraged they're going in the right direction but the president was asked yesterday what are the sticking points in the Border agreement and he said I don't think we have any sticking points left if that's true why haven't Senators announced an agreement yet well we're going to let them speak to that but that's we've been.

Saying it's headed in the right direction right we've been saying that we are encouraged by it right that is I think what the president just said lays pretty much backs up what we've been saying so I just don't want to get into specifics uh as it relates any as it relates to specific I think the negotiators should speak to that let.

Them have those conversations on the hill let them talk to you all about what it is that they're discussing specifically I want to be very careful not to get involved uh in the negotiation process it is we understand how this works and speaking from that from here from the podium don't want to affect uh the progress that we believe.

That they're making on this look border security is important we understand it's important to the American people we have to do something we have to get uh get some uh get some an agreement a bipartisan agreement uh um uh put forward so that uh so that we can deal with that issue at the board did something change in the meeting that he.

Had this week with leaders to give him that optimism I mean what what does he does he think think that it's close to a done deal to say that yesterday so I want to be really mindful meeting two days ago was not a negotiation meeting it was not it was about uh Ukraine the importance that uh the importance for us to continue to support Ukraine uh and.

How Congress has to act and what's expected of us not just in our national security obviously it's important to our national security but also globally and so that was the purpose of this meeting it was not part of the negotiation there are negotiations happening as I just stated over at the hill with Republicans and Democrats senators and we're going.

To let those negotiation happen what we dis what the president wanted to be really clear about is the importance in continuing to support Ukraine as they defend the El as you know uh J uh National Security adviser Jake Sullivan and dni ail Haynes were part of that meeting they laid out uh some examples of the consequences uh for Ukraine on.

The battlefield and so that is what uh the conversation was about obviously and as you all heard from some of these Congressional leaders they brought up the board board of security was discussed but it was not NE in a negotiation uh meeting um jie pritzer was in De Moine this week um and was talking about the.

Inhumane practices of receiving you know these basically these um migrants are still being sent by airplane to Chicago um I I I think the total number is 30,000 shipped to Chicago alone and the Mayors are meeting in town they're um certainly going to ask for more resources what what can the federal government do to help cities like.

Chicago that are really struggling with this especially given the subarctic temp that we're seeing right now and you've heard me say this very recently about how those actions are being taken uh by Republican leaders leadership uh is inh in inhumane uh and is demoralizing and it doesn't it doesn't lead to the safety uh of uh of communities here uh and so.

We've called that out and we'll continue to do that and I've spoken to this already but I'll I'll lay it out a little bit more during the last year what our Administration was able to do it it in Co in cooporation with states and cities across the country we launched this one one uh One-Stop shop clinics to help eligible uh non-citizens.

Get working permits uh and decompress the respective shelter system that was something that that um uh that local leaders and state leaders asked for and so we were able to obviously work in collaboration and getting that done uh to dat these clinics have have served more than 10,000 people uh so they've been effective uh and so and another.

Thing that we've heard us speak to is that we've provided more than $1 billion uh in grant funding for jurisdictions uh hosting recently uh arrived migrants so that's been important and look here's the thing I just went I just had this whole uh kind of this whole back and forth uh with your colleagues here about border security and about this.

Negotiation that's happening in the Senate that's what we we would like to see we want to do more we want to do more but it requires Congress to act that is where we are now that's why it's so important that these conversations these negotiations uh on Capitol Hill with Senators both Republicans and Democrats have been going on for the.

Past several months we are encouraged we want to see the supplemental past it is important to get that done as well remember border security was originally a part of the of the supplemental so we look uh we look forward to continuing collaboration with these states these jurisdictions obviously to to see what else we can do but in order to get more.

Congress needs to act I had a follow up on what John was saying saying that deliberate war crimes that seems to differentiate between deliberate and inadvertent war crimes can you say anything about what your parsing is that um that phrasing I was it's startled me because it seems to imply that you acknowledge.

That there have been war crimes committed but perhaps not Del I I don't think that's what the the Admiral was inferring to he doesn't I don't I I can speak very I think very um uh very I think forcefully and and and say that that is not what he was referring to uh look we we we have been uh very clear about Israel's absolute right to defend.

Itself that's something that we say all the time right obviously this is our relationship what we believe uh as well it's it's obligation to abide by international law right to make sure that we are they are protecting uh civilian lives uh whether Israeli lives or Palestinian lives we've been really clear about that and so um and so I just.

Want to be really careful I'm not going to go beyond what the what the Admiral said here uh and uh I wouldn't part his words too much here uh but we've been very clear on where where we stand on on on what what we believe uh we stand on obviously we want to continue to have these diplomatic conversations as the president had uh with uh prime.

Minister Nan yahu uh and our Focus has always been making sure uh obviously no civilian lives right one civilian life is too many uh getting those that humanitarian Aid into Gaza is incredibly important making sure hostages American hostages all hostages come home and trying to uh continue these pauses these humanitarian pauses that you have seen.

The president lead on and they have been very successful as as the admiral has said if the international Court did rule that war cramps were committed would the US support I'm I'm not going to get into hypothe I'm just not going to get into hypotheticals from here J BR just the president believed that a ban on menal cigarettes would save the lives of black.

Americans so I want to be really careful there's a Ru making process that's currently happening not going to get ahead of that uh that is something for obviously uh the respective agency FDA to to kind of take a look at that I just don't I want to be really mindful I wasn't asking about the rule I was just asking.

Whether that is something the president believes no I I hear you I just want to be careful because there's a process a Ru making process that's currently happening on that particular issue um and I just don't I don't want to comment uh on this rule because on that Pro on your question because that Ru making process is currently happening FDA is.

Doing their part uh they are the experts here I'm just not going to get into uh specifics of of that at all well they may be the experts but I think there's abundant research that shows that this is a leading cause of uh death for black Americans I'm just asking whether the president believes that could be a benefit of banning menal cigarettes I I.

Hear your I hear your question Jay as you said there are experts who have spoken to this I let the experts speak to this when there's a rul making process this is this is always the case here because there's a rul making process we're just not going to comment okay Jackie thank you Karan um what is the administration's response to.

The 14 house Democrats who voted with Republicans the other day to denounce the uh quote open borders policies of the Biden Administration I I what do you mean what's our comments on what would you have a response to 14 Democrats in the house believing that this president has open border policies look we've been very clear uh we want to deal with.

What's going on at the border that's why we're having these conversations these negotiations in the Senate with Republicans and Democrats the president understands that this is an issue that matters to the American people and we feel like those conversations that are happening those negotiations are headed in the right direction and so the.

President understands he put the border security right there was that's part of the supplemental his request on funding for Bard security was part of that National Security uh ask that emergency ask so we believe we need to do more the president understands we need to do more and we we see Republicans and Democrats and Senate want to do more is it is it.

Still the position of the administration that the board borders secure our position is that we need to at the border we have to do more at the border that's why these negotiations are currently happening that's our position and is it um the the position of the administration that the efforts to impeach secretary myurus are.

Unconstitutional what we believe is that what housewi are doing is playing political games that's what we believe and they're not doing their jobs the jobs that the American people want them to be doing and let's not forget they won't even let secretary myus even testify they want to impeach him but they're not even allowing him to testify.

And so it is shameful that's what we believe it is shameful and what we'd encourage these House Republicans to do and this is something that we saw coming out of the midterms in 2022 American people want to see Republicans and Democrats working together to deliver for them to address the issues that matter that's what we would rather see.

On the constitutionality portion though I saw that um there was a memo that came out um that was couting this uh open letter from constitutional law professors making the argument that impeachment based on policy disagreements is unconstitutional is is that the approach the administration is taking to this what letter are you.

Speaking to um there was an Ian Sam's memo that went out and it it was included an open letter from a number of constitutional law professors who were arguing that impeaching a cabinet secretary on the basis of polic policy disagreements is forbidden in the Constitution I'm going to let my colleague's uh letter stand for itself.

I've been clear on how we feel and what we what we think about these impeachment proceedings and and a proceeding that is not even allowing a secretary marus to testify just trying to gather though because it came to us from you know you know the White House obviously that you know is this something that the administration is going to fight in.

Court um on the on a constitutional basis that this is not something that could happen and I will say I'm going to let my my white house uh colleagues at the Council council's Office respond to that okay Karine a month ago today when you were asked about whether the White House had any regrets about linking Ukraine Aid with border funding you said.

No not at all I wanted to know if that was still the case today does the White House have any regrets about this because both of those things are important to the president there the emergency request that's why they he included it in the supplemental and we believe all of it needs to move forward and then just very quickly on student.

Loans there has been some Republican criticism from people like Senator Bill Cassidy congresswoman Virginia Fox specifically saying that the president is pandering in this election year trying to buy votes with these kinds of moves on student loans there have been other lawmakers who've echoed something similar saying it's not fair for.

Americans who didn't go to college to have to pay for those who racked up too much debt what is the White House response to that we've heard that rhetoric many times before that's nothing new uh what you laid out to me uh look the president made a promise that uh he would do everything that he can to take action to give American.

Families a little bit of a breathing room and that's related to uh student student debt as well and you heard at the top when I said I laid out that um you know folks should not have to be crushed by student debt to be able to start a family to be able to uh be able to buy a home right and so this is what we've we've seen over the past several.

Decades and the president has been very clear he's going to do everything that he can uh to give give people a little bit more breathing room to give people uh make sure he lower cost for folks and that's what we're seeing right we're seeing that from uh uh from an array of of folks just across the Spectrum and so I've heard those comments that is not.

Something that the president believes the president believes that is important you get you got to remember this is a president who grew up in a middle class family who who knows what it's like to sit around a kitchen table and try to figure out which Bill are you going to pay are you going to pay that medical Bill are you going to be able to pay.

That medical bill are you going to be able to put food on the table are you going to be able to pay the tuition uh for uh for your kid that's going to college and these are difficult conversations that American families have every month and so if the president can do something to give families a little bit of dignity a little bit of an.

Opportunity to really uh be part of of of a growing economy be part of the middle class he's going to take that action C Sabrina thanks K when the president was asked yesterday about Arab americ Americans not wanting to vote for him over Gaza his response was to point to former president Trump's travel ban on Muslim majority Nations putting aside.

For a moment that most Arab Americans are Christian is is that the bar here that his predecessor and likely opponent wants to uh ban Muslims and President Biden doesn't and how does that relate to the substance of their criticism of Gaza so look I want to be really careful because there's a mix of uh of um upcoming election on on in your question.

Question uh in 2024 look I would look at and I really want to be mindful here and careful uh I think what the president was doing was trying to give a reminder of where we were before right what it looked like before in the last uh four years in the last Administration uh you have a president uh that has been very clear in.

Protecting um Arab Arab Americans or any communities that are under attack uh any communities that have felt left behind and so he is I I think his his record and what he's been trying to do for folks here in this country uh all communities including the Arab American Community is very very clear and so I think he was it was a question that he.

Was asked he answered it very quickly uh it probably you know he he thought of it as obviously asked in a political way and so that's where he went uh but I just also want to be super careful because this is an upcoming election and then away from the campaign then since the conflict began and the president has sat down with Muslim leaders only once.

That we know of on October 26th and there was only one Palestinian American who was present for that meeting why has the president not met or engage more directly with palestinian-american leaders in the more than three months since this conflict began well as you just stated in top of your question he has had Direct conversation with um in.

Leaders in in the respective communities his team has regularly has stayed in touch uh with um members and leaders of of those respective communities as you just laid out Arab Americans um and Muslim Americans as well and so those conversations are obviously very important I don't have anything to read out or lay out of any upcoming uh.

Upcoming discussions with those leaders in the in those communities uh but he has been he's had Direct conversation he's had uh listened to them uh those were private conversations we try not to read uh read out specifically what was discussed uh but obviously uh the president and his team has been in regular.

Communications okay thanks great Monday's obviously the anniversary of R do you have any preview of what the president PL to do to Mark the day yeah so as you know uh the uh the campaign announcement of the four uh principles here the president the vice president the first lady and the second gentleman are going to uh do an event on Tuesday.

Uh as and touch on uh roie Wade I would refer you to to them on exactly what that's going to look like and you know the uh uh the vice president's going to do a tour uh specifically uh um focusing on roie weade so so certainly would refer you to um uh to the vice president's office and certainly we'll have more more to share on that all.

Right I was I'm being told to Rapid Go sir thanks k um on Wednesday when you were asked about ahead of the meeting um speaker Johnson's hr2 or bust position you had said speaker Johnson's not the only Congressman in the room um he's held to this Hardline position but was there any indication from house members who were present in the meeting or in.

Other conversations that have been had with house members that they there is a possibility of them taking on a senate passed agreement like if if an agreement were to be reached and passed in the Senate um has he gotten any kind of assurances that the house would take that off I I will say I think um there was broad uh broad agreement in the room.

In that meeting that we needed they needed to deal with Ukraine and also the border so there was a broad agreement there I'm not going to get into specifics on how that would look like but I think that's important if both Republicans and Democrats in that meeting are saying yes we need to deal with this we need to figure out how to.

Uh make sure we support Ukraine we need to figure out how to make sure we deal with the border security I think that's important and so that is what we were able uh to get out of that meeting as well um that type of uh understanding of addressing those two things but is he optimistic that even if you know if the Senate is able to come to an agreement.

That it would be taken on and passed in the house I mean look I'll say this I'll add to this it was a a balanced and constructive uh conversation that's what we saw and that's what happened uh and there was uh again broad agreement uh to uh to certainly deal with making sure Ukraine gets the funding that they need making sure that we deal with border.

Security so that is the two two important things that came out of the that meeting we are going to continue to have a conversation in the Senate do the negotiations uh in the Senate on the border security to get something done something that the American people want to to see and then we'll see what happens I don't want to get into.

Hypotheticals I don't want to guess what's going to happen obviously speaker Johnson's been uh very vocal and he can speak for himself but it is important it is important that we see a bipartisan agreement bipartisan conversation happening and we'll see where it goes but the president's going to continue to encourage obviously Congress to move.

Forward go I have called on you yeah thank you well regarding the house and a version of this question was asked uh I think during the Air Force One gagle yesterday but with speaker Johnson saying he's uh communicated right ularly with former president Trump on Border negotiations does the White House believe that speaker Johnson is in fact.

Negotiating in good faith toward an agreement on the board look I'm going to let speaker Johnson speak for himself what I can say is that right now we are in active negotiations with members in the Senate and it is in good faith with Republicans and Democrat it is happening in good faith and we are encourage by where the conversation is going uh we.

Are uh we are we we believe there has been in progress and so let's start there let's start there and let them do their job and continue or do their negotiations and continue to have those conversations and I'm just going to let the house speak for themselves do you think speaker Johnson actually wants a border agreement that's that's for him.

To speak to I'm not going to speak from here I know I keep getting did I call you quick follow on On the Border tops very quick okay um is the president open to passing signing a border deal before one is reach on Ukraine or does it have to be concurrent uh I I can't speak to uh the timeline of all of this what I can speak to is we are having those.

Conversation uh in this in the Senate negotiations as I've mentioned multiple times already from here I'm sure youve you you're tired of me saying that over and over again and what I can also say is that we want to see the full National Security Supplemental move forward that is what we want to see we want to see it move forward and that includes Ukraine.

Obviously includes Israel obvious obviously includes border security that's what the president wants to see and that is uh the direction that we hope that it goes in all right I haven't called any you again ahead uh so is the White House supportive of the bipartisan tax bill that was introduced this week that.

Expands the child tax credit but also has a lot of cuts for businesses so we think that uh we are encouraged uh by what we're seeing obviously uh with the uh taxx deal that is that is uh going forward and so we think that's uh um important obviously the president passed the American Rescue plan as you know very early on it had the child tax.

Credit uh the president has been very clear that he wanted uh to see that move forward uh in full and it's uh you know continuing that per more permanently uh and so that is important but we are pleased uh that the house and Ways and Means house ways uh and Means Committee Advan a bipartisan tax bill uh that will increase that right that will increase.

It and so and let's not forget this this is for millions of families millions of families it's going to lift hundreds of thousands of children out of poverty and support construction of hundreds of thousands of affordable rental housing as well in that b bipartisan agreement so uh it is a welcome step forward and we believe Congress should pass it all.

Right guys we'll see you on Monday thank you everybody stay stay warm and dry

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