{"id":122323,"date":"2021-06-08T20:49:08","date_gmt":"2021-06-09T03:49:08","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/69.46.6.243\/?p=122323"},"modified":"2021-06-08T20:49:08","modified_gmt":"2021-06-09T03:49:08","slug":"press-secretary-jen-psaki-deputy-director-of-the-national-economic-council-sameera-fazili-and-senior-director-for-international-economics-and-competitiveness-peter-harrell","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/?p=122323","title":{"rendered":"Press Secretary Jen Psaki, Deputy Director of the National Economic Council Sameera Fazili, and Senior Director for International Economics and Competitiveness Peter Harrell"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Washington, DC&#8230;Happy Tuesday.\u00a0 So, we have two very special guests with us again today.\u00a0 As you know, the Biden-Harris administration \u2014 I\u2019m just going to let you all settle in here.\u00a0 Okay.\u00a0 All right.\u00a0 Great.\u00a0 Okay.  So, as you all know, today, the Biden-Harris administration announced key findings from the reviews directed by the President\u2019s executive order on America\u2019s supply chains.\u00a0 The executive order, signed February 24th, directed a whole-of-government approach to assessing vulnerabilities in and strengthening the resilience of critical supply chains.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/HYzV6LStcQg\" title=\"YouTube video player\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>So, here to discuss the immediate actions we will be taking to promote economic security, national security, and create good-paying union jobs by strengthening American supply chains are repeat guests \u2014 back for the second time; they had so much fun the first time \u2014 Deputy Director of the National Economic Council Sameera Fazili and Senior Director of International Economics and Competitiveness at the NSC Peter Harrell.<\/p>\n<p>Okay.\u00a0 Thanks, Sameera.\u00a0 You\u2019re kicking us off.<\/p>\n<p>DEPUTY DIRECTOR FAZILI:\u00a0 Thank you.\u00a0 Hi, everyone.\u00a0 Good afternoon.\u00a0 And thank you, Jen.\u00a0 It is good to be back here at the end of this whole-of-government review that we just undertook of America\u2019s supply chains, following President Biden\u2019s direction back in February.<\/p>\n<p>We said from the beginning that our approach to supply chain policy needs to be an integral part of the President\u2019s overarching economic strategy to grow the economy from the bottom up and the middle out.<\/p>\n<p>We also said that we were not going to simply be writing reports in this 100 days that were going to sit on a shelf; we are going to be taking action to address specific supply chain vulnerabilities.\u00a0 I think today\u2019s reports make both those things crystal clear.<\/p>\n<p>To achieve supply chain resiliency, we need to build back better by leveraging America\u2019s greatest strengths:<\/p>\n<p>First and foremost, American workers.\u00a0 Decades of focusing on labor as a cost to be managed and not an asset to be invested in have weakened our domestic supply chains, undermined wages and union density for workers, and also contributed to companies\u2019 challenges finding skilled talent.<\/p>\n<p>We must focus on creating pathways for all Americans to access well-paid jobs with a free and fair choice to join a union and bargain collectively.<\/p>\n<p>Second, our diversity.\u00a0 We need to unlock the full potential of the American people, including making economic opportunities available across our country and for women and for people of color.<\/p>\n<p>Third, our small businesses.\u00a0 To build a diverse and healthy ecosystem of suppliers, we must rebuild our small- and medium-sized business manufacturing base that has borne the brunt of the hollowing out of U.S. manufacturing.<\/p>\n<p>Fourth, our alliances.\u00a0 We need to diversify our international suppliers and reduce geographic concentration risk.\u00a0 For too long, the U.S. has taken certain features of global markets \u2014 especially the fear that companies and capital are going to flee to wherever wages, taxes, and regulation are the lowest \u2014 as inevitable.\u00a0 The pandemic laid bare the challenges of this approach, and we need to change it.\u00a0 We are committed to working with partners and allies to decrease the vulnerabilities in our collective supply chains.<\/p>\n<p>And finally, fifth, our imagination.\u00a0 Our approach to supply chain resilience needs to look forward to emerging threats, from cybersecurity to climate issues.\u00a0 And so we are future-proofing and building back better.<\/p>\n<p>Second, it\u2019s clear from these reports that we need to take action.\u00a0 And today, we made a series of announcements to that effect, including on pharmaceuticals.<\/p>\n<p>The Department of Health and Human Services is going to be using its Defense Production Act authority and funding appropriated under the President\u2019s American Recovery Plan to invest $60 million in advanced pharmaceutical manufacturing technologies and R&amp;D.<\/p>\n<p>On advanced batteries, the Department of Energy will take steps to advance its support for battery research, manufacturing, and processing.\u00a0 This is going to include new rules to ensure that companies that develop new products based on federal R&amp;D funding manufacture those products in the U.S., so what is invented in America will also be made in America by American workers.<\/p>\n<p>On critical minerals and materials like lithium and rare earths that are essential in our fight to combat the climate crisis, we will be announcing a comprehensive strategy that includes increases in sustainable U.S. production and processing, and working with allies and partners to increase sustainable global supply and reduce reliance on geopolitical competitors.<\/p>\n<p>Across all of our domestic and international efforts on minerals, we will maintain a commitment to adhere to the highest environmental, labor, and social sustainability standards, and support robust community engagement in the process, including Tribal consultations here in the U.S.<\/p>\n<p>On semiconductors, the Department of Commerce will double down on their ongoing work to convene industry and work with allies and partners to increase transparency, communication, and trust throughout the semiconductor supply chain.<\/p>\n<p>Finally, as we move to focus on our one-year reviews, the Department of Agriculture is announcing more than $4 billion in a robust suite of Build Back Better initiatives focused on building a more fair, competitive, distributed, and resilient food supply chain and food system.<\/p>\n<p>Third, we need to be nimble and be able to address emerging supply chain issues at the same time as we\u2019re continuing this work on these longer supply chain resiliency strategies.\u00a0 And that is why today we are launching a new Supply Chain Disruptions Task Force to tackle near-term bottlenecks in the semiconductor, homebuilding and construction, transportation, and agricultural and food industries.<\/p>\n<p>This task force is going to be led by three Cabinet Secretaries \u2014 Secretaries Buttigieg, Raimondo, and Vilsack \u2014 and will bring in all-of-government approach to addressing the near-term supply and demand mismatches we are seeing in these sectors as the economy reignites.<\/p>\n<p>They will be collaborating closely with industry, labor, and other stakeholders to surface solutions, share best practices, and take actions.\u00a0 And we at the White House are going to be their partners by their side.\u00a0 It\u2019s going to be NEC, DPC, CEA, NSC \u2014 all of us working with them.<\/p>\n<p>Throughout our work on supply chains, we have been heartened to see the bipartisan support for supply chain security and resiliency, including when the President started this review by meeting with a bipartisan group of senators in the Oval Office.<\/p>\n<p>We look forward to working with Congress as we move these ideas into action.<\/p>\n<p>And before I turn it over to my colleague and friend Peter Harrell, I want to note that our report\u2019s findings reinforce the President\u2019s call for making a once-in-a-generation investment in our nation\u2019s production and innovation infrastructure.\u00a0 Those investments proposed in the American Jobs Plan and the American Families Plan will strengthen the public systems that connect manufacturing, researchers, workers, and small businesses, and will help unleash the power and ingenuity of the private markets to drive towards national resiliency.<\/p>\n<p>Thank you.\u00a0 Peter?<\/p>\n<p>MR. HARRELL:\u00a0 Good afternoon. \u00a0Thanks, Sameera.\u00a0 And it\u2019s a pleasure for me to be here this afternoon.\u00a0 This is a signature initiative for President Biden.\u00a0 He is focused on supply chain resilience since his campaign, when he promised, almost a year ago, that if elected, he would direct his administration to expand investments in U.S. manufacturing and to take other steps to strengthen the resilience of U.S. supply chains.<\/p>\n<p>Earlier today, pursuant to Executive Order 14017 that President Biden signed in February, we released publicly 250 pages of reports, assessing supply chain vulnerabilities and making recommendations, including immediate actions to address them.<\/p>\n<p>Earlier this morning, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan and National Economic Council Director Brian Deese convened a meeting of many members of the Cabinet here at the White House, in the Roosevelt Room, to discuss the recommendations in this report and for the Cabinet members to commit to taking action across the U.S. government to implement those recommendations and other critical steps to address supply chain resilience.<\/p>\n<p>While the President\u2019s supply chain initiative has identified a number of vulnerabilities, I want to stress that our work has also found that the United States is well positioned to rebuild our productive capacity in key sectors and to strengthen our innovative leadership.\u00a0 We\u2019re confident that working together with Congress, industry, labor, and other stakeholders, we can chart a new path that emphasizes resilience, security, broad-based growth, and sustainability.<\/p>\n<p>As Sameera mentioned, the President and the entire administration welcome the strong bipartisan support that exists on Capitol Hill for strengthening American supply chain resilience.<\/p>\n<p>Sameera highlighted a number of the domestically focused specific actions that the administration announced earlier today.\u00a0 I want to briefly discuss just a few of the actions that we\u2019re taking internationally.<\/p>\n<p>As Sameera said, America\u2019s allies and partners are a great strength of our nation, and we must work in partnership with them on supply chain resilience.\u00a0 We\u2019re announcing today a commitment from the U.S. Development Finance Corporation to increase high standards overseas investments in U.S. allies and partners and projects that strengthen supply chains.<\/p>\n<p>We\u2019re also asking the U.S. Export-Import Bank to develop a proposal for a new domestic finance window that would, if approved by EXIM\u2019s board, provide financing to build manufacturing facilities and infrastructure here in the U.S. that will support U.S. exports of critical products, which will help our allies and partners.<\/p>\n<p>We\u2019re going to be increasing our diplomatic work with our allies and partners on supply chain security.\u00a0 Supply chain security will feature prominently on the agenda for President Biden\u2019s trip to Europe starting later this week, including at the U.S.-EU Leaders Summit scheduled for early next week, and was already a major element of President Biden\u2019s summits earlier this spring with key U.S. allies in Asia.<\/p>\n<p>We\u2019re also recommending that President Biden host a global forum at the head-of-state level to convene key global leaders to strengthen supply chain cooperation.<\/p>\n<p>Finally, we know that as we strengthen cooperation with our allies and partners, we also have to push back against unfair trade practices by competitor nations that have hollowed out the U.S. industrial base and undermine our supply chain security.\u00a0\u00a0We\u2019re launching a U.S. Trade Representative-led supply chain trade strike force to identify unfair trade practices that undermine U.S. supply chains and to identify specific trade actions we can bring to combat those practices.<\/p>\n<p>We\u2019re also asking the Commerce Department to evaluate a Section 232 action on neodymium magnets \u2014 which are essential to motors and a range of defense and industrial applications \u2014 to identify tools to reduce our foreign dependency.\u00a0 This would demonstrate the type of targeted but tough action we expect the trade strike force to deliver.<\/p>\n<p>I want to thank members of the Cabinet and their staff who contributed to these reports and actions.\u00a0 The initiative represents an immense amount of work, and we know we have much more in the weeks and months ahead.\u00a0 We\u2019ll be working to implement all of the recommendations summarized in the report, and carrying forward the work to a second phase directed by EO 14017, which is already underway and consists of broad studies of the supply chain risks of six key industrial base sectors.\u00a0 Those industrial base sector supply chain reports will be due next February, on the year mark of Executive Order\u00a0<s>1417<\/s>\u00a0[14017].<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s been an honor for all of us to work on this initiative, and I\u2019m sure we\u2019ll be talking about it with you regularly as our work goes forward.<\/p>\n<p>Thank you, and we look forward to a couple of questions.<\/p>\n<p>MS. PSAKI:\u00a0 Okay.\u00a0 Go ahead, Phil.<\/p>\n<p>Q\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Thanks, Jen.\u00a0 I think probably for Sameera, can I flesh out a little bit the Supply Chain Disruptions Task Force?\u00a0 Obviously, you guys believe what\u2019s happening right now is transitory.\u00a0 But these mismatches exist; they\u2019re creating near-term problems.\u00a0 Do you expect this task force to be coming up with ideas and proposals in real time?\u00a0 Are they reporting at a specific clip?\u00a0 Kind of, how do you expect this to work to try and address these things that are problems right now?<\/p>\n<p>MS. FAZILI:\u00a0 Yep.\u00a0 Well, one, I want everyone to remember and recognize that these are, kind of, good problems to be having.\u00a0 At this time last year, we had bare grocery shelves and we had people going hungry.\u00a0 And thanks to the President\u2019s American Rescue Plan, we have people finally able to be out there moving again, visiting families this summer, and going out to eat.<\/p>\n<p>So, these are \u2014 these are good problems to be having and to be working \u2014 working on right now.\u00a0 We\u2019re thankful for that and the success of our COVID vaccination strategy.<\/p>\n<p>But I think what you just saw us do right now is a 100-day sprint around four products.\u00a0 And when we say we\u2019re going to take sprints and take actions, we mean a sprint and we mean action.\u00a0 And so, here, our Cabinet Secretaries, who are in the lead, you\u2019ll see in the days and weeks ahead, they\u2019re going to be bringing together all stakeholders to really diagnose the problems, understand what\u2019s going on out there in these markets, and see what actions can be taken to close those vulnerabilities.<\/p>\n<p>We recognize that, in some instances, those actions are going to be actions that the private sector, other stakeholder groups, they need to be the ones taking action.\u00a0 The answer is not always government taking the action here.\u00a0 But we are \u2014 we have learned in our work with the semiconductor, kind of, producers and users that when you bring people together, you help them increase trust, increase transparency, and stimulate a lot of learning that sparks action.<\/p>\n<p>MS. PSAKI:\u00a0 April.<\/p>\n<p>Q\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 This is for Sameera and Peter.\u00a0 Sameera, you used the word \u201cweakened.\u201d\u00a0 And as we\u2019re talking about supplies, I\u2019m looking at the link with inflation.\u00a0 What should the American consumer be looking for now as we\u2019ve come up with this report and the weaknesses that you\u2019ve talked about as it relates to inflation?<\/p>\n<p>And then, Peter, for you: You used the words, \u201cvulnerability.\u201d\u00a0 With putting \u201cweakened\u201d and \u201cvulnerability\u201d together, there\u2019s some kind of economic parallel with this.\u00a0 Where are we economically in this nation?\u00a0 What is our status? \u00a0We are staving off, or have been trying to stave off depression. \u00a0Where are we economically?\u00a0 Are we still in recession \u2014 a deep recession?\u00a0 Where are we?\u00a0 If you can answer both of those questions.<\/p>\n<p>MS. FAZILI:\u00a0 Look, I think where we are economically is the U.S. is clearly the engine of global growth right now.\u00a0 Our economy has reignited, and the rest of the world is being buoyed by our successes here.<\/p>\n<p>So the economy is fundamentally in a position of strength, but this President has consistently said that what we need to do is take this moment to build back better.<\/p>\n<p>So when we talk about weaknesses and vulnerabilities in this report, we\u2019ve identified structural, long-term problems that have built up over time in our economy, and that is why this President has been out there calling for Congress to take action on his American Jobs Plan and American Families Plan \u2014 because what we need now is a transformational investment to make sure we can actually grow from the bottom up and the middle out.<\/p>\n<p>Peter, do you want to \u2014<\/p>\n<p>Q\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 What about inflation?<\/p>\n<p>MS. FAZILI:\u00a0 Peter.<\/p>\n<p>Q\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 What about the issue of inflation, though, that\u2019s (inaudible)?<\/p>\n<p>MS. FAZILI:\u00a0 Oh, you know, on these supply chain bottlenecks that we\u2019re seeing, these \u2014 some of these \u2014 these price dislocations, these temporary increases in delivery time \u2014 we fully expect these bottlenecks to be temporary in nature and to resolve themselves over the next few weeks.\u00a0 Like, if \u2014 again, these are good problems to be having.\u00a0 Demand came back much quicker than even companies expected.\u00a0 I think the success of our vaccination campaign surprised many people, and so they weren\u2019t prepared for demand to rebound in this way.\u00a0 But we still expect this to be transitory in nature.\u00a0 We\u2019re going to keep an eye on it, but we think it should resolve in the next few months.<\/p>\n<p>Q\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 And the status \u2014 and the status of where we are economically?\u00a0 Recession, staving off depression, deep recession \u2014 where are we?<\/p>\n<p>MS. PSAKI:\u00a0 I mean, I think \u2014 I think Sameera addressed that.\u00a0 I just want to \u2014<\/p>\n<p>Q\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 No, she said \u2014 okay, strength.<\/p>\n<p>MS. FAZILI:\u00a0 Strength.<\/p>\n<p>Q\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Okay, good.<\/p>\n<p>MS. PSAKI:\u00a0 Josh.<\/p>\n<p>Q\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Can I ask a little bit more about the semiconductor portion of this?<\/p>\n<p>MS. FAZILI:\u00a0 I mean \u2014 and I\u2019ll point you to, on Friday, the OECD report.\u00a0 We\u2019re, like, the one advanced economy that, I think, our growth projections are above where we were at the pandemic.\u00a0 Was it 6.9?\u00a0 So \u2014<\/p>\n<p>MS. PSAKI:\u00a0 Go ahead, Josh.<\/p>\n<p>Q\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 On semiconductors: How do you plan to balance funding or support for foreign manufacturers \u2014 allies, partners \u2014 and domestic manufacturers?\u00a0 Is there going to be a preference given to domestic, or is there a risk that this could, you know, support foreign manufacturers in a way that actually undercuts the domestic industry?\u00a0 How, if at all, do you plan on balancing that?<\/p>\n<p>MR. HARRELL:\u00a0 So, I think we are taking an all-of-the-above strategy to semiconductor manufacturing and expanding semiconductor manufacturing, both here in the United States and abroad.<\/p>\n<p>As you know, the President has called for Congress to appropriate at least $50 billion to strengthen semiconductor manufacturing here in the United States, including both leading-edge semiconductors and also some of the more mature semiconductors where we\u2019re seeing current shortages for automotive manufacturing and industrial applications.<\/p>\n<p>Generally speaking, consistent with the proposal in Congress, we would expect to encourage both foreign and American companies to invest here in the United States.\u00a0 And I think we\u2019re already seeing some announcements of that where we\u2019ve seen announcements from Intel, from Samsung, from GlobalFoundries, from a whole range of both foreign and American companies to expand capacity here.<\/p>\n<p>But it isn\u2019t just from an overall strategy; that money is going to be about attracting capacity here in the United States. But from our overall strategy, it\u2019s not only about expanding capacity here in the United States, it\u2019s also about working with allies and partners.\u00a0 Yesterday, for example, Bosch, the major European automotive supplier, opened a new automotive semiconductor factory in Germany.\u00a0 That\u2019s going to help alleviate some of the global shortages we\u2019re seeing.<\/p>\n<p>So while that money is going to lead to greater production here in the United States, and we\u2019re expecting to see a major increase in production over the next couple of years, this is also an area where we see opportunities to work with allies and partners.<\/p>\n<p>Q\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 So you would treat an investment in the U.S., in a semiconductor plant, equally, whether the investor was a foreign company or an American one?<\/p>\n<p>MR. HARRELL:\u00a0 So we expect that the incentives will be available on a competitive basis to both foreign and American companies.\u00a0 I\u2019m not here to get into the specifics of exactly how the program will be implemented, if Congress, in fact, passes \u2014 passes it.<\/p>\n<p>Q\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 And, finally, can you talk a bit about the trade strike force?\u00a0 What are they tasked with doing or able to do that USTR doesn\u2019t do already?<\/p>\n<p>MR. HARRELL:\u00a0 So I think the trade strike force is a vehicle to leverage a number of our existing trade tools, but to really focus them on supply chain vulnerabilities.\u00a0 You know, we have \u2014 as we looked across the four products that we are releasing reports on today, we saw example after example where an unfair foreign competitor action had led to the hollowing out of a supply chain for a key U.S. product.<\/p>\n<p>And these are all often very specific things those foreign governments are doing.\u00a0 So what this is going to do is harness and focus the government agencies involved in trade enforcement on how do we use our trade tools to strengthen \u2014 to combat unfair trade practices that impact supply chains and to strengthen U.S. supply chains.\u00a0 And I think the neodymium magnet \u2014 232 \u2014 we\u2019re asking Commerce to evaluate is an example of that.<\/p>\n<p>Through our reports, we identified a very specific product where there\u2019s a very specific supply chain vulnerability, and we\u2019re getting the task force to look at that.<\/p>\n<p>MS. PSAKI:\u00a0 Brian.<\/p>\n<p>Q\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Yeah, I guess, the Disruption Task Force \u2014 are you all going to be looking at ransomware attacks?\u00a0 And how will you deal with it internationally?<\/p>\n<p>MS. FAZILI:\u00a0 On ransomware?<\/p>\n<p>Q\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Yes.<\/p>\n<p>MS. FAZILI:\u00a0 The Disruption Task Force is focused on semiconductors, lumber and construction \u2014 or homebuilding and construction materials; it\u2019s not going to focus on ransomware and cybersecurity.\u00a0 We have a whole \u2014<\/p>\n<p>Q\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 So how will you deal with that?<\/p>\n<p>MS. FAZILI:\u00a0 \u2014 other process in place, led by our National Security Council, that addresses cybersecurity risks and issues.<\/p>\n<p>Q\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 And, internationally, you\u2019ll deal with that how?<\/p>\n<p>MR. HARRELL:\u00a0 So I think you saw, the other day, Deputy National Security Advisor Neuberger talk about some of the steps that the administration is taking to address ransomware.\u00a0 She is leading a process to identify and close vulnerabilities that we face from ransomware.<\/p>\n<p>One of the sets of issues we have been looking at in our supply chain review, both on these four products and in our year-long industrial base, is cybersecurity risks to our supply chains.\u00a0 Clearly, cybersecurity risks can disrupt supply chains.\u00a0 But Ms. Neuberger is leading the, sort of, focus response to the ransomware issue.<\/p>\n<p>Q\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 So that\u2019ll be two siloed \u2014 two different things?\u00a0 Or are they working together (inaudible)?<\/p>\n<p>MS. FAZILI:\u00a0 I would not say it\u2019s siloed.\u00a0 We work very closely.\u00a0 I think Peter and I being up here shows you how closely the National Economic Council and National Security Council work together on issues where it makes sense for us to come together.\u00a0 And so, on cybersecurity, you have seen us behind the scenes working together to figure out how we can leverage our tools and our convening power to have a full government response repeatedly.<\/p>\n<p>MS. PSAKI:\u00a0 Okay, last one.\u00a0 Right in the middle.\u00a0 Go ahead.<\/p>\n<p>Q\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Will the administration unbundle \u2014 work on unbundling large contracts to ensure that Black-owned companies can compete for them?<\/p>\n<p>MS. FAZILI:\u00a0 So, we are very focused on trying to make sure that our Build Back Better agenda \u2014 sorry, it\u2019s hard to see \u2014 is it okay if I stand here \u2014<\/p>\n<p>MS. PSAKI:\u00a0 Sure.<\/p>\n<p>MS. FAZILI:\u00a0 \u2014 to be able to look \u2014 yeah.\u00a0 I relate.\u00a0 \u00a0I relate.<\/p>\n<p>No, we are \u2014 we are really focused on making sure that as we talk about diversifying supplier bases here in these reports, that we are not just talking about small businesses but<br \/>\nwe\u2019re talking about disadvantaged businesses as well, and minority-owned businesses.\u00a0 And so, you\u2019ve seen in our American Jobs Plan that we put proposals in there related to small business and strengthening small business.\u00a0 And we know that an important piece of that is leveraging federal procurement and power of the government to support those businesses.\u00a0 So \u2014<\/p>\n<p>MS. PSAKI:\u00a0 Christian has been very eager in the back.\u00a0 Go ahead, Christian.\u00a0 Last actual one.<\/p>\n<p>Q\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 You talked about the Export-Import Bank and some of the financing that is going to be done to shore up industrial manufacturing here in United States.\u00a0 Under the previous administration, though, China was one of the top destinations of U.S. export-import financing.\u00a0 An overwhelming majority of that money actually went to state-owned enterprises.\u00a0 Is the administration looking at anything in terms of financing that goes to some of these industries overseas?\u00a0 Shouldn\u2019t, you know, the priority be making certain that money stays here?<\/p>\n<p>MR. HARRELL: \u00a0So that\u2019s actually exactly the proposal we\u2019re asking the Export-Import Bank\u2019s board to evaluate: is a new window that would foster direct EXIM Bank financing for the construction and manufacturing in infrastructure here in the United States.<\/p>\n<p>Obviously, they have a longstanding set of programs that finance the export of products made in the United States to foreign buyers.\u00a0 But, actually, it\u2019s exactly what we\u2019re asking them to look at is ways to expand the financing for construction and investment here in the U.S.<\/p>\n<p>MS. PSAKI:\u00a0 Thank you both so much for joining us.\u00a0 Appreciate it.\u00a0 Always welcome.<\/p>\n<p>MR. HARRELL:\u00a0 Thank you.<\/p>\n<p>Q\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Thank you.<\/p>\n<p>MS. PSAKI:\u00a0 We love to talk about supply chains in here.<\/p>\n<p>Okay, just two more items for all of you at the top.\u00a0 Yesterday, in Guatemala City, following a bilateral meeting with the Guatemalan President, the Vice President announced a new effort to partner with Guatemala around security, economic development, and anti-corruption.<\/p>\n<p>Today, in Mexico, the Vice President will hold a bilateral meeting with President Obrador.\u00a0 They\u2019ll discuss our economic relationship, security cooperation, and stemming migration.\u00a0 The Vice President and President Obrador will witness the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the United States and Mexico to establish a strategic partnership to cooperate on development programs in the region.\u00a0 And the Vice President will also meet with labor leaders, women entrepreneurs, and U.S. embassy staff before she returns to the United States.<\/p>\n<p>One last item for all of you.\u00a0 We have more good news on the global fight against COVID-19.\u00a0 Today, the Mastercard Foundation and Mastercard pledged to make a $1.3 billion contribution to help make critical progress in providing vaccines to people across Africa, in partnership with the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.\u00a0 This is a significant commitment to acquire COVID-19 vaccines for at least 50 million people, and to build long-term manufacturing and equitable distribution capacity, which will further enable efforts to provide vaccines and strengthen the continent\u2019s ability to prepare for future pandemics.<\/p>\n<p>This is a welcome addition to our announcement last week that approximately 5 million of our first tranche of COVID-19 vaccines will be shared with African countries, in coordination with the African Union.<\/p>\n<p>Q\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Which vaccines?<\/p>\n<p>MS. PSAKI:\u00a0 Which vaccines?\u00a0 They\u2019re providing funding \u2014 a contribution of funding to ensure that these vaccines are provided to Africa.\u00a0 I don\u2019t have the \u2014<\/p>\n<p>Q\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 So it\u2019s up to them whichever vaccines they take?<\/p>\n<p>MS. PSAKI:\u00a0 It\u2019s, again, funding to the Africa CDC \u2014 version of the CDC.\u00a0 So it will be distributed through there.<\/p>\n<p>With that, Darlene, why don\u2019t you kick us off.<\/p>\n<p>Q\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Thank you.\u00a0 Have the President and Senator Capito had their conversation yet?\u00a0 And what can you tell us about it, if they have?<\/p>\n<p>MS. PSAKI:\u00a0 They have not had a conversation yet, but they will have a conversation this afternoon.\u00a0 And the President looks forward to continuing the discussion with the senator.\u00a0 He appreciates her good-faith engagement over the last few weeks.\u00a0 I would reiterate, as was noted in the statement we put out last week, that while the President came down by quite a bit in his proposal \u2014 from his initial proposal \u2014 on the American Jobs Plan, the latest offer that we had seen from Senator Capito\u2019s group did not meet the essential needs of our country to restore roads and bridges, prepare us for a clean energy future, and create jobs.<\/p>\n<p>So today they\u2019ll have a discussion about what more there is to discuss, I guess, and what the path looks like for it.<\/p>\n<p>I will also note that the President will also speak with other senators this afternoon \u2014 still finalizing who those will be, and we\u2019ll have readouts of that as well \u2014 who have been engaged in discussions about a bipartisan infrastructure proposal \u2014 engaged with each other.\u00a0 So he\u2019ll have those discussions as well.\u00a0 I expect we\u2019ll have a readout, as I noted.<\/p>\n<p>We\u2019re encouraged by these discussions and see them as an additional viable path forward.\u00a0 And he\u2019ll ask members of his Jobs Cabinet \u2014 or he\u2019s already asked them, I should say, to remain engaged in the days ahead, the period of time when he\u2019s on his foreign trip \u2014 although, of course, he\u2019ll remain engaged from there as well \u2014 with all members who are interested in working together on making a historic investment in infrastructure.<\/p>\n<p>And just third piece I would note, Darlene, as we\u2019re kind of \u2014 since you asked about the President engagement \u2014 he\u2019s also going to stay closely engaged with Democratic leadership about the path forward, especially in light of the markup on the Surface Transportation bill happening tomorrow in the House and the interest by Speaker Pelosi, Leader Schumer, and other leaders in Congress on moving forward \u2014 and certainly an interest in doing that.<\/p>\n<p>Finally, last thing I would note is the expected passage later today of the U.S. Innovation and Competitiveness Act in the Senate this afternoon, which is a down payment on the President\u2019s proposed investment in R&amp;D to make us more competitive, as well as the important work with Senator \u2014 that Senator Wyden has undertaken on clean energy tax credits, a priority the President shares.<\/p>\n<p>So I would just note, as I\u2019ve stated many times before in here, there are a number of paths for moving the President\u2019s bold ideas forward.\u00a0 We\u2019re moving on all of them full speed ahead.<\/p>\n<p>Q\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 And one more question.<\/p>\n<p>MS. PSAKI:\u00a0 Sure.<\/p>\n<p>Q\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Since the President is the head of the Democratic Party, would he support legislation that is now on the governor\u2019s desk in Nevada that would move Nevada to first place in the presidential primary process, up from third place?<\/p>\n<p>MS. PSAKI:\u00a0 I certainly understand the interest, but I\u2019m not going to weigh in on the order of a presidential primary contests from here.<\/p>\n<p>Go ahead, Mary.<\/p>\n<p>Q\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 On the infrastructure talks, Senator Capito has said she is not going to be coming to this conversation armed with a new offer.\u00a0 As you note, the President has rejected the Republicans\u2019 latest counteroffer.\u00a0 It doesn\u2019t seem that he\u2019s willing to come down any further.\u00a0 So, are we at an impasse here?<\/p>\n<p>MS. PSAKI:\u00a0 We certainly don\u2019t see it that way.\u00a0 He\u2019s looking forward to discussing the path forward with Senator Capito.\u00a0 He sees her as an important and viable partner as we look to how we\u2019re going to get his bold ideas signed into law.<\/p>\n<p>And again, I\u2019d note that there\u2019s also Democrats and Republicans \u2014 as you have seen and many of you have reported on \u2014 who are discussing what \u2014 how they can work together on what a path forward would look like, where there might be more investment in clean energy jobs, and might be a higher number than what we\u2019ve seen by the proposals to date.<\/p>\n<p>So, again, there are a lot propo- \u2014 a lot of paths forward.\u00a0 And he looks forward to discussing what they look like with Senator Capito and others this afternoon.<\/p>\n<p>Q\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Is the President, though, willing to offer any other concessions in these negotiations, or is it safe to say that you view the ball as being in the Republicans\u2019 court here?<\/p>\n<p>MS. PSAKI:\u00a0 Look, I think this is \u2014 as any negotiation is, it\u2019s about both sides looking to see how much they can come to the other side, and how much you have to give.\u00a0 The President has come down by about a trillion dollars; that\u2019s quite a bit.\u00a0 Obviously, we\u2019d like to see more.\u00a0 But there are a number of opportunities and paths to have these discussions, moving forward.<\/p>\n<p>Q\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 And I want to \u2014 just broadly, if you could explain a little bit more how the President has been preparing for this big trip tomorrow.\u00a0 How much time has he been spending in briefings?\u00a0 Just, sort of, how has he been getting ready for this upcoming trip?<\/p>\n<p>MS. PSAKI:\u00a0 Well, first, I will say that he\u2019s been getting ready for 50 years.\u00a0 He has been on the world stage.\u00a0 He\u2019s known a number of these leaders for decades, including President Putin and including a number of the leaders he\u2019ll see at NATO and he\u2019ll see at the G7.<\/p>\n<p>Now, this is an important opportunity for him to see them in person, and there\u2019s nothing like face-to-face engagement in diplomacy.\u00a0 And for him, somebody who, as you\u2019ve seen \u2014 the fact that he\u2019s welcomed in Democrats and Republicans to the Oval Office, that\u2019s just an indication of how much he feels that format is effective.<\/p>\n<p>So, he\u2019s been engaging with his team, talking about what bilateral conversations he\u2019ll be having; where there are opportunities; where there are moments to voice the United States\u2019 concern, where necessary.\u00a0 But again, he\u2019s \u2014 he\u2019s got quite a \u2014 several decades of experience to build on here.\u00a0 So, you know, he\u2019ll be relying on that in the \u2014 in \u2014 during his trip.<\/p>\n<p>Go ahead, Phil.<\/p>\n<p>Q\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Secretary Granholm, on Sunday, said that it was frustrating that a pathway for a bipartisan deal hadn\u2019t come to fruition yet.\u00a0 Does the President share that frustration at this point?<\/p>\n<p>MS. PSAKI:\u00a0 Well, I would say the President has a benefit of 36 years in the Senate, where he has seen that the sausage-making is messy.\u00a0 It takes time.\u00a0 There are ups and downs on the roller coaster.\u00a0 We\u2019re right in the middle of the sausage-making right now.<\/p>\n<p>And the President\u2019s view is that it\u2019s a good sign that there are several viable paths forward, that we are having good-faith conversations, of course, with Democrats and our Democratic colleagues and partners, but also with a number of Republicans.\u00a0 That\u2019s a good sign.<\/p>\n<p>At the same time, the House is moving forward with marking up key components of the American Jobs Plan.\u00a0 So, the fact is this train is moving on several tracks.\u00a0 That\u2019s how we know these larger packages, larger proposals often move forward.\u00a0 And we\u2019re encouraged by the variety of options.<\/p>\n<p>Q\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 And along the lines of sausage making, given the scale of the President\u2019s ambitions with his proposals he\u2019s put on the table, is the real reason that he\u2019s still in bipartisan negotiations right now because moderate Democrats are saying, \u201cWe need to stay in bipartisan negotiations right now\u201d?\u00a0 Or does he think something can come of them?<\/p>\n<p>MS. PSAKI:\u00a0 The President wouldn\u2019t be spending his time engaging in hours of discussions with Republicans if he didn\u2019t think something could come from it.\u00a0 Now, we can\u2019t predict what the final outcome is, and we\u2019re keeping \u2014 his only lines in the sand \u2014 as you know, Phil \u2014 are inaction and raising taxes on Americans making less than $400,000 a year.<\/p>\n<p>We know there is \u2014 there are a lot of Democrats who are eager to move forward, as are we.\u00a0 But we think there are a lot of paths forward where we can \u2014 where it\u2019s worth continuing to pursue bipartisan discussion.<\/p>\n<p>Go ahead.<\/p>\n<p>Q\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Thank you.\u00a0 About the Vice President\u2019s trip: Why is it then that when the Vice President is asked if she has plans to visit the border, she says, \u201cWe\u2019ve been to the border,\u201d even though she has not, as Vice President?<\/p>\n<p>MS. PSAKI:\u00a0 Well, as the Vice President, she does speak for the actions of the people in the administration she certainly helps oversee.\u00a0 I expect that sometime she may go to the border, Peter.\u00a0 But as you know, what her focus has been, what the assignment is specifically, is to work with leaders in the Northern Triangle.\u00a0 She\u2019s on a trip doing exactly that, exactly what the President asked her to do.<\/p>\n<p>Q\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 And, as we understand it though, her main focus is to try to address the root causes of migration.\u00a0 Did somebody decide here that it would not be helpful for her to go to the border and talk to people who just migrated here?<\/p>\n<p>MS. PSAKI:\u00a0 Well, again, I think that at some point she may go to the border.\u00a0 We\u2019ll see.\u00a0 But she\u2019s in the Northern Triangle now to have discussions with leaders, with community leaders, with civil society leaders, with the embassy about how we can work together.\u00a0 And obviously she\u2019s made a couple of announcements already \u2014 probably more to come before she comes back to the United States.<\/p>\n<p>Q\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 And she described though \u2014 you said she might go to the border \u2014 she described a trip to the border yesterday as a \u201cgrand gesture.\u201d\u00a0 Why?<\/p>\n<p>MS. PSAKI:\u00a0 Look, Peter, again, I think her focus of this trip is on meeting with leaders, having a discussion about how to address corruption, how to address the root causes, how to work together to address humanitarian challenges in these countries.\u00a0 That\u2019s exactly what she\u2019s doing on the ground, and I\u2019m sure she\u2019ll report back to the President when she returns.<\/p>\n<p>Go ahead.<\/p>\n<p>Q\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 I\u2019m going to follow up with the border in a second, but let me ask you, if I can: On infrastructure, you laid out some of the conversations that the President is having including, sort of, his message to some of the Democrats on Capitol Hill right now to, sort of, get a little better detail there.\u00a0 Would the President support \u2014 does he want Democrats to more actively pursue the process of reconciliation as an option?<\/p>\n<p>MS. PSAKI:\u00a0 Well, Peter, I would say that the Democrats are already moving forward on marking up components of the bill.\u00a0 And Democratic leadership has been clear that they want to move forward on infrastructure and making a historic investment in infrastructure.\u00a0 There\u2019ll be a discussion about the mechanics of that, you know, over the course of the coming days.\u00a0 And we\u2019ll have more to read out once those discussions have been had.<\/p>\n<p>Q\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 So, again, in terms of, like, the timeframe for those decisions to be made, obviously the message to Democrats is, \u201cKeep going\u201d and \u201cWe might need you\u201d?<\/p>\n<p>MS. PSAKI:\u00a0 Well, look, I think, to be clear: The President is always going to continue to pursue opportunity to work with Republicans, regardless of what mechanics are moving forward in the House.\u00a0 He\u2019s going to keep pursuing those opportunities.\u00a0 And we fully expect that there will be several pathways that are moving on different channels as we look to how we\u2019re going to get this American Jobs Plan passed.<\/p>\n<p>Q\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 As it relates to the border right now, we heard from the Vice President yesterday where her message was very simple and blunt.\u00a0 She said to those migrants who would be considering coming \u2014 she said, \u201cDo not come.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Obviously, there\u2019s some progressive Democrats, among other critics, who\u2019ve been frustrated by that \u2014 Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez perhaps, most prominently saying, \u201cIt was disappointing to see.\u201d\u00a0 She said, among other things, that \u201cseeking asylum at any U.S. border is a 100 percent legal method of arrival.\u201d\u00a0 What does the White House say to those progressive Democrats, among others, who were frustrated by the message the White House is delivering?<\/p>\n<p>MS. PSAKI:\u00a0 Well, first, of course it is.\u00a0 And one of our focuses and the priorities of the President and the Vice President is to improve asylum processing at the border, to work with a range of Democrats \u2014 and, hopefully, Republicans \u2014 because, in history, it\u2019s been a bipartisan effort to get immigration reform passed, to make \u2014 ensure there\u2019s a more viable pathway to citizenship and a better processing at the border.<\/p>\n<p>What the Vice President was simply conveying is that there\u2019s more work to be done, that we don\u2019t have these systems in place yet, it\u2019s still a dangerous journey, as we\u2019ve said many times from here and from many forums before, and we need more time to get the work done to ensure that asylum processing is where it should be.<\/p>\n<p>Q\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 And last question about the Senate report \u2014 bipartisan Senate report as relates to what happened on January 6th.\u00a0 Obviously, it addressed the security planning and response failures.\u00a0 We know that that\u2019s held up on Capitol Hill right now.\u00a0 Your reaction to that?\u00a0 And what, if anything, more the White House can do as it relates to those security failures in terms of planning and the like?<\/p>\n<p>MS. PSAKI:\u00a0 Well, first, let me just reiterate that of course the events of January 6th were an assault on our democracy and the rule of law.\u00a0 And the President has been outspoken in calling for a full and independent investigation to what transpired.<\/p>\n<p>As it relates to the report, our team is currently reviewing the report and its findings to inform our ongoing efforts to ensure something like that could never happen again and what role, of course, the federal government can play.\u00a0 There are many roles, as you know, that the report seems to surface on what officials on Capitol Hill could do.\u00a0 And we want to assess how we can be a good partner in this effort moving forward.<\/p>\n<p>I would also note that on his first full day in office, he asked his team to launch a review on how we can improve the federal government\u2019s response to the threat of domestic terrorism, something he also touched on when he was in Tulsa last week.\u00a0 And we\u2019ll be releasing that broader strategy soon, as well.<\/p>\n<p>Go ahead.<\/p>\n<p>Q\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Thank you, Jen.\u00a0 The FDA has still not cleared the 60 million AstraZeneca doses that are part of the President\u2019s commitment to share 80 million doses overseas by the end of June.\u00a0 Is there any concern that the administration will not get that approval from the FDA in time?\u00a0 And if that were the case, will the U.S. then make up for those 60 million doses with other available vaccines in order to meet the President\u2019s deadline of the end of June?<\/p>\n<p>MS. PSAKI:\u00a0 Well, we, as you know, can\u2019t predict or expedite the timeline here.\u00a0 It\u2019s the FDA who will make that decision about when those doses will be approved, if and when they will be approved.<\/p>\n<p>We do remain committed to ensuring that we meet our commitment of 80 million doses \u2014 getting those out to the global community by the end of June \u2014 which is, again, five times more than any other country and 13 percent of our own supply.\u00a0 It\u2019s only June 8th, so we have quite a bit of time.\u00a0 But we remain committed to that. \u00a0And obviously if the FDA approves AstraZeneca doses, then that will be a component of that supply.<\/p>\n<p>Q\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 And just, as the pooler, a question on behalf of our colleagues at The Canadian Press, as well as Global News. \u00a0On the timeline for reopening the U.S.-Canada border: Canada has said it will look to take a phased approach.\u00a0 Does the White House see an announcement happening in concert, or is the U.S. prepared to ease those restrictions on its own?<\/p>\n<p>MS. PSAKI:\u00a0 Well, again, we would make a decision about the Canada border based on the guidance of our health and medical experts.\u00a0 And I\u2019m sure that when that decision is made, we would communicate through diplomatic channels.\u00a0 But I don\u2019t have anything to predict about the timeline.<\/p>\n<p>Go ahead, Mara.<\/p>\n<p>Q\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Thank you.\u00a0 You\u2019ve mentioned how long the President has spent in the Senate.\u00a0 He\u2019s talked himself about how timing and sequencing things are really key to presidential leadership.\u00a0 Does he have an objection to starting with H.R.4 instead of H.R.1?\u00a0 In other words, why not do the John Lewis Act first?<\/p>\n<p>MS. PSAKI:\u00a0 I think he is quite open to what Democratic leadership feels is the viable path forward, and we\u2019ll work closely with them in coordination.<\/p>\n<p>Q\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 But there\u2019s a difference of opinion on that \u2014 on what would be the best one to go forward.\u00a0 Democratic leadership is (inaudible).<\/p>\n<p>MS. PSAKI:\u00a0 We\u2019re not going to be \u2014 we\u2019re not going to be the arbiters of that, but we will discuss with them.<\/p>\n<p>Q\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 You\u2019re leaving that to them.<\/p>\n<p>MS. PSAKI:\u00a0 We will discuss with them as we \u2014 as we look ahead what the right path forward is.<\/p>\n<p>Q\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Okay, and my second question, just on infrastructure: In terms of the people he\u2019s speaking to this afternoon, will one of them be Mitt Romney?<\/p>\n<p>MS. PSAKI:\u00a0 I don\u2019t \u2014 we will give readouts of who he\u2019s spoken with once we\u2019ve completed those calls.\u00a0 But I don\u2019t have anything to preview for you at this moment.<\/p>\n<p>Q\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Has he ever spoken to Mitt Romney?<\/p>\n<p>MS. PSAKI:\u00a0 Has he ever spoken time in his life?<\/p>\n<p>Q\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Yeah, since he\u2019s been President.\u00a0 No, since he\u2019s been President.<\/p>\n<p>MS. PSAKI:\u00a0 You know, it\u2019s a good question.\u00a0 He\u2019s spoken with a number of Republicans.\u00a0 As you know, we don\u2019t read them all out.\u00a0 I don\u2019t have anything to read out for you, but he has, obviously, in different circumstances, has had (inaudible).<\/p>\n<p>Q\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 In terms of these different paths and different groups, this group that he\u2019s going to talk to \u2014<\/p>\n<p>MS. PSAKI:\u00a0 Yeah.<\/p>\n<p>Q\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u2014 this afternoon, is this the first time that he\u2019s starting to, kind of, reach out to them?\u00a0 He\u2019s been really focusing on Capito up until now.<\/p>\n<p>MS. PSAKI:\u00a0 That\u2019s right.\u00a0 We\u2019ve been engaged with a range of Democrats and Republicans, including members who have been in conversation through this group at a staff level.\u00a0 He\u2019s obviously had discussions with a number of them about how he moves his ideas forward.\u00a0 So I wouldn\u2019t make it as firm as a first time.\u00a0 But certainly discussing this as a viable path forward at his level, at this point in the process, you know, would be an indication of how we see this as a viable path.<\/p>\n<p>Go ahead, (inaudible).<\/p>\n<p>Q\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Yeah, just to follow up on the question on voting rights, you said yesterday that we will stay lockstep with the Democratic leadership on that path forward.<\/p>\n<p>MS. PSAKI:\u00a0 Yeah.<\/p>\n<p>Q\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 And what Pelosi said in her letter today is that the H.R.4 is not going to be ready until the fall.\u00a0 So are you \u2014 and to focus \u2014 just to focus effort on the Senate passing H.R.1.\u00a0 So are you okay with that kind of timeframe, if that \u2014 even if that means that basically this issue languishes until the fall?<\/p>\n<p>MS. PSAKI:\u00a0 Well, first, we don\u2019t see it as languishing.\u00a0 Obviously, the President has asked the Vice President to lead this effort.\u00a0 And I\u2019ll give you a bit of an update that, in addition to, of course, engaging with federal efforts on the federal level to move legislation forward, she\u2019s also going to use the power of the White House to convene key stakeholders.\u00a0 And she\u2019ll be hosting several events next week when she returns from her trips \u2014 just to give you an indication of how quickly and how focused we will be on these efforts.\u00a0 And she\u2019ll fight for our key bills and also to register voters under the President\u2019s historic executive order, as well as advocate for Democratic principles.<\/p>\n<p>So, I will say, we\u2019re going to work, of course, with Democratic leadership on both \u2014 on both, even with their disagreements about the \u2014 the \u2014 what the order of events should be here.\u00a0 But we\u2019re not going to wait for that.\u00a0 We\u2019re going to use the White House as a convener.\u00a0 We\u2019re going to use the bully pulpit.\u00a0 Obviously, when the President was in Tulsa just last week, he talked about voting rights very passionately and forcefully.<\/p>\n<p>I\u2019ll also note that we\u2019re also continuing to work to implement the executive order that the President signed into law early on in his administration, and that executive order uses every authority available to make voting easier, more accessible, and more fair.\u00a0 It directs agencies to expand access to voter registration and election information, assist states under the National Voter Registration Act, improves and modernizes Vote.gov, increases federal employees\u2019 access to voting, analyzes barriers to voting for people with disabilities, increases voting access for duty \u2014 active-duty military and other voters overseas.<\/p>\n<p>So I would just note that we are not relying on just one option here.\u00a0 Of course, federal legislation is something he will continue to press for, but we\u2019ll use the bully pulpit, we\u2019ll use our convening power, we\u2019ll continue to press through on implementing this executive action as well.<\/p>\n<p>Q\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 On a separate issue \u2014 there was a report this morning about, basically, IRS records showing that very wealthy Americans have evaded paying income tax, almost altogether in certain circumstances.\u00a0 One, do you have any reaction just to that as a factual matter?\u00a0 And, two, are you concerned about that just from a leak standpoint?<\/p>\n<p>MS. PSAKI:\u00a0 Well, let me take the second part first because I think that\u2019s important.\u00a0 Any unauthorized disclosure of confidential government information by a person with access is illegal, and we take this very seriously.<\/p>\n<p>The IRS commissioner said today that they are taking all appropriate measures, including referring the matter to investigators.\u00a0 And Treasury and the IRS are referring the matter to the Office of the Inspector General \u2014 the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, the FBI, and the U.S. Attorney\u2019s Office for the District of Columbia, all of whom have independent authority to investigate.<\/p>\n<p>So, obviously we take it very seriously.\u00a0 I\u2019m not going to comment on specific unauthorized disclosures of confidential government information.<\/p>\n<p>I can tell you that, broadly speaking, we know that there is more to be done to ensure that corporations, individuals who are at the highest income are paying more of their fair share, hence it\u2019s in the President\u2019s proposals, his budget, and part of how he\u2019s proposing to pay for his ideas.<\/p>\n<p>April, go ahead.\u00a0 And, sorry, I\u2019ll come back to you.\u00a0 Go ahead.<\/p>\n<p>Q\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 I want to \u2014 I want to follow back up on voting rights \u2014 on matters of voting rights.<\/p>\n<p>MS. PSAKI:\u00a0 Sure.<\/p>\n<p>Q\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 This President has based his administration on equity and equality.\u00a0 And now the issue of voting rights is in our face.\u00a0 We are voting without the full protections of the 1965 Voting Rights Act because of Shelby v. Holder, but it\u2019s also unraveling because of states.\u00a0 And the person that seems to be holding it up is Joe Manchin.<\/p>\n<p>Is the President planning to specifically speak with him about voters \u2014 not including it with infrastructure or anything \u2014 is he planning on speaking with him specifically on voting rights, particularly after this morning\u2019s virtual meeting with civil rights leaders who say the conversation will continue?<\/p>\n<p>MS. PSAKI:\u00a0 Well, first, let me say that it was encouraging to see Senator Manchin meeting with civil rights groups today. The meeting shows that both are serious and recognize the importance of the issue.\u00a0 We certainly know the seriousness that many civil rights groups take with voting rights and the importance of moving this forward.\u00a0 And as indicated in both of their readouts, as you said, April, they will continue the discussion.<\/p>\n<p>I would certainly expect that when the President has a conversation with Senator Manchin the next time, they\u2019ll talk about voting rights.\u00a0 And \u2014 but often when he speaks with members, he talks about a range of issues \u2014 some where you work together; some where you disagree.<\/p>\n<p>Q\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 So, understanding the history of how presidents decide to lean in, he\u2019s got Vice President Harris putting this in her portfolio.\u00a0 But when will the President begin to lean?\u00a0 And is there a moment where he has to, himself, lean in on this?\u00a0 Because if it doesn\u2019t happen before the next elections, it looks like it could be a done deal.\u00a0 Voting rights are (inaudible).<\/p>\n<p>MS. PSAKI:\u00a0 Well, April, you were with the President in Tulsa last week.\u00a0 Right?<\/p>\n<p>Q\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Yes.<\/p>\n<p>MS. PSAKI:\u00a0 You heard how passionately he spoke about voting rights, how central this is to how he views his presidency, his leadership, the future of our democracy.\u00a0 I mean, that was central to the message he delivered in a speech that was widely covered, that was reflecting on a moment in history that hasn\u2019t requi- \u2014 it hasn\u2019t been given the attention that it certainly deserves.<\/p>\n<p>I certainly would not say we\u2019re waiting.\u00a0 As I noted, we\u2019re going to continue to press for federal action, for action to move forward on a bill that the President would love to sign into law.<\/p>\n<p>We certainly know we can\u2019t do that with a magic wand. That\u2019s not how democracy works for good reason.\u00a0 But the President also signed this executive action early on \u2014 a very expansive and powerful executive action \u2014 because he wanted to \u2014 did not want to delay a moment in ensuring that we were taking more steps to assist states, to improve and modernize Vote.gov, to increase federal employees\u2019 access to voting, to analyze barriers to voting for a range of people.\u00a0 And that was an action he took early on.\u00a0 We\u2019re continuing to implement now.<\/p>\n<p>And I\u2019ll also note that the Vice President asking his Vice President \u2014 his partner \u2014 to play a role in leading this \u2014 something that she also asked for, just to be clear \u2014 asked to do \u2014 it sends a message about what a priority this is to the President.\u00a0 They have regular lunches.\u00a0 They engage \u2014 she\u2019s the first in the room and the last in the room.<\/p>\n<p>And she\u2019s going to not hesitate either \u2014 not delay either, I should say.\u00a0 When she comes back from her trip, she\u2019ll be convening people and she will be elevating these issues as well from her platform.<\/p>\n<p>Q\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Thank you, Jen.<\/p>\n<p>MS. PSAKI:\u00a0 Go ahead, Weijia.<\/p>\n<p>Q\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Thank you, Jen.\u00a0 The Family Reunification Task Force has reported that of the about 3,900 children who were separated from their families, it does not have a confirmed record of reunification for 2,127 children.\u00a0 Can you explain what that means that they don\u2019t have a record of reunification?\u00a0 Does the administration know where these children are?<\/p>\n<p>MS. PSAKI:\u00a0 Well, first \u2014 as you know, Weijia, from covering this \u2014 and I know another \u2014 a number of others have \u2014 one of the challenges that they walked into \u2014 or we walked into \u2014 is the lack of data.\u00a0 And that \u2014 we knew that would take some time to ensure that we were handling the data and handling the reunification process as carefully as possible.<\/p>\n<p>I would note that, through the support of NGOs, 1,779 children were reunified with their parents in the United States under past court orders.\u00a0 Over the last 30 days, through the task force and NGO coordination, seven additional children were reunited with their fami- \u2014 parents, bringing the total number of reunified children to 1,786.<\/p>\n<p>In terms of where we go from here, I mean, I would certainly point you to the task force for what their terminology means.\u00a0 We know there\u2019s a challenge with data, a challenge with matching that to what we have access to.\u00a0 But beyond that, I would certainly point you to Department of Homeland Security.<\/p>\n<p>Q\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 So you don\u2019t know if the administration is aware of where these children are?<\/p>\n<p>MS. PSAKI:\u00a0 That\u2019s not what I said.\u00a0 What I said was the Department of Homeland Security oversees the task force, and I would certainly point you to them to give you more of a clear definition of exactly what they mean by \u201cmismatched data\u201d so you have all the information you\u2019re looking for.<\/p>\n<p>Q\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Thank you.\u00a0 And one more \u2014<\/p>\n<p>MS. PSAKI:\u00a0 Oh, go ahead.<\/p>\n<p>Q\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u2014 on the Justice Department.\u00a0 President Biden has accused his predecessor of using it as his own personal law firm.\u00a0 Is he disappointed that the DOJ is siding with Trump in his claim that he can\u2019t be sued for defamation for remarks that he made about an alleged rape case?<\/p>\n<p>MS. PSAKI:\u00a0 Well, first, let me say that the President strongly believes in the independence of the Department of Justice.\u00a0 We were not consulted \u2014 the White House was not consulted, I should say more specifically \u2014 by the Department of Justice on the decision to file this brief or its contents.<\/p>\n<p>Q\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 So does he believe that that independence still exists, even though the DOJ is defending the former President?\u00a0 The firewall between \u2014<\/p>\n<p>MS. PSAKI:\u00a0 I\u2019m not sure what you mean by your question.<\/p>\n<p>Q\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Does he believe that the DOJ defending the former President in this case still maintains that independence between the executive branch and the DOJ?<\/p>\n<p>MS. PSAKI:\u00a0 I think what I was referring to is allowing for the Department of Justice to make decisions and announcements about ongoing, you know, court filings and legal actions.\u00a0 So independence as it relates to how the \u2014 this President views and approaches the Department of Justice.<\/p>\n<p>Q\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 But does it upset him?<\/p>\n<p>MS. PSAKI:\u00a0 Does it \u2014 I think the President has been pretty clear, as Weijia started her comment conveying, about his view about the pres- \u2014 his view about his predecessor\u2019s comments, about his predecessor\u2019s language, and about his predecessor\u2019s approach, and his engagement in that regard.<\/p>\n<p>Q\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 So what can he do?\u00a0 What can he do about it?<\/p>\n<p>MS. PSAKI:\u00a0 I don\u2019t think I have anything more to speak to you on, Brian \u2014 on active litigation.<\/p>\n<p>Go ahead, Josh.<\/p>\n<p>Q\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Can I ask \u2014 there was a series of web outages this morning \u2014<\/p>\n<p>MS. PSAKI:\u00a0 Yeah.<\/p>\n<p>Q\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u2014 that were linked to a company called Fastly.\u00a0 Is there any indication that it\u2019s anything other than just failure with that company?\u00a0 And specifically, is it a potential national security issue?\u00a0 Have you look into whether there\u2019s a potential external group behind it?<\/p>\n<p>MS. PSAKI:\u00a0 Yeah, Fastly, I know, put out a statement about it.\u00a0 I don\u2019t have anything more from the federal government on the leak \u2014 on the outage.<\/p>\n<p>Q\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 And then pivoting to the G7, the President has talked about the need to push the G7 to boost vaccine \u2014<\/p>\n<p>MS. PSAKI:\u00a0 Yeah.<\/p>\n<p>Q\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u2014 availability overall.\u00a0 Can you speak to what he\u2019s considering?\u00a0 Prime Minister Johnson, for instance, has talked about the need to vaccinate the world in its entirety by the end of 2022.\u00a0 Other European leaders are not going quite so far.\u00a0 Does the President have a view on what specific target the G7 should take?<\/p>\n<p>MS. PSAKI:\u00a0 Well, I expect we\u2019ll have more in the coming days, Josh, so stay tuned.\u00a0 Jake did say he expected that you all will hear more at the G7.\u00a0 I don\u2019t want to get ahead of that too much.<\/p>\n<p>But what I would say is that the United States is \u2014 we\u2019re headed into the G7 in a position of strength, with 64 percent of our adult population vaccinated; in a position to donate more doses to the world than any other country around the world.\u00a0 But we certainly know this needs to be a global effort, and it will be a discussion at the G7, and we\u2019ll have more to say in the coming days.<\/p>\n<p>Go ahead.<\/p>\n<p>Q\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Just one more on infrastructure.\u00a0 Given the \u2014 you know, what Senator Capito said today to reporters \u2014 kind of throwing cold water on progress between her and the President on talks \u2014 would you say the administration has become more willing to pursue reconciliation to pass the infrastructure package than maybe a week ago or two weeks ago?<\/p>\n<p>MS. PSAKI:\u00a0 Well, I would say that there are always \u2014 there\u2019s always been a range of paths to get the President\u2019s bold ideas passed into law.\u00a0 He\u2019s having a conversation with Senator Capito this afternoon, as well as individual conversations with other members who have been working in a bipa- \u2014 bipartisan manner, to see what the path forward looks like.\u00a0 And he\u2019s also closely in touch with Democratic leadership.<\/p>\n<p>So, I\u2019m not here to rule out options, but I\u2019m not here to rule in new options either.\u00a0 We\u2019ll have \u2014 we\u2019ll have more to say after he has these calls later this afternoon.<\/p>\n<p>Q\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Okay, one more.\u00a0 The White House said over the weekend it was unaware of the DOJ gag order on the New York Times.\u00a0 Can you assure us that there are no other gag orders on other news organization related to some of these investigations?<\/p>\n<p>MS. PSAKI:\u00a0 Well, the Department of Justice has made clear that was their third and final notification that they were offering.\u00a0 And that\u2019s the information they also shared with us.\u00a0 But they\u2019ve shared it publicly.<\/p>\n<p>Q\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 And so there would \u2014 to your understanding, there\u2019s no other gag orders?<\/p>\n<p>MS. PSAKI:\u00a0 They made clear \u2014 they indicated that this was their last effort \u2014 their last notification that they needed to offer.<\/p>\n<p>Go ahead.<\/p>\n<p>Q\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Thanks.\u00a0 So I have a question that\u2019s a little infrastructure, a little climate.\u00a0 Senator Sheldon Whitehouse was tweeting yesterday, saying that he was anxious about the future climate-related legislation.\u00a0 And he said, \u201cClimate has fallen out of the infrastructure discussion, as it took its bipartisanship detour.\u00a0 It may not return.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Then he went on to say, \u201cI don\u2019t see the preparatory work for a close Senate climate vote taking place in the administration.\u201d\u00a0 Has the White House reached out to the senator?\u00a0 And also, does he have cause for concern on the future of climate-based legislation?<\/p>\n<p>MS. PSAKI:\u00a0 Well, I promise you we are certainly in touch with his team, and perhaps even on an individual basis as well, but I don\u2019t have anything to read out for you.\u00a0 But I can just tell you that we are in close touch with nearly every member of Congress who is working on these legislation moving forward.<\/p>\n<p>I will say that \u2014 what I would point out to you is that one of the \u2014 one of the pieces we conveyed when \u2014 when we put out a statement last week about how the President could not accept the offer that was put out by Senator Capito and her group, even though those conversations are happening in good faith, was the fact that it didn\u2019t do enough to invest in our clean energy future.<\/p>\n<p>And there are areas of effort that are moving forward.\u00a0 I mentioned Senator Wyden\u2019s effort to move forward on clean energy tax credits.<\/p>\n<p>The President views this bill as a jobs bill.\u00a0 He also believes it\u2019s a clean energy jobs bill and it has an opportunity to invest in industries of the future.\u00a0 So, certainly, it is close to his heart.\u00a0 It remains an area he\u2019s committed to and one he will continue to fight for as we have these discussions moving forward.<\/p>\n<p>Q \u00a0And then I just had another on the Vice President visiting the border or not visiting the border. \u00a0Republicans and conservatives are, you know, going crazy on Twitter, sending pictures \u2014<\/p>\n<p>MS. PSAKI:\u00a0 They\u2019re worked up.<\/p>\n<p>Q\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u2014 sending videos \u2014<\/p>\n<p>MS. PSAKI:\u00a0 I\u2019ve seen it.<\/p>\n<p>Q\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u2014 of her interview with Lester Holt, you know, saying, \u201cI\u2019m not\u2026\u201d \u2014 you know, \u201cI\u2019ve not been to Europe, either.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Does the President think there is a scenario in which she should visit the border?\u00a0 And also, the mounting criticism from conservatives, does that \u2014 would that ever factor into a decision to send her down there?\u00a0 I mean, don\u2019t they have a point that if she has this task in front of her, should she not see the \u2014 the end cause as well as the root cause of migration?<\/p>\n<p>MS. PSAKI:\u00a0 Well, first, as I said to Peter: At some point, she may go to the border.\u00a0 I don\u2019t have any trips to preview for you or predict or a timeline for that.<\/p>\n<p>But what I would reiterate is that her assignment was to work with countries and leaders in the Northern Triangle to address root causes, address corruption, ensure we\u2019re working together to address humanitarian concerns.<\/p>\n<p>I will say, we\u2019re not taking advice from former President Trump or most of the Republicans who are criticizing us on this, given they were all sitting there while we created this problem we walked into, both at the border and with the movement of migration that has been growing over the last year.\u00a0 So, we\u2019re not taking our guidance and advice from them.\u00a0 But if it is constructive and it moves the ball forward for her to visit the border, she certainly may do that.<\/p>\n<p>Go ahead.<\/p>\n<p>Q\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Yeah, I have two questions on infrastructure.\u00a0 You said the White House is moving ahead on all three paths on infrastructure, including the third path, which was listening to other lawmakers who have ideas \u2014 I believe that\u2019s how you characterized it.<\/p>\n<p>I\u2019m just trying to clarify \u2014 and this was asked a little bit earlier: I mean, are you referring to the bi- \u2014 bipartisan group that consists of Senators Manchin, Sinema, Romney, and Portman?\u00a0 And if current talks with Senator Capito and her group don\u2019t progress, is there a point when you stop negotiating with that group in favor of this other group of Republicans and Democrats?\u00a0 Is that how you\u2019d see it working?<\/p>\n<p>MS. PSAKI:\u00a0 Well, I would say we\u2019ll leave it to them to determine what groups they may or may not want to join.\u00a0 But they\u2019re not \u2014 it\u2019s not a closed group.\u00a0 We would welcome anyone who wants to join that group and be a part of these discussions moving forward.\u00a0 And we\u2019ll \u2014<\/p>\n<p>Q\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Members of the press?<\/p>\n<p>MS. PSAKI:\u00a0 \u2014 see where it heads.\u00a0 Members of the press, I\u2019ll leave it to them to determine.\u00a0 I think you have to be an elected member of the Senate.\u00a0 So, unless that\u2019s your pathway moving forward.<\/p>\n<p>Q\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 But you are engaging with them though already?<\/p>\n<p>MS. PSAKI:\u00a0 Yeah.<\/p>\n<p>Q\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Okay.<\/p>\n<p>And then my second question is: What specific proposals did the White House agree to bring down or eliminate in its latest infrastructure counteroffer that reduced the cost from $1.7 trillion to $1 trillion in new spending?\u00a0 Does funding \u2014 specifically, does funding for caregiving remain in the president\u2019s latest offer?\u00a0 And if it does, I mean, is it still the $400 billion price tag?<\/p>\n<p>MS. PSAKI:\u00a0 Caregiving remains a huge priority \u2014 investing in caregiving \u2014 to the President.\u00a0 I\u2019m not going to outline any more specific details, other than to convey that it\u2019s an area that continues to fight for, to advocate for, and one that he\u2019d like to be signed into law as part of a package moving forward.<\/p>\n<p>Q\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 But does that mean it\u2019s not part of what you\u2019re negotiating right now with Republicans?<\/p>\n<p>MS. PSAKI:\u00a0 No, that\u2019s not what I said.\u00a0 I\u2019m not \u2014 I don\u2019t have any more details to outline for you.<\/p>\n<p>Go ahead.<\/p>\n<p>Q\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Thank you.<\/p>\n<p>Q\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Yes, Jen \u2014 sorry.<\/p>\n<p>MS. PSAKI:\u00a0 We\u2019ll go \u2014 sorry, we\u2019ll go to you next.<\/p>\n<p>Q\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 The chief of Russia\u2019s space agency is threatening to pull out of the International Space Station unless the United States lift sanctions against two companies that are related to the space station.\u00a0 What\u2019s the White House response to that?<\/p>\n<p>MS. PSAKI:\u00a0 That\u2019s a really interesting question and I didn\u2019t know much about it before you asked this question, so I\u2019ll probably have to talk to our national security team.\u00a0 I will say that working together on issues of space and issues related to space is one area where we have worked together, historically, with the Russians on.\u00a0 And I\u2019d have to dig more into what those sanctions are for.\u00a0 I\u2019m not aware of a consideration of that, but I\u2019ll check with our national security team.<\/p>\n<p>Go ahead, Yamiche.<\/p>\n<p>Q\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Thanks so much, Jen.\u00a0 A follow-up to Weijia\u2019s question: In four months, the Family Reunification Task Force has reunited about 36 families.\u00a0 I\u2019m wondering what the White House makes \u2014 what the President makes of the ACLU saying it hopes the government increases that pace?\u00a0 Does the President want to see this go faster?\u00a0 Are there any explanations for maybe why it needs to go slower?<\/p>\n<p>MS. PSAKI:\u00a0 We certainly do, as I think any member of the Family Reunification Task Force would want to as well.\u00a0 And one of the challenges has been what we walked into, which was a lack of data or tracking for a number of these kids that were separated from their parents when they came across the border over the last few years.\u00a0 That\u2019s a huge data challenge.<\/p>\n<p>We\u2019re not going to reconnect them with families where it\u2019s not properly verified \u2014 right? \u2014 because we know there\u2019s a history over the last several years of, you know, kids being connected with pa- \u2014 with individuals who had malintent.<\/p>\n<p>So, that\u2019s a factor, Yamiche.\u00a0 We wish \u2014 of course, everybody wants it to go faster.\u00a0 Everybody wants \u2014 in this administration, everybody wants these kids to be reunified with their family members and with verified family members.\u00a0 But, you know, we\u2019re working with a challenging issue related to data that we knew would be the case from the beginning.<\/p>\n<p>Q\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Do you think that pace is going to be the pace?\u00a0 Or do you think it will get quicker?<\/p>\n<p>MS. PSAKI:\u00a0 I would certainly point you to them \u2014 the members of the task force and the Department of Homeland Security, who are much more in depth about where the status is, where the challenges are, and what the holdups are.\u00a0 And we can certainly invite one of them to come and speak to you at the appropriate time as well.<\/p>\n<p>Q\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 And then I wanted to ask about \u2014 I know there\u2019s the COVID task force, but, in some ways, when you look at southern states, they are lagging, particularly, when it comes to vaccination rates.\u00a0 I wonder if the President has any sort of plan specifically targeted to southern states and whether or not that will impact whether or not he moves back to 70 percent goal that he set up for July 4th?<\/p>\n<p>MS. PSAKI:\u00a0 Well, Yamiche, you are right that there are different age groups, there are different demographic groups, there are different geographic groups in the country where we haven\u2019t seen the pace as fast as others.\u00a0 So, while it\u2019s very high \u2014 the vaccination rate \u2014 at this point among seniors, and even pretty high \u2014 over 70 percent \u2014 for people 40 and older \u2014 still young, I will note \u2014 it is \u2014 it is not where it needs to be in people under 40 and certain states around the country.<\/p>\n<p>What we\u2019re trying to do and what we just launched this past weekend is this massive, one-month campaign to incentivize \u2013right? \u2014 people getting vaccinated.\u00a0 We\u2019re working with the private sector.\u00a0 We\u2019re going to barbershops.\u00a0 We\u2019re working with, you know, donuts and beer and all sorts of incentives to get young people and people vaccinated who have been either hesitant, resistant, or just didn\u2019t want to take the step to get vaccinated.<\/p>\n<p>We\u2019re going to continue charging through the finish line to \u2014 in pursuit of our 70 percent goal.\u00a0 We\u2019ve seen 13 states meet that goal.\u00a0 It\u2019s ultimately up to some \u2014 some \u2014 these states and some individuals to get vaccinated to meet it in a state-by-state basis.<\/p>\n<p>Q\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 And one last question: There are some progressives who are calling Joe Manchin \u2014 Senator Manchin \u2014 \u201cthe new Mitch McConnell,\u201d saying he\u2019s an obstructionist, saying that he\u2019s standing in the way of the Biden agenda.\u00a0 I wonder what the President makes of that.\u00a0 Is he worried about progressives alienating Senator Manchin?\u00a0 Or does he agree with some of the things that they\u2019re saying about standing in the way of his agenda?<\/p>\n<p>MS. PSAKI:\u00a0 Look, I think we\u2019re not going to \u2014 we\u2019re going to leave the name-calling to others.\u00a0 The President considers Senator Manchin a friend.\u00a0 He disagrees with him on voting rights and \u2014 and the \u2014 the bill that the senator has expressed he won\u2019t support.<\/p>\n<p>The President will continue to advocate for the importance of that moving forward and the reasons why that it\u2019s a \u2014 it\u2019s important and vital for our democracy.\u00a0 But, you know, we\u2019ll continue to seek ways we can work with Senator Manchin even in \u2014 while we have areas of disagreement.<\/p>\n<p>Q\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 I just wonder if you think it\u2019s \u2014 the name-calling \u2014 is it alienating the senator?\u00a0 Is it worrisome that you\u2019re hearing Democrats say that about Senator Manchin, calling him \u201cthe new Mitch McConnell\u201d?\u00a0 Is that \u2014 is that problematic?<\/p>\n<p>MS. PSAKI:\u00a0 I can\u2019t speak to \u2014 to Senator Manchin\u2019s personal \u2014 the personal impact on Senator Manchin.\u00a0 He\u2019s obviously proud of his independent streak.\u00a0 He\u2019s spoken to that, including in an op-ed piece this weekend.<\/p>\n<p>I also \u2014 we also understand the passion that many feel for voting rights; for the importance of making voting easier, more accessible.\u00a0 We share that passion.\u00a0 So, we understand that manifests itself in lots of ways.\u00a0 But, I point you to Senator Manchin if he\u2019s \u2014 if he has feelings hurt.\u00a0 I suspect he has a stronger backbone than that.<\/p>\n<p>But thank you everyone so much.\u00a0 Look forward to \u2014 I guess I won\u2019t see you for a while.\u00a0 Those of you who are coming on the trip, we\u2019ll see you on the trip.<\/p>\n<p>Q\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 See you there.<\/p>\n<p>MS. PSAKI:\u00a0 Thanks, everyone.<\/p>\n<p>2:19 P.M. EDT<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Washington, DC&#8230;Happy Tuesday.\u00a0 So, we have two very special guests with us again today.\u00a0 As you know, the Biden-Harris administration \u2014 I\u2019m just going to let you all settle in here.\u00a0 Okay.\u00a0 All right.\u00a0 Great.\u00a0 Okay. So, as you all know, today, the Biden-Harris administration announced key findings from the reviews directed by the President\u2019s [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":122324,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_cbd_carousel_blocks":"[]","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[20,5,33,1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-122323","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-featured","category-government","category-health-fitness","category-news","last_archivepost"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/Fullscreen-capture-682021-84313-PM.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/122323","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=122323"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/122323\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/122324"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=122323"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=122323"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=122323"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}