{"id":131518,"date":"2021-10-31T19:59:17","date_gmt":"2021-11-01T02:59:17","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/?p=131518"},"modified":"2021-10-31T19:59:17","modified_gmt":"2021-11-01T02:59:17","slug":"president-biden-at-press-conference-in-rome-italy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/?p=131518","title":{"rendered":"President Biden at Press Conference in Rome, Italy"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Rome, Italy&#8230;Please, sit down.  I apologize for keeping you waiting.  We were playing with elevators.  (Laughs.)  Long story.  Anyway, good evening.  I believe we\u2019ve had a series of very productive meetings in the past few days, and I\u2019m looking forward to continuing to make progress on critical global issues that we \u2014 as we head off to Glasgow.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/uO8Wuv2YzG0\" title=\"YouTube video player\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Because of what we\u2019ve seen again here in Rome, what I think is the power of America showing up and working with our allies and partners to make progress on issues that matter to all of us.  And there\u2019s really no substitute for face-to-face discussions and negotiations among the leaders when it comes to building an understanding and cooperation.<\/p>\n<p>I found in all of my meetings here, both the larger sessions and the one-on-one sessions \u2014 and I had many of those \u2014 a real eagerness among our partners and allies for American leadership to help bring the world together and solve some of these big problems.<\/p>\n<p>I found my one-on-one engagements with so many of the leaders, and the importance of strong, personal relationships never feels \u2014 it never ceases to amaze me when it\u2019s \u2014 you\u2019re looking at someone straight in the eye when you\u2019re trying to get something done.  They know me; I know them.  We can get things done together.<\/p>\n<p>And so, I want to thank the Italian people, by the way, for the G20, for their hospitality, and congratulate Prime Minister Draghi.  He did one heck of a job leading the G20 through a difficult year marked by great global challenges, critically among them: ending the pandemic; driving a broad-based, sustainable global economic recovery; and tackling the climate crisis.  I believe we made tangible progress on each of these issues, in part because of the commitment that the United States has brought to the table.<\/p>\n<p>For example, I\u2019m proud that the G20 endorsed the global minimum tax.  This is something the United States has been driving for for over a year, building momentum up to this achievement.  And this is an incredible win for all our countries.<\/p>\n<p>Instead of nations competing against one another to attract investments by bottoming out corporate tax rates, this set a minimum floor of 15 percent to ensure that giant corporations begin to pay their fair share, no matter where they\u2019re headquartered, instead of hiding \u2014 hiding profits overseas. <\/p>\n<p>We also agreed to establish a fund in the future that \u2014 for \u2014 countries can draw on to help prevent, if necessary, and respond to the next pandemic, prepared for the next time around.<\/p>\n<p>Yesterday, together with Prime Minister Johnson and Merkel and Macron \u2014 President Macron, we came together to reiterate our shared belief that diplomacy \u2014 diplomacy is the best way to prevent Iran from gaining a nuclear weapon, and we discussed how best to encourage Iran to resume serious, good-faith negotiations.<\/p>\n<p>I also wanted to note that, even as I\u2019ve been here in Rome, as you might guess \u2014 and some of you, I suspect, do the same thing \u2014 American reporters \u2014 I\u2019ve been focused on the vital issues that affect American workers and families at home.<\/p>\n<p>I just finished meeting with a broad coalition of partners on how to address the immediate supply chain backlogs and dealing that \u2014 that the world has been dealing with and facing, and we\u2019re facing back at home, and how to make sure we have access to all the products we need \u2014 from shoes, to furniture, to electronics, to automobiles \u2014 to make sure that we talk about how better to secure ourself against these future shocks, whether a pandemic, climate change, or other disasters.<\/p>\n<p>And the Build Back Better framework \u2014 which is, God willing, going to be voted on as early as \u2014 sometime this coming week \u2014 that I announced on Thursday includes, for the first time ever, sever- \u2014 several billion dollars to help strengthen the supply chains to make sure we have access to everything we need.<\/p>\n<p>And it\u2019s going to give workers and folks making all these products just a little bit of breathing room.  The Build Back Better will also \u2014 is going to make it easier for them to afford everything from childcare while they are at work, for their kids; two years of free high-quality preschool.<\/p>\n<p>And finally, today I was proud to announce, together with our close part- \u2014 EU partners, another critical win for both American workers and the climate agenda.<\/p>\n<p>The United States and the European Union have agreed to negotiate the world\u2019s first trade agreement based on how much carbon is in a product, as we negotiated the steel and aluminum tariffs that were in place.<\/p>\n<p>We made agreement and, I might add, strong support of the U.S. steelworkers back home.  And I want to thank them.  I want to thank Tom Conway, who I spoke to today, president of the United Steelworkers, for his partnership in arriving at this deal.<\/p>\n<p>The deal will immediately remove a point of significant tension with our friends in the European Union.  And it rejects the false idea that we cannot grow an economy and support American workers while tackling the climate crisis at the same time. <\/p>\n<p>We\u2019re talking about a lot \u2014 a lot during the G20, the COP26.  But we also know tackling the climate crisis has been a all-hands-on-deck effort.  American workers are a critical part of the solution. <\/p>\n<p>And now I\u2019m happy to take some questions.  And I\u2019m told I should start with AP, Zeke Miller.  Zeke, you have a question?<\/p>\n<p>Q    Thank you, Mr. President.<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:  I didn\u2019t recognize you with the maks [sic] on \u2014 mask on.  I apologize.<\/p>\n<p>     Q    Thank you, Mr. President.  Here in Rome, you\u2019ve tried to showcase that America is back.  But back at home, your poll numbers have fallen.  Your party\u2019s nominee for governor of Virginia is facing a very tough \u2014 a tougher-than-expected race.  Your party spent months trying to negotiate the centerpiece of your Democrat \u2014 of your domestic legislative agenda.<\/p>\n<p>     We\u2019re one year now since your election.  What \u2014 and you have done a lot in your year in office to try to turn the page on the last administration.  But we\u2019ve seen how presidents can turn the page very quickly from one to the other.  So why should the world believe that when you say \u201cAmerica is back,\u201d that really it\u2019s here to stay?<\/p>\n<p>     THE PRESIDENT:  Because of the way they reacted.  You were here.  They listened.  Everyone sought me out.  They wanted to know what our views were.  And we helped lead what happened here. <\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s just very simple: You know, if you\u2019re honest \u2014 you are honest; I didn\u2019t mean to imply you weren\u2019t \u2014 but that we were \u2014 we got significant support here.  Significant support.  We\u2019re the most \u2014 the United States of America is the most critical part of this entire agenda, and \u2014 and we did it.<\/p>\n<p>     And, by the way, look, the polls are going to up and down and up and down.  They were high early, then they got medium, then they went back up, and now they\u2019re low. <\/p>\n<p>Well, look, this is \u2014 look at every other president; the same thing has happened.  But that\u2019s not why I ran.  I didn\u2019t run to determine how well I\u2019m going to do in the polls.  I ran to make sure that I followed through on what I said I would do as President of the United States. <\/p>\n<p>And I said that I would make sure that we were in a position where we dealt with climate change; where we moved in a direction that would significantly improve the prospects of American workers being able to have good jobs and good pay; and further, that I would make sure that we dealt with the crisis that was caused by COVID.  We\u2019ve done all of those; we continue to do them.  And we\u2019ll see what happens.<\/p>\n<p>But I\u2019m not running because of the polls.<\/p>\n<p>     Next question was from Jeff Mason \u2014 for Jeff Mason of Reuters.<\/p>\n<p>     Q    Thank you, Mr. President.  A question on climate and energy.  Can the world and others be confident that you will be able to follow or do \u2014 make good on the promises on climate change that you will \u2014 that you have made, when you\u2019re at Glasgow, without a vote having taken place on your bill?<\/p>\n<p>And on the same topic, climate: Some NGOs are already saying that the G20 commitments today were underwhelming.  How do you respond to their criticism that the G20 response is not a good sign for COP26?<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:  I\u2019ll answer both questions. <\/p>\n<p>Number one, I believe we will pass my Build Back Better plan, and I believe we will pass the infrastructure bill.  Combined, they have $900 billion in climate resistance \u2014 in dealing with climate and resilience.  And it\u2019s the largest investment in the history of the world that\u2019s ever occurred, and it\u2019s going to pass, in my view.  But we\u2019ll see.  We\u2019ll see. <\/p>\n<p>You know, you\u2019ve all believed it wouldn\u2019t happen from the very beginning, the moment I announced it, and you always seem amazed when it\u2019s alive again.  Well, you may turn out to be right; maybe it won\u2019t work.  But I believe we\u2019ll see by the end of next week, at home, that it\u2019s passed.<\/p>\n<p>With regard to the \u2014 and, by the way, that infrastructure bill delivers an awful lot of things in terms of everything from tax credits for electric vehicles, to making sure we are able to invest, literally, billions of dollars in everything from highways, roads, bridges, public transit, airports, et cetera.  But we\u2019ll see.<\/p>\n<p>And with regard to the disappointment: The disappointment relates to the fact that Russia and \u2014 and \u2014 and including not only Russia, but China, basically didn\u2019t show up in terms of any commitments to deal with climate change.  And there\u2019s a reason why people should be disappointed in that.  I found it disappointing myself.<\/p>\n<p>But what we did do \u2014 we passed a number of things here to end the subsidization of coal.  We made commitments here from across the board, all of us, in terms of what we\u2019re going to bring to the G26 [COP26]. <\/p>\n<p>And \u2014 and, I think, you know, as that old ba- \u2014 that old trite saying goes, \u201cThe proof of the pudding will be in the eating.\u201d  I think you\u2019re going to see we\u2019ve made significant progress and more has to be done.  But it\u2019s going to require us to continue to focus on what China is not doing, what Russia is not doing, and what Saudi Arabia is not doing.<\/p>\n<p>Q    One follow-up on energy, sir.  You also met with energy consumers about supply.  What steps are you considering taking if OPEC Plus does not raise supply?  And do you see any irony in pushing them to increase oil production at the same time that you\u2019re going to COP26 to urge people to lower emissions?<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:  Well, on the surface, it seems like an irony, but the truth of the matter is \u2014 you\u2019ve all known; everyone knows \u2014 that the idea we\u2019re going to be able to move to renewable energy overnight and not have \u2014 from this moment on, not use oil or not use gas or not use hydrogen is just not rational. <\/p>\n<p>Certain things we can wipe out and we don\u2019t have to do.  We should be moving immediately to get rid of \u2014 as they\u2019ve adopted here my proposal \u2014 to end methane, to deal with a whole range of things. <\/p>\n<p>But it does, on the surface, seem inconsistent, but it\u2019s not at all inconsistent in that no one has anticipated that this year we\u2019d be in a position \u2014 or even next year \u2014 that we\u2019re not going to use any more oil or gas; that we\u2019re not going to be engaged in any fossil fuels.  We\u2019re going to stop subsidizing those fossil fuels.  We\u2019re going to be making significant changes. <\/p>\n<p>And it just makes the argument that we should move more rapidly to renewable energy \u2014 to wind and solar and other means of energy. <\/p>\n<p>But the idea that we\u2019re just going to end and somehow \u2014 but it does, on the surface, I admit to you.  We\u2019re going to COP to deal with renewable energy, and I\u2019m saying, \u201cWhy are you guys cutting off oil and raising the price just to make it look harder for us?\u201d  But it\u2019s a legitimate question. <\/p>\n<p>I think, though, that if anybody thinks about it, no one ever thought that tomorrow \u2014 for example, it\u2019s going to take us between now and 2030 to have half the vehicles in America electric vehicles.  So, the idea we\u2019re not going to need gasoline for automobiles is just not realistic.  But we will get to the point that, by 2050, we have zero emissions.<\/p>\n<p>Jim?  Jim Tankersley, New York Times.<\/p>\n<p>Q    Thank you so much.  I\u2019d like to actually start by following up on Jeff\u2019s question and then ask you about supply chains as a follow-up to that. <\/p>\n<p>But on the question of oil prices, economists say that, you know, when you raise the price of something, people will consume less of it.  So why not allow even middle-class people around the world to pay more for gasoline in the hope that they would consume fewer fossil fuels and emit less?<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:  Well, because they have to get to their work.  They have to get in an automobile, turn on the key, get their kids to school.  The school buses have to run.  That\u2019s the reason why.  You know that, Jim.  That\u2019s the reason.<\/p>\n<p>The idea that we can \u2014 that there\u2019s an alternative to walk away from being able to get in your automobile is just not realistic; it\u2019s not going to happen.  And this wasn\u2019t intended to happen. <\/p>\n<p>And, by the way, when \u2014 when \u2014 when the cost of a gallon of gasoline gets to above three hundred and \u2014 three hundred \u2014 $3.35 a gallon, it has profound impact on working-class families just to get back and forth to work.  So, I don\u2019t see anything inconsistent with that. <\/p>\n<p>But I do think that the idea that Russia and Saudi Arabia and other major producers are not going to pump more oil so people can have gasoline to get to and from work, for example, is \u2014 is \u2014 is not \u2014 is not right.  But \u2014 and what we\u2019re considering doing on that, I\u2019m reluctant to say before I have to do it.<\/p>\n<p>Q    And then on supply chain, sir: One of the, obviously, big problems in the United States for supply chains is not having enough workers, not enough people to drive trucks to unload at ports, for example, and a lot of other parts in the supply chain.  Workers have not returned to the labor force in America as fast as your administration thought they would.  Why do you think that is?  Why aren\u2019t people coming back to work?<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:  Because they\u2019re able to negotiate for higher wages, and they move from one job to another.  That\u2019s one of the reasons why.  A lot of people don\u2019t want to continue to do the job they did before, making 7, 8, 9 bucks an hour.  An awful lot of the auto \u2014 excuse me, of the truck drivers are not unionized truck drivers.  They\u2019re working like hell and not getting paid a whole lot.<\/p>\n<p>And so what you\u2019re seeing here is a combination of the desire of people to be able to change professions, to be able to do more and take care of their families, and at the same time, dealing with the issue that, in fact, we are short of workers.<\/p>\n<p>But worker pay has actually gone up.  And we\u2019ve employed 6 million people just since I got elected.  So, employment is up.  The economy is actually, in spite of all this, still growing.  You have the significant number of \u2014 I forget the number; I think it was close to six- \u2014 16 major economists acknowledging that what\u2019s going to happen is you\u2019re going to see continued economic growth under our proposals.<\/p>\n<p>You had a total of 14 \u2014 I think it was 14 \u2014 Nobel laureate economists in economics saying this is going to \u2014 what I\u2019m proposing is going to reduce the \u2014 the inflation, et cetera. <\/p>\n<p>So, there\u2019s a lot going on.  This \u2014 look, we really are \u2014 I know you\u2019re tired of hearing me say this \u2014 we really are at one of inflection points in history.  So much is changing.  So many pieces on the table are moving.  And how they get resettled depends upon the judgments we make and whether or not the United States, among others, can lead the world in a direction that\u2019s going to increase the circumstances for a higher standard of living for workers here and abroad, as well as making sure that people have an opportunity.  As I said \u2014 again, I use the phrase \u2014 \u201cjust have a little breathing room.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>I meant what I said when I ran.  My desire was to build this economy from the bottom up and the middle out, not from the top down.  And that\u2019s what\u2019s in process of happening. <\/p>\n<p>But in the meantime, there\u2019s been enormous changes as a consequence of COVID on the supply chains because why \u2014 why are we having trouble?  An awful lot of the very factories and \u2014 and operations that, in fact, produced material that we need for supply chains, in everything from shoes to \u2014 to dealing with computer chips, you know, they\u2019re out sick; they\u2019re not working. <\/p>\n<p>And so, it\u2019s changing.  The economy is changing, and the United States has to stay ahead of the curve.  That\u2019s why I introduced the infrastructure bill.  That\u2019s why I also introduced the Build Back Better initiative.<\/p>\n<p>The Washington Post, Seung Min Kim.  Where \u2014 where are \u2014 there you are.  I\u2019m sorry.  I couldn\u2019t see you.<\/p>\n<p>Q    That\u2019s okay.  Thank you, Mr. President. <\/p>\n<p>On Iran: How will you determine whether the Iranians are serious about rejoining the nuclear talks, as they have indicated they will do by the end of November? <\/p>\n<p>And what costs are you prepared to impose on Iran if it continues to carry out attacks against the United States, such as the recent drone strikes against U.S. forces in Syria?<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:  Well, in a sense, they\u2019re two different issues.  One is whether or not we get to the JCPOA \u2014 we rejoin that.  And \u2014 and that depends \u2014 that\u2019s why I had the meetings with my colleagues here in \u2014 in Rome, who are part of the \u2014 the original group of six people \u2014 six nations that got together to say that we should negotiate a change, which I found that I think we\u2019re continuing to suffer from the very bad judgments that President Trump made in pulling out of the JCPOA. <\/p>\n<p>And so, that\u2019s one issue.  And that issue is going to depend on \u2014 whether and how that gets resolved is going to depend on their action and the willingness of our friends, who are part of the original agreement, to stick with us and make sure there\u2019s a price to pay economically for them if they fail to come back. <\/p>\n<p>With regard to the issue of how we\u2019re going to respond to actions taken by them against the interests of the United States \u2014 whether they\u2019re drone strikes or anything else \u2014 is we\u2019re going to respond, and we\u2019re going to continue to respond.<\/p>\n<p>ABC, Cecilia Vega.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s hard to see you guys with a mask on.  I apologize.<\/p>\n<p>Q    And the masks are making my glasses fog up, so I apologize too.<\/p>\n<p>Thank you, sir.  On climate change: You just mentioned the incentives you have on renewable energy in your Build Back Better plan.  You do have a number of incentives, but as it stands right now, there are no punitive measures in this plan to hold these companies accountable.  And many experts firmly believe that you\u2019ve got to have the stick along with the carrot in order to get to your goal to reduce emissions by 2030 by 50 percent.  So can you stand here today and say to the world that you definitively will still meet that goal?<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:  Yes, I can.  Because what we\u2019re proposing and what we\u2019ve initiated is everything from getting the automobile makers to \u2014 to commit to going all electric, number one.  Getting the unions to agree to do that as well.  Making sure we have the investment in battery technology that requires us to have the ability to generate electric vehicles, electric buses, electric transportation grids.  Making sure that we are dealing with everything from \u2014 let me go through some of these: that we have tax credits for \u2014 of $320 billion for dealing with alternatives by people getting a tax credit for moving on \u2014 on solar panels, on wind, and a whole range of other things, and winterizing their properties. <\/p>\n<p>I \u2014 I don\u2019t think you\u2019re going to need any \u2014 any punitive action to get people to step up and do those things.  There\u2019s been no indication that\u2019s the case at all.  With regard to, you know, the \u2014 there\u2019s a total of $555 billion in climate and \u2014 I\u2019m just checking the numbers; make sure I\u2019m right \u2014 and \u2014 climate investment, in terms of resilience. <\/p>\n<p>We\u2019re now \u2014 it\u2019s very much in the interest of \u2014 of the industry to see to it that we move to making sure that we have the resilience to be able to, when those towers come down and the lines end up hitting the ground and burning down large swathes of \u2014 swaths of the West, to bury this underground. <\/p>\n<p>There\u2019s a whole range of things.  I don\u2019t think we\u2019re going to have to \u2014 everybody knows which direction it\u2019s going.  And there\u2019s no indication that there has to be a punitive effort to get people to react the way in which we have to do \u2014 at least I don\u2019t believe so.<\/p>\n<p>Q    And a follow-up, sir, if I may.  On your meeting with Pope Francis: The more than 50 million Catholics back at home are seeing something play out that has never happened before: this split in the conservative wing of the Catholic Church moving to deny someone like you, a Catholic president, the sacrament of Communion. <\/p>\n<p>For these Catholics back home, what did it mean for you to hear Pope Francis, in the wake of this \u2014 in the middle of this debate, call you a good Catholic?  And did what he tell you \u2014 should that put this debate to rest?<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:  Look, I\u2019m \u2014 I\u2019m not going to \u2014 a lot of this is just personal.  Pope Francis has become a \u2014 I don\u2019t want to exaggerate \u2014 has become a \u2014 someone who has provided great solace for my family when my son died. <\/p>\n<p>He has \u2014 he is, in my view \u2014 there\u2019s always been this debate in the Catholic Church, going back to Pope John the 23rd, that talk about how we reach out and embrace people with differences. <\/p>\n<p>If you notice what \u2014 what the Pope said when he was asked when he first got elected Pope \u2014 he was traveling with the press, and they said, \u201cWhat\u2019s your position on homosexuals?\u201d  He said, \u201cWho am I to judge?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>This is a man who is of great empathy.  He is a man who understands that part of his Christianity is to reach out and to forgive.  And so I just find my relationship with him one that I personally take great solace in.  He is a really, truly genuine, decent man. <\/p>\n<p>And I\u2019ll end by saying that, you know, there were an awful lot of people who \u2014 and many of you \u2014 I\u2019m not \u2014 I\u2019m not putting you in this position; I apologize \u2014 but many of you who are even in the press who went out of your way to express your empathy and sympathy when I lost the real part of my soul, when I \u2014 when my \u2014 when I lost my Beau, my son.<\/p>\n<p>And I \u2014 my family will never forget \u2014 my extended family.  Because when I had come \u2014 it was only a matter of days since my son had passed away, and Pope Francis came to the United States to visit with the \u2014 with not only President Obama but with \u2014 with the Catholic Church here.  And I was asked if I would accompany him to Philadelphia, to the seminary, and \u2014 anyway.<\/p>\n<p>And I did, but it was \u2014 the wounds were still raw of the loss of my son.  And I had my extended family \u2014 and you\u2019re all tired of seeing my extended family; they\u2019re always \u2014 they\u2019re always around \u2014 my grandchildren, my children, my wife, my daughters-in-law. <\/p>\n<p>And before he left and got on the plane, the Pope asked whether or not he could meet with my family.  And we met in a hangar in \u2014 at the Philadelphia Airport.  And he came in and he talked to my family for a considerable amount of time \u2014 10, 15 minutes \u2014 about my son, Beau.<\/p>\n<p>And he didn\u2019t just generically talk about him; he knew about him.  He knew what he did.  He knew who he was.  He knew where he went to school.  He knew what he \u2014 he knew what a man he was.  And it had such a cathartic impact on his children and my wife and our family that it \u2014 it meant a great deal.<\/p>\n<p>And as \u2014 I meant what I said \u2014 everybody was laughing; I didn\u2019t realize you all were able to film what I was doing with the Pope when I gave him a command coin.  And \u2014 and I meant what I said: I \u2014 this is a man who is someone who is looking to establish peace and decency and honor, not just in the Catholic Church, but just generically.<\/p>\n<p>When I won, he called me to tell me how much he appreciated the fact that I would focus on the poor and focus on the needs of people who were in trouble.  And \u2014 and so, I \u2014 I just \u2014 again, I don\u2019t want to talk more about it, because so much of it is personal, but I\u2019m \u2014 he is \u2014 he is everything I learned about Catholicism from the time I was a kid going from grade school through high school. <\/p>\n<p>And I have great respect for people who have other religious views, but he is \u2014 he\u2019s just a fine, decent, honorable man.  And I \u2014 he \u2014 and we keep in touch.<\/p>\n<p>I thank you all very, very much for your patience.  Thank you.  Thank you.<\/p>\n<p>Q    Mr. President, do you have commitments from Sinema and Manchin?  Sir, do you have commitments from Sinema and Manchin?  Just a \u201cthumbs up.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>(The President gives a \u201cthumbs up\u201d as he departs.)<\/p>\n<p>Q    Thumbs up!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Rome, Italy&#8230;Please, sit down. I apologize for keeping you waiting. We were playing with elevators. (Laughs.) Long story. Anyway, good evening. I believe we\u2019ve had a series of very productive meetings in the past few days, and I\u2019m looking forward to continuing to make progress on critical global issues that we \u2014 as we head [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":131519,"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":[20,5,1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-131518","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-featured","category-government","category-news","last_archivepost"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Chrome-Legacy-Window-10312021-52408-PM.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/131518","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=131518"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/131518\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":131520,"href":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/131518\/revisions\/131520"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/131519"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=131518"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=131518"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=131518"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}