{"id":171671,"date":"2024-01-03T23:17:06","date_gmt":"2024-01-04T07:17:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/?p=171671"},"modified":"2024-01-03T23:17:06","modified_gmt":"2024-01-04T07:17:06","slug":"briefing-by-press-secretary-karine-jean-pierre-and-nsc-coordinator-for-strategic-communications-john-kirby-3","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/?p=171671","title":{"rendered":"Briefing by Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre and NSC Coordinator for Strategic Communications John Kirby"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Washington, DC&#8230;James S. Brady Press Briefing Room, 2:10 P.M. EST.  MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Look at this. Packed room. Happy New Year, everybody.  Q Happy New Year.  MS. JEAN-PIERRE: It\u2019s so good to see everyone. Welcome back. 2024, here we come.  And with that \u2014 we are just 16 days away from parts of the government shutting down. Sixteen days away. Sixteen.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/QL9xpbdUGQ0\" title=\"01\/03\/24: Press Briefing by Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre and John Kirby\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Instead of doing their jobs, House Republicans left Washington in the middle of December. And they\u2019re not back until next week.<\/p>\n<p>The American people want Congress to work with the President to take care and work on real issues \u2014 real issues that matter in their lives. That\u2019s what the American people want to see.<\/p>\n<p>But instead of entering this year with a new approach to deliver for the American people, House Republicans are prioritizing baseless impeachment stunts. In fact, earlier today, House Republicans said, and I quote, \u201cWe\u2019ll shut the government down. We control the money.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s been 13 weeks since the first government funding deadline and more than 6 weeks since they kicked the can down the road for a second time. It\u2019s time for House Republicans to get serious, do their jobs, and deliver for the American people.<\/p>\n<p>It shouldn\u2019t be hard to fund the government. It is truly their basic, basic duty. So, they should get to work.<\/p>\n<p>And now, we\u2019re joined, as you see, with \u2014 by my \u2014 by my colleague, Admiral John Kirby, who is here to discuss the recent attacks by the Houthis and the developments in the Middle East. We haven\u2019t seen you all in a couple \u2014 in a while, so I know he\u2019s going to do a little bit of a laydown.<\/p>\n<p>Admiral, the podium is yours.<\/p>\n<p>MR. KIRBY: Afternoon, everybody.<\/p>\n<p>Q Good afternoon.<\/p>\n<p>MR. KIRBY: As Karine said, it\u2019s been a little bit of a while here since we\u2019ve had a chance to talk, so I just wanted to give you a laydown of where things stand in the Middle East.<\/p>\n<p>Over the holidays, the President received regular updates from his National Security Advisor, Mr. Sullivan, as well as the national security team. And as you all know, he had the chance to speak again with Prime Minister Netanyahu.<\/p>\n<p>Yesterday, Mr. Sullivan held a phone call with Israel\u2019s Minister of Strategic Affairs, Ron Dermer, where they discussed ongoing Israeli military operations and ongoing efforts to see if we can secure the release of the remaining hostages.<\/p>\n<p>The United States remains focused on working with a range of partners to help Israel defend itself, to surge humanitarian assistance to civilians in Gaza, and, of course, to defend our national security interests in the region.<\/p>\n<p>That most certainly includes protecting the free flow of international commerce in the Red Sea.<\/p>\n<p>To accomplish these goals, we have established and will continue to maintain a significant force presence in the Middle East.<\/p>\n<p>This includes an aircraft carrier strike group, centered around the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower, with its embarked air wing of some 80 aircraft, as well as an amphibious ready group, with its embarked 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit.<\/p>\n<p>That amphibious ready group, led by the assault ship USS Bataan, was moved into the Eastern Mediterranean in recent days, coinciding with the departure of the aircraft carrier Gerald R. Ford.<\/p>\n<p>Now, between the Bataan and the two other ships of her group, the USS Mesa Verde and the USS Carter Hall, this consolidates in that part of the Mediterranean more than 4,000 sailors and marines and more than 50 aircraft.<\/p>\n<p>An amphibious ready group with an embarked Marine expeditionary unit is capable of a wide range of operations and, because it is sea-based, remains a highly flexible option to any Commander-in-Chief when it comes to the potential use of force.<\/p>\n<p>These ships and their Marines are augmented by three additional squadrons of fighter and attack aircraft that are based ashore and additional highly capable warships at sea, including a number of destroyers that are specifically designed for ballistic missile defense.<\/p>\n<p>Some of those warships are operating in the Red Sea, where they \u2014 alongside the ships, aircraft, and capabilities of more than 20 other nations \u2014 continue to counter Houthi attacks on civilian maritime shipping. You\u2019ve all seen in the last few \u2014 a couple of days what these ships have been able to do in terms of knocking things out of the sky.<\/p>\n<p>All told, these U.S. and coalition ships and aircraft contribute to an impressive array \u2014 I\u2019m sorry \u2014 impressive air and missile defense capability, as well as robust intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance capabilities, not to mention offensive and defensive military power.<\/p>\n<p>As the President has made clear, the United States does not seek conflict with any nation or actor in the Middle East, nor do we want to see the war between Israel and Hamas widen in the region. But neither will we shrink from the task of defending ourselves, our interests, our partners, or the free flow of international commerce.<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s why, earlier today, we released a joint statement alongside 12 \u2014 I\u2019m sorry \u2014 11 countries condemning Houthi attacks on commercial vessels in the Red Sea \u2014 one of the world\u2019s most critical waterways \u2014 and reiterating that these attacks must cease immediately. And just after we released that statement, Singapore came on board, so now there\u2019s 13 nations that have signed up to that statement.<\/p>\n<p>As we have made clear, these actions directly threaten freedom of navigation and global trade and they put innocent lives at risk.<\/p>\n<p>This joint statement demonstrates the resolve of global partners against these unlawful attacks and underlines our commitment to holding malign actors accountable for their actions.<\/p>\n<p>Lastly, as you\u2019ve seen, now in \u2014 in addition to this release \u2014 well, I think that\u2019s it.<\/p>\n<p>I\u2019ll take questions, sorry. (Laughter.)<\/p>\n<p>MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Go ahead, Darlene.<\/p>\n<p>Q Thank you. I wanted to ask about Iran. Does the United States have any idea of who might be behind the bombings there today?<\/p>\n<p>And secondly, does the U.S. think the killing of the Hamas leader in Beirut has significantly changed the strength of Hamas?<\/p>\n<p>MR. KIRBY: So, on your first question, we aren\u2019t at a point now where we have a lot of great detail on \u2014 on this bombing. Certainly, our \u2014 our hearts go out to all the innocent victims and their family members, who are \u2014 obviously, their lives are going to be forever changed by this. But we don\u2019t have any \u2014 we don\u2019t have any more detail in terms of how it happened or who would \u2014 might be responsible for it.<\/p>\n<p>On your second question, again, I would point you to \u2014 to our Israeli partners to talk more about this. We\u2019re \u2014 we\u2019re, again, not in a position to confirm the specific reports.<\/p>\n<p>I would just tell you that al-Arouri was a noted designated global terrorist. And if he is, in fact, dead, nobody should be shedding a tear over his loss.<\/p>\n<p>MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Go ahead, Mary.<\/p>\n<p>Q Thanks. I know you said you don\u2019t have any great detail on who was responsible, but can you rule out that Israel had anything to do with this?<\/p>\n<p>MR. KIRBY: We have no indication at this time at all that Israel was involved in any way whatsoever.<\/p>\n<p>Q No indication, but just to be clear: You don\u2019t think \u2014 did they support or assist in \u2014 in some other way?<\/p>\n<p>MR. KIRBY: I would \u2014 I\u2019m not going to speak for another nation. I would just tell you that we have no indication that Israel was in any way involved in this.<\/p>\n<p>Q And given that this was the Soleimani anniversary, did you have any intelligence that something was being planned for this day?<\/p>\n<p>MR. KIRBY: We certainly had no indications that there would be some sort of violence surrounding the anniversary of his death.<\/p>\n<p>MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Go ahead.<\/p>\n<p>Q Just to follow up on the \u2014 the Lebanon issue. Is there any concern that that particular strike might expand the conflict regionally?<\/p>\n<p>MR. KIRBY: Well, I would just say, Trevor, everything that we\u2019ve done \u2014 in fact, the laydown I just offered of the force posture changes that the President has ordered in the region \u2014 has been designed to prevent an escalation or widening or deepening of this conflict.<\/p>\n<p>As we\u2019ve said before, we don\u2019t want to see it widen beyond Israel and Hamas. And, again, we\u2019re going to keep working with partners in the region to prevent that from happening.<\/p>\n<p>Q Okay. And then on the Red Sea. You mentioned that joint statement that came out today and that Singapore has added their names to that as well.<\/p>\n<p>MR. KIRBY: Yeah.<\/p>\n<p>Q But that is just, you know, 13 countries total. That\u2019s smaller than the \u2014 the 44 that \u2014 that issued a statement in December. And, you know, countries that you would think would be on that list, like France, are \u2014 are not. Is there a region \u2014 reason why that\u2019s not a broader group of countries that signed on?<\/p>\n<p>MR. KIRBY: I \u2014 hey, first of all, 13 other nations signing up to language like that \u2014 or 13 total nations; 12 others than us \u2014 I think, is significant. Other nations can speak for themselves about their decision-making with respect to signing on to public statements.<\/p>\n<p>There are, as you know, many nations in \u2014 that are assisting us in Operation Prosperity Guardian in the Red Sea that don\u2019t want to be public that are contributing capabilities, but they don\u2019t want it public.<\/p>\n<p>So, I \u2014 I think you\u2019re seeing an increasing number of nations around the world, particularly as commerce in the Red Sea gets affected and shipping companies are making difficult decisions about whether to transit the Red Sea and the impact that it\u2019s beginning to \u2014 to have on global commerce. Countries are more and more becoming aware of this increasing threat to \u2014 to the free flow of commerce in the Red Sea by the \u2014 by the Houthis and are increasingly being willing to express their \u2014 their discomfort with that.<\/p>\n<p>MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Go ahead, Peter.<\/p>\n<p>Q John, thanks so much. Is it the White House\u2019s view that the elimination of Hamas is an attainable goal?<\/p>\n<p>MR. KIRBY: What we\u2019ve said before is \u2014 well, first of all, the Israelis should speak to their military goals. We have said that we absolutely believe they have the right and responsibility to eliminate the threat that Hamas poses to the Israeli people.<\/p>\n<p>Now, they have said for themselves, Peter, that the way they\u2019re going about that is really targeting infrastructure \u2014 you know, tunnels and command and control nodes \u2014 as well as leadership. It is not that unusual or different approach than we took ourselves in places like in Iraq and Afghanistan going after the leadership network.<\/p>\n<p>Now, you can certainly significantly degrade a terrorist organization\u2019s ability to operate, train, and conduct attacks by going after its leadership. You are probably not going to eliminate the ideology which underpins that group. And we\u2019ve seen that \u2014 I \u2014 al Qaeda, ISIS, other groups.<\/p>\n<p>Q So, let me be clear. There is a difference between language the U.S. has used in the past with the language \u201cdegrade\u201d \u2014 to try to degrade the leadership and the ability to attack. So, does the U.S. \u2014 just to be clear, I understand Israel\u2019s role in this \u2014 does the U.S. believe the elimination of Hamas, though, is an attainable goal?<\/p>\n<p>MR. KIRBY: We believe that it is absolutely an attainable goal for the Israeli military forces to \u2014 to degrade and \u2014 and defeat Hamas\u2019s abilities to conduct attacks inside Israel. They \u2014 they can \u2014 it can be done militarily.<\/p>\n<p>Are you going to eliminate the ideology? No. And are you likely going to erase the group from existence? Probably not. But can you eliminate the threat that Hamas poses to the Israeli people? Absolutely.<\/p>\n<p>Q Okay. Let me ask another question, if I can. We\u2019ve been talking about the Houthis here. We heard from Maersk and some of these other companies that \u2014 obviously, the big \u2014 the \u2014 the Danish shipping giant that paused \u2014<\/p>\n<p>MR. KIRBY: Yeah.<\/p>\n<p>Q \u2014 its operations in the Gulf of Aden and in the Red Sea. A lot of other shipper \u2014 shipping companies are either pausing or rerouting right now.<\/p>\n<p>How concerned is the United States that these shipping companies may be pausing or trying to find other routes or revisiting that region altogether right now, given the impact it could have on the United States in terms of supply chain, inflation, and whatever else?<\/p>\n<p>MR. KIRBY: Well, if we weren\u2019t concerned, we wouldn\u2019t have stood up an operation in the Red Sea, now consisting of more than 20 nations, to try to protect that commerce. The Red Sea is a vital waterway. A significant amount of global trade flows through that Red Sea. And by forcing nations to go around the Cape of Good Hope, I mean, you\u2019re adding weeks and weeks onto voyages and untold resources.<\/p>\n<p>Now, expenses have to be applied in order to do that. Plus, it\u2019s just a more dangerous journey. So, obviously, there is a concern about \u2014 about the \u2014 the impact on global commerce.<\/p>\n<p>Q Is the pocketbook issue that Americans could be concerned about, given the supply chain \u2014<\/p>\n<p>MR. KIRBY: We haven\u2019t seen that effect yet.<\/p>\n<p>Q Is it at risk of being?<\/p>\n<p>MR. KIRBY: It would depend on how long this threat goes and on how much more energetic the Houthis think that they might become. I mean, right now, we haven\u2019t seen a \u2014 you know, an uptick or a specific effect on the U.S. economy. But make no mistake: It is a key international waterway, and it can have an effect on the global economy.<\/p>\n<p>MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Go ahead, Weijia.<\/p>\n<p>Q Thank you, Karine. Thanks, John. To follow up on the eradication of Hamas. Does the U.S. know how many more members of Hamas are left to eradicate?<\/p>\n<p>MR. KIRBY: We \u2014 we have estimates. I\u2019m loath to put the numbers out there right now because they are just estimates. But \u2014 but Hamas still has a significant force posture inside Gaza.<\/p>\n<p>Q Is there any way you can characterize the progress that\u2019s been made, in terms of percentage? Like how \u2014 how has Israel done, basically?<\/p>\n<p>MR. KIRBY: (Laughs.) (Inaudible.)<\/p>\n<p>Q If you\u2019re \u2014 you know, if it\u2019s their operation \u2014<\/p>\n<p>MR. KIRBY: I\u2019ve been \u2014<\/p>\n<p>Q \u2014 obviously you\u2019re keeping track of progress.<\/p>\n<p>MR. KIRBY: I\u2019ve been trying real hard not to give them a report card here. And I think that\u2019s a wise thing for us to do is to refrain from analyzing and armchair quarterbacking their military operations.<\/p>\n<p>They themselves have said that they have targeted and been successful against a range of leadership of Hamas, certainly at the brigade level and higher. And remember, these guys are organized like a military. It\u2019s not just some ragtag group of terrorists. I mean, they have a pretty sophisticated military underpinning and structure to them.<\/p>\n<p>And they\u2019ve gone after quite a bit of those leaders. They\u2019ve gone after a lot of the midrange and lower-level fighters as well. I think I\u2019m going to let Israel characterize how they\u2019ve been doing. But they have without question \u2014 let me just say this broadly \u2014 they have had an effect on Hamas\u2019s ability to command and control itself, to resource itself, and, quite frankly, to lead their troops.<\/p>\n<p>Q And just one quick clarification on the airstrike in Lebanon. Is the U.S. assessing to try to determine who is responsible for that?<\/p>\n<p>MR. KIRBY: For which \u2014 what?<\/p>\n<p>Q The airstrike in Lebanon that killed the Hamas leader.<\/p>\n<p>MR. KIRBY: I\u2019m not aware of any efforts of the United States to assess that or to analyze that. We certainly weren\u2019t involved in any way whatsoever.<\/p>\n<p>MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Anita, go ahead.<\/p>\n<p>Q Thank you so much, John. Moving on to Ukraine. First of all, just your assessment of what we\u2019ve seen in the last few days. But then also, there\u2019s a Newsweek report that the U.S. is going to destroy several hundred, quote, unquote, \u201cexpired ATACMS,\u201d which is, of course, a weapon that President Zelenskyy has asked for specifically. Can you confirm that? And is it possible that the U.S. could send those to Ukraine? And would that be a political decision or a military decision?<\/p>\n<p>MR. KIRBY: I cannot confirm those reports. That\u2019s really a better question put to the Department of Defense.<\/p>\n<p>Q Okay. How about a lay of the land on, in the last few days, where we are?<\/p>\n<p>MR. KIRBY: I mean, look, just broadly speaking, in the last 48 to 72 hours, you all have seen that Russia continues to launch drone and missile attacks, including ballistic missile attacks, on \u2014 on targets inside Ukraine, to include not only military targets in Ukraine, but civilian targets in Ukraine, to continue to try to weaponize winter, to go after their infrastructure.<\/p>\n<p>I mean, so, for all the ballyhoo that I heard in the last few days about Mr. Putin in some press reports that he\u2019s all of a sudden willing to negotiate, he sure doesn\u2019t act like a guy who\u2019s willing to negotiate. He\u2019s \u2014 he\u2019s doing ev- \u2014 everything he can to try to put the Ukrainians on their back feet, which is why it\u2019s so important that the supplemental funding request that the President put forward gets passed.<\/p>\n<p>We ha- \u2014 we have given now Ukraine the last security assistance package that we have funds to support right be- \u2014 right before New Year\u2019s, right after Christmas. And we\u2019ve got to get support from Congress so we can continue to do that.<\/p>\n<p>Q I\u2019ve got a quick one on Israel too. South Africa has filed this 84-page lawsuit against Israel, accusing them of genocide. Israel says that this is blood libel. Does Washington agree? And where does this put Washington and Pretoria in terms of their relations?<\/p>\n<p>MR. KIRBY: We find this submission meritless, counterproductive, and completely without any basis in fact whatsoever.<\/p>\n<p>MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Go ahead, Brian.<\/p>\n<p>Q Thanks a lot. John, what\u2019s your \u2014 what\u2019s the U.S. assessment of the larger goal that Israel has set to eradicate Hamas? Is that still considered to be a realistic and wise military objective?<\/p>\n<p>MR. KIRBY: I think I just answered that with Peter. We don\u2019t believe that military attacks alone are going to eradicate an ideology. And it\u2019s not likely that you\u2019re going to get rid of every single Hamas fighter. So, in that sense, I mean, you still have to \u2014 you still have to reconcile yourself with the fact that there may still be some Hamas around even when your military operation is over.<\/p>\n<p>That said, what they \u2014 what they \u2014 they absolutely can do is eradicate the threat that Hamas poses to the Israeli people. And you can do that by going after their leadership, you can do that by going after their infrastructure, you can do that by going after their resource. And we showed that with respect to ISIS and al Qaeda; it can be done. ISIS and al Qaeda still exist, but they are nowhere near the kind of threats that they \u2014 that they once posed. So, it can be done militarily.<\/p>\n<p>MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Go ahead, Justin.<\/p>\n<p>Q A couple more on Israel, but maybe this came up on Jake\u2019s call. But do you guys feel like you have any path forward on Israel\u2019s decision to withhold tax revenue from the Palestinian Authority?<br \/>\nAnd then, do you have any reaction to the supreme court in Israel striking down the judicial reform package that the Prime Minister put forward? I know the President has weighed in on it previously.<\/p>\n<p>MR. KIRBY: Yeah, I don\u2019t have any update for you on the tax issue.<\/p>\n<p>And on the judicial reform, we are going to be careful that we don\u2019t comment on the internal workings of a fellow democracy.<\/p>\n<p>What the President has said before stands today, which is, you know, we want to see that, as a vibrant democracy, any changes that \u2014 any governance changes that our Israeli counterparts try to pursue are done with the broadest base of public support possible.<\/p>\n<p>Q And then \u2014 sorry, just real quick. Before the break, Karine talked about a possible regulatory review of the Japanese purchase of U.S. Steel, but I\u2019m wondering if there\u2019s a national security component to that review and if NSC or any \u2014 if you\u2019re aware of anyone on the national security side looking into it \u2014 looking into \u2014<\/p>\n<p>MR. KIRBY: As far as I know, there\u2019s no updates to that review. And, obviously, anything like this, I mean, we carefully evaluate the degree to which there is a national security component, and we \u2014 we\u2019ll do that in this case, but I don\u2019t have an update for you.<\/p>\n<p>MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Go ahead, Michael.<\/p>\n<p>Q Thanks. John, can you give us an update on the hostage situation in Israel and the \u2014 kind of the status of the talks with the Qataris and others to \u2014 to move that forward? Is it \u2014 is it the U.S. opinion that it\u2019s, at this point, pretty much stalled? Or is there some hope of, you know, reviving that in the near future?<\/p>\n<p>MR. KIRBY: Well, there\u2019s always hope. And we\u2019re not going to stop hoping to try to get all those hostages home.<\/p>\n<p>What I can tell you is that the conversations are ongoing, they\u2019re real, and we are pursuing them with the same sense of energy that we were, you know, a month or two ago, when we were able to get some 50 hostages out.<\/p>\n<p>I would tell you that I don\u2019t have any specific progress to report today, but we\u2019re not going to \u2014 we\u2019re not going to stop talking about it, we\u2019re not going to stop working on it, and we\u2019re not going to stop engaging our partners.<\/p>\n<p>Q Is there \u2014 are there any new talks scheduled with McGurk or anybody else in the region?<\/p>\n<p>MR. KIRBY: There have been ongoing communications. I mean, I don\u2019t have anything on Brett\u2019s scheduled to speak to specifically today. I think you can expect that he will be, as he has been, constantly engaged on this, as will David Satterfield on the ground. But \u2014 but it\u2019s an ongoing conversation.<\/p>\n<p>MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Go ahead, M.J.<\/p>\n<p>Q Just following up on that, John. When Prime Minister Netanyahu said yesterday that Hamas had given some sort of ultimatum on the hostages front, do you know what he was referring to?<\/p>\n<p>MR. KIRBY: I don\u2019t.<\/p>\n<p>Q On a separate topic, I wonder what you made of Hassan Nasrallah\u2019s speech today: \u201cWe are not scared of war.\u201d Does the U.S. hear that as escalatory or pretty consistent with what we\u2019ve heard recently?<\/p>\n<p>MR. KIRBY: I think we\u2019re going to judge actions and not words. We haven\u2019t seen Hezbollah jump in with both feet to come to Hamas\u2019s aid and assistance. We continue to message privately and, of course, publicly with you all that we don\u2019t want to see this conflict widen and we don\u2019t want to see a second front opened on the north. We don\u2019t think that\u2019s good for the region. Certainly isn\u2019t good for the Israeli people. And we\u2019re going to continue to deliver that message.<\/p>\n<p>MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Go ahead.<\/p>\n<p>Q On migration, Denver\u2019s mayor this weekend told CBS that his ci- \u2014 city needs arriving Venezuelan migrants to have the ability to work. Is the administration open to extending temporary protective status for Venezuelans who arrived after that July 31st date that you all set?<\/p>\n<p>MR. KIRBY: I don\u2019t have an update for you on that. You probably should talk to Secretary Mayorkas and his team at DHS. But that\u2019s not something I would have an update for.<br \/>\nMS. JEAN-PIERRE: Go ahead.<\/p>\n<p>Q Thanks, Karine. John, you mentioned the last package for \u2014 aid package for Ukraine. If there\u2019s no deal with Congress, what happens once that\u2019s exhausted? I mean, will shipments of weapons just stop?<\/p>\n<p>MR. KIRBY: They would have to.<\/p>\n<p>Q Are there any \u2014<\/p>\n<p>MR. KIRBY: They\u2019d have \u2014 they\u2019d have to. We have \u2014 we have \u2014 the President signed out the last security assistance package for which we had replenishment authority funds. That\u2019s it. We need the supplemental passed so that we can provide additional security assistance to Ukraine.<\/p>\n<p>Now, there\u2019s always a lag of days, if not weeks, each time we sign out one of these packages. So, the things that were signed out on the 27th have not all been delivered to Ukraine; that will come in coming days and weeks. But after that, absent supplemental funding, there\u2019s \u2014 there\u2019s no other magical pot to dip into to try to get support for Ukraine.<\/p>\n<p>Q So, there\u2019s no other pools of government weapons that could be used temporarily and then refilled later?<\/p>\n<p>MR. KIRBY: I\u2019m not aware of any Band-Aid fix that can be done. I mean, I don\u2019t want to \u2014 I don\u2019t want to get ahead of the decision-making process here. I mean, we\u2019re going to do what we can to continue to support Ukraine.<\/p>\n<p>But in terms of the kinds of security assistance that we\u2019ve been able to provide and the frequency with which we have provided it \u2014 every two weeks \u2014 that ended on the 27th when we submitted our last one for the year, the last one that we had funding applied to.<\/p>\n<p>MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Okay, we got to start wrapping it up. Go ahead, Nadia.<\/p>\n<p>Q Thank you. A follow-up on the question. John, you just said that you have no indication that Israel is behind the assassination of Saleh al-Arouri, but Israeli cabinet ministers and Israel officials are on the record saying that they are going to go after Hamas leaders; they are going to assassinate them just like they did in the \u201870s after Munich. So, do you \u2014 do you dismiss what they\u2019re saying as maybe it\u2019s not the response \u2014 the (inaudible) responsibility?<\/p>\n<p>MR. KIRBY: That comment was nothing about \u2014 nothing to dismiss anything they said. I was asked a simple question: Do we have evidence that Israel was responsible for it? And I said we didn\u2019t.<\/p>\n<p>Now, Israel, as I\u2019ve said before, has a right and responsibility to go after the threat that Hamas poses, which means they have a right and a responsibility to go after the leadership of Hamas.<\/p>\n<p>Now, as I\u2019ve also said many, many times from the podium, we expect that they will do that in accordance with international law.<\/p>\n<p>Q On my question yesterday, the State Department condemned the statement of two Israeli cabinet ministers calling for the displacement of Palestinians.<\/p>\n<p>MR. KIRBY: Yeah.<\/p>\n<p>Q And I\u2019m sure that\u2019s the position of the White House as well.<\/p>\n<p>MR. KIRBY: It is.<\/p>\n<p>Q But practically, how do you enforce that? You have so much leverage over Israel. Apart from condemnation, what practically can you do to stop this plan? Because Netanyahu defiantly challenged the White House when it comes two-state solution and other issues \u2014<\/p>\n<p>MR. KIRBY: Well, first \u2014<\/p>\n<p>Q \u2014 whether keeping soldiers in the northern part of Gaza.<\/p>\n<p>MR. KIRBY: First of all, I think \u2014 I don\u2019t think we can call it a plan. These are comments by two cabinet officers. That doesn\u2019t constitute an Israeli plan to relocate people out of Gaza. So, I don\u2019t think we should get ahead of where we are right now.<\/p>\n<p>And you\u2019re right, that statement does speak for the United States government and for this administration in terms of our complete refusal and rebuke of any forced displacement outside of Gaza of any Palestinians. We have made that clear to our Israeli counterparts in private sessions. We certainly have made that publicly. And that\u2019s not going to change.<\/p>\n<p>MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Go ahead, John.<\/p>\n<p>Q Thank you, Karine. Admiral, back to Ukraine for a minute. It was well chronicled earlier in the war the heavy losses the Russian military took in terms of equipment, firepower, and such. In the wake of this recent barrage, though, launched on these Ukrainian cities, what is the current U.S. assessment of just what the Russian military\u2019s currently capability is?<\/p>\n<p>MR. KIRBY: Interesting that they have to keep reaching out to other countries to shore up their inventory of artillery shells and missiles and, of course, drones. A lot of these drones that were launched in the last 72 hours were Iranian-made or Iranian-designed drones.<\/p>\n<p>We know that this war has had an impact on Mr. Putin\u2019s war-making capability, particularly when it comes to munitions: artillery, drones, missiles.<\/p>\n<p>We also know that he still has a sizable amount of his air force available to him, a sizable amount of his ground mechanized capability available to him. And, of course, his \u2014 while his navy has been challenged in the Black Sea, it\u2019s really only been the Black Sea fleet that has been affected. He also has an advantage in manpower because Russia is just a bigger country.<\/p>\n<p>And he doesn\u2019t have to \u2014 unlike President Zelenskyy, he doesn\u2019t have to answer to the Russian people about mobilizations and, you know, taking prisoners out of jail cells and putting them on the battlefront.<\/p>\n<p>He has gone through an enormous amount of manpower in the last two years of war, and we know that he\u2019s going to continue to try to throw manpower at it.<\/p>\n<p>All that said, Jonathan, that\u2019s on the plus side of the ledger for him.<\/p>\n<p>On the negative side of the ledger, command and control in the Russian army is still abysmal. Morale, leadership \u2014 absolutely at the dirt floor. They are still heavily reliant on, you know, long-range kind of strikes because they got that available to them.<\/p>\n<p>When they engage the Ukrainian forces on the ground, they\u2019re not having much success. For so \u2014 the so-called ballyhooed counteroffensive that they were going to launch themselves, they\u2019ve really achieved nothing in recent weeks and months.<\/p>\n<p>This is a military that still has not really learned the lessons that you would think a modern military would learn after two years of war.<\/p>\n<p>MS. JEAN-PIERRE: In the back. Way in the back, go ahead. In the back.<\/p>\n<p>Q Yeah. Admiral, you said the United States doesn\u2019t want a second front. And you also said that Israel has a right and responsibility to go after Hamas leadership. But isn\u2019t the United States and the President \u2014 aren\u2019t they exactly widening and escalating this, given the fact that the U.S. is supporting chasing Hamas leadership outside of Gaza? I mean, the fact that it\u2019s going into Lebanon, a sovereign nation.<\/p>\n<p>MR. KIRBY: Again, your question is presuming an awful lot and is presuming that I said things I didn\u2019t say.<\/p>\n<p>I \u2014 I\u2019m not \u2014<\/p>\n<p>Q I have it right here, in Otter.<\/p>\n<p>MR. KIRBY: I\u2019m not confirming that the \u2014 that the Israelis took this airstrike. I would refer you to them to speak to their military operations.<\/p>\n<p>Q They haven\u2019t denied it.<\/p>\n<p>MR. KIRBY: Nevertheless, I\u2019m not confirming that they \u2014 that they \u2014 that they took this strike. They have a right and a responsibility to go after Hamas leadership, and we expect that they\u2019ll do that in accordance with international law.<\/p>\n<p>Nothing has changed about the fact that we don\u2019t want the conflict to widen. I mean, heck, my opening statement was four or five pages\u2019 worth of talking about all the kind of capabilities that the President is putting in the region to prevent that very outcome.<\/p>\n<p>Q Okay. So, let me follow up on that then. Given the Red Sea patrols, we knew in advance of those being set up that the Iranian defense minister said very clearly, \u201cNobody can make a move in a region where we have predominance.\u201d The United States knew that, set it up anyway. Is that not being seen as a provocation? If you know that Iran sees that as a provocation, you take the action anyway.<\/p>\n<p>MR. KIRBY: Wow. Well, that\u2019s certainly turning things on their \u2014 upside down, isn\u2019t it?<\/p>\n<p>Wouldn\u2019t \u2014 wouldn\u2019t you consider a provocation the launching of ballistic missiles and drones at commercial \u2014<\/p>\n<p>Q Well, the United States \u2014<\/p>\n<p>MR. KIRBY: Wait, wait, wait. Let me \u2014<\/p>\n<p>Q \u2014 doesn\u2019t have soil there.<\/p>\n<p>MR. KIRBY: Let me finish. Wouldn\u2019t that be considered a provocation, taking \u2014 targeting innocent merchant shipping \u2014<\/p>\n<p>Q I\u2019m asking you the question.<\/p>\n<p>MR. KIRBY: \u2014 and innocent merchant sailors? That\u2019s a provocation.<\/p>\n<p>What we\u2019re doing, what Prosperity Guardian is all about \u2013and go on the web and you can look at it \u2014 it\u2019s a defensive posture. It\u2019s a coalition of the willing of maritime nations coming together to try to protect international shipping, shipping that affects the global economy.<\/p>\n<p>Q But it\u2019s led to an escalation, because, in turn, what has happened is \u2014<\/p>\n<p>MR. KIRBY: No ma\u2019am. No ma\u2019am.<\/p>\n<p>Q So, you\u2019re denying, then, that there has been an escalation since the Red Sea patrol?<\/p>\n<p>MR. KIRBY: I totally disagree with the premise of your question.<\/p>\n<p>Q Okay, but since the \u2014<\/p>\n<p>MR. KIRBY: It wasn\u2019t the United States who decided to attack commercial shipping in the Red Sea. The Houthis did that. And who are the Houthis backed by? Iran. As I\u2019ve said before, Iran provided the missiles that the Houthis are using.<\/p>\n<p>We are simply in a defensive posture to try to protect that commercial shipping, and we have in the last 48 hours.<\/p>\n<p>Q And since then, there\u2019s been an escalation. Now, Iran has launched a frigate into that. So, there has been escalation.<\/p>\n<p>MR. KIRBY: Okay, again, let me stop you. The fact that they \u2014<\/p>\n<p>Q So, has the United \u2014 I ask you again: Has the United States\u2019 actions supported an escalation as a result?<\/p>\n<p>MR. KIRBY: No.<\/p>\n<p>Q You said that the Pres- \u2014 your words said \u2014<\/p>\n<p>MR. KIRBY: You asked me a question, ma\u2019am. I answered it. No.<\/p>\n<p>MS. JEAN-PIERRE: We got to move on.<\/p>\n<p>Q You said nothing the President has ordered has been designed to widen or deepen this conflict.<\/p>\n<p>MR. KIRBY: I stand by my answer. No.<\/p>\n<p>MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Okay, we\u2019ve got to move on. Go ahead, Danny and then Marek. And then we\u2019re done.<\/p>\n<p>Q Thanks, Karine. Thanks, Admiral. Just on the \u2014 you mentioned a recent call with Netanyahu. Can you speak to the tenor of the recent conversations between the President and Prime Minister Netanyahu? There have been reports of growing tensions between them. And, you know, I mean, what \u2014 can you describe to us what the \u2014 you know, what \u2014 the tenor of those conversations?<\/p>\n<p>MR. KIRBY: No. No. I\u2019m not going to get into describing the tone and tenor. We do a readout of these conversations. We\u2019ll continue to do that.<\/p>\n<p>Look, these are two guys have known each other a long, long time. They don\u2019t agree on every issue, and you shouldn\u2019t expect that they would agree on every issue. The President is able to have candid, forthright conversations with counterparts. And when you\u2019re friends with a country the way we are with Israel, those \u2014 those conversations can be \u2014 they should be candid and forthright.<\/p>\n<p>MS. JEAN-PIERRE: We\u2019ve got to wrap it up. Go ahead, Marek.<\/p>\n<p>Q Thank you very much. Two questions on Ukraine. Does the President support confiscating Russian frozen assets \u2014 $300 billion \u2014 to help Ukraine? And a second question, how much of the equipment that was delivered to Ukraine by the U.S. has been damaged by Russia? Do you have any assessment \u2014 what are their capabilities in terms of the equipment delivered by the West and the United States?<\/p>\n<p>MR. KIRBY: On your first question, we\u2019re still talking to partners about what reconstruction and recovery needs to look like in Ukraine after the war. But obviously, our main focus right now is helping them in this fight against Russian aggression.<\/p>\n<p>And on your second question, that\u2019s a better question put to the Ukrainian defense forces, not the United States. We are working very, very hard to make sure that every system that is provided to Ukraine, there\u2019s a measure of accountability for it. That \u2014 that we can assure the Congress and the American people that that materiel is being used appropriately on the field of battle.<\/p>\n<p>And we\u2019ve seen no indication that it hasn\u2019t been \u2014 that there\u2019s been \u2014 that \u2014 you know, that there\u2019s been some widescale corruption or \u2014 or misuse by the Ukrainian military. But it is war \u2014 it is war \u2014 and these things are sometimes being extended \u2014 or expended hand to mouth. I mean, they no sooner get into Ukraine than the Ukrainians are firing them at Russian troops.<\/p>\n<p>So, we\u2019re working real hard on accountability. But, you know, as for every single bullet and bean that have been given to Ukraine, I mean, that\u2019s really something for the Ukrainians \u2014<\/p>\n<p>Q I\u2019m not talking about \u2014<\/p>\n<p>MR. KIRBY: \u2014 to speak to.<\/p>\n<p>Q \u2014 every single bullet. I\u2019m asking about \u2014 in general, about Ukrainian capabilities in the war with Russia. Are you tracking those?<\/p>\n<p>MR. KIRBY: Of course we are. Yeah. We ha- \u2014 in fact, we added \u2014 we added expertise and individuals to the team in Kyiv specifically for accountability purposes. And the Ukrainians understand our need for accountability. They share that, and they have made it clear that they\u2019re willing to work with us on accountability measures for all the systems that are being provided.<\/p>\n<p>I will just tell you, broadly speaking, without speaking to every single artillery shell, the kinds of materiel we give Ukraine is given to them with thoughtful deliberation based on what they say they need in the moment and in \u2014 in coming weeks. And we\u2019ve seen that with every package that we\u2019ve delivered.<\/p>\n<p>Number two, as I said, in many cases, this stuff is going right from the \u2014 right from the trucks and the trains to the hands of a soldier on the battlefield \u2014 not every one, but oftentimes, it\u2019s that \u2014 it\u2019s that fast. They are using these things appropriately in defense of their country.<\/p>\n<p>MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Thanks, Admiral.<\/p>\n<p>MR. KIRBY: Thank you.<\/p>\n<p>MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Appreciate it.<\/p>\n<p>Q Thank you, John.<\/p>\n<p>Q Thank you.<\/p>\n<p>MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Thank you so much. Okay. Darlene, good to see. You want to reset us and start us off again?<\/p>\n<p>Q Sure. Good to see you, too. For the first time in the U.S., there are wind turbines that have sent electricity to the grid \u2014 that there\u2019s a wind farm off the coast of Massachusetts. It delivered some power just before midnight on Wednesday. It\u2019s a project the Biden administration had signed off on. I was just wondering if, you know, the President supports this kind of energy. Is he aware? Any reaction that you can share?<\/p>\n<p>MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, I don\u2019t have a reaction for you at this time. I would have to get back to the team. And I have \u2014 certainly have not spoken to the President about this particular issue. As you just stated, that is something that we are \u2014 when it comes to wind turbines, you\u2019ve seen the President visit many manufacturing factories where they are certainly leading with that and \u2014 and manufacturing those wind turbines.<\/p>\n<p>So, certainly that is part of our climate change \u2014 certainly \u2014 initiative, clean energy. So, it\u2019s certainly something that we have been very much backing and supporting. But that particular issue, I have not touched base with the President about.<\/p>\n<p>Q And then two other quick ones. Will the President have a public schedule tomorrow or Friday?<\/p>\n<p>MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I don\u2019t have anything at this \u2014 at this time for you. As you know, he will be traveling on Saturday for January 6 to Pennsylvania. That is something that the campaign is putting together. So, if you have any specific details, we\u2019ll certainly \u2014 make sure that you reach out to them. I just don\u2019t have anything else on his schedule for the next day or two.<\/p>\n<p>Q And is there a list of the scholars and historians that the press office said he had lunch with today \u2014<\/p>\n<p>MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So \u2014<\/p>\n<p>Q \u2014 in the lead-up to the January 6th \u2014<\/p>\n<p>MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I don\u2019t have a list to share at this time. For \u2014 for folks who are not tracking, this afternoon, the President met \u2014 or had lunch with a group of scholars and historians to discuss ongoing threats to our democracy, whether here or \u2014 and also abroad.<\/p>\n<p>This is something that he tends to \u2014 to do, especially as we head in \u2014 head towards a \u2014 you know, an important day like January 6th. So, it\u2019s something that he \u2014 it is commonly done. He\u2019s done it \u2014 he\u2019s met with a diverse group of historians before. I don\u2019t have a list to provide to you at this time.<\/p>\n<p>Go ahead, Trevor.<\/p>\n<p>Q Thanks, Karine. On the \u2014 the scholars and historians meeting, that statement referenced threats to democratic institutions in the country. Does the President think that there are any specific policy changes that are needed to strengthen institutions ahead of the elections?<\/p>\n<p>MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I don\u2019t have any policies to announce or preview for you at this time.<\/p>\n<p>Look, the President has always been clear. I\u2019ve been clear from this podium as well. What happened on Jan- \u2014 January the 6th was unprecedented \u2014 an attack on our core principles, an attack on democracy. What we saw was an attack on our rule of law, attack on our Constitution.<\/p>\n<p>We saw the Confederate flag in \u2014 in the middle of the Capitol building. It is \u2014 it was a \u2014 a terrifying and horrific day and a \u2014 you know, a dark day in our history, sadly.<\/p>\n<p>But I just don\u2019t have \u2014 as far as policy-wise and our \u2014 strengthening our institutions, I don\u2019t have anything to share at this time.<\/p>\n<p>Q But specifically, does he think the United States is ready to have free and fair elections in November?<\/p>\n<p>MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Well, it\u2019s \u2014 we have to. I mean, that is what we need \u2014 we have to. That\u2019s what the President believes in. Right? He believes in having a democracy that works, on having a free and fair election. That\u2019s something that he has spoken to, obviously.<\/p>\n<p>But I don\u2019t \u2014 as far as our policies for our institutions, announcing any new policy, I don\u2019t have anything to announce at \u2014 at this time. But clearly, that is something that the different agencies who are involved are certainly making sure that we \u2014 we get to a place that we\u2019re \u2014 we\u2019re \u2014 you know, we\u2019re \u2014 we\u2019re \u2014 Americans are able to \u2014 to vote freely on \u2014 in November.<\/p>\n<p>Q And do you have any reaction to the new data out of Treasury that the national debt has hit a record $34 trillion?<\/p>\n<p>MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, yeah, if you look at \u2014 if you look at that data, it\u2019s a trickle \u2014 there\u2019s a trickle-down debt. If you think about it, Republican tax cuts are responsible about 90 percent of it \u2014 of the increase in the debt as a share of the economy over the last two decades, excluding emergency spending.<\/p>\n<p>And so, as we know \u2014 you\u2019ve heard me say this; you\u2019ve heard the President speak to this \u2014 of what he has done to certainly lower \u2014 lower the debt.<\/p>\n<p>He signed a legislation to lower the deficit by $1 trillion. Right?<\/p>\n<p>And when you think about the Inflation Reduction Act, that\u2019s going to lower prescription drug costs and cracking down on the wealth \u2014 on the wealth tax cheats that we\u2019ve seen. And then his agenda would cut the deficit another $2.5 trillion by making the wealthy pay their fair share. So, that is what the President has done.<\/p>\n<p>What we\u2019ve seen on the other side is the complete opposite. What they\u2019ve tried to do is continue to give a tax break to the millionaires and the billionaires. And that \u2014 what they have actually put forward would add more than $3 trillion to the debt.<\/p>\n<p>So, that\u2019s what the data shows us. And that\u2019s what we have done to try to make sure \u2014 the President has been very, very deliberate about this \u2014 to make sure that we can do everything we can to certainly deal with the \u2014 with the debt.<\/p>\n<p>Go ahead, M.J.<\/p>\n<p>Q Thanks, Karine. Has the President been briefed on the imam who was shot and wounded outside of a New Jersey mosque this morning? Obviously, there\u2019s serious concern about this having been an act that was driven by Islamophobia. Just wondered what the White House \u2014<\/p>\n<p>MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, we\u2019re certainly \u2014 we\u2019re aware of the shooting of the imam outside of the New Jersey mosque, as you just laid out. And certainly, we\u2019re praying for his speedy recovery.<\/p>\n<p>Local law enforcement are all hands on deck, obviously, and is investigating. And certainly, we hope that they\u2019re able to complete their work soon.<\/p>\n<p>I don\u2019t have anything else. I \u2014 I would refer you to the FBI on any specifics. And I have not spoken to the President. But obviously, we are aware of it.<\/p>\n<p>Q And just \u2014 given that this is the first briefing of the new calendar year, is there a way in which you could sum up, sort of, what the President\u2019s top priorities are as we head into a new year, particularly given that this is the last year of his first term?<\/p>\n<p>MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, look, you know, the way that we see the President\u2019s \u2014 even the President\u2019s first three years: He\u2019s done more in the first three years than presidents have done in the first two terms \u2014 or \u2014 their first two terms \u2014 in their two terms of their presidency.<\/p>\n<p>And that is \u2014 if you think about historic pieces of legislation \u2014 whether it\u2019s infrastructure; whether it\u2019s CHIPS and Science Act; whether it is \u2014 you know, is the Inflation Reduction Act, as I just mentioned, which is historic in nature, as we talk about clean energy and lowering prescription drugs \u2014 that is \u2014 that is incredibly important.<\/p>\n<p>And what we need to do and what the President wants to focus on is implementing those \u2014 right? \u2014 continuing to implement those really key important legislation. That\u2019s what you\u2019re going to see the President do.<\/p>\n<p>Last year in his State of the Union, you heard the President speak to finishing the job. And \u2014 and so, that is something that he wants to continue to do \u2014 right? \u2014 whether it\u2019s making sure we have veterans \u2014 making sure \u2014 that Unity Agenda that he talked about: making sure that we\u2019re focusing on our veterans, focusing on getting fentanyl off the street, focusing on how do we deal with cancer. Those are the things that the President is going to continue to talk about.<\/p>\n<p>And \u2014 and one of the very important things in the Inflation Reduction Act is that \u2014 there is that insulin cap at 35 bucks for adults. He wants to make that \u2014 make sure that happens for all Americans.<\/p>\n<p>So, there is a lot to work on.<\/p>\n<p>We saw the data coming out of \u2014 out of 2023 on the economy and where the economy is headed and how Bidenomics, we believe, is working because of that data.<\/p>\n<p>And so, there\u2019s still a lot of work to do. And that\u2019s what you\u2019re going to see from this President.<\/p>\n<p>Q Is the emphasis heavily on implementation as opposed to, you know, there being other pieces of legislation that the White House is hopeful \u2014<\/p>\n<p>MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I mean, look, I think when I talk \u2014 when he talks about the Unity Agenda, there\u2019s more things to be done. Right? There\u2019s more work to be done that continues on the historic \u2014 I think the historic first term that the President has had. So, certainly, there are more things to be done. But implementing those \u2014 those historic piece of legislation is important as well.<\/p>\n<p>Go ahead, Mary.<\/p>\n<p>Q Secretary Mayorkas has obviously been up on the Hill negotiating this deal trying to hammer out something on the border. But at the same time, the House is formally beginning impeachment proceedings against him. Do you have any concern that this will complicate a deal, it could hurt negotiations, especially as we\u2019re up against a clock here?<\/p>\n<p>MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, I \u2014 you know, I \u2014 I kind of addressed this at the top, how baseless it is and how they\u2019re wasting their time on \u2014 on impeachment proceedings that make no sense. And that\u2019s not what the American people want them to focus on.<\/p>\n<p>And that certainly \u2014 we see that from House Republicans, obviously, and it\u2019s a political stunt. It\u2019s baseless. It\u2019s purely baseless.<\/p>\n<p>And instead of coming together to deal with potentially what\u2019s going to happen on January 19th \u2014 a shutdown \u2014 instead of dealing with that and really keeping to their word of that bipartisan agreement that the President did and made back in 2023 and keeping that deal \u2014 two thirds of House Republicans voted for that; we saw bipartisan support in the Senate \u2014 and what they\u2019re doing is \u2014 they\u2019re \u2014 they\u2019re not doing their job.<\/p>\n<p>They\u2019re focusing on something that Americans do not want to see. They want us to deliver on things that matter to them.<\/p>\n<p>Q Well, regardless of that, are you concerned that the fact that they are taking this action \u2014 even if you disagree with it \u2014 that it\u2019s going to make this more difficult \u2014<\/p>\n<p>MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I think it\u2019s \u2014<\/p>\n<p>Q \u2014 that it\u2019s going to complicate all of this?<\/p>\n<p>MS. JEAN-PIERRE: We think it\u2019s baseless, and we think it\u2019s a waste of time,and we think it\u2019s not the \u2014 not the focus that they should have. That\u2019s not the focus that Americans want them to have.<\/p>\n<p>And so, look, we have \u2014 I mean, we were able to come together \u2014 when you think about the budget, when you think about where we\u2019re headed, potentially, on the 19th \u2014 to come with a bipartisan agreement to keep the government open. That was done in a bipartisan way. Two thirds of House Republicans voted for that.<\/p>\n<p>So, we can get this done. They agreed on it. They agreed on it.<\/p>\n<p>But yet, they want to focus on something that is not \u2014 that is not going to keep the government open. That\u2019s for sure.<\/p>\n<p>Go ahead, Weijia.<\/p>\n<p>Q Thank you, Karine. Last night, the President said that he needed more money to protect the U.S. southern border: \u201cGive me the money.\u201d Does he think it\u2019s a lack of money, a lack of funding that has led to the current situation at the border?<\/p>\n<p>MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I mean, look, it\u2019s certainly a \u2014 we\u2019re ask- \u2014 there\u2019s a reason \u2014 let me step back for a second.<\/p>\n<p>If you look at the national security supplemental that the President put forward, he put border security in there \u2014 right? \u2014 because he believes in order to get the work done at the border, we need more resources. DHS needs more resources. Our Border Patrol agents need more resources. We need more immigration judges. We need more resources to get this done. We need the technology at the border to deal with what\u2019s going on with migrants at the border.<\/p>\n<p>And \u2014 and, you know \u2014 you know, last May, the Speaker and Republican \u2014 the Republicans in the House, they voted to get rid of 2,000 \u2014 2,000 Border Patrol agents. I mean, that\u2019s their focus. So, of course, that\u2019s not helpful.<\/p>\n<p>That \u2014 so, we need the resources to actually do the work. And they keep getting in the way. House Republicans keep getting in the way of doing the work to deal with what we\u2019re seeing at the border.<\/p>\n<p>So, they\u2019re obstructing. House Republicans are obstructing. That\u2019s what they\u2019re doing right now.<\/p>\n<p>Q But does the President believe it\u2019s just a money issue? Or does he think that the policies have to change too?<\/p>\n<p>MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Well, I would remind you, Weijia, on the first day of his administration, he put forth a comprehensive immigration policy \u2014 legislation. And he presented that to Congress. And he did that because he understands that the immigration process \u2014 or the system \u2014 has been broken for decades \u2014 for decades.<\/p>\n<p>So, obviously, we need to change policy and work on policy to deal with a broken system. So, it\u2019s both. It is \u2014 and that\u2019s what you\u2019ve been seeing from the Senate side. Both Republicans and Democrats have been talking and negotiating for the past couple of weeks on how to deal with the border situation, border security on \u2014 and it\u2019s been a policy conversation and a funding conversation. So, it\u2019s both.<\/p>\n<p>Q And does he have any New Year\u2019s resolutions? (Laughter.)<\/p>\n<p>MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I don\u2019t have the President\u2019s New Year\u2019s resolution. I think \u2014 what I will say is that the President wants to continue doing the job that he \u2014 that he has said that he\u2019s going to do on behalf of the American people. That\u2019s what we\u2019ve seen him do the last three years.<\/p>\n<p>I\u2019ve talked about the historic piece of legislation that\u2019s actually going to deal with healthcare; going to deal with veteran\u2019s health \u2014 right?; going to deal with clean energy and climate change; going to deal with key issues that matter to the American people \u2014 Bidenomics, making sure that the economy works for all while building the middle class. Those are the things that the President is going to focus on.<\/p>\n<p>Go ahead, Justin.<\/p>\n<p>Q Two quick ones. The first, after the plane crash in Japan, I\u2019m wondering both has the administration offered any support or \u2014 or is it working on the investigation on the crash. And has that prompted any review of \u2014 especially of \u2014<\/p>\n<p>MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So \u2014<\/p>\n<p>Q \u2014 certain tarmac safety procedures \u2014<\/p>\n<p>MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Let me \u2014<\/p>\n<p>Q \u2014 here?<\/p>\n<p>MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Let me just first say, Justin, our hearts go out to the families of the Japanese service members who lost their lives in this terrible accident. So, we\u2019re glad that the passengers and all \u2014 obviously, the crew members were able to get out in the \u2014 on the commercial flight was able to get out safely. That is incredibly important.<\/p>\n<p>Any specifics on \u2014 any questions about investigations, that was something for the \u2014 the government of \u2014 of Japan to \u2014 to speak to.<\/p>\n<p>Q And then, the resignation yesterday of Harvard\u2019s president seemed to generate a lot of conversation. I know the President \u2014 or you weighed in after her testimony on Capitol Hill, but I\u2019m wondering if you have a reaction.<\/p>\n<p>MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, look, you know, I know there\u2019s been a lot of coverage of this. And so, I want to be very mindful and careful. And I\u2019ve said this before: When it comes to either private institutions or colleges and universities, we\u2019re not going to comment \u2014 we\u2019re not going to comment on any personal decision that\u2019s been made.<\/p>\n<p>And I want to \u2014 you know, as you asked \u2014 because you asked me our comments from here and what we were \u2014 what we said from here. We believe that \u2014 that this is a moment for leaders to have moral clarity. That \u2014 we believe that it is incredibly important at this time to have moral clarity.<\/p>\n<p>And \u2014 and you know \u2014 you know, look, any calls for genocide are \u2014 are monstrous. And they\u2019re antithetic- \u2014 antithetical. There should not be a place for that in this country. And we\u2019re always going to call out hate, and we\u2019re always going to be very, very clear about that.<\/p>\n<p>And I will add that you heard the university presidents who testified also apologize. Right? And you heard them say this \u2014 I\u2019ll \u2014 I\u2019ll quote what President Gay said. She said, \u201cI am sorry. Words matter.\u201d I\u2019ll quote what President McGill say, \u201cI was not focused on \u2014 but I should have been \u2014 the irrefutable fact that a call for genocide of Jewish people is a call for some of the most terrible violence human beings can perpetrate.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>So, we believe it\u2019s a time to stand up and have \u2014 and show leadership. And we believe that\u2019s what we did at that time.<\/p>\n<p>Go ahead.<\/p>\n<p>Q Thanks, Karine. On the border negotiations, can you comment on the concerns raised by some of the hi- \u2014 cauc- \u2013Hispanic Caucus members and other elected Latino leaders who feel they\u2019ve been kind of cut out of these talks?<\/p>\n<p>MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, look, we\u2019ve been in touch with Democrats, obviously, members of the Hispanic leadership, and we\u2019ve done that as these conversations have been going. We\u2019re not going to speak to, certainly, private conversations.<\/p>\n<p>Look, I\u2019ll say this. The President believes that we need to have a bipartisan agreement. That\u2019s where he believes on both funding and also policy. And that\u2019s what you\u2019ve seen from Democrats and Republicans on the Senate side. And that\u2019s what they\u2019ve been doing. They\u2019ve been they\u2019ve been having those conversations during the holiday season, and \u2014 and throughout this week as well.<\/p>\n<p>And so, we believe those conversations are headed in the right direction. And so, again, I said this moments ago: Our \u2014 the President believes our immigration system is broken. That\u2019s why he put forth a legislation to deal with the comprehensive \u2014 a comprehensive legislation to deal with the immigration system.<\/p>\n<p>And so, now we\u2019re having a conversation \u2014 a bipartisan conversation about how to move forward. We\u2019re going to continue certainly to hear from the leaders, obviously, and to hear what they have to say. And we\u2019ve been in touch with them. We\u2019ve had conversations with them. Not going to go into private conversations.<\/p>\n<p>And, you know, it\u2019s being hammered out. I don\u2019t want to get into specifics from here, what the policies are going to look like, what\u2019s in or what\u2019s out. We think it\u2019s heading in the right direction. And it is important to have these \u2014<\/p>\n<p>Q Karine, one of the \u2014<\/p>\n<p>MS. JEAN-PIERRE: \u2014 conversations.<\/p>\n<p>Q One of the concerns that they\u2019ve raised, they \u2014 they say the discussion is leading the Biden administration into a trap \u2014 you know, asylum discussions \u2014 that making it harder to migrate legally will only increase irreg- \u2014 irregular migration. Have you heard that from them specifically? And how does \u2014<\/p>\n<p>MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, look, I\u2019ve seen the reporting, just like you have. Obviously, the team here has had conversations with leaders.<\/p>\n<p>Here\u2019s \u2014 here\u2019s \u2014 here\u2019s the situation \u2014 right? \u2014 the situation is that this system \u2014 this immigration system has been broken for decades. And we need to have a bipartisan agreement to move forward on how to deal with the system. That\u2019s what we need to do, both on a policy front and a funding front.<\/p>\n<p>And so, that\u2019s what you\u2019re seeing from the Senate side on both Republicans and Democrats, and it\u2019s been weeks of conversations and negotiation. And they \u2014 we think that is important. That\u2019s the only way we\u2019re going to be able to deal with this issue. And it\u2019s headed in the right direction.<\/p>\n<p>I\u2019m not going to get into asylum. I\u2019m not going to get into asylum policy. I\u2019m not going to get into specifics. And \u2014 and so, I\u2019m just going to have to leave it there, obviously.<\/p>\n<p>Go ahead, Michael.<\/p>\n<p>Q Thanks, Karine. A House committee is moving ahead with impeachment proceedings against Secretary Mayorkas. There\u2019s a hearing scheduled for next week. So, I\u2019d just like to get the White House response.<\/p>\n<p>And also, just to clarify, does this \u2014 does the President still have confidence in the Secretary?<\/p>\n<p>MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Absolutely. The President has confidence in the Secretary. I think \u2014 and I\u2019ve \u2014 I said this moments ago \u2014 I said it at the top as well. We believe that what they\u2019re doing \u2014 the House Republicans are doing with this impeachment inquiry is baseless. We believe that it\u2019s a political stunt.<\/p>\n<p>And \u2014 and we believe there\u2019s not \u2014 there\u2019s no time for that right now. There are things that the American people want us to get done. And that\u2019s what they should focus on.<\/p>\n<p>And \u2014 and, you know, it is \u2014 it is unfortunate that this is where the House Republicans \u2014 that\u2019s the road that they want to go down with this impeachment proceeding. That is really unfortunate when the American people have been very clear: They want us to see \u2014 they want us to work in a bipartisan way to get things done for them. And that\u2019s what the President wants to do.<\/p>\n<p>Go ahead, Karen.<\/p>\n<p>Q Just two back on the border negotiations. Has the President spoken to Secretary Mayorkas since he met with the bipartisan negotiators on the Hill yesterday \u2014<\/p>\n<p>MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I don\u2019t have \u2014<\/p>\n<p>Q \u2014 to get briefed?<\/p>\n<p>MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I don\u2019t have \u2014 I \u2014 I would \u2014 literally would have to check. I don\u2019t have any \u2014 any call with the \u2014 to read out. But obviously, the President speaks to his Cabinet Secretaries on a regular basis.<\/p>\n<p>But on \u2014 on this particular meeting, I just don\u2019t ha- \u2014 I don\u2019t \u2014 I don\u2019t want to get ahead \u2014 ahead of \u2014 of that. So, I would have to check in.<\/p>\n<p>But he speaks to them on a regular basis. Obviously, it\u2019s his Cabinet.<\/p>\n<p>Q And you\u2019ve said you\u2019re not going to get into the details of what\u2019s being negotiated. But broadly, does the White House want to see Congress clear the supplemental before turning to the government funding issue \u2014<\/p>\n<p>MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So \u2014<\/p>\n<p>Q \u2014 before January 19th?<\/p>\n<p>MS. JEAN-PIERRE: \u2014 as you \u2014 I mean, as you just laid out, Congress has a lot of work to do. They do. The supplemental \u2014 like, the reason that we put forward a supplemental \u2014 they are emergency requests that we believe are incredibly important and that needs to be dealt with on behalf of the American people.<\/p>\n<p>So, obviously, those are important. Those are emergency requests that the President asked for. So, critical \u2014 very critical to the American people.<\/p>\n<p>And, you know, their basic job for House \u2014 for the House \u2014 well, for Congress, more broadly, is to keep the government open. That\u2019s their basic duty \u2014 is to keep the government open.<\/p>\n<p>And all they\u2019re doing is dealing with a bipartisan agreement that the President made with Congress. Right? It\u2019s something \u2014 again, I\u2019m going to repeat myself here \u2014 something that two thirds of House Republicans voted for, something that \u2014 that we saw come out of the Senate in a bipartisan posture.<\/p>\n<p>And so, they have a lot to deal with. They have a lot to deal with. And they should just do their job.<\/p>\n<p>Go ahead.<\/p>\n<p>Q Does the President still have plans to visit the disaster site in East Palestine, Ohio?<\/p>\n<p>MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, I don\u2019t have any \u2014 anything \u2014 any schedule of the President at this time. But I will say this: The President continues to oversee, as you know \u2014 and we\u2019ve said it multiple time from here. It was a robu- \u2014 robust recovery effort to support the people of East Palest- \u2014 Palestine. And we will visit when it is most helpful. The President will visit when it\u2019s almost helpful to the community.<\/p>\n<p>And so, we\u2019re going to continue to stay on the ground as long as possible \u2014 remember, because we have that robust operation \u2014 while \u2014 while ensuring that Norfolk Southern is held accountable for the trauma they inflicted on this community.<\/p>\n<p>But in the meantime, this is another thing \u2014 I was just asked about Congress, the supplemental, and the budget \u2014 this is another thing that we want Congress to act on. It is important that they do their part to enhance rail safety. That is something that Congress has to do. And they have to do it by \u2014 by passing a bipartisan railway safety act. That is something that they need to get to.<\/p>\n<p>But the President is going to continue to be there for the community, as he has been for the past \u2014 past several months.<\/p>\n<p>Q And Argentina has reported three foreign nationals, Syrian and Lebanese, arrested on suspicion of plotting a terror attack. Is that something the U.S. is monitoring? Does it raise concern levels here?<\/p>\n<p>MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I don\u2019t have anything for you at this time.<\/p>\n<p>Go ahead, Ed.<\/p>\n<p>Q Yeah, on the federal debt. I want to ask you about it. So, I heard you blame the Republicans for the federal debt, but President Biden has been in office for 35 months. And over the past three months, the U.S. has added $10 billion per day to the federal debt. So \u2014 and that\u2019s not turning around. So, is there a discussion here about cutting spending then?<\/p>\n<p>MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Republican tax cuts are \u2014 are responsible for 90 percent \u2014 90 percent of the increase in the debt. Ninety percent. That is something that Republicans are responsible for.<\/p>\n<p>What the President has done \u2014 what the President has done \u2014 and you\u2019ve heard us talk about it. I just talked about this. He\u2019s put forth legislation, like lowering the deficit by $1 trillion. And that\u2019s part of the lowering prescription drug costs and cracking down on \u2014 on the wealthy tax cheats. That\u2019s what he\u2019s done.<\/p>\n<p>You know, $1.5 trillion \u2014 again, another way to lower the deficit, and that is through wasteful spending on special interests, like Big Pharma. The President beat Big Pharma. That\u2019s what he was able to do last year because of the policies that he has put forth.<\/p>\n<p>And meanwhile \u2014 yeah, you know what? The GOP and congressional Republicans \u2014 what they want to do is they want to continue with their MAGAnomics. What they\u2019ve proposed will add $3 trillion to the debt. That\u2019s \u2014 that\u2019s the numbers. You\u2019re a data guy. That\u2019s the numbers. That\u2019s what we have seen.<\/p>\n<p>Q So, wait. Real quick, also on the \u2014 on the border. The Vice President is in Los Angeles \u2014 I\u2019m sorry \u2014 went to Los Angeles to Las Vegas today. And the House Speaker is along the border. Does the President still have confidence that the Vice President can get to the root causes of the migration to stop the flow?<\/p>\n<p>MS. JEAN-PIERRE: The \u2014 the President sees the Vice President as a partner. She\u2019s a partner with him on all of the \u2014 all of the successes that we have seen, what we\u2019ve been able to do the first \u2014 the first term in this administration \u2014 the first three years of this administration.<\/p>\n<p>I just listed out hist- \u2014 historic pieces of legislation that we\u2019ve been able to get done. Whether it\u2019s lowering prescription drugs; whether it\u2019s dealing with veterans care; whether it\u2019s dealing with climate change; whether it\u2019s Bidenomics, dealing with the economy \u2014 that is something that he has done in partnership with the Vice President.<\/p>\n<p>So, he has all confidence in her and will continue to do so.<\/p>\n<p>Q And the border?<\/p>\n<p>MS. JEAN-PIERRE: He has confidence in the \u2014 in the Vice President. I answered your question.<\/p>\n<p>Go ahead.<\/p>\n<p>Q With the additional indictment of Senator Menendez, does the President think the senator should resign?<\/p>\n<p>MS. JEAN-PIERRE: That\u2019s up to him. That\u2019s \u2014 that\u2019s a decision that he needs to make. And obviously, it\u2019s a serious matter. And he thinks it was the right thing that he stepped down his chairmanship. As \u2014 on anything else to your question, that\u2019s something for the senator to decide on.<\/p>\n<p>Q Just broadly, though, does the President trust the senator? And is \u2014<\/p>\n<p>MS. JEAN-PIERRE: That is \u2014<\/p>\n<p>Q Has the senator been cut off by the White House communications at all?<\/p>\n<p>MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I\u2019m not \u2014 no going to get into any private discussions here at the White House. But that is something \u2014 as it relates to him resigning, that is something that the senator has to deal with.<\/p>\n<p>Go ahead.<\/p>\n<p>Q You mentioned the \u2014 the immigration proposal that the President put forward a few times. Are there any pieces of it that the President is now pushing for in these border talks?<\/p>\n<p>MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I\u2019m not going to get into negotiations from here.<\/p>\n<p>Q Why is he not actively pushing for any parts of it?<\/p>\n<p>MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I \u2014 I didn\u2019t say he wasn\u2019t. I\u2019m just saying I\u2019m not negotiating from here.<\/p>\n<p>Go ahead.<\/p>\n<p>Q Thank you, Karine. A couple of weeks ago, you had said what we\u2019re seeing at the border isn\u2019t unusual. But in the month of December, there were more than 302,000 migrant encounters \u2014 the highest total for a single month ever recorded. So, does the administration concede that what we\u2019re seeing now is unusual?<\/p>\n<p>MS. JEAN-PIERRE: What I said was, to be exact \u2014 is that what we\u2019re seeing at the U.S. is \u2014 ebbs and flows in how many migrants arrive at the border. It\u2019s something that happens every year. It ebbs and flows. And it\u2019s fueled by efforts of smugglers to encourage irregular migration.<\/p>\n<p>And I will add, since \u2014 since May 12th, DHS has \u2014 has removed folks who have been \u2014 who have been here illegally \u2014 who were not here on a legal basis \u2014 about 460,000 people that they\u2019ve been able to remove.<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s what I said: Every year, we see an ebbs and flow. And that\u2019s what we\u2019re seeing at this time \u2014 and which is caused by misinformation from \u2014 and disinformation from smugglers.<\/p>\n<p>Q Well, ICE reported that they only deported 142,000 in all of fiscal year 2023. December had more than double that cross in just a single month. So, how is \u2014 how is that really a measurable consequence?<\/p>\n<p>MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Since May 12th, DHS has been able to remove and return over 460,000 individuals who \u2014 who did not have a legal basis to be here. That\u2019s what DHS has been able to do since May 12th.<\/p>\n<p>And I will remind you, you know, that just last week, we had Homeland Security Advisor Sherwood-Ran- \u2014 Sherwood-Randall and Secretaries (inaudible) Mayorkas meet with the Mexican government \u2014 just last week \u2014 and it was a productive conversation. And we believe that the president of Mexico has taken significant enforcement actions, and we are starting to see the results.<\/p>\n<p>And so, a lot of this is diplomacy. Right? A lot of it is having diplomacy. A lot of it is enforcement.<\/p>\n<p>I mean, you know, I just laid out how last May, while \u2014 while DHS was removing \u2014 starting to remove folks who were here on a \u2014 who were not here on a legal basis, you had House Republicans voting to get rid of 2,000, you know, Border Patrol agents. That\u2019s what they were doing.<\/p>\n<p>So, we\u2019re trying to deal with the issue. And we get it. It ebbs and flows every year. We get it. We understand what\u2019s happening at the border.<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s why there\u2019s negotiations happening on the Senate side, with Republicans and Democrats, to deal with this issue.<\/p>\n<p>Q Dealing \u2014 dealing with the issue as the administration is also fighting to keep up \u2014 you know, to remove razor wire along the border that is intended to keep, you know, this surge lowered to keep people out from crossing illegally.<\/p>\n<p>MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Governor Abbott\u2019s razor wire does not prevent \u2014 it does not prevent non-citizens from unlawfully crossing. That\u2019s not what it does. If anything, it puts at risk \u2014 it puts the lives of the Border Patrol at risk. It puts them in danger. That\u2019s what the razor wire does.<\/p>\n<p>And that\u2019s what the \u2014 Governor Abbott is doing \u2014 again, a political stunt that that\u2019s \u2014 doesn\u2019t actually fix the problem and puts Border Patrol agents \u2014<\/p>\n<p>Q Is there anything else fixing it right now?<\/p>\n<p>MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I \u2014 well, I just don\u2019t \u2014<\/p>\n<p>Q I mean \u2014<\/p>\n<p>MS. JEAN-PIERRE: \u2014 but \u2014<\/p>\n<p>Q \u2014 it\u2019s \u2014<\/p>\n<p>MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I mean, it \u2014<\/p>\n<p>Q Sure, a temporary solution, obviously. But when \u2014 I guess the reason that I\u2019m coming to it \u2014<\/p>\n<p>MS. JEAN-PIERRE: But, Jacqui \u2014<\/p>\n<p>Q \u2014 from this perspective \u2014<\/p>\n<p>MS. JEAN-PIERRE: \u2014 it also puts \u2014<\/p>\n<p>Q \u2014 is because \u2014<\/p>\n<p>MS. JEAN-PIERRE: \u2014 it puts the \u2014 it puts Border Patrol \u2014 they \u2014 it puts them in a difficult position. Right?<\/p>\n<p>Q I hear you. But when you\u2019re talking about the impeachment proceeding, for instance, as baseless \u2014<\/p>\n<p>MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Uh-huh.<\/p>\n<p>Q \u2014 and you have, you know, Democrats calling on the administration to do more \u2014<\/p>\n<p>You had the mayor of Denver today saying that Denver has become the highest city per capita for migrant recipients in the country. You\u2019ve had mayors in New York and Chicago begging for more federal help, saying that the administration is not answering them.<\/p>\n<p>And then, you have Texas saying that they\u2019ve had to take matters into their own hands because the administration isn\u2019t enforcing existing laws on the books.<\/p>\n<p>The numbers keep going up. You have, you know, records being shattered every month, as population bigger than the \u2014 the size of Seattle coming in since October.<\/p>\n<p>And I understand where you\u2019re coming from. But in the meantime, when there\u2019s really not been any progress \u2014 and you\u2019ve always talked about how this has been an issue for decades \u2014 what is the administration doing right now to actually improve the crisis at the border?<\/p>\n<p>MS. JEAN-PIERRE: We have House Republicans that\u2019s literally blocking the President\u2019s effort to do something. That\u2019s what they\u2019re doing. They\u2019re playing political games. They\u2019re doing political stunts. Literally, House Republicans themselves voted to decrease the amount of Border Patrol agents by 2,000. They\u2019re getting in the way, and they don\u2019t want to help.<\/p>\n<p>But we\u2019re \u2014 we are glad that we are working with Senate Republicans and Democrats in a bipartisan way to come up with a bipartisan agreement to deal with the border security. That\u2019s what we\u2019re seeing. Those negotiations have been going on. They\u2019re going to \u2014 they\u2019re continuing this week.<\/p>\n<p>And we hope \u2014 we really do hope that we come to a place where we can talk about a bipartisan agreement where we can deal with the funding and the policy.<\/p>\n<p>And, you know, House Republicans are getting in the way. That\u2019s what they want to focus on. That\u2019s where they see there \u2014 there could be the most effective. And that\u2019s not what we believe. We \u2014 that\u2019s not what the American people want.<\/p>\n<p>Go ahead, Peter.<\/p>\n<p>AIDE: Karine, you have time for one or two more.<\/p>\n<p>Q Just to be clear, how does the razor wire put Border Patrol agents at risk, Karine? The Biden administration themselves said that the agents have been cutting the wire to provide medical assistance to migrants or to apprehend migrants who have already crossed into U.S. territory.<\/p>\n<p>MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Well, let me be more clear. It makes it more difficult \u2014 it actually makes it more difficult for Border Patrol to apprehend of those who \u2014 who do cross. So, I\u2019m going to be \u2014 just clear that up a little bit. It makes \u2014<\/p>\n<p>Q So, it\u2019s less about their own safety \u2014<\/p>\n<p>MS. JEAN-PIERRE: It just makes it \u2014<\/p>\n<p>Q \u2014 but their ability to apprehend.<\/p>\n<p>MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah, yeah.<\/p>\n<p>Q Understood. I just wanted to \u2014<\/p>\n<p>MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Just to be more clear.<\/p>\n<p>Q \u2014 make sure I got that right.<\/p>\n<p>MS. JEAN-PIERRE: It makes \u2014 it does make it more difficult for them to do their jobs. Right? It does.<\/p>\n<p>Q A quick last question, if we can. President Biden obviously campaigned on the idea of being a bipartisan leader, the ability to work together. One of his biggest \u2014 biggest successes, the White House would say, would be the infrastructure law \u2014 right now a trillion dollars. It was approved with the support of Democrats and Republicans.<\/p>\n<p>Right now, there\u2019s a new Republican House Speaker. President Biden hasn\u2019t had a one-on-one meeting with him yet. Many weeks have now passed. Is there any indication when that would happen? And what\u2019s precluding the President from saying, \u201cSpeaker Johnson, come to the White House. Let\u2019s sit down and talk about this\u201d?<\/p>\n<p>MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, here\u2019s what I \u2014 I\u2019ll say to that. You have Speaker Johnson, who has been very clear where he stands on the border \u2014 right? \u2014 who has \u2014 continues with the House Republicans to make this a political issue, and to put \u2014 to move forward with political stunts, and has blocked \u2014 has blocked any efforts for the President to deal with the border.<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s what we\u2019ve seen. That is what we\u2019ve seen from the Speaker.<\/p>\n<p>Now, the President has been able with his team \u2014 right? \u2014 to have a bipartisan conversation and nego- \u2014 negotiation with senators, Republicans and Democrats. That is a good thing. That is a good thing.<\/p>\n<p>We think those negotiations are headed in the right way, as we talk about border security. And, you know, we are hopeful \u2014 we are hopeful that we\u2019ll come to a place that we are dealing with an issue that Americans really care about. And that\u2019s where we are, Peter.<\/p>\n<p>Q So, no plans \u2014<\/p>\n<p>MS. JEAN-PIERRE: That is where \u2014<\/p>\n<p>Q \u2014 are being made for the two sides \u2014<\/p>\n<p>MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I don\u2019t \u2014<\/p>\n<p>Q \u2014 to meet?<\/p>\n<p>MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I don\u2019t have anything to read out to you. But that is what \u2014 that is the playing field that we\u2019re seeing right now.<\/p>\n<p>Q Okay.<\/p>\n<p>MS. JEAN-PIERRE: That is.<\/p>\n<p>Thanks, everybody. I\u2019ll see you tomorrow.<\/p>\n<p>3:15 P.M. EST<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Washington, DC&#8230;James S. Brady Press Briefing Room, 2:10 P.M. EST. MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Look at this. Packed room. Happy New Year, everybody. Q Happy New Year. MS. JEAN-PIERRE: It\u2019s so good to see everyone. Welcome back. 2024, here we come. And with that \u2014 we are just 16 days away from parts of the government shutting [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":171672,"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":[20,5,4,1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-171671","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-featured","category-government","category-life-style","category-news","last_archivepost"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Fullscreen-capture-132024-111351-PM.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/171671","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=171671"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/171671\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":171673,"href":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/171671\/revisions\/171673"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/171672"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=171671"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=171671"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=171671"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}