Roll Call Factba.se - Consolidated White House Releases (2024)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

May 8, 2024

Thursday, May 9, 2024

In the morning, the Vice President will receive briefings and conduct internal meetings with staff. These meetings will be closed press.

In the afternoon, the Vice President and Second Gentleman will join the President in welcoming the Las Vegas Aces to the White House to celebrate their record-breaking season and victory in the 2023 WNBA Finals. The President and Vice President's remarks will be open to pre-credentialed media and livestreamed at WhiteHouse.gov/Live.

# # #

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

May 8, 2024

FOR THURSDAY, MAY 9, 2024

At 8:15 PM ET, the Second Gentleman will deliver remarks at the Latino Victory Foundation's Latino Talks 2024 event. This event at The Hamilton Live in Washington, D.C. will be open to pre-credentialed media.

Speeches and Remarks

2024-05-08

The White House

Happy National Teacher Appreciation Week!

I made you a promise: that as long as Joe is President, you will always have a seat at the table. And I meant it.

Because being an educator isn't just a job. It's a calling. All of you were called to this profession for a reason. You believe that a better world is possible – and you make that world real, one student at a time.

And none of that could happen without the support of our unions.

In classrooms and hallways and cafeterias, in front of eager faces during that Friday afternoon chaos, it may sometimes feel like we're all alone. But our union leaders show us that we're never alone – that behind each of us are thousands of educators in schools across the country united through a common devotion to our students. I'm grateful for all that they do for educators – and our students.

So, I'm honored to introduce, Becky Pringle and Randi Weingarten.

Thank you, Randi and Becky.

Right now, we're in the last stretch of the school year – maybe for some of you those last few days are just ahead or you're in the final months.

I just finished final exams last Thursday and posted grades. And I know that many of you probably still have final projects, exams, and tabulating ahead. As days get longer and warm breezes begin to waft through the air, butterflies and bees buzz outside. But, inside, those warm days mean restless morning bus rides and distracted minds. Boisterous cafeterias and unruly hallways. Hearts that long for the freedom of summer.

And that's just the teachers.

But there are magical parts of this time of year too. In the day-to-day, we don't always recognize how much this work matters. But, at the end of a school year, we get to see how much students have grown. And how much they've taught us – and our whole school community – as well. You can see that in every parent's smile of relief when they see you, every child's look of wonder when you show them all they can do.

So, I wanted to personally let you know how grateful the President and I are for your incredible work.

To answer this call of service, is in itself, an act of hope. You look at your students and don't just see who they are today – you see all the possibility of tomorrow. You help them find the light within themselves.

And that light lives on in all of you. Have a great summer.

For Immediate Release

May 8, 2024

Remarks as Prepared for Delivery by First Lady Jill Biden at Virtual Teacher Appreciation Week Event

The White House

Happy National Teacher Appreciation Week!

I made you a promise: that as long as Joe is President, you will always have a seat at the table. And I meant it.

Because being an educator isn't just a job. It's a calling. All of you were called to this profession for a reason. You believe that a better world is possible – and you make that world real, one student at a time.

And none of that could happen without the support of our unions.

In classrooms and hallways and cafeterias, in front of eager faces during that Friday afternoon chaos, it may sometimes feel like we're all alone. But our union leaders show us that we're never alone – that behind each of us are thousands of educators in schools across the country united through a common devotion to our students. I'm grateful for all that they do for educators – and our students.

So, I'm honored to introduce, Becky Pringle and Randi Weingarten.

Thank you, Randi and Becky.

Right now, we're in the last stretch of the school year – maybe for some of you those last few days are just ahead or you're in the final months.

I just finished final exams last Thursday and posted grades. And I know that many of you probably still have final projects, exams, and tabulating ahead. As days get longer and warm breezes begin to waft through the air, butterflies and bees buzz outside. But, inside, those warm days mean restless morning bus rides and distracted minds. Boisterous cafeterias and unruly hallways. Hearts that long for the freedom of summer.

And that's just the teachers.

But there are magical parts of this time of year too. In the day-to-day, we don't always recognize how much this work matters. But, at the end of a school year, we get to see how much students have grown. And how much they've taught us – and our whole school community – as well. You can see that in every parent's smile of relief when they see you, every child's look of wonder when you show them all they can do.

So, I wanted to personally let you know how grateful the President and I are for your incredible work.

To answer this call of service, is in itself, an act of hope. You look at your students and don't just see who they are today – you see all the possibility of tomorrow. You help them find the light within themselves.

And that light lives on in all of you. Have a great summer.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

May 8, 2024

All times are local and subject to change.

At 1:00 PM, the First Lady will arrive at Portland International Airport in Portland, Oregon. This arrival will be open to pre-credentialed media and registration is closed.

At 2:00 PM, the First Lady will deliver remarks at a political finance event in Portland, Oregon. This event will be covered by a print pooler for editorial coverage only.

At 5:00 PM, the First Lady will arrive at San Francisco International Airport in San Francisco, California. This arrival will be open to pre-credentialed media and registration is closed.

At 6:15 PM, the First Lady will deliver remarks at a political finance event in Kentfield, California. This event will be covered by a print pooler for editorial coverage only.

Statements and Releases

2024-05-08

Today, U.S. Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland, Director of the Gender Policy Council Jennifer Klein, and Chair of the Council on Environmental Quality Brenda Mallory announced new actions to honor the legacy and contributions of a diverse range of women and girls to our country, and highlighted the Biden-Harris Administration's efforts to increase the representation of women's history in sites across America.

These efforts include an Executive Order President Biden signed in March 2024 to strengthen the National Park Service's recognition of women's history. To advance this work, philanthropic partners announced:

Today's event builds on continuing efforts across the Federal government to recognize the role that women and girls play in shaping the American story. In 2023, President Biden designated the Emmett Till and Mamie Till-Mobley National Monument in Mississippi and Illinois that honors the bravery of Mamie Till-Mobley in the wake of her son's brutal murder, which helped catalyze the Civil Rights Movement. Recently, the National Park Service also designated sites significant to women's history as National Historic Landmarks, including Pond Farm Pottery in California, an arts community founded by renowned ceramist Marguerite Wildenhain, and the Sam and Ruth Van Sickle Ford House in Illinois, the home of Ruth Van Sickle Ford—the former director and president of the Chicago Academy of Fine Arts. During the Biden-Harris Administration, the National Park Service has invested more than $19 million in infrastructure and preservation projects for parks commemorating women across America. Additionally, the Department of the Interior has awarded $2.1 million in Historic Preservation Fund grants for sites that are helping to tell women's history through programs including History of Equal Rights, Save America's Treasures, African American Civil Rights, and Underrepresented Communities.

Today's event convened Administration officials, prominent historians, museum leaders, conservation leaders, members of the National Park System Advisory Board, Members of Congress, and others who have led the way in studying, recognizing, and amplifying women's history. Speakers included:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

May 8, 2024

A $1.3 million commitment from the Mellon Foundation to support the development of an inaugural Women's History Theme Study, which will serve as a historical foundation for the National Park Service to identify major topics and figures in women's history to be considered for recognition at National Historic Landmarks, and inform efforts to preserve women's history throughout the nation. This commitment is part of the Foundation's $500 million Monuments Project .

A $2 million commitment from the National Park Foundation that will help national parks tell a more inclusive and comprehensive story of American history. This investment will fund Inclusive Storytelling Grants, providing resources to document, preserve, and share important stories, including of women who have shaped our history and continue to shape our country.

Today's event builds on continuing efforts across the Federal government to recognize the role that women and girls play in shaping the American story. In 2023, President Biden designated the Emmett Till and Mamie Till-Mobley National Monument in Mississippi and Illinois that honors the bravery of Mamie Till-Mobley in the wake of her son's brutal murder, which helped catalyze the Civil Rights Movement. Recently, the National Park Service also designated

sites significant to women's history as National Historic Landmarks, including Pond Farm Pottery in California, an arts community founded by renowned ceramist Marguerite Wildenhain, and the Sam and Ruth Van Sickle Ford House in Illinois, the home of Ruth Van Sickle Ford--the former

director and president of the Chicago Academy of Fine Arts. During the Biden-Harris Administration, the National Park Service has invested more than $19 million in infrastructure and preservation projects for parks commemorating women across America. Additionally, the Department of the Interior has awarded $2.1 million in Historic Preservation Fund grants for sites that are helping to tell women's history through programs including History of Equal Rights , Save America's Treasures , African American Civil Rights , and Underrepresented Communities

.

Today's event convened Administration officials, prominent historians, museum leaders, conservation leaders, members of the National Park System Advisory Board, Members of Congress, and others who have led the way in studying, recognizing, and amplifying women's history. Speakers included:

Deb Haaland, U.S. Secretary of the Interior

Jennifer Klein, Assistant to the President and Director of the Gender Policy Council

Brenda Mallory, Chair of the Council on Environmental Quality

Dr. Elizabeth Alexander, President of the Mellon Foundation

Lise Aangeenbrug, Chief Program Officer of the National Park Foundation

Dr. Turkiya Lowe, Principal Historian of the National Park Service and Deputy Federal Preservation Officer

Dr. Melanie Adams, Interim Director of the Smithsonian American Women's History Museum

Dr. Marvel Parker, Executive Director of Emmett Till and Mamie Till-Mobley Institute

Dr. Carla Hayden, 14 th Librarian of Congress

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

May 8, 2024

ON HIS INVESTING IN AMERICA AGENDA

Gateway Technical College

Racine, Wisconsin

11:57 A.M. CDT

THE PRESIDENT: Hello, hello, hello.

AUDIENCE: Four more years! Four more years! Four more years!

THE PRESIDENT: Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Hello, Wisconsin! And, Nick, thank you for that introduction.

Look, before -- before I get started, I want to set the record straight.

Please, sit down.

I went to a Catholic High School in Delaware taught by the Norbertine priest from St. Norbert's College, you know, a little t- -- a little team called "Green Bay."

Now, here's the deal. We were the only high school in Delaware that overwhelmingly rooted for Green Bay e- -- -- not a joke; I'll tell you why -- every single Sunday.

Not only did they have great teams at the time -- they still do -- but not only that, my theology professor at the Catholic school I went to was a guy named Reilley, last name. And he had been drafted by the Green Bay Packers. And he decided to become a priest before that, so he didn't go. But every single, solitary Monday that Green Bay won, we got the last period of the day off.

Now, we Catholics call that indirect bribery. But it worked.

It's always great to be with one of the best governors in America, Tony Evers. Tony -- --

I think of Tony -- I mean it -- I think of one word: integrity. You're a man of absolute integrity.

And what I'm really doing -- I'm really auditioning for a job -- -- with a -- a little company that's going to build something out here.

Thank you for the comments you made about what we're doing together.

Well, look, while she couldn't be here, I want to thank the best -- one of the best U.S. senators in the United States of America and a good friend of mine, Tammy Baldwin. I mean it.

You also got a great mayor in Racine, Cory Mason.

Brad Smith, president of Microsoft, thank you for your partnership and for showing how we get things done -- and big things done -- in America. And thank you for your friendship. I really mean it.

And Liz Schuler, the president of AFL-CIO, thank you for all you do benefitting the American union movement. There's a -- you know, I get called the most pro-union president in American history. I make no apologies for it. None. I'm serious.

The middle class built America, but unions built the middle class. I've been saying that for a long time.

Folks, I'm here to talk about a great comeback story in America.

And I'm sure you remember. Racine was once a manufacturing boomtown, all the way through the 1960 s, powering companies -- invented and manufacturing Windex, pro- -- portable vacuum cleaners, and so much more, and powered by middle-class jobs.

And then came trickle-down economics -- cut taxes for the very wealthy and biggest corporations beginning in the '60 s. We shipped American jobs overseas because labor was cheaper. We slashed public investment in education and innovation. And the result: We hollowed out the middle class.

My predecessor and his administration doubled down on that failed trickle-down economics, along with the trial of broken promises.

Look, my dad used to have an expression. He'd say, "Joey, a job" -- I mean this sincerely. "A j-" -- my dad was a well-read man. Never got to go to college, but he was a good man all across the board. And he'd say, "Joey, remember, a job is a lot more than a -- about more than a paycheck. It's about your integrity. It's about your dignity. It's about being treated with respect. It's about being able to look your kid in the eye and say, 'Honey, everything is going to be okay.'"

In fact, six years ago, when my predecessor came to Racine with a promise of, quote, "reclaiming our country's proud manufacturing legacy." Well, we had "Infrastructure Day" every -- ev- -- "Week" every week for four years, didn't build a damn thing.

He and his administration promised a $10 billion investment by Foxconn to build a new manufacturing complex and create 13,000 new jobs.

In fact, he came here with your senator, Ron Johnson, literally holding a golden shovel, promising to build the "eighth wonder of the world."

Are you kidding me? Look what happened. They dug a hole with those golden shovels, and then they fell into it.

Look, they didn't shovel other dirt -- they did shovel some dirt. One hundred homes were bol- -- were bulldozed. They wasted hundreds of millions of dollars -- your state and local tax dollars -- to promise a project that never happened.

Foxconn turned out to be just that: a con. Go figure.

In just four years under his administration, instead of creating 13,000 jobs in Racine, my predecessor -- and a hundred -- and 1,000 manufacturing jobs -- rather than creating them, 1,000 manufacturing jobs left Racine. Eighty-five thousand five -- eighty-three thousand five hundred total jobs left Wisconsin during my predecessor's term.

But that's not on my watch. We're determined to turn it around.

Thus far, since we've come into office, we've created -- and with the governor's overwhelming leadership, we've created over 178,000 jobs in Wisconsin and we're going to create more here in Racine and big time.

Some of my friends on the far right have criticized my Investing in America agenda, my -- which includes my Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the CHIPS and Science Act, and the Inflation Reduction Act. But a lot of business leaders support it as a key to economic growth that we're seeing now.

Remember hear -- you're going to hear "a recession next week," "a recession next week," "no soft landing." Well, in fact, I've asked business leaders like Brad a simple question: When the United States decides to invest considerable resources in a new industry that we need to build, does that encourage or discourage them engaging? The answer overwhelmingly is it encourages business investment. And that's what we're seeing now with our administration.

My Investing in America agenda is fueling a historic boom in rebuilding our roads and bridges, developing and deploying clean energy, revitalizing American manufacturing, and so much more.

So far, we've created $866 billion in private-sector investment nationwide -- almost a trillion dollars -- historic amounts in such a short time. And that's literally creating hundreds of thousands of jobs; building new semiconductor factories, electric vehicles and battery factories; and so much more here -- all here in America.

Today is another example of the private sector optimism. Microsoft, as the president already pointed out, is investing $3.3 billion to build a new data center here in Racine that's going to help operate one of the most powerful artificial intelligence systems in the world. And I've gone around the world -- literally, not figuratively -- meeting with the leading architects of AI.

It's going to result in 2,300 union construction jobs just to build the new facility -- -- and 2,000 permanent workers to work in the data centers. In addition, we're also providing a pipeline to train these -- for new -- these new jobs -- a pipeline that starts right here at this very spot.

Microsoft is partnering with Gateway Technical Community College right here to train and certify 200 students a year to fill high-demand, good-paying jobs in data and IT at Microsoft's new AI data center here in Racine.

But that's not all. In addition, Microsoft is continuing a pipeline, going to high schools in nearby Mount Pleasant to train high school students for jobs of the future. As the boss pointed out, it's going to create 100,000 jobs over time. It's all part of Microsoft's broad plan to build an artificial intelligence ecosystem right here in Racine.

And it's going to be transformative not he- -- just here but worldwide. It's not only a significant investment in infrastructure of Racine but for the people of Racine.

It means folks are getting trained -- folks are getting trained in new high-paying, high-skilled jobs that don't require a four-year college degree and don't require you to leave home.

You know, where I come from, that really matters.

I know what it's like when your parents have to move the family in search of work because there's no jobs, what it does to the family's dignity.

My wife, Jill, who teaches full time at a community college, cares a lot about this as well. Last year, she announced our first five Workforce Hub sites to build a pipeline of workers in industries that create the new hometowns -- that are creating new -- there are new -- hometowns in Phoenix; Baltimore; Columbus, Ohio; Augusta, Georgia, building everything from semiconductors to electric vehicles.

Last month, I announced four new hubs to continue to train workers for the jobs of the future -- one of which is in Milwaukee that trains workers to help replace every poisonous lead pipe in America in a decade and funded by the Infrastructure Law.

And, by the way, "Buy America" has been the law of the land since the '30 s, but it's been ignored by most administrations. Past administrations, including my predecessor, have failed to buy American.

Not anymore. Here's how it works. When the pre- -- when the Congress sends something to the president to build something -- whether it's a road, a highway, a deck of an aircraft carrier; whatever it is -- that president is -- back from a law that was passed in the '30 s -- is supposed to hire American workers to build it and use American products.

Well, on my watch and with Tammy's leadership, federal projects like the Blatnik Bridge here in Wisconsin -- it's going to cost $1 billion, but it's all -- all American made, all American products, and all American workers. And it's creat- -- going to create 10,000 new jobs -- 10,000.

In addition, the roads and highways and so much more will be made with American products, built by American workers, creating good-paying American jobs.

What's happening in Racine is really important for another reason.

We'll see more technical community colleges -- technical changes needed in the next 10 years than we saw in the last 50. AI is already driving that change in every part of American life, from how we teach and learn to how we solve the biggest challenges, from curing cancer to climate change.

America is a global leader in AI, and American companies lead the world in A- -- AI innovation and a lot of what we're going to see here in Racine.

Because of our initiatives, American workers will power that innovation here in America.

But, look, to get the full benefit of all this [DEL: safeguards :DEL] [AI], we need safeguards. That's why, as the president pointed out, I signed the landmark executive order on which the most significant action any government has taken anywhere in the world -- has ever taken for AI safety, security, and trust.

This order helps make sure workers have a seat at the table in determining how these technologies are developed and used. For real.

And we'll support workers in every industry by defending their right to a fair wage, to organize as these technologies emerge across the board. And they're going to happen.

Folks, during the previous administration, my predecessor made promises which he broke more than kept and left a lot people behind in communities like Racine.

On my watch, we make promises and we keep promises. And we leave no one behind.

Since I took office, we've added nearly 4,000 jobs in Racine. As I said earlier, we've added 178,000 in the state of Wisconsin. The unemployment rate has hit a record low in Racine. Racine has seen some of the strongest new business growth in all of Wisconsin. And it's only just beginning.

We're seeing the great American comeback story all across Wisconsin and, quite frankly, the entire country.

The bottom line is we're doing what's always worked in this country: Giving people a fair shot, leaving nobody behind, and grow the economy from the middle out and the bottom up, not the top down. When that happens, everybody does well. Everybody does well.

Let me close with this. When folks see a new factory being built here in Wisconsin, people going to work making a really good wage in their hometowns, I hope they feel the pride that I feel. Pride in their hometowns making a comeback. Pride in knowing we can get big things done in America still.

Folks, I've never been more optimistic -- and I've only been around a couple years, I know. I know I don't look it, but I'm only 40 plus 2 times -- well, anyway.

But I've never been more op- -- I swear to God, I've never been more optimistic about our future. We just have to remember who in the hell we are. We're the United States of America. And there's nothing beyond our capacity when we work together. Nothing. I mean that: nothing.

The rest of the world looks to us. So, keep it going.

God bless you all. And may God protect our troops. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

AUDIENCE: Four more years! Four more years! Four more years!

THE PRESIDENT: Don't jump!

12:12 P.M. CDT

Speeches and Remarks

2024-05-08

Gateway Technical College
Racine, Wisconsin

AUDIENCE: Four more years! Four more years! Four more years!

THE PRESIDENT: Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Please, sit down.

I went to a Catholic High School in Delaware taught by the Norbertine priest from St. Norbert's College, you know, a little t- — a little team called "Green Bay." [Applause]

Now, we Catholics call that indirect bribery. [Laughter] But it worked. [Laughter]

And what I'm really doing — I'm really auditioning for a job — [laughter] — with a — a little company that's going to build something out here. [Laughter]

Thank you for the comments you made about what we're doing together.

Presidential Actions

2024-05-08

The regime's brutality and repression of the Syrian people, who have called for freedom and a representative government, not only endangers the Syrian people themselves, but also generates instability throughout the region. The Syrian regime's actions and policies, including with respect to chemical weapons and supporting terrorist organizations, continue to pose an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security, foreign policy, and economy of the United States. For these reasons, I have determined that it is necessary to continue in effect the national emergency declared in Executive Order 13338 with respect to Syria.

Presidential Actions

2024-05-08

Presidential Actions

2024-05-08

TO THE CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES:

Section 202[d) of the National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 1622(d]) provides for the automatic termination of a national emergency unless, within 90 days prior to the anniversary date of its declaration, the President publishes in the Federal Register and transmits to the Congress a notice stating that the emergency is to continue in effect beyond the anniversary date. In accordance with this provision, I have sent to the Federal Register for publication the enclosed notice stating that the national emergency with respect to the Central African Republic declared in Executive Order 13667 of May 12, 2014, is to continue in effect beyond May 12, 2024.

The situation in and in relation to the Central African Republic has been marked by a breakdown of law and order; intersectarian tension; the pervasive, often forced recruitment and use of child soldiers; and widespread violence and atrocities, including those committed by Kremlin-linked and Yevgeniy Prigozhin-affiliated entities such as the Wagner Group. These dynamics threaten the peace, security, or stability of the Central African Republic and neighboring states, and continue to pose an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States. Therefore, I have determined that it is necessary to continue the national emergency declared in Executive Order 13667 with respect to the Central African Republic.

JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR.

THE WHITE HOUSE,

May 8, 2024.

Presidential Actions

2024-05-08

TO THE CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES:

Section 202[d) of the National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 1622(d]) provides for the automatic termination of a national emergency unless, within 90 days prior to the anniversary date of its declaration, the President publishes in the Federal Register and transmits to the Congress a notice stating that the emergency is to continue in effect beyond the anniversary date. In accordance with this provision, I have sent to the Federal Register for publication the enclosed notice stating that the national emergency declared in Executive Order 13873 of May 15, 2019, with respect to securing the information and communications technology and services supply chain, is to continue in effect beyond May 15, 2024.

The unrestricted acquisition or use in the United States of information and communications technology or services designed, developed, manufactured, or supplied by persons owned by, controlled by, or subject to the jurisdiction or direction of foreign adversaries augments the ability of these foreign adversaries to create and exploit vulnerabilities in information and communications technology or services, with potentially catastrophic effects. This threat continues to pose an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security, foreign policy, and economy of the United States. Therefore, I have determined that it is necessary to continue the national emergency declared in Executive Order 13873 with respect to securing the information and communications technology and services supply chain.

JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR.

THE WHITE HOUSE,

May 8, 2024.

Presidential Actions

2024-05-08

On May 11, 2004, pursuant to his authority under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act [50 U.S.C. 1701 et seq] and the Syria Accountability and Lebanese Sovereignty Restoration Act of 2003 [Public Law 108-175], the President issued Executive Order 13338, in which he declared a national emergency with respect to the actions of the Government of Syria. The national emergency was modified in scope and relied upon for additional steps taken in Executive Order 13399 of April 25, 2006, Executive Order 13460 of February 13, 2008, Executive Order 13572 of April 29, 2011, Executive Order 13573
of May 18, 2011, Executive Order 13582 of August 17, 2011, Executive Order 13606 of April 22, 2012, and Executive Order 13608 of May 1, 2012.

The President took these actions to deal with the unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security, foreign policy, and economy of the United States constituted by the actions of the Government of Syria in supporting terrorism, maintaining its then-existing occupation of Lebanon, pursuing weapons of mass destruction and missile programs, and undermining United States and international efforts with respect to the stabilization and reconstruction of Iraq.

The regime's brutality and repression of the Syrian people, who have called for freedom and a representative government, not only endangers the Syrian people themselves, but also generates instability throughout the region. The Syrian regime's actions and policies, including with respect to chemical weapons and supporting terrorist organizations, continue to pose an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security, foreign policy, and economy of the United States. As a result, the national emergency declared in Executive Order 13338, which was expanded in scope in Executive Order 13572, and with respect to which additional steps were taken in Executive Order 13399, Executive Order 13460, Executive Order 13573, Executive Order 13582, Executive Order 13606, and Executive Order 13608, must continue in effect beyond May 11, 2024. Therefore, in accordance with section 202[d) of the National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 1622(d]), I am continuing for 1 year the national emergency declared with respect to the actions of the Government of Syria.

In addition, the United States condemns the brutal violence and human rights violations and abuses of the Assad regime and its Russian and Iranian enablers. The United States calls on the Assad regime, and its backers, to stop its violent war against its own people, enact a nationwide ceasefire, facilitate the unhindered delivery of humanitarian assistance to all Syrians in need, and negotiate a political settlement in Syria in line with United Nations Security Council Resolution 2254. The United States will consider changes in policies and actions of the Government of Syria in determining whether to continue or terminate this national emergency in the future.

Presidential Actions

2024-05-08

On May 12, 2014, by Executive Order 13667, the President declared a national emergency pursuant to the International Emergency Economic Powers Act [50 U.S.C. 1701-1706] to deal with the unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States constituted by the situation in and in relation to the Central African Republic, which has been marked by a breakdown of law and order; intersectarian tension; the pervasive, often forced recruitment and use of child soldiers; and widespread violence and atrocities, including those committed by Kremlin-linked and Yevgeniy Prigozhin-affiliated entities such as the Wagner Group, and which threatens the peace, security, or stability of the Central African Republic and neighboring states.

The situation in and in relation to the Central African Republic continues to pose an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States. For this reason, the national emergency declared in Executive Order 13667 on May 12, 2014, to deal with that threat must continue in effect beyond May 12, 2024. Therefore, in accordance with section 202[d) of the National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 1622(d]), I am continuing for 1 year the national emergency declared with respect to the Central African Republic.

This notice shall be published in the Federal Register and transmitted to the Congress.

JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR.

THE WHITE HOUSE,

May 8, 2024.

Presidential Actions

2024-05-08

On May 15, 2019, by Executive Order 13873, the President declared a national emergency pursuant to the International Emergency Economic Powers Act [50 U.S.C. 1701 et seq] to deal with the unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security, foreign policy, and economy of the United States constituted by the unrestricted acquisition and use of certain information and communications technology and services transactions.

The unrestricted acquisition or use in the United States of information and communications technology or services designed, developed, manufactured, or supplied by persons owned by, controlled by, or subject to the jurisdiction or direction of foreign adversaries augments the ability of these foreign adversaries to create and exploit vulnerabilities in information and communications technology or services, with potentially catastrophic effects. This threat continues to pose an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security, foreign policy, and economy of the United States. For this reason, the national emergency declared on May 15, 2019, must continue in effect beyond May 15, 2024. Therefore, in accordance with section 202[d) of the National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 1622(d]), I am continuing for 1 year the national emergency declared in Executive Order 13873 with respect to securing the information and communications technology and services supply chain.

This notice shall be published in the Federal Register and transmitted to the Congress.

JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR.

THE WHITE HOUSE,

May 8, 2024.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

May 8, 2024

PRESS SECRETARY KARINE JEAN-PIERRE

Aboard Air Force One

En Route Milwaukee, Wisconsin

10:56 A.M. EDT

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Hey, everybody.

Q Hello.

Q Hello, hello.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Okay. So, as you all know, we're en rou- -- en route to Racine, Wisconsin, to showcase a community that underscores the President's Invest in America agenda.

Today, President Biden will announce a $3.3 billion investment by Microsoft to build a new AI data center in Racine, creating 2,300 union construction jobs and 2,000 permanent jobs over time. Microsoft will also provide scaling opportunities for thousands more Wisconsinites in the digital economy.

You may remember this is the same location as a failed $10 billion investment from Foxconn that the previous administration touted six years ago. That failed deal ultimately left behind Wisconsin residents and workers.

Today's announcement is just the latest example of how President Biden's agenda is bringing innovation hubs to every corner of the country. President Biden is delivering on his promise to create good jobs that will have a lasting impact on communities and families.

And with that.

Q Two quick things. The --

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I'll try and be loud. I'm sorry.

Q Okay. The -- going to Racine, so you were mentioning that the former President's -- the investment didn't go through. How can Biden guarantee that this investment will go through when, you know, the other one failed?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Well, so, look -- so, I'm going to obviously let -- let -- let Fox speak to their hirings. What I can say is that the massive multibillion investment employing thirt- -- employing 13,000 workers -- that the previous administration promise never materialized.

Instead, today, we've re- -- we've -- we've -- we're -- we -- we're headed to the very same site where, instead of Foxconn, Microsoft will announce a major investment in this community.

So, this is an American company making a long-term investment in this community. So, you know, Microsoft isn't just investing in this data center. They're investing in job training in the wider community and building an AI ecosystem in Wisconsin. So --

Q The U.S. paused the shipment of bombs to Israel. I wondered if you can say anything about Isr- -- how Israel has responded to the pause.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, I'm not going to give any comment to the press reportings out there. You've heard us say many times over the past couple of days that our commitment to Israel's -- Israel's security is ironclad. I'm just not going to speak to the press reportings out there at this time.

Q There were reports today that the administration will miss a deadline to deliver a report assessing Israel's actions in Gaza to Congress. Can you comment on that? And will the report be issued soon?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, look, this is something that the State Department is working very hard on. I was asked a similar question yesterday. My colleague at the State Department, Matt Miller, spoke to this in his briefing yesterday. They are working very hard to get this done. And so, I would refer you to the State Department on that particular question.

Q Just on the ceasefire negotiations. Netanyahu said that Hamas's offer was very far from -- from where Israel is right now. What is the President's outlook on the possibility of a ceasefire? Is he still optimistic or is this hanging by a thread?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I think what's important to note are two things. That's our top priority: to get to -- to a hostage deal to -- that would lead to a ceasefire -- obviously, bring home hostages -- some of those hostages include American hostages -- create an environment where we can surge humanitarian aid. Those things are -- have been priorities for this administration.

The talks are -- continue. The talks are ongoing. And I think that's important to note as well.

And I said this yesterday and I'll say it again: A close assessment of the two sides' positions suggests they should be able to close the gap -- the existing -- the remaining gap.

So, we're going to continue to support that process. And that's where we are right now. It is a top priority for this President.

Q Karine, Ro Khanna was just on CNN saying that, you know, maybe if it -- if Burns isn't able to close this deal -- he's been going for months -- maybe it's time to send someone else. Are you throwing any other diplomats or other government officials at this issue? And is the President growing more frustrated with Benjamin Netanyahu for not listening to his entreaties?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I mean, a couple of things there. Look, I just said that our assessment is that -- you know, that the two sides, what remains -- the gap that remains could be closed. And that is our assessment. That's what we believe.

So, we're going to support that process. And we're going to continue to push that process along. It is our pro- -- it is a top priority. And so, we're -- let's -- let's that -- let -- let that happen.

The talks are continuing. That's important. And the President has confidence in his team to continue supporting that process so we can get to an incredibly important hostage deal.

Q You've been close before. You've said you're close. You keep saying, "We're close."

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I know. I know.

Q I mean, are you closer now than you were --

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Look --

Q -- a week ago?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Look, here's the thing. I'm -- I'm not going to get into -- into point by point here. This is a priority. This is a top priority. We're talking about creating an environment so that we can surge humanitarian aid.

We know how dire the situation is in Gaza. We want to continue to get that humanitarian aid, and we want a ceasefire. We want a ceasefire. You heard that from the President directly.

And let's not forget: We got to get these hostages home. We have to get them home to their loved ones and to their families.

So, we -- we're -- we're going to continue to be optimistic. We're going to continue to make this a priority. We know how important it is to get this done.

And, look, you know, we believe that the -- what -- what exists -- the gaps that exist between the two from our assessments can be -- can close. And so, I think the most important thing -- we believe the most important thing is to supporting that process and to be optimistic about it.

Q Will the --

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: And be very, very clear about what we want to see to all of you.

Q Will the President call Netanyahu again?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So -- as you just said, "again" -- they spoke earlier this week on Monday. The President had a 30-minute conversation with the Prime Minister. It was constructive, it was direct, as many of their conversations have been, certainly since October 7 th.

And the President talked about the Rafah crossing, talked about the importance of opering -- opening Kerem -- Kerem Shalom, as we all are -- review all the reporting. And we have been told by Israel that that has been opened. It is important to get those trucks in. It is important to get that aid into -- into Gaza. So, that's what we want to see.

And so, that -- that worked. Right? That moved forward.

And so, look, we're going to continue to have our conversations with our Israeli counterparts. And we certainly will let you know if there -- there will be -- or we'll -- we'll -- if there is another conversation with the Prime Minister.

Q Is -- is delaying arms shipments a tool that the administration is willing to use to try to get Israel to -- to follow American requests?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, look, I'm not going to speak to the -- I'm not going to speak to the -- the press reportings out there. What I can say is -- and I said this yesterday; you've heard this from my NSC counterparts as well -- is that our -- our support for Israel continues to be ironclad -- Israel's security to be -- continues to be ironclad. And I just don't have anything else to share.

Q And is that something that the American government could do, conceivably, without specifically commenting on the reports?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Not going to get into hypotheticals. Here's what I will say is that we have been engaging in a dialogue with Israel in -- in part through the Strategic Consult- -- Consultative Group format on how -- for example, how they're going to meet the humanitarian needs of civilians in Rafah -- that's something, as you know, that's been certainly a concern for us -- and how to operate differently against Hamas there, and -- and -- than any -- than they have elsewhere in Gaza.

Those discussions obviously are ongoing. And those are going to continue. And it's -- we are -- and we're -- and -- and, as we can say, they have not fully addressed our concerns. And so, I'm going to leave that there.

But I'm not going to speak to the -- to the press -- to the press reporting out there.

Q Did the President direct that those weapons shipments be delayed?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I'm -- I'm just not going to speak to the press reportings out there. We have been --

Q

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I'm -- I'm --

Q A senior administration official --

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I -- I hear you. I -- I am not going to --

Q -- confirmed it yesterday.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I -- I hear you. I'm telling you I'm not going to speak to the press reportings out there.

What we will continue to say is that we -- our -- our support for Israel's security is ironclad.

Q Can I ask about a couple of the regulatory things --

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah, absolutely.

Q -- that are being rushed through this y- -- you've got an ongoing 301 tariff review. You know, we're very interested in that.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I know you are.

Q Any update on the timing --

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I know you --

Q -- of the President's thinking on that?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I knew you were -- you were very interested in that.

Q Well, the President announced a bit of it in Pittsburgh.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah. No, you did -- you're right --

Q Whet our appetite little. Any update you

can share?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I -- I don't have an update on timeline at this point.

Q Are -- is he planning one announcement or little ones like that?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I'm just going to be mindful, let that process continue. I just don't have anything to share beyond --

Q And --

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: -- what the President shared in Pittsburgh.

Q -- on the marijuana rescheduling. Does he have a position on that? Does he support moving it --

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: We're going to let that -- the rou- -- the review process continue. So, do- -- I'm not going to get ahead of that.

The President has been very clear -- right? -- about marijuana possession. He doesn't believe any American that ha- -- that possesses marijuana should be -- only mari- -- possesses marijuana only -- should -- should go to jail. That has always been -- that has been his -- his position o- -- certainly over the past couple of years.

We're going to -- and that's why he directed HHS and DOJ to review the -- rescheduling marijuana. They're doing that -- that process has moved -- right? -- went through HHS, now it's at DOJ. I just don't want to get ahead of that.

Q Can I ask you --

Q And --

Q -- a domestic question?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah.

Q So, overnight, police, you know, closed down the encampment at GW University. Tear gas was used. There were some arrests made. These kind of encampments are continuing. But, also, the police action against the encampments has been quite aggressive. And, you know, there have been concerns raised about policing, obviously, since George Floyd's murder and long before that.

Are you taking a look at any of the police actions? Or has the -- or have you asked the Justice Department to make sure that they're staying within bounds?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, as we've said many times, especially over the past week, is that when it comes to decisions of what's happening on the ground, that's certainly up to the university leaders and local police enforcement. And that certainly continues to be the case, even what we see happening at GW.

You all heard the President repeat that message he's had throughout this last week: The right to dissent is fundamental to who we are, but it cannot lead to disorder and violence, threats, vandalism, trespassing, and/or shutting down campuses. Students have the right to be safe. And antis- -- antisemitism is repugnant. And we've been very clear about that.

And so, look, you know, what's happening on the ground, what's happening locally is something that that assessment is being made by university and colleges and, obviously, law enforcement. So, we leave that to them to make that decision on how to move forward.

And -- but we want to make sure that students feel safe -- that they feel safe to be able to learn, to have an academic experience that they should be having. And so, I'm just going to leave it there for now.

Q Do you think the protesters would be appeased if there were some moves to bring Palestinian refugees in? There's some discussion -- we understand the administration is looking at some moves to bring in Palestinians from Gaza.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, there -- I don't have any news to share about those discussions, obviously. As you know, very early on, when we had learned that there were about 1,800 Palestinian Americans in Gaza, we did everything that we can to get them out if they wanted to. And we -- we were able to do that. The State Department certainly will have more to share there.

I just don't have anything to share beyond -- beyond that. And no announcement on -- on news as it relates to that.

Q The -- the House will vote this week on a bill that would add a citizenship question to the U.S. Census. Does the administration believe that non-citizens should be counted toward congressional and Electoral College?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I -- I got to -- I've not talked to anybody on the team about that. That's new to me. So, I would have to -- I don't want to get ahead of -- of our team.

Q Just one on Russia. Russia fired 50 cruise missiles and drones at Ukraine's power system last night. Is the -- is the administration looking at ways of bolstering the energy system within Ukraine to protect it? It's been a major target recently.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I mean, we've talked about our concerns there over the past almost two years -- more than two years about when it comes to Russians' a- -- obviously Russians' actions on -- on the grid.

Look, we have been very clear. We want to make sure that we provide Ukraine the -- the security assistance to defend themselves. Right? They are def- -- they are fighting back against Russia's aggression. This is obviously an -- an example of that. And so, we're doing everything that we can.

We were very grateful for that national security supplemental to go through. The Ukrainian, obviously, component was incredibly important. As we saw, Ukraine was losing ground on the -- on -- because of congr- -- congressional inaction.

So, we're going to continue to provide Ukrainians what they need to -- to defend themselves. Obviously, that's a concern, when it comes to energy grids. We're going to continue to monitor that. But -- and we're going to continue to work with Ukrainians to make sure they have what they need to continue to fight that -- the battle that they have to on the ground.

Q Fifteen House Democrats wrote a letter to the President urging him to take executive action on immigration. Is that something he's still considering doing?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Well, here's the thing. Two -- two times -- and more than two times -- but the first day that the President walked into the administration, he took action -- put forth a comprehensive immigration plan.

We know that the immigration system has been broken for decades, and we need to address that. Congress didn't act. They didn't take action.

And then, most recently -- you've heard me talk about this over and over again -- that was that Senate bipartisan agreement that came out of -- obviously out of the Senate. We wanted to move that forward. It would have been the toughest, the fairest piece of legislation -- or law, if the President had been able to sign it -- he would love to sign that -- that we -- that would have been enacted to deal with the immigration -- the broken immigration system.

It got -- it held up -- it was held up because of the former President saying -- telling Republicans to reject it.

We want to see that moving forward. We -- that's what we want.

When it comes to any executive action, the President has take many executive actions. We're going to continue to review that, but we're going con- -- be cons- -- consistent, right? That -- we need legislation. We need this to -- we need legislation that can go into law to actually deal with this broken system. That's what we want to see.

Q Have you noticed a difference since the President spoke with President López Obrador and agreed to take, you know, measures to tighten the situation at the border?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I would s- --

Q Is there any impact of that yet?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I -- I would say that our diplomatic conversation, our relationship with the President of Mexico has led to -- to actions to help mitigate what we're seeing, obviously, in the region. And there's always more actions to be taken.

But we are -- you know, we are -- you know, that -- we believe that relationship certainly has led to -- led to actions that is going to be helpful.

But we need legislation here. We need to see more. We need to see more. And we're appreciative of --

Q But --

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: -- of the President .

Q If that doesn't happen, is there an EO? Or do you think you don't have executive --

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: We're just going to look at all of our options, as always. Just don't have anything to share at this time. And we're going to continue to pi- -- push for that Senate bipartisan agreement and get that -- get that in the hands of the President so he can sign it.

Thanks, everybody.

Q Thanks, Karine.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I got to sit down.

Q Karine, is he taping the interview with -- is he taping the Erin Burnett in -- in Wisconsin?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I believe so. I believe so.

11:12 A.M. EDT

Statements and Releases

2024-05-08

Aboard Air Force One
En Route Milwaukee, Wisconsin

10:56 A.M. EDT

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Hey, everybody.

Q Hello.

Q Hello, hello.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Okay. So, as you all know, we're en rou- — en route to Racine, Wisconsin, to showcase a community that underscores the President's Invest in America agenda.

Today, President Biden will announce a $3.3 billion investment by Microsoft to build a new AI data center in Racine, creating 2,300 union construction jobs and 2,000 permanent jobs over time. Microsoft will also provide scaling opportunities for thousands more Wisconsinites in the digital economy.

You may remember this is the same location as a failed $10 billion investment from Foxconn that the previous administration touted six years ago. That failed deal ultimately left behind Wisconsin residents and workers.

Today's announcement is just the latest example of how President Biden's agenda is bringing innovation hubs to every corner of the country. President Biden is delivering on his promise to create good jobs that will have a lasting impact on communities and families.

And with that.

Q Two quick things. The —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I'll try and be loud. I'm sorry.

Q Okay. The — going to Racine, so you were mentioning that the former President's — the investment didn't go through. How can Biden guarantee that this investment will go through when, you know, the other one failed?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Well, so, look — so, I'm going to obviously let — let — let Fox speak to their hirings. What I can say is that the massive multibillion investment employing thirt- — employing 13,000 workers — that the previous administration promise never materialized.

Instead, today, we've re- — we've — we've — we're — we — we're headed to the very same site where, instead of Foxconn, Microsoft will announce a major investment in this community.

So, this is an American company making a long-term investment in this community. So, you know, Microsoft isn't just investing in this data center. They're investing in job training in the wider community and building an AI ecosystem in Wisconsin. So —

Q The U.S. paused the shipment of bombs to Israel. I wondered if you can say anything about Isr- — how Israel has responded to the pause.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, I'm not going to give any comment to the press reportings out there. You've heard us say many times over the past couple of days that our commitment to Israel's — Israel's security is ironclad. I'm just not going to speak to the press reportings out there at this time.

Q There were reports today that the administration will miss a deadline to deliver a report assessing Israel's actions in Gaza to Congress. Can you comment on that? And will the report be issued soon?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, look, this is something that the State Department is working very hard on. I was asked a similar question yesterday. My colleague at the State Department, Matt Miller, spoke to this in his briefing yesterday. They are working very hard to get this done. And so, I would refer you to the State Department on that particular question.

Q Just on the ceasefire negotiations. Netanyahu said that Hamas's offer was very far from — from where Israel is right now. What is the President's outlook on the possibility of a ceasefire? Is he still optimistic or is this hanging by a thread?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I think what's important to note are two things. That's our top priority: to get to — to a hostage deal to — that would lead to a ceasefire — obviously, bring home hostages — some of those hostages include American hostages — create an environment where we can surge humanitarian aid. Those things are — have been priorities for this administration.

The talks are — continue. The talks are ongoing. And I think that's important to note as well.

And I said this yesterday and I'll say it again: A close assessment of the two sides' positions suggests they should be able to close the gap — the existing — the remaining gap.

So, we're going to continue to support that process. And that's where we are right now. It is a top priority for this President.

Q Karine, Ro Khanna was just on CNN saying that, you know, maybe if it — if Burns isn't able to close this deal — he's been going for months — maybe it's time to send someone else. Are you throwing any other diplomats or other government officials at this issue? And is the President growing more frustrated with Benjamin Netanyahu for not listening to his entreaties?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I mean, a couple of things there. Look, I just said that our assessment is that — you know, that the two sides, what remains — the gap that remains could be closed. And that is our assessment. That's what we believe.

So, we're going to support that process. And we're going to continue to push that process along. It is our pro- — it is a top priority. And so, we're — let's — let's that — let — let that happen.

The talks are continuing. That's important. And the President has confidence in his team to continue supporting that process so we can get to an incredibly important hostage deal.

Q You've been close before. You've said you're close. You keep saying, "We're close."

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I know. I know.

Q I mean, are you closer now than you were —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Look —

Q — a week ago?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Look, here's the thing. I'm — I'm not going to get into — into point by point here. This is a priority. This is a top priority. We're talking about creating an environment so that we can surge humanitarian aid.

We know how dire the situation is in Gaza. We want to continue to get that humanitarian aid, and we want a ceasefire. We want a ceasefire. You heard that from the President directly.

And let's not forget: We got to get these hostages home. We have to get them home to their loved ones and to their families.

So, we — we're — we're going to continue to be optimistic. We're going to continue to make this a priority. We know how important it is to get this done.

And, look, you know, we believe that the — what — what exists — the gaps that exist between the two from our assessments can be — can close. And so, I think the most important thing — we believe the most important thing is to supporting that process and to be optimistic about it.

Q Will the —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: And be very, very clear about what we want to see to all of you.

Q Will the President call Netanyahu again?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So — as you just said, "again" — they spoke earlier this week on Monday. The President had a 30-minute conversation with the Prime Minister. It was constructive, it was direct, as many of their conversations have been, certainly since October 7th.

And the President talked about the Rafah crossing, talked about the importance of opering — opening Kerem — Kerem Shalom, as we all are — review all the reporting. And we have been told by Israel that that has been opened. It is important to get those trucks in. It is important to get that aid into — into Gaza. So, that's what we want to see.

And so, that — that worked. Right? That moved forward.

And so, look, we're going to continue to have our conversations with our Israeli counterparts. And we certainly will let you know if there — there will be — or we'll — we'll — if there is another conversation with the Prime Minister.

Q Is — is delaying arms shipments a tool that the administration is willing to use to try to get Israel to — to follow American requests?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, look, I'm not going to speak to the — I'm not going to speak to the — the press reportings out there. What I can say is — and I said this yesterday; you've heard this from my NSC counterparts as well — is that our — our support for Israel continues to be ironclad — Israel's security to be — continues to be ironclad. And I just don't have anything else to share.

Q And is that something that the American government could do, conceivably, without specifically commenting on the reports?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Not going to get into hypotheticals. Here's what I will say is that we have been engaging in a dialogue with Israel in — in part through the Strategic Consult- — Consultative Group format on how — for example, how they're going to meet the humanitarian needs of civilians in Rafah — that's something, as you know, that's been certainly a concern for us — and how to operate differently against Hamas there, and — and — than any — than they have elsewhere in Gaza.

Those discussions obviously are ongoing. And those are going to continue. And it's — we are — and we're — and — and, as we can say, they have not fully addressed our concerns. And so, I'm going to leave that there.

But I'm not going to speak to the — to the press — to the press reporting out there.

Q Did the President direct that those weapons shipments be delayed?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I'm — I'm just not going to speak to the press reportings out there. We have been —

Q [Inaudible]

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I'm — I'm —

Q A senior administration official —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I — I hear you. I — I am not going to —

Q — confirmed it yesterday.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I — I hear you. I'm telling you I'm not going to speak to the press reportings out there.

What we will continue to say is that we — our — our support for Israel's security is ironclad.

Q Can I ask about a couple of the regulatory things —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah, absolutely.

Q — that are being rushed through this y- — you've got an ongoing 301 tariff review. You know, we're very interested in that.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I know you are.

Q Any update on the timing —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I know you —

Q — of the President's thinking on that?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I knew you were — you were very interested in that.

Q Well, the President announced a bit of it in Pittsburgh.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah. No, you did — you're right —

Q Whet our appetite little. [Laughter] Any update you

can share?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I — I don't have an update on timeline at this point.

Q Are — is he planning one announcement or little ones like that?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I'm just going to be mindful, let that process continue. I just don't have anything to share beyond —

Q And —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: — what the President shared in Pittsburgh.

Q — on the marijuana rescheduling. Does he have a position on that? Does he support moving it —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: We're going to let that — the rou- — the review process continue. So, do- — I'm not going to get ahead of that.

The President has been very clear — right? — about marijuana possession. He doesn't believe any American that ha- — that possesses marijuana should be — only mari- — possesses marijuana only — should — should go to jail. That has always been — that has been his — his position o- — certainly over the past couple of years.

We're going to — and that's why he directed HHS and DOJ to review the — rescheduling marijuana. They're doing that — that process has moved — right? — went through HHS, now it's at DOJ. I just don't want to get ahead of that.

Q Can I ask you —

Q And [inaudible] —

Q — a domestic question?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah.

Q So, overnight, police, you know, closed down the encampment at GW University. Tear gas was used. There were some arrests made. These kind of encampments are continuing. But, also, the police action against the encampments has been quite aggressive. And, you know, there have been concerns raised about policing, obviously, since George Floyd's murder and long before that.

Are you taking a look at any of the police actions? Or has the — or have you asked the Justice Department to make sure that they're staying within bounds?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, as we've said many times, especially over the past week, is that when it comes to decisions of what's happening on the ground, that's certainly up to the university leaders and local police enforcement. And that certainly continues to be the case, even what we see happening at GW.

You all heard the President repeat that message he's had throughout this last week: The right to dissent is fundamental to who we are, but it cannot lead to disorder and violence, threats, vandalism, trespassing, and/or shutting down campuses. Students have the right to be safe. And antis- — antisemitism is repugnant. And we've been very clear about that.

And so, look, you know, what's happening on the ground, what's happening locally is something that that assessment is being made by university and colleges and, obviously, law enforcement. So, we leave that to them to make that decision on how to move forward.

And — but we want to make sure that students feel safe — that they feel safe to be able to learn, to have an academic experience that they should be having. And so, I'm just going to leave it there for now.

Q Do you think the protesters would be appeased if there were some moves to bring Palestinian refugees in? There's some discussion — we understand the administration is looking at some moves to bring in Palestinians from Gaza.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, there — I don't have any news to share about those discussions, obviously. As you know, very early on, when we had learned that there were about 1,800 Palestinian Americans in Gaza, we did everything that we can to get them out if they wanted to. And we — we were able to do that. The State Department certainly will have more to share there.

I just don't have anything to share beyond — beyond that. And no announcement on — on news as it relates to that.

Q The — the House will vote this week on a bill that would add a citizenship question to the U.S. Census. Does the administration believe that non-citizens should be counted toward congressional and Electoral College?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I — I got to — I've not talked to anybody on the team about that. That's new to me. So, I would have to — I don't want to get ahead of — of our team.

Q Just one on Russia. Russia fired 50 cruise missiles and drones at Ukraine's power system last night. Is the — is the administration looking at ways of bolstering the energy system within Ukraine to protect it? It's been a major target recently.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I mean, we've talked about our concerns there over the past almost two years — more than two years about when it comes to Russians' a- — obviously Russians' actions on — on the grid.

Look, we have been very clear. We want to make sure that we provide Ukraine the — the security assistance to defend themselves. Right? They are def- — they are fighting back against Russia's aggression. This is obviously an — an example of that. And so, we're doing everything that we can.

We were very grateful for that national security supplemental to go through. The Ukrainian, obviously, component was incredibly important. As we saw, Ukraine was losing ground on the — on — because of congr- — congressional inaction.

So, we're going to continue to provide Ukrainians what they need to — to defend themselves. Obviously, that's a concern, when it comes to energy grids. We're going to continue to monitor that. But — and we're going to continue to work with Ukrainians to make sure they have what they need to continue to fight that — the battle that they have to on the ground.

Q Fifteen House Democrats wrote a letter to the President urging him to take executive action on immigration. Is that something he's still considering doing?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Well, here's the thing. Two — two times — and more than two times — but the first day that the President walked into the administration, he took action — put forth a comprehensive immigration plan.

We know that the immigration system has been broken for decades, and we need to address that. Congress didn't act. They didn't take action.

And then, most recently — you've heard me talk about this over and over again — that was that Senate bipartisan agreement that came out of — obviously out of the Senate. We wanted to move that forward. It would have been the toughest, the fairest piece of legislation — or law, if the President had been able to sign it — he would love to sign that — that we — that would have been enacted to deal with the immigration — the broken immigration system.

It got — it held up — it was held up because of the former President saying — telling Republicans to reject it.

We want to see that moving forward. We — that's what we want.

When it comes to any executive action, the President has take many executive actions. We're going to continue to review that, but we're going con- — be cons- — consistent, right? That — we need legislation. We need this to — we need legislation that can go into law to actually deal with this broken system. That's what we want to see.

Q Have you noticed a difference since the President spoke with President López Obrador and agreed to take, you know, measures to tighten the situation at the border?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I would s- —

Q Is there any impact of that yet?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I — I would say that our diplomatic conversation, our relationship with the President of Mexico has led to — to actions to help mitigate what we're seeing, obviously, in the region. And there's always more actions to be taken.

But we are — you know, we are — you know, that — we believe that relationship certainly has led to — led to actions that is going to be helpful.

But we need legislation here. We need to see more. We need to see more. And we're appreciative of —

Q But —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: — of the President [inaudible].

Q If that doesn't happen, is there an EO? Or do you think you don't have executive —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: We're just going to look at all of our options, as always. Just don't have anything to share at this time. And we're going to continue to pi- — push for that Senate bipartisan agreement and get that — get that in the hands of the President so he can sign it.

Thanks, everybody.

Q Thanks, Karine.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I got to sit down.

Q Karine, is he taping the interview with — is he taping the Erin Burnett in — in Wisconsin?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I believe so. I believe so.

11:12 A.M. EDT

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

May 8, 2024

BY SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIALS

ON THE THIRD MINISTERIAL OF THE LOS ANGELES DECLARATION

ON MIGRATION AND PROTECTION IN GUATEMALA

Via Teleconference

MODERATOR: Thank you very much. Good morning, everyone. Thanks for joining the call this morning.

Apologies for the rescheduling from yesterday. This call will be on background, attributable to "senior administration officials." For your awareness, not for reporting purposes, on the line we have [senior administration official], we have the [senior administration official], and the [senior administration official]. Again, that is not for reporting purposes and this call will be attributable to "senior administration officials."

As a reminder, the contents of this call will be embargoed until the end of the call. With that, we will get started.

I would like to start this is -- I would like to start this morning by stressing that the U.S. government's delegation attending the third Los Angeles Declaration Ministerial in Guatemala -- which will be led by the President's top diplomat, Secretary Blinken; along with Special Assistant to the President and Los Angeles Declaration Coordinator, Marcela Escobari; and Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security, Kristie Canegallo -- demonstrates the priority that the President places on addressing migration in a humane way.

With that, I'll pass it over to our first speaker.

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: Great, thank you. Thank you and good morning. I would like to start off by reinforcing that the efforts to advance a regionally coordinated and humane approach to managing migration is a top priority for the President.

We are thrilled to be here in Guatemala City and deeply grateful to President Arévalo for hosting us and over 20 countries for this third ministerial of the Los Angeles Declaration on Migration and Protection. The declaration is based on the premise that by working together with our partners across the hemisphere, we can address the challenge impacting all of the Americas and that our coordinated efforts can be more than the sum of our parts.

President Biden, alongside 20 partners in the region, launched this hemispheric initiative in 2022, pledging to manage migration in a safe, humane, and orderly way.

migration present a complex challenge but one we believe we can manage if we coordinate our efforts while creating lawful alternatives -- while we coordinate our efforts on enforcement while creating lawful alternatives for people to migrate, settle, and thrive, and, of course, addressing the root causes.

For the next couple of days, the 22 endorsing countries to the LA Declaration will share the progress we've made through our combined efforts and identify next steps. Let me share and highlight some of that joint progress around the three pillars of the Los Angeles Declaration, and there will be a factsheet of some of the deliverables tomorrow.

Under the first pillar, we're working to foster regional stability by addressing the root causes driving people to leave their homes and supporting the integration of migrants into host communities. Tracking root causes for migration was a priority for President Biden when he was vice president, and it remains a priority today. He built a bipartisan coalition in support of this work to foster economic opportunity, good governance, and citizen security across Central America. The democratic renewal in Guatemala is a prime example of that progress.

What's new is that we're not doing this work alone. For example, we have united forces with Mexico partnering with their development agency, AMEXCID, to support at-risk populations in Central America.

And while we know that the factors driving people to migrate are complex, we see encouraging signs that this work is bearing fruit. We saw a 30 percent decrease in the number of Central Americans at the border from fiscal year '21 to fiscal year '23, and a double-digit decrease in Central Americans' intention to migrate in a similar period.

The United States remains committed to supporting our workers within Latin America and the Caribbean as they integrate millions of migrants, mostly from Venezuela.

As you know, the region is becoming home to some of the most generous and pragmatic policies around the world when it comes to stabilizing and integrating migrant populations, efforts the U.S. government is proud to support.

Colombia has provided 10-year legal status to over 2 million migrants, and, last month, they extended eligibility to migrants with children enrolled in schools.

Brazil's Operation Welcome matches migrants to labor programs across Brazil with some of the highest rates in employment.

Ecuador, along with other -- many other countries in the region, provide migrants immediate access to public services and has launched a fast and efficient process that provided legal status -- status to 100,000 migrants.

Peru's pioneering work on degree validations allowed migrant doctors and nurses to convert their credentials and deploy across the country to treat COVID patients during the pandemic.

And there's a lot more going on that we hope to hear about during the ministerial.

The data is overwhelming that these policies improve security and lead to economic growth. Colombia's approach is already paying dividends. A recent IOM study found that these Venezuelan migrants contributed almost 600 million to the Colombian economy in 2022 with an employment rate of 90 percent.

But we also know it can be difficult because the costs are today and the benefits are tomorrow. What the United States sees is a coalition forming in the region, countries doing the right thing, recognizing that the benefits to their societies will outweigh the short-term costs.

With regards to the second pillar, President Biden has rebuilt Our Refugee Resettlement program and led a historic expansion of lawful pathways to the United States and partner countries.

Like our regional partners, the President recognizes that lawful migration not only advances our national security and our values as a nation of laws and immigrants, but also strengthens our economy. Refugees and SIVs contributed almost $124 billion to our economy from 2005 to 2019, according to an HHS study.

Migrants fill labor gaps and ultimately boost wages and employment of U.S. foreign workers, spurring investment and innovation, according to recent research at UC Davis.

Migration also contributes to cooling inflationary pressures.

For that reason, this administration has pioneered innovative approaches to expand lawful pathways. Under the CHNV initiative, we've reduced irregular migration from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela while enabling 435,000 individuals in lawful pathways to come to live and work in the United States for a two-year period.

And we see a huge opportunity to expand these efforts across the region as both advanced and emerging economies have significant labor needs and could really benefit from a marketplace to match the skills of workers with labor gaps. this work would improve lives and reduce the need for people to make the dangerous journey north.

Lastly, we are working with our partners to strengthen enforcement and manage migration at the border throughout the region in a humane manner.

We continue to take aggressive steps to crack down on smugglers and traffickers profiting off of vulnerable migrants.

Just a few moments ago, we announced that we have imposed visa restrictions on executives of several Colombian transportation companies moving migrants by sea. We are working closely with our partners to share information so we can take real-time actions to deter and stop irregular migration and better identify and expel nefarious actors.

My colleagues will expand on our joint efforts throughout the region. These efforts have contributed to lower numbers of encounters at our southwest border, an almost 40 percent decrease in the last -- in the first four months of this year, compared to the four months immediately prior.

So, as we enter tomorrow's ministerial, there is a momentum in the region around efforts to coordinate enforcements, expand lawful pathways, and address root causes. And we want to strongly rally behind them.

To that end, the United States will be making a multi-hundred-million-dollar commitment tomorrow to provide humanitarian and development assistance to foster stabilization of migrant communities and support partner country efforts to fully integrate migrants.

Today, we will have three side events with academia, civil society, and the private sector, all who want to be part of the solution.

And we'll also announce new enforcement partnerships, steps to institutionalize the LA Declaration to a -- with a permanent secretariat, and ways to further our commitment to expand lawful pathways for protecting labor rights.

So, I'll just conclude by reinforcing that we are making progress, and we look forward to a substantive ministerial and the continued work ahead to fulfill the promise of the LA Declaration. We share the belief that, together, we can respond to the historic challenge of migration in a humane, orderly, and safe way.

Thank you.

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: Good morning. I want to thank President Arévalo, Foreign Minister Martínez, and their administrations for their leadership in restoring trust in their country's institutions and providing Guatemalans a sense of hope and opportunity.

The United States appreciates the Guatemalan government's efforts to champion democracy and its commitment to coordinate closely on our shared challenges, which include irregular migration and displacement.

I want to begin by sharing the progress made through our Root Causes Strategy that my colleague just mentioned. Vice President Harris leads the implementation of the Root Causes Strategy, which aims to address the drivers of irregular migration and displacement by improving conditions in El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras so citizens in those countries do not feel compelled to leave their homes and undertake dangerous journeys north.

Our work on the Root Causes Strategy provides hope and opportunity to the people of Central America by addressing economic, government, and security challenges.

In addition to continuing to meet President Biden's commitment to request $4 billion over four years to address the root causes of irregular migration, Vice President Harris has developed an innovative public-private partnership known as Central America Forward, which has brought $5.2 billion in private-sector investment to the region.

Under the Vice President's initiative, a U.S. multi-agency delegation will visit Guatemala in the coming months to support clean energy and infrastructure development and to facilitate private-sector investment and also to promote sustainable economic development.

On the topic of lawful pathways. When done in a lawful manner, migration can fuel economic prosperity in host countries by bringing diverse skills, talents, and entrepreneurial spirit energy into the workforce, driving innovation, enhancing productivity, and contributing to sustained growth and competitiveness.

But our message is absolutely clear: Take advantage of lawful pathways rather than make a dangerous, irregular journey north, where there will be consequences. Individuals seeking international protection and other lawful pathways into the United States have many options, including refugee resettlement, humanitarian parole, family reunification, labor pathways, and seeking asylum in host countries, as well as various other support services provided by international organizations and NGOs. Taken together, these initiatives are the largest expansion of lawful pathways to the United States in decades.

In addition to our funding to support safe, orderly, and humane migration and to provide protections to refugees and vulnerable migrants, our groundbreaking Safe Mobility Initiative, Movilidad Segura in Spanish, is significantly expanding access to lawful pathways throughout the region through our offices in Guatemala, Colombia, Costa Rica, and Ecuador. Safe Mobility offices facilitate expedited refugee processing via the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program and provides information and referrals to humanitarian parole, family reunification, and labor programs at no cost to applicants.

At the same time, we continue to robustly enforce U.S. immigration laws. There are serious consequences, including removal, for those who do not use lawful pathways and do not have a legal basis to remain. In the enforcement space, we've sharpened our focus on charter companies, some of whom, in cooperation with Nicaragua's Ortega-Murillo regime, have offered flights from Managua and charged extortion-level prices that put migrants onto a dangerous overland path north to the U.S. border. While these migrants predominantly come from the Caribbean, others come from Africa, Asia, and elsewhere.

In response to this disturbing trend, on March 4 th, Secretary Blinken took steps to impose visa restrictions on air charter company executives for facilitating irregular migration to the United States. These visa restrictions were later expanded to also target owners, executives, and senior officials of companies providing transportation by land and sea, designed predominantly for individuals intending to migrate irregularly to the United States.

As my colleagues mentioned, today the United States took critical steps to impose visa restrictions on executives of several Colombian transportation companies moving migrants by sea. These companies facilitate irregular migration and expose migrants to exploitation and violence. Colombia has been an important partner on migration management, both on enforcement and its expansion of lawful pathways for Venezuelans. Today's action demonstrates the U.S. commitment to hold accountable those who smuggle migrants by sea in Colombia.

In closing, let me say again that our message is clear. We urge individuals to take advantage of lawful pathways rather than make a dangerous, irregular journey north.

We've seen far too many tragic cases of migrants losing their lives while making the trip, women facing gender-based violence, and vulnerable people extorted by gangs and criminals.

The good news is that countries in the Americas have come together in an unprecedented manner to collaborate in managing the migration challenges our countries face. This collective action is more important now than ever, which is why we're so pleased to be here in Guatemala with our host this week.

Thank you very much.

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: Thank you, [senior administration official], and thank you, [senior administration official]. And thanks, everyone, for joining us today.

As I think my colleagues noted, we believe that these ministerial -- this ministerial in Guatemala is going to be a critical meeting to continue to drive forward our key goals in the region. And that includes, as we've discussed, strengthening enforcement of borders, not just our own and not just Mexico's borders, but borders throughout the region, as well as continuing to expand lawful pathways, which, as [senior administration official] noted, we have done in record form and continue to do today.

I will also -- I want to commend our colleagues at the State Department for today's announcement on the sanctions for ferry operators in Colombia who are ruthlessly smuggling migrants into the Darien jungle and fueling what is a humanitarian and ecological crisis there. As we've discussed before, we are seeing historic levels of displacement and migration across the world, including in our hemisphere, and we have been working with foreign partners in our hemisphere and, frankly, all over the world to address these flows.

We continue to be committed to our approach, which, as we've discussed before, combines this historic expansion of lawful pathways to provide migrants who need protection or otherwise intend to migrate with safe and orderly mechanisms and means to do so, with strengthened consequences at our land border, which include the circumvention of lawful pathways rules, which is resulting in record use of expedited removal at our border and record removals and repatriations of individuals we encounter.

In fact, from May 12 th of last year, when the public health emergency was lifted and we returned to Title 8 processing at our border -- from May 12 th to April 17 th of this year, we have removed or returned over 690,000 individuals, the vast majority of whom crossed the southwest border, and that includes more than 105,000 family-unit individuals, and that includes removals to more than 170 countries around the world.

Even as we have focused on enforcing these consequences at our border, we have also permitted more than 435,000 nationals of Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela to arrive in a safe and orderly mean using our humanitarian parole processes, which require a U.S.-based supporter, and we have allowed at the land border through our mobile one -- mobile application, CBP One, more than 547,000 individuals to schedule appointments to present in a safe and orderly manner, as is called for by the Immigration and Nationality Act, at our ports of entry.

We recognize that there are significant challenges throughout the region and all over the world that are fueling these trends, and that our frontline personnel, including officers and agents at U.S. Customs and Border Protection, our asylum officers at U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, and our personnel at Immigration and Customs Enforcement have been on the frontlines under a great deal of strain, and they are doing, frankly, heroic work on our border.

As [senior administration official] noted, all of these efforts -- what we're doing on our border and what we're doing regionally -- are working. We are seeing a significant reduction thus far this year in encounters compared to the previous two years, and we attribute that to the consequences we are imposing at our border, as well as the enforcement efforts our partners in Mexico and further south are taking as well.

I think all of these data points show that this regional collaboration is working, that this is a shared responsibility for the United States and the region, and we look forward to the meetings today and tomorrow in Guatemala to continue to have these conversations with our partners.

Thank you.

MODERATOR: Thank you very much to all of our speakers. Could you please, Moderator, go over the instructions on how folks can ask their questions, please?

Q Hi. Thanks to all for doing this call. In these discussions, will there -- are you anticipating at least discussing repatriation that other countries can be doing? And is there a discussion over what support the U.S. would provide, if any, for them to do that?

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: Hi, Priscilla. I can start. And, [senior administration official], please feel free to jump in. We always engage our foreign partners on repatriation issues, and that includes, obviously, kind of streamlining repatriations from the United States. And we have also been encouraging our foreign partners to enforce their borders and undertake repatriations.

We've seen a of countries step up over the last two years and begin repatriations. Obviously, the government of Mexico has been doing so for quite some time. The government of Guatemala engages in some, and the government of Panama, as well, has been undertaking their own repatriations.

We will continue to encourage those efforts and support with technical assistance and capacity-building whenever we can.

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: Great. And I would just add that we continue to look to work with countries in the region to support the repatriation efforts and working with Congress precisely on this effort.

Q Hi, folks. Thanks for doing this. You mentioned that lawful pathways are a key component of your strategy to address migration.

Are there any plans to expand the number of people who can come to the U.S. under these pathways, including by, for example, increasing the number of CBP One spots or adding additional countries to CHNV? Thank you.

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: Thanks, Camilo. We are always looking at what we can do to continue to build on the lawful pathways that we have put in place, but we don't have anything to announce on that today. Thanks.

Q Hi. Thank you. Can you share a bit more detail about these sanctions against the Colombian companies?

Are you able to share the names of the companies or the executives as well as the scope of this? I mean, I know you -- the U.S. has been pressuring both Colombia and Panama to take action on slowing down the people transiting through the Darién for the last year, but when you look at the numbers, they haven't changed very much. And I'm wondering, do you think this will be significant and actually lead to some sort of change?

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: Thank you very much. So, under the 3 C authority in which these individuals were designated, we're unable to share their names, but I think this does show a key commitment to ensure that those who are facilitating irregular migration and exploiting migrants and exposing them to violence are held accountable. And this is something that we do in close partnership with Colombia, with Panama, with other countries in the region, and we do think our efforts have had a real impact and will continue to do as much as possible, which is, in part, why Secretary Blinken put in place this new authority and is using it robustly at this time.

Q Hello, and thanks for doing the call. I wanted to ask about the Root Causes Strategy, which emerged in the spring of 2021 when we saw so many Central Americans coming, but now migration is more global, right? We've got record numbers of people coming from all over the world -- sorry about the background noise here -- and some of the highest numbers we're seeing are from Colombia, Ecuador, Peru right now.

So, are we preparing a Root Causes Strategy for those countries? And, if not, I mean, is it still a useful framework for addressing migration that's become more global than ever?

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: Let -- let me take that and give a little background. So, the Root Causes Strategy was focused and is focused on Central America, and it is, we think -- we believe, bearing fruit. We have really robust development programs in Colombia, in Ecuador -- I mean, USAID states.

You know, if you think about the things that we do in the region, it -- you know, Root Causes is the bread and butter of dealing with security, dealing with governance, and improving economic opportunity. So, it is part of our programming and efforts throughout the region. We are also –- and it's part of the announcement tomorrow –- really focusing their efforts -- on supporting their efforts to integrating migrants in Colombia, in Ecuador, in Brazil, in Peru, which hosts, you know, 82 percent of the migrants dislocated throughout the region.

And that also affects economic opportunity within their countries, because we're working with communities that –- when we work on integration, we help the communities as a whole that include Colombians and include the migrant population.

So, all of that is part of our -- of our strategy to really help countries on the root causes that are driving people to leave.

Q Yes, thank you very much for doing this call. I wanted to ask [senior administration official] about the multimillion-dollar –- I believe you described it –- commitment that will be announced tomorrow. And if you could elaborate a little bit more on –- or provide a bit more detail on exactly how much that commitment is going to be, what the money will go towards, and what the funding faculty is for this.

I mean, is it –- is this already announced USAID or already authorized-by-Congress USAID money or where this money is coming from and whether it's, you know, new money or something that, you know, has previously been approved by Congress that you're elaborating or providing more details on the use on?

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: So, thank you for the question. We are really proud of the commitment that we are going to announce tomorrow. There will be more details about the amount and purpose, but this is money that has not been announced before.

And the focus of it is, again, a lot of humanitarian support for the most vulnerable migrants, to help these communities be able to absorb them in response to their needs: food, shelter, conditional cash transfers, and just get them into the path toward integration and stabilization.

And it's also development funding in the number that we will provide tomorrow that, again, is working with technical assistance, is providing integration capacity from the policy to literally what we did with Colombia when they instituted their policy in 2021, which is providing them surge staff, helping with integration centers. It's continuing that work as their policies expand and the needs of the region expand.

But we will be issuing a factsheet tomorrow with the details of the funding as well as the commitments from throughout the region, which will have additional information on the of the money and the purpose.

But, again, all of this are funds that have not been notified or have not been announced before.

Q Thank you so much for this. I wanted to ask this question to [senior administration official]. I have been asking this question for months without luck.

How many nationals of Venezuela, Nicaragua, Haiti, and Cuba has DHS deported to Mexico since the end of Title 42 in May 2023? Is there any particular reason why the administration is refusing to publish this number?

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: Hi. I am sorry. I don't have that number with me. I'm sure our Office of Public Affairs can follow up with you.

Thanks.

Q Thank you. As I think you know, Mexico today is going to begin requiring visas for Peruvians, as they have done previously for Ecuadorians, Brazilians, and Venezuelans. I'm wondering if you have any thoughts on that, if you had any input or spoke with Mexicans about that prior to it.

And just as a tag-along to that, whether you expect other nationalities to face these travel restrictions to Mexico, specifically Colombians and if this issue has come up at all in your talks, including countries like Ecuador, El Salvador, and Nicaragua that have been very open in allowing people to come on their way to the United States.

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: I can start on that. And . I greatly appreciate efforts by countries in the region to put in place visa restrictions, including for extra-hemispheric actors. So, very grateful to Mexico in particular and remain committed, as enduring partners with Mexico, to humanely reduce the unprecedented irregular migration flows in the region and also to work together on root causes.

And specifically on the transit visa issue, this is something that is a priority for us, is a priority for our partners in the region, and certainly something that has been discussed over recent months and will continue to be discussed here in Guatemala City.

I'll turn to [senior administration official], if he has anything else to add.

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: I think the only thing I would add is that, you know, we continually discuss with our foreign partners how human smuggling networks are leveraging visa regimes in order to bring migrants from outside the hemisphere into the hemisphere and to move migrants within our hemisphere. And we will continue to engage all of our foreign partners on that issue moving forward.

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: Sorry, maybe I can just add really quickly that, you know, we –- I talked briefly about –- spoke briefly about the charter airlines. We're also working closely with commercial airlines. And the International Air Transport Association has put out a statement speaking to its efforts to deepen support to combat irregular migration in the Americas. And we think it's critical to work both with charter airlines and commercial airlines.

So, we think it's absolutely terrific that this statement is coming out as we're here in Guatemala City, in line with the principles of the Los Angeles Declaration.

Q Thank you so much for taking my call. Going off of the extra-hemispheric migration, is there any -– are there any plans to treat separately immigration from countries like China and Iran?

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: Sure, I can start. Just to say that extra-continental irregular migration is a critical issue for us. In FY2023, more than 50,000 PRC nationals were encountered nationwide. And in FY24, we've already encountered nearly 30,000 PRC nationals.

So, from our perspective, that's why it's so critical to work together on putting in place visa requirements and also why we feel like this 3 C visa revocation policy that was rolled out by Secretary Blinken is so critical, because we're ensuring that we hold accountable charter flight companies and others who are taking advantage of these irregular migrants from some of these countries and ensuring that there's accountability for those executives of air -- charter airline companies and others.

I don't know if my colleague [redacted] wants to add to that.

Great. Thank you.

Q Hi. Just following up on repatriation. You just talked about our partnerships and removal. The folks who are being repatriated, the folks who are being put under expedited removal -- are there any resources available to them when they get back home?

So, a lot of them are coming here for economic reasons, them to come back. And if those resources are available, what are they?

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: Thank you very much. Yes, absolutely. For example, USAID has a very strong reintegration program that essentially allows for safe returns for individuals, supports them when they're on the ground, supports services for those individuals as they reintegrate themselves back to their host communities.

So, it's something that we're working on in Central America, but also elsewhere in the region.

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: And to add, increasingly, these folks that are coming back are being incorporated into other development programming within the region, so they can enter reskilling programs, you know, youth programs, jobs, to be able to get jobs and really reintegrate within their communities.

Q Hi. Good morning. Thank you for taking my question. I wanted to ask specifically about migrants coming from the Middle East. How significant are their numbers? And is the plan to deal with them separate than migrants coming from Central and South America? Thank you.

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: Thank you very much. Certainly, there's an impact of local conflicts on irregular migration, including extra-continental irregular migration from Asian and African countries. We've seen considerable increases since 2022.

According to public data from the Department of Homeland Security, in fiscal year 2023, nearly 100,000 Indian nationals were encountered nationwide, 150 percent more than FY2022. We're also looking at irregular migration from certain African countries like Guinea, Angola, Mauritania, and Senegal, which has increased in the last two years.

So, this is certainly why we're stepping up efforts both on visa transit regime, transit visa regimes, but also on accountability mechanisms for smugglers, including through the 3 C visa restrictions.

Q Hello. Can you hear me? Hello?

OPERATOR: Yes, we can hear you.

Q Yeah, thank you very much. I wanted to ask -- part of the question I wanted to ask you about: You talk about immigration from Angola. The follow-up question to that is: During Prime Minister of Italy's visit to the White House, she mentioned that she would propose an immigration alliance through the G7 to deal with the immigration from Africa and around the world.

And with this announcement that you're making, I wanted to find out if this is part of that proposal that she made during a bilateral meeting with President Biden.

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: Thank you very much for your question. So, the efforts through G7 are very much -- and more broadly, on migration management worldwide -- are very much in alignment with the principles of the Los Angeles Declaration.

So, while these two things aren't tied directly, we feel like the principles that Secretary Blinken and others are speaking to today in terms of shared responsibility, in terms of lawful pathways, in terms of enforcement, are very much in line with the broader G7 vision on these issues.

Q Thank you.

MODERATOR: Thank you very much, everyone, for joining us. Again, as a reminder, the contents of this call are attributable to "senior administration officials," and the embargo has now lifted.

Thank you. Have a great day.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

May 8, 2024

PRESS SECRETARY KARINE JEAN-PIERRE

James S. Brady Press Briefing Room

2:42 P.M. EDT

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Hey, good afternoon, everyone.

Q Good afternoon.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Oh, okay. Okay, I just have one thing at the top and then we can get going.

Do I sound okay?

Q Yeah.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah?

Q Yeah.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: All right, not a weird echo? Sounds like a weird echo.

Q There is a little bit of an echo.

Q There's a little bit of echo.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: It happens from time to time.

All right. So, yesterday's Trustees Report made clear Medicare is stronger and Social Security remains strong. President Biden's economic plan has helped extend Medicare solvency by a decade.

The President's budget lays out his plan to further protect and strengthen Social Security and Medicare by extending Medicare solvency permanently by asking the wealthy to pay their fair share and extending Social Security solvency by asking the highest-income Americans to pay their fair share without cutting benefits or privatizing Social Security.

House Republicans have a different agenda. Their recent budget could cut Social Security by $1.5 trillion; increase the retirement age to 69; convert Medicare to a system that would raise premiums for seniors; slash Medicare's authority to negotiate lower prescription drug costs; repeal the President's $35 cap on insulin; and get rid of the $2,000 out-of-pocket cap in the Inflation Reduction Act. Their plan would hurt our seniors, raise costs for families, and take us backward.

President Biden will continue to fight for America's seniors and prevent Republican elected officials from cutting Social Security and Medicare.

With that, Zeke.

Q Thanks, Karine. There have been multiple reports that the Biden administration has slowed arms transfers to Israel, including of Joint Direct Attack Munitions and potentially some -- some other weaponry. Can you confirm that? And if not, why not?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, we don't comment on specific cases. What I can say -- and we have been saying and we will reiterate from here -- is that our commitment to Israel's security is ironclad. I know my colleague from NSC was asked the same question a couple times from your colleagues, and I -- we just don't have anything to say beyond what I just laid out.

Q So, is it fair to say, then, you're trying to send a message to the Israelis in private, but you don't -- not want to make that from here?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: What I will say is our commitment to Israel's security is ironclad. I'm not going to speak to every case.

Q And then, in terms of the operation that we saw in Rafah over the last 24 hours, does the President believe that that is within the bounds -- that doesn't cross his red line that he set for an invasion of Rafah?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, I'm going to be careful about red lines here. I know the National Security Advisor, Jake Sullivan, when he was here a couple of weeks ago, had -- when -- had a back-and-forth with you all about red lines. So, just -- we're not going to get into that.

What I will say is the Israeli government has spoken to this. So, obviously they can speak to their operations.

They said it was limited. This was about designating -- making sure that -- [DEL: designated cut of :DEL] [designed to cut off] Hamas of their ability to smuggle weapons, smuggle funds. And it was a limited operation. Again, I would let them speak for their -- for themselves.

And what I will say is we have been very clear from here about our concerns about a major operations. We have been very clear from here about protecting civilians. There are more than 1 million civilians that is in Rafah, a densely -- a dense, populated area in Rafah, more than 1 million, and we want to make sure that there are no civilian casualties here. And so, we've been clear about that.

We are going to continue to monitor the situation closely to see how it unfolds. And certainly we will continue to speak out.

Q And on a different topic, just briefly. TikTok has filed a lawsuit challenging the effort to force them to divest ownership -- or ByteDance from divesting ownership of TikTok in the U.S. Does the White House have any response to that?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, I've seen the reports. Going to be mindful here. They are -- this is a -- obviously, a litigation process here, so we're going to refer to Department of Justice on this one.

Go ahead.

Q Thank you. On your concerns, obviously, about the -- the risk to civilians and escalating the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, I want to follow up on something that Kirby said earlier. He said that the U.S. doesn't support an Israeli operation in Rafah that results in a higher risk to civilians and civilian casualties. But the IDF has now closed, you know, the border crossing in Rafah, cutting off aid. How does that not impact civilians?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, one of the things that we've been very clear about -- that the crossings that have been closed need to reopen; it is unacceptable for them to be closed. You have heard us say over and over again, we need to upsurge the humanitarian aid.

This is why the hostage deal is so important. It would lead to a ceasefire. It would lead to making sure hostages, including American hostages, come home and get that humanitarian -- more -- more humanitarian aid into Gaza.

So, Israel has committed to reopening the Kerem Shalom. That's a conversation, as you all know, from the readout that the President had with the Prime Minister of Israel, and we want to make sure that we -- we get that done. That's going to -- we were -- we've been told that that's going to happen tomorrow. We are working to move that up.

Fuel deliveries through Rafah should also commence tomorrow. That's what we've been told.

And we believe Rafah border crossing should also be quickly reopened for the movement of humanitarian assistance. We are insisting that there should be no disruptions of humanitarian assistant flows. It is important. We know -- you all, obviously, have been reporting on this -- how dire the situation is currently in Gaza, and we want to see these two crossings open.

Q And is it still your expectation that Israel will, you know, alert the U.S. when it does plan -- if it does plan to -- to go ahead with a full-scale operation?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, look, obviously Israel is going to speak to their own operations. We have had continuous conversations. You -- you all are aware of the two virtual calls -- virtual meetings that the National Security Advisor led. And so, we're continuing to have those conversations, obviously, with our counterparts in Israel.

The President had a conversation with the -- the Prime Minister yesterday about the Rafah operations.

Again, very, very clear here: We do not want to see a major operations happening in Rafah. We want to see a plan -- a comprehensive plan on how Israel plans to protect the 1.5 -- more than 1 million civilians that are currently seeking refuge in Rafah.

Q And just one more follow-up on TikTok. They're obviously suing the federal government over this potential ban, but in their suit -- there's a line in their suit where they say "the continued use of TikTok by President Biden and members of Congress undermines the claim that the platform poses an actual threat to Americans."

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, as it relates to the campaign and, obviously, other congressional members, they have to speak to themselves, the campaign has to speak to it. But we are -- and we've been very clear what this law is: It is not a ban. It is a divestment.

I do want to be really mindful, because it -- there is a legal -- obviously, it's in litigation, and I just don't -- can't -- want to speak to that any further.

Q Well, why is he still on this platform?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I would ha- -- I would have to refer you to the campaign. They can spe- --

Q As President, will he commit to not using it again?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: We -- it is banned. We can't -- we can't -- we can't use it here in the -- in -- in government -- in federal government.

Go ahead.

Q The President gave a speech on antisemitism today to mark Jewish Holocaust Remembrance Day. Are there any plans for him to give similar remarks either about the plight of Palestinian civilians or about Islamophobia and anti-Arab --

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So --

Q -- statements and violence.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, just want to -- obviously, today was a very important day. And many presidents have spoken on the Hill on this day and delivered remarks about -- about remembering the millions lost in the Holocaust and reaffirming our commitment as a nation: Never again. This is not the first president to have done so, and the President wanted to meet that moment.

And what we have seen, as well, in the past several months, as you all know, is the rise of antisemitism here. And we have been very clear to call that out. That is hate speech. We're going to continue to do so.

And, you know, you've heard the President address the war. And we're -- address the -- the suffering that we're seeing in Gaza. You've heard him address that many times.

And this also speaks to how important the hostage deal is. We're seeing talks continue in Cairo. That is important. We're going to -- we're going to obviously support that process. We want to see that hostage deal so it could lead to a ceasefire, lead to that all-important humanitarian aid getting into -- getting into Gaza. And let's not forget bringing home the hostages to their loved ones.

So, the President is going to -- has spoken about what's happening in Gaza, has spoken about what we're seeing there, the dire humanitarian -- the dire humanitarian situation, and calling to -- for Israel to reduce, obviously, what we see -- the civilians' lives los- -- the loss of civilians' lives is unacceptable.

Q But no plans for anything more formal?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, look, the President has been speaking to this, has spoken to this many times.

I also want to just flag that the Secretary of Education put out a letter, a "Dear Colleague" letter that went out to universities talking about Title VI and giving examples of antisemitism but also was very clear -- was very clear about the hate that we have seen -- been seeing more broadly: antisemitism, anti-Israel, anti-Muslim, anti-Palestinian. We have seen that across -- across campuses and across the country, obviously, in communities, and laid out our deep concerns.

And so, that "Dear Colleague" letter came -- went out today, on the same day that the President delivered this really impactful speech on a dark moment in time. And so, the President has spoken about the war in Gaza and the casualties that we have seen and will continue to do so.

Q Question on the case of the Army Staff Sergeant, Gordon Black, who was arrested on May 2 nd in Russia. He was not there, apparently, on official travel. But I'm curious, what does the Commander-in-Chief make of yet another military service member going to a country he has been told not to visit?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, I know the Admiral spoke to this yesterday. What I can -- there's also -- what I also can confirm is that there are two separate cases of U.S. citizens being detained in Russia. The State Department is actively seeking consular access to both individuals, neither of whom were in Russia on behalf or in affiliation with the U.S. government. We take seriously our commitment to assist U.S. citizens abroad and provide all appropriate assistance.

We iterate -- and this is kind of to your question. We iterate our strong warnings about danger posed to U.S. citizens in Russia. We have been very clear about this. State Department has been very clear about this. And we will continue to say: U.S. citizens residing or traveling in Russia should depart immediately, as stated in our travel advisory for Russia, and U.S. citizens should not travel to Russia at this time, period. And we're going to continue to be very, very clear about that.

Any fur- -- for any further details on those two cases, I would refer you to the State Department.

Q Why do Americans who don't heed those warnings warrant government assistance, if they knowingly flout them?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Because it's the President's -- he believes it's his -- his responsibility, when -- when American is held hostage or wrongfully detained, to get them home to their families. That is a commitment that he has made.

At the same time -- and I can't speak to these two cases right now. They're -- the State Department has to speak to them and where they are in their process. So, I want to be really mindful about categorizing where they are.

But the President is committed. He's committed to getting Americans home, if they are being held hostages -- hostage or if they are wrongfully detained. He believes that is his duty as Commander-in-Chief, as President, to do so. And that's so- --

Q Has he conveyed any concern to the Pentagon that this is a case of yet another service member walking into another country that has hostile relations with the United States? Or -- there was the one that went to North Korea.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Well --

Q Now, there's this guy.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Well, we've been clear about all U.S. citizens not going to Russia. We've been very, very clear. And there's a -- as I stated, there's a travel advisory that came out from the State Department. So, this is all citizens -- all U.S. citizens.

I don't -- you know, not going to get into private conversations from here. But obviously, we are concerned, and the State Department is actively working this.

Q And one other. How is the President himself personally learning details, if any, about the trial of his predecessor?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Well, as you know, the President -- speaking -- just looking at today, the President delivered a really impactful, important, meaningful speech on a -- on a --

Q I get how he fills his schedule. But how is he --

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I know --

Q -- learning about --

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Wait.

Q -- the case himself?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I -- wait. Jeez, Ed. Give me a second. Give me a moment to warm up, get to your quest- -- get to your question.

So, look -- I mean, look, the President had a really important day. You just saw him do -- there was a pool spray. You saw him interact with the Romanian President. That was important.

You saw him give a -- deliver a really important, impactful speech on a day that we talk about, "Never again," on a dark time in our history -- not just here, obviously, our history more globally -- and what we saw -- what we saw happen to a community, millions of people.

And so -- so, look, the President is really busy. Obviously, he probably catches up during the day, like -- like many of us here.

But, look, the President is going to focus on the American people. That's his focus. We're going to go --

Q So, no sense of when he's on the Peloton in the morning if he's watching the news -- -- or if at night, when he's done, he's going home and watching highlights? You don't know?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah, all I can say is the President consumes the news. He pays attention to the news. I cannot speak to the current situation that is happening that many of you all are covering right now at this moment of the former President. Can't speak to that.

But the President has been -- I mean, he's had -- I mean, you could admit to this, right? He's had a busy day. He's been very much focused on what's going on in the world.

Go ahead.

Q Thanks, Karine. Just quickly on the two cases in Russia that we were just talking about. Is -- has there been an official determination that those are wrongful detention cases?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I would refer you to the State Department. They will work on -- on the official determination. Going to be really mindful from here. That is something that the State Department works through.

Q And -- okay.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: We're trying to make sure that they have a counselor, obviously, accessible to them. I -- they -- they could speak more to this.

Q Okay. And then there was an independent investigation of the FDIC that found widespread sexual harassment and other misconduct. Does the White House still have confidence in the leadership of that organization?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, obviously, I would refer you to the FDIC for details on this. It's an independent agency. As you know, the President, of course, expects the administration to reflect the values of decency and integrity and to protect the rights and dignity of employees.

My understanding is that the FDIC Chairman spoke to this. He apologized and has -- has committed to the recommendations that have been provided by the independent report and going to further fix the longstanding issues, obviously, that are in the report. But don't have anything beyond that. And, you know, he -- he apologized. And so, would refer you to them.

Q And then, lastly, is the White House committed to not withholding weapons assistance from Israel that's needed for its self-defense?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: What we are committed to is Israel's security. That is ironclad. And don't have anything beyond that. Obviously, we're going to, you know, look at all options that we have, continue to have conversations with Israel and our counterparts. But our commitment to Israel is ironclad, as -- as far as their -- Is- -- Israel's security.

Go ahead.

Q On the hostage deal. Is the White House's view that, in the first phase, all hostages who are released should be alive?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I'm not going to get into details. As you know, there are talks happening in Cairo. That is incredibly important. And we want to support those -- those talks. And so, don't want to get into -- to details from here.

One thing that I can say is tha- -- from the assess- -- from our assessments, it looks like the two sides should be able to come to -- to a deal here -- at least close the gaps to get to a deal. That's our assessment.

I'm not going to get into details or specifics.

Q Because -- because one of the gaps seems to be that Hamas has suggested that some of the hostage- -- hostages that they would release would be dead. They would be bodies of hostages. Is that something that you think that the President would accept?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I'm going to be a super mindful. This is -- there are conversations happening in Cairo. I think it's important. We're going to support those talks that are currently underway. And our assessment is -- is that -- our close assessment: that the two sides' position suggests that they should be able to close the gap here. And I think that's important.

But it is our priority, obviously. It continues to be the President's priority to get to a hostage deal, to get those hostages home to their loved ones, to make sure that it -- we get a ceasefire. Right? It'll ensure that, and it'll ensure that we surge humanitarian assistance into Gaza. As we know, as you all know, it is a dire situation right now in Gaza.

Q And the -- the Biden administration is facing this deadline this week on notifying Congress on whether Israel is violating international law. Can you say how involved or how not involved the President, personally, has been on this process?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, obviously, the President is kept updated on all of these -- on this -- on many matters, including this.

My counterpart over at the State Departent -- Department, Matt Miller, spoke to this today about where we are in that process. The State Department is working very hard to get this done, to get this over to Congress.

I don't have anything else to add. But obviously, the President is kept abreast.

Q So, the President hasn't gotten final word about what that decision is yet?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: They're working -- the State Department, as Mr. Miller mentioned today during his briefing, is working very hard to get this done. And so, I will leave it to them.

Go ahead, Karen.

Q Thanks, Karine. Ukraine says that two of its colonels, part of their state protection service, were recruited by Russia and were -- are now identified as part of a group that were planning to assassinate President Zelenskyy. Does the White House have a reaction to this? And then, broadly, how concerned is the administration about Zelenskyy's safety and security?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, we saw -- we saw the announcement. It certainly is very concerning news. And obviously, we are glad that the potential assassination attempt was averted.

I would -- I don't have anything beyond that to share. Certainly, would refer you to the Ukrainian government. But it is certainly concerning news.

Go ahead.

Q Thank you, Karine. Cindy McCain, the head of the U.N. World Food Programme, said over the weekend that northern Gaza is currently experiencing "full-blown famine." That famine is moving southward towards southern Gaza. Currently, as you and Mr. Kirby have said, the two main checkpoints for aid, Kerem Shalom and Rafah, are closed, and the President has asked for those to be reopened.

This is an ongoing pattern. Israel closes crossings. The President asks for them to be reopened. The crossings are eventually reopened. Some aid starts to flow through again. But then, Israel cuts off the flow of aid into Gaza once more, even though the President has said multiple times that it is important that aid be flowing continuously. And he seems to keep pushing for it, only to get these one step forward, two steps back results.

Does the White House have any plan to convince, cajole, pressure Israel into allowing a steady flow of aid into Gaza, other than asking nicely?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, let's just -- just say -- just give a little bit of readout. Over the past -- since early April, the past several weeks, we have seen over 5,000 trucks entered Gaza. That includes almost 200 humanitarian and commercial trucks a day, on average, entering Gaza in the last three weeks. Some days, 400-plus truckloads have enter- --

Q And some days zero --

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Wait -- wait --

Q -- because Israel closes the checkpoints.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Let me -- let me -- it is important to let the American people know that we have seen an uptick here, and it is important. There are other crossings. These are not the only two.

But to your point, it is unacceptable that these two crossings are closed, which is why the President called the Prime Minister directly yesterday to -- to ask and to say that the [DEL: Sharem :DEL] [Kerem] Shalom crossing should be open. We have said -- I said at the top to -- answering one of your colleagues' questions that we expect the crossing -- the Shalom -- the Kerem Sha- -- Shalom crossing to be open tomorrow, including Rafah.

It is important. We agree it is important to get that humanitarian aid in, and we will continue to do so, continue to -- to make sure that we get as much humanitarian aid as possible.

That's why we've been upticking our efforts. And it is also why the hostage deal is so important. This is why the Cairo talks are critical and important, which is why we've been supporting those -- those conversations, obviously. We need to get to a hostage deal so we can see a ceasefire, get

that humanitarian aid in -- a surge, obviously, in that aid -- and get hostages home.

So, that is going to be our focus. That's going to be our focus.

Q At what point does the President consider other uses of American leverage to improve the humanitarian situation in Gaza?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: We have seen -- and I just laid out what we have seen --

Q I -- I understand that.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Hold -- wait. You got to let me finish here. You just have to, so I can -- we can have a back-and-forth, but you got to let me finish my answer.

That's why we've seen an uptick in humanitarian aid. That's why we have seen an increase in humanitarian aid since early April. That is because of the President's leadership.

We need to get more in. We know and we see and we understand the dire situation in Gaza right now. We got to get that in. The hostage deal is important. And we're going to continue to work on that.

Q You keep talking about these upticks, but there is a famine right now.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I -- and I am acknowledging that there is a dire situation in Gaza. I am acknowledging that. We understand that, which is why the President has worked so hard in the last several months to get more humanitarian aid in. That is why we're working around the clock to get the hostage deal done.

So, I think we're kind of talking in circles here. But the President is committed -- he is committed to getting this done.

Go ahead, Peter.

Q Can you, Karine, say declaratively that no one in the Biden administration knew about the latest hostage and ceasefire deal -- proposal that Egypt and Qatar negotiated with Hamas before Hamas said that it had accepted it yesterday?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Here's what I can say. Look, these are extremely difficult prep- -- this is an extremely difficult process. It just is. And -- and you have negotiations being conducted through intermediaries -- right? -- in Doha and also in Cairo.

And -- and so, that is just where we are. They are difficult times. They're a difficult process. And so, that's what I can speak to. That's what I can say. An- --

Q I guess I -- I just want to get to -- to the fundamental question --

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah.

Q -- which is we all recognize these are difficult times --

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah.

Q -- there's been too much loss on all sides; everybody agrees. But in the simplest of terms, can you say declaratively that no one in this administration was involved in some deal that was accepted by Hamas yesterday without having been previously communicated to Israel?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: What I can say: This is an extremely difficult process. It is. It --

Q Why isn't -- why -- why can't the U.S. just say declaratively from the White House podium that the U.S. was not doing any side deals that Israel didn't know about?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: A side deal? There's -- no, absolutely not. I didn't know that was the question. I can say absolutely not, no. There was no side deal.

Q So, what Hamas accepted yesterday is not a proposal the U.S. had ever heard before Hamas presented it?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Look, throughout this process -- here's what I can say: American diplomats have been engaged with our Israeli counterparts on this throughout this process. There was no side deal. I didn't realize that was the question you were asking me. Absolutely not.

These are extremely difficult process right now that is happening. There are intermediaries that are in Doha; obviously, today, in Cairo. And so, there -- it is -- it is not an easy process.

Q So, then, just to make --

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Is there a side deal, to your question --

Q So, just to make -- so that we won't use the word "side deal," because that -- I used that word --

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: That is --

Q -- and I don't want to --

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: That is a no.

Q But -- so, let me ask you. So, in the clearest of terms, there was no one in the administration that was involved in conversations with Egypt and Qatar and Hamas about any proposal that Hamas accepted yesterday?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: No.

Q No. Okay.

Let me ask you: The President is going to go to a bunch of different campuses in the near future. He has a series of commencement addresses. Other members of the administration will surely do the same.

We heard about the President's views of antisemitism and hate speech on campus. Would the President welcome peaceful protests during those commencement ceremonies, as we've seen elsewhere?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: But you see the President do this all the time. It doesn't matter where he is, where he's speaking. It doesn't matter if it's a commencement, it doesn't matter if it's at one of his events, he welcomes peaceful protests. And you actually have seen the President engage in that process. And he's --

Q So, if people raise Palestinian flags, as we've seen at the University of Michigan --

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Look, the Pres- --

Q -- and elsewhere, he would welcome that --

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: The President --

Q -- when he's speaking?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: The President has said two things -- right? -- and I have said two things: We understand how deeply painful this moment is for many, many communities here in this country, for many Americans. We understand that.

And we also understand that all Americans have the right to peacefully protest. And we accept that right, and we understand that right. It is part of who we are in this country. It's part of our freedoms. Right? It's part of our democracy.

And so, we understand every American has the right to peacefully protest.

Q Okay.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Go ahead.

Q Karine, the Romanian President wants to run NATO. Do you know if that issue is coming up at all? You know, obviously, the President supports the Dutch leader and -- along with other Western leaders, to become the next lead- -- leader of NATO.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So -- so, we're going to have a readout later today. Obviously, the -- the meeting is probably still in progress, as we're here in the press briefing room, so I'm not going to get ahead of that. They'll do their readout.

But I'll say that the President has been looking forward to hosting President Iohannis to celebrate Romania's 20 years as a strong and stalwart NATO Ally and has been looking forward to recognizing this president -- President Iohannis's leadership within NATO and the many contributions that the -- Romania has made to NATO security, particularly in the Black Sea region, and obviously their strong support to helping Ukraine against Russia's aggression.

I -- I don't want to get ahead of anything here. So, I will let the readout speak for itself once it comes out.

Q Just one more on Russia. Putin is beginning his fifth term today as Russian president. He claimed that Russia does not refuse dialogue with Western states. Does the President have any reaction to Putin, sort of, beginning another term and -- and does he see this, perhaps, as a -- an opportunity to attempt to resume direct communication with -- with Putin?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, let me first say and -- that the U.S., as it relates to its -- to Russia's inauguration -- or Putin's inauguration, the U.S. directed its embassy not to attend inaug- -- inauguration, as you know, in protest, obviously, to Russia's aggression -- aggression into Ukraine.

So, as you also know, under Putin's leadership, Russia launched this brutal and unprovoked war and Russian authorities have engaged in draconian repression at home as well as aggressive actions abroad.

And so, I think we've made ourselves very clear here. I just don't have anything to add.

Go ahead, Michael.

Q Thanks, Karine. In light of the President's speech today, does the administration support the Antisemitism Awareness Act that just passed the House last week? And would the President sign it?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, I've been asked this question a couple of times. Look, we -- we appreciate Congress's effort to deal with, obviously, an issue -- not just an issue but antisemitism, which is hate, and all -- and we have denounced that over and over again and we've called it abhorrent. And so, we appreciate that Congress is taking action here.

I know there are other -- other efforts -- legislative efforts. And so, we're going to let that process move forward.

But this is a president from -- you know, one of the reasons, obviously, he decided to jump into the 2020 election is because of what he saw -- the antisemitic vile that he saw in Charlottesville, wrote about it, decided to jump into -- into the elections that -- back in 2019.

And so, he's -- he has spoken against antisemitism throughout his career. He's -- he'll continue to do so. We're going to let Congress go through their process.

Go ahead.

Q On the border -- Southern border and border security. Can you give us an update on executive act- -- actions that the President is planning? Are you planning a rollout of those actions in -- in coming days or weeks?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Don't have any announcement on any executive actions. Obviously, we look at all options. We believe the -- the challenges at the border is a priority important to majority of Americans. We believe that the immigration system -- it's not even something we believe; it's fact -- has been broken for decades now. And that's why the President took action on his first day in office and put forward a comprehensive legislation.

Now, there is indeed a bipartisan Senate agreement that should move forward but was held back because of the former President saying that it would hurt him and asked Republicans to reject it. We want to see that move forward. And we're going to continue to call on Congress to move that forward.

We believe in order to really fix what's happening with the immigration system is to move forward with that piece of legislation. The President wants to sign it and put that into law. It would be the -- the fairest, the toughest law if he was able to be given that opportunity -- and it would pass, obviously -- for him to sign it.

Any other actions that may come out of this administration, we always look at all -- at all potential actions that we can take. But the number one way we believe to move forward is to move with that bipartisan Senate agreement.

Go ahead.

Q Yeah. What can you tell us about the President's trip tomorrow to Racine, Wisconsin?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: We'll have more on that later today. As y- -- as you -- as you just mentioned, he's going to be going to Ra- -- Racine, Wisconsin, to focus on investi- -- investment -- investing in America, continuing that -- kind of that dialogue directly with the American people.

And then the other parts of that trip is going to be campaign, so I would refer you to them.

Go ahead.

Q Thank you so much. So, we heard the President today speaking about antisemitism. But can you just clarify for us where he believes the line is? Is it antisemitic, in the President's view, to say harsh -- to express harsh criticism of the Israeli government or its actions? Like, where is the line?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I mean, I shouldn't have to talk about a line. It's very clear, right? It -- it presents itself in the most hateful, abhorrent way. And antisemitism is hate speech. It is just hate speech.

I'm not going to stand here and give examples. That's not something I'm going to do. But it is obvious when you have hateful rhetoric, when you have the type of speech where you're attacking a community, we should call that out. Or violent speech, violent type of rhetoric, we should call that out.

I'm not going to stand here and lay out a line here. That's not what we're going to do. But it is very clear when we hear antisemitism. It is very clear when we hear language that is anti-Israel. It is very clear when we hear language that is anti-Muslim, anti-Palestinian. It is hate. And the President believes, as President of the United States, that he should call that out. And that's what you saw him do today.

And we also announced some additional actions as it relates to the National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism, because the President is going to continue to take action, not just speak to it.

Q So, it speaks to the intention.

Let me ask you also about the President's call last week for order on college campuses. This moment is being compared to what happened in 1968. But in the intervening years, American police forces have become significantly more militarized.

Does -- did the White House provide any guidance for police departments around the country as to what "order" means and what actions they should and should not take? Are you leaving them to interpret that?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: What we have done and been very clear here: It is up to the university and local law enforcement on how they decide to deal with what's been happening on the ground. They know better than we do on what's happening on the ground.

We have been very clear: We believe all Americans should have the right to peacefully protest within the law. You heard that from the President last week. You've heard that from me. You've heard that from others here in this administration.

What we don't want to see is hate speech, violence. That's not what we -- we don't believe that is part of peacefully protesting. And so, we're going to continue to be clear about that.

But we leave the actions and how universities decide how to move forward to them. They know what's going on on the ground, and they know how to move forward.

Go ahead, Gerren.

Q Thanks, Karine. New York Governor Kathy Hochul made a controversial comment yesterday at the Milken Institute Global Conference while discussing the need to bring AI jobs to Black and brown communities. She said, "Right now, we have young Black kids growing up in the Bronx who don't even know what the word 'computer' is." What is the White House's respond -- response to that?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, I want to be super mindful. I have not heard these comments. So, I want to make sure I go back, read the comments, and get a sense of what was happening here. So, I don't want to comment, and be really mindful speaking at this podium on behalf of this President.

So, I just want to go back and see exactly -- I know you're reading an excerpt or a line from what she said, but I just want to be super, super mindful here.

Q Does the White House believe it is right to ins- -- to insinuate that Black kids don't know what the word "computer" means?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I mean, look, obviously, we don't think that is the right way to speak about -- about young people in any way, in any form. But I do want to be mindful and to be fair here and -- and go back and hear exactly what she said. Just want to be mindful, speaking from here at the podium.

Q Just one more question. There was a viral video on the campus of the University of Mississippi last week. A Black female Gaza protester there was -- she was protesting. There was counter protesters who were primarily Black -- white -- white male students --

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah.

Q -- one of which imitated a monkey. Another called her "Lizzo," assuming -- addressing her size. The NAACP is calling for those students to be expelled for this video.

Has the President seen this video and what is the White House's reaction?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: What I can say is -- and I know the video that you're speaking to, and this is something that I can speak -- speak on, which is that the behavior captured in that -- in that video is undignified, and it's just racist, period. And it is beneath any- -- anyone -- anyone to be sharing that kind of material. And the actions in the video are beneath any American.

And so, it is insulting to everyone who has to view it and -- and whoever they are. And it is saddening. It is incredibly saddening. And so, we are so much better than that. We are. And we owe it to one another and ourselves to -- to act like it.

Q And just one follow-up. Congressman Mike Collins of Georgia reposted that video and wrote, "Ole Miss taking care of business." Any reaction to him and that comment?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Look, and I think I just said it's -- it's beneath any person to be sharing that video. It's -- it's beneath any elected official or a leader to be sharing that kind of material. And -- and the actions in that video is beneath of who we are supposed to be.

And, you know, it is -- what -- what we saw in that video is certainly -- it's sickening. It is sickening.

Go ahead.

Q Thank you. So, a follow-up on the police response. President Biden has condemned violent protests on campus. He didn't address the police response. What do you think about the arrests of hundreds of students? Is that the response the White House likes to see?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I'm sorry. Can you -- can you start that question again?

Q Yeah. What do you think about the -- the arrests of hundreds of students on campus? Is that the police response the White House like -- likes to see?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: You know, I've spoken to -- about this last week. And I have said that, you know, these are incredibly difficult times. And we understand what -- what people are feeling and the pain that they're feeling. And in these times, it could be -- you know, it can be incredibly difficult even for law enforcement. And I said this last week, and I'll continue to say that.

And what I will add is: It is important that all Americans -- and I've said this before -- have the right to peacefully protest within the law, and it should be their right to peacefully protest. But when -- when someone is taking -- unlawfully taking over a building or vandalizing, that is not peacefully protesting. That is just not what peacefully protesting looks like. And so, we'll call that out.

I'm not going to speak to arrests. That is something that local authorities can speak to directly. Can't speak to that.

But we will continue to reiterate the fact that all Americans have the right to peacefully protest within the law.

Go ahead, Aurelia.

Q Thank you so much. In his remarks this morning, the President mentioned Jewish students having been attacked, harassed, and blocked. Does the White House have an estimate of how many antisemitic incidents actually took place or were reported during the protests, either like physical abuse or --

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah.

Q -- verbal attacks?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I would refer to Department of Justice or local law enforcement. I don't have a number for -- to share with you at this time.

But, look, we've seen an uptick in antisemitism. That's what we have seen in the last couple of months. It is abhorrent. We have to call that out. And that was part of the President's speech as well. We've got to take action to call out hate. And so, we're going to continue to do that.

As far as any numbers, would certainly refer you to local government or the Department of Justice.

AIDE: Karine.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Okay.

Go ahead. Go ahead, Jacqui.

Q Thank you, Karine. Hearing all of your answers on the responsibility to call out antisemitism, when does it become the President's responsibility or the administration's responsibility to call on some of these local governments? Because this D.C. situation at GW -- obviously, we talked yesterday about how, you know, GW asked for police to intervene. They ignored it. That call has been escalated up to the mayor. It has still been unanswered.

The President said today that, you know, hate speech, acts of violence, vandalism -- against the law.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah.

Q And you have an encampment that we could literally walk to from here where you had student protes- -- or, excuse me, protesters who the university has said may not even be affiliated with the school carrying out a mock trial, calling for beheadings of school leadership.

So, at what point is it the responsibility of the federal government to call on some of these local entities to take action?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, when it comes to local entities, it is up to them to take whatever action that they deem is necessary. We're talking about colleges; we're talking about universities. It is up to them to decide on. We've been very clear.

Q But just --

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: But -- wait.

Q What if they don't, though?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Wait.

Q That's where we are.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: It's been -- we've been we've been very clear on that.

When it comes to taking action, you're talking about a president who -- who moved forward with the first-ever U.S. National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism. He has taken action. We're talking about more than 100 new actions.

And then on top of -- on top of that, when he first announced it back in May of 2023, we took some actions today.

And so, we're going to -- and when we talk about actions, we're talking about the Department of Education, we're talking about Homeland Security, we're talking about a whole-of-government eff- -- effort to deal with what we're seeing, this uptick that we're seeing in antisemitism.

So, there are four pillars of that. We're going to continue to take actions on this. We're going to continue to work with u- -- I've talked about the Department of Education, Secretary Cardona sending out -- sending out letters -- letters to his colleagues. And in that, we have said to them, if there are trainings that they need, if there is assistance that they need, we are worl- -- willing to work with them.

As it relates to law enforcement, that is something that colleges and universities and local government have to decide on.

But we've put forward something that no other president has ever done, because we see what is happening in -- with antisemitism. We see that it is something that this president needs to speak to and act on, and we've done just that.

Q And then just on the messaging around the -- the administration's ironclad commitment to Israel. How can the U.S. have ironclad commitment on one hand, and then, on another hand, slow-walk arms sales?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I --

Q I mean, the President said that the supplemental was imperative, and now this. How do you square that?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, I'm not going to speak to the second part of your question. I just said in -- earlier, answering to one of your colleagues, not going to speak to cases. And our -- as you just stated in your question, our commitment to Israel's security is, indeed, ironclad. And we proved that. We proved that in getting that supplemental done. That is going to be incredibly important to Ukraine, to Israel, to making sure humanitarian aid gets into Gaza, gets to Sudan, gets to Haiti and other places across the globe that need that humanitarian aid. All of those things are important.

Two things could be true in the sense of having those conversations -- tough, direct conversations with our counterparts in -- in Israel. The President having his conversation with his counterpart -- obviously, the Prime Minister -- and making sure that citizens' lives are protected -- are protected, and getting that commitment. So, two of those things could be true.

I'm not going to speak to your question about arms sales. I'm not going to speak to that. I'm not going to speak to cases.

But I will continue to commit and the President is continued to commit, as you heard from him today in his speech, that his commitment to Israel's security is ironclad -- is ironclad.

Q If you won't talk to us about it, will you commit that the administration would answer to Congress about this question of the arms sales? Will administration officials answer questions from lawmakers?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I -- I mean, that's -- that's up to Congress to decide on how they want to address any questions that they have with us.

Q There have been requests.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: We've been -- we've been -- I have not seen those requests. What I can tell you is our commitment to Israel's security is ironclad, and we've proved that. We've proved that many times over and over since October 7 th.

All right, guys. Thank you, everybody.

Q Thank you.

Q Thanks.

3:25 P.M. EDT

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

May 8, 2024

PRESS SECRETARY KARINE JEAN-PIERRE

James S. Brady Press Briefing Room

12:57 P.M. EDT

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Good afternoon, everybody.

Q Good afternoon.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I just have a couple things at the top, and then we'll get going.

On May 7 th, the President will travel to Capitol Hill to deliver the keynote address at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum's Annual Days of Remembrance ceremony.

During the Days of Remembrance, we remember and mourn the 6 million Jews who were systematically murdered by the Nazis and their collaborators during World War Two.

The President will also discuss our moral duty to combat the rising scourge of antisemitism and the Biden-Harris administration's work to implementing the first-ever National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism to make real the promise of never, never again.

Today, Florida's extreme six-week abortion ban takes effect. That's before many women even know they're pregnant.

We should all be concerned that this extreme abortion ban will put desperately needed medical care even further out of reach for millions of women in Florida and across the South.

But it's not just Florida, and it's not just abortion under -- care under attack here. We are seeing the devastating impacts on women's reproductive freedom since Roe was overturned. In states across the country, women's health and lives now hang in the balance.

Twenty-one states have abortion bans in effect. In nearly all of these states, doctors can be charged with a fenaly -- a felony for simply doing their jobs.

One in three women in America now live in states with extreme abortion bans.

Over 380 bills restricting access to abortion care were introduced in states houses just last year.

At the federal level, congressional Republicans have proposed three -- three national abortion bans. IVF is under attack. Contraception is under attack. And women and families are fearful that their deeply personal medical data could be used against them.

All of this chaos and devastation was made possible by the former President, who worked very hard and got it done to overturn Roe v. Wade.

President Biden and Vice President Harris stand with the vast majority of Americans who believe that the right to choose is fundamental and that healthcare decisions should be made by a woman with the help of her doctor, not politicians.

They will continue to call on Congress to restore the protections of Roe v. Wade into federal law, the only way to ensure every woman can access the care she needs regardless of what state she lives in.

The reason we started early -- I know a lot of people are asking -- is because I -- I have a meeting with the President at about 1:30 or so, and so I'm going to try and get to everybody's questions, or as many questions as possible.

With that, Zeke.

Q Let's stick with "everybody."

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I know. I said it, and I was like, "Oh, darn."

Q There's Rosen.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Oh, darn. There's Rosen in the back. To wit -- Mr. To Wit in the back.

Q Hi. Thank you, Karine --

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Go ahead, Zeke.

Q Starting overseas real quick. I understand -- we understand Secretary Blinken is in -- in the region right now, but has the President, has the White House gotten any -- any indications for how Hamas might respond to this -- the ceasefire proposal? And how can -- what is the level of concern within the administration --

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah.

Q -- that Hamas could respond in the negative?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, our position remains -- and we are going to be very consistent of what we've been saying -- is that we believe that there should be a ceasefire as part of this hostage -- hostage deal, and it should happen immediately --immediately. And there has not yet been a response from Hamas, as you know.

We believe that all efforts need -- need to be brought to bear to convince Hamas to accept that -- the proposal -- immediately and have made that clear to our partners in the region.

As you just stated, Secretary Blinken is in the region meeting with our -- with our regional partners. He is going to be holding an on-the-record presser in the one o'clock hour where he's going to be talking about the humanitarian aid that we've been able to get into -- get into Gaza for the people of Gaza, the all-important humanitarian aid. As you know, that -- it's a -- it's a dire situation there. So he'll speak to that.

And sh- -- and Hamas should just not continue to get in the way of much-needed relief for the people of Gaza. They need to move forward and -- and move forward with this deal. And that is going to be -- this deal is also going to, obviously, create an opportunity to get more of that humanitarian aid.

And let's not forget the innocent people who they took hostage -- over 200 -- and that includes Americans. They need to come home to the -- to their -- to their families, their loved ones. And we have, also, American hostages that are part of that -- part of that -- were part of that 200, as you all know.

So, Hamas needs to -- there's a deal at the table -- on the table: Hamas needs to take it.

Q And then, here at home, there's been some dramatic images, really, across the country over the last 24 to 48 hours, especially at the Columbia; UCLA, last night; University of Madison, Wisconsin; other campuses. Has the President been monitoring this?

And why have we not heard directly from the President about these protests that have taken over instit- -- institutions of higher learning across the country, the police responses, instances of violence? Why have we not heard directly from the President?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, a -- just a -- a couple of things. The President is -- is being kept regularly updated on -- on what's happening, as you just stated, across the country. He is monitoring the situation closely, so is his team.

And I would just add that no president -- no president has spoken more forcefully about combating antisemitism than this president.

Let's not forget, in 2017, he was very clear -- what we saw -- the antisemitic bile that we saw in Charlottesville, on the streets of Charlottesville -- he called that out. He called that out.

And one of the reasons he stepped into the 2020 election is because of what he saw, is because he wanted to -- he wanted to speak out and speak against what we were seeing in this country at that time. Democracy was under attack. Our freedoms were -- were under attack. And we're still fighting for that today, obviously.

But it -- he hasn't just done that by speaking, as you heard from my topper, he's taken action. He's taken action by moving forward with the first-ever U.S. National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism. More than 100 new actions have -- were introduced, obviously, in that strategy, and that is how seriously this President takes it.

And I think what's important here is that he's taken action on this issue.

Q And just quickly, does the President support those police clearing operations, like we saw in New York, like we've seen on other -- seen on other college campuses?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Look, we've been very clear on that. Americans have the right to peacefully protest. They have the right to peacefully protest as long as it's within the law and that it's peaceful.

Forceful- -- forcibly taking over a building is not peaceful. It's just not. Students have the right to feel safe. They have the right to learn. They have to ri- -- the right to do this without dis- -- disruption. And they have a right to feel safe on campus. As I just said, they have the right to attend their commencement without feeling -- feeling unsafe.

And what we're seeing is a small percentage of students. That's what we're seeing. They should not be able to disturb or disrupt the academic experience that students have.

So, look, that's what -- that's how we see things. It is important that students and communities feel safe here. And at the same time, we are going to be really forceful here and continue to underscore how antisemitism is hateful speech. It is wrong. It is abhorrent. And we're going to continue to call that out.

Go ahead.

Q Thanks, Karine. To follow on that. Has anyone from the administration been in touch with administrators, leaders at Columbia or any of these universities that are seeing these protests?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I don't have any calls to read out at this time. Obviously, we're closely monitoring the situation. We are getting regularly -- regular updates, and we're just going to -- I'm just going to keep it there. Just don't have anything to share as far as calls or readouts.

Q On another topic. Has the White House received the recommendation from the DEA to reclassify marijuana from a Schedule I drug to a Schedule III drug? Can you comment on --

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah.

Q -- and confirm that?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, here is what I can say. I can say, as you know, last year -- I believe in early fall -- the President asked HHS and Department of Justice to look at reclassifying marijuana, to go -- to go through that process. They are -- that process continues.

D- -- DOJ is looking into that. I just want to be really mindful there. They're moving with that process.

I don't have anything more to say. And so, we'll just leave it there.

Q But you can't confirm that it's now at --

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I -- I --

Q -- for the next phase of this?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I -- I cannot. All I can tell you is I would refer to DOJ. And what the President directed HHS and Department of Justice to do is to look at the classification of marijuana.

And let's not forget: This is something that the President talked about during his campaign. And he said no person, no American who possess marijuana -- only possesses marijuana should be -- go to jail.

It is affecting communities across the country, including communities of color. And so, this is why he -- he -- he asked HHS and Department of Justice to look into this. And that's what they're doing.

Q You mentioned campaign. Is this something the White House thinks can help the President right now in an election?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Well, I'm talking about the campaign in -- in --

Q I know. And I'm looking forward.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I -- I appreciate that. But I'm talking about the campaign and his cam- -- he -- this is a commitment, a promise that he made when he decided to run back in 2019. And he was very clear why it was important, he believed, to ask Department of Justice and HHS to review this. And that review continues, and so don't want to get ahead of what DOJ is -- how they're moving forward.

Go ahead, Weijia.

Q Thanks, Karine. As the administration considers bringing Palestinians here to the U.S. as refugees, do you know how many people that the U.S. hopes to relocate?

And, secondly, given the challenges getting in and out of Gaza, will the U.S. assist in physically bringing Palestinians here?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, let me just first start saying that we just don't have anything to announce at this time. But I do want to lay out a little bit and take a step back of what -- what we've been able to do since the beginning of the conflict. Right? We have helped more than 1,800 American citizens and their families leave Gaza, many of whom have come to the United States, many of that 18,000 is here.

And the President has said -- and as -- in his -- with his direction, we have also helped and will continue to help some particularly vulnerable individuals, such as children with serious health problems and children who were receiving treatment for cancer, get out of harm's way and receive care at nearby hospitals in the region.

And let's not forget, the Pre- -- the President, this -- this administration continues to be the largest contributor of humanitarian assistance. This is something that the Secretary is going to be talking about in this hour -- the Secretary assist- -- I'm sorry, the humanitarian assistance going into Gaza to address the conditions -- the humanitarian conditions in Gaza.

Obviously, as we know, they are very dire. And we are pressing hard to get more urgently needed aid in to more people as soon as possible. That's why this hostage deal is so critical besides, of course, getting the hostages home but also creating an opportunity to get that more additional humanitarian aid in and would lead to a ceasefire.

Now, in terms of the Refugee Admissions Program, which is what I believe you're asking me about, we are constantly evaluating policy proposals to further support Palestinians who are family members of American citizens and may want to come to the United States. So, we're evaluating it. I don't have anything to announce at this time.

Q And then a quick one on communications with protests and people related to protests. Has the President spoken to Mayor Adams since the NYPD became involved in dealing with them?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: No. Understand the question. Don't have anything to read out as far as a conversation with the mayor from the President. But I think we've been very, very clear about what we're seeing on the ground. I've been answering these questions for the past couple of days.

Go ahead.

Q Thanks. You said the President is monitoring the situation. Is he aware of the reports that a fair number of the people arrested on several campuses are not students?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Look, that is something for, obviously, local government to speak to, local govern- -- pardon me, local -- local police at -- and law enforcement to speak to and what they're seeing and what they're reporting.

That is something that I can't speak to at this time. I've heard that reporting. But that is something for them to speak to at this time.

Q So, he's not aware of that?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Well, he's getting regularly updated on the situation and what -- and monitoring. So, I assume that he's getting -- that's part of his update, but he is getting regularly updated on what's happening across the country and campuses.

Go ahead.

Q Thanks, Karine. Because it's Federal Reserve decision day, I thought it'd be an opportunity to ask a for an updated view on the administration's view of central bank independence, but specifically because the President has, in recent months -- twice at least -- talked about the direction of interest rates.

I want to clarify: What is the administration's position on --

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah.

Q -- that fine line between directing the Fed versus predicting their actions?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, look, the President is very, very clear. We've been clear since the beginning of this administration. And we believe that the Federal Reserve is independent. It is important that they have their independence as they're making that very important monetary policies that they have to make. And so, the President believes in independence.

When the President has spoken about that -- and I think I've said this, whether in a gaggle or here at the podium -- he's reflected a public interpretation of recent data. That's what he's speaking to.

But as far as the independence of the Federal Reserve, we -- we are very much -- very clear on that. The independence is -- is good for -- the Federal Reserve's independence is good for economics. And it benefits workers. It benefits families. It benefits businesses. And so, that's what we want to continue to make sure -- that they have their independence so they can make those really important decisions.

Q Okay. And a quick one, separately. I wanted to get the White House reaction to the news that Tesla has eliminated almost all of its Supercharger unit that was setting up the --

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah.

Q -- EV battery plants across the U.S. How -- I mean, how do you think this impacts the goal of bringing 500,000 of those units to U.S. soil?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Look, so when it comes to any type of private company decisions, obviously, that's something that they have to make that decision on. What I will say broadly is that we -- you know, we brought together public and private sectors to build a convenient and reliable national charging network that everyone can use.

And so, since this President, since the Biden-Harris administration, more than 40 EV charging infrastructure companies have announced new or expanded manufacturing facilities in the U.S. And so, this is a evolving and competitive market where multiple companies are playing leading roles here. It's not just one company.

But -- so, want to be really careful on a -- on a private company's personnel decision or any type of de- -- decision that they have to make on behiv- -- of behalf of their business.

But we have -- believe that we have brought together both sides -- the public and -- and private sector -- to really deal -- to really speak to this and deal with this.

Go ahead, Gabe.

Q Thanks, Karine. I wanted to follow up on a previous question that was asked.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah.

Q And, respectfully, you didn't quite answer it. The question was: Why hasn't the President been more forceful --

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah.

Q -- in talking about the protests?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah.

Q You talked about how he's talked about antisemitism. But specifically on the protests --

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah.

Q -- why hasn't the President been more --

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Well -- no --

Q -- forceful on that?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: And I hear that the question, Gabe, but, respectfully, the President has been one -- the -- no other president has spoken about antisemitism than this President.

Q But that's not -- that's not the question.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: What --

Q It's the protest.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: And I'm -- but I'm answering it in the way that I believe is the best way to answer your question, which is the President has been very, very clear. He's been clear about this. He's taken action. He put forth a -- a strategic plan to deal -- to counter antisemitism -- more than 100 new actions. And not just taking actions, but it is actions that -- across the administration. This is a whole-of-government process. Right?

We have the Department of Homeland Security that's involved. We have the Department of Education that's involved. We want to make sure that we're dealing with this -- not just words, not just speaking out, but taking action.

And so, look, the President is going to continue to monitor this. Obviously, he's going to continue to get regularly updated on this. We have spoken from this administration. You've heard from the Vice President; you've heard from the Second Gentleman. You've also heard from this President, who has taken questions on this.

And what we believe -- and we're very clear on this -- is that peacefully protesting within the law is something that every American should have the right to do. And we are also going to call out any type of antisemitism that we are hearing, that we are seeing -- the hate. That's something that we have done -- not just throughout this administration -- this President has done that throughout his -- his political career. And he's going to -- we're going to certainly continue to do that.

And so, look, that's ki- -- that's where we stand. I think that is a very forceful place to be when we say we have taken action. We have taken action here.

Q You -- you mentioned that the President has taken questions on this. Again, respectfully --

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah.

Q -- he -- he hasn't. He did take a question where he said he condemns those who don't understand what's going on with the Palestinians. I know you've been asked about that.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah.

Q But since you brought up Charlottesville, what do you say to those critics who say that he is trying to have it both ways -- that he's essentially, you know, trying to talk about both antisemitism and what's going on with the Palestinians?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I would say to those critics is -- no, he's not doing a both-sides scenario here. When you think about Charlottesville, you think about the -- the vile antisemitism that we heard on the streets of Charlottesville -- right here -- in Virginia -- right? -- not far from here -- the President and many of us wanted to make sure that was called out.

Somebody died. A young woman lost her life. And when the President saw that, it put him in a situation where he believed it was the right thing to speak against that. He wrote an op-ed that was in The Atlantic, because about that -- about that. He decided to run because of what he saw in Charlottesville. And that was just vile, nasty rhetoric.

And you had, you know, a former president talk about both sides. There was no "both sides" here. None. Absolutely none.

As it relates to the Palestinians, he was talking about the humanitarian -- a dire humanitarian situation that we're currently seeing. I just mentioned the Secretary -- Secretary Blinken is going to be talking about the humanitarian aid that we are trying to get into Gaza for the people of Gaza. We're trying to get this hostage deal done so that we can get hostages home and create an environment to get humanitarian aid that would lead -- also, the hostage- -- it would lead to a ceasefire.

Those things are not the same. They're just not the same -- fundamentally not the same. And it is in bad faith -- it is in bad faith to say that.

Go ahead, Anne. Oh --

Q Oh, ac- -- no, no, no.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:

Q It's fine. I have a -- I do -- had a similar question. But I believe you addressed it. I am also just curious: What are you meeting with POTUS about? You mentioned you were meeting.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Fair enough.

Well, as you know, the President is going to go to North Carolina tomorrow. So, that's going to be an important trip. And so, we'll be discussing that.

Okay. Go ahead. Yeah.

Q Oh, great. Okay. These protests that have been going on on college campuses, we're hearing that some of them are starting to wane a little bit. But they're not just a one-day protest; this has been going on for quite some time. Is there some concern within the Biden administration that this may be eroding public view -- if the court of public opinion may be turning against what the President is standing for and that maybe they're not hearing the antisemitism message?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I mean, we have been very consistent from this administration about antisemitism, calling out hateful speech. Antisemitism is hateful speech. Calling out hateful rhetoric, violent rhetoric, that is something -- when it pops up, when we hear about it, from this administration, we've been pretty consistent on calling that out. That should not be -- we should not be seeing this on campuses, in communities. It should not be part of the political discourse.

I think we've been very clear during -- throughout this administration, before this administration, throughout this President's career: We have to call that out.

I can't speak to polling. I can't speak to what is weighing in this poll. What I can speak to is what this President is going to continue to do, and what this administration is going to continue to do is call out -- call out this hateful speech, including antisemitism -- again, which is hateful speech. It is abhorrent. We got to call it out.

Go ahead.

Q Karine, what's your currently assessment of the risk to the U.S. milk and meat supply from the bird flu epidemic in cattle?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yep. So, I know that the Department of Agriculture has been on top of this. I know that they are not seeing any -- any concerns to -- to milk or any of the cattle or the meat -- or meat that we are be- -- that we are consuming. Well, I don't consume any meat, but some of you all -- -- you out there.

And so, obviously they are taking this very seriously. They are monitoring the situation. As far as -- as far as we understand it to be is that they believe that milk and -- and consuming meat is safe.

Q And from an inflation standpoint, is there any concern that there might be supply disruptions in that area that might lead to higher prices?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Well, as you know, you know, what -- because of the pandemic, there was a supply chain disruption. The President took action -- the American Rescue Plan -- which only, obviously, Democrats voted for -- the President signed -- helped deal with supply chain.

There is a -- a task force that was created to deal -- to make sure that, during the pandemic, that supply chain was dealt with in a way so that we can get out of this pandemic, get our -- the economy -- get back on our feet with the economy.

Look, this is something we're going to monitor. I don't have anything to share on -- on the question of inflation. We're -- obviously, we're going to continue to closely monitor.

Q And then, on another subject, the flooding in Kenya. I'm curious if there's any relief that's planned from the administration and whether it's affecting plans for the state visit later this month.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah, a couple of things on that. So, obviously, we extend our deepest condolences to the families, loved ones, and communities who have been impacted by the catastrophic flooding in East Africa -- obviously not just Kenya -- over the past month.

The U.S. is supporting some response efforts, particularly through the U.S. Agency for International Development -- USAID -- Bureau of Humanitarian Assistance.

For example, in Kenya, US- -- USAID has provided $600,000 to Kenya Red Cross Society, the Government of Kenya's lead responder for emergency flood response. That's in addition to more than $40 million that USAID has provided to humanitarian organizations in Kenya, who also have flexibility to respond to the current floods this year.

So, we continue to offer our continued and -- and resolute support to all who have been impacted and are closely monitoring the situation.

We do not see this impacting the state visit, as you just mentioned, on May 23 rd. But we're going to continue to offer our assi- -- our assistance and support.

Go ahead.

Q Thank you, Karine. The President, in less than three weeks, is going to be delivering commencement addresses at both Morehouse and West Point. What sort of environment is the White House preparing for the President to encounter there?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, when you speak about environment, security, or anything like that, that's something for the Secret Service to speak to. I can't speak to that. What I can say is the President is very much looking forward to speaking to graduates --

Q What mood does he expect to encounter on campus?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: What mood?

Q I know you can't talk about --

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Well, I -- I mean, look, I don't want to get into hypotheticals here. I -- you know, the President is hoping to encounter and deal -- and see family members and students who are thrilled and excited to be celebrating an important day. He's going to be celebrating that day with them, talking about their future, you know, hoping to deliver remarks that hit home for these graduates and -- and their families.

It's a special day. It's a special day. And so, he's looking forward to doing that. He did two -- two commencement speeches last year, two before then -- before that -- before -- before 2023, obviously. And so, this is something that he looks forward to doing.

I can't speak to the mood. I can't speak to security situation. I can't speak to that. I can't get into hypotheticals. I can speak to how important that moment is going to be. And the President certainly looks forward to it.

Q But is it the White House's expectation that some of the -- the current frustration on campus will have subsided by that time?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I --

Q And if so, why?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah, I don't have a crystal ball to look into and look into the future. I just don't. I -- I that is not something that I have the ability of doing.

What I can say is this is an important day. This is an important month -- important month, yes, graduation month -- but important day for these graduates. And he's -- you know, as the President tends to do when he speaks at graduation, he's going to meet the moment.

Q And just to follow up on a question about some of the reports from police that the protesters that were arrested in New York were not students. Yesterday, John Kirby said that there was no intelligence to support the idea that there were bad actors involved in some of these protests. Does the intelligence still support that?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I'm just going to be really mindful. I'm just not going to speak to that. There's local -- local enforcement -- local law enforcement on the ground. So I'll -- will -- I will speak to that.

I think what I can say, more broadly: This is a painful moment -- and we understand that -- for many communities, and we know that these kinds of charged moments pose challenges for law enforcement. And the President continues to believe, as I've said multiple times, that Americans have the right to peacefully protest within the law. That is their right. It is part of our freedoms here in America.

And at the same time, we are going to condemn anti- -- anti- -- antisemitism. We believe that is hate speech. We -- it is abhorrent. And we're going to continue to condemn that.

Q Thank you.

Q To -- what -- with that said, I mean, does the President believe New York Mayor Adams and leaders of Columbia University and City College of New York acted appropriately by having the protesters at those colleges as- -- colleges arrested and their encampments forcibly shut down?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: That is a decision for colleges and universities to decide on.

The law enforcement, if you think about local law enforcement, they know what's going on on the ground. They have a better sense of what's going on on the ground. And, obviously, they have to make decisions.

We are talking about protecting students and making sure that they feel safe on campus. We're talking about a small group of students who are disrupting that ability for students to have that academic experience. That's what we're talking about here.

We believe, and I will continue to say this, Americans have the right to peacefully protest within the law. That is incredibly important. And we also have to condemn hate. We have to condemn antisemitism. That is something that this President believes.

We also understand, as I just stated to your colleague, that many communities -- this is a painful time and is a very charged -- charged environment, charged moments. When you see those type of charged moments, they do pose challenges for law enforcement. But that is their decision to make.

Q But when we look nationwide, you know, all these protests erupting at college campuses, has the response, you know, been the appropriate response, or has it been, you know, too harsh?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So look, there's probab- -- there's going to be local investigations. There's going to be cases on this. And I don't want to get ahead of that. I can't go into every case here.

What I can say is, in these charged moments, we understand how difficult it is. We understand how -- how painful it is in this moment and how, because of that -- because of those -- of that -- those charged moments, it can be challenging for law enforcement.

At the same time, students have to be allowed, Americans have to be allowed to peacefully protest. That is important. That is part of our freedoms here in America. We got to make sure that we continue to say that. We believe, in this administration, that we have to continue to say that and call out any antisemitism that we see. It is dangerous. It is abhorrent. We got to call that out.

Q Karine --

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Go ahead. I'll .

Q Thanks, Karine. On a different topic. Would the President encouraged Democrats to help protect Speaker Johnson from being ousted from his role if Marjorie Taylor Greene were to make good on her threat to --

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: We've --

Q -- move forward next week?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: We've been very clear. When it comes to internal leadership discussions in Congress, we just do not get involved. That is for Democratic -- Democratic leadership to speak to. That's not something we get involved in.

Go ahead.

Q Thanks, Karine. I'm wondering if the White House has any response to the reports of violent clashes on UCLA's campus last night that there were -- there was a group of counter-protesters that tried to forcibly dismantle the pro-Palestine encampment and the clash that resulted afterwards.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, look, what I can say more broadly: Any form of violence, we are going to denounce. We're going to call out violent rhetoric. Any type of -- of violence, we have to call out. That doesn't change anything. We're going to continue to do that.

Go ahead.

Q Yeah, on that trip to North Carolina, does the President plan to visit the victims of Charlotte's mass shooting?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Don't have anything to share at this time. We'll have more later.

Go ahead, Jon.

Q To wit. Just to -- just a follow-up --

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Fair. Fair enough.

Q -- a follow-up with that question with --

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah. Which one? North Carolina?

Q North Carolina

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Okay.

Q Yeah, North Carolina. So, already on the schedule is the visit to Wilmington, North Carolina. It's expected that the President will also travel to Charlotte as well. Has the President reached out to the families of those law enforcement --

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah.

Q -- individuals who were killed in that tragic incident the --

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, here --

Q -- other day?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Here is what I will say: I don't have any -- any details to share with you at this time. But the President -- and you saw this in his statement yesterday -- he talked about the fou- -- four law enforcement officers. They were heroes who made the ultimate sacrifice. That's what you see. When they put on the uniform and the badge every day, they are putting their lives on the line, and they made the ultimate sacrifice.

So, obviously, we pray for -- for them. We pray for their families and others who were -- who were injured as a result of this senseless violence -- senseless violence. And so, we're continuing -- we'll continue to keep them in [DEL: their :DEL] [our] prayers.

As it relates to North Carolina tomorrow, I just don't have anything to share at this time.

Go ahead.

Q I have a question on Elon Musk's China visit. He concluded a surprise visit recently, meeting with senior Communist Party officials and made some deals with -- to work with the Chinese technology companies. Is the White House worried that the U.S. advanced electric vehicle technology will be in China's hands? And would the administration look into the deal if there is a national --

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I --

Q -- security concern?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I'm going to be really careful. Elon Musk is a private citizen. I'm just not going to speak to his travels from here. I'm just not going to speak to it.

Go ahead. Go ahead, Adam.

Q Hi. Thanks. I wanted to follow up once more on Gabe's question, because I think the way that --

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah.

Q -- you responded leaves maybe the impression that the White House views antisemitism as synonymous with the protests as a whole. That's the only issue you're going to --

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: No, I was -- I was very clear about --

Q So --

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: There's a small number of students who are causing the disruption, and I've been very clear about that. And we have to make sure that we create a safe environment -- a safe environment is created for students to -- to learn, for students to be able to go to graduation. I've been very clear: a small number of students.

Q So, I -- so, maybe this specific question because --

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah, sure. Sure, sure.

Q What -- what is the White House -- how do they -- how does the White House view the protests themselves, the causes behind them, the frustrations behind them? How do -- does White House view those as legitimate?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, look, topline here: Every -- every American has the right to peacefully protest within the law. That is something that we believe. Seizing buildings, taking over buildings is not peacefully protesting. I think we've been very, very clear about that. That is not peacefully protesting.

Students have the right to attend class and feel safe and feel like they are in a safe campus environment. That's what we want to see.

And I've also said over and over again, we believe that it is a small percentage of students who are causing this disrupt- -- disruption, and they're causing a disruption that -- that really takes away from students' academic experience -- might take away, for some, their commencement experience, which is supposed to be a really important day for many of these graduates.

And so, at the same time, we're going to continue to underscore that antisemitism should be called out. It is hate speech, and that should not be allowed -- not on college campuses, not in communities, not in the political discourse. And so, been very clear about that, and we're going to continue to do so.

Q And in terms of, you know, the causes that are driving these protests -- the frustration --

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah.

Q -- with the war in Gaza, the frustration with U.S. support for Israel and this offensive -- does the White House view the drivers of these protests as legitimate?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: We believe and understand -- understand that this is a painful moment for many communities. We get that. I mean, we say that over and over again. That's why the President and senior White House officials here have had multiple conversations with members of that -- of those communities -- to hear from them, to listen to them.

And we also believe people have the right -- Americans have the right to peacefully protest. That is part of what -- freedoms here in America, that's what it all means. It is important to be able to peacefully protest within the law.

Hate speech should not be allowed. We should condemn that. That's what this administration has always been consistent about and clear about. And we're going to continue to do that.

Go ahead.

AIDE: Karine.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Oh.

Q Thank you, Karine. Some of these encampments, they had matching tents. We're being told that there are professional outside agitators involved. We don't know if they're being paid to sow chaos by domestic folks or foreign entities. Does President Biden want his administration to find out who is funding some of these protests?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: What I can say -- I -- you know, I cannot -- I cannot speak to the organizations that are being reported -- that -- that's on the ground. That is not something for me to speak to. That is obviously something that local governments -- local official -- I keep saying "local government" -- local officials are going to speak to. They'll have better information on that.

What we have said -- and I don't think I've iterated that yet from here -- is that the DOJ and FBI is going to continue to offer support to universities and colleges with -- in respect to federal laws. So, that is something that the DOJ and FBI is doing.

As far as local organizations and what is all being reported on the ground, that is something that I'm -- that local law enforcement certainly is looking into.

Q And I understand that President Biden historically has spoken very forcefully about antisemitism, but this week he's not. He's MIA. Is he that worried about losing the youth vote with these protestors?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I'm going to be mindful. You're talking about "youth vote." You're talking about 2024.

Q Support of young people.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: No, no, no. I -- I have to say what I have to say and just give me a second. So, I'm not going to speak about --

Somebody's doorbell? Is that a doorbell?

Q An alarm.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: An alarm. Okay. All right.

And I'll speak more broadly. I can't speak to youth pe- -- youth and support and voters. That's not something I can do from here.

The President has taken a lot of policy actions here that he knows that young people care about. And a lot of those actions are popular with those young folks, whether it's giving a little bit of breathing room with student debt relief.

So- -- we made an announcement today, matter of fact, and we are going to continue to do that because we think it's important as families or as an American and you coming out of college and you want to build a family, buy a home, you have the opportunity to do that and not be crushed by student debt. The President understands how important it is to deal with that issue.

Climate change -- something that young people really, truly care about. One of the crises that the President said he came in to having to deal with was the climate change crisis. This is a president who has taken more -- have taken aggressive, aggressive action to deal with climate crisis.

Look, I can't speak to -- I can't speak to youth voters or their support. What we're going to do is continue to take actions that we believe helps all Americans in all communities.

Q And you mentioned what he said in 2017, after Charlottesville. He said about Trump's response then, "Charlottesville, for me, was a moment where I thought silence would be complicity."

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah.

Q So, how does he explain, how you explain --

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah.

Q -- his silence this week?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: The President has not been silent on this issue when it comes to hate speech, antisemitism. He started --

Q He -- he has.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Wait. He started -- he launched the first-ever antisemitism -- Strategy to Counter Antisemitism, something that no other president did. No other president

do --

Q In the time since, a school building on a -- at an Ivy League campus got taken over.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: And I -- and we call that out. And we said: That is not peacefully protesting. Taking over a building at a university is -- or a college is not peacefully protesting.

And we've been very clear. We've been very clear -- taking more than a hundred new actions to deal with antisemitism in this administration, no one has ever done that before. Not any other administration has ever done that before.

Q Does he think it's working? You're talking about 2017 --

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: We're going to continue -- we're going to continue --

Q -- vile, antisemitic rhetoric --

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: We're going to continue to do the work. And it's not just here in the White House. We're talking about DOJ. We're talking about Homeland Security. Right? We're talking about Department of -- Department of Education, talking and working with campuses and colleges to deal with this issue.

We have seen a uptick in antisemitism in the last, certainly, several months and in the past year. And we have to call that out. And it is not okay. It is not okay.

Go ahead, Phil.

Q Thank you. Two quick questions here. You've made the distinction between the President's support for peaceful protest and, say, less-than-peaceful protests. I'm curious, what is the President's view and what is the view of the White House on some of these college campuses where we've seen the U.S. flag torn down and the Palestinian flag replace it?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: What I will say is this. Americans have the right to peacefully protest within the law -- within the law. And we have to re- -- we have to also respect that, you know, we cannot disturb campuses in the way of taking over buildings, in the way that we have seen. That is not peacefully protest. It's just not.

And, you know, look, we have seen some really vile, hateful -- hateful language used against the Jewish community -- Jewish Americans in this country. It is a dangerous time for that community. And we have been very clear about what we need to do to fight that hate but also condemn that hate.

And so, we're going to continue to do that. And as it relates to what's happening, obviously, the actions that colleges and universities are -- are taking, obviously, it's up to them. They're on the ground. But we're going to continue to call that out.

Q And then zooming out just a little bit here. You know, not all of these protesters have expressed antisemitism, but some have. And I'm -- I'm curious: Does the President believe that at, perhaps, some of these universities that higher education has gone off the rails, that, you know, something more fundamental has gone wrong on these college campuses?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I mean, I wouldn't go that far. And I've been -- and you said it in your question to me. It is a small percentage of students who are causing this disruption. And students should be -- feel safe to go to school. They should be -- feel safe to be able to have that all-important academic experience. They should be able to have -- and have their commencement and be able to have their families and loved ones show up for them on that important day.

And I wouldn't go that far in your question because, as I stated and you stated, we believe it's a small number of students who are causing this disruption. And if they are going to protest, Americans have the right to do it in a peaceful way within the law. And we're going to continue to call out hateful speech as we have been.

Q One more. One more, Karine.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Thanks, everybody. Thanks, everyone.

1:38 P.M. EDT

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

May 8, 2024

On May 9, the President will travel to San Francisco, California. On May 10, the President will participate in two campaign receptions in the Bay Area. The President will then travel to Seattle, Washington and participate in campaign receptions on May 10 and 11.

Additional details to follow.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

May 8, 2024

The President is announcing his intent to nominate one individual to a federal circuit court and three individuals to federal district courts--all of whom are extraordinarily qualified, experienced, and devoted to the rule of law and our Constitution.

These choices also continue to fulfill the President's promise to ensure that the nation's courts reflect the diversity that is one of our greatest assets as a country--both in terms of personal and professional backgrounds.

This will be President Biden's forty-ninth round of nominees for federal judicial positions, bringing the number of announced federal judicial nominees to 240.

United States Circuit Court Announcement

1. Judge Embry J. Kidd: Nominee for the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit

Judge Embry J. Kidd has been a United States Magistrate Judge for the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida since 2019. Judge Kidd previously served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Florida from 2014 to 2019. From 2009 to 2014, Judge Kidd worked as an associate at Williams & Connolly LLP in Washington, D.C. Judge Kidd served as a law clerk for Judge Roger L. Gregory on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit from 2008 to 2009. He received his J.D. from Yale Law School in 2008 and his B.A. from Emory University in 2005.

United States District Court Announcements

1. Judge Adam B. Abelson: Nominee for the United States District Court for the District of Maryland

Judge Adam B. Abelson has been a United States Magistrate Judge for the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland since 2023. Prior to his judicial service, Judge Abelson worked in private practice at Zuckerman Spaeder LLP from 2012 to 2023, rising from associate to partner. He served as a law clerk for Judge Andre M. Davis on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit from 2011 to 2012 and Judge Catherine C. Blake on the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland from 2010 to 2011. Judge Abelson received his J.D., magna cum laude, from New York University School of Law in 2010 and his B.A., cum laude, from Princeton University in 2005.

2. Judge Joseph F. Saporito, Jr.: Nominee for the United States District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania

Judge Joseph F. Saporito, Jr. has been a United States Magistrate Judge for the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania since 2015 and has been the Court's Chief United States Magistrate Judge since February 2024. Prior to his appointment to the bench, Judge Saporito served as a part-time Assistant Public Defender in the Office of the Public Defender for the County of Luzerne, Pennsylvania from 1985 to 2015, while concurrently maintaining a private legal practice at Saporito & Saporito and then Saporito, Saporito & Falcone. Judge Saporito received his J.D. from the Dickinson School of Law in 1985, and his B.A. from Villanova University in 1982.

3. Judge Meredith A. Vacca: Nominee for the United States District Court for the Western District of New York

Judge Meredith A. Vacca has been a judge on the Monroe County Court since 2021 and an Acting Justice on the New York State Supreme Court since 2023. Judge Vacca previously served as an Assistant District Attorney in the Monroe County District Attorney's Office in Rochester, New York from 2007 to 2020. From 2005 to 2007, she worked as an associate at Hamberger & Weiss LLP. Judge Vacca received her J.D. from the University of Buffalo School of Law in 2005 and her B.A. from Colgate University in 2002.

Presidential Actions

2024-05-08

United States Circuit Court Announcement

Judge Embry J. Kidd has been a United States Magistrate Judge for the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida since 2019. Judge Kidd previously served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Florida from 2014 to 2019. From 2009 to 2014, Judge Kidd worked as an associate at Williams & Connolly LLP in Washington, D.C. Judge Kidd served as a law clerk for Judge Roger L. Gregory on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit from 2008 to 2009. He received his J.D. from Yale Law School in 2008 and his B.A. from Emory University in 2005.

United States District Court Announcements

Judge Adam B. Abelson has been a United States Magistrate Judge for the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland since 2023. Prior to his judicial service, Judge Abelson worked in private practice at Zuckerman Spaeder LLP from 2012 to 2023, rising from associate to partner. He served as a law clerk for Judge Andre M. Davis on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit from 2011 to 2012 and Judge Catherine C. Blake on the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland from 2010 to 2011. Judge Abelson received his J.D., magna cum laude, from New York University School of Law in 2010 and his B.A., cum laude, from Princeton University in 2005.

Judge Joseph F. Saporito, Jr. has been a United States Magistrate Judge for the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania since 2015 and has been the Court's Chief United States Magistrate Judge since February 2024. Prior to his appointment to the bench, Judge Saporito served as a part-time Assistant Public Defender in the Office of the Public Defender for the County of Luzerne, Pennsylvania from 1985 to 2015, while concurrently maintaining a private legal practice at Saporito & Saporito and then Saporito, Saporito & Falcone. Judge Saporito received his J.D. from the Dickinson School of Law in 1985, and his B.A. from Villanova University in 1982.

Judge Meredith A. Vacca has been a judge on the Monroe County Court since 2021 and an Acting Justice on the New York State Supreme Court since 2023. Judge Vacca previously served as an Assistant District Attorney in the Monroe County District Attorney's Office in Rochester, New York from 2007 to 2020. From 2005 to 2007, she worked as an associate at Hamberger & Weiss LLP. Judge Vacca received her J.D. from the University of Buffalo School of Law in 2005 and her B.A. from Colgate University in 2002.

Statements and Releases

2024-05-08

Six years ago, the prior administration touted a $10 billion investment by Foxconn that never materialized – now Microsoft will build a new AI datacenter on the same land, powering industries of the future in Wisconsin

Today's announcement is part of President Biden's broader effort to invest in industries of the future and American workers in communities across the country. Already, his Investing in America agenda has unleashed $866 billion in private sector investments in clean energy and manufacturing, and the Administration has announced 51,000 infrastructure projects across the country. These investments are creating an environment where companies are building lasting relationships in communities like Racine. Under the President's agenda:

Giving Racine families breathing room
In addition to keeping his promise to leave no community behind, President Biden's agenda is lowering costs for working families in Racine and across Wisconsin, including by:

Congressional Republicans have no plan to lower costs. In fact, their plan raises cost for working families in Wisconsin by:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

May 8, 2024

Six years ago, the prior administration touted a $10 billion investment by Foxconn that never materialized – now Microsoft will build a new AI datacenter on the same land, powering industries of the future in Wisconsin

Today, President Biden will travel to Racine, Wisconsin – the same location as the failed Foxconn investment that the prior administration visited six years ago – to showcase a community at the heart of his commitment to invest in places that have been historically overlooked or failed by the last administration's policies. President Biden will announce a $3.3 billion investment by Microsoft to build a new artificial intelligence datacenter in Racine, creating 2,300 union construction jobs and 2,000 permanent jobs over time. Microsoft will also provide skilling opportunities for thousands more Wisconsinites in the digital economy. The datacenter will be built on the same land as a failed $10 billion investment from Taiwanese electronics manufacturer Foxconn six years ago, which left behind Wisconsin residents and workers.

President Biden's Investing in America agenda is growing the economy from the middle-out and bottom-up, giving Americans more breathing room, and unleashing hundreds of billions of dollars of private sector investment in industries of the future, including AI, clean energy, semiconductors, and more. Breaking from failed trickle-down policies of past administrations, President Biden's agenda is bringing innovation hubs to every corner of the country. President Biden is delivering on his promise to create good jobs that will have a lasting impact on communities and families.

Delivering on promises for Racine workers and families

From after the Civil War through the 1960 s, manufacturing powered growth in Racine, Wisconsin. At its peak, manufacturing employed roughly half of Racine's workforce, but over the years, trickle-down economics wore that away. Manufacturers shut down and shipped jobs overseas.

Six years ago, the prior administration touted a $10 billion investment by Foxconn that would purportedly create 13,000 manufacturing jobs in Racine. But after 100 homes and farms were bulldozed to make way for the manufacturing plant and over $500 million in taxpayer dollars were invested to prepare the site, no such investment materialized. Foxconn abandoned plans to manufacture LCD screens in the state and created only a fraction of the promised jobs. In fact, in the four years prior to President Biden taking office, 1,000 manufacturing jobs left Racine, and 6,000 manufacturing jobs left Wisconsin.

President Biden promised that unlike his predecessor, he wouldn't leave communities like Racine behind. Since President Biden took office, nearly 4,000 jobs have been added in Racine – a third of them in manufacturing -- and 177,000 jobs have been added in Wisconsin. With new business applications up 68% from pre-pandemic levels, Racine has experienced some of the strongest new business growth in the state under President Biden's leadership. And, President Biden's Investing in America agenda is attracting industries of the future, investing in workforce pipelines that leave no community behind, and helping Racine power the AI and innovation economy.

Building an AI ecosystem in Wisconsin

On the land left vacant by Foxconn's failed investment in Racine County, Microsoft will invest $3.3 billion in a new datacenter. Microsoft is committed to creating good-paying jobs with growth pathways and comprehensive benefits such as paid family leave. Microsoft will pair its datacenter investment with a commitment to investing in innovation and workforce in Racine and statewide. Microsoft will partner with Gateway Technical College to develop a Datacenter Academy that trains 1,000 Wisconsinites for datacenter and STEM roles by 2030, and will employ up to 2,000 people in permanent roles at its Racine facility. And, Microsoft will build a Co-Innovation Lab in southeast Wisconsin, as well as team up with the startup accelerator Gener8 tor to train 1,000 business leaders to adopt AI in their operations, so that Wisconsin manufacturers can seize AI's promise. Together, these investments will position the industrial heartland to lead the way in industries of the future.

President Biden has acted boldly to ensure America leads in AI innovation, driven by communities like Racine. The President signed a landmark Executive Order on AI last year that directed actions to provide AI entrepreneurs access to technical assistance and resources, help small businesses commercialize AI breakthroughs, and expand grants for AI research in vital areas like healthcare and climate change. In January, through the new Regional Innovation Engines program, the Biden Administration announced 10 awards for place-based research and development partnerships, including ones with a focus on advancing AI. And, President Biden has taken bold steps to ensure workers and organized labor are front and center in the growth and development of AI. The President's landmark Executive Order on AI directed new protections for workers, including the release of guidance to assist federal contractors and employers with complying with worker protection laws as they deploy AI in the

workplace. As part of Microsoft's efforts to build an AI ecosystem in Wisconsin, their training programs will help introduce workers to AI skills and technologies, helping them access and benefit from the AI economy.

Investing in Wisconsin and Investing in America

Today's announcement is part of President Biden's broader effort to invest in industries of the future and American workers in communities across the country. Already, his Investing in America agenda has unleashed $866 billion in private sector investments in clean energy and manufacturing, and the Administration has announced 51,000 infrastructure projects across the country. These investments are creating an environment where companies are building lasting relationships in communities like Racine. Under the President's agenda:

1. The Department of Commerce designated the Wisconsin Biohealth Tech Hub as a Tech Hub under the CHIPS and Science Act. The Wisconsin Biohealth Tech Hub, serving the Madison and Milwaukee-Waukesha regions, aims to position Wisconsin as a global leader in personalized medicine, an emerging healthcare approach that tailors tests, treatments, and therapies informed by a patient's unique genetic code, medical record, and environment.

2. Milwaukee has been named an Investing in America Workforce Hub--an initiative to bring together state and local elected officials, community leaders, and federal staff to drive evidence-based partnerships for place-based workforce development programs.

3. Wisconsin has received $6.9 billion from the President's Investing in America agenda for infrastructure and clean energy. That includes $1.06 billion to replace the Blatnik Bridge -- a 1.5-mile-long bridge that connects Duluth, MN and Superior, WI that cannot currently carry large or heavy trucks, causing lengthy detours for regional freight -- $1.6 billion to deliver internet to everyone in Wisconsin, and $811 million to provide clean water across Wisconsin.

4. The Grow Milwaukee Coalition was selected as one of 22 finalists for the Department of Commerce Recompete Distressed Area Pilot Program to invest in revitalizing Milwaukee's historic 30 th Street Industrial Corridor and connecting the historically segregated Black community to economic opportunity across the city. Grow Milwaukee will compete for $190 million in total funding for locally-led economic development plans.

5. Wisconsin has seen an influx of investments from industries of the future, including clean energy and advanced manufacturing.

1. Last summer, thanks to President Biden's Made in America policies and commitment to ensure internet access for all Americans by 2030, Nokia announced a new partnership with Sanmina Corporation to create 200 jobs and manufacture fiber-optic broadband electronics in the United States for the first time in the company's history. The investment was in part spurred by the Biden-Harris Administration's investment of $1.1 billion to connect every home and business in Wisconsin to high-speed internet through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

2. Ingeteam, a clean energy manufacturing company with a plant in Milwaukee, will begin manufacturing electric vehicle fast chargers this year, driven by the Made in America requirements for U.S.-made EV charging infrastructure funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

Giving Racine families breathing room

In addition to keeping his promise to leave no community behind, President Biden's agenda is lowering costs for working families in Racine and across Wisconsin, including by:

1. Saving 426,000 Wisconsin families $30–75 per month on their internet bills thanks to the Affordable Connectivity Program, which Republicans in Congress need to extend this month so these families' internet bills do not increase.

2. Saving customers of a Milwaukee-based utility company around $2 billion on utility bills thanks to an investment in clean energy.

3. Saving 1.3 million Wisconsin Medicare beneficiaries money on prescription drugs, insulin, and vaccines.

4. Saving 266,000 people in Wisconsin hundreds of dollars per year on health insurance.

5. Canceling student debt for 44,000 borrowers in Wisconsin , and announcing in Madison new plans to provide debt relief to over 30 million Americans .

6. President Biden would lower housing costs by building more than 2 million homes.

Congressional Republicans have no plan to lower costs. In fact, their plan raises cost for working families in Wisconsin by:

7. Increasing costs for health care, prescription drugs, and insulin by repealing the Inflation Reduction Act and Affordable Care Act and slash Medicare.

8. Increasing utility bills and energy costs by repealing the Inflation Reduction Act.

9. Cutting Social Security by $1.5 trillion and raising Medicare costs for seniors.

10. Raising taxes for middle-class families by repealing the Inflation Reduction Act and Affordable Care Act.

11. Raising housing costs by cutting rental assistance and programs to build new homes.

12. Repealing the Biden-Harris Administration's SAVE Plan, which is helping millions of Americans save money on their monthly student loan payments.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

May 7, 2024

Wednesday, May 8, 2024

At 12:15 PM ET, the Vice President will depart Washington, DC en route to Philadelphia PA. This departure from Joint Base Andrews will be pooled press.

At 1:00 PM ET, the Vice President will arrive in Philadelphia, PA . This arrival at Philadelphia International Airport will be pooled press and open to pre-credentialed media.

At 2:30 PM ET, the Vice President will participate in a campaign event that is pooled press and open to pre-credentialed media.

At 5:05 PM ET, the Vice President will depart Philadelphia, PA en route to Washington, DC. This departure from Philadelphia International Airport will be pooled press.

At 5:55 PM ET, the Vice President will arrive in Washington, DC. This arrival at Joint Base Andrews will be pooled press.

At 7:00 PM ET, the Vice President will deliver remarks at the EMILY's List "We Are EMILY" National Gala in Washington, DC. This event will be pooled press and open to pre-credentialed media.

# # #

Statements and Releases

2024-05-07

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

May 7, 2024

On Migration and Protection in Guatemala

Nearly two years ago, in response to the historic challenge of migration and forced displacement, President Biden launched the Los Angeles Declaration on Migration and Protection, with 20 leaders from across the Western Hemisphere. The Los Angeles Declaration is a first-of-its-kind framework to promote coordinated action under three core pillars: (1) addressing root causes and supporting the integration of migrants to foster long-term stabilization; (2) expanding lawful pathways; and (3) strengthening humane enforcement.

On May 7, 2024, Guatemala hosted the third Los Angeles Declaration Ministerial with foreign ministers and senior representatives from 20 endorsing countries. Secretary of State Antony Blinken led the U.S. delegation, alongside White House Coordinator for the Los Angeles Declaration Marcela Escobari, Department of Homeland Security Acting Deputy Secretary Kristie Canegallo, and USAID Acting Assistant Administrator for Latin America and the Caribbean Michael Camilleri. The United States is grateful for President Arévalo's leadership in hosting the Ministerial.

On behalf of the United States, Secretary Blinken announced $578 million in humanitarian, development, and economic assistance to support partner countries and host communities in responding to urgent humanitarian needs, expanding lawful pathways, and supporting the regularization and integration of migrants. The United States also announced expanded enforcement partnerships to deter irregular migration, including increased consequences for the smuggling networks that prey on vulnerable migrants. The U.S. Government reiterated its commitment to work alongside partners to establish a permanent, regionally-driven Secretariat to ensure that coordinated progress is sustained under the Los Angeles Declaration.

The endorsing countries presented progress toward their commitments under the Los Angeles Declaration and announced the following new initiatives.

Strengthening Humane Enforcement

The United States took steps on May 6 to impose visa restrictions on executives of several Colombian maritime transportation companies for facilitating irregular migration to the United States. These are part of a broader set of U.S. actions targeting owners, executives, and senior officials of companies providing transportation by land, sea, or charter air designed for use primarily by persons intending to irregularly migrate to the United States. Earlier restrictions were placed on individuals in the charter air sector.

The International Air Transport Association and several of its member airlines committed to concerted action to limit the use of commercial flights for irregular migration.

The United States and Costa Rica announced the establishment of a new Biometric Data Sharing Partnership to enhance Costa Rica's biometric collection and matching, and strengthen its border management, thereby increasing safety and security in the region. The United States and Costa Rica also signed a memorandum of understanding outlining bilateral cooperation in countering trafficking in persons.

The United States is deploying additional resources to Guatemala to increase security at land, air, and sea ports throughout the country, increasing screening and vetting in the region.

The United States will expand public awareness of the CBP One™ mobile app among migrants seeking to enter the United States. From January 2023 through the end of March 2024, more than 547,000 individuals have used CBP One™ and presented themselves to a port of entry for processing, instead of risking their lives at the hands of smugglers.

The United States leads the Countering Human Trafficking and Migrant Smuggling Action Package Committee under the Los Angeles Declaration, coordinating international efforts to target, investigate, arrest, and prosecute human smuggling organizations that are preying on vulnerable migrants.

Partner countries reaffirmed their commitment to stem extracontinental irregular migration through increased use of transit visas, passenger vetting, and enforcement measures against entities and individuals that profit from irregular migration.

Expanding Lawful Pathways for Migration and Protection

President Biden rebuilt our refugee resettlement program and led a historic expansion of lawful pathways to the United States and partner countries. Under the President's Safe Mobility Offices initiative to deter irregular migration and expand lawful pathways in the Western Hemisphere, we are on track to increase six-fold the number of approved refugees from the region. Already, over 21,000 individuals have been approved to resettle safely and legally in the United States through the Safe Mobility Offices in Guatemala, Costa Rica, Colombia, and Ecuador.

Guatemala and the United States announced that the Safe Mobility Offices in Guatemala will expand eligibility to include Hondurans, Salvadorans, and Nicaraguans present in Guatemala.

Costa Rica and the United States announced that the Safe Mobility Offices in Costa Rica will expand eligibility to accept Ecuadorians.

The United States reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening lawful pathways. Under the Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, Venezuela parole process, flows of irregular migrants from these four countries have been reduced significantly, while 435,000 vetted and cleared individuals of these nationalities have been approved to lawfully enter the United States. Applicants must have a U.S.-based financial supporter, pass vetting and background checks, and meet other established criteria to receive advanced travel authorization. Once paroled on a case-by-case basis, CHNV nationals are eligible to apply for work authorization and start work immediately.

USAID announced plans to launch a new regional labor mobility initiative -- "Alianza de Movilidad Laboral para las Américas" or "Labor Neighbors" -- to increase access to lawful temporary labor pathways for new migrant-source and destination countries. The initiative will work with international organizations and other partners to provide technical assistance to countries across the region to identify eligible workers to meet pressing labor needs.

The Department of Labor launched a $3 million project to strengthen protections for workers participating in U.S. temporary foreign worker programs. The United States also announced it is joining the International Labor Organization's Fair Recruitment Initiative and its Advisory Committee. The initiative seeks to ensure that domestic and cross-border recruitment practices are grounded in international labor standards, promote gender equality, and prevent human trafficking and forced labor. These steps reinforce the Biden Administration's Presidential Memorandum on Advancing Worker Empowerment, Rights, and High Labor Standards Globally and its steadfast commitment to protecting worker rights at home and around the world.

Mexico announced that, since 2022, it has issued over 17,500 temporary visas to individuals seeking international protection to address labor shortages in the country. Additionally, Mexico has launched a pilot program in collaboration with the Haitian Embassy, International Organization for Migration, and the Tent Partnership to expand labor pathways, offering job opportunities and work permits to Haitian migrants.

Costa Rica committed to continue modernizing its asylum system through digitalization, data-driven solutions, and adopting practices to streamline refugee status determination with support from UNCHR and the international community.

Canada confirmed it will take UNHCR referrals from the Safe Mobility Offices, as part of Canada's ongoing commitment to this important initiative. Canada has also made significant progress on its commitment to welcome 15,000 migrants from the Americas region. Canada is also investing $75 million Canadian dollars over six years to fund capacity building projects to strengthen migration and protection systems in the region.

Addressing Root Causes and Supporting the Integration of Migrants to Foster Long-term Stabilization

The United States reaffirmed its commitment to addressing the root causes of irregular migration. The U.S. International Development Finance Corporation is announcing the approval of a $20 million direct loan to Cosami, a savings and loan cooperative, for low-income mortgages in rural Guatemala. Cosami's assistance will help finance the construction of borrowers' first homes, helping to improve living conditions, create jobs, and promote economic growth in lower-income communities.

With initial support from the U.S. Government, the International Organization for Migration launched a new online platform and data portal for the Los Angeles Declaration, which enables endorsing countries to obtain, share, and disseminate best practices and data.

Ecuador announced that, under a new regularization program, those who have already registered will be able to complete their process to obtain a temporary resident visa and more migrants will be able to apply for a temporary visa.

Colombia announced a plan for regularization of irregular migrants through special permits for parents and legal guardians of children with valid Temporary Protective Status. Colombia also announced a new special permanent visa for Latin American and Caribbean migrants without regular status in the country. The Colombian government estimates these actions will benefit up to 600,000 individuals.

Costa Rica committed to expand the Special Temporary Category regularization pathway and reduce barriers to access with continued assistance from the international community.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

May 7, 2024

Readout of President Biden's Meeting with President Iohannis of Romania

President Biden welcomed Romanian President Klaus Iohannis to the White House today to celebrate Romania's 20^th anniversary as a member of the NATO Alliance. President Biden thanked Romania for graciously hosting U.S. servicemembers and for its commitment to security in NATO's Eastern Flank, including in the Black Sea region. President Biden applauded Romania's defense investments, which have consistently exceeded its NATO pledge to spend at least 2 percent of its GDP on defense. The leaders reaffirmed their steadfast support for Ukraine as it defends itself against Russia's senseless aggression, and President Biden expressed his appreciation for Romania's support to Ukrainian refugees and efforts to move Ukrainian grain to market.

Both leaders agreed that bilateral cooperation on energy security is critical. They noted this is one of many areas of our growing economic and commercial relationship.

Statements and Releases

2024-05-07

President Biden welcomed Romanian President Klaus Iohannis to the White House today to celebrate Romania's 20^thanniversary as a member of the NATO Alliance. President Biden thanked Romania for graciously hosting U.S. servicemembers and for its commitment to security in NATO's Eastern Flank, including in the Black Sea region. President Biden applauded Romania's defense investments, which have consistently exceeded its NATO pledge to spend at least 2 percent of its GDP on defense. The leaders reaffirmed their steadfast support for Ukraine as it defends itself against Russia's senseless aggression, and President Biden expressed his appreciation for Romania's support to Ukrainian refugees and efforts to move Ukrainian grain to market.

Both leaders agreed that bilateral cooperation on energy security is critical. They noted this is one of many areas of our growing economic and commercial relationship.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

May 7, 2024

Roger Altman, Founder and Senior Chairman, Evercore

Brendan Bechtel, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Bechtel Group

Ursula Burns, Retired Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Xerox

Anthony Capuano, President and Chief Executive Officer, Marriott International

Jane Fraser, Chief Executive Officer, Citi

Scott Kirby, Chief Executive Officer, United Airlines

Wendell P. Weeks, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Corning

Administration Participants

Secretary of the Treasury Janet Yellen

Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo

Chief of Staff Jeff Zients

Counselor to the President Steve Ricchetti

National Economic Advisor Lael Brainard

Senior Advisor to the President and Director of Public Engagement Steve Benjamin

Deputy Secretary of the Treasury Wally Adeyemo

Statements and Releases

2024-05-07

For Immediate Release

May 7, 2024

Remarks as Prepared for Delivery by First Lady Jill Biden at Event to Honor Memory of World War I Service Members

The East Room

Welcome to the White House!

"They were mortal, but they were unconquerable." Those are the words etched into the stone of the National World War I Memorial.

Through DC's wilting heat and beating rain, the memorial shares the echoes of our history, of the heroes – who gave their all so that others could be free, for the hope that our world could know peace. That spirit lives on in the service members who returned, and the families who served alongside them.

The spouses and children left on our shores, who watched a piece of their hearts walk away, who waited – with love and hope – for their service members to come home. I know so many in this room are part of that legacy – have family who served in World War I. America will always remember your family's sacrifice. And now, we can honor it for the world to see in our nation's front yard, because of all of you.

Military spouses and children may not wear the uniform, but they serve our country too. That was true a century ago and it's true now.

That's why I started Joining Forces, my White House initiative to support military and veteran families, caregivers, and survivors.

The Bidens are a military family. My father was a Navy Signalman in World War II. And our son, Major Beau Biden, served for a year in Iraq as part of the Delaware Army National Guard. So, this is personal to us.

I know so many of you have worked long and hard to bring this memorial to Washington. Your work commemorates a generation who changed our world with their courage and sacrifice. And as we stand before the rippling water and lines of soldiers, we feel our history weaving with our present, stitching us to something greater than we are alone.

As your First Lady, as a military mom and military daughter, with all my heart, thank you.

Now, please welcome, someone who has put so much heart and hard work into making this memorial possible, Chairman Hamby.

Speeches and Remarks

2024-05-07

The East Room

Welcome to the White House!

"They were mortal, but they were unconquerable." Those are the words etched into the stone of the National World War I Memorial.

Through DC's wilting heat and beating rain, the memorial shares the echoes of our history, of the heroes – who gave their all so that others could be free, for the hope that our world could know peace. That spirit lives on in the service members who returned, and the families who served alongside them.

The spouses and children left on our shores, who watched a piece of their hearts walk away, who waited – with love and hope – for their service members to come home. I know so many in this room are part of that legacy – have family who served in World War I. America will always remember your family's sacrifice. And now, we can honor it for the world to see in our nation's front yard, because of all of you.

Military spouses and children may not wear the uniform, but they serve our country too. That was true a century ago and it's true now.

That's why I started Joining Forces, my White House initiative to support military and veteran families, caregivers, and survivors.

The Bidens are a military family. My father was a Navy Signalman in World War II. And our son, Major Beau Biden, served for a year in Iraq as part of the Delaware Army National Guard. So, this is personal to us.

I know so many of you have worked long and hard to bring this memorial to Washington. Your work commemorates a generation who changed our world with their courage and sacrifice. And as we stand before the rippling water and lines of soldiers, we feel our history weaving with our present, stitching us to something greater than we are alone.

As your First Lady, as a military mom and military daughter, with all my heart, thank you.

Now, please welcome, someone who has put so much heart and hard work into making this memorial possible, Chairman Hamby.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

May 7, 2024

On Thursday, May 16, Vice President Kamala Harris will return to Milwaukee, WI for the third stop on her nationwide Economic Opportunity Tour. This will be her fourth visit to the state this year and her eighth since being sworn in.

Vice President Harris began her Economic Opportunity Tour with a moderated conversation in Atlanta, GA on April 29 followed by a speech in Detroit, MI earlier this week. During each stop, the Vice President is highlighting how the Biden-Harris Administration has built economic opportunity, supported communities, and delivered historic investments for the American people. This includes making unprecedented investments in small businesses and achieving the fastest creation of

Black-owned small businesses in more than 30 years, creating a record number of jobs, increasing access to capital for underserved communities, erasing medical debt, forgiving more student loan debt than any administration in history and boosting investments in education, making housing more affordable, lowering child care costs, and increasing the wealth of American families. She is being joined on the tour by Administration officials, members of Congress, and local leaders.

Last month, Vice President Harris visited La Crosse to convene nursing home care workers for an announcement about two final rules to establish minimum staffing requirements for federally funded nursing homes, and help raise pay for home and community-based service workers. In March, she visited Madison to highlight the Biden-Harris Administration's investments in clean energy infrastructure and tout a new Executive Order to expand

registered apprenticeship programs while creating good-paying union jobs. In January, she kicked off her nationwide Fight for Reproductive Freedoms tour with a speech in Waukesha County.

Media interested in covering this Economic Opportunity Tour stop in Milwaukee should RSVP HERE by 12:00 p.m. ET on Wednesday, May 15.

Media interested in covering the Vice President's arrival at Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport should RSVP HERE by 12:00 p.m. ET on Wednesday, May 15.

# # #

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

May 7, 2024

At 6:00 PM ET, in recognition of National Teacher Appreciation Week, First Lady Jill Biden will host a virtual appreciation event for educators with the American Federation of Teachers and the National Education Association . This South Court auditorium event will be open to pre-credentialed media and livestreamed at WhiteHouse.gov/live . For interested media, please RSVP HERE by Wednesday, May 8 th at 11:00 AM ET.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

May 7, 2024

AND PRESIDENT IOHANNIS OF ROMANIA

BEFORE BILATERAL MEETING

Oval Office

2:15 P.M. EDT

PRESIDENT BIDEN: Well, Mr. President, welcome to the White House. Welcome back to the Oval Office.

PRESIDENT IOHANNIS: Thank you.

PRESIDENT BIDEN: We were reminiscing for a moment before you came in that, back when I was a senator, 180 years ago, I fought very hard for Romania's admission to NATO. And you -- you've exceeded every expectation.

And 20 years ago, when you joined NATO for real, the -- and every year since, our nations have grown only closer, in my view -- closer and closer together.

And we see it in Romania and American troops serving side by side across NATO, and including in your country. I believe there's about 1,800 American forces there. We thank you for that. And -- and we see our work in strengthening NATO's eastern flank.

And I want to thank you, Mr. President, for your leadership, especially in the Black Sea. You've been incredible. You've stood up, and the help you've provided for Ukraine is -- is real. It's significant.

The -- the unified support for the people of Ukraine -- you've allowed a number of refugees to come across, be in your country -- about 8,000, they tell me. A whole lot. And that's really something. And, also, your security assistance to Ukraine, moving Ukrainian grain.

And I want you to know the United States is committed to standing with you.

Today, we lay the foundation for the next 20 years. I look forward to our discussions and just say that we've got a lot to discuss, so I'm looking forward to it.

The floor is yours, sir.

PRESIDENT IOHANNIS: Thank you very much, Mr. President. Thank you for making this meeting possible on a short notice.

I believe it is timely. And I believe that you're absolutely right: We have a lot of issues to discuss.

Let me just start by saying that we managed not only to -- to be members of NATO, thanks to you and others who really fought for us -- 20 years since Romania is a proud member of NATO -- but we also managed to work on our bilateral relationship, which became stronger and stronger.

We have a Strategic Partnership. And I think by making this partnership strong, we also managed to make the transatlantic link strong. In my opinion, a transatlantic link is the cornerstone of our democratic way of -- of life, our values.

And so, this is obviously linked to the way we see the future of our nations; the way -- how we manage to make our nations work better, live better; how we manage to guarantee the security of our peoples; how we manage to make our economies grow.

And so, we have, really, a lot of issues we can discuss. But also, sometimes I believe it is important to underline that we managed to move ahead and that we managed to have very positive results. And, of course, we will discuss things we still have to achieve.

And so, maybe just an example: We are working together on a visa waiver for Romania. If this goes well, hopefully, not before long, we will have results.

But unfortunately, the most important issue is to find the way to reinstall peace in Europe. And helping Ukraine and the Ukrainians -- you set such a huge example how this can be done.

Romania is trying its best, and we have some pretty good results. I think it is decent. But nevertheless, we have to find ways to prevent Russia to win this war in Ukraine. And here we have to stay united. We have to work together. And we will, as far as I can see.

So, a lot of issues, Mr. President.

PRESIDENT BIDEN: Well, there's a lot of issues.

Let me just say one thing. I don't think there's any NATO partner who has a stronger commitment to the Euro-Atlantic alliance than Romania and the United States. And it's a value set. It's what we believe.

PRESIDENT IOHANNIS: Absolutely.

PRESIDENT BIDEN: And you've stepped up, and you've been incredible. And what you've done and what we're going to continue to do together, I think, is going to be significant, not only for Europe but for the whole world.

So, thank you.

PRESIDENT IOHANNIS: Thank you.

PRESIDENT BIDEN: Thank you all.

2:20 P.M. EDT

Speeches and Remarks

2024-05-07

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

May 7, 2024

AT THE U.S. HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL MUSEUM'S

ANNUAL DAYS OF REMEMBRANCE CEREMONY

U.S. Capitol

Washington, D.C

11:52 A.M. EDT

THE PRESIDENT: Thank you. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Please.

Thank you, Stu Eizenstat, for that introduction, for your leadership of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. You're a true scholar, a statesman, and a -- a dear friend.

Speaker Johnson, Leader Jeffries, members of Congress, and, especially, the survivors of the Holocaust. If my mother were here, she would look at you and say, "God love you all. God love you all."

Abe Foxman and all other survivors who embody absolute courage and dignity and grace are here as well.

During these sacred Days of Remembrance, we grieve. We give voice to the 6 million Jews who were systematically targeted and murdered by the Nazis and their collaborators during World War Two. We honor the memory of victims, the pain of survivors, the bravery of heroes who stood up to Hitler's unspeakable evil. And we recommit to heading and heeding the lessons that [of] one of the darkest chapters in human history, to revitalize and realize the responsibility of "never again."

Never again, simply translated for me, means "never forget." Never forget. Never forgetting means we must keep telling the story. We must keep teaching the truth. We must keep teaching our children and our grandchildren.

And the truth is we are at risk of people not knowing the truth.

That's why, growing up, my dad taught me and my siblings about the horrors of the Shoah at our family dinner table. That's why I visited Yad Vashem with my family as a senator, as vice president, and as president. And that's why I took my grandchildren to Dachau, so they could see and bear witness to the perils of indifference, the complicity of silence in the face of evil that they knew was happening.

Germany, 1933. Hitler and his Nazi party rise to power by rekindling one of the world's oldest forms of prejudice and hate: antisemitism. His rule didn't begin with mass murder. It started slowly across economic, political, social, and cultural life: propaganda demonizing Jews; boycotts of Jewish businesses; synagogues defaced with swastikas; harassment of Jews in the street and in the schools; antisemitic demonstrations, pogroms, organized riots.

With the indifference of the world, Hitler knew he could expand his reign of terror by eliminating Jews from Germany, to annihilate Jews across Europe through genocide the Nazi's called the "Final Solution" -- concentration camps, gas chambers, mass shootings.

By the time the war ended, 6 million Jews -- one out of every three Jews in the entire world -- were murdered.

This ancient hatred of Jews didn't begin with the Holocaust; it didn't end with the Holocaust, either, or after -- or even after our victory in World War Two. This hatred continues to lie deep in the hearts of too many people in the world, and it requires our continued vigilance and outspokenness.

That hatred was brought to life on October 7 th in 2023. On a sacred Jewish holiday, the terrorist group Hamas unleashed the deadliest day of the Jewish people since the Holocaust.

Driven by ancient desire to wipeout the Jewish people off the face of the Earth, over 1,200 innocent people -- babies, parents, grandparents -- slaughtered in their kibbutz, massacred at a musical festival, brutally raped, mutilated, and sexually assaulted. Thousands more carrying wounds, bullets, and shrapnel from the memory of that terrible day they endured. Hundreds taken hostage, including survivors of the Shoah.

Now, here we are, not 75 years later but just seven and a half months later, and people are already forgetting. They're already forgetting that Hamas unleased this terror, that it was Hamas that brutalized Israelis, that it was Hamas who took and continues to hold hostages. I have not forgotten, nor have you, and we will not forget.

And as Jews around the world still cope with the atrocities and trauma of that day and its aftermath, we've seen a ferocious surge of antisemitism in America and around the world: vicious propaganda on social media, Jews forced to keep their -- hide their kippahs under baseball hats, tuck their Jewish stars into their shirts.

On college campuses, Jewish students blocked, harassed, attacked while walking to class.

Antisemitism -- antisemitic posters, slogans calling for the annihilation of Israel, the world's only Jewish State.

Too many people denying, downplaying, rationalizing, ignoring the horrors of the Holocaust and October 7 th, including Hamas's appalling use of sexual violence to torture and terrorize Jews.

It's absolutely despicable, and it must stop.

Silence -- -- silence and denial can hide much, but it can erase nothing. Some injustices are so heinous, so horrific, so grievous, they cannot be muri- -- buried, no matter how hard people try.

In my view, a major lesson of the Holocaust is, as mentioned earlier, it's not -- was not inevitable. We know hate never goes away; it only hides. And given a little oxygen, it comes out from under the rocks.

But we also know what stops hate. One thing: all of us.

The late Rabbi Jonathan Sacks described antisemitism as a virus that has survived and mutated over time. Together, we cannot continue to let that happen.

We have to remember our basic principles as a nation. We have an obligation -- we have an obligation to learn the lessons of history so we don't surrender our future to the horrors of the past. We must give hate no safe harbor against anyone -- anyone.

From the very founding -- our very founding, Jewish Americans, who represent only about 2 percent of the U.S. population, have helped lead the cause of freedom for everyone in our nation. From that experience, we know scapegoating and demonizing any minority is a threat to every minority and the very foundation of our democracy.

So, in moments like this, we have to put these principles that we're talking about into action.

I understand people have strong beliefs and deep convictions about the world. In America, we respect and protect the fundamental right to free speech, to debate and disagree, to protest peacefully and make our voices heard.

I understand. That's America.

But there is no place on any campus in America -- any place in America -- for antisemitism or hate speech or threats of violence of any kind -- -- whether against Jews or anyone else.

Violent attacks, destroying property is not peaceful protest. It's against the law. And we are not a lawless country. We're a civil society. We uphold the rule of law.

And no one should have to hide or be brave just to be themselves.

To the Jewish community, I want you to know I see your fear, your hurt, and your pain.

Let me reassure you, as your President, you are not alone. You belong. You always have, and you always will.

And my commitment to the safety of the Jewish people, the security of Israel, and its right to exist as an independent Jewish state is ironclad, even when we disagree.

My administration is working around the clock to free remaining hostages, just as we have freed hostages already, and we will not rest until we bring them all home.

My administration, with our Second Gentleman's leadership, has launched our nation's first National Sec- -- Strategy to Counter Antisemitism that's mobilizing the full force of the federal government to protect Jewish communities.

But -- but we know this is not the work of government alone or Jews alone. That's why I'm calling on all Americans to stand united against antisemitism and hate in all its forms.

My dear friend, and he became a friend, the late Elie Wiesel, said, quote, "One person of integrity can make a difference." We have to remember that now more than ever.

Here in Emancipation Hall in the U.S. Capitol, among the towering statues of history, is a bronze bust of Raoul Wallenberg. Born in Sweden as a Lutheran, he was a businessman and a diplomat. While stationed in Hungary during World War Two, he used diplomatic cover to hide and rescue about 100,000 Jews over a six-month period.

Among them was a 16-year-old Jewish boy who escaped a Nazi labor camp. After the war ended, that boy received a scholarship from the Hillel Foundation to study in America. He came to New York City penniless but determined to turn his pain into purpose, along with his wife, also a Holocaust survivor. He became a renowned economist and foreign policy thinker, eventually making his way to this very Capitol on the staff of a first-term senator.

That Jewish refugee was Tom Lantos, and that senator was me.

Tom and his wife, Annette, and their family became dear friends to me and my family. Tom would go on to become the only Holocaust survivor ever elected to Congress, where he became a leading voice on civil rights and human rights around the world.

Tom never met Raoul, who was taken prisoner by the Soviets, never to be heard from again. But through Tom's efforts, Raoul's bust is here in the Capitol.

He was also given honorary U.S. citizenship -- only the second person ever, after Winston Churchill.

And the Holocaust Museum here in Washington is located on a roal- -- a road in Raoul's name.

The story of the power of a single person to put aside our differences, to see our common humanity, to stand up to hate. And it's an ancient story of resilience from immense pain, persecution to find hope, purpose, and meaning in life we try to live and share with one another. That story endures.

Let me close with this. I know these Days of Remembrance fall on difficult times. But we all do well to remember these days also fall during the month we celebrate Jewish American heritage -- a heritage that stretches from our earliest days to enrich every single part of American life today.

Great American -- great Jewish American named Tom Lantos used the phrase, "The veneer of civilization is paper thin. We are its guardians, and we can never rest."

My fellow Americans, we must -- we must be those guardians. We must never rest. We must rise against hate, meet across the divide, see our common humanity.

And God bless the victims and survivors of the Shoah.

May the resilient hearts, the courageous spirit, and the eternal flame of faith of the Jewish people forever shine their light on America and around the world, pray God.

Thank you all.

12:06 P.M. EDT

Speeches and Remarks

2024-05-07

U.S. Capitol
Washington, D.C.

11:52 A.M. EDT

THE PRESIDENT: Thank you. [Applause] Thank you, thank you, thank you. Please.

Thank you, Stu Eizenstat, for that introduction, for your leadership of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. You're a true scholar, a statesman, and a — a dear friend.

Speaker Johnson, Leader Jeffries, members of Congress, and, especially, the survivors of the Holocaust. If my mother were here, she would look at you and say, "God love you all. God love you all."

Abe Foxman and all other survivors who embody absolute courage and dignity and grace are here as well.

During these sacred Days of Remembrance, we grieve. We give voice to the 6 million Jews who were systematically targeted and murdered by the Nazis and their collaborators during World War Two. We honor the memory of victims, the pain of survivors, the bravery of heroes who stood up to Hitler's unspeakable evil. And we recommit to heading and heeding the lessons that [of] one of the darkest chapters in human history, to revitalize and realize the responsibility of "never again."

Never again, simply translated for me, means "never forget." Never forget. Never forgetting means we must keep telling the story. We must keep teaching the truth. We must keep teaching our children and our grandchildren.

And the truth is we are at risk of people not knowing the truth.

That's why, growing up, my dad taught me and my siblings about the horrors of the Shoah at our family dinner table. That's why I visited Yad Vashem with my family as a senator, as vice president, and as president. And that's why I took my grandchildren to Dachau, so they could see and bear witness to the perils of indifference, the complicity of silence in the face of evil that they knew was happening.

Germany, 1933. Hitler and his Nazi party rise to power by rekindling one of the world's oldest forms of prejudice and hate: antisemitism. His rule didn't begin with mass murder. It started slowly across economic, political, social, and cultural life: propaganda demonizing Jews; boycotts of Jewish businesses; synagogues defaced with swastikas; harassment of Jews in the street and in the schools; antisemitic demonstrations, pogroms, organized riots.

With the indifference of the world, Hitler knew he could expand his reign of terror by eliminating Jews from Germany, to annihilate Jews across Europe through genocide the Nazi's called the "Final Solution" — concentration camps, gas chambers, mass shootings.

By the time the war ended, 6 million Jews — one out of every three Jews in the entire world — were murdered.

This ancient hatred of Jews didn't begin with the Holocaust; it didn't end with the Holocaust, either, or after — or even after our victory in World War Two. This hatred continues to lie deep in the hearts of too many people in the world, and it requires our continued vigilance and outspokenness.

That hatred was brought to life on October 7th in 2023. On a sacred Jewish holiday, the terrorist group Hamas unleashed the deadliest day of the Jewish people since the Holocaust.

Driven by ancient desire to wipeout the Jewish people off the face of the Earth, over 1,200 innocent people — babies, parents, grandparents — slaughtered in their kibbutz, massacred at a musical festival, brutally raped, mutilated, and sexually assaulted. Thousands more carrying wounds, bullets, and shrapnel from the memory of that terrible day they endured. Hundreds taken hostage, including survivors of the Shoah.

Now, here we are, not 75 years later but just seven and a half months later, and people are already forgetting. They're already forgetting that Hamas unleased this terror, that it was Hamas that brutalized Israelis, that it was Hamas who took and continues to hold hostages. I have not forgotten, nor have you, and we will not forget. [Applause]

And as Jews around the world still cope with the atrocities and trauma of that day and its aftermath, we've seen a ferocious surge of antisemitism in America and around the world: vicious propaganda on social media, Jews forced to keep their — hide their kippahs under baseball hats, tuck their Jewish stars into their shirts.

On college campuses, Jewish students blocked, harassed, attacked while walking to class.

Antisemitism — antisemitic posters, slogans calling for the annihilation of Israel, the world's only Jewish State.

Too many people denying, downplaying, rationalizing, ignoring the horrors of the Holocaust and October 7th, including Hamas's appalling use of sexual violence to torture and terrorize Jews.

It's absolutely despicable, and it must stop.

Silence — [applause] — silence and denial can hide much, but it can erase nothing. Some injustices are so heinous, so horrific, so grievous, they cannot be muri- — buried, no matter how hard people try.

In my view, a major lesson of the Holocaust is, as mentioned earlier, it's not — was not inevitable. We know hate never goes away; it only hides. And given a little oxygen, it comes out from under the rocks.

But we also know what stops hate. One thing: all of us.

The late Rabbi Jonathan Sacks described antisemitism as a virus that has survived and mutated over time. Together, we cannot continue to let that happen.

We have to remember our basic principles as a nation. We have an obligation — we have an obligation to learn the lessons of history so we don't surrender our future to the horrors of the past. We must give hate no safe harbor against anyone — anyone.

From the very founding — our very founding, Jewish Americans, who represent only about 2 percent of the U.S. population, have helped lead the cause of freedom for everyone in our nation. From that experience, we know scapegoating and demonizing any minority is a threat to every minority and the very foundation of our democracy.

So, in moments like this, we have to put these principles that we're talking about into action.

I understand people have strong beliefs and deep convictions about the world. In America, we respect and protect the fundamental right to free speech, to debate and disagree, to protest peacefully and make our voices heard.

I understand. That's America.

But there is no place on any campus in America — any place in America — for antisemitism or hate speech or threats of violence of any kind — [applause] — whether against Jews or anyone else.

Violent attacks, destroying property is not peaceful protest. It's against the law. And we are not a lawless country. We're a civil society. We uphold the rule of law.

And no one should have to hide or be brave just to be themselves. [Applause]

To the Jewish community, I want you to know I see your fear, your hurt, and your pain.

Let me reassure you, as your President, you are not alone. You belong. You always have, and you always will.

And my commitment to the safety of the Jewish people, the security of Israel, and its right to exist as an independent Jewish state is ironclad, even when we disagree. [Applause]

My administration is working around the clock to free remaining hostages, just as we have freed hostages already, and we will not rest until we bring them all home. [Applause]

My administration, with our Second Gentleman's leadership, has launched our nation's first National Sec- — Strategy to Counter Antisemitism that's mobilizing the full force of the federal government to protect Jewish communities.

But — but we know this is not the work of government alone or Jews alone. That's why I'm calling on all Americans to stand united against antisemitism and hate in all its forms.

My dear friend, and he became a friend, the late Elie Wiesel, said, quote, "One person of integrity can make a difference." We have to remember that now more than ever.

Here in Emancipation Hall in the U.S. Capitol, among the towering statues of history, is a bronze bust of Raoul Wallenberg. Born in Sweden as a Lutheran, he was a businessman and a diplomat. While stationed in Hungary during World War Two, he used diplomatic cover to hide and rescue about 100,000 Jews over a six-month period.

Among them was a 16-year-old Jewish boy who escaped a Nazi labor camp. After the war ended, that boy received a scholarship from the Hillel Foundation to study in America. He came to New York City penniless but determined to turn his pain into purpose, along with his wife, also a Holocaust survivor. He became a renowned economist and foreign policy thinker, eventually making his way to this very Capitol on the staff of a first-term senator.

That Jewish refugee was Tom Lantos, and that senator was me.

Tom and his wife, Annette, and their family became dear friends to me and my family. Tom would go on to become the only Holocaust survivor ever elected to Congress, where he became a leading voice on civil rights and human rights around the world.

Tom never met Raoul, who was taken prisoner by the Soviets, never to be heard from again. But through Tom's efforts, Raoul's bust is here in the Capitol.

He was also given honorary U.S. citizenship — only the second person ever, after Winston Churchill.

And the Holocaust Museum here in Washington is located on a roal- — a road in Raoul's name.

The story of the power of a single person to put aside our differences, to see our common humanity, to stand up to hate. And it's an ancient story of resilience from immense pain, persecution to find hope, purpose, and meaning in life we try to live and share with one another. That story endures.

Let me close with this. I know these Days of Remembrance fall on difficult times. But we all do well to remember these days also fall during the month we celebrate Jewish American heritage — a heritage that stretches from our earliest days to enrich every single part of American life today.

Great American — great Jewish American named Tom Lantos used the phrase, "The veneer of civilization is paper thin. We are its guardians, and we can never rest."

My fellow Americans, we must — we must be those guardians. We must never rest. We must rise against hate, meet across the divide, see our common humanity.

And God bless the victims and survivors of the Shoah.

May the resilient hearts, the courageous spirit, and the eternal flame of faith of the Jewish people forever shine their light on America and around the world, pray God.

Thank you all. [Applause]

12:06 P.M. EDT

Press Briefings

2024-05-07

James S. Brady Press Briefing Room

Q Good afternoon.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Oh, okay. Okay, I just have one thing at the top and then we can get going.

Q Yeah.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: All right, not a weird echo? Sounds like a weird echo.

Q There is a little bit of an echo.

Q There's a little bit of echo.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: It happens from time to time.

All right. So, yesterday's Trustees Report made clear Medicare is stronger and Social Security remains strong. President Biden's economic plan has helped extend Medicare solvency by a decade.

The President's budget lays out his plan to further protect and strengthen Social Security and Medicare by extending Medicare solvency permanently by asking the wealthy to pay their fair share and extending Social Security solvency by asking the highest-income Americans to pay their fair share without cutting benefits or privatizing Social Security.

House Republicans have a different agenda. Their recent budget could cut Social Security by $1.5 trillion; increase the retirement age to 69; convert Medicare to a system that would raise premiums for seniors; slash Medicare's authority to negotiate lower prescription drug costs; repeal the President's $35 cap on insulin; and get rid of the $2,000 out-of-pocket cap in the Inflation Reduction Act. Their plan would hurt our seniors, raise costs for families, and take us backward.

President Biden will continue to fight for America's seniors and prevent Republican elected officials from cutting Social Security and Medicare.

With that, Zeke.

Q Thanks, Karine. There have been multiple reports that the Biden administration has slowed arms transfers to Israel, including of Joint Direct Attack Munitions and potentially some — some other weaponry. Can you confirm that? And if not, why not?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, we don't comment on specific cases. What I can say — and we have been saying and we will reiterate from here — is that our commitment to Israel's security is ironclad. I know my colleague from NSC was asked the same question a couple times from your colleagues, and I — we just don't have anything to say beyond what I just laid out.

Q So, is it fair to say, then, you're trying to send a message to the Israelis in private, but you don't — not want to make that from here?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: What I will say is our commitment to Israel's security is ironclad. I'm not going to speak to every case.

Q And then, in terms of the operation that we saw in Rafah over the last 24 hours, does the President believe that that is within the bounds — that doesn't cross his red line that he set for an invasion of Rafah?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, I'm going to be careful about red lines here. I know the National Security Advisor, Jake Sullivan, when he was here a couple of weeks ago, had — when — had a back-and-forth with you all about red lines. So, just — we're not going to get into that.

What I will say is the Israeli government has spoken to this. So, obviously they can speak to their operations.

They said it was limited. This was about designating — making sure that —designated cut of[designed to cut off] Hamas of their ability to smuggle weapons, smuggle funds. And it was a limited operation. Again, I would let them speak for their — for themselves.

And what I will say is we have been very clear from here about our concerns about a major operations. We have been very clear from here about protecting civilians. There are more than 1 million civilians that is in Rafah, a densely — a dense, populated area in Rafah, more than 1 million, and we want to make sure that there are no civilian casualties here. And so, we've been clear about that.

We are going to continue to monitor the situation closely to see how it unfolds. And certainly we will continue to speak out.

Q And on a different topic, just briefly. TikTok has filed a lawsuit challenging the effort to force them to divest ownership — or ByteDance from divesting ownership of TikTok in the U.S. Does the White House have any response to that?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, I've seen the reports. Going to be mindful here. They are — this is a — obviously, a litigation process here, so we're going to refer to Department of Justice on this one.

Go ahead.

Q Thank you. On your concerns, obviously, about the — the risk to civilians and escalating the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, I want to follow up on something that Kirby said earlier. He said that the U.S. doesn't support an Israeli operation in Rafah that results in a higher risk to civilians and civilian casualties. But the IDF has now closed, you know, the border crossing in Rafah, cutting off aid. How does that not impact civilians?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, one of the things that we've been very clear about — that the crossings that have been closed need to reopen; it is unacceptable for them to be closed. You have heard us say over and over again, we need to upsurge the humanitarian aid.

This is why the hostage deal is so important. It would lead to a ceasefire. It would lead to making sure hostages, including American hostages, come home and get that humanitarian — more — more humanitarian aid into Gaza.

So, Israel has committed to reopening the Kerem Shalom. That's a conversation, as you all know, from the readout that the President had with the Prime Minister of Israel, and we want to make sure that we — we get that done. That's going to — we were — we've been told that that's going to happen tomorrow. We are working to move that up.

Fuel deliveries through Rafah should also commence tomorrow. That's what we've been told.

And we believe Rafah border crossing should also be quickly reopened for the movement of humanitarian assistance. We are insisting that there should be no disruptions of humanitarian assistant flows. It is important. We know — you all, obviously, have been reporting on this — how dire the situation is currently in Gaza, and we want to see these two crossings open.

Q And is it still your expectation that Israel will, you know, alert the U.S. when it does plan — if it does plan to — to go ahead with a full-scale operation?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, look, obviously Israel is going to speak to their own operations. We have had continuous conversations. You — you all are aware of the two virtual calls — virtual meetings that the National Security Advisor led. And so, we're continuing to have those conversations, obviously, with our counterparts in Israel.

The President had a conversation with the — the Prime Minister yesterday about the Rafah operations.

Again, very, very clear here: We do not want to see a major operations happening in Rafah. We want to see a plan — a comprehensive plan on how Israel plans to protect the 1.5 — more than 1 million civilians that are currently seeking refuge in Rafah.

Q And just one more follow-up on TikTok. They're obviously suing the federal government over this potential ban, but in their suit — there's a line in their suit where they say "the continued use of TikTok by President Biden and members of Congress undermines the claim that the platform poses an actual threat to Americans."

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, as it relates to the campaign and, obviously, other congressional members, they have to speak to themselves, the campaign has to speak to it. But we are — and we've been very clear what this law is: It is not a ban. It is a divestment.

I do want to be really mindful, because it — there is a legal — obviously, it's in litigation, and I just don't — can't — want to speak to that any further.

Q Well, why is he still on this platform?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I would ha- — I would have to refer you to the campaign. They can spe- —

Q As President, will he commit to not using it again?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: We — it is banned. We can't — we can't — we can't use it here in the — in — in government — in federal government.

Go ahead.

Q The President gave a speech on antisemitism today to mark Jewish Holocaust Remembrance Day. Are there any plans for him to give similar remarks either about the plight of Palestinian civilians or about Islamophobia and anti-Arab —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So —

Q — statements and violence.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, just want to — obviously, today was a very important day. And many presidents have spoken on the Hill on this day and delivered remarks about — about remembering the millions lost in the Holocaust and reaffirming our commitment as a nation: Never again. This is not the first president to have done so, and the President wanted to meet that moment.

And what we have seen, as well, in the past several months, as you all know, is the rise of antisemitism here. And we have been very clear to call that out. That is hate speech. We're going to continue to do so.

And, you know, you've heard the President address the war. And we're — address the — the suffering that we're seeing in Gaza. You've heard him address that many times.

And this also speaks to how important the hostage deal is. We're seeing talks continue in Cairo. That is important. We're going to — we're going to obviously support that process. We want to see that hostage deal so it could lead to a ceasefire, lead to that all-important humanitarian aid getting into — getting into Gaza. And let's not forget bringing home the hostages to their loved ones.

So, the President is going to — has spoken about what's happening in Gaza, has spoken about what we're seeing there, the dire humanitarian — the dire humanitarian situation, and calling to — for Israel to reduce, obviously, what we see — the civilians' lives los- — the loss of civilians' lives is unacceptable.

Q But no plans for anything more formal?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, look, the President has been speaking to this, has spoken to this many times.

I also want to just flag that the Secretary of Education put out a letter, a "Dear Colleague" letter that went out to universities talking about Title VI and giving examples of antisemitism but also was very clear — was very clear about the hate that we have seen — been seeing more broadly: antisemitism, anti-Israel, anti-Muslim, anti-Palestinian. We have seen that across — across campuses and across the country, obviously, in communities, and laid out our deep concerns.

And so, that "Dear Colleague" letter came — went out today, on the same day that the President delivered this really impactful speech on a dark moment in time. And so, the President has spoken about the war in Gaza and the casualties that we have seen and will continue to do so.

Q Question on the case of the Army Staff Sergeant, Gordon Black, who was arrested on May 2nd in Russia. He was not there, apparently, on official travel. But I'm curious, what does the Commander-in-Chief make of yet another military service member going to a country he has been told not to visit?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, I know the Admiral spoke to this yesterday. What I can — there's also — what I also can confirm is that there are two separate cases of U.S. citizens being detained in Russia. The State Department is actively seeking consular access to both individuals, neither of whom were in Russia on behalf or in affiliation with the U.S. government. We take seriously our commitment to assist U.S. citizens abroad and provide all appropriate assistance.

We iterate — and this is kind of to your question. We iterate our strong warnings about danger posed to U.S. citizens in Russia. We have been very clear about this. State Department has been very clear about this. And we will continue to say: U.S. citizens residing or traveling in Russia should depart immediately, as stated in our travel advisory for Russia, and U.S. citizens should not travel to Russia at this time, period. And we're going to continue to be very, very clear about that.

Any fur- — for any further details on those two cases, I would refer you to the State Department.

Q Why do Americans who don't heed those warnings warrant government assistance, if they knowingly flout them?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Because it's the President's — he believes it's his — his responsibility, when — when American is held hostage or wrongfully detained, to get them home to their families. That is a commitment that he has made.

At the same time — and I can't speak to these two cases right now. They're — the State Department has to speak to them and where they are in their process. So, I want to be really mindful about categorizing where they are.

But the President is committed. He's committed to getting Americans home, if they are being held hostages — hostage or if they are wrongfully detained. He believes that is his duty as Commander-in-Chief, as President, to do so. And that's so- —

Q Has he conveyed any concern to the Pentagon that this is a case of yet another service member walking into another country that has hostile relations with the United States? Or — there was the one that went to North Korea.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Well —

Q Now, there's this guy.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Well, we've been clear about all U.S. citizens not going to Russia. We've been very, very clear. And there's a — as I stated, there's a travel advisory that came out from the State Department. So, this is all citizens — all U.S. citizens.

I don't — you know, not going to get into private conversations from here. But obviously, we are concerned, and the State Department is actively working this.

Q And one other. How is the President himself personally learning details, if any, about the trial of his predecessor?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Well, as you know, the President — speaking — just looking at today, the President delivered a really impactful, important, meaningful speech on a — on a —

Q I get how he fills his schedule. But how is he —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I know —

Q — learning about —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Wait.

Q — the case himself?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I — wait. Jeez, Ed. Give me a second. [Laughter] Give me a moment to warm up, get to your quest- — get to your question.

So, look — I mean, look, the President had a really important day. You just saw him do — there was a pool spray. You saw him interact with the Romanian President. That was important.

You saw him give a — deliver a really important, impactful speech on a day that we talk about, "Never again," on a dark time in our history — not just here, obviously, our history more globally — and what we saw — what we saw happen to a community, millions of people.

And so — so, look, the President is really busy. Obviously, he probably catches up during the day, like — like many of us here.

But, look, the President is going to focus on the American people. That's his focus. We're going to go —

Q So, no sense of when he's on the Peloton in the morning if he's watching the news — [laughter] — or if at night, when he's done, he's going home and watching highlights? You don't know?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah, all I can say is the President consumes the news. He pays attention to the news. I cannot speak to the current situation that is happening that many of you all are covering right now at this moment of the former President. Can't speak to that.

But the President has been — I mean, he's had — I mean, you could admit to this, right? He's had a busy day. He's been very much focused on what's going on in the world.

Go ahead.

Q Thanks, Karine. Just quickly on the two cases in Russia that we were just talking about. Is — has there been an official determination that those are wrongful detention cases?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I would refer you to the State Department. They will work on — on the official determination. Going to be really mindful from here. That is something that the State Department works through.

Q And — okay.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: We're trying to make sure that they have a counselor, obviously, accessible to them. I — they — they could speak more to this.

Q Okay. And then there was an independent investigation of the FDIC that found widespread sexual harassment and other misconduct. Does the White House still have confidence in the leadership of that organization?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, obviously, I would refer you to the FDIC for details on this. It's an independent agency. As you know, the President, of course, expects the administration to reflect the values of decency and integrity and to protect the rights and dignity of employees.

My understanding is that the FDIC Chairman spoke to this. He apologized and has — has committed to the recommendations that have been provided by the independent report and going to further fix the longstanding issues, obviously, that are in the report. But don't have anything beyond that. And, you know, he — he apologized. And so, would refer you to them.

Q And then, lastly, is the White House committed to not withholding weapons assistance from Israel that's needed for its self-defense?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: What we are committed to is Israel's security. That is ironclad. And don't have anything beyond that. Obviously, we're going to, you know, look at all options that we have, continue to have conversations with Israel and our counterparts. But our commitment to Israel is ironclad, as — as far as their — Is- — Israel's security.

Go ahead.

Q On the hostage deal. Is the White House's view that, in the first phase, all hostages who are released should be alive?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I'm not going to get into details. As you know, there are talks happening in Cairo. That is incredibly important. And we want to support those — those talks. And so, don't want to get into — to details from here.

One thing that I can say is tha- — from the assess- — from our assessments, it looks like the two sides should be able to come to — to a deal here — at least close the gaps to get to a deal. That's our assessment.

I'm not going to get into details or specifics.

Q Because — because one of the gaps seems to be that Hamas has suggested that some of the hostage- — hostages that they would release would be dead. They would be bodies of hostages. Is that something that you think that the President would accept?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I'm going to be a super mindful. This is — there are conversations happening in Cairo. I think it's important. We're going to support those talks that are currently underway. And our assessment is — is that — our close assessment: that the two sides' position suggests that they should be able to close the gap here. And I think that's important.

But it is our priority, obviously. It continues to be the President's priority to get to a hostage deal, to get those hostages home to their loved ones, to make sure that it — we get a ceasefire. Right? It'll ensure that, and it'll ensure that we surge humanitarian assistance into Gaza. As we know, as you all know, it is a dire situation right now in Gaza.

Q And the — the Biden administration is facing this deadline this week on notifying Congress on whether Israel is violating international law. Can you say how involved or how not involved the President, personally, has been on this process?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, obviously, the President is kept updated on all of these — on this — on many matters, including this.

My counterpart over at the State Departent — Department, Matt Miller, spoke to this today about where we are in that process. The State Department is working very hard to get this done, to get this over to Congress.

I don't have anything else to add. But obviously, the President is kept abreast.

Q So, the President hasn't gotten final word about what that decision is yet?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: They're working — the State Department, as Mr. Miller mentioned today during his briefing, is working very hard to get this done. And so, I will leave it to them.

Go ahead, Karen.

Q Thanks, Karine. Ukraine says that two of its colonels, part of their state protection service, were recruited by Russia and were — are now identified as part of a group that were planning to assassinate President Zelenskyy. Does the White House have a reaction to this? And then, broadly, how concerned is the administration about Zelenskyy's safety and security?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, we saw — we saw the announcement. It certainly is very concerning news. And obviously, we are glad that the potential assassination attempt was averted.

I would — I don't have anything beyond that to share. Certainly, would refer you to the Ukrainian government. But it is certainly concerning news.

Go ahead.

Q Thank you, Karine. Cindy McCain, the head of the U.N. World Food Programme, said over the weekend that northern Gaza is currently experiencing "full-blown famine." That famine is moving southward towards southern Gaza. Currently, as you and Mr. Kirby have said, the two main checkpoints for aid, Kerem Shalom and Rafah, are closed, and the President has asked for those to be reopened.

This is an ongoing pattern. Israel closes crossings. The President asks for them to be reopened. The crossings are eventually reopened. Some aid starts to flow through again. But then, Israel cuts off the flow of aid into Gaza once more, even though the President has said multiple times that it is important that aid be flowing continuously. And he seems to keep pushing for it, only to get these one step forward, two steps back results.

Does the White House have any plan to convince, cajole, pressure Israel into allowing a steady flow of aid into Gaza, other than asking nicely?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, let's just — just say — just give a little bit of readout. Over the past — since early April, the past several weeks, we have seen over 5,000 trucks entered Gaza. That includes almost 200 humanitarian and commercial trucks a day, on average, entering Gaza in the last three weeks. Some days, 400-plus truckloads have enter- —

Q And some days zero —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Wait — wait —

Q — because Israel closes the checkpoints.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Let me — let me — it is important to let the American people know that we have seen an uptick here, and it is important. There are other crossings. These are not the only two.

But to your point, it is unacceptable that these two crossings are closed, which is why the President called the Prime Minister directly yesterday to — to ask and to say that theSharem[Kerem] Shalom crossing should be open. We have said — I said at the top to — answering one of your colleagues' questions that we expect the crossing — the Shalom — the Kerem Sha- — Shalom crossing to be open tomorrow, including Rafah.

It is important. We agree it is important to get that humanitarian aid in, and we will continue to do so, continue to — to make sure that we get as much humanitarian aid as possible.

That's why we've been upticking our efforts. And it is also why the hostage deal is so important. This is why the Cairo talks are critical and important, which is why we've been supporting those — those conversations, obviously. We need to get to a hostage deal so we can see a ceasefire, get

that humanitarian aid in — a surge, obviously, in that aid — and get hostages home.

So, that is going to be our focus. That's going to be our focus.

Q At what point does the President consider other uses of American leverage to improve the humanitarian situation in Gaza?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: We have seen — and I just laid out what we have seen —

Q I — I understand that.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Hold — wait. You got to let me finish here. [Laughs] You just have to, so I can — we can have a back-and-forth, but you got to let me finish my answer.

That's why we've seen an uptick in humanitarian aid. That's why we have seen an increase in humanitarian aid since early April. That is because of the President's leadership.

We need to get more in. We know and we see and we understand the dire situation in Gaza right now. We got to get that in. The hostage deal is important. And we're going to continue to work on that.

Q You keep talking about these upticks, but there is a famine right now.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I — and I am acknowledging that there is a dire situation in Gaza. I am acknowledging that. We understand that, which is why the President has worked so hard in the last several months to get more humanitarian aid in. That is why we're working around the clock to get the hostage deal done.

So, I think we're kind of talking in circles here. But the President is committed — he is committed to getting this done.

Go ahead, Peter.

Q Can you, Karine, say declaratively that no one in the Biden administration knew about the latest hostage and ceasefire deal — proposal that Egypt and Qatar negotiated with Hamas before Hamas said that it had accepted it yesterday?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Here's what I can say. Look, these are extremely difficult prep- — this is an extremely difficult process. It just is. And — and you have negotiations being conducted through intermediaries — right? — in Doha and also in Cairo.

And — and so, that is just where we are. They are difficult times. They're a difficult process. And so, that's what I can speak to. That's what I can say. An- —

Q I guess I — I just want to get to — to the fundamental question —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah.

Q — which is we all recognize these are difficult times —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah.

Q — there's been too much loss on all sides; everybody agrees. But in the simplest of terms, can you say declaratively that no one in this administration was involved in some deal that was accepted by Hamas yesterday without having been previously communicated to Israel?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: What I can say: This is an extremely difficult process. It is. It —

Q Why isn't — why — why can't the U.S. just say declaratively from the White House podium that the U.S. was not doing any side deals that Israel didn't know about?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: A side deal? There's — no, absolutely not. I didn't know that was the question. I can say absolutely not, no. There was no side deal.

Q So, what Hamas accepted yesterday is not a proposal the U.S. had ever heard before Hamas presented it?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Look, throughout this process — here's what I can say: American diplomats have been engaged with our Israeli counterparts on this throughout this process. There was no side deal. I didn't realize that was the question you were asking me. Absolutely not.

These are extremely difficult process right now that is happening. There are intermediaries that are in Doha; obviously, today, in Cairo. And so, there — it is — it is not an easy process.

Q So, then, just to make —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Is there a side deal, to your question —

Q So, just to make — so that we won't use the word "side deal," because that — I used that word —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: That is —

Q — and I don't want to —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: That is a no.

Q But — so, let me ask you. So, in the clearest of terms, there was no one in the administration that was involved in conversations with Egypt and Qatar and Hamas about any proposal that Hamas accepted yesterday?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: No.

We heard about the President's views of antisemitism and hate speech on campus. Would the President welcome peaceful protests during those commencement ceremonies, as we've seen elsewhere?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: But you see the President do this all the time. It doesn't matter where he is, where he's speaking. It doesn't matter if it's a commencement, it doesn't matter if it's at one of his events, he welcomes peaceful protests. And you actually have seen the President engage in that process. And he's —

Q So, if people raise Palestinian flags, as we've seen at the University of Michigan —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Look, the Pres- —

Q — and elsewhere, he would welcome that —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: The President —

Q — when he's speaking?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: The President has said two things — right? — and I have said two things: We understand how deeply painful this moment is for many, many communities here in this country, for many Americans. We understand that.

And we also understand that all Americans have the right to peacefully protest. And we accept that right, and we understand that right. It is part of who we are in this country. It's part of our freedoms. Right? It's part of our democracy.

And so, we understand every American has the right to peacefully protest.

Q Okay.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Go ahead.

Q Karine, the Romanian President wants to run NATO. Do you know if that issue is coming up at all? You know, obviously, the President supports the Dutch leader and — along with other Western leaders, to become the next lead- — leader of NATO.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So — so, we're going to have a readout later today. Obviously, the — the meeting is probably still in progress, as we're here in the press briefing room, so I'm not going to get ahead of that. They'll do their readout.

But I'll say that the President has been looking forward to hosting President Iohannis to celebrate Romania's 20 years as a strong and stalwart NATO Ally and has been looking forward to recognizing this president — President Iohannis's leadership within NATO and the many contributions that the — Romania has made to NATO security, particularly in the Black Sea region, and obviously their strong support to helping Ukraine against Russia's aggression.

I — I don't want to get ahead of anything here. So, I will let the readout speak for itself once it comes out.

Q Just one more on Russia. Putin is beginning his fifth term today as Russian president. He claimed that Russia does not refuse dialogue with Western states. Does the President have any reaction to Putin, sort of, beginning another term and — and does he see this, perhaps, as a — an opportunity to attempt to resume direct communication with — with Putin?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, let me first say and — that the U.S., as it relates to its — to Russia's inauguration — or Putin's inauguration, the U.S. directed its embassy not to attend inaug- — inauguration, as you know, in protest, obviously, to Russia's aggression — aggression into Ukraine.

So, as you also know, under Putin's leadership, Russia launched this brutal and unprovoked war and Russian authorities have engaged in draconian repression at home as well as aggressive actions abroad.

And so, I think we've made ourselves very clear here. I just don't have anything to add.

Go ahead, Michael.

Q Thanks, Karine. In light of the President's speech today, does the administration support the Antisemitism Awareness Act that just passed the House last week? And would the President sign it?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, I've been asked this question a couple of times. Look, we — we appreciate Congress's effort to deal with, obviously, an issue — not just an issue but antisemitism, which is hate, and all — and we have denounced that over and over again and we've called it abhorrent. And so, we appreciate that Congress is taking action here.

I know there are other — other efforts — legislative efforts. And so, we're going to let that process move forward.

But this is a president from — you know, one of the reasons, obviously, he decided to jump into the 2020 election is because of what he saw — the antisemitic vile that he saw in Charlottesville, wrote about it, decided to jump into — into the elections that — back in 2019.

And so, he's — he has spoken against antisemitism throughout his career. He's — he'll continue to do so. We're going to let Congress go through their process.

Go ahead.

Q On the border — Southern border and border security. Can you give us an update on executive act- — actions that the President is planning? Are you planning a rollout of those actions in — in coming days or weeks?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Don't have any announcement on any executive actions. Obviously, we look at all options. We believe the — the challenges at the border is a priority important to majority of Americans. We believe that the immigration system — it's not even something we believe; it's fact — has been broken for decades now. And that's why the President took action on his first day in office and put forward a comprehensive legislation.

Now, there is indeed a bipartisan Senate agreement that should move forward but was held back because of the former President saying that it would hurt him and asked Republicans to reject it. We want to see that move forward. And we're going to continue to call on Congress to move that forward.

We believe in order to really fix what's happening with the immigration system is to move forward with that piece of legislation. The President wants to sign it and put that into law. It would be the — the fairest, the toughest law if he was able to be given that opportunity — and it would pass, obviously — for him to sign it.

Any other actions that may come out of this administration, we always look at all — at all potential actions that we can take. But the number one way we believe to move forward is to move with that bipartisan Senate agreement.

Go ahead.

Q Yeah. What can you tell us about the President's trip tomorrow to Racine, Wisconsin?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: We'll have more on that later today. As y- — as you — as you just mentioned, he's going to be going to Ra- — Racine, Wisconsin, to focus on investi- — investment — investing in America, continuing that — kind of that dialogue directly with the American people.

And then the other parts of that trip is going to be campaign, so I would refer you to them.

Go ahead.

Q Thank you so much. So, we heard the President today speaking about antisemitism. But can you just clarify for us where he believes the line is? Is it antisemitic, in the President's view, to say harsh — to express harsh criticism of the Israeli government or its actions? Like, where is the line?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I mean, I shouldn't have to talk about a line. It's very clear, right? It — it presents itself in the most hateful, abhorrent way. And antisemitism is hate speech. It is just hate speech.

I'm not going to stand here and give examples. That's not something I'm going to do. But it is obvious when you have hateful rhetoric, when you have the type of speech where you're attacking a community, we should call that out. Or violent speech, violent type of rhetoric, we should call that out.

I'm not going to stand here and lay out a line here. That's not what we're going to do. But it is very clear when we hear antisemitism. It is very clear when we hear language that is anti-Israel. It is very clear when we hear language that is anti-Muslim, anti-Palestinian. It is hate. And the President believes, as President of the United States, that he should call that out. And that's what you saw him do today.

And we also announced some additional actions as it relates to the National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism, because the President is going to continue to take action, not just speak to it.

Q So, it speaks to the intention.

Let me ask you also about the President's call last week for order on college campuses. This moment is being compared to what happened in 1968. But in the intervening years, American police forces have become significantly more militarized.

Does — did the White House provide any guidance for police departments around the country as to what "order" means and what actions they should and should not take? Are you leaving them to interpret that?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: What we have done and been very clear here: It is up to the university and local law enforcement on how they decide to deal with what's been happening on the ground. They know better than we do on what's happening on the ground.

We have been very clear: We believe all Americans should have the right to peacefully protest within the law. You heard that from the President last week. You've heard that from me. You've heard that from others here in this administration.

What we don't want to see is hate speech, violence. That's not what we — we don't believe that is part of peacefully protesting. And so, we're going to continue to be clear about that.

But we leave the actions and how universities decide how to move forward to them. They know what's going on on the ground, and they know how to move forward.

Go ahead, Gerren.

Q Thanks, Karine. New York Governor Kathy Hochul made a controversial comment yesterday at the Milken Institute Global Conference while discussing the need to bring AI jobs to Black and brown communities. She said, "Right now, we have young Black kids growing up in the Bronx who don't even know what the word 'computer' is." What is the White House's respond — response to that?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, I want to be super mindful. I have not heard these comments. So, I want to make sure I go back, read the comments, and get a sense of what was happening here. So, I don't want to comment, and be really mindful speaking at this podium on behalf of this President.

So, I just want to go back and see exactly — I know you're reading an excerpt or a line from what she said, but I just want to be super, super mindful here.

Q Does the White House believe it is right to ins- — to insinuate that Black kids don't know what the word "computer" means?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I mean, look, obviously, we don't think that is the right way to speak about — about young people in any way, in any form. But I do want to be mindful and to be fair here and — and go back and hear exactly what she said. Just want to be mindful, speaking from here at the podium.

Q Just one more question. There was a viral video on the campus of the University of Mississippi last week. A Black female Gaza protester there was — she was protesting. There was counter protesters who were primarily Black — white — white male students —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah.

Q — one of which imitated a monkey. Another called her "Lizzo," assuming — addressing her size. The NAACP is calling for those students to be expelled for this video.

Has the President seen this video and what is the White House's reaction?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: What I can say is — and I know the video that you're speaking to, and this is something that I can speak — speak on, which is that the behavior captured in that — in that video is undignified, and it's just racist, period. And it is beneath any- — anyone — anyone to be sharing that kind of material. And the actions in the video are beneath any American.

And so, it is insulting to everyone who has to view it and — and whoever they are. And it is saddening. It is incredibly saddening. And so, we are so much better than that. We are. And we owe it to one another and ourselves to — to act like it.

Q And just one follow-up. Congressman Mike Collins of Georgia reposted that video and wrote, "Ole Miss taking care of business." Any reaction to him and that comment?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Look, and I think I just said it's — it's beneath any person to be sharing that video. It's — it's beneath any elected official or a leader to be sharing that kind of material. And — and the actions in that video is beneath of who we are supposed to be.

And, you know, it is — what — what we saw in that video is certainly — it's sickening. It is sickening.

Go ahead.

Q Thank you. So, a follow-up on the police response. President Biden has condemned violent protests on campus. He didn't address the police response. What do you think about the arrests of hundreds of students? Is that the response the White House likes to see?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I'm sorry. Can you — can you start that question again?

Q Yeah. What do you think about the — the arrests of hundreds of students on campus? Is that the police response the White House like — likes to see?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: You know, I've spoken to — about this last week. And I have said that, you know, these are incredibly difficult times. And we understand what — what people are feeling and the pain that they're feeling. And in these times, it could be — you know, it can be incredibly difficult even for law enforcement. And I said this last week, and I'll continue to say that.

And what I will add is: It is important that all Americans — and I've said this before — have the right to peacefully protest within the law, and it should be their right to peacefully protest. But when — when someone is taking — unlawfully taking over a building or vandalizing, that is not peacefully protesting. That is just not what peacefully protesting looks like. And so, we'll call that out.

I'm not going to speak to arrests. That is something that local authorities can speak to directly. Can't speak to that.

But we will continue to reiterate the fact that all Americans have the right to peacefully protest within the law.

Go ahead, Aurelia.

Q Thank you so much. In his remarks this morning, the President mentioned Jewish students having been attacked, harassed, and blocked. Does the White House have an estimate of how many antisemitic incidents actually took place or were reported during the protests, either like physical abuse or —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah.

Q — verbal attacks?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I would refer to Department of Justice or local law enforcement. I don't have a number for — to share with you at this time.

But, look, we've seen an uptick in antisemitism. That's what we have seen in the last couple of months. It is abhorrent. We have to call that out. And that was part of the President's speech as well. We've got to take action to call out hate. And so, we're going to continue to do that.

As far as any numbers, would certainly refer you to local government or the Department of Justice.

AIDE: Karine.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Okay.

Go ahead. Go ahead, Jacqui.

Q Thank you, Karine. Hearing all of your answers on the responsibility to call out antisemitism, when does it become the President's responsibility or the administration's responsibility to call on some of these local governments? Because this D.C. situation at GW — obviously, we talked yesterday about how, you know, GW asked for police to intervene. They ignored it. That call has been escalated up to the mayor. It has still been unanswered.

The President said today that, you know, hate speech, acts of violence, vandalism — against the law.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah.

Q And you have an encampment that we could literally walk to from here where you had student protes- — or, excuse me, protesters who the university has said may not even be affiliated with the school carrying out a mock trial, calling for beheadings of school leadership.

So, at what point is it the responsibility of the federal government to call on some of these local entities to take action?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, when it comes to local entities, it is up to them to take whatever action that they deem is necessary. We're talking about colleges; we're talking about universities. It is up to them to decide on. We've been very clear.

Q But just —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: But — wait.

Q What if they don't, though?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Wait.

Q That's where we are.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: It's been — we've been we've been very clear on that.

When it comes to taking action, you're talking about a president who — who moved forward with the first-ever U.S. National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism. He has taken action. We're talking about more than 100 new actions.

And then on top of — on top of that, when he first announced it back in May of 2023, we took some actions today.

And so, we're going to — and when we talk about actions, we're talking about the Department of Education, we're talking about Homeland Security, we're talking about a whole-of-government eff- — effort to deal with what we're seeing, this uptick that we're seeing in antisemitism.

So, there are four pillars of that. We're going to continue to take actions on this. We're going to continue to work with u- — I've talked about the Department of Education, Secretary Cardona sending out — sending out letters — letters to his colleagues. And in that, we have said to them, if there are trainings that they need, if there is assistance that they need, we are worl- — willing to work with them.

As it relates to law enforcement, that is something that colleges and universities and local government have to decide on.

But we've put forward something that no other president has ever done, because we see what is happening in — with antisemitism. We see that it is something that this president needs to speak to and act on, and we've done just that.

Q And then just on the messaging around the — the administration's ironclad commitment to Israel. How can the U.S. have ironclad commitment on one hand, and then, on another hand, slow-walk arms sales?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I —

Q I mean, the President said that the supplemental was imperative, and now this. How do you square that?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, I'm not going to speak to the second part of your question. I just said in — earlier, answering to one of your colleagues, not going to speak to cases. And our — as you just stated in your question, our commitment to Israel's security is, indeed, ironclad. And we proved that. We proved that in getting that supplemental done. That is going to be incredibly important to Ukraine, to Israel, to making sure humanitarian aid gets into Gaza, gets to Sudan, gets to Haiti and other places across the globe that need that humanitarian aid. All of those things are important.

Two things could be true in the sense of having those conversations — tough, direct conversations with our counterparts in — in Israel. The President having his conversation with his counterpart — obviously, the Prime Minister — and making sure that citizens' lives are protected — are protected, and getting that commitment. So, two of those things could be true.

I'm not going to speak to your question about arms sales. I'm not going to speak to that. I'm not going to speak to cases.

But I will continue to commit and the President is continued to commit, as you heard from him today in his speech, that his commitment to Israel's security is ironclad — is ironclad.

Q If you won't talk to us about it, will you commit that the administration would answer to Congress about this question of the arms sales? Will administration officials answer questions from lawmakers?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I — I mean, that's — that's up to Congress to decide on how they want to address any questions that they have with us.

Q There have been requests.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: We've been — we've been — I have not seen those requests. What I can tell you is our commitment to Israel's security is ironclad, and we've proved that. We've proved that many times over and over since October 7th.

All right, guys. Thank you, everybody.

Q Thank you.

Q Thanks.

3:25 P.M. EDT

Presidential Actions

2024-05-07

Thank you to Senators Blackburn and Ossoff, and Representatives Laurel Lee, Susie Lee, Dean, and Miller-Meeks, for their leadership.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

May 7, 2024

H.R. 292, which designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 24355 Creekside Road in Santa Clarita, California, as the William L. Reynolds Post Office Building;

Thank you to Representative Mike Garcia and the California delegation for their leadership;

H.R. 996, which designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 3901 MacArthur Blvd., in New Orleans, Louisiana, as the Dr. Rudy Lombard Post Office;

Thank you to Representative Troy Carter, Senators Cassidy and Kennedy, and the Louisiana delegation for their leadership;

H.R. 2379, which designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 616 East Main Street in St. Charles, Illinois, as the Veterans of the Vietnam War Memorial Post Office;

Thank you to Representative Krishnamoorthi and the Illinois delegation for their leadership;

H.R. 2754, which designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 2395 East Del Mar Boulevard in Laredo, Texas, as the Lance Corporal David Lee Espinoza, Lance Corporal Juan Rodrigo Rodriguez and Sergeant Roberto Arizola Jr. Post Office Building;

Thank you to Representative Cuellar, Senators Cornyn and Cruz, and the Texas delegation for their leadership;

H.R. 3865, which designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 101 South 8 th Street in Lebanon, Pennsylvania, as the Lieutenant William D. Lebo Post Office Building;

Thank you to Representative Meuser, Senators Casey and Fetterman, and the Pennsylvania delegation for their leadership;

H.R. 3944, which designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 120 West Church Street in Mount Vernon, Georgia, as the Second Lieutenant Patrick Palmer Calhoun Post Office;

Thank you to Representative Allen and the Georgia delegation for their leadership;

H.R. 3947, which designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 859 North State Road 21 in Melrose, Florida, as the Pamela Jane Rock

Post Office Building; and

Thank you to Representative Allen and the Georgia delegation for their leadership; and

S. 474, the "Revising Existing Procedures On Reporting via Technology Act" or the "REPORT Act," which requires electronic communication service providers and remote computing service providers to submit reports to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children when they become aware of certain violations involving the online sexual exploitation of children.

Thank you to Senators Blackburn and Ossoff, and Representatives Laurel Lee, Susie Lee, Dean, and Miller-Meeks, for their leadership.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

May 7, 2024

AT A CINCO DE MAYO RECEPTION

Rose Garden

5:15 P.M. EDT

THE PRESIDENT: Happy Cinco de Mayo!

AUDIENCE MEMBER: Four more years!

THE PRESIDENT:

AUDIENCE: Four more years! Four more years! Four more years!

THE PRESIDENT: Well, thank you, thank you, thank you.

I'm Jill Biden's husband, Joe.

Doug, our Second Gentleman, is here also. Doug, good to see you, pal.

And, Jaime, thanks for that introduction, pal. I've always looked up to you. Congratulations on a great rookie season in the NBA.

As you said, you stand on the shoulders of those who came before you. Future generations will stand on your 6'6" shoulders -- -- and be a hell of a lot taller, man.

Thanks, Pete and Nanette and all the members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus here today. I want to publicly say: We're going to meet, I promise. Okay? We got --

And when I was elected, I promised my administration would look like America. And I'm proud to say it does.

I want to thank my Cabinet members here today: Secretary Becerra, where are you? -- -- Secretary Cardona -- -- Administrator Guzman.

Former Cabinet members of the O-Biden -- the Obam- -- Obama-Biden administration, Tom Perez -- Tom, where are you?

Well, I'll tell you what, on Friday, I had the honor of bestowing our nation's highest civilian awards on 19 incredible people -- two trailblazing Hisp- -- Hispanic Americans as well: Teresa Romo -- [DEL: Romeo :DEL] [Romero] -- excuse me -- Teresa [DEL: Romeo :DEL] [Romero], the first Latina to lead the national union, an American -- a national union, the [DEL: American :DEL] [United] Farm Workers.

And if you look inside the door here, I've got only a few busts in there, and one of them is of Cesar Chavez, who started the whole deal.

And Dr. [DEL: Elaine :DEL] [Ellen] Ochoa, the first Latina to travel to space. I'm glad she decided to come home.

In the land of possibilities, they represent something essential about America: We are a nation of immigrants, and we shouldn't forget it. No, we -- not -- it's why we're so good, why we're so strong, why we have such potential.

We're a nation of dreamers. As Cinco de Mayo represents, we're a nation of freedom. That's America -- the America we share; the America we're fighting for together.

And the plan is working. You know, we've created 15 million jobs since we took office; record-low unemployment for among -- among Latinos; the fastest small-business creation in more than a decade -- -- as we've doubled loans to Latino-owned businesses.

We've invested a record $15 billion in Hispanic-serving colleges and universities. And we -- we've -- we've relieved student debt for 4.6 million -- -- a burden disproportionately falling on Latino borrowers.

And you're the future of our nation. You know, everybody says why am I so -- why have I always been so fundamentally focused on Latinos. Simple proposition: You make up 28 percent of the students in America. Think -- think about it. Twenty-eight percent of all the students in high school and grade school in America are Latino. And I want to tell you, the idea we're not going to pay attention is the dumbest thing I've ever heard.

Look, we have to have your backs, and you've had ours.

In March, in Nevada, I invited the most ambitious housing plan for decades to come into being. For example, it boosts construction on rental units and lowers rent. To crack down on discrimination by home appraisers so Latino homes are finally valued as fairly as they were when built by wealthy families.

Folks, look, we're in a situation where to lower costs across the board, we finally beat Big Pharma -- Big Pharma -- and gave Medicare the power to negotiate lower prescription drug prices.

And, by the way, for example, we capped insulin at $35 a month, down from $400 a month for seniors on Medicare, including 5 million Latinos. And guess what? It saved not only those lives but taxpayers. It saved them $160 billion in Medicare costs over the next 10 years. They're not going to have to pay. So, it's a big deal across the board.

We also expanded health coverage through the Affordable Care Act, doubling the number of Latinos enrolled since 2020.

And I'm proud, last Friday, my annou- -- my administration finally announced a rule that for the first time, and finally -- finally, I'm able to provide health insurance through the Affordable Care Act for DACA recipients.

The first bill I introduced was about DACA, to make sure that they have a path -- direct path to citizenship. And President [Obama] and I, we created that program 12 years ago.

It's given 800,000 DREAMers a chance to go to work and school, contribute their immense talents in America. But more than a third of DREAMers couldn't get health insurance. It's wrong. And this rule changes all that. DREAMers can now get health insurance, as they deserve.

My first day in office, as I said, I sent a comprehensive immigration reform bill to Congress. It expands legal paths for entries for families and employers. It includes pathways to citizenship for DREAMers in the only country that they ever called home.

I love it when people say, "Why DREAMers?" Can you imagine a kid, two years old, saying, "Mom, don't take me across the Rio Grande; it's against the law"? Give me a break. These have been model citizens.

Congress has to act. And the right thing to do is to keep pushing forward until we get it done -- -- get it done.

On this day two years ago, we were honored to host the First Lady of Mexico to celebrate the unbreakable bonds between our nations -- bonds rooted in [DEL: historage :DEL] [history], heritage, boosted by record trade, embodied in nearly 40 million Mexican Americans that are here.

I want to thank President Op- -- López Obrador for his partnership. We've become friends. I talk to him all the -- he's helping on immigration. We have a significant economic security, as well as security overall.

Folks, we're doing all this while cutting the federal deficit and fighting to make the wealthy and the big corporations finally begin to pay their fair share.

Under my plan, no one earning less than $400,000 a year would pay one extra penny in federal taxes -- not a single penny.

Did you know that there are a thousand billionaires in America? Well, guess what? That's good. I'm a capitalist. You can make a billion bucks, go get it. But guess what? Begin to pay your fair share.

You know what the average tax rate for a billionaire is in America? 8.2 percent in federal taxes. Anybody want to trade with them? Well, it's -- that's less than the vast majority of Americans. No billionaire should pay a lower tax rate than a teacher, a nurse, a firefighter, a cop.

That's why I proposed a minimum tax of 25 percent for billionaires. You know what that will do? That will raise $500 billion over the next 10 years. Imagine what we could do to affordable care for children, paid leave, lower the federal deficit, generate -- -- significant economic growth.

See, he cheered. That's a kid who knows what he's about, man.

But, as you know, there are those of a different view. When my predecessor was in office, he enacted a $2 trillion tax cut that overwhelmingly benefitted the super wealthy and the biggest corporations and exploded the federal debt more than any other president has in a four-year term. He added more. He wants to do it again.

He also wants to terminate the Affordable Care Act, denying healthcare to millions of Latinos -- millions. He wants to go to -- he wants to bring back the Big Pharma to be able to charge $400 a month so they don't -- eliminate that legislation -- instead of $35 a month. He wants to cut Social Security and Medicare. He says, "There's a lot we can do in terms of cutting."

I got one really serious idea how to cut. A candidate. Any rate -- .

He brags about getting Roe v. Wade overturned. He just did an interview with TIME Magazine and said states should monitor women's pregnancies. Monitor --

AUDIENCE: Booo --

THE PRESIDENT: -- monitor their pregnancies? He also said we should prosecute those who violate abortion bans.

AUDIENCE: Booo --

THE PRESIDENT: Kamala and I will never let that happen. We're going to keep fighting to restore Roe v. Wade as the law of the land.

In the same interview, my predecessor vowed to use the U.S. military to deport 11 million people here in America he says shouldn't be here -- going to use the military to deport 11 million people in America.

He calls immigrants "rapists" and "murderers." He said, "They are not people." He said the immigrants are "poisoning the blood of our country." He wants to bring back cruel and unhuman- -- inhumane family separation policies that ripped children from their parents at the border.

Folks, that's not who we are. That's not America. My administration has reunited 700 of those families and still looking. Families belong together, folks, not separated.

Let me close with this. We're here in the Rose Garden. Through that window in the Oval Office, you'll see I have a bust of Cesar Chavez. There's only five busts I have in that office. And in the back corner of the garden here, the rose bush that's planted in his honor.

He once said, quote, "Our ambitions must be broad enough to include the aspirations and needs of others for their sake and for our own."

Folks, the reason why we're the fastest-growing country in the world, why we're the best economy in the world is because of immigration. That's why we're . That -- that's not hyperbole. That's a fact.

What I see in the Latino community is doctors, teachers, athletes, artists, community leaders, construction workers, first responders who put themselves on the line to keep the rest of us safe.

You are dreamers and doers. You're cutting cancer. You're commanding the military. You're taking deep steps into space. And it matters. You matter. You really do. You matter more than we can express.

As I said earlier, you know, when you have 28 percent of all the students in our schools up to high school -- 28 percent speaking Spanish, how in God's name can we not pay attention?

There's -- always have been [DEL: compelling :DEL] [competing] value sets to visions of America. One of those value sets is of revenge and retribution. The other is hope and opportunity that we share -- honesty, decency, faith, fairness.

That's the future we're building together. In America, we defend democracy; we don't not diminish it. We protect freedoms; we don't take them away. An America where the economy grows from the middle out and the bottom up, the wealthy pay their fair share, and working people have a fair shot -- that's what we're about: an America where no one is left behind.

I know we can do this. Because of you, I've never been more optimistic about the future. We just have to remember who we are.

We're the United States of America -- -- a nation of immigrants. And there's nothing, nothing beyond our capacity when we do it together.

God bless you all. And may God bless our troops.

Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you.

5:27 P.M. EDT

Speeches and Remarks

2024-05-07

The White House

Welcome to the White House!

Please join me in another round of applause for our talented musicians who flew all the way here from Los Angeles just this morning.

Today, we celebrate Cinco de Mayo, and pay tribute to a long line of Mexican-Americans who have added their own threads to our rich American tapestry with bravery and vision. Writers whose poems trace the contours of our sorrows and joys. Activists whose movements for justice achieved hard-won progress. Trailblazers in every career and calling who have led us toward a more perfect union.

And as we recognize the Mexican-Americans who have so profoundly shaped this country, and are continuing to shape it, we also remember that the first step to progress is dreaming – creating those images in our own heads, even if the odds are against us, reaching for the stars, even if we may miss, sculpting the world we see when we close our eyes and imagine.

That's what your President does every day for this country. He's growing the middle class – working to level the playing field for all families. He's fighting injustice and inequality, defending our rights and freedoms, and creating a brighter future ahead.

But he can't do it alone, he needs your help – your hopes and dreams, and your passion and determination to make those dreams – those images – real.

Thank you for all you do to lift up our communities, thank you for helping us celebrate our nation's Mexican-American heritage today, and happy Cinco de Mayo!

And now it's my pleasure to introduce an incredible athlete who is sculpting his own path in the NBA and in his community, and inspiring so many young people to reach for their own dreams: Jaime Jaquez.

Statements and Releases

2024-05-07

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

May 7, 2024

Advocates, Leaders Applaud Administration's New Action to Expand Affordable, Quality Health Care Coverage to DACA Recipients

Last week, the Biden-Harris Administration expanded affordable, quality health care coverage to Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals recipients. Dreamers are our loved ones, our nurses, teachers, and small business owners, and President Biden and Vice President Harris believe they deserve the promise of health care just like all of us. The final rule announced last week will provide Dreamers the same access to health care under the Affordable Care Act as other Americans, twelve years after President Obama and Vice President Biden provided a path for them to live and work legally in the United States.

While only Congress can provide Dreamers permanent status and a pathway to citizenship, President Biden remains committed to protecting and preserving DACA and providing Dreamers with the opportunities and support they need to succeed, including access to affordable, quality health care coverage.

See below for what they are saying:

Congressional Leaders And Caucuses

Leader Chuck Schumer : "I applaud President Biden for this highly impactful policy change that lives up to the greatest ideals of America and will improve the lives of so many Dreamers." [Tweet , 5/3/24]

Senator Catherine Cortez Masto : "This is incredible news, and it's going to make a real difference here in Nevada." [Tweet , 5/3/24]

Senator John Fetterman : "Joe Biden is a president who delivers--this time for Dreamers, who will now have expanded access to affordable, high-quality health care through the Affordable Care Act." [Tweet , 5/3/24]

Senator Alex Padilla : "NEWS: DACA recipients will be eligible for health care coverage under the Affordable Care Act starting this year! Grateful that @POTUS heeded @HispanicCaucus calls to secure high quality and affordable health care for DACA recipients." [Tweet , 5/3/24]

Senator Laphonza Butler : "I applaud@potus and his administration for taking a step toward bettering the lives of DACA recipients. Starting this November, more than 100 K DACA recipients will be eligible to enroll in Affordable Care Act coverage." [Tweet , 5/3/24]

Rep. Nannette Barragan : "CHC applauds the Biden-Harris administration for expanding access to the ACA to Dreamers. This is a huge win for Dreamers who will now have access to affordable healthcare. […] Everyone deserves access to healthcare. Now, tens of thousands of Dreamers who are American in every way and are part of the American fabric will have access to high quality and affordable health insurance. This will pave the road to healthier communities and improve their quality of lives." [Statement, 5/3/2024]

Rep. Joaquin Castro : "Over the last twelve years, DACA has allowed hundreds of thousands of first-generation Americans to graduate from college, join the workforce, and chase their American dreams in the only country many of them have ever known. Throughout that time, these young Americans have been asked to work and pay taxes to support a system of affordable health care that excluded them. Today's announcement is an important step forward to right that wrong. The rapid spread and devastating toll of the COVID-19 pandemic was a reminder that our country is safer when everyone has access to the care they need. I'm proud to see the Biden administration heed the calls of public health advocates and immigrant communities and open the Affordable Care Act marketplace to DACA recipients, and I hope the administration will also move to similarly expand Medicaid and CHIP eligibility as soon as possible." [Statement, 5/3/2024]

Rep. Veronica Escobar : "DACA recipients work the same jobs and pay the same taxes as anyone in our community, and some have been doing so for years. It's only right that they have access to the same healthcare services. I'm thankful the Biden administration is taking this historic step." [Tweet, 5/3/2024]

Rep. Pramila Jayapal : "I want to thank and applaud President Biden and Secretary Becerra for today's announcement that allows DACA recipients to access health care and enhances coverage for other groups, including those approved for Special Immigrant Juvenile status and children applying for humanitarian relief. […] Health care is a human right, and DACA recipients deserve access to that care just like everyone else." [Statement, 5/3/2024]

Rep. Linda Sanchez : "Great news - @POTUS announced that DACA recipients will soon be able to access health care through the ACA.

DACA recipients pay taxes, contribute to our economy, & they deserve access to health care. I will continue fighting for health equity & citizenship for our Dreamers." [Tweet, 5/3/2024]

Rep. Sylvia Garcia : "I have been fighting for our Dreamers since before I came to Congress, and I commend the Biden Administration for taking this critical step in expanding access to the #AffordableCareAct to include #DACA recipients." [Tweet , 5/3/2024]

Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee : "Amazing progress, thank you @POTUS!" [Tweet, 5/3/2024]

Rep. Katherine Clark : "NEWS: DACA recipients will now have access to affordable, quality health insurance through the ACA.

President Biden is committed to supporting our dreamers, who are an integral part of the fabric of America. They deserve the promise of health care just like all of us." [Tweet, 5/3/2024]

Rep. Gerry Connolly : "This is fantastic news. DACA recipients are taxpayers like you and me. There is no reason they should be denied the option of getting health care coverage through the ACA. My colleagues and I urged President Biden to do this last year. Thankful to him for making it happen." [Tweet, 5/3/2024]

Rep. Rob Menendez : "This is incredible news for Dreamers, allowing over 100 K to have access to affordable and quality healthcare.

@POTUS is making good on his promise to protect and support DACA recipients. Healthcare is a right, not a privilege, and this rule reflects that belief." [Tweet, 5/3/2024]

Rep. Judy Chu : "DACA recipients are Americans through and through--serving their communities, opening businesses, and raising American families. Since President Obama's creation of the DACA program in 2012, young people brought to this country by family, including thousands from Asia and the Pacific, have had the ability to obtain work permits, generate wealth for themselves and their community, and pay taxes that go toward the services we all benefit from. Today's announcement by President Biden builds on the program--finally providing DACA recipients the life-changing opportunity to purchase health insurance on the Affordable Care Act marketplaces. Everyone deserves the security that comes with health care coverage and the ability to see a doctor for treatment, and I'm so thrilled that more than 100,000 DACA recipients will soon have access to that coverage." [Statement,

5/3/2024]

Rep. Barbara Lee : "Last year, I sent a letter to @POTUS calling on his administration to expand health coverage for #DACA recipients. Today, he came through! ?? This move will impact thousands. #Dreamers are Americans, and they deserve accessible, affordable, quality health care." [Tweet, 5/3/2024]

Rep. Chuy Garcia : "DACA recipients are our neighbors, coworkers, friends, and loved ones. They deserve health care like everyone else. I applaud the President for expanding access to health care for 100,000 DACA recipients" [Tweet, 5/3/2024]

Rep. Lou Correa : "DACA recipients are essential to our community--they're our students, leaders, and servicemembers. I'm proud to have supported this new rule in Congress, and to finally see expanded health care access become a reality for these young adults." [Tweet , 5/3/2024]

Rep. Deborah Ross : "DACA recipients will soon be eligible for affordable, accessible health care coverage through the ACA.

I'm grateful for the leadership of @POTUS & his support for Dreamers. I'll keep working to ensure all Dreamers can access the resources & care they deserve." [Tweet, 5/3/2024]

Rep. Juan Vargas : "Dreamers are our neighbors, teachers, nurses, students, and family members. They should be able to access affordable health coverage in the only country they call home. I applaud the Biden Administration for taking this important step that will improve thousands of lives and provide Dreamers with the support they deserve. I'll always stand up for Dreamers, and I'm not going to stop pushing for comprehensive immigration reform, including a pathway to citizenship for the Dreamers, Temporary Protected Status holders, and farmworkers who enrich our economy and our communities." [Statement, 5/3/2024]

Rep. Sean Casten : "Dreamers deserve accessible, affordable, and quality health care. This is a great move to ensure access for all." [Tweet, 5/3/2024]

Ranking Member Richard E. Neal, Ways and Means Committee: "Fourteen years after its passage, the Affordable Care Act remains a driving force behind building a stronger, healthier America. Today, the Biden Administration is correcting years of an unjust exclusion that has kept thousands from health care coverage, and finally bringing DACA recipients into the peace of mind and security that health coverage under the Affordable Care Act affords our nation. This is a historic step forward for our communities, and Ways and Means Democrats will continue to work towards the high-quality, affordable health care system that the American people deserve." [Statement, 5/03/24]

Local Government

Mayor John Giles : Giving DACA recipients--who are often our nurses, teachers, and small business owners--the ability to purchase health insurance, is a smart and compassionate move. Thank you, @POTUS, for giving Dreamers access to affordable healthcare. [Tweet, 5/3/2024]

Mayor Ron Nirenberg :Extremely grateful for @POTUS' actions to expand the Affordable Care Act's eligibility to DACA recipients. Texas is home to tens of thousands of dreamers. This step will undoubtedly improve San Antonio's overall health. [Tweet, 5/3/2024]

Community and Advocacy Organizations

Voto Latino: "HUGE VICTORY: Thanks to the Biden Administration, more than 100,000 DACA recipients will have access to the Affordable Care Act for the first time ever. ?We're by no means done. We must continue the fight to protect Dreamers everywhere." [Statement, 5/03/24]

President Kica Matos, National Immigration Law Center: "We are thrilled that DACA recipients will finally be able to access health care through the Affordable Care Act. We commend the Biden administration for taking this important step for health equity and immigrant justice. Even as we celebrate this victory, we must also remember that politically motivated attacks on DACA continue, DACA recipients remain in limbo, and the health and wellbeing of our communities has suffered as a result. We continue to urge Congress to pass a pathway to citizenship for immigrant youth who call this country home, so they can enjoy the same peace and stability that we all need to thrive." [Statement, 5/03/24]

Executive Director Mayra Macias, Building Back Together: "Today's announcement underscores President Biden's commitment and unequivocal support for Dreamers and DACA recipients. Once again, the Biden-Harris Administration is taking a bold step towards equity and inclusivity in health care access by ensuring that approximately 100,000 DACA recipients can enjoy the peace of mind and security that access to health care brings. By expanding DACA recipients' health care options, President Biden is reaffirming that health care is a fundamental right, and that everyone, including hardworking DACA recipients, deserves the opportunity and resources needed to live a healthy and fulfilling life." [Statement, 5/03/24]

Deputy Director Becca Telzak, Make the Road New York: "We applaud the efforts of the federal government to expand federal health care coverage to DACA recipients. This move, which follows in the footsteps of a hard-fought and successful campaign in New York to expand health care coverage to DACA recipients, will allow communities across the country to access affordable and quality healthcare coverage to see a doctor, receive preventative care, treatments and more and allows DACA recipients in New York who weren't already covered by insurance to access federal tax credits and subsidies." [Statement, 5/03/24]

President and CEO Gaby Pacheco, TheDream.US: "Today's announcement is a meaningful step forward to help DACA recipients more fully participate and give back to this nation. DACA remains one of the most popular and successful immigration policies in U.S. history and its recipients are increasingly homeowners, essential employees, and parents heading households all throughout America. Ensuring their access to healthcare coverage through the ACA will help thousands of families sleep a little easier at night - including TheDream.US alumni who have relied on DACA to work as doctors, nurses, and in other healthcare occupations. Of course, at a time when the future of the DACA program itself remains uncertain due to legal challenges that have barred younger Dreamers from even applying into the program, we still need the same solution that is two decades in the making: Congress to work together to deliver permanent legal status for Dreamers with and without DACA. As we work toward that goal, we

celebrate any steps forward that expands opportunities for Dreamers, such as today's positive announcement." [Statement , 5/03/24]

Alumna Indira Islas, TheDream.US: "I am proud to be part of a family of healthcare workers - my parents were doctors in Mexico, my sister is a nurse, and I am an aspiring doctor and have a graduate degree in public health. Providing opportunities and healthcare access to DACA recipients is good for families like mine and for the entire nation. The majority of Americans agree that Dreamers are Americans in all but their official paperwork and accessing healthcare shouldn't be a barrier for any American. By eliminating this barrier to access the ACA marketplace, this rule will be a game-changer for over 100,000 DACA recipients. Our contributions as DACA recipients, including as fellow healthcare workers, have been well-documented. Today's announcement is a good thing for us and for America." [Statement , 5/03/24]

Executive Director Miriam Feldblum, Presidents' Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration: "We applaud the rule expanding ACA eligibility access to DACA recipients. The Presidents' Alliance had called on the current Administration to issue the regulation, which is much welcomed and will strengthen the nation. DACA recipients contribute billions of dollars in tax revenue annually, fill critical job shortages in our economy, are employed in essential jobs supporting our communities, and fuel our country with their talent and entrepreneurship." [Statement , 5/03/24]

Statements and Releases

2024-05-07

Announced after the first two stops of the Vice President's nationwide Economic Opportunity Tour, the new funding to 1,200 communities will build and preserve homes, lower housing costs, support renters and homeowners, aid people experiencing homelessness, create jobs, and improve public facilities and community resilience.

Today, the Vice President announced a crucial infusion of funds to address the country's critical housing needs: $5.5 billion in grants to 1,200 communities through more than 2,400 grants to states, cities, DC, Puerto Rico, and local organizations across the country. These grants build on ongoing efforts by the Administration, the White House Housing Supply Action Plan and the Blueprint for a Renters Bill of Rights, boost housing supply, lower housing costs, expand rental assistance, enhance renter protections, and invest in stronger, more resilient communities for all.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

May 7, 2024

Announced after the first two stops of the Vice President's nationwide Economic Opportunity Tour, the new funding to 1,200 communities will build and preserve homes, lower housing costs, support renters and homeowners, aid people experiencing homelessness, create jobs, and improve public facilities and community resilience.

Today, Vice President Harris announced new funding to boost affordable housing, invest in economic growth, build wealth, and address homelessness across America. This funding is through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development .

President Biden and Vice President Harris are working to lower housing costs and increase the housing supply to address the large shortage of affordable homes they inherited from their predecessor, while investing historic resources to prevent and end homelessness. In President Biden's State of the Union address, he called on Congress to support the construction and rehabilitation of two million additional homes, lower costs for renters, and help first time homebuyers and families seeking to trade up or downsize.

Yesterday, Vice President Harris was in Detroit, MI for the second stop on her nationwide Economic Opportunity Tour. During her speech , the Vice President highlighted the Administration's plan to cut housing costs, boost supply, and expand access to affordable housing. She also discussed the Administration's work to address racial bias in home appraisals.

Today, the Vice President announced a crucial infusion of funds to address the country's critical housing needs: $5.5 billion in grants to 1,200 communities through more than 2,400 grants to states, cities, DC, Puerto Rico, and local organizations across the country. These grants build on ongoing efforts by the Administration, the White House Housing Supply Action Plan and the Blueprint for a Renters Bill of Rights , boost housing supply, lower housing costs, expand rental assistance, enhance renter protections, and invest in stronger, more resilient communities for all.

"Homeownership is an essential part of the American Dream that represents so much more than a roof over our heads. For people all across our nation, a home represents financial security, the opportunity to build wealth and equity, and a foundation for a better future for themselves, their children, and future generations," said Vice President Harris. "That is why President Biden and I are expanding on our historic investments in housing by announcing $5.5 billion that will increase access to affordable housing, invest in economic growth, and address homelessness in communities throughout America. This funding will build more affordable homes and support renters and homeowners while also lowering costs, building wealth, and creating jobs."

"A coordinated whole-of-community approach is crucial to build strong and resilient communities, invest in decent housing, create healthy environments, expand economic opportunities accessible to low-income households, and support aspiring homebuyers and those experiencing homelessness," said Acting HUD Secretary Adrianne Todman. "The funding made available today serves as building blocks to empower communities to take ownership of community development investments and put the needs of residents first."

These funds will be provided through the following HUD programs: 

$1.3 billion to 668 grantees to build affordable housing -- The HOME Investment Partnerships Program is the primary Federal block grant that helps States and local governments to produce affordable rental and owner-occupied housing for low-income families. HOME funds a wide range of activities including building, buying, and/or rehabilitating affordable housing for rent or homeownership or providing direct rental assistance to low-income people. HOME projects leverage non-federal funds including, in many cases, tax credits for affordable rental housing. In 2023 the program helped create over 13,000 units of housing and more than 13,000 households were assisted with tenant based rental assistance through the HOME program. 

$214 million to every state to increase affordable housing supply – The Housing Trust Fund is an affordable housing production program that complements existing Federal, state and local efforts to increase and preserve the supply of decent, safe, and sanitary affordable housing for extremely low- and very low-income households, including families experiencing homelessness. HTF is a formula-based program for States and U.S. Territories. By law, each state is allocated a minimum of $3 million. In 2023, the program helped create more than 1,681 units of affordable rental housing for extremely low-income households.

$3.3 billion to 1,254 grantees to build stronger communities -- The Community Development Block Grants provide annual grants on a formula basis to States, cities, counties, and insular areas to develop stronger, more resilient communities by providing decent housing and a suitable living environment, and by expanding economic opportunities, principally for low- and moderate-income people. In 2023 the program helped over 62,000 families through housing activities, 25,500 individuals through job creation or retention, 52,000 people experiencing homelessness through improvements to homelessness facilities, over 5.4 million people through public services, and over 41.8 million people through through public improvements.

$455 million to 130 grantees to connect people with HIV/AIDS to housing and support -- The Housing Opportunities for Persons With HIV/AIDS program provides stable and permanent housing assistance and supportive services to low-income people living with Human Immunodeficiency Virus . Over 100,000 households receive HOPWA housing assistance and/or supportive services annually. 

$290 million to 357 grantees to address homelessness -- Emergency Solutions Grants provide funds for homeless shelters, assist in the operation of local shelters, and funds related social service and homeless prevention programs. ESG funds may be used for street outreach, emergency shelter, homelessness prevention, and rapid re-housing assistance. Annually, ESG connects over 350,000 people to emergency shelter as they transition to permanent housing. 

$30 million to 23 States and the District of Columbia to support recovery from substance use disorder -- The Recovery Housing Program allows States and the District of Columbia to provide stable, transitional housing for individuals in recovery from a substance-use disorder. 

The grants announced today by the Vice President will provide critical funding for a wide range of activities to address communities' most pressing local needs, providing flexible resources to build homes, support renters and homeowners, provide life-saving assistance to people experiencing homelessness, create jobs, and improve public facilities, community resilience, and local economies.

For more information, see the following examples from previous years about how these funds have enabled communities to provide innovative housing solutions and expand affordable housing:

Transforming a Historic Building into Affordable Homes in Cleveland, Ohio: Through the Section 108 Loan Guarantee program, HUD granted a $15 million loan guarantee to the City of Cleveland, Ohio, to transition the downtown historic Huntington Building back into productive use, including affordable housing, commercial and retail space, and a museum.

Supporting Affordable Homes for Seniors and People with Disabilities in East Greenwich, Rhode Island: The Frenchtown Road project will create 63 units of affordable housing available to low- and moderate-income household, serving a community with a low stock of affordable housing currently available. The project will offer on-site supportive services for seniors and people with disabilities. Construction is underway with completion anticipated in early 2025.

Building Affordable Homes for Homeless Seniors and Veterans in Vista, California: The County of San Diego awarded over $4 million in HOME and HOME-American Rescue Plan funding to support the development of a 54-unit affordable housing complex – Santa Fe Village – in the City of Vista. The development will include 25 units for homeless seniors with serious mental illnesses, and two units will be reserved for veteran households. This property will provide access to supportive services for these households, including on-site case management, and peer support activities.

Funding Water & Wastewater Systems in Pennsylvania: The Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development used their CDBG allocation in 2023 to award nearly $3.5 million in funding to ensure safe water and sewage systems in Mifflin, Somerset, and Sullivan counties.

Today's announcement follows the first two stops of the Vice President's nationwide Economic Opportunity Tour , which is taking her back to several states across the country as she highlights how the policies of the Biden-Harris Administration have delivered for the American people. During each stop, the Vice President is highlighting how the Biden-Harris Administration has delivered historic investments that have supported communities and helped people thrive. This includes improving access to housing while making it more affordable. The tour kicked off last week with a moderated conversation in Atlanta, GA.

Today's announcement builds on the Vice President's career of working to protect homeowners and address housing supply and affordability. As Attorney General of California, she helped pass the California Homeowner Bill of Rights to provide protections to homeowners facing foreclosure. As U.S. Senator, she introduced several bills to increase the supply of affordable housing and lower costs for renters. Now as Vice President, she has led the charge on addressing racial bias in home appraisals by announcing key actions of the PAVE Action Plan, including recent actions that make it easier for more homeowners to appeal home appraisals that may be undervalued because of racial bias.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

May 7, 2024

PRESS SECRETARY KARINE JEAN-PIERRE AND NATIONAL SECURITY COMMUNICATIONS ADVISOR JOHN KIRBY

James S. Brady Press Briefing Room

2:28 P.M. EDT

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Good afternoon, everyone.

Q Good afternoon.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, you just heard from my colleague over at the State Department who has confirmed that Hamas sent a response. I'm going to turn things over very quickly to my colleague, Admiral John Kirby, who will share more updates in the region.

Okay.

MR. KIRBY: Thanks, Karine.

Good afternoon, everybody.

Q Good afternoon.

MR. KIRBY: As Karine noted, there has been a response from Hamas to the hostage deal. We're currently reviewing that response, and we're discussing it with our partners in the region.

Director Burns, as you know, is there, and he's working this in real time on the ground. I won't be able to comment any further on this until we know where things stand. I hope you can understand that. I know everybody is curious about what's in this response, what the Israeli reaction to it is. I'm just not going to get ahead of the process.

We want to get these hostages out. We want to get a ceasefire in place for six weeks. We want to increase humanitarian assistance. And the last thing that I want to do is say anything at this podium that's going to put that process at risk.

Regardless, as we've said before, we still believe that reaching an agreement is the absolute best outcome not only for the hostages but for the Palestinian people. And we're not going to stop working to that outcome.

Now, as you know, the President talked with Prime Minister Netanyahu this morning. The call lasted about 30 minutes and was constructive.

The President reaffirmed his message on Yom HaShoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day. The two leaders discussed the shared commitment of Israel and the United States to remember the 6 million Jews who were systematically targeted and slaughtered in the Holocaust, one of the darkest chapters in human history, and to forcefully act against antisemitism and all forms of hate-fueled violence.

Now, of course, the two leaders spoke about our efforts to secure the hostage deal, including through these ongoing talks today.

During the call, at the President's urging, Prime Minister Netanyahu agreed to ensure that the Kerem Shalom crossing is back open for humanitarian assistance for those in need.

And I also want to take a moment to address the latest reports now out of Rafah, which was also a topic of discussion on the -- on the call.

I'll reiterate again that we cannot and we will not speak for IDF operations. But we've made clear our views about operations in Rafah that could potentially put more than a million innocent people at greater risk. During his call with Prime Minister Netanyahu, the President again made this clear.

He also made clear that we continue to believe that the hostage deal is the best way to avoid that sort of an outcome while securing the release of those hostages. And as I said, those conversations continue.

Just one more thing: President Biden hosted His Majesty King Abdullah II of Jordan for lunch at the White House. That probably wrapped up here just recently. They discussed the strong partnership between the United States and Jordan. They also spoke about the situation in Gaza, of course, including efforts to secure the hostage deal and to get more humanitarian assistance into the civilians of Gaza.

Now, we're going to have a more detailed readout of that conversation here very, very soon. Just don't have it right now. But you'll be seeing it shortly.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Go ahead, Steve.

Q As far as you can tell, which proposal did Hamas accept?

MR. KIRBY: I'm not going to get into that, Steve.

Q And is the issue over how long a ceasefire would last?

MR. KIRBY: Again, you're asking me for the parameters around the response and the deal itself, and I'm just not going to do that.

Q Lastly, Israel has called on people in -- in Rafah to evacuate. Is -- does that presage a full-scale assault? What -- what are we seeing?

MR. KIRBY: As I said in my opening statement, I'm not going to speak for IDF operations or their military intentions and plans. They should be the ones to answer those kinds of questions.

What I can only reiterate is that we've been consistent and the President was consistent again this morning that we don't support ground operations in Rafah that would put the majority or even any of the -- the civilians there at any greater risk. We want to see their safety and security allowed for and factored in.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Go ahead, Seung Min.

Q Noting your caveats at the top, are you able to say whether Hamas was agreeing to something that had been discussed over the last several days?

MR. KIRBY: Again, without getting into the details of it -- and Director Burns is still talking to partners about this -- there have been ongoing negotiations and talks here for weeks. And the Director traveled recently to see if we can't bring this thing home.

And, again, without speaking about the details of the response by Hamas, I think it's safe to conclude that that response came as a result or at the end of these continued discussions that Director Burns was part of.

Q And when do you think you'll have a better sense of what is happening? When will you get a readout from Director Burns? Later today? Early tomorrow?

MR. KIRBY: I don't know. The President has been briefed on -- on the response. He's aware of where the situation and where the process is. What you're asking me is like when are we going to get, like, a final -- you know --

Q Like, what is the answer? Yeah.

MR. KIRBY: Yeah -- a final, you know, table slap here. There is a -- there's a process that has -- that -- that has been worked in the past and will be worked this time. You get a response by Hamas. We're going to have to evaluate that. We're going to see what's in it. Certainly, the Israelis get it -- must have a chance to look at this and to evaluate it.

And Director Burns, as -- as we speak -- literally, as you and I are talking -- are having these conversations with partners in the region. You know, it would be great -- I'm sure we'd all like to have an answer as soon as possible. But I just don't want to get ahead of that process.

Q And a quick follow-up on the readout. When do you expect the Kerem -- Kerem Shalom crossing to reopen? Or is it already reopened?

MR. KIRBY: It should be open very, very soon. Prime Minister Netanyahu committed to opening it on the call this morning. So, at 2:30, is it open? I don't know. But he assured the President that it would be reopened. It had been closed for several days.

Q Okay. And one more. Cindy McCain, the executive director of the World Food Programme, said over the weekend that Northern Gaza is in a, quote, "full-fledged famine." Is that the assessment of the U.S. government as well?

MR. KIRBY: The U.N. has not declared a famine in Gaza writ large. But I don't want to understate the degree of need here and the -- the dire situation that so many people in Gaza are in, particularly with respect to food and water. So, it is not a great situation, clearly. And that's why, again, we're working so hard to get this deal in place, so we can keep that humanitarian assistance up at a higher level.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Go ahead, Mary.

Q Thank you.

Q I understand you don't want to get into the specifics here. But is it your understanding that this is Hamas's final offer? I mean, is there still room to negotiate here?

MR. KIRBY: I think it's going to depend on our evaluation and the Israelis' evaluation of the response and where we go from here.

Q And as Steve mentioned, the Israelis are already warning people to evacuate Gaza. If they do go through with this operation, is the U.S. willing to consider putting limits or conditions on aid to Israel?

MR. KIRBY: I won't get ahead of where we are right now, Mary, in the process here, and I'm certainly not going to speak to hypothetical operations that haven't happened yet. I think we just have to see what transpires.

The President was very direct -- and consistently so -- this morning that we don't want to see major ground operations in Rafah that put these people at greater risk.

Q But, you know, a month ago, the administration did make clear that the U.S. would change its approach -- right? -- if Israel didn't take significant steps to address the humanitarian crisis.

MR. KIRBY: That's right.

Q Does that still hold? Is it possible that the U.S. could change course --

MR. KIRBY: Of course.

Q -- if the humanitarian process isn't improved?

MR. KIRBY: Of course. We always --

Q And presumably, a Raf- --

MR. KIRBY: No, no. We always have the right to adjust our policies as appropriate, and that has not changed, no.

Q And presumably, an operation in Rafah would jeopardize steps to address the humanitarian crisis?

MR. KIRBY: All I can say is we've been very direct and very consistent in our views of concerns about operations in Rafah.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Go ahead, M.J.

Q Does the U.S. currently have any sense of whether Israel is inclined or not inclined to accept this deal?

MR. KIRBY: I -- I won't speak for the Israelis.

Q The -- when the President and the Prime Minister spoke earlier today, was this specific framework discussed? And did the President encourage, put pressure on the Prime Minister to accept this framework?

MR. KIRBY: You're talking about the -- what the -- what Hamas says they responded to?

Q Yes.

MR. KIRBY: So, just -- and just so you have the tick-tock here, by the -- when they were talking this morning, we did not have news that Hamas had responded. So, that news broke after their call.

That said, as I mentioned in my opening statement, of course they talked about the hostage deal and the importance of getting it secured.

Q So, you're saying when the two leaders spoke, Hamas had not yet accepted --

MR. KIRBY: It would be wrong --

Q -- this framework --

MR. KIRBY: Yeah.

Q -- so the President would not have specifically asked the Prime Minister to --

MR. KIRBY: Correct.

Q -- potentially accept this framework?

MR. KIRBY: It would be wrong for you to conclude that -- that the call this morning was about having the Israelis accept the Hamas response. The Hamas response hadn't happened yet.

Q Did he broadly encourage the Prime Minister to get, yes, to some sort of deal?

MR. KIRBY: He, as he has consistently with Prime Minister Netanyahu, urged that we get this deal secured. But it wasn't a -- it wasn't a pressure call. It wasn't about twisting his arm towards a certain set of parameters.

Director Burns is in the region having these conversations with the Israelis, the Qataris, the Egyptians, as -- again, as we speak. And -- and that's the forum for working out the parameters of it. But the President clearly talked to the Prime Minister about the importance of getting a deal done, yeah.

Q And, John, what is the President's position on a limited operation into Rafah?

MR. KIRBY: I think I -- I don't think I can answer it any differently than I did with Mary. We've been very clear that we don't support a major ground operation in Rafah, operations in general that put at greater risk the more than a million people that are sheltering there.

And the question right now is a hypothetical. I mean, we're aware that they've dropped leaflets. We're aware that they're -- that they're warning people to evacuate. I'll let them speak to their operations and to their intents -- intentions.

Nothing has changed about where we are with respect to operations in Rafah that could put those people at greater risk.

Q Right. But you know that they are asking people in the area to evacuate and the possibility of a limited Rafah operation is on the table. So, I'm asking: Does the President believe that Israel can execute a limited operation into Rafah while adequately protecting the lives of civilians there?

MR. KIRBY: The President doesn't want to see operations in Rafah that put at greater risk the more than a million people that are seeking refu- -- refuge there.

Q So, he wouldn't support a limited operation into Rafah?

MR. KIRBY: I think I've answered the question.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Go ahead, Francesca.

Q In the back.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Francesca, go ahead.

Q Picking up on the timeline. So, prior to Hamas saying that they accepted this proposal, what, as you understood them to be, were the sticking points for either Hamas or the Israelis in the -- the deal that had been on the table?

MR. KIRBY: I'm not going to get into that.

Q Okay. Did it involve Rafah in any way?

MR. KIRBY: I'm not going to talk about the parameters of the proposal that was worked before this Hamas response, and I'm certainly not going to talk about the response right now.

I mean, I do understand the curiosity. And you guys are all asking exactly the right questions -- all very fair. But I really do hope you understand that the last thing I would ever want to do from this podium is say something that could put this very sensitive process at greater risk.

We are at a critical stage right now. We got a response from Hamas. Now Director Burns is working through that, trying to assess it, working with the Israelis.

I mean, my goodness, folks, I don't know that it gets any more sensitive than right now. And the worst thing that we can do is start speculating about what's in it.

Q And one more thing on Rafah. What was your understanding why the Israelis were only evacuating part of Rafah at this time?

MR. KIRBY: You'd have to talk to the Israelis.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Go ahead, Danny.

Q Thanks, Karine. Thanks, Admiral. You've previously said several times that the ball is in the court of Hamas at previous stages of negotiations. Would it be fair to say now that the ball is in Israel's court?

MR. KIRBY: It's going to depend on what the response actually says and the conversations that we have with the Israelis about what -- where we go from here.

Q And just one other thing. If I can ask, I mean, is -- do you have any sense that Israel is currently using this threat or the start of an operation in Rafah as a means of putting pressure on Hamas at this stage of the negotiations?

MR. KIRBY: Again, you'd have to talk to the Israelis about their intentions.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Franco.

Q You said that they -- that -- that you did not know the news during the call. But were you surprised by -- was the White House surprised by Hamas saying that they've reached a deal or agreeing to the agreement?

MR. KIRBY: It wasn't like we had a heads up about it. We -- we knew that, as I said publicly, they had a proposal in front of them, and as was just remi- -- I was just reminded of the fact that I said many times it was -- the ball was in Hamas's court. So, we certainly knew that they had it before them, and we were waiting on word.

We had hoped that there would be word very, very soon. We certainly hope that there could be word today. But did we know the exact moment that Al Jazeera was able to break the news that Hamas had a response? No, we didn't predict that particular moment.

Q Are you encouraged that that -- that there -- that you are at this sensitive point? You've been talking about it's a very sensitive point, it's important --

MR. KIRBY: We'll be encouraged when we get a deal in place and we can start seeing hostages get back with their families. That'll be encouraging.

Q And if I can, what role, if any, do you feel like the leaflets and the pressure of an evacuation or the evacu- -- the announcement of evacuating, do you think that had any role in -- in triggering Hamas to do --

MR. KIRBY: I don't think we know that.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Go ahead.

Q John, can you talk a little bit about the timeline, as the administration understands it, of those evacuations? How much time do people have to leave? Do you -- did you guys put any demands on the Israelis in terms of how those evacuations are to take place under the parameters that you guys have talked

about previously?

MR. KIRBY: We're asking questions of the Israelis about what their intentions are here and what the -- what the larger purpose of this evacuation is and sort of where they're wan- -- wanting to go.

I think to answer your question, though, you'd really have to go to the Israelis and to -- to speak to their military operations and plans. I'm not going to get ahead of that.

But are we curious about the timing and the intent and where they're going? Yes, absolutely. And the President expressed our curiosity about that on the call today.

Q But more than curiosity, are you expressing what you want to see happen in terms of those evacuations, how they take place, whether Israel is prepared for people moving around within Rafah?

MR. KIRBY: I would just say -- again, without -- without -- I don't want to get ahead of operations that haven't happened. I don't want to speak for the Israeli military. I can just say that we don't want to see operations in and around Rafah that make it harder for the people that are seeking refuge there and shelter to be safe and secure. And we have made that case privately to the Israelis. The President did it again today with the Prime Minister directly. We certainly made it publicly. We've been very, very consistent about that.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Go ahead, Jacqui.

Q Thank you, Karine. John, noting everything that you've said about the concerns expressed by the U.S. about the risk to Palestinians in Gaza with a full-scale operation, is the U.S. still aligned with Israel in its intention to eliminate the terrorist threat posed by Hamas?

MR. KIRBY: Of course.

Q And is there any feeling that Hamas may be trying to trick the public in some way? You heard Israeli officials commenting on this latest proposal as -- as a trick, and --

MR. KIRBY: Oh --

Q -- there's been a lot of pressure to -- go ahead.

MR. KIRBY: Yeah, no, I'm just -- go ahead. Sorry. I'm listening.

Q Well, there's -- there's been, you know, pressure on the administration to make sure that the needs of Palestinians are -- are being served and that the U.S. support for Israel isn't, you know, overhanded. And you had the -- the report come out earlier today or maybe yesterday that the U.S. was potentially weighing withholding an arms shipment to Israel. Is there any concern that Hamas was trying to capitalize on that public pressure and, you know, "play a trick," as Israeli officials put it?

MR. KIRBY: I mean, I don't think there's any possible way I can answer that question unless I got between the ears of Mr. Sinwar, and that's a place I really don't want to be. I think that is a great question for him.

You know, it's interesting. I stand up here and answer questions, Karine does, Matt Miller at the State Department, Pentagon colleagues, the President does, Prime Minister Netanyahu does, and the IDF military spokesman does.

You know who hasn't answered a single question about his intentions and what games he might be playing or where he intends to take this? Mr. Sinwar, the head of Hamas. And I think it's -- I think it's high time that he answers some of these questions and he come clean about what his intentions are. I don't know.

All I know is we got a response. Bill Burns is looking at that response. He's talking to the Israelis about it. And we'll see where this goes. Hopefully -- hopefully -- whatever is in this thing, hopefully it can lead to those hostages getting out real, real soon with their families where they need to be.

And as each new -- as each day passes, their lives get further at risk. So, time is really of the essence here.

Q Well, noting your answer, is it still a good idea to try to negotiate with terrorists, then?

MR. KIRBY: It's -- it's not -- it's not like -- it's not like we sit down pie in the sky and say, "Hey, today's a good day. Let's negotiate with terrorists." You -- you got to negotiate with who you got to negotiate to get people back with their family.

So, frankly, if -- if there's a better idea to get those hostages home with their families, I think we'd love to hear them. I just don't think there's another way to do it. There's no other way to do it, quite frankly.

You got to negotiate through Qatar with Hamas to get those folks back with their families. And it -- does -- you know, that's the hard work of diplomacy, qu- -- you know, sometimes it means you got to sit across the table from some really bad folks that you'd rather not have to talk to. But they got those hostages, and we want them back.

Q But the U.S. backs Israel's intention to eliminate Hamas?

MR. KIRBY: We, of course, back their right and responsibility to go after the Hamas threat, to eliminate that threat.

Now, look, Jacqui, I've said many times here, you're not going to eliminate an ideology through military operations. But does Israel have a right and responsibility to eliminate a threat that they suffered on the 7 th of October? A hundred percent. Absolutely, they do. And we've been nothing but -- but very steadfast on that.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Go ahead, Gabe.

Q Thanks, Karine. Thanks, John. Speaking about a tick-tock, what prompted this morning's call?

MR. KIRBY: I think you've heard me say many times now, they talk as appropriate. And given where we were in the hostage deal negotiations, given where we were with humanitarian assistance and Kerom -- Kerem Shalom being shut down for several days, certainly given where we were with expectations in Rafah, this made all the sense in the world for today to be the day that the President and Prime Minister Netanyahu speak.

Q But when exactly was the call set up? Was it this morning? Was it yesterday after the rocket attack that killed the three Israelis? Or what -- what specifically prompted it?

MR. KIRBY: I would tell you the initial planning for the call took place late in the weekend, is about what I'd say.

Q And one more on a different topic. Why did the U.S. halt an ammunition shipment to Israel last week?

MR. KIRBY: Yeah, look, I've seen the press reporting on this. All I can tell you is that -- to Jacqui's question -- our support for Israel's security remains ironclad. And I'm not going to get into the specifics of -- of one shipment over another.

Q It's our -- NBC is reporting that it included 2,000-pound bombs that may have been used in Rafah. Did concerns over Rafah and what the Israelis could use this ammunition for -- did that play any role in halting that shipment?

MR. KIRBY: I don't have a better answer for you other than the one I just gave you.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Go ahead.

Q I just want to go at that question one more time. Did the United States put a pause on an arms shipment to Israel? Is that -- is that reporting correct?

MR. KIRBY: I'm not going to confirm that report.

Q Okay. Just another on another topic. Well, same topic, different question. Over the weekend, the Queen of Jordan said in an interview that the United States is giving the world mixed messages, offering both expressions of concern and support for Gaza in addition to providing arms to Israel. Can you -- can you comment at all on this -- on her criticism or her critique of the United States' position?

MR. KIRBY: I'm -- I'm not going to -- I don't think it'd be appropriate to get into a back-and-forth here from the podium on this.

We have said that two things can be true at once, and they are. Israel has a right and a responsibility to defend itself, and we're going to continue to provide for their security and help them with that. And at the same time, they have a right and obligation to be careful about civilian casualties and getting more humanitarian assistance in.

And that's why we're working so hard on this hostage deal. And that's why the American -- the President and the United States continue to lead the world in terms of actually making a difference in that outcome, making life better for the Palestinian people. No other country is doing more than the United States to try to increase that -- that assistance and get this -- get this ceasefire in place.

Q And just really quickly, the Israelis stopped a broadcast of Al Jazeera over the weekend. Can you comment on whether that's an appropriate action for a United States ally?

MR. KIRBY: We don't support that action. As we said very clearly on World Press Freedom Day on Friday -- I know Karine talked about this -- the work of independent journalism around the world is absolutely vital. It's important to an informed citizenry and public, but it's also important to -- to help inform the policymaking process.

So, we don't support that at all.

Q And did the President bring it up at all in his call with --

MR. KIRBY: The focus of the call was on the hostage deal and on Rafah.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Okay. I'm going to give it to Al Jazeera.

MR. KIRBY: You saw my -- sorry. You saw, I --

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Sorry.

MR. KIRBY: -- I think I put a statement out this morning on that. So, we have officially reacted to it. Sorry.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Go ahead, Al Jazeera.

Q Thank you so much, Karine. Thank you, John. Is the administration planning on discussing the banning of Al Jazeera in Israel with the Israeli government?

We just celebrated the freedom of the press here in the United States and across the globe. And then this decision came, and it was really a big shock.

MR. KIRBY: As I just said, we don't --

Q Would the administration raise this issue with the government of Israel?

MR. KIRBY: We have raised this issue, and I made a public statement about it.

Q And on -- on the -- on Rafah. Has Israel presented or provided the administration with a comprehensive plan for the ?

MR. KIRBY: No.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Go ahead, Ed.

Q I want to take you back to this report on whether shipments were paused.

MR. KIRBY: Okay.

Q Are the reports wrong?

MR. KIRBY: I'm not going to confirm the press reporting, Ed. What I've said is our security commitments to Israel are ironclad. The President pushed very hard to get that supplemental funding so that we could continue to help Israel with its security needs and --

Q You can appreciate the ambiguity makes it sound like it's true.

MR. KIRBY: I can't --

Q That we held it up.

MR. KIRBY: I can't speak for what you appreciate in my answer. All I can do is tell you that my answer is not going to change.

Q All right. What is the definition of a assault or attack on Rafah, in the view of the White House, that would be seen as impermissible?

MR. KIRBY: There hasn't been an assault or an attack --

Q Well, there's reports tonight that there are --

MR. KIRBY: -- in terms of a ground operation at this time.

Q Okay.

MR. KIRBY: So, let's not get ahead of where we are. The President did express, again, our concerns about operations in Rafah that would put at risk these -- these people finding or trying to find shelter there.

I think it would be a futile e- -- exercise for me to get up here and -- and give you a laundry list of what would or would not compose some kind of ground operation in Rafah. We have to -- well, let me put it another way -- the IDF has to speak to what their intentions and their plans are.

Q But it's still ground operation versus missiles that may be landing over Rafah tonight, which is what we're hearing.

MR. KIRBY: Well, it doesn't matter whether it's missiles or rockets. Things that kill innocent people -- that's not okay. And, again, the President made it clear that we don't want to see operations in Rafah that put at risk --

Q And how does --

MR. KIRBY: -- those million and a half people that are there.

Q How does the President assess Bill Burns's ongoing attempts to make sure this deal comes together?

MR. KIRBY: It's a nice side way of getting at sort of talking to the parameters of the deal. I appreciate that. He's very grateful for --

Q Oh, no, I was -- I was more genuinely interested in what he thinks --

MR. KIRBY: Oh, really?

Q -- of the CIA Director's work on this, yes.

MR. KIRBY: Excellent. I'm sorry. I impugned your question.

The -- look, I think he's very grateful for the -- the work that Director Burns and the whole team has been doing to try to get us to this point. But it only really matters if we can get the deal in place -- and I'm sure Director Burns would agree me -- would agree with me on that -- and those hostages can get home.

But he's -- he's done terrific work thus far, and I know that he wants to see th- -- get this across the finish line, as this -- just as much as we do.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Jonathan.

Q Thank you, Karine. Admiral, on a different topic. Reports breaking just the last few minutes that a U.S. soldier has been detained in Russia. This apparently happened in the last few days. The reporting is he had been stationed in Korea, traveled to Russia on his own. He's being accused of some sort of theft. Are -- is the administration aware of this report?

MR. KIRBY: Yes.

Q What can you tell us about what happened?

MR. KIRBY: I can't really say much about it right now, Jonathan. I hope you can understand that. And, certainly, it's a better question put to our DOD colleagues. But we are aware of this case.

Q And other matter just related to Russia. There has been threats from Moscow in the last couple days about striting -- striking British military facilities because of the -- and also simulating nuclear drills, as it sharply rises tensions because of weapons manufactured in the UK being used in the conflict. This says it could potentially apply to other ally countries as well -- theoretically, the United States.

Do you have a response to that?

MR. KIRBY: Well, what I'd say, number one, is it's just reckless and irresponsible for the leader of a major nuclear-armed power to be saber-rattling the way that he is with respect to potential use for -- for nuclear weapons.

We're -- obviously, we monitor this and have continued to monitor this very closely. I can tell you we've seen nothing, even despite the reckless rhetoric, that would cause us to change our strategic deterrent posture.

And, look, lastly, if -- if Mr. Putin and Russian officials are worried about their troops in Ukraine getting hit with weapons from other countries, then the easiest thing to do is just take your troops and leave.

Q Thank you.

Q There are reports of AFP right now that Israel is committing airstrikes on Rafah -- intense airstrikes on Rafah right now. What would that timing mean to the relationship between the President and the Prime Minister?

MR. KIRBY: Well, , you -- you know something I don't know. I haven't seen those reports. I can't confirm it. I'll just go back to what I've said, I don't know, half a dozen, if not more, times today: We don't support operations in Rafah that put people at greater risk.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Go ahead.

Q Thank you. Thank you, Karine, and thank you, John. I just wanted to make it clear that regarding the limit on the refined petroleum provided by Russia to North Korea, the annual refined petroleum limit under U.N. sanctions against North Korea is 500,000 barrels. But last week, you say that the limit was exceeding that 6- -- 165,000 barrels in March alone. So, how many barrels were supplied in January and February?

MR. KIRBY: I will have to take that question and get back to you. I didn't bring the barrel data with me today.

Q And one one more quick question again. State -- yes, State Department Spokesperson Miller said that the sanctions against this will be imposed through these months, and a North Korea oil tanker sanctioned by the U.N. is currently staying in Chinese water. So, is China included in the sanctions this time? Or U.N. sanctions against Russia and sanctions against China are together?

MR. KIRBY: I -- I will admit that I will owe you now yet another answer. I'll get back to you with something more detailed.

I will only just say, to exit myself from this question gracefully, that -- -- that -- that we want everybody to enforce the sanctions that are against North Korea appropriately and consistently. And not everybody does. And North Korea has benefited from sanctions evasions by countries in the region and beyond the region. I'll leave it at that.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Okay. I'm going to -- we're going to have to start wrapping it up.

Q Thank you very much, Karine. Thank you very much, John. I have a question on Russia and growing ties between China and Russia. Putin is reportedly visiting China this month, and right before this visit, just last week, we learned that Russian police raided the homes of Falun Gong practitioners in Russia -- this is a group persecuted in China -- and detained several of them.

Does -- does the White House have any reaction to this? And then I have a follow-up one.

MR. KIRBY: I haven't seen the reports about the detention of these individuals. If the -- if they're true, certainly, that would be concerning to us. But I'd probably refer you to the State Department to speak a little bit more about that than -- than I can.

Just, again, writ -- writ large, we have seen China and Russia try to go -- grow closer together. We believe a big reason for that is, frankly, the United States and -- and putting themselves in positions to -- to either oppose our foreign policy objectives or to try to be an obstacle to them in many, many different ways.

So, it's -- it's concerning to us.

The most specific concern that we have right now is the fact that some Chinese companies are providing microelectronics and components so that Mr. Putin can continue his defense industrial base improvements and developments and put weapons in the field that just kill innocent Ukrainians.

And, again, we've been -- we've made those concerns clear directly to our Chinese counterparts and at the U.N.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: All right. Jared. Ja- -- oh, yeah --

Q Oh --

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: You have the last question.

Q Yeah, I did want to ask just a clarification, first, on the King's visit. Is he meeting with any other senior administra- -- Defense Department, anybody?

MR. KIRBY: I -- I -- not that I'm aware of.

Q So, this wasn't, like, a broader bilateral, kind of --

MR. KIRBY: No. No, the President hosted him for lunch. They've done this before in the past.

Q And, secondly, can you give us a --

MR. KIRBY: I -- I can't -- but, look, I -- I can't speak to his whole schedule while he's in town. So, I'm not aware of any other meetings, but that doesn't mean that he's got something --

Q But it wasn't, like, a broader bilateral here at the White House?

MR. KIRBY: No.

Q And on the pier, the temporary pier, if you could give us an update on that and whether or not, like, a ceasefire would need to be in place for that to be fully implemented and operational.

MR. KIRBY: A ceasefire doesn't have to be in place for the pier to operate. Now, obviously, somewhat -- it's a whole heck of a lot easier if there's no fighting going on. But it doesn't have to be.

In fact, one of the big issues that we are still working out is what the force protection laydown would look like and how the -- not -- not just the people operating the pier but the material itself can be safe from any -- any attack.

As far as I know -- and, again, you should go to the Pentagon for more detail -- the -- essentially, the pier itself has been constructed. It is not in place because, last week, they had some weather issues in the Eastern Med, so they weren't able to put it in place.

You should go to the Pentagon for, like, where it is right now. As I understand it, it's still not being put into place.

Then you've got to anchor it, and you've got to make sure you build a causeway so you can get to and from it. And so, there's still a lot of work that has to be done to get it operational, and that would include the force protection laydown.

But no, the short answer to your question is you don't have to have a ceasefire in place to use the temporary pier.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Thank you, Admiral. Appreciate it.

MR. KIRBY: Thank you, Karine. Appreciate your -- appreciate your patience.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: No, you're all good. Thank you.

Q Thank you.

Q Thank you, John.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Thanks.

All right. I do have a couple of things at the top. I wanted to get to the -- to the Admiral at the beginning.

So -- so, tomorrow, the President will deliver remarks during the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum's annual Days of Remembrance ceremony. You can expect the President to make clear that during these sacred days of remembrance, we honor the memory of the 6 million Jews killed in the Holocaust and we recommit to heeding the lessons of this dark chapter: Never again.

He will speak to the horrors of October 7 th, when Hamas unleashed the deadliest day for Jewish people since the Holocaust.

And he will speak to how, since October 7 th, we've seen an alarming rise in antisemitism in the U.S. -- in our cities, our communities, and our -- and on our campuses.

The President will touch on how his National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism is putting the full force of the federal government behind protecting the Jewish community and that all Americans must stand united against antisemitism.

He will reaffirm that we respect and protect the fundamental right to free speech, but there is no place on any campus or anywhere for antisemitism. There is no place for hate speech or threats of violence against -- against the Jewish people.

Next, today, as part of the Economic Opportunity Tour, Vice President Harris is traveling to Michigan to announce $100 million in funding and resources for small- and medium-size auto manufacturers and auto workers.

The Vice President will also announce actions to expand workforce training and improve job quality in the EV supply chain.

For decades, trickle-down econ- -- e- -- economics drove manufacturers overseas. Thanks to the Biden-Harris administration's Investing in America agenda, companies are making historic investments in EV battery supply manufacturing. More than 20 auto and battery plants have been announced, after no net new plants opened under the previous administration.

Historic contracts secured the -- by the UAW and the Big Three automakers in Detroit, as well as recent organizing victories, like Volkswagen in Chattanooga, Tennessee, ensure that these jobs of the future will provide comp- -- comparable wages, retirement security, and respect at work.

These actions build on the Biden-Harris administration's ongoing work to ensure that the workers and businesses that built the auto industry remain community anchors for generations to come.

And, finally, I want to acknowledge some important news. While the previous administrations oversaw the largest one-year increase in murders ever recorded, under the President's -- this President's leadership, President Biden, violent crime is at a nearly 50-year low.

Thanks to the extraordinary efforts of law enforcement and community leaders, Americas are safe -- Americans are safer from violent crime today than they were a year ago. Violent crime declined across every category in the first quarter of 2024, and murders are down 17 percent.

Let me be clear here: This reduction in crime is no accident. President Biden and his administration are taking historic action to make our communities safer and give our law enforcement officers the tools they need to protect and serve.

We are stopping the flow of illegal guns and making the largest-ever federal investment in fighting and preventing crime through the American Rescue Plan, which every Republican in Congress voted against. But we can't stop now.

Through the Safe [Safer] America -- America Plan, the President is calling on Congress to invest $37 billion to support law enforcement and crime prevention. Every family deserves to live in a safe community.

With that, Seung Min.

Q Thanks. You had another school, Columbia University, announce this morning that they're canceling commencement ceremonies. I'm wondering if the White House is concerned that the situation on college campuses is not calming down, despite what the President said last week.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, I want to quote what the President said from last week, as you laid that out for me. And here's the quote: "Peaceful protest in America -- violent protest is not protected; peaceful protest is. It's against the law when violence occurs. Destroying property is not a peaceful protest. It's against the law. Vandalism, trespassing, breaking windows, shutting down campuses, forcing the cancellation of classes and graduations -- none of this is a peaceful protest."

And it is unfortunate that a small group -- a small group of people went too far and cost their classmates this important event. We've talked about it many times from here. When it's -- when it comes to commencement day and when it comes to speaking at commencement events, this is something that the President has done for some time now. And he understands that this is a moment of joy, a moment of celebration. And -- and we feel for them. We feel for each of the graduates.

And -- and we're going to continue to reiterate the President's comments and statements and what we've said from this podium to call for protest peacefully. And that's what we're going to continue to do.

But we do feel for them. These are graduates who are going to miss out on an incredibly important day of commencement.

Q Quick follow-up. Does the White House anticipate any issues -- or how are you preparing for any potential issues when he delivers the remarks at Morehouse later this month?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, look, I'm not going to get into -- I'm not going to speculate on what might happen, might not happen. Obviously, when it comes to any type of -- when it comes to events and security, that's something that Secret Service obviously is going to -- going to deal with and -- and figure that out on their end. But I'm not going to get into specu- -- to speculate from here.

I'm just going to reiterate what I just said about how the President truly enjoys doing commencement speeches. He understands how important -- not just for the graduate but the families and the loved ones that are there to celebrate a really, truly important day. And so, that's what we're looking forward to.

As you know, the President is also going to go to West Point and honor -- honor those who serve to protect our country. And -- and so -- and we'll continue to do that, obviously. And so, that's what he's going to look forward to: really being there for the graduates and lifting them up in this moment.

Q Thank you, Karine. Congressman Ro Khanna said that the President should and will be out visiting these campus among the protests -- amid the protests. Is there any plan for him to get out there and talk to students --

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: No.

Q -- right now? Okay.

And then, separately, GW's president has called for Metro Police in D.C. to intervene to dismantle what they've deemed an illegal encampment. And D.C. police have so far refused to respond to that call. It's happening in the President's backyard. Is there any reaction from the White House on what should happen?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, that is something that I'm going to leave to the local law enforcement and universities. That's for them to figure out, for them to work it through. They know what is happening on the ground. And we've always been very clear about that. And we'll continue to be clear about that.

We're going to continue to call for peaceful protest. And, you know, dissent cannot lead to disorder. And so, going to continue to be very, very clear, as the President has been, as I have been, as so many of us here on -- in this administration has been.

Q Any idea why D.C. police would not respond --

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I would --

Q -- to this call?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I would refer you to the D.C. police. That's something for them to speak to.

Q Okay.

Q In the back.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Okay.

Q And then, j- -- lastly, on these reported plans for the U.S. to bring over Palestinian refugees, potentially. Is there anything you can tell us about where we are in the works with that? And what -- I know it would have to depend on coordination with Egypt, which so far has been resistant to cooperate on this. What -- what can you tell us about this plan?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I don't have anything further to announce. I know I was asked this question a couple of times last week. I just don't have anything else to share.

Go ahead, Steve.

Q Karine, the -- the speech tomorrow, is it a broad-brush speech or will he get into some of the specifics of the Gaza conflict?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I'm not going to get ahead of the President too much. Obviously, it is a day of remembrance. You know the term. We -- as I just stated at the top: Never forget -- or never again.

And so, certainly the President will -- will talk about that day and how horrific it was for the Jewish -- Jewish Americans, Jewish community.

I just don't want to get too far ahead. But obviously, it's an important day for -- for not just Jewish Americans but Americans more broadly.

Q Thank you.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Go ahead, Karen.

Q Thanks, Karine. Given the key role that Jordan has played over the last several months in the Middle East -- especially on humanitarian aid -- and the day's development, there was obviously a lot of news value to the King's visit today.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah.

Q Why didn't we see the President and the King together for a photo op? Why was that closed press?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, look, we try to do everything that we can, obviously, to give you all as much access, give the press as much access. It is sometimes the -- the visitor -- the visiting country have -- you know, they have their own requests, and we try to certainly accommodate their request as well.

And so, look, we will try all -- every -- at every turn, at every of these events to make sure that there is press -- there is press access.

In this particular instance, it's a -- it was a private lunch. And we tried to also accommodate the visitors that come here as well.

Q So, the King did not want to do anything on camera today?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I -- I would leave it up to -- to the King and his team to speak to that. But, again, we try to also accommodate the visiting country as well.

Q And if there's any news from the Israeli side on this -- the -- where things stand, should we expect to hear from the President today or this evening on this?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I don't have anything to -- of note or any changes to the President's schedule at this time. Obviously, if there i- -- are any changes, we -- you all will be one of the first, if not the first, to know. I just don't have anything at this time.

The President was going to speak tomorrow. So, stay tuned.

AIDE: Karine.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Go ahead. Go ahead.

Q Thank you. I just wanted to go again at the speech the President is --

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah.

Q -- is exp- -- is giving tomorrow. I mean, just given the context in which he's giving it, where there's -- you know, 34,000 people have died in Gaza. He's going to be talking about "never again" and a genocide. And he's protested almost everywhere he goes, you know, with that moniker of -- of "Genocide Joe."

And it's a -- I'm just wondering: How is he going to sort of thread the needle of -- of address- -- of addressing a genocide that happened quite a while ago while there are some people who are saying that there is one happening right now that he bears some responsibility for?

I mean, I understand that that's not the view of the administration, but it's still a very tricky line to -- to walk. And I'm just wondering if you can share any sort of thought as to whether he may be trying to send us a subtle message with the speech at all or if there's any sort of nod to the broader context in which the speech is being given.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, I'm going to let the President speak for himself. I gave a broad stroke of the day --

Q Yes.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: -- and how important it's going to be for the President to speak on this Day of Remembrance, the ceremony. So, just going to be really mindful there.

On your broader question, look, the President understands that this is an incredibly painful time. And we have said that over and over again, and we understand that. And he also respects the right of all Americans to peacefully protest and also with the understanding and -- and the knowledge of having those conversations, those sometimes really tough conversations with community leaders.

And we have done that on the White -- White House -- you've heard from senior White House officials -- or you've heard us talk about senior White House officials going across the country, having those conversations with Muslim leaders, Arab leaders, Palestinian leaders in talking through this painful moment.

And I would also -- also say that this is why this hostage deal is so important. This is why we continue to work around the clock. This is why Director Burns is there meeting -- and obviously meeting -- continuing to meet with partners in the region to try to get to this deal so we can get that all-important humanitarian aid, get that ceasefire that is much needed, and also make sure that we get the hostages home, which also -- American hostages are part of those hostages, and we need to get them home to their loved ones.

So, that's what we're going to continue to do. The President will speak for himself tomorrow. So, I would say: Tune in. Listen to what he has to say. But we understand how painful this is for many, many communities across this country.

Thanks.

Q Has he had an input from any of those communities that you mentioned? Like, as he's been sort of wrestling with his speech and working on it, have any of those communities had any input into what he should say or what --

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I can't speak -- I can't to -- to that -- that question about input from communities. But the President understands how important this moment is. And I would say this is a president that tends to meet the moment when it comes to speeches and remarks like these. He understands what's going on, has the finger -- his finger is on the pulse as far as what people are feeling.

And so, I'm just not going to get beyond that. And I would say: Tune in.

Go ahead, Gabe.

Q Karine, just really quickly.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah.

Q What's your response to Kristi Noem's comments implying that Commander should be put down?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Look, you know, when we learned last week, obviously, like all of you, in her book that she killed her puppy, you heard me say that was very, very sad.

We find her comments from yesterday disturbing. We find them absurd. And -- and here, this is a country that loves dogs. And you have a leader talking about putting dogs down, killing them. And that's a disturbing statement to say.

I would say to -- I would say to her -- is she should -- probably should stop digging herself in a hole.

Thanks, everybody.

Q Where -- where is Commander now?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Who? Oh. So, Commander -- we said this back in the fall. Commander is living with family members.

Q Where?

Q In Delaware?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yes. We said this before.

All right. Thanks, everybody.

3:14 P.M. EDT

Statements and Releases

2024-05-07

Campus and School Safety

Community Safety Resources

Hate Crimes Prevention and Response

Addressing Discrimination and Religious Accommodations

To learn more about the National Strategy, see previous White House Fact Sheets.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

May 7, 2024

Today, during Holocaust Remembrance Day, the Biden-Harris Administration announced several new actions to counter the abhorrent rise of Antisemitism in the United States. President Biden will speak at the Days of Remembrance commemoration hosted by the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, reaffirming our Nation's sacred commitment to the Jewish people following the Holocaust: Never Again.

This year's remembrance is particularly sobering, as it comes seven months after the terrorist group Hamas attacked Israel on October 7^th, the deadliest day for the Jewish people since the Holocaust. Since that time, there has been an alarming rise of Antisemitic incidents across the country and throughout the world--most recently, in instances of violence and hate during some protests at college campuses across the Nation.

Today's new actions build on the work of the President's National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism , the first-ever such strategy, which was released one year ago this month. The strategy represents the most comprehensive and ambitious U.S. government effort to counter Antisemitism in American history. It includes over 100 actions the Biden-Harris Administration has taken, and continues to take, to address the rise of Antisemitism in the United States, as well as over 100 calls to action for Congress, state and local governments, companies, technology platforms, students, educators, civil society, faith leaders, and others. It has involved actions by the Departments of Justice and Homeland Security to provide greater security to Jewish institutions, as well as actions by the Department of Education to address antisemitism and by the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum to further support

education around Jewish history.

The Biden-Harris Administration has taken aggressive action to implement the strategy and to speak out forcefully against hate of all kinds, especially in the wake of the October 7^th attacks. Through the National Security Supplemental , President Biden secured an additional $400 million for the Nonprofit Security Grant Program, which funds security improvements and training to nonprofits and houses of worship, including campus organizations and community centers. This funding has been critical to the security of Jewish institutions. Last week, for example, the Biden-Harris Administration sent a guide to the leadership of more than 5,000 colleges and universities with information on resources to promote campus safety from the Departments of Justice, Homeland Security, and Education.

Today, the Biden-Harris Administration announced additional actions to counter Antisemitism in Year Two of the Strategy, building on its work over the past year:

Today, the Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights issued new guidance through a Dear Colleague Letter to every school district and college in the country, providing examples of Antisemitic discrimination, as well as other forms of hate, that could lead to investigations for violations of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 . This guidance is meant to ensure that colleges and universities do a better job of protecting both Jewish students and all of their students.

The Department of Homeland Security will work with interagency partners to build an online campus safety resources guide and landing page to provide the range of financial, educational, and technical assistance to campuses in one, easy-to-use website.

DHS will develop and share best practices for community-based targeted violence and terrorism prevention to reduce these assaults and attacks. Federal agencies will elevate ongoing efforts to address the fear felt in targeted communities and ensure that resources are widely known among communities that need them.

The Office of the Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Antisemitism at the Department of State will convene technology firms to identify best practices to address Antisemitic content online. Departments and agencies will continue to provide technology companies with relevant information about symbols and themes associated with violent extremism online to help them enforce their terms of service.

These new actions build on actions taken to date:

Title VI Enforcement

ED-OCR has opened more than 100 investigations over the past seven months into complaints alleging discrimination based on shared ancestry or ethnic characteristics, including Antisemitism. The previous administration opened 27 such investigations in all four years.

On Friday, Department of Education Secretary Miguel Cardona sent a letter to more than 5,000 leaders at institutions of higher education across the country to reiterate that federal law protects against Antisemitic discrimination that violates Title VI. He also shared a Campus Safety Resource Guide to serve as a one-stop-shop of federal resources. ED OCR has issued several Dear Colleague Letters to every school district and college in the country and conducted training and outreach reminding them of their obligation to provide educational

environments free from discrimination, as well as the tools available to report discriminatory incidents. OCR maintains a website with more resources on shared ancestry discrimination.

ED OCR updated its complaint form specifying that Title VI's protection from discrimination, including harassment, based on race, color, or national origin includes discrimination against students based on shared ancestry or ethnic characteristics, including those who are or are perceived to be Jewish, Muslim, Arab, Hindu, or Sikh.

Eight Cabinet-level agencies clarified for the first time in writing that Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits certain forms of antisemitic, Islamophobic, and related forms of discrimination in federally funded programs and activities. In addition, these agencies--the Departments of Agriculture , Health and Human Services , DHS , Housing and Urban Development , Interior, Labor , Treasury, and Transportation --have taken a number of steps to raise awareness of Title VI protections and other relevant statutes among Jewish and other communities, including by translating Title VI fact sheets into languages such as Yiddish and Hebrew and creating new Title VI landing pages to serve as a one-stop-shop of resources.

Campus and School Safety

Since October 7^th, FBI and DHS have taken steps to expand and deepen engagements with campus law enforcement and others to improve school safety. DHS has engaged with schools to identify security enhancements and raise awareness of SchoolSafety.gov, which offers school safety information and resources. DHS also has shared information via threat briefings and partner calls with the International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators. The Federal Emergency Management Agency offers a training course called Crisis Management Affecting Institutions of Higher Education: A Collaborative Community Approach , through which campus members can learn how to effectively manage a crisis using a whole community approach, effective crisis communication, and more.

In the wake of October 7^th, DHS's Cybersecurity Infrastructure Security Agency tasked its field force to proactively engage with schools to understand and address their needs. CISA has further expanded security capacity-building services to synagogues, community centers, and Jewish day schools. These services include risk assessments, planning assistance, and active shooter and bomb prevention-related training. CISA has held sessions on active shooter preparedness; an introduction to bomb threat management; tabletop exercise packages for synagogues; and a training on responding to suspicious behaviors and items. Since June 2023, CISA personnel have conducted over 400 in-person visits with Jewish houses of worship and other institutions. Additional security trainings, information and resources are found here .

USDA has held sessions with university leaders from 80 land-grant universities and rural colleges to share promising practices to address Antisemitism, Islamophobia, and other forms of hate.

Under the National Strategy, the Department of Justice launched a pilot curriculum for middle and high school-age youth designed to prevent youth hate crimes and identity-based bullying. In year two of the National Strategy, the curriculum will be rolled out this August, before the school year begins.

Community Safety Resources

DHS broadened access to the Nonprofit Security Grant Program by holding several webinars, expanding its Protecting Places of Worship Week of Action, and leveraging partnerships with DOJ. During the Biden-Harris Administration, this program has made 2,960 grants to Jewish institutions for a total of $397 million in funding to Jewish institutions.

To assist campus public safety and law enforcement identify available federal financial assistance opportunities, DHS published guidance clarifying the eligibility of law enforcement agencies at institutions of higher education to receive both State Homeland Security Program and Urban Area Security Initiative grant funding.

DHS hosts the Prevention Resource Finder to provide stakeholders the full range of federal resources available to help prepare for and prevent targeted violence and terrorism across our country. Resources on the website include community support resources, grant funding opportunities, information-sharing platforms, evidence-based research, and training opportunities for campuses and communities to reduce the risk of hate-based and targeted violence. Since its launch in March 2023, it has been viewed over 58,000 times.

Through the DHS Center for Prevention Programs and Partnerships , DHS is strengthening the country's ability to prevent targeted violence and terrorism nationwide through funding, training, increased public awareness, and partnerships across government, the private sector, and local communities.

The U.S. Secret Service's National Threat Assessment Center conducts training on threat assessments and the prevention of targeted violence. These resources examine attacks against colleges and universities, among other locations.

Hate Crimes Prevention and Response

The Federal Bureau of Investigation widely disseminated its updated hate crimes threat response guide to inform Americans about steps they can take if they receive a threat. The guide, published on the FBI's hate crimes resource page , has been shared with organizations and state and local law enforcement entities across the nation. The FBI reviews every tip it receives to ascertain the credibility of the information and, if it learns of a credible threat, quickly takes action. FBI's campus liaisons enhance information-sharing with campuses.

DOJ has expanded its engagement with Jewish community groups in support of the National Strategy. The FBI has held over 650 engagements with faith-based and community organizations since October 7^th. DOJ and the FBI have used robust and diverse outreach to local law enforcement agencies to improve the reporting of hate crime data. DOJ's United Against Hate community outreach and engagement initiative has held over 300 engagements involving over 10,000 participants to educate community members about hate crimes, build trust between community and law enforcement, and strengthen local networks to combat unlawful acts of hate. DOJ's Community Relations Service provides mediation, training and consultation services to assist communities come together, develop solutions to conflict and prevent future conflict. DOJ has also developed and released two documents

that explain civil rights law prohibiting national origin discrimination and religious discrimination and provide information to the public on identifying and reporting national origin and religious discrimination in the civil and criminal context.

Throughout the spring, USDA is providing hate crime trainings, including Antisemitic hate crimes, for law enforcement agents of the U.S. Forest Service. The Department of the Interior has distributed new resources on Jewish American heritage through the National Park Service.

Addressing Discrimination and Religious Accommodations

USDA is making kosher food more accessible by working to ensure equal access to all USDA feeding programs for customers with religious dietary needs.

The Department of Defense leveraged existing survey data to estimate the prevalence of Antisemitic and Islamophobic behavior in the military workplace and to evaluate its policies to counter discrimination, discriminatory harassment, and extremist activity. This analysis was the first to specifically estimate Antisemitic and Islamophobic activity in the military workplace.

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has disseminated materials on nondiscrimination and religious accommodation in the workplace and has held more than 50 outreach and training events on Antisemitism at its field offices around the country.

The HHS Office for Civil Rights issued a Dear Colleague letter and guidance to U.S. hospital and long-term care facility administrators, reminding organizations of their legal obligations under relevant regulations and federal civil rights laws to ensure that facility visitation policies do not unlawfully discriminate against patients or other individuals receiving care, including on the basis of religion. HHS's Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's National Child Traumatic Stress Network has released a toolkit of behavioral health resources pertaining to the Israel-Hamas war, as well as

additional resources on how to talk with children and youth about hate crimes and identity-based violence, including Antisemitism.

DOL published a "Know Your Rights" resource for union members regarding their right to be free from discrimination based on religion, national origin, or race in the workplace.

On Thursday, the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum will convene state education officials to discuss best practices in Holocaust education, including the incorporation of the history of Antisemitism, and opportunities to expand such education.

The USHMM concluded its first tour of the Americans and the Holocaust traveling exhibitions. Launched in fall 2021, the exhibition visited 41 states, reaching more than 330,000 visitors. Thirty-four college courses have incorporated content from this exhibition. The USHMM and American Library Association will launch a second tour of the exhibition in September 2024 at an additional 50 libraries.

Several federal agencies have incorporated information about Antisemitism, workplace religious accommodations, and related topics into employee training programs as they carry out their obligations under Executive Order 14035 . To support this work, the Office of Personnel Management surveyed federal agencies about their existing trainings. OPM, EEOC, and the White House Office of Management and Budget have provided learning sessions for agency diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility officers on Antisemitism, Islamophobia, and related forms of discrimination, as well as workplace religious accommodations.

To learn more about the National Strategy, see previous White House Fact Sheets .

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

May 6, 2024

Readout of President Biden's Meeting with His Majesty King Abdullah II of Jordan

President Biden met today with His Majesty King Abdullah II of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan at the White House. Both leaders acknowledged 75 years of partnership and friendship between our two countries. President Biden congratulated His Majesty on the 25 th anniversary of his accession to the throne.

The President and King Abdullah II discussed the latest developments in Gaza and affirmed their commitment to work together towards an enduring end to the crisis. They further underscored the need for an immediate release of the hostages held by Hamas and a sustainable ceasefire that allows for a surge of the urgently needed humanitarian assistance to be delivered safely through Gaza. Both remain committed to achieving a durable, lasting peace to include a pathway to a Palestinian state, with security guarantees for Israel. Both President Biden and King Abdullah II reiterated their shared commitment to facilitating the increased, sustained delivery of life-saving humanitarian assistance to Palestinian civilians in Gaza. President Biden thanked His Majesty for Jordan's critical leadership and partnership in this effort.

The President and King Abdullah II also discussed the critical importance of stability in the West Bank and support for the reforms now being pursued by the Palestinian Authority. Both leaders reaffirmed their commitment to working together to realize a more stable and integrated Middle East region, and President Biden confirmed unwavering U.S. support for Jordan and the Jordanian people.

Statements and Releases

2024-05-06

President Biden met today with His Majesty King Abdullah II of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan at the White House. Both leaders acknowledged 75 years of partnership and friendship between our two countries. President Biden congratulated His Majesty on the 25th anniversary of his accession to the throne.

The President and King Abdullah II discussed the latest developments in Gaza and affirmed their commitment to work together towards an enduring end to the crisis. They further underscored the need for an immediate release of the hostages held by Hamas and a sustainable ceasefire that allows for a surge of the urgently needed humanitarian assistance to be delivered safely through Gaza. Both remain committed to achieving a durable, lasting peace to include a pathway to a Palestinian state, with security guarantees for Israel. Both President Biden and King Abdullah II reiterated their shared commitment to facilitating the increased, sustained delivery of life-saving humanitarian assistance to Palestinian civilians in Gaza. President Biden thanked His Majesty for Jordan's critical leadership and partnership in this effort.

The President and King Abdullah II also discussed the critical importance of stability in the West Bank and support for the reforms now being pursued by the Palestinian Authority. Both leaders reaffirmed their commitment to working together to realize a more stable and integrated Middle East region, and President Biden confirmed unwavering U.S. support for Jordan and the Jordanian people.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

May 6, 2024

FOR TUESDAY, MAY 7, 2024

At 3:10 PM ET, the Second Gentleman will participate in a campaign event. This event in Atlanta, GA will be open to pre-credentialed media.

At 4:30 PM ET, the Second Gentleman will participate in a campaign event. This event in Atlanta, GA will be open to pre-credentialed media.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

May 6, 2024

Tuesday, May 7, 2024

The Vice President will receive briefings and conduct internal meetings with staff. These meetings will be closed press.

# # #

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

May 6, 2024

Today, Second Gentleman Douglas Emhoff met with Jewish college students at the White House. The meeting, which was held on Yom HaShoah , honored the lives of the six million Jews who were murdered during the Holocaust. The students shared their ancestors' stories and recommitted to the promise of "Never Again."

The roundtable discussion also focused on combating present-day antisemitism. The students described their own experiences with antisemitism, including threats of violence and hate speech.

The Second Gentleman highlighted the importance of Holocaust education. He spoke about the Biden-Harris Administration's efforts to combat Holocaust denialism and misinformation. The Second Gentleman also emphasized the need to protect Jewish communities and provide safe learning environments for all students.

The National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism outlines a whole-of-society approach to tackle the scourge of antisemitism in America. The strategy seeks to increase awareness and education in schools, communities, and the workplace about antisemitism, including the Holocaust, and Jewish American heritage.

Participants were selected in partnership with Hillel International and included students from the following colleges and universities:

Bryn Mawr College

Lehigh University

Muhlenberg College

University of Southern California

Washington University in St. Louis

The United States Military Academy at West Point

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

May 6, 2024

All times are local and subject to change.

From Thursday, May 9 th, 2024 – Saturday, May 11 th, 2024, First Lady Jill Biden will travel to Oregon, California, and Arizona.

Thursday, May 9 th, 2024

At 1:00 PM, the First Lady will arrive at Portland International Airport in Portland, Oregon. This arrival will be open to pre-credentialed media. For interested media, please RSVP HERE by Tuesday, May 7 th, at 9:00 PM ET.

At 2:00 PM, the First Lady will deliver remarks at a political finance event in Portland, Oregon. This event will be covered by a print pooler for editorial coverage only.

At 6:15 PM, the First Lady will deliver remarks at a political finance event in Marin County, California. This event will be covered by a print pooler for editorial coverage only.

Friday, May 10 th, 2024

At 1:15 PM, the First Lady will arrive at Burbank Airport in Burbank, California. This arrival will be open to pre-credentialed media. For interested media, please RSVP HERE by Wednesday, May 8 th, at 10:00 AM ET.

At 3:30 PM, First Lady Jill Biden will then deliver remarks at a political finance event in Los Angeles, California. This event will be covered by a print pooler for editorial coverage only.

At 6:00 PM, the First Lady will arrive at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport in Phoenix, Arizona. This arrival will be open to pre-credentialed media. For interested media, please RSVP HERE by Wednesday, May 8 th, at 10:00 AM ET.

At 6:45 PM, the First Lady will deliver remarks at political event in Phoenix, Arizona. This event will be open to pre-credentialed media. For interested media, please contact press@joebiden.com .

Saturday, May 11 th, 2024

At 9:30 AM, First Lady Jill Biden will deliver remarks at Mesa Community College's 2024 Commencement Ceremony in Tempe, Arizona. This event will be open to pre-credentialed media and livestreamed at Mesacc.edu/live . For interested media, please contact dawn.zimmer@mesacc.edu .

Statements and Releases

2024-05-06

Rose Garden

5:15 P.M. EDT

THE PRESIDENT: Happy Cinco de Mayo! [Applause]

AUDIENCE MEMBER: Four more years!

THE PRESIDENT: [Laughs]

AUDIENCE: Four more years! Four more years! Four more years!

THE PRESIDENT: Well, thank you, thank you, thank you.

I'm Jill Biden's husband, Joe. [Laughter]

Doug, our Second Gentleman, is here also. Doug, good to see you, pal. [Applause]

And, Jaime, thanks for that introduction, pal. I've always looked up to you. [Laughter] Congratulations on a great rookie season in the NBA. [Applause]

As you said, you stand on the shoulders of those who came before you. Future generations will stand on your 6'6" shoulders — [laughter] — and be a hell of a lot taller, man.

Thanks, Pete and Nanette and all the members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus here today. I want to publicly say: We're going to meet, I promise. Okay? We got —

And when I was elected, I promised my administration would look like America. And I'm proud to say it does.

I want to thank my Cabinet members here today: Secretary Becerra, where are you? — [applause] — Secretary Cardona — [applause] — Administrator Guzman. [Applause]

Former Cabinet members of the O-Biden — the Obam- — Obama-Biden administration, Tom Perez — Tom, where are you? [Applause]

Well, I'll tell you what, on Friday, I had the honor of bestowing our nation's highest civilian awards on 19 incredible people — two trailblazing Hisp- — Hispanic Americans as well: Teresa Romo —Romeo[Romero] — excuse me — TeresaRomeo[Romero], the first Latina to lead the national union, an American — a national union, theAmerican[United] Farm Workers.

And if you look inside the door here, I've got only a few busts in there, and one of them is of Cesar Chavez, who started the whole deal. [Applause]

And Dr.Elaine[Ellen] Ochoa, the first Latina to travel to space. [Applause] I'm glad she decided to come home. [Laughter]

In the land of possibilities, they represent something essential about America: We are a nation of immigrants, and we shouldn't forget it. [Applause] No, we — not — it's why we're so good, why we're so strong, why we have such potential.

We're a nation of dreamers. As Cinco de Mayo represents, we're a nation of freedom. That's America — the America we share; the America we're fighting for together.

And the plan is working. You know, we've created 15 million jobs since we took office; record-low unemployment for among — among Latinos; the fastest small-business creation in more than a decade — [applause] — as we've doubled loans to Latino-owned businesses.

We've invested a record $15 billion in Hispanic-serving colleges and universities. And we — we've — we've relieved student debt for 4.6 million — [applause] — a burden disproportionately falling on Latino borrowers.

And you're the future of our nation. You know, everybody says why am I so — why have I always been so fundamentally focused on Latinos. Simple proposition: You make up 28 percent of the students in America. [Applause] Think — think about it. Twenty-eight percent of all the students in high school and grade school in America are Latino. And I want to tell you, the idea we're not going to pay attention is the dumbest thing I've ever heard. [Laughter]

Look, we have to have your backs, and you've had ours.

In March, in Nevada, I invited the most ambitious housing plan for decades to come into being. For example, it boosts construction on rental units and lowers rent. To crack down on discrimination by home appraisers so Latino homes are finally valued as fairly as they were when built by wealthy families.

We also expanded health coverage through the Affordable Care Act, doubling the number of Latinos enrolled since 2020.

And I'm proud, last Friday, my annou- — my administration finally announced a rule that for the first time, and finally — finally, I'm able to provide health insurance through the Affordable Care Act for DACA recipients. [Applause]

My first day in office, as I said, I sent a comprehensive immigration reform bill to Congress. It expands legal paths for entries for families and employers. It includes pathways to citizenship for DREAMers in the only country that they ever called home.

I love it when people say, "Why DREAMers?" Can you imagine a kid, two years old, saying, "Mom, don't take me across the Rio Grande; it's against the law"? Give me a break. These have been model citizens.

Congress has to act. And the right thing to do is to keep pushing forward until we get it done — [applause] — get it done.

On this day two years ago, we were honored to host the First Lady of Mexico to celebrate the unbreakable bonds between our nations — bonds rooted inhistorage[history], heritage, boosted by record trade, embodied in nearly 40 million Mexican Americans that are here.

I want to thank President Op- — López Obrador for his partnership. We've become friends. I talk to him all the — he's helping on immigration. We have a significant economic security, as well as security overall.

Folks, we're doing all this while cutting the federal deficit and fighting to make the wealthy and the big corporations finally begin to pay their fair share. [Applause]

Under my plan, no one earning less than $400,000 a year would pay one extra penny in federal taxes — not a single penny.

Did you know that there are a thousand billionaires in America? Well, guess what? That's good. I'm a capitalist. You can make a billion bucks, go get it. But guess what? Begin to pay your fair share. [Applause]

You know what the average tax rate for a billionaire is in America? 8.2 percent in federal taxes. Anybody want to trade with them? [Laughter] Well, it's — that's less than the vast majority of Americans. No billionaire should pay a lower tax rate than a teacher, a nurse, a firefighter, a cop. [Applause]

That's why I proposed a minimum tax of 25 percent for billionaires. You know what that will do? That will raise $500 billion over the next 10 years. Imagine what we could do to affordable care for children, paid leave, lower the federal deficit, generate — [a child in the audience cries] — significant economic growth.

See, he cheered. [Laughter] That's a kid who knows what he's about, man. [Laughter]

But, as you know, there are those of a different view. When my predecessor was in office, he enacted a $2 trillion tax cut that overwhelmingly benefitted the super wealthy and the biggest corporations and exploded the federal debt more than any other president has in a four-year term. He added more. He wants to do it again.

He also wants to terminate the Affordable Care Act, denying healthcare to millions of Latinos — millions. He wants to go to — he wants to bring back the Big Pharma to be able to charge $400 a month so they don't — eliminate that legislation — instead of $35 a month. He wants to cut Social Security and Medicare. He says, "There's a lot we can do in terms of cutting."

I got one really serious idea how to cut. [Laughs] A candidate. Any rate — [laughter].

He brags about getting Roe v. Wade overturned. He just did an interview with TIME Magazine and said states should monitor women's pregnancies. Monitor —

AUDIENCE: Booo —

THE PRESIDENT: — monitor their pregnancies? He also said we should prosecute those who violate abortion bans.

AUDIENCE: Booo —

THE PRESIDENT: Kamala and I will never let that happen. We're going to keep fighting to restore Roe v. Wade as the law of the land.

Folks, that's not who we are. That's not America. My administration has reunited 700 of those families and still looking. Families belong together, folks, not separated. [Applause]

Let me close with this. We're here in the Rose Garden. Through that window in the Oval Office, you'll see I have a bust of Cesar Chavez. There's only five busts I have in that office. And in the back corner of the garden here, the rose bush that's planted in his honor.

He once said, quote, "Our ambitions must be broad enough to include the aspirations and needs of others for their sake and for our own."

Folks, the reason why we're the fastest-growing country in the world, why we're the best economy in the world is because of immigration. [Applause] That's why we're [inaudible]. That — that's not hyperbole. That's a fact.

What I see in the Latino community is doctors, teachers, athletes, artists, community leaders, construction workers, first responders who put themselves on the line to keep the rest of us safe.

You are dreamers and doers. You're cutting cancer. You're commanding the military. You're taking deep steps into space. And it matters. You matter. You really do. You matter more than we can express.

As I said earlier, you know, when you have 28 percent of all the students in our schools up to high school — 28 percent speaking Spanish, how in God's name can we not pay attention?

There's — always have beencompelling[competing] value sets to visions of America. One of those value sets is of revenge and retribution. The other is hope and opportunity that we share — honesty, decency, faith, fairness.

That's the future we're building together. In America, we defend democracy; we don't not diminish it. We protect freedoms; we don't take them away. An America where the economy grows from the middle out and the bottom up, the wealthy pay their fair share, and working people have a fair shot — that's what we're about: an America where no one is left behind.

God bless you all. And may God bless our troops.

Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you. [Applause]

5:27 P.M. EDT

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

May 6, 2024

At 3:30 PM, as a part of her Joining Forces initiative to support military and veteran families, First Lady Jill Biden will host a White House event to honor the men and women who served during World War I and recognize the contributions of those who made the National World War I Memorial possible. The First Lady's remarks at this East Room event will be open to pre-credentialed media and livestreamed at WhiteHouse.gov/live . For interested media, please RSVP HERE by Tuesday, May 7 th at 10:00 AM ET.

Speeches and Remarks

2024-05-06

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

May 6, 2024

Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History

Detroit, Michigan

2:23 P.M. EDT

THE VICE PRESIDENT: Good afternoon, everyone. Good afternoon, Detroit. Good afternoon. It's good to be back. Good afternoon. Please have a seat. Please have a seat.

I want to thank Ron Busby. We have -- many of us have worked with him over the years and know: As president of the U.S. Black Chambers, he has been an extraordinary leader to an essential organization in our fight for economic empowerment. Can we please hear it for Ron Busby and his courageous leadership?

And I want to thank all of the extraordinary leaders who are here today. Secretary of Energy and the former governor of this state, Jennifer Granholm -- -- who traveled with me today on Air Force Two from Washington, D.C. She said, "I have got to be in Michigan."

I want to thank Acting Secretary of Labor Julie Su for all you do to fight for the working people of America.

Deputy Secretary of Commerce Don Graves, thank you for your extraordinary leadership.

Representative Shri Thanedar, thank you for you and your being here. And he is somewhere here. Thank you.

And I want to thank also Representative Steven Horsford, who is the chair of the Congressional Black Caucus.

And Lieutenant Governor of Michigan Garlin Gilchrist. Thank you.

So, Michigan, you know, I believe that America's economy is powered by the ambition and the aspiration of her people -- the ambition and aspiration to innovate, to create, and to prosper.

Therefore, to grow our economy, we must invest in that ambition and those aspirations. I believe every person in our country, then, must have access to the opportunity to compete, to succeed, and to thrive; the ability to achieve what I call financial freedom, which means having enough not just to get by but to get ahead -- -- to be able to build a business, to own a home, to start a family, and to create intergenerational wealth.

Which is why, over the past three years, the President and I have invested now trillions of dollars in America's infrastructure, in clean energy and a clean energy economy, in manufacturing, and in supply chains.

Our work is also guided by the understanding that there are certain communities that have faced, historically and currently, profound obstacles to acquire that opportunity.

And I'll tell you over the last three years, both in the White House and at the Vice President's Residence, where I live -- -- I have convened Black entrepreneurs from around the country to solicit their advice and leverage their expertise as to how we can have the greatest impact with the billions of dollars that we are investing and to identify the challenges they face in building financial security and wealth, including disparities in access to capital and lending, disparities in homeownership and access to government contracts, to obstacles like student loan debt and medical debt.

President Biden and I have invested hundreds of billions of dollars to address these disparities. And I launched, then, this national tour, the Economic Opportunity Tour, to bring together entrepreneurs, businessowners, and community leaders together with representatives from the United States Departments of Commerce and Energy and Housing and Labor and Treasury and the Small Business Administration -- and the Undersecretary the SBA is with us as well -- to make sure founders and families have the information and assistance to access the resources they need.

For example, on the subject of access to capital. We all know Black entrepreneurs do not lack for ideas or ambition but often lack the capital that is necessary to turn an idea into a thriving business, to invest in inventory, hire employees, to scale up.

In fact, Black entrepreneurs are three times as likely to not apply for a loan, for fear they're going to be turned away from a bank.

So, two years ago, I founded the Economic Opportunity Coalition -- a group of 31 companies and nonprofits -- including, for example, the Bank of America, MasterCard, and the Ford Foundation -- that are working currently to invest $3 billion in community banks -- banks which we know are uniquely designed to serve minority and women entrepreneurs.

And this builds on the work that I did when I was a United States senator in 2020 to invest $12 billion more in our community banks. Thank you.

And understand: This work is helping Black businesses receive loans not only for thousands of dollars, but for millions of dollars.

For example, I'm proud to announce we are investing $100 million in small- and medium-sized auto supply companies, many of which -- -- many of which are Black-owned and based right here in Michigan. These grants will allow businesses to upgrade production and production lines to produce parts for electric vehicles.

I'm also pleased to announce the launch of a new program that will match government-backed loans with private equity capital to help small- and mid-size auto suppliers access loans from a quarter million dollars to 10 million dollars.

The strength of America's economy is also based on the strength of America's supply chains. We all learned that in the pandemic, if we weren't clear before.

This investment will help to keep our auto supply chains here in America, which strengthens America's economy overall, and keep those jobs here in Detroit.

We are also axpending [sic] -- expanding, excuse me, access to government contracts -- government contracts. At the beginning of our administration, President Joe Biden and I pledged to increase federal contracts for minority-owned small businesses by 50 percent, knowing that, traditionally and historically, folks didn't necessarily have access to the relationships to get those contracts.

And we are on track to meet our goal by the end of next year, which means -- -- which means thousands more minority entrepreneurs with contracts worth hundreds of thousands and even millions of dollars -- contracts which can last up to five years with the option to renew for 10, 20, and 30 years. Think about what that means in terms of a sustained investment and all of the folks that, over a period of time, will benefit.

Now, I also want to point out -- because there is a contrast here between us and the last administration. The last administration invested access to tax cuts for billionaires. We are investing in access to capital for entrepreneurs.

And this work and our overall perspective is that we must understand that if we want a great return on investment, we must understand the natural resources that are available and then see that and invest in those resources.

To strengthen America's economy, we are also helping more people buy a home. Homeownership is one of the most powerful engines of intergenerational wealth. It builds equity, which can help pay for a child's college education or provide equity that then can be used as startup capital to start a business.

But as a result of lasting legacies of structural inequities -- such as segregation, redlining, and so-called urban renewal -- today, Black Americans are 40 percent less likely to own a home. And homeown- -- this is a sad fact -- and homeownership rates for Black men have been falling for three decades straight. We've got to do something about that.

So, to help address these disparities in our budget, President Biden and I outlined a blueprint to provide folks who are first in their family to buy a home with $25,000 toward a down payment -- ; to give families up to $400 a month to help with a mortgage; and to build 2 million units of affordable housing to lower costs for homebuyers and renters.

We are also calling out and addressing the issue of racial bias in home appraisals. We all know the stories. We've heard the stories. The stories like of a Black family that gets a home appraisal and the valuation is much lower than they know what their home is worth. So, they get a new appraisal, only this time they replace their photographs with photos of a family friend who is white, and they ask that family to bring in the appraiser. And the new appraisal is much higher. We've heard those stories.

Today, I'm proud to report that we have made it now easier for more homeowners to appeal home appraisals. And we have reached a commitment that all licensed home appraisers be required to complete racial bias training.

And, by the way, one of the people who is not present with us today that I want to thank is former Secretary of HUD Marcia Fudge -- -- all that she did to make sure this would happen.

So, the bottom line is that every family, I believe -- every family, whatever their background, their race, their geographic location -- has a right to the full and fair value of their home.

In addition to increasing opportunity, we have also focused on removing obstacles. One big obstacle to wealth-building is debt. While an issue for many people, Black Americans are twice as likely to have medical debt and more likely to struggle to repay student loan debt.

For anyone carrying debt, we know it is much more difficult, then, to save for a house, to grow a small business, to build intergenerational wealth. And it just plain makes people feel like they can never get ahead.

So, President Biden and I have made debt forgiveness a central pillar of our economic agenda. And we have already forgiven about $500 million of medical debt for hundreds of thousands of Americans across the nation.

And in Wayne County, Michigan, we will forgive an additional $700 million of medical debt for as many as 300,000 people.

And there's more. We are also implementing a rule -- and this is critically important -- we are also implementing a rule that medical debt cannot be used in calculating your credit score -- -- which means medical debt cannot be the reason someone is denied a car loan, a home loan, or a small-business loan.

On the issue of student loan debt, we have also forgiven nearly $160 billion -- billion -- for more than four and a half million people.

On average, more than $30,000 per person and $70,000 for our public servants, like nurses, firefighters, and teachers -- and God knows we don't pay them enough as it is, so it's only right.

And please, to everyone here, all the leaders, help us get the word out on the student loan debt issue. Your student loan debt can be forgiven, even if you didn't graduate. Please help us get the word out because it's only logical. Think about it. How many people have to drop out because they can't afford tuition? They don't graduate, and they still have the debt.

So, Detroit, I'll end with this. All of our work -- whether it be debt forgiveness, affordable housing, government contracts, or access to capital -- it is all guided by a fundamental principle. President Biden and I believe in you. We believe in the people of our country.

And so, we believe that it is a great return on the investment to invest in the people of America and to invest, as we have discussed today, in your business, in your financial security, and your wealth.

And this approach is working. Since taking office, we have seen record Black small-business growth and we have created more than two and a half million new jobs for Black workers. And since 2019, Black wealth is up 60 percent.

So, President Biden and I are clear. These are not only our accomplishments, they are yours. It is the result of your drive, your creativity, and your power.

And so, I'll end with this, Detroit. Together, let us continue to invest in the ambition and aspirations of our people -- of the American people. Together, let us continue to help folks create wealth and achieve financial freedom. And together, let us continue to build a nation where every person has the opportunity to compete, prosper, and thrive.

Thank you, all. God bless you. And God bless the United States of America. Thank you.

END 2:41 P.M. EDT

# # #

Press Briefings

2024-05-06

James S. Brady Press Briefing Room

2:28 P.M. EDT

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Good afternoon, everyone.

Q Good afternoon.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, you just heard from my colleague over at the State Department who has confirmed that Hamas sent a response. I'm going to turn things over very quickly to my colleague, Admiral John Kirby, who will share more updates in the region.

MR. KIRBY: Thanks, Karine.

Good afternoon, everybody.

Q Good afternoon.

MR. KIRBY: As Karine noted, there has been a response from Hamas to the hostage deal. We're currently reviewing that response, and we're discussing it with our partners in the region.

Director Burns, as you know, is there, and he's working this in real time on the ground. I won't be able to comment any further on this until we know where things stand. I hope you can understand that. I know everybody is curious about what's in this response, what the Israeli reaction to it is. I'm just not going to get ahead of the process.

We want to get these hostages out. We want to get a ceasefire in place for six weeks. We want to increase humanitarian assistance. And the last thing that I want to do is say anything at this podium that's going to put that process at risk.

Regardless, as we've said before, we still believe that reaching an agreement is the absolute best outcome not only for the hostages but for the Palestinian people. And we're not going to stop working to that outcome.

Now, as you know, the President talked with Prime Minister Netanyahu this morning. The call lasted about 30 minutes and was constructive.

The President reaffirmed his message on Yom HaShoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day. The two leaders discussed the shared commitment of Israel and the United States to remember the 6 million Jews who were systematically targeted and slaughtered in the Holocaust, one of the darkest chapters in human history, and to forcefully act against antisemitism and all forms of hate-fueled violence.

Now, of course, the two leaders spoke about our efforts to secure the hostage deal, including through these ongoing talks today.

During the call, at the President's urging, Prime Minister Netanyahu agreed to ensure that the Kerem Shalom crossing is back open for humanitarian assistance for those in need.

And I also want to take a moment to address the latest reports now out of Rafah, which was also a topic of discussion on the — on the call.

I'll reiterate again that we cannot and we will not speak for IDF operations. But we've made clear our views about operations in Rafah that could potentially put more than a million innocent people at greater risk. During his call with Prime Minister Netanyahu, the President again made this clear.

He also made clear that we continue to believe that the hostage deal is the best way to avoid that sort of an outcome while securing the release of those hostages. And as I said, those conversations continue.

Just one more thing: President Biden hosted His Majesty King Abdullah II of Jordan for lunch at the White House. That probably wrapped up here just recently. They discussed the strong partnership between the United States and Jordan. They also spoke about the situation in Gaza, of course, including efforts to secure the hostage deal and to get more humanitarian assistance into the civilians of Gaza.

Now, we're going to have a more detailed readout of that conversation here very, very soon. Just don't have it right now. But you'll be seeing it shortly.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Go ahead, Steve.

Q As far as you can tell, which proposal did Hamas accept?

MR. KIRBY: I'm not going to get into that, Steve.

Q And is the issue over how long a ceasefire would last?

MR. KIRBY: Again, you're asking me for the parameters around the response and the deal itself, and I'm just not going to do that.

Q Lastly, Israel has called on people in — in Rafah to evacuate. Is — does that presage a full-scale assault? What — what are we seeing?

MR. KIRBY: As I said in my opening statement, I'm not going to speak for IDF operations or their military intentions and plans. They should be the ones to answer those kinds of questions.

What I can only reiterate is that we've been consistent and the President was consistent again this morning that we don't support ground operations in Rafah that would put the majority or even any of the — the civilians there at any greater risk. We want to see their safety and security allowed for and factored in.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Go ahead, Seung Min.

Q Noting your caveats at the top, are you able to say whether Hamas was agreeing to something that had been discussed over the last several days?

MR. KIRBY: Again, without getting into the details of it — and Director Burns is still talking to partners about this — there have been ongoing negotiations and talks here for weeks. And the Director traveled recently to see if we can't bring this thing home.

And, again, without speaking about the details of the response by Hamas, I think it's safe to conclude that that response came as a result or at the end of these continued discussions that Director Burns was part of.

Q And when do you think you'll have a better sense of what is happening? When will you get a readout from Director Burns? Later today? Early tomorrow?

MR. KIRBY: I don't know. The President has been briefed on — on the response. He's aware of where the situation and where the process is. What you're asking me is like when are we going to get, like, a final — you know —

Q Like, what is the answer? Yeah. [Laughter]

MR. KIRBY: Yeah — a final, you know, table slap here. There is a — there's a process that has — that — that has been worked in the past and will be worked this time. You get a response by Hamas. We're going to have to evaluate that. We're going to see what's in it. Certainly, the Israelis get it — must have a chance to look at this and to evaluate it.

And Director Burns, as — as we speak — literally, as you and I are talking — are having these conversations with partners in the region. You know, it would be great — I'm sure we'd all like to have an answer as soon as possible. But I just don't want to get ahead of that process.

Q And a quick follow-up on the readout. When do you expect the Kerem — Kerem Shalom crossing to reopen? Or is it already reopened?

MR. KIRBY: It should be open very, very soon. Prime Minister Netanyahu committed to opening it on the call this morning. So, at 2:30, is it open? I don't know. But he assured the President that it would be reopened. It had been closed for several days.

Q Okay. And one more. Cindy McCain, the executive director of the World Food Programme, said over the weekend that Northern Gaza is in a, quote, "full-fledged famine." Is that the assessment of the U.S. government as well?

MR. KIRBY: The U.N. has not declared a famine in Gaza writ large. But I don't want to understate the degree of need here and the — the dire situation that so many people in Gaza are in, particularly with respect to food and water. So, it is not a great situation, clearly. And that's why, again, we're working so hard to get this deal in place, so we can keep that humanitarian assistance up at a higher level.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Go ahead, Mary.

Q Thank you.

Q I understand you don't want to get into the specifics here. But is it your understanding that this is Hamas's final offer? I mean, is there still room to negotiate here?

MR. KIRBY: I think it's going to depend on our evaluation and the Israelis' evaluation of the response and where we go from here.

Q And as Steve mentioned, the Israelis are already warning people to evacuate Gaza. If they do go through with this operation, is the U.S. willing to consider putting limits or conditions on aid to Israel?

MR. KIRBY: I won't get ahead of where we are right now, Mary, in the process here, and I'm certainly not going to speak to hypothetical operations that haven't happened yet. I think we just have to see what transpires.

The President was very direct — and consistently so — this morning that we don't want to see major ground operations in Rafah that put these people at greater risk.

Q But, you know, a month ago, the administration did make clear that the U.S. would change its approach — right? — if Israel didn't take significant steps to address the humanitarian crisis.

MR. KIRBY: That's right.

Q Does that still hold? Is it possible that the U.S. could change course —

MR. KIRBY: Of course.

Q — if the humanitarian process isn't improved?

MR. KIRBY: Of course. We always —

Q And presumably, a Raf- —

MR. KIRBY: No, no. We always have the right to adjust our policies as appropriate, and that has not changed, no.

Q And presumably, an operation in Rafah would jeopardize steps to address the humanitarian crisis?

MR. KIRBY: All I can say is we've been very direct and very consistent in our views of concerns about operations in Rafah.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Go ahead, M.J.

Q Does the U.S. currently have any sense of whether Israel is inclined or not inclined to accept this deal? [Laughter]

MR. KIRBY: I — I won't speak for the Israelis.

Q The — when the President and the Prime Minister spoke earlier today, was this specific framework discussed? And did the President encourage, put pressure on the Prime Minister to accept this framework?

MR. KIRBY: You're talking about the — what the — what Hamas says they responded to?

Q Yes.

MR. KIRBY: So, just — and just so you have the tick-tock here, by the — when they were talking this morning, we did not have news that Hamas had responded. So, that news broke after their call.

That said, as I mentioned in my opening statement, of course they talked about the hostage deal and the importance of getting it secured.

Q So, you're saying when the two leaders spoke, Hamas had not yet accepted —

MR. KIRBY: It would be wrong —

Q — this framework —

MR. KIRBY: Yeah.

Q — so the President would not have specifically asked the Prime Minister to —

MR. KIRBY: Correct.

Q — potentially accept this framework?

MR. KIRBY: It would be wrong for you to conclude that — that the call this morning was about having the Israelis accept the Hamas response. The Hamas response hadn't happened yet.

Q Did he broadly encourage the Prime Minister to get, yes, to some sort of deal?

MR. KIRBY: He, as he has consistently with Prime Minister Netanyahu, urged that we get this deal secured. But it wasn't a — it wasn't a pressure call. It wasn't about twisting his arm towards a certain set of parameters.

Director Burns is in the region having these conversations with the Israelis, the Qataris, the Egyptians, as — again, as we speak. And — and that's the forum for working out the parameters of it. But the President clearly talked to the Prime Minister about the importance of getting a deal done, yeah.

Q And, John, what is the President's position on a limited operation into Rafah?

Q In the back.

MR. KIRBY: I don't have a better answer for you other than the one I just gave you.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Go ahead.

Q I just want to go at that question one more time. Did the United States put a pause on an arms shipment to Israel? Is that — is that reporting correct?

MR. KIRBY: I'm not going to confirm that report.

Q Okay. Just another on another topic. Well, same topic, different question. Over the weekend, the Queen of Jordan said in an interview that the United States is giving the world mixed messages, offering both expressions of concern and support for Gaza in addition to providing arms to Israel. Can you — can you comment at all on this — on her criticism or her critique of the United States' position?

MR. KIRBY: I'm — I'm not going to — I don't think it'd be appropriate to get into a back-and-forth here from the podium on this.

We have said that two things can be true at once, and they are. Israel has a right and a responsibility to defend itself, and we're going to continue to provide for their security and help them with that. And at the same time, they have a right and obligation to be careful about civilian casualties and getting more humanitarian assistance in.

And that's why we're working so hard on this hostage deal. And that's why the American — the President and the United States continue to lead the world in terms of actually making a difference in that outcome, making life better for the Palestinian people. No other country is doing more than the United States to try to increase that — that assistance and get this — get this ceasefire in place.

Q And just really quickly, the Israelis stopped a broadcast of Al Jazeera over the weekend. Can you comment on whether that's an appropriate action for a United States ally?

MR. KIRBY: We don't support that action. As we said very clearly on World Press Freedom Day on Friday — I know Karine talked about this — the work of independent journalism around the world is absolutely vital. It's important to an informed citizenry and public, but it's also important to — to help inform the policymaking process.

So, we don't support that at all.

Q And did the President bring it up at all in his call with —

MR. KIRBY: The focus of the call was on the hostage deal and on Rafah.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Okay. I'm going to give it to Al Jazeera.

MR. KIRBY: You saw my — sorry. You saw, I —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Sorry.

MR. KIRBY: — I think I put a statement out this morning on that. So, we have officially reacted to it. Sorry.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Go ahead, Al Jazeera.

Q Thank you so much, Karine. Thank you, John. Is the administration planning on discussing the banning of Al Jazeera in Israel with the Israeli government?

We just celebrated the freedom of the press here in the United States and across the globe. And then this decision came, and it was really a big shock.

MR. KIRBY: As I just said, we don't —

Q Would the administration raise this issue with the government of Israel?

MR. KIRBY: We have raised this issue, and I made a public statement about it.

Q And on — on the — on Rafah. Has Israel presented or provided the administration with a comprehensive plan for the [inaudible]?

MR. KIRBY: No.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Go ahead, Ed.

Q I want to take you back to this report on whether shipments were paused.

MR. KIRBY: Okay.

Q Are the reports wrong?

MR. KIRBY: I'm not going to confirm the press reporting, Ed. What I've said is our security commitments to Israel are ironclad. The President pushed very hard to get that supplemental funding so that we could continue to help Israel with its security needs and —

Q You can appreciate the ambiguity makes it sound like it's true.

MR. KIRBY: I can't —

Q That we held it up.

MR. KIRBY: I can't speak for what you appreciate in my answer. [Laughter] All I can do is tell you that my answer is not going to change.

Q All right. What is the definition of a assault or attack on Rafah, in the view of the White House, that would be seen as impermissible?

MR. KIRBY: There hasn't been an assault or an attack —

Q Well, there's reports tonight that there are —

MR. KIRBY: — in terms of a ground operation at this time.

Q Okay.

MR. KIRBY: So, let's not get ahead of where we are. The President did express, again, our concerns about operations in Rafah that would put at risk these — these people finding or trying to find shelter there.

I think it would be a futile e- — exercise for me to get up here and — and give you a laundry list of what would or would not compose some kind of ground operation in Rafah. We have to — well, let me put it another way — the IDF has to speak to what their intentions and their plans are.

Q But it's still ground operation versus missiles that may be landing over Rafah tonight, which is what we're hearing.

MR. KIRBY: Well, it doesn't matter whether it's missiles or rockets. Things that kill innocent people — that's not okay. And, again, the President made it clear that we don't want to see operations in Rafah that put at risk —

Q And how does —

MR. KIRBY: — those million and a half people that are there.

Q How does the President assess Bill Burns's ongoing attempts to make sure this deal comes together?

MR. KIRBY: It's a nice side way of getting at sort of talking to the parameters of the deal. I appreciate that. He's very grateful for —

Q Oh, no, I was — I was more genuinely interested in what he thinks —

MR. KIRBY: Oh, really?

Q — of the CIA Director's work on this, yes. [Laughter]

MR. KIRBY: Excellent. I'm sorry. I impugned your question. [Laughter]

The — look, I think he's very grateful for the — the work that Director Burns and the whole team has been doing to try to get us to this point. But it only really matters if we can get the deal in place — and I'm sure Director Burns would agree me — would agree with me on that — and those hostages can get home.

But he's — he's done terrific work thus far, and I know that he wants to see th- — get this across the finish line, as this — just as much as we do.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Jonathan.

Q Thank you, Karine. Admiral, on a different topic. Reports breaking just the last few minutes that a U.S. soldier has been detained in Russia. This apparently happened in the last few days. The reporting is he had been stationed in Korea, traveled to Russia on his own. He's being accused of some sort of theft. Are — is the administration aware of this report?

MR. KIRBY: Yes.

Q What can you tell us about what happened?

MR. KIRBY: I can't really say much about it right now, Jonathan. I hope you can understand that. And, certainly, it's a better question put to our DOD colleagues. But we are aware of this case.

Q And other matter just related to Russia. There has been threats from Moscow in the last couple days about striting — striking British military facilities because of the — and also simulating nuclear drills, as it sharply rises tensions because of weapons manufactured in the UK being used in the conflict. This says it could potentially apply to other ally countries as well — theoretically, the United States.

Do you have a response to that?

MR. KIRBY: Well, what I'd say, number one, is it's just reckless and irresponsible for the leader of a major nuclear-armed power to be saber-rattling the way that he is with respect to potential use for — for nuclear weapons.

We're — obviously, we monitor this and have continued to monitor this very closely. I can tell you we've seen nothing, even despite the reckless rhetoric, that would cause us to change our strategic deterrent posture.

And, look, lastly, if — if Mr. Putin and Russian officials are worried about their troops in Ukraine getting hit with weapons from other countries, then the easiest thing to do is just take your troops and leave.

Q Thank you.

Q There are reports of AFP right now that Israel is committing airstrikes on Rafah — intense airstrikes on Rafah right now. What would that timing mean to the relationship between the President and the Prime Minister?

MR. KIRBY: Well, [inaudible], you — you know something I don't know. I haven't seen those reports. I can't confirm it. I'll just go back to what I've said, I don't know, half a dozen, if not more, times today: We don't support operations in Rafah that put people at greater risk.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Go ahead.

Q Thank you. Thank you, Karine, and thank you, John. I just wanted to make it clear that regarding the limit on the refined petroleum provided by Russia to North Korea, the annual refined petroleum limit under U.N. sanctions against North Korea is 500,000 barrels. But last week, you say that the limit was exceeding that 6- — 165,000 barrels in March alone. So, how many barrels were supplied in January and February?

MR. KIRBY: I will have to take that question and get back to you. I didn't bring the barrel data with me today.

Q And one one more quick question again. State — yes, State Department Spokesperson Miller said that the sanctions against this will be imposed through these months, and a North Korea oil tanker sanctioned by the U.N. is currently staying in Chinese water. So, is China included in the sanctions this time? Or U.N. sanctions against Russia and sanctions against China are together?

MR. KIRBY: I — I will admit that I will owe you now yet another answer. I'll get back to you with something more detailed.

I will only just say, to exit myself from this question gracefully, that — [laughter] — that — that we want everybody to enforce the sanctions that are against North Korea appropriately and consistently. And not everybody does. And North Korea has benefited from sanctions evasions by countries in the region and beyond the region. I'll leave it at that.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Okay. I'm going to — we're going to have to start wrapping it up.

Q Thank you very much, Karine. Thank you very much, John. I have a question on Russia and growing ties between China and Russia. Putin is reportedly visiting China this month, and right before this visit, just last week, we learned that Russian police raided the homes of Falun Gong practitioners in Russia — this is a group persecuted in China — and detained several of them.

Does — does the White House have any reaction to this? And then I have a follow-up one.

MR. KIRBY: I haven't seen the reports about the detention of these individuals. If the — if they're true, certainly, that would be concerning to us. But I'd probably refer you to the State Department to speak a little bit more about that than — than I can.

Just, again, writ — writ large, we have seen China and Russia try to go — grow closer together. We believe a big reason for that is, frankly, the United States and — and putting themselves in positions to — to either oppose our foreign policy objectives or to try to be an obstacle to them in many, many different ways.

So, it's — it's concerning to us.

The most specific concern that we have right now is the fact that some Chinese companies are providing microelectronics and components so that Mr. Putin can continue his defense industrial base improvements and developments and put weapons in the field that just kill innocent Ukrainians.

And, again, we've been — we've made those concerns clear directly to our Chinese counterparts and at the U.N.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: All right. Jared. Ja- — oh, yeah —

Q Oh —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: You have the last question.

Q Yeah, I did want to ask just a clarification, first, on the King's visit. Is he meeting with any other senior administra- — Defense Department, anybody?

MR. KIRBY: I — I — not that I'm aware of.

Q So, this wasn't, like, a broader bilateral, kind of —

MR. KIRBY: No. No, the President hosted him for lunch. They've done this before in the past.

Q And, secondly, can you give us a —

MR. KIRBY: I — I can't — but, look, I — I can't speak to his whole schedule while he's in town. So, I'm not aware of any other meetings, but that doesn't mean that he's got something —

Q But it wasn't, like, a broader bilateral here at the White House?

MR. KIRBY: No.

Q And on the pier, the temporary pier, if you could give us an update on that and whether or not, like, a ceasefire would need to be in place for that to be fully implemented and operational.

MR. KIRBY: A ceasefire doesn't have to be in place for the pier to operate. Now, obviously, somewhat — it's a whole heck of a lot easier if there's no fighting going on. But it doesn't have to be.

In fact, one of the big issues that we are still working out is what the force protection laydown would look like and how the — not — not just the people operating the pier but the material itself can be safe from any — any attack.

Then you've got to anchor it, and you've got to make sure you build a causeway so you can get to and from it. And so, there's still a lot of work that has to be done to get it operational, and that would include the force protection laydown.

But no, the short answer to your question is you don't have to have a ceasefire in place to use the temporary pier.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Thank you, Admiral. Appreciate it.

Q Thank you.

Q Thank you, John.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Thanks.

He will speak to the horrors of October 7th, when Hamas unleashed the deadliest day for Jewish people since the Holocaust.

He will reaffirm that we respect and protect the fundamental right to free speech, but there is no place on any campus or anywhere for antisemitism. There is no place for hate speech or threats of violence against — against the Jewish people.

Next, today, as part of the Economic Opportunity Tour, Vice President Harris is traveling to Michigan to announce $100 million in funding and resources for small- and medium-size auto manufacturers and auto workers.

The Vice President will also announce actions to expand workforce training and improve job quality in the EV supply chain.

For decades, trickle-down econ- — e- — economics drove manufacturers overseas. Thanks to the Biden-Harris administration's Investing in America agenda, companies are making historic investments in EV battery supply manufacturing. More than 20 auto and battery plants have been announced, after no net new plants opened under the previous administration.

Historic contracts secured the — by the UAW and the Big Three automakers in Detroit, as well as recent organizing victories, like Volkswagen in Chattanooga, Tennessee, ensure that these jobs of the future will provide comp- — comparable wages, retirement security, and respect at work.

These actions build on the Biden-Harris administration's ongoing work to ensure that the workers and businesses that built the auto industry remain community anchors for generations to come.

And, finally, I want to acknowledge some important news. While the previous administrations oversaw the largest one-year increase in murders ever recorded, under the President's — this President's leadership, President Biden, violent crime is at a nearly 50-year low.

Thanks to the extraordinary efforts of law enforcement and community leaders, Americas are safe — Americans are safer from violent crime today than they were a year ago. Violent crime declined across every category in the first quarter of 2024, and murders are down 17 percent.

Let me be clear here: This reduction in crime is no accident. President Biden and his administration are taking historic action to make our communities safer and give our law enforcement officers the tools they need to protect and serve.

We are stopping the flow of illegal guns and making the largest-ever federal investment in fighting and preventing crime through the American Rescue Plan, which every Republican in Congress voted against. But we can't stop now.

Through the Safe [Safer] America — America Plan, the President is calling on Congress to invest $37 billion to support law enforcement and crime prevention. Every family deserves to live in a safe community.

With that, Seung Min.

Q Thanks. You had another school, Columbia University, announce this morning that they're canceling commencement ceremonies. I'm wondering if the White House is concerned that the situation on college campuses is not calming down, despite what the President said last week.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, I want to quote what the President said from last week, as you laid that out for me. And here's the quote: "Peaceful protest in America — violent protest is not protected; peaceful protest is. It's against the law when violence occurs. Destroying property is not a peaceful protest. It's against the law. Vandalism, trespassing, breaking windows, shutting down campuses, forcing the cancellation of classes and graduations — none of this is a peaceful protest."

And it is unfortunate that a small group — a small group of people went too far and cost their classmates this important event. We've talked about it many times from here. When it's — when it comes to commencement day and when it comes to speaking at commencement events, this is something that the President has done for some time now. And he understands that this is a moment of joy, a moment of celebration. And — and we feel for them. We feel for each of the graduates.

And — and we're going to continue to reiterate the President's comments and statements and what we've said from this podium to call for protest peacefully. And that's what we're going to continue to do.

But we do feel for them. These are graduates who are going to miss out on an incredibly important day of commencement.

Q Quick follow-up. Does the White House anticipate any issues — or how are you preparing for any potential issues when he delivers the remarks at Morehouse later this month?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, look, I'm not going to get into — I'm not going to speculate on what might happen, might not happen. Obviously, when it comes to any type of — when it comes to events and security, that's something that Secret Service obviously is going to — going to deal with and — and figure that out on their end. But I'm not going to get into specu- — to speculate from here.

I'm just going to reiterate what I just said about how the President truly enjoys doing commencement speeches. He understands how important — not just for the graduate but the families and the loved ones that are there to celebrate a really, truly important day. And so, that's what we're looking forward to.

As you know, the President is also going to go to West Point and honor — honor those who serve to protect our country. And — and so — and we'll continue to do that, obviously. And so, that's what he's going to look forward to: really being there for the graduates and lifting them up in this moment.

Q Thank you, Karine. Congressman Ro Khanna said that the President should and will be out visiting these campus among the protests — amid the protests. Is there any plan for him to get out there and talk to students —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: No.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, that is something that I'm going to leave to the local law enforcement and universities. That's for them to figure out, for them to work it through. They know what is happening on the ground. And we've always been very clear about that. And we'll continue to be clear about that.

We're going to continue to call for peaceful protest. And, you know, dissent cannot lead to disorder. And so, going to continue to be very, very clear, as the President has been, as I have been, as so many of us here on — in this administration has been.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I would refer you to the D.C. police. That's something for them to speak to.

Q Okay.

Q In the back.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Okay.

Q And then, j- — lastly, on these reported plans for the U.S. to bring over Palestinian refugees, potentially. Is there anything you can tell us about where we are in the works with that? And what — I know it would have to depend on coordination with Egypt, which so far has been resistant to cooperate on this. What — what can you tell us about this plan?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I don't have anything further to announce. I know I was asked this question a couple of times last week. I just don't have anything else to share.

Go ahead, Steve.

Q Karine, the — the speech tomorrow, is it a broad-brush speech or will he get into some of the specifics of the Gaza conflict?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I'm not going to get ahead of the President too much. Obviously, it is a day of remembrance. You know the term. We — as I just stated at the top: Never forget — or never again.

And so, certainly the President will — will talk about that day and how horrific it was for the Jewish — Jewish Americans, Jewish community.

I just don't want to get too far ahead. But obviously, it's an important day for — for not just Jewish Americans but Americans more broadly.

Q Thank you.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Go ahead, Karen.

Q Thanks, Karine. Given the key role that Jordan has played over the last several months in the Middle East — especially on humanitarian aid — and the day's development, there was obviously a lot of news value to the King's visit today.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah.

Q Why didn't we see the President and the King together for a photo op? Why was that closed press?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, look, we try to do everything that we can, obviously, to give you all as much access, give the press as much access. It is sometimes the — the visitor — the visiting country have — you know, they have their own requests, and we try to certainly accommodate their request as well.

And so, look, we will try all — every — at every turn, at every of these events to make sure that there is press — there is press access.

In this particular instance, it's a — it was a private lunch. And we tried to also accommodate the visitors that come here as well.

Q So, the King did not want to do anything on camera today?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I — I would leave it up to — to the King and his team to speak to that. But, again, we try to also accommodate the visiting country as well.

Q And if there's any news from the Israeli side on this — the — where things stand, should we expect to hear from the President today or this evening on this?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I don't have anything to — of note or any changes to the President's schedule at this time. Obviously, if there i- — are any changes, we — you all will be one of the first, if not the first, to know. I just don't have anything at this time.

The President was going to speak tomorrow. So, stay tuned.

AIDE: Karine.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Go ahead. Go ahead.

Q Thank you. I just wanted to go again at the speech the President is —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah.

Q — is exp- — is giving tomorrow. I mean, just given the context in which he's giving it, where there's — you know, 34,000 people have died in Gaza. He's going to be talking about "never again" and a genocide. And he's protested almost everywhere he goes, you know, with that moniker of — of "Genocide Joe."

And it's a — I'm just wondering: How is he going to sort of thread the needle of — of address- — of addressing a genocide that happened quite a while ago while there are some people who are saying that there is one happening right now that he bears some responsibility for?

I mean, I understand that that's not the view of the administration, but it's still a very tricky line to — to walk. And I'm just wondering if you can share any sort of thought as to whether he may be trying to send us a subtle message with the speech at all or if there's any sort of nod to the broader context in which the speech is being given.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, I'm going to let the President speak for himself. I gave a broad stroke of the day —

Q Yes.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: — and how important it's going to be for the President to speak on this Day of Remembrance, the ceremony. So, just going to be really mindful there.

On your broader question, look, the President understands that this is an incredibly painful time. And we have said that over and over again, and we understand that. And he also respects the right of all Americans to peacefully protest and also with the understanding and — and the knowledge of having those conversations, those sometimes really tough conversations with community leaders.

And we have done that on the White — White House — you've heard from senior White House officials — or you've heard us talk about senior White House officials going across the country, having those conversations with Muslim leaders, Arab leaders, Palestinian leaders in talking through this painful moment.

And I would also — also say that this is why this hostage deal is so important. This is why we continue to work around the clock. This is why Director Burns is there meeting — and obviously meeting — continuing to meet with partners in the region to try to get to this deal so we can get that all-important humanitarian aid, get that ceasefire that is much needed, and also make sure that we get the hostages home, which also — American hostages are part of those hostages, and we need to get them home to their loved ones.

So, that's what we're going to continue to do. The President will speak for himself tomorrow. So, I would say: Tune in. Listen to what he has to say. But we understand how painful this is for many, many communities across this country.

Q Has he had an input from any of those communities that you mentioned? Like, as he's been sort of wrestling with his speech and working on it, have any of those communities had any input into what he should say or what [inaudible] —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I can't speak — I can't to — to that — that question about input from communities. But the President understands how important this moment is. And I would say this is a president that tends to meet the moment when it comes to speeches and remarks like these. He understands what's going on, has the finger — his finger is on the pulse as far as what people are feeling.

And so, I'm just not going to get beyond that. And I would say: Tune in.

Go ahead, Gabe.

Q Karine, just really quickly.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah.

Q What's your response to Kristi Noem's comments implying that Commander should be put down?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Look, you know, when we learned last week, obviously, like all of you, in her book that she killed her puppy, you heard me say that was very, very sad.

We find her comments from yesterday disturbing. We find them absurd. And — and here, this is a country that loves dogs. And you have a leader talking about putting dogs down, killing them. And that's a disturbing statement to say.

I would say to — I would say to her — is she should — probably should stop digging herself in a hole.

Thanks, everybody.

Q Where — where is Commander now?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Who? Oh. So, Commander — we said this back in the fall. Commander is living with family members.

Q Where?

Q In Delaware?

[Cross-talk]

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yes. We said this before.

All right. Thanks, everybody.

3:14 P.M. EDT

Statements and Releases

2024-05-06

Medicare is stronger and Social Security remains strong. As long as I am President, I will keep strengthening Social Security and Medicare and protecting them from Republicans' attempts to cut benefits Americans have earned. Since I took office, my economic plan and strong recovery from the pandemic have helped extend Medicare solvency by a decade, with today's report showing a full five years of additional solvency. My plan would extend Medicare solvency permanently by asking the wealthy to pay their fair share and lowering prescription drug costs. And I am committed to extending Social Security solvency by asking the highest-income Americans to pay their fair share without cutting benefits or privatizing Social Security.

Republicans in Congress have a very different vision. Their budget sides with the wealthy and special interests to cut Social Security by over $1.5 trillion, increase the retirement age, raise prescription drug costs, and transition Medicare to a system that would raise premiums for many seniors. These changes are cruel and unnecessary. I will always fight for America's seniors and prevent Republicans from cutting Social Security and Medicare.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

May 6, 2024

Medicare is stronger and Social Security remains strong. As long as I am President, I will keep strengthening Social Security and Medicare and protecting them from Republicans' attempts to cut benefits Americans have earned. Since I took office, my economic plan and strong recovery from the pandemic have helped extend Medicare solvency by a decade, with today's report showing a full five years of additional solvency. My plan would extend Medicare solvency permanently by asking the wealthy to pay their fair share and lowering prescription drug costs. And I am committed to extending Social Security solvency by asking the highest-income Americans to pay their fair share without cutting benefits or privatizing Social Security.

Republicans in Congress have a very different vision. Their budget sides with the wealthy and special interests to cut Social Security by over $1.5 trillion, increase the retirement age, raise prescription drug costs, and transition Medicare to a system that would raise premiums for many seniors. These changes are cruel and unnecessary. I will always fight for America's seniors and prevent Republicans from cutting Social Security and Medicare.

Statements and Releases

2024-05-06

The White House will continue the tradition of welcoming members of the public to tour the White House Gardens and South Grounds. This spring the White House Gardens Tour will take place during Mother's Day Weekend, with tours available to the public from 10:00 AM to 4:30 PM ET on Saturday, May 11^thand Sunday, May 12^th.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

May 6, 2024

AT PRESENTATION OF THE COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF'S TROPHY

TO THE ARMY BLACK KNIGHTS

East Room

12:09 P.M. EDT

THE PRESIDENT: Well, good afternoon. Please -- please have a seat.

Well, I can -- you can tell the Academy grads in the audience; they got bigger grins on their faces --

AUDIENCE MEMBER: Go Army!

THE PRESIDENT: -- than the others.

Well, welcome. Welcome. We are here today to celebrate a tough team, a storied football program, this year's Commander-in-Chief Trophy winners: The Army Black Knights.

I'm impressed with your generosity, General.

It was an honor to have so many friends and fans with us here today. They include Secretary of Defense Austin, a proud West Point grad himself. You can clap.

The Secretary of the Army, Christine Wormuth. Christine, where are you? There you are.

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, who's smiling anyway, C.Q. Brown -- -- Air Force. He's an Air Force guy, but he's the best. And I was so hon- -- not to try to rub this in too much.

But I also welcome Representative Stanford Bishop -- Sanford Bishop. Representative Burt -- where -- where is Brett? You here? There you are, Brett Guthrie. Good to see you, Brett.

Representative Pat Ryan.

REPRESENTATIVE RYAN: How you doing, sir?

THE PRESIDENT: Pat, how are you, pal?

REPRESENTATIVE RYAN: Beat Navy!

THE PRESIDENT: I ain't protecting you, man. You're on your own.

And Representative Steve Womack.

We're also joined by Army's football's biggest fans: Bill and Steve of the radio show "Crawdad's Countdown to Kickoff." Fellas, thanks for making the trip from Alabama.

AUDIENCE MEMBER: Go Army!

THE PRESIDENT: And we finally have Coach Jeff Monken who -- who has once again led the Bla- -- Black Knights back to the White House again.

Where are you, Coach? I'll make sure you --

And some folks here know, over the past few seasons, the coach has restarted the old Army football tradition. Every time the team takes the field, they now carry the gold and black flag with a skull and crossbones. This flag represents everything the Black Knights stand for: toughness, tenacity, camaraderie, accountability. And you all certainly demonstrated that, Coach.

Over the course of this season, you faced setbacks, doubts, and uncertainties. Critics counted you out, but you never gave up. You never quit. Game by game, play by play, you ground it out together.

You beat Air Force, who was undefeated until you played them, forcing six turnovers and winning by 20 points.

A month later, you beat Navy -- -- second year in a row.

Today, you're taking home West Point's 10 th Commander-in-Chief Trophy. You should be very proud.

And I want you to know I'm proud of you, too, not just for the wins, but -- not just for those forced turnovers; although they're impressive, Coach -- but because every game, after you hang up that uniform, you immediately put on another uniform: one representing the United States of America.

Everyone -- everyone on this stage stepped up to serve, to lead, to join the long line of American servicemen, each a link in a chain of honor in America.

You represent the very best of who we are as Americans, and I'm confident that in the years to come you will be willing to do -- to see -- you'll see the same toughness, tenacity, and camaraderie, and accountability to our country that you brought to the field in every single game.

Now, many of these cadets are going to have to hear me twice, so I'm going to make this shorter than usual, because I'm -- I'm getting a -- I'll have the honor of speaking again at West Point's commencement.

So, let me just close with one brief final thought: Go Army.

AUDIENCE: Beat Navy!

THE PRESIDENT: I occasionally used to root for another club until my son joined the United States Army, spent a year in Iraq, became a major, won the Bronze Star and a few other things. And so, I wasn't even allowed to mention any other team ever -- -- ever.

Well, God bless you all. May God protect our troops. And, Coach, over to you.

COACH MONKEN: Thank you, sir.

Thank you, Mr. President and distinguished guests. On behalf of our superintendent, Lieutenant General Steve Gillen; our command- -- our commandant of cadets, Major General Lori Robinson; our academic -- our academic dean, Brigadier General Shane Reeves; our director of athletics, Mr. Mike Buddie; the United States Corps of Cadets; the Long Gray Line of West Point graduates; and the nearly 1 million men and women who serve our nation as members of the U.S. Army, Army Reserves, and Army National Guard, the Army football team is honored to accept the most coveted trophy in all of college football, the Commander-in-Chief's Trophy.

We're grateful --

THE PRESIDENT: I want to know who the hell is going to carry it home.

COACH MONKEN: I carried it in here. I'll get -- I'll take care of it, sir.

We're grate- -- we are grateful for your invitation to the White House and for welcoming the members of America's team as your guests here today.

This is a team of tough, talented players and a team of gritty, intense fighters. And just as they battled to finish the season with four straight victories, including wins over rivals Air Force and Navy, as you had mentioned, to claim the service academy dominance in winning the CIC Trophy, these warfighters will lead our nation's sons and daughters to victory on other fields on other days.

With us today are 48 soon-to-be-commissioned cadets who will later this month earn their diplomas, graduates of the world's preeminent leadership institution, the United States Military Academy. Soon after, they will enter the profession of arms prepared to lead and fight our nation's wars.

Joining them today on the stage is the rest of our team, underclassmen who, in the next few years, will join these soon-to-be graduates as officers in the Army.

Mr. President, these young men and women embody the values of duty, honor, country, and they represent the best our nation has to offer.

We're incredibly proud to be here and grateful to you for this tremendous honor. On, bro- -- on, Brave Old Army Team. And beat Navy.

Thank you, sir.

We got something for you.

Sir, I'm going to call Cadet First Class Jimmy Ciarlo, who's one of our team captains, Ringwood, New Jersey, to present you with one of our game-worn jerseys from the Army-Navy victory.

THE PRESIDENT: What do you think?

COACH MONKEN: Perfect.

THE PRESIDENT: I want to -- got to make sure you get my number right.

It's a great honor. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

What year are you?

MR. CIARLO: I'm a senior.

THE PRESIDENT: See you at graduation.

MR. CIARLO: Sounds good, sir. Thank you.

THE PRESIDENT:

Well, thank you all very much. And, by the way, are your par- -- any parents here? And to all the spouses of the guys running the show, God love you.

Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Guys, thank you very much.

COACH MONKEN: Thank you, sir. Beat Navy.

12:18 P.M. EDT

Speeches and Remarks

2024-05-06

East Room

12:09 P.M. EDT

Well, God bless you all. May God protect our troops. And, Coach, over to you.

COACH MONKEN: Thank you, sir. [Applause]

Thank you, Mr. President and distinguished guests. On behalf of our superintendent, Lieutenant General Steve Gillen; our command- — our commandant of cadets, Major General Lori Robinson; our academic — our academic dean, Brigadier General Shane Reeves; our director of athletics, Mr. Mike Buddie; the United States Corps of Cadets; the Long Gray Line of West Point graduates; and the nearly 1 million men and women who serve our nation as members of the U.S. Army, Army Reserves, and Army National Guard, the Army football team is honored to accept the most coveted trophy in all of college football, the Commander-in-Chief's Trophy. [Applause]

We're grateful —

THE PRESIDENT: I want to know who the hell is going to carry it home. [Laughter]

COACH MONKEN: I carried it in here. I'll get — I'll take care of it, sir. [Laughter]

We're grate- — we are grateful for your invitation to the White House and for welcoming the members of America's team as your guests here today.

This is a team of tough, talented players and a team of gritty, intense fighters. And just as they battled to finish the season with four straight victories, including wins over rivals Air Force and Navy, as you had mentioned, to claim the service academy dominance in winning the CIC Trophy, these warfighters will lead our nation's sons and daughters to victory on other fields on other days.

With us today are 48 soon-to-be-commissioned cadets who will later this month earn their diplomas, graduates of the world's preeminent leadership institution, the United States Military Academy. Soon after, they will enter the profession of arms prepared to lead and fight our nation's wars.

Joining them today on the stage is the rest of our team, underclassmen who, in the next few years, will join these soon-to-be graduates as officers in the Army.

Mr. President, these young men and women embody the values of duty, honor, country, and they represent the best our nation has to offer.

We're incredibly proud to be here and grateful to you for this tremendous honor. On, bro- — on, Brave Old Army Team. And beat Navy.

Thank you, sir. [Applause]

We got something for you.

Sir, I'm going to call Cadet First Class Jimmy Ciarlo, who's one of our team captains, Ringwood, New Jersey, to present you with one of our game-worn jerseys from the Army-Navy victory. [Applause]

[The President is presented with a United States Military Academy Black Knights jersey] [Applause]

THE PRESIDENT: I want to — got to make sure you get my number right. [Laughter]

It's a great honor. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

What year are you?

MR. CIARLO: I'm a senior.

THE PRESIDENT: See you at graduation.

MR. CIARLO: Sounds good, sir. Thank you.

Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Guys, thank you very much.

COACH MONKEN: Thank you, sir. Beat Navy. [Applause]

12:18 P.M. EDT

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

May 6, 2024

The White House will continue the tradition of welcoming members of the public to tour the White House Gardens and South Grounds. This spring the White House Gardens Tour will take place during Mother's Day Weekend, with tours available to the public from 10:00 AM to 4:30 PM ET on Saturday, May 11 th and Sunday, May 12 th.

2024 White House Gardens Tour

The White House Gardens Tour is free and open to the public; however, a daily timed ticket is required for all attendees, including small children. The National Park Service will distribute free, daily timed tickets at a tent stationed outside the White House Visitor Center each tour day beginning at 8:30 AM ET, while supplies last. The tour entry point for all guests will be located on 15 th Street, NW between E Street, NW and Constitution Avenue, NW. Advance reservations are not available. The ADA entrance will be located at 15 th Street, NW and Alexander Hamilton Place, NW.

Media Preview

The White House will host a media preview of the White House Gardens and South Grounds on Friday, May 10 th at 12:30 PM ET. This media preview will be open to pre-credentialed media. For interested media, please RSVP HERE by Thursday, May 9 th at 3:00 PM ET.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

May 6, 2024

AT THE TEACHERS OF THE YEAR STATE DINNER

East Room

THE PRESIDENT: I'm Jill Biden's husband. Please have a -- sit -- please sit down.

I'm going to be very brief. I just came back from North Carolina -- -- Wilmington, North Carolina. The mayor of Wilmington, North Carolina, has spent time living in Wilmington, Delaware. His daughter went to the University of Del- --

Anyway, look, I'll be very, very brief. First of all, I want to say how impressed I am with all that this woman does for the country and all -- no, I mean it sincerely.

But, look, you know, you all are the reason why we -- we have hope about the future. I really mean it. Not a joke.

And I was down in -- in North Carolina -- in Charlotte and Wilmington, North Carolina -- announcing a major multibillion-dollar program to make sure we got all lead out of water in North Carolina -- -- and the entire country.

And I was with a bunch of schoolteachers who -- they've discovered, in Wilmington, a significant -- a significant amount of lead coming out of one of the fountains that was in one of the schools. And I met these four little kids who were in second grade, coming up -- "Mr. Pwesident, you got to do something." And we're going to do something.

My -- the point I want to make is that, you know, the idea that we can't do more in education seems to me to be a ludicrous notion.

You know, how can we be the ma- -- the most powerful, most meaningful country in the world without having the best education system in the world?

And teaching is not what you do; it's who you are. It's who you -- no, for real. I know that. Believe me, I know that.

By the way, I actually taught for a number of years in law school. And then I was a professor at the University of Pennsylvania. No -- I don't get an applause for that?

But all kidding aside, what I realized is how damn hard she works every day and you all work every day.

So, look, I just want to say I appreciate all you do. You're incredible. You're -- you are -- as I've said before -- I got criticized for it the first time I said it -- you are the kite strings that lift our national ambitions aloft -- literally, not figuratively.

You are the kite strings. You are the future. You provide it for us.

So, I just came by to say thank you. I'm going to get the hell out of here. Thank you.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

May 6, 2024

On Yom HaShoah, or Holocaust Remembrance Day, we honor the memory of six million Jews who were murdered by the Nazis in one of the worst atrocities in human history. The pain, suffering, and evil associated with the Holocaust--driven by Antisemitic ideology--must always be remembered and taught to ensure "never again."

Sadly, eight decades later, Antisemitism--and hate in general--is on the rise in our country and around the world.

On October 7, Hamas, a brutal terrorist organization, committed the worst atrocity against the Jewish people since the Holocaust--killing 1,200 innocent people, including 44 Americans, taking 240 people hostage, including eight Americans still in Gaza, and committing horrific acts of sexual violence against Jewish women.

And, in recent days in the United States, we have seen hateful rhetoric and harassment against Jews. This is Antisemitism and must be condemned unequivocally. Hate of any kind has no place in our country.

For the Jewish people, the past seven months have evoked the memories--along with fear and anguish--of the Holocaust. So to all the Jewish people around the world, know this: President Joe Biden and I stand with you. We will fight Antisemitism with the full force of the U.S. government, including through the first-ever National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism. We will continue to stand with the people of Israel and its right to defend itself from those that threaten its existence. And we remain committed to Holocaust remembrance and education.

Like many Jewish Americans, my husband Doug has learned the harrowing stories of his family members that perished in the Holocaust. Last year, he traveled to the town where some of them lived in what is now Poland, and heard stories of family members shot and others who were deported to an unknown fate. He walked through the old Jewish Quarter of Krakow. And he visited Auschwitz-Birkenau, and the gas chambers, to bear witness.

Today, I also reflect on Doug's great-grandparents who fled persecution in what is now Poland at the turn of the 20 th century and were able to build a life in America. Ultimately, the Jewish people persevered. And Jewish traditions continue to be passed down from one generation to next--including at the Vice President's Residence, where Doug and I have been proud to hang mezuzahs, light menorahs, and host Passover seders. And with each of these actions, we send a message to the world: the Jewish people can overcome evil. We can and we must stand strong in the face of hate.

Statements and Releases

2024-05-06

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

May 6, 2024

President Biden will welcome President Klaus Iohannis of Romania to the White House on May 7. The leaders will celebrate Romania's 20^th year as a member of the NATO Alliance. President Biden will thank President Iohannis for hosting U.S. servicemembers in Romania, and recognize the many contributions that Romania, a stalwart NATO Ally, has made to security on NATO's eastern flank, particularly in the Black Sea region. The leaders will underscore their continued support for Ukraine as it continues to defend itself against Russia's aggression. They will also review the many areas in which Romania and the United States work together, including energy, economic cooperation, and our shared democratic values.

Statements and Releases

2024-05-06

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

May 6, 2024

Readout of President Joe Biden's Call with Prime Minister Netanyahu of Israel

President Biden spoke this morning with Prime Minister Netanyahu. The President reaffirmed his message on Yom HaShoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day. The two leaders discussed the shared commitment of Israel and the United States to remember the six million Jews who were systematically targeted and murdered in the Holocaust, one of the darkest chapters in human history, and to forcefully act against antisemitism and all forms of hate-fueled violence. President Biden updated the Prime Minister on efforts to secure a hostage deal, including through ongoing talks today in Doha, Qatar. The Prime Minister agreed to ensure the Kerem Shalom crossing is open for humanitarian assistance for those in need. The President reiterated his clear position on Rafah.

Statements and Releases

2024-05-06

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

May 6, 2024

On Wednesday, May 8 th, 2024 at 6:00 PM, in recognition of National Teacher Appreciation Week, First Lady Jill Biden will host a virtual appreciation event for educators with the American Federation of Teachers and the National Education Association . This South Court auditorium event will be open to pre-credentialed media. For interested media, please RSVP HERE by Tuesday, May 7 th at 5:00 PM ET.

Statements and Releases

2024-05-06

As part of the Biden-Harris Administration's unprecedented commitment to protect America's natural wonders for future generations, honor areas of cultural significance to Tribal Nations and Indigenous peoples, and expand access to nature, yesterday President Biden signed proclamations expanding the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument and the Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument. Together, these actions protect nearly 120,000 acres of lands in California.

The Biden-Harris Administration has already conserved more than 41 million acres of lands and waters, putting President Biden on track to conserve more lands and waters than any President in history.

Leaders from California and across the country praised the announcement. Here's what they're saying:

Tribal and Community Leaders

Anthony Roberts, Chairman, Yocha Dehe Tribe: "We thank President Biden for expanding the Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument and protecting Molok Luyuk, an area steeped in thousands of years of rich history and profound meaning to the Patwin people, whose traditional territory stretches south from these hills to the shores of San Pablo Bay and east to the Sacramento River. Elements of the natural landscape on the ridge have traditional cultural significance to us. We look forward to the day when condors fly over Molok Luyuk once again." [Statement, 05/02/2024]

Lynn Valbuena, Chairwoman, San Manuel Band of Missions Indians: "The San Manuel Band of Mission Indians is grateful for President Biden's action today to expand the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument. The San Gabriel Mountains are culturally significant to the Serrano and other Indigenous peoples. It feels good to know that these mountains and lands will now be protected for future generations of our people." [Statement, o5/02/2024]

Rudy Ortega Jr., L.H.D., President, Fernandeño Tataviam Band of Mission Indians: "We are thrilled that the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument is expanding. We thank the Biden administration for making this longstanding vision a reality. Expanding the Monument helps protect lands of cultural importance to my people who are part of this nation's history and who have cared for these lands since time immemorial. It also further protects areas that are critical for our environment and the wildlife and plants that depend on this landscape." [Statement, 05/02/2024]

Chief Anthony Morales, Gabrieleno San Gabriel Band of Mission Indians: "We add our voices in celebration of expanding the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument. The San Gabriel Mountains are historically significant to our tribe, our people, and our culture. Protecting more of this important region helps protect our traditional plants and cultural resources. We join Senator Padilla and Representative Chu in thanking President Biden for using the Antiquities Act to expand the monument." [Statement, 05/02/2024]

David Diaz, Executive Director, Active San Gabriel Valley: "For San Gabriel Valley residents, the San Gabriel Mountains are the backdrop to our lives. They are a place of unreal beauty, connection, and rejuvenation, and offer multiple benefits to our community. We thank Representative Chu and Senator Padilla for their leadership to complete the vision of the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument, and we thank President Biden for taking action. We are looking forward to leading adventures into the western Angeles National Forest so they can feel the shade of a coast live oak, spend quality time with their family and enjoy views from our beautiful mountains." [Statement, 05/02/2024]

Belén Bernal, Executive Director, Nature for All: "Our local community is overjoyed to see this next step in a 20-year effort to permanently protect the San Gabriel Mountains. The area included in the expanded San Gabriel Mountains National Monument is the closest section of the National Forest to the San Fernando Valley; this action helps ensure environmental justice for communities who lack access to green and open spaces throughout Los Angeles County. Thank you, President Biden, for taking this action to benefit the health and well-being of millions of Angelenos and to Vice President Harris for championing the protection of these special public lands!" [Statement, 05/02/2024]

Mary Creasman, Chief Executive Officer, California Environmental Voters: "The expansion of our national monuments and protection of our public lands are key nature-based solutions to the climate and biodiversity crises. These additions to the San Gabriel Mountains and Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monuments include must-protect areas that provide communities with critical drinking water, create access to greenspaces for underserved communities, hold historical and cultural significance to California Tribes and Indigenous community leaders, and serve as wildlife corridors and habitats for imperiled animals and native plants. We thank President Biden for his leadership and urge him to look to additional places in California for national monument designation, so we can make more progress towards our 30×30 goals." [Statement, 05/02/2024]

Jun Bando, Executive Director, California Native Plant Society: "We are incredibly grateful to President Biden and our steadfast congressional champions who have honored the Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation's request to expand Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument to include Molok Luyuk. The protection of Molok Luyuk represents the promise of a new era in conservation, with its grounding in inclusive leadership, the embrace of shareable Indigenous knowledges, and the coming together of Tribes, communities, and organizations to protect California's remarkable biodiversity and our connections to it." [Statement, 05/02/2024]

Francisco J. Moreno-Castillo, Executive Director, COFEM-Consejo de Federaciones Mexicanas: "Expanding the San Gabriel Mountains Monument is not just about preserving our natural heritage; it's about ensuring that future generations have the same opportunities to connect with nature, to find solace in its beauty, and to learn from its lessons. We owe a debt of gratitude to President Biden for his vision and commitment to conservation. His decision to protect and expand this monument is a testament to his understanding of the importance of safeguarding our environment and ensuring equitable access to outdoor spaces for all. Thank you, President Biden, for your leadership and foresight in preserving the San Gabriel Mountains for generations to come." [Statement, 05/02/2024]

Pamela Flick, California Program Director, Defenders of Wildlife: "We're delighted that President Biden is expanding Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument with the addition of Molok Luyuk. It is critical that wildlife never lose access to this important corridor connecting the Mendocino National Forest to the Cache Creek Wilderness Area, and today's action ensures they won't. As someone who has worked to protect this incredibly diverse and unique landscape for the better part of two decades, this is incredibly exciting and personally rewarding news. My heartfelt thanks to President Biden for taking this important step forward in land conservation." [Statement, 05/02/2024]

Katie Hawkins, California Program Director, Outdoor Alliance: "Adding Molok Luyuk to Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument will protect a recreation gem beloved by many in Northern California. This landscape has countless local advocates—local business leaders, scientists, conservationists, outdoor enthusiasts, and tribal community members have advocated for its designation and are thrilled to have it protected for future generations. We are thankful for the work of Senator Padilla, Senator Butler, Representative Garamendi and Representative Thompson, Governor Newsom, and are especially grateful to the Biden administration for their commitment to conservation and preservation." [Statement, 05/02/2024]

Katie Goodwin, California Regional Director, Access Fund: "Access Fund is thrilled to see the designation and expansion of Moluk Luyuk and San Gabriel National Monument. These designations secure both sustainable recreation access and long-term conservation, a winning combination for health and wellness, our economy, and our environment. The Access Fund will continue to make sure that this new monument is protected for future generations and that all of us can sustainably access and enjoy these public lands." [Statement, 05/02/2024]

Dennis Arguelles, Southern California Director, National Parks Conservation Association: "The expansion of the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument ensures the protection of some of the last wild spaces in the greater Los Angeles area. The expanded monument means better coordination across the region to preserve wildlife corridors, restore habitat, and address the threats of drought, wildfires, and climate change. We applaud President Biden for recognizing the value and fragility of these lands and the importance of their protection for both people and wildlife." [Statement, 05/02/2024]

Walter "Redgie" Collins, Legal and Policy Director, California Trout: "The expansion of the San Gabriel National Monument is cause for celebration. Beyond providing expanded outdoor access and protecting precious water resources and culturally significant sites, the expansion will also protect higher reaches of the greater San Gabriel River watershed, which we know to hold endangered Southern steelhead genetics. At CalTrout, we dream of a future where our local communities are able to see Southern steelhead spawn in great numbers in Southern California rivers and streams once again – we thank the Biden Administration for supporting this future." [Statement, 05/02/2024]

Daniel LoPilato, Colusa County Arts Council Member and Upstate California Creative Corps Grantee: "Expanding the Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument is a win-win for Colusa County. Doing so will help improve access to public lands and offer more recreation and outdoor education opportunities for county residents, provide a mandate to safeguard the habitats of endangered plants and animals, and streamline planning for land managers so we can protect and honor this land for generations to come. We're lucky to have this spectacular landscape right in our backyard. Preserving it is the right thing to do." [Statement, 05/02/2024]

Kelly Bessem, California Stewardship Director, Winter Wildlands Alliance: "Expanding protected lands and recognizing tribal cultures within these lands is the type of management needed to both address climate change issues and protect the ability for everyone to enjoy California landscapes for years and years to come. Honoring the land and people in this way is a win for everyone."[Statement, 05/02/2024]

Linda Castro, Assistant Policy Director, CalWild: "CalWild is grateful to President Biden for using his authority to expand the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument. This momentous action protects a critical watershed for the LA region, access to nature for Angelenos, and important cultural areas. We also want to thank Representative Judy Chu for her tireless efforts over many years to expand the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument and fulfill a vision 20 years in the making. We express our sincere gratitude to Senators Alex Padilla and Laphonza Butler for their strong support for the San Gabriel Mountains." [Statement, 05/02/2024]

Guillermo Rodriguez, Vice President Pacific Region, California State Director, Trust for Public Land: "The Trust for Public Land applauds the Biden Administration's proclamation expanding the Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument and San Gabriel Mountains National Monument. The San Gabriel Mountains National Monument, serving as the backyard to the nation's second-largest urban center, and the Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument, with its rich biodiversity and deep cultural significance, are invaluable assets that contribute to the well-being of communities and flora and fauna alike. We commend this decisive action to protect and enhance these national treasures in California. With the Biden Administration's proclamation expanding both the Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument and the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument, California takes a significant step forward in safeguarding vital ecosystems and ensuring equitable access to outdoor spaces for millions. Trust for Public Land also encourages the Administration to redouble its investments in these Monuments to ensure responsible stewardship and effective management. TPL stands ready to assist the Biden Administration in ensuring these Monuments live up to their fullest promise." [Statement, 05/02/2024]

Eric Hanson, Chair of the California Chapter, Backcountry Hunters and Anglers: "Today we thank President Biden for answering the call of hunters, anglers, and public land owners across California by taking action to expand the Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument through his authority under the Antiquities Act. We also commend the leadership of Sens. Padilla, as well as Reps. Garamendi and Thompson for their longtime support for the conservation of these public lands and waters that provide opportunities for sportsmen and women in a state that is rapidly developing." [Statement, 05/02/2024]

André Sanchez, Community Engagement & Conservation Policy Manager, CalWild: "We thank President Biden for responding to calls from the Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation and other Tribes, California Natural Resources Secretary Wade Crowfoot, many local elected officials including the Lake County Board of Supervisors, business owners, faith leaders, veterans, and a long list of others to protect Molok Luyuk. We are also deeply indebted to our champions in Congress Senators Alex Padilla and Laphonza Butler and Representatives Mike Thompson and John Garamendi for not only proposing to protect Molok Luyuk by expanding the Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument, but also for including groundbreaking Tribal collaborative management language in their monument expansion bill. We are proud to have been a part of this campaign and look forward to working with the Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Forest Service, co-managing Tribes like the Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation, and others to care for Molok Luyuk and the rest of the Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument in the years to come." [Statement, 05/02/2024]

Don Amador, Former Chair, CA State Parks Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation Commission President of Quiet Warrior Racing/Consulting LLC: "As an avid OHV recreationist, I am thrilled at the expansion of Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument to include Molok Luyuk. The permanent protection of Molok Luyuk will improve the management of these lands and increase public access to recreation opportunities. This is a win-win for our community. I am grateful for President Biden using the Antiquities Act to expand the monument and protect these lands for future generations to enjoy." [Statement, 05/02/2024]

Laura Deehan, State Director, Environment California Research & Policy Center: "Expanding these two monuments is a great first step by President Biden to protect California's public lands; and a meaningful action toward the state, federal, and global campaign to protect 30% of our land and waters by 2030. By permanently protecting these beautiful mountains and forests, we can ensure that Californians have more amazing places to enjoy nature. Additionally, local wildlife will be able to thrive, and awesome native California species such as golden eagles, peregrine falcons, black bears and mountain lions will have a better chance of survival. We thank President Biden for today's actions and look forward to future actions to conserve more of California's special places." [Statement, 05/02/2024]

Mike Painter, Coordinator, Californians for Western Wilderness in San Francisco: "Californians for Western Wilderness applauds Pres. Biden for his proclamation expanding Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument to include and protect Molok Luyuk [Condor Ridge]. Molok Luyuk is a place of great cultural significance, as well as a geologically and botanically unique area worthy of protection. We are proud to have worked with the Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation and other organizations to have its importance formally recognized." [Statement, 05/02/2024]

Liz Reilly, Former Mayor, City of Duarte and Vice Chair, San Gabriel Mountains Community Collaborative: "The San Gabriel Mountains National Monument, located in the greater LA area, provides millions of people with the opportunity to experience the majesty and grandeur of the mountain backdrop to our community. It is a gift to the people of the Los Angeles area. We celebrate the expansion of the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument which protects these ecologically rich landscapes for the clean air and clean water they provide for generations to come, while enhancing access to nature by the community." [Statement, 05/02/2024]

Congressional Leaders

Senator Alex Padilla [CA): "From the majestic peaks of the San Gabriel Mountains to the sacred woodlands of Berryessa Snow Mountain, our national monuments hold some of our greatest natural marvels. Protecting our public lands as National Monuments is essential to combating the climate crisis, preserving cultural and sacred history, protecting biodiversity, and ensuring access to green space for millions of low-income Americans. I am thrilled to see President Biden exercise his authority to permanently protect the entire San Gabriel Mountains and formally incorporate Molok Luyuk and its thousands of years of tribal origin stories into the Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument. These monuments have fostered a lifelong connection to nature for millions of Californians, and their expansions will ensure future generations can experience and enjoy them as well. This announcement will also usher in an important new era of cooperative stewardship between our federal land management agencies and tribal governments, and marks a significant milestone following decades of local efforts to safeguard these natural landscapes." [Statement, 05/02/2024]

Senator Laphonza Butler (CA]: "I applaud @POTUS for expanding two of California's iconic public lands. By protecting these National Monuments, we not only preserve their beauty for future generations and safeguard important cultural landscapes, we also reaffirm our commitment to protecting our environment." [X Post, 05/02/2024]

Representative Raúl M. Grijalva [AZ-07]: "With today's expansion of the San Gabriel Mountains and Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monuments, President Biden is once again showing that this administration is committed to both community-led conservation and working alongside tribes to achieve meaningful protections for Indigenous lands," said Ranking Member Grijalva. "Today's action will also make the outdoors and natural spaces more accessible for communities that have only had limited options for too long. I am grateful to Congresswoman Chu and Congressman Mike Thompson for their tireless work in advocating for the protection and expansion of these two important landscapes." [Statement, 05/02/2024]

Representative Grace Napolitano [CA-31]: "As a representative of the San Gabriel Foothills community, I am very proud of our community members and the local organizations who have worked tirelessly on preserving and expanding green space in LA County, including the establishment of the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument, and now the long-awaited expansion," Napolitano said. "This expansion will improve recreation opportunities for millions of families and bring much needed resources to the communities that serve as the gateway to the mountains, while respecting local rights. The San Gabriel Mountains, Foothills, and River Corridor attract millions of visitors each year, and provide some of the only outdoor options for the open space poor LA County. As California is continuously faced with droughts, forest fires, and the growing impacts of climate change, it is critical that we champion policies that protect our environment and natural resources for all future generations! I want to thank Representative Judy Chu for her tireless work and last but certainly not least, President Biden and Vice President Harris, for continuing to support the conservation of our public lands and waters. I look forward to continuing to foster a close relationship between the communities and cities around the Monument and the National Parks Service." [Statement, 05/02/2024]

Representative Judy Chu [CA-28]: "Just left the White House! I'm ecstatic that @POTUS is expanding the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument! This will protect & expand access to sacred natural, cultural, & recreational treasures for the 18 million+ Angelenos living near these beautiful public lands. 10 years ago, @BarackObama responded to my call with indigenous leaders, community activists, & nature-lovers for permanent protection for the San Gabriel Mountains by declaring 346,000 acres as a National Monument. Even then, we recognized that our work wasn't finished. It's been an honor working with @SenAlexPadilla to advocate for expanding the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument. The benefits are immense: enhanced access to nature for underserved communities and safeguarding one-third of LA County's drinking water resources. Today's expansion would not be possible without the tireless efforts of @CalNatResources, @HildaSolis, @lanatureforall, @Pasadena_Mayor, @envirovoters, and many others to preserve the San Gabriels for present and future generations. Their dedication has been invaluable. I am deeply grateful to President Biden for his decisive action in preserving this invaluable natural treasure. This is just wonderful news. As we celebrate, let's also recommit to protecting these pristine public lands for the future." [X Post, 05/02/2024]

Representative Adam Schiff [CA-30]: "California is home to the most unique public lands in the world. President Biden's bold action will not only preserve the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument and Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument for generations to come, but also underscore our collective commitment to the protection of our public heritage and public lands. Along with Senators Padilla and Feinstein, and Representative Chu, I've fought to protect the San Gabriel Mountains. And the expansion of these monuments will provide increased access to green spaces for millions of Californians and boost local economies through sustainable tourism. As we continue to take on the impacts of climate change and environmental degradation, steps like these are essential in safeguarding our beautiful public lands for future generations to enjoy." [Statement, 05/02/2024]

Representative Mike Thompson [CA-04]: "I worked to designate the Berryessa Snow Mountain region as a national monument in 2015, and I've worked to expand it ever since. I was honored to join President Biden today to see these efforts through. Molok Luyuk is culturally significant to numerous tribes and other Native peoples and this expansion begins a new era of tribal co-stewardship of ancestral public lands. Today's expansion will ensure the region's biodiversity, geological formations, and cultural connections are preserved for generations to come." [Statement, 05/02/2024]

Representative John Garamendi [CA-08]: "Conserving California's natural beauty has been a lifelong passion throughout my tenure in the state legislature, as Deputy Secretary of the Interior to President Clinton, and now as a member of Congress. In 2022, I introduced the 'Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument Expansion Act' with Senator Alex Padilla and Congressman Mike Thompson. I am thrilled that President Biden has issued this presidential proclamation to expand the Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument and preserve the tribal wisdom, heritage, and cultural traditions that 'Molok Luyuk' or Condor Ridge has been home to for over 11,000 years. I thank President Biden and Interior Secretary Haaland for conserving this special place forever." [Statement, 05/02/2024]

Representative Jared Huffman [CA-02]: "@POTUS just expanded the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument and Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument ? Protecting these places honors Indigenous lands, helps us reach our climate goals, and boosts outdoor access for everyone. This move also permanently protects Molok Luyuk, where the Yurok Tribe in my district have worked to bring the California condor back from the brink of extinction. What a big milestone for these beautiful and culturally significant places!" [X Post, 05/02/2024]

Rep. Jerry Nadler [NY-12]: "Thank you, @POTUS for once again delivering for our public lands by expanding two National Monuments. I'm proud to have cosponsored @RepJudyChu's bill to protect and expand the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument. This monument was targeted by the Trump Administration and might not have survived a second term. Instead, thanks to the Biden Administration, it's being expanded." [X Post, 05/02/2024]

State and Local Officials

California Governor Gavin Newsom: "Berryessa Snow Mountain and San Gabriel Mountains National Monuments are getting bigger! Thanks to @POTUS, two national monuments in California are expanding by thousands of acres. We'll continue to protect our beautiful lands for all to enjoy." [X Post, 05/02/2024]

Secretary Wade Crowfoot, California Natural Resources: "I'm thrilled and deeply thankful. President Biden's action protects two very special places in California for future generations. It demonstrates this President's remarkable conservation leadership, which has driven historic amounts of public land protection and investments over the last four years. These monument expansions, combined with the establishment of new proposed monuments in California currently under consideration, are win-win actions that benefit California's people and nature alike. They will help us conserve 30 percent of California's lands by 2030, protect sacred cultural sites, and enshrine access to our public lands." [Statement, 05/02/2024]

Secretary Yana Garcia, California Environmental Protection: "I am thrilled to support the expansion of the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument in partnership with the Biden administration and NGOs. The San Gabriel River is a hub of recreational, economic, and cultural activity. This new infusion of resources, including funding from the State Water Board, will help protect water quality and ensure public access to one of California's most vibrant ecosystems." [Statement, 05/02/2024]

California State Senator Nancy Skinner [District 9]: "Biden just expanded a spectacular Northern California national monument. 'The Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument between Napa and Mendocino counties will add a picture-perfect ridgeline rich with wildflowers and tribal significance.'" [X Post, 05/02/2024]

California State Senator Bill Dodd [District 3]: "The Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument is one of the most scenic and diverse landscapes in all of Northern California. Now, it makes sense to include this additional piece, which was home to native tribes for thousands of years. We can recognize the land's cultural significance while protecting it for generations to come." [X Post, 05/02/2024]

California Assemblymember Mike Fong [District 49]: "The expansion of the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument is a historic moment for our #SGV community! Thank you to @POTUS, @RepJudyChu, @SenAlexPadilla, and our local advocates for championing our environment!" [X Post, 05/02/2024]

Mayor Thomas Wong, City of Monterey Park: "The San Gabriel Mountains National Monument is one of California's great treasures, and I am pleased to celebrate its expansion. I thank President Biden for taking action to include the upper Los Angeles River watershed in the Angeles National Forest. This is an important source of our region's drinking water and open space. I'm also grateful to Senator Padilla, Senator Butler, and Representative Chu for their work championing the expansion." [Statement, 05/02/2024]

Mayor Victor Gordo, Pasadena: "Thank you President Biden for hearing and responding to our community's call for the protection of the San Gabriel Mountains. These beloved lands provide critical open space and access to nature for millions of local residents." [Statement, 05/02/2024]

Supervisor Hilda L. Solis, Los Angeles County District 1: "I'm delighted about the announcement of the expansion of the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument – an initiative I helped kickstart during my time in Congress when I introduced H.R. 519, known as the San Gabriel River Watershed Study Act. The San Gabriel Mountains are critical open spaces for many underserved communities in Los Angeles County that lack parks and suffer from severe health issues. I thank President Joe Biden for granting such protection to the western Angeles National Forest as it will ensure our future generations have access to critical open spaces." [Statement, 05/02/2024]

Lake County Supervisor E.J. Crandell, Member of the Robinson Rancheria Tribe: "Molok Luyuk is a special and sacred place for area Tribes and for many residents who enjoy recreation activities like hiking and mountain biking. The natural beauty of our home also drives tourism, which is key to the economic vitality of the region. I am grateful that the President protected these beautiful lands. It is a gift to future generations." [Statement, 05/02/2024]

Bruno Sabatier, Lake County Board of Supervisors: "Molok Luyuk contains both a natural and cultural richness in Lake County that deserves to be preserved for future generations to learn about and experience. This is a proud moment when we have successfully protected and preserved such a gem for Lake County, California, and beyond." [Statement, 05/02/2024]

Denise Conrado, Colusa City Councilmember: "Colusa has benefitted from the vibrant recreation destination that Berryessa National Monument has provided for our local community. Adding Molok Luyuk to the monument area will ensure we also honor the heritage of the Patwin People who called these lands home long before we arrived. This designation will ensure that the Tribes have a leadership role in the cultural and restorative management practices to protect the unique history and biodiversity of the area. Colusa will only benefit further from creating equity and balance by expanding this monument." [Statement, 05/02/2024]

Tom Stallard, Woodland City Councilmember: "It is entirely appropriate that we show deference and courtesy to Native People by expanding Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument to include additional lands sacred to them and referring to it in a way that honors their people by using their native language. Thank you to President Biden for taking action to protect Molok Luyuk." [Statement, 05/02/2024]

Environmental Leaders

Maite Arce, President and Chief Executive Officer, Hispanic Access Foundation: "Los Angeles is one of the top cities in the country with the highest concentration of Latinos. The San Gabriel Mountains make up 70% of Los Angeles County's open space and are the backyard for many Latino and culturally diverse communities in the area that have limited access to green spaces in their neighborhoods. The designation expansion ensures permanent protection of the San Gabriels, which are critical for the health and wellbeing of millions of people and future generations." [Statement, 05/02/2024]

Jamie Williams, President, The Wilderness Society: "We thank President Biden for expanding the San Gabriel Mountains and Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monuments, a representation of our vision for a future where people and nature flourish together. This dual expansion gets us closer to realizing that vision by advancing 30×30 conservation goals, promoting biodiversity, mitigating climate impacts, and honoring decades of community-led efforts that aim to serve people and nature in unity." [Statement, 05/02/2024]

Gene Karpinski, President, League of Conservation Voters: "The Biden-Harris administration has done more for conservation than any other first-term president in history. They have protected a historic 41 million acres and counting, and are continuing to deliver on community-led conservation with this latest expansion of San Gabriel Mountains and Berryessa Snow Mountains National Monuments. With these expansions, the administration is increasing equitable access to the outdoors in one of the country's most populated areas while protecting clean water sources, healthy ecosystems, and vital cultural resources in Southern California. Expanding Berryessa Snow Mountains National Monument to include Molok Luyuk also honors its cultural importance to the Yocha Dehe Wintun peoples, as well as other California Tribes, and conserves the region's incredible biodiversity. National monuments are a win-win to permanently protect our cultural and natural resources and advance equity in the outdoors. We join local partners and Tribal leaders in celebrating these expansions, and we look forward to supporting the Biden-Harris administration's efforts to protect even more places worthy of national monument designation." [Statement, 05/02/2024]

Ben Jealous, Executive Director, Sierra Club: "National monuments protect more than landscapes. They preserve the historical, cultural, and spiritual legacies of the people who have made this country what it is. Expanding the San Gabriels monument and protecting Molok Luyuk will have significant and immediate benefits for the communities, wildlife, and ecosystems of California. Millions of people will have greater access to nature, vital habitat will be preserved for imperiled species, and critical water resources will be safeguarded for those who rely on them. Since day one, President Biden has made it clear that he is serious about protecting public lands and preserving the legacies etched into those landscapes. We urge him to continue to build his monumental legacy." [Statement, 05/02/2024]

Jennifer Rokala, Executive Director, Center for Western Priorities: "Today's announcement not only adds to President Biden's conservation legacy, but also amplifies his commitment to environmental justice and Tribal sovereignty. Ensuring communities of color have equitable access to nearby public lands and honoring Tribally-led land protection efforts are both vital components of public land conservation. By expanding these monuments, President Biden is now within arm's reach of becoming the most consequential first-term conservation president in recent history. We're happy to see his administration continuing to make progress toward the goal of conserving 30 percent of lands and waters by 2030, and we're hopeful to see him designate more monuments so that he can solidify his place in conservation history." [Statement, 05/02/2024]

Adam Cramer, Chief Executive Officer, Outdoor Alliance: "Outdoor Alliance is thrilled to see the expansion of San Gabriel Mountains National Monument and Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument. Today's designations expand protections for some of California's most popular outdoor landscapes. These areas are recreation gems beloved by people across the state. We are thankful for the work of Senator Padilla, Senator Butler, Representative Garamendi and Representative Thompson, Governor Newsom, and are especially grateful to the Biden administration for their commitment to conservation and preservation." [Statement, 05/02/2024]

Eric Artz, President and Chief Executive Officer, REI Co-op: "REI Co-op applauds the Biden Administration for expanding San Gabriel Mountains and Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monuments. We recognize the leadership of Tribal Nations and local communities who called for the protection of these special places and are proud to have worked alongside them to achieve this goal. The permanent protection of these public lands will help ensure that current and future generations can enjoy them. We are especially grateful for the increased access to time outside that these spaces will provide." [Statement, 05/02/2024]

Janessa Goldbeck, Chief Executive Officer, Vet Voice Foundation: "President Biden has delivered for California's veterans by expanding the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument and Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument. These are places of reflection, reunion, and healing for our state's veterans. We urge President Biden to build on this tremendous achievement and protect three additional national monuments in California. Doing so would protect important cultural resources and military heritage sites, and help ensure access to nature for local communities." [Statement, 05/02/2024]

Shoren Brown, Vice President of Public Affairs, The Conservation Alliance: "On behalf of The Conservation Alliance and its 270 member companies, we extend our heartfelt gratitude to President Joe Biden for expanding the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument by over 100,000 acres. This landmark decision not only supports local communities and protects close-to-home outdoor access, but also further bolsters California's thriving outdoor economy. We are profoundly appreciative of the administration's commitment to community health, the environment, and California's economic well-being. We thank Senator Alex Padilla, Senator Laphonza Butler, and Representative Judy Chu for championing this effort, and congratulate on-the-ground coalition leaders and partners for their diligence over decades to urge both the creation and expansion of the National Monument. We look forward to continuing to work alongside partners on the ground and the Biden administration to designate more monuments and make sure those national monuments have the appropriate resources to manage them for conservation." [Statement, 05/02/2024]

Hans Cole, Vice President of Environmental Activism, Patagonia: "The future of our business, along with other companies who depend on the outdoor recreation economy, depends on the health of natural places that customers explore. Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument and Molok Luyuk offer incredible opportunities for hiking and include critical wildlife habitat. We applaud the Biden administration for the expansion of this national monument as an opportunity to conserve land and combat the climate and environmental crisis." [Statement, 05/02/2024]

Steve Messer, President, Concerned Off-Road Bicyclists Association: "The San Gabriel Mountains have been my backyard outdoor playground for the 40 years I've lived in their shadow. It warms my heart to know the entire range of the San Gabriel Mountains will now be protected for future generations to experience and enjoy under the expansion of the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument." [Statement, 05/02/2024]

Nicole Gentile, Senior Director for Conservation, Center for American Progress: "These monument expansions build on President Biden's legacy of centering equity and justice in his conservation work. They will ensure that historically marginalized communities have access to, and are represented in, the country's public lands. The San Gabriel Mountains National Monument expansion provides access to nature for millions of Southern Californians who live in one of the country's largest urban hubs. This is an area where nature deprivation disproportionately affects people of color and low-income communities. The Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument expansion honors and protects sacred lands and safeguards rich wildlife habitat. This expansion, combined with a commitment to explore Tribal co-stewardship, centers Indigenous voices, knowledge, and leadership on our public lands." [Statement, 05/02/2024]

Christy Zamani, Executive Director, Day One: "We thank the Biden administration for the actions taken under the Antiquities Act to expand the San Gabriel Mountains. Adding more public lands to the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument will help ensure that young people will be able to continue experiencing and learning about unique plants in the region, including the drought-tolerant and fire-adapted chaparral shrubland, scrub oaks, wild lilac, western mountain-mahogany, and the California poppy." [Statement, 05/02/2024]

Sara Husby, Executive Director, Great Old Broads for Wilderness: "Today is a day to celebrate. The expansion of Northern California's Berryessa Snow Mountain to include Molok Luyuk ensures the protection of a vital ecosystem important to numerous threatened species of plants and wildlife, as well as the protection of cultural sites held sacred by Indigenous people across the region. The expansion of the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument will not only protect threatened wildlife habitat and cultural sites but will also protect an important source of water for the Los Angeles basin and provide new opportunities for underserved communities in Southern California to experience nature. Thanks to the Biden administration for demonstrating its commitment to conservation with the protection of these two unique landscapes." [Statement, 05/02/2024]

Charles Thomas, Executive Director, Outward Bound Adventures: "For over 60 years, Outward Bound Adventures [OBA] has introduced low-income and racially marginalized communities of color to the unique beauty of the San Gabriel Mountains. We celebrate this expansion of nationally-recognized wilderness on the fringe of a sprawling and densely populated urban center, providing much-needed access to outdoor recreation and employment opportunities for historically absent and forgotten communities of color. Thank you, President Biden, for recognizing this critical need and taking action to broaden recreational space where it is needed most." [Statement, 05/02/2024]

Jocelyn Torres, Co-Interim Executive Director and Chief Conservation Officer, Conservation Lands Foundation: "Today's action by President Biden to expand Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument by designating Molok Luyuk honors efforts to safeguard sites of sacred, cultural and historic significance, wildlife and rare plant habitat, and outdoor recreation for current and future generations. We are grateful President Biden heard the calls of Tribal leaders; federal, state and local governments; businesses; and advocates from Indigenous, outdoor recreation, conservation and many other communities to permanently protect this sacred landscape by use of the Antiquities Act." [Statement, 05/02/2024]

Zach Plopper, Environmental Director, Surfrider Foundation: "Surfrider is so proud to be a part of the designation of these national monuments. This expansion will enhance equitable access to nature, protect the upper Los Angeles River watershed, and safeguard a refuge for wildlife. Expanding the monument is the next step in a 20-year, locally-driven effort to protect the San Gabriel Mountains." [Statement, 05/02/2024]

Christian La Mont, Storytelling and Advocacy Manager, Latino Outdoors: "Latino Outdoors is thrilled to celebrate and recognize the incredible collaboration of Tribes, Indigenous community leaders and advocates, local leaders, policymakers, and community members who organized, hiked, got loud, and showed up in every way to support the proposed expansion of the San Gabriel Mountains and Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monuments. Expanding access to these public lands, especially in some of the most park-deprived areas of California, is a legacy we can all be proud of. Thank you and gracias to President Biden for his commitment to conservation and thank you for the tireless support of Senator Padilla, Senator Butler, Representative Chu, Representative Garamendi, Representative Thompson and so many others who are a part of this multi-generational movement to protect and preserve California's public lands and to ensure equitable access to the outdoors." [Statement, 05/02/2024]

Lisa Belenky, Senior Counsel, Center for Biological Diversity: "This proclamation expanding Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument to include Molok Luyuk will help preserve biodiversity and cultural resources on our public lands for generations to come. This remarkable area is of cultural importance to the Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation and provides essential wildlife connectivity. Molok Luyuk is home to many plants and animals that we've long worked to protect, including ancient blue oak woodlands, wildflower meadows, extensive stands of McNab cypress, mountain lions, tule elk, and imperiled foothill yellow-legged frogs." [Statement, 05/02/2024]

National Wildlife Federation: "Thank you @POTUS @SecDebHaaland and @SecVilsack for listening to Indigenous community leaders, elected officials, and community members to expand the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument and Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument." [X Post, 05/02/2024]

Nuestra Tierra: "Thank you @POTUS for expanding the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument and Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument through the Antiquities Act! Together, these actions have protected over 120,000 acres in California!" [X Post, 05/02/2024]

Monuments for All: "NEWS: President Biden is expanding the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument & Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument. @POTUS, thank you for listening to Tribes, Indigenous community leaders, elected officials, and community members protecting these lands! #MonumentsForAll" [X Post, 05/02/2024]