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Readout of President Joe Biden’s Call with Prime Minister Netanyahu of Israel

Sat, 12/23/2023 - 16:52

President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. spoke today with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel. The leaders discussed Israel’s military campaign in Gaza to include its objectives and phasing. The President emphasized the critical need to protect the civilian population including those supporting the humanitarian aid operation, and the importance of allowing civilians to move safely away from areas of ongoing fighting. The leaders discussed the importance of securing the release of all remaining hostages. They agreed to remain in regular consultation both directly and through their respective national security teams.

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Remarks as Prepared for Delivery by First Lady Jill Biden at a Holiday Celebration with Military Families

Sat, 12/23/2023 - 15:29

Fort Campbell, KY

***

Thank you, Major Quiros. You and Catherine and your family have been through so much. I’m grateful you’re all here today with us. Thank you for your service, and for finding ways to help so many.

And I know so many in this room did the same: sharing your homes, clothes, and groceries. Helping neighbors dig precious memories out of rubble. Being there for those who lost everything – even when you had lost so much yourselves.

Major General Sylvia, thank you for the warm welcome to Fort Campbell.

I also want to recognize the Armed Services YMCA, Toys for Tots, and Mission Barbeque for all of your hard work to make today possible.

As Americans across the country gather this weekend for the holidays, our family wanted to come here – we wanted to be with all of you, to stand with you, to let you know that you’re not alone.

Because in our family, we have a saying: if you have to ask, it’s too late.

Military families live by that saying too, don’t you?

In moments of hardship, you’re the ones who step up, you’re the ones who put your lives in harm’s way, you’re the ones who reach out a hand to carry others through.

I know that the last two weeks have probably tested that strength.

But even in this moment of grief and heartbreak, there is so much love and support that surrounds you – that Screaming Eagles spirit that Major Quiros described.

I know it can be hard to ask for help when you’re usually the ones answering the call. But I hope that you let others share the weight of your burdens.

The Bidens are a military family. And military families look out for each other. We take care of our own.

On behalf of the President and Americans everywhere, you are in our hearts, and we are so grateful for your service. May God bless and protect our troops and their families.

Now, I know your holidays this year might look a little different, so, I brought a special guest with me, all the way from the North Pole!

Who wants to come meet Santa?

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Readout of President Biden’s Call with President Pedro Sanchez of Spain

Fri, 12/22/2023 - 18:54

President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. spoke today with President Pedro Sanchez of Spain.  President Biden congratulated President Sanchez on securing a new term and affirmed the enduring friendship between the United States and Spain, including our close defense and security cooperation.  The leaders also discussed the latest developments in Israel and Gaza and committed to working together to continue facilitating the sustained delivery of life-saving humanitarian assistance to civilians in Gaza.  They stressed the importance of ensuring the conflict does not expand in the region, to include condemning ongoing Houthi attacks against commercial vessels in the Red Sea.  President Biden and President Sanchez affirmed they looked forward to continued U.S.-Spain cooperation. 

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Statement from President Joe Biden on Gad Haggai

Fri, 12/22/2023 - 16:35

Jill and I are heartbroken by the news that American Gad Haggai is now believed to have been killed by Hamas on October 7. We continue to pray for the well-being and safe return of his wife, Judy. Their daughter joined by phone my meeting with the families of hostages last week. Those families bravely shared with me the harrowing ordeal that they have endured over the past months as they await news of their loved ones. It’s intolerable. Today, we are praying for their four children, seven grandchildren, and other loved ones and are grieving this tragic news with them.  And I reaffirm the pledge we have made to all the families of those still held hostage: we will not stop working to bring them home.

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Statement from President Joe Biden on H.R. 2670, National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2024

Fri, 12/22/2023 - 15:50

Today, I have signed into law H.R. 2670, the “National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2024” (the “Act”).  The Act authorizes fiscal year appropriations principally for the Department of Defense, Department of Energy national security programs, Department of State, and the Intelligence Community.  The Act provides the critical authorities we need to build the military required to deter future conflicts, while supporting service members and their spouses and families who carry out that mission every day.  I also thank the Congress for its extension of title VII of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act.  My Administration looks forward to working with the Congress on the reauthorization of this vital national security authority as soon as possible in the new year.  While I am pleased to support the critical objectives of the NDAA, I note that certain provisions of the Act raise concerns.

     Section 1033 of the Act continues to bar the use of funds appropriated to the Department of Defense to transfer Guantánamo Bay detainees to the custody or effective control of certain foreign countries.  Section 1031 likewise would continue to prohibit the use of such funds to transfer Guantánamo Bay detainees into the United States.  It is the longstanding position of the executive branch that these provisions unduly impair the ability of the executive branch to determine when and where to prosecute Guantánamo Bay detainees and where to send them upon release.  In some circumstances, these provisions could make it difficult to comply with the final judgment of a court that has directed the release of a detainee on writ of habeas corpus, including by constraining the flexibility of the executive branch with respect to its engagement in delicate negotiations with foreign countries over the potential transfer of detainees.

     I urge the Congress to eliminate these restrictions as soon as possible.  Moreover, certain provisions of the Act raise constitutional concerns or questions of construction.

     Certain provisions of the Act, including sections 856(c), 1221(a)(7), 1269, 1687, 7315, and 7351 would require the President and other officials to submit reports and plans to committees of the Congress that will, in the ordinary course, include highly sensitive classified information, including information that could reveal critical intelligence sources or military operational plans or could implicate executive branch confidentiality interests.  The Constitution vests the President with the authority to prevent the disclosure of such highly sensitive information in order to discharge his responsibility to protect the national security.  At the same time, congressional committees have legitimate needs to perform vital oversight and other legislative functions with respect to national security and military matters.  Accordingly, it has been the common practice of the executive branch to comply with statutory reporting requirements in a way that satisfies congressional needs pursuant to the traditional accommodation practice and consistent with due regard for the protection from unauthorized disclosure of classified information relating to sensitive intelligence sources and methods or other exceptionally sensitive matters, as well as to preserve the confidentiality of internal executive branch deliberations, particularly those with respect to decisions bearing on the Nation’s national security.  I believe the Congress shares this understanding, and my Administration will presume that it is incorporated into statutory reporting requirements of the kind at issue in the Act.

     A number of provisions of the Act may, in certain circumstances, interfere with the exercise of the President’s constitutional authority to articulate the positions of the United States in international negotiations or fora including sections 825(c)(1), 1013(b), 1255(b)(2), 1256(c)(2), 1305, 1309(a), 1518(a), 5411(a), 5602(c), and 6406.  I recognize that “[i]t is not for the President alone to determine the whole content of the Nation’s foreign policy” (Zivotofsky v. Kerry) and will make every effort to take action consistent with these provisions.  Indeed, I do not necessarily oppose many of the objectives in these provisions.  Nevertheless, I will not treat them as limiting the President’s constitutional discretion to articulate the views of the United States before international organizations and with foreign governments.

     Section 1555(a) of the Act requires recipients of certain Department of Defense (the “Department”) advertising contracts to certify that they “[do] not place advertisements in news sources based on personal or institutional political preferences or biases, or determinations of misinformation.”  The Department will comply with this provision by requiring recipients of such contracts to certify that they will not place the Department’s advertisements based on the enumerated grounds.  But the Department must also comply with the First Amendment, which limits the Government in “leverag[ing] funding to regulate speech outside the contours of the [governmental] program itself” (Agency for International Development v. Alliance for Open Society International, Inc.).  The Department of Defense will implement the certification required by section 1555(a) consistent with the First Amendment.

                               JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR.

THE WHITE HOUSE,
 December 22, 2023.

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Bill Signed: H.R. 2670

Fri, 12/22/2023 - 15:42

On Friday, December 22, 2023, the President signed into law:
 
H.R. 2670, the “National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2024,” which authorizes fiscal year 2024 appropriations principally for Department of Defense programs and military construction, Department of Energy national security programs, Department of State, and Intelligence programs; specifies authorities relating to the U.S. Armed Forces; extends the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act; and other matters.

Thank you to Representatives Rogers and Smith, Senators Reed and Wicker, and many others for their leadership.

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In 2023, President Biden’s Investing in America Agenda Delivered Results for American Families

Fri, 12/22/2023 - 15:42

By Natalie Quillian, Assistant to the President and Deputy Chief of Staff

During his first two years in office President Biden worked with Congressional Democrats to pass historic laws that form the basis of his Investing in America agenda — a key pillar of Bidenomics. The American Rescue Plan, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the CHIPS and Science Act, and Inflation Reduction Act are transforming lives across the country by lowering costs, creating good-paying jobs, revitalizing American manufacturing, and empowering workers. This year, the President and the entire Biden-Harris Administration have worked every day to quickly and effectively implement these laws and invest in communities that have too often been left behind. And we are showing Americans how President Biden’s agenda is benefitting their communities: we deployed Cabinet and Administration Officials across over 40 states through four Investing in America tours, holding hundreds of events to highlight the impact of the President’s agenda. And we launched a new website — invest.gov — where Americans can see how President Biden’s actions are reaching their own communities.

While we have more work to do, there are many indicators of the progress we have made this year — here are 10 of our favorites:

Investing in America 2023 Top 10

1. Saved 15 million Americans $800 in 2023 on health insurance coverage, capped insulin at $35 for seniors on Medicare, began negotiating prices for 10 drugs, made recommended vaccines free for Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries, and implemented four quarters of the inflation rebate provision of the Inflation Reduction Act, saving some seniors hundreds of dollars per dose of medicine — all because of the Inflation Reduction Act.

2. Created over 210,000 new clean energy jobs since August 2022 because of investments spurred by the Inflation Reduction Act, and 252,000 construction jobs in 2023.

3.Mobilized nearly $180 billion in private sector investments in 2023, bringing the total private sector clean energy and manufacturing investments to $628 billion since President Biden took office. A recent Treasury study showed that 81% of announced investments in clean energy projects since the Inflation Reduction Act was signed into law have been in counties with below average wages.

4. Far outpaced forecasts and expectations for manufacturing construction investments in the United States, likely driven by new projects and investments mobilized by the President’s Investing in America agenda, including the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the CHIPS and Science Act, and the Inflation Reduction Act:

Significant investments in clean power generation spurred by the Inflation Reduction Act also led forecasters to increase their estimates of clean power generation in the United States:

5. Announced the first potential CHIPS award to BAE Systems, Inc. in New Hampshire, signaling a new phase of CHIPS implementation that will continue to spur investment, shore up American supply chains, protect national security, and create jobs.

6. Announced over 33,000 infrastructure projects from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law in 2023 alone, including $30 billion for world class rail, seven regional clean hydrogen hubs, projects that will replace hundreds of thousands of lead pipes, and over 60 projects to improve the electric grid, bringing the total number of announced projects to over 40,000 since the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law was signed into law.

7. Workers across industries — particularly union workers — won historic wage gains, including a 30% raise for UAW workers at the Big Three, an up to 55% raise for Teamsters workers at UPS, a 32% raise for Culinary workers in Las Vegas, and a 21% raise for Kaiser Permanente health care workers.

8. The White House launched five Workforce Hubs across the country to build pipelines to good jobs in areas that have seen concentrations of public and private investments spurred by the Investing in America agenda. The First Lady traveled to Workforce Hubs across the country to highlight the investments secured from employers, community colleges, unions, and local leaders to create new workforce pipelines, including commitments to train tens of thousands of workers in construction trades, new semiconductor manufacturing credentialing programs, and new and expanded registered apprenticeship programs.

9. Launched the American Climate Corps to mobilize a new, diverse generation of clean energy, conservation, and resilience workers. Saw interest from over 40K people — the majority of whom were under 35 years old — in just the first few weeks after launching the initiative.

10. Enrolled 7 million households in the Affordable Connectivity Program in 2023, bringing total enrollment in the program to over 22 million households — saving families between $30 and $75 per month on their internet bills over the last year.

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Statement from Vice President Kamala Harris on Clemency Actions

Fri, 12/22/2023 - 12:05

Every American has a fundamental right to equal justice under law.

And yet, for too long, far too many people in our country—in particular, people of color—have been denied that fundamental right because of unfair and inequitable drug policies that do not make our communities safer.

Last year, to address these historic injustices and with the support of faith leaders, civil rights advocates, and law enforcement officials, President Joe Biden granted a blanket pardon for simple marijuana possession under federal and D.C. law.

Today, to build on that work, President Biden has issued a broader pardon for an additional set of marijuana possession and use offenses. These marijuana pardons will help thousands of people by making it easier for them to find a job, buy a home, and get an education. 

President Biden and I have been clear: We must continue to change our nation’s approach to marijuana and reform the criminal justice system. As I have declared many times before, no one should be in prison simply for smoking weed. That is why we continue to call on Governors to join us in this long-overdue work.

Today, President Biden also commuted the sentences of 11 Americans serving time for non-violent drug offenses—individuals who would likely have received shorter sentences for the same crimes today. At this point in our term, he has exercised his clemency power more than any other recent predecessor.

President Biden and I will continue to work to address historic inequities and racial disparities in federal drug policy and sentencing, to make sure that our justice system truly lives up to its name.

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Statement from President Joe Biden on the November PCE Report

Fri, 12/22/2023 - 10:04

Today marks a significant milestone with inflation over the last six months at the pre-pandemic level of 2 percent. Americans have seen their income grow by 3.7 percent over the last year, after adjusting for inflation. As we head into the holidays, prices are down from a year ago on important items including a gallon of gas, a gallon of milk, toys, appliances, electronics, car rentals, and airline fares.
 
A year ago, most forecasters predicted it would require a spike in joblessness and a slowdown to get inflation down. I never believed that. I never gave up on the hard work, grit, and resilience of millions of Americans. And today, six-month inflation has come down to the pre-pandemic level, the unemployment rate has stayed below 4 percent for 22 months in a row, and wages, wealth, and the share of working-age Americans with jobs are higher now than they were before the pandemic began. This reflects the hard work we did together to fix our supply chains and the surge of Americans into the workforce. It’s remarkable progress.
 
But make no mistake: while my economic plan is getting us back on track, our work is far from finished. Prices are still too high for too many Americans, and I know the strain that can put on hardworking families. That’s why I’m laser focused on lowering costs—from bringing down the price of insulin, prescription drugs, and energy, to addressing hidden junk fees companies use to rip you off, to calling on large corporations to pass savings on to consumers as their costs moderate.
 
As Americans gather to celebrate the holidays, we can be grateful for good jobs, rising wages, a growing economy, lower costs, and a new year of progress ahead of us. We can be grateful for the time we will spend with family and friends. And we can be grateful that we live in the greatest nation on earth.
 

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Statement from National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan on Japan’s Decision to Transfer Patriot Missiles to the United States

Fri, 12/22/2023 - 09:38

We welcome the Government of Japan’s announcement today that it will transfer Patriot interceptor missiles to the United States to replenish U.S. inventories.  This decision will contribute to the security of Japan and to peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region by ensuring that U.S. forces, in close cooperation with the Japan Self-Defense Forces, will continue to maintain a credible deterrence and response capability.  President Biden strongly appreciates and supports the leadership role played by Japan under Prime Minister Kishida, and we will continue to work closely with our Japanese Allies to promote peace and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region and beyond.

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Letters to the Speaker of the House and President of the Senate on Taking Additional Steps With Respect to the Russian Federation’s Harmful Activities

Fri, 12/22/2023 - 09:12

Dear Mr. Speaker:   (Dear Madam President:)

Pursuant to the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.), the National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 1601 et seq.), and section 301 of title 3, United States Code, I hereby report that I have issued an Executive Order to take additional steps with respect to the national emergency declared in Executive Order 14024 of April 15, 2021, expanded by Executive Order 14066 of March 8, 2022, and relied on for additional steps taken in Executive Order 14039 of August 20, 2021, Executive Order 14068 of March 11, 2022, and Executive Order 14071 of April 6, 2022, with respect to the unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security, foreign policy, and economy of the United States posed by specified harmful foreign activities of the Government of the Russian Federation. 

The order amends Executive Order 14024 to authorize the imposition of sanctions on foreign financial institutions determined to have:  (i)  conducted or facilitated any significant transaction or transactions for or on behalf of any person designated for operating or having operated in certain Russian Federation military-industrial sectors; or (ii)  conducted or facilitated any significant transaction or transactions, or provided any service, involving Russia’s military-industrial base, including the sale, supply, or transfer, directly or indirectly, to the Russian Federation of any item or class of items as may be determined by the Secretary of the Treasury, in consultation with the Secretary of State and the Secretary of Commerce. 

The order also amends Executive Order 14068 to prohibit the importation and entry into the United States of additional products as may be determined by the Secretary of the Treasury, in consultation with the Secretary of State, the Secretary of Commerce, and the Secretary of Homeland Security, that may include:  (i)  certain categories of fish, seafood, and preparations thereof; diamonds; and other products mined, extracted, produced, or manufactured wholly or in part in the Russian Federation, or harvested in waters under the jurisdiction of the Russian Federation or by Russia-flagged vessels, notwithstanding whether such products have been incorporated or substantially transformed into other products outside of the Russian Federation; (ii)  products containing such products; and (iii)  prohibited products that transited through or were exported from or by the Russian Federation.  The order authorizes the Secretary of Homeland Security, with the concurrence of the Secretary of the Treasury, to prescribe rules and regulations to collect any documentation or information as may be necessary to enforce such additional prohibitions on importation as expeditiously as possible.

I am enclosing a copy of the Executive Order I have issued.
 
                             Sincerely,
 
                             JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR.

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Executive Order on Taking Additional Steps With Respect to the Russian Federation’s Harmful Activities

Fri, 12/22/2023 - 09:04

     By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.) (IEEPA), the National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 1601 et seq.), and section 301 of title 3, United States Code,

     I, JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., President of the United States of America, in view of the Russian Federation’s continued use of its military-industrial base to aid its effort to undermine security in countries and regions important to United States national security, including its reliance on the international financial system for the procurement of dual-use and other critical items from third countries, and in order to take additional steps with respect to the national emergency declared in Executive Order 14024 of April 15, 2021, expanded by Executive Order 14066 of March 8, 2022, and relied on for additional steps taken in Executive Order 14039 of August 20, 2021, Executive Order 14068 of March 11, 2022, and Executive Order 14071 of April 6, 2022, hereby order:

     Section 1.  Amendments to Executive Order 14024.  Executive Order 14024 is hereby amended by redesignating section 11 of that order as section 12 and adding a new section 11 to read as follows:

   “Sec. 11.  (a)  The Secretary of the Treasury, in consultation with the Secretary of State, and with respect to subsection (a)(ii) of this section, in consultation with the Secretary of State and the Secretary of Commerce, is hereby authorized to impose on a foreign financial institution the sanctions described in subsection (b) of this section, upon determining that the foreign financial institution has:

          (i)   conducted or facilitated any significant transaction or transactions for or on behalf of any person designated pursuant to section 1(a)(i) of this order for operating or having operated in the technology, defense and related materiel, construction, aerospace, or manufacturing sectors of the Russian Federation economy, or other such sectors as may be determined to support Russia’s military-industrial base by the Secretary of the Treasury, in consultation with the Secretary of State; or

          (ii)  conducted or facilitated any significant transaction or transactions, or provided any service, involving Russia’s military-industrial base, including the sale, supply, or transfer, directly or indirectly, to the Russian Federation of any item or class of items as may be determined by the Secretary of the Treasury, in consultation with the Secretary of State and the Secretary of Commerce.

     (b)  With respect to any foreign financial institution determined to meet the criteria set forth in subsection (a) of this section, the Secretary of the Treasury, in consultation with the Secretary of State, may:

          (i)   prohibit the opening of, or prohibit or impose strict conditions on the maintenance of, correspondent accounts or payable-through accounts in the United States; or

          (ii)  block all property and interests in property that are in the United States, that hereafter come within the United States, or that are or hereafter come within the possession or control of any United States person of such foreign financial institution, and provide that such property and interests in property may not be transferred, paid, exported, withdrawn, or otherwise dealt in.

     (c)  The prohibitions in subsection (b) of this section apply except to the extent provided by statutes, or in regulations, orders, directives, or licenses that may be issued pursuant to this order, and notwithstanding any contract entered into or any license or permit granted before the date of this order.

     (d)  I hereby determine that the making of donations of the types of articles specified in section 203(b)(2) of IEEPA (50 U.S.C. 1702(b)(2)) by, to, or for the benefit of any person whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to subsection (b)(ii) of this section would seriously impair my ability to deal with the national emergency declared in this order, and I hereby prohibit such donations as provided by subsection (b)(ii) of this section.

     (e)  The prohibitions in subsection (b)(ii) of this section include:

          (i)   the making of any contribution or provision of funds, goods, or services by, to, or for the benefit of any person whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to subsection (b)(ii) of this section; and

          (ii)  the receipt of any contribution or provision of funds, goods, or services from any such person.

      (f)  For purposes of this section, the term “foreign financial institution” means any foreign entity that is engaged in the business of accepting deposits; making, granting, transferring, holding, or brokering loans or credits; purchasing or selling foreign exchange, securities, futures or options; or procuring purchasers and sellers thereof, as principal or agent.  It includes depository institutions; banks; savings banks; money services businesses; operators of credit card systems; trust companies; insurance companies; securities brokers and dealers; futures and options brokers and dealers; forward contract and foreign exchange merchants; securities and commodities exchanges; clearing corporations; investment companies; employee benefit plans; dealers in precious metals, stones, or jewels; and holding companies, affiliates, or subsidiaries of any of the foregoing.  The term does not include the international financial institutions identified in 22 U.S.C. 262r(c)(2), the International Fund for Agricultural Development, the North American Development Bank, or any other international financial institution so notified by the Office of Foreign Assets Control.”.

     Sec. 2.  Additional Amendments to Executive Order 14024.  Executive Order 14024 is hereby amended by striking section 7 and inserting, in lieu thereof, the following:

     “Sec. 7.  For those persons whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to this order who might have a constitutional presence in the United States, I find that because of the ability to transfer funds or other assets instantaneously, prior notice to such persons of measures to be taken pursuant to this order would render those measures ineffectual.  I therefore determine that for these measures to be effective in addressing the national emergency declared in this order, there need be no prior notice of a listing or determination made pursuant to section 1 or section 11 of this order.”.

    Sec. 3.  Amendments to Executive Order 14068.  Executive Order 14068 is hereby amended as follows:

     (a)  in section 1, by striking subsection (a)(i) and inserting, in lieu thereof, the following:

           (i)    the importation and entry into the United States, including importation for admission
into a foreign trade zone located in the United States, of:

               (A)  the following products of Russian Federation origin:  fish, seafood, and preparations thereof; alcoholic beverages; non-industrial diamonds; and any other products of Russian Federation origin, as may be determined by the Secretary of the Treasury, in consultation with the Secretary of State and the Secretary of Commerce;

               (B)  categories of any of the following products as may be determined by the Secretary of the Treasury, in consultation with the Secretary of State, the Secretary of Commerce, and the Secretary of Homeland Security, that were mined, extracted, produced, or manufactured wholly or in part in the Russian Federation, or harvested in waters under the jurisdiction of the Russian Federation or by Russia-flagged vessels, notwithstanding whether such products have been incorporated or substantially transformed into other products outside of the Russian Federation:  fish, seafood, and preparations thereof; diamonds; and any other such products as may be determined by the Secretary of the Treasury, in consultation with the Secretary of State, the Secretary of Commerce, and the Secretary of Homeland Security;  

               (C)  products containing any of the products subject to the prohibitions of subsections (a)(i)(A)-(B) of this section, as may be determined by the Secretary of the Treasury, in consultation with the Secretary of State, the Secretary of Commerce, and the Secretary of Homeland Security; and

               (D)  products subject to the prohibitions of subsections (a)(i)(A)-(C) of this section that transited through or were exported from or by the Russian Federation, as may be determined by the Secretary of the Treasury, in consultation with the Secretary of State, the Secretary of Commerce, and the Secretary of Homeland Security;”;

     (b)  in section 1, by adding new subsections (c)-(f) to read as follows:

    “(c)  The prohibitions in subsection (a)(i) of this section apply with respect to:

           (i)   products subject to the prohibitions of subsection (a)(i)(A) of this section imported on or after the date of this order or the date specified in any determinations made pursuant to that subsection, unless otherwise specified or authorized; and

           (ii)  products subject to the prohibitions of subsections (a)(i)(B)–(D) of this section imported on or after the date specified in any determinations made pursuant to those subsections, unless otherwise specified or authorized.

     (d)  The Secretary of Homeland Security, with the concurrence of the Secretary of the Treasury, shall prescribe rules and regulations to collect, including through an authorized electronic data interchange system as appropriate, any documentation or information as may be necessary to enforce subsections (a)(i)(B)-(D) and (c) of this section as expeditiously as possible.”;

     (c)  in section 4, by striking “and” at the end of subsection 4(c), by striking the period at the end of subsection (d) and replacing it with “; and”, and by inserting the following new subsection after subsection (d):     

     “(e)  the term “diamond” includes any diamonds classifiable under subheadings 7102.10, 7102.31, and 7102.39 of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States and under any other subheadings of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States specified in determinations made pursuant to section (1)(a)(i) of this order.”; and

     (d)  by striking section 5 and inserting, in lieu thereof, the following:

     “Sec. 5.  The Secretary of the Treasury, the Secretary of Commerce, and the Secretary of Homeland Security, in consultation with the Secretary of State, are hereby authorized to take such actions, including the promulgation of rules and regulations, and to employ all powers granted to the President by IEEPA, as may be necessary to carry out the purposes of this order.  The Secretary of the Treasury, the Secretary of Commerce, and the Secretary of Homeland Security may, consistent with applicable law, redelegate any of these functions within the Department of the Treasury, the Department of Commerce, and the Department of Homeland Security, respectively.  All executive departments and agencies of the United States shall take all appropriate measures within their authority to implement this order.”.

     Sec. 4.  General Provisions.  (a)  Nothing in this order shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:

          (i)   the authority granted by law to an executive department or agency, or the head thereof; or

          (ii)  the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.

     (b)  This order shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations.

     (c)  This order is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other persons.


                         JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR.


THE WHITE HOUSE,
    December 22, 2023.

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A Proclamation on Granting Pardon for the Offense of Simple Possession of Marijuana, Attempted Simple Possession of Marijuana, or Use of Marijuana

Fri, 12/22/2023 - 08:09

     In Proclamation 10467 of October 6, 2022 (Granting Pardon for the Offense of Simple Possession of Marijuana), I exercised my authority under the Constitution to pardon individuals who committed or were convicted of the offense of simple possession of marijuana in violation of the Controlled Substances Act and section 48–904.01(d)(1) of the Code of the District of Columbia (D.C. Code).  As I have said before, convictions for simple possession of marijuana have imposed needless barriers to employment, housing, and educational opportunities.  Through this proclamation, consistent with the grant of Proclamation 10467, I am pardoning additional individuals who may continue to experience the unnecessary collateral consequences of a conviction for simple possession of marijuana, attempted simple possession of marijuana, or use of marijuana.  Therefore, acting pursuant to the grant of authority in Article II, Section 2, of the Constitution of the United States, I, Joseph R. Biden Jr., do hereby grant a full, complete, and unconditional pardon to all current United States citizens and lawful permanent residents who, on or before the date of this proclamation, committed or were convicted of the offense of simple possession of marijuana, attempted simple possession of marijuana, or use of marijuana, regardless of whether they have been charged with or prosecuted for these offenses on or before the date of this proclamation, in violation of:

(1)  section 844 of title 21, United States Code, section 846 of title 21, United States Code, and previous provisions in the United States Code that prohibited simple possession of marijuana or attempted simple possession of marijuana; 

(2)  section 48-904.01(d)(1) of the D.C. Code and previous provisions in the D.C. Code that prohibited simple possession of marijuana;

(3)  section 48-904.09 of the D.C. Code and previous provisions in the D.C. Code that prohibited attempted simple possession of marijuana; and

(4)  provisions in the Code of Federal Regulations, including as enforced under the United States Code, that prohibit only the simple possession or use of marijuana on Federal properties or installations, or in other locales, as currently or previously codified, including but not limited to 25 C.F.R. 11.452(a); 32 C.F.R. 1903.12(b)(2); 36 C.F.R. 2.35(b)(2); 36 C.F.R. 1002.35(b)(2); 36 C.F.R. 1280.16(a)(1); 36 C.F.R. 702.6(b); 41 C.F.R. 102-74.400(a); 43 C.F.R. 8365.1-4(b)(2); and 50 C.F.R. 27.82(b)(2).
 

     My intent by this proclamation is to pardon only the offenses of simple possession of marijuana, attempted simple possession of marijuana, or use of marijuana in violation of the Federal and D.C. laws set forth in paragraphs (1) through (3) of this proclamation, as well as the provisions in the Code of Federal Regulations consistent with paragraph (4) of this proclamation, and not any other offenses involving other controlled substances or activity beyond simple possession of marijuana, attempted simple possession of marijuana, or use of marijuana, such as possession of marijuana with intent to distribute or driving offenses committed while under the influence of marijuana.  This pardon does not apply to individuals who were non-citizens not lawfully present in the United States at the time of their offense.

     Pursuant to the procedures in Proclamation 10467, the Attorney General, acting through the Pardon Attorney, shall review all properly submitted applications for certificates of pardon and shall issue such certificates of pardon to eligible applicants in due course. 

     IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-second day of December, in the year of our Lord two thousand twenty-three, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-eighth.
 

JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR.

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Clemency Recipient List

Fri, 12/22/2023 - 08:00

Today, President Joseph R. Biden Jr. is using his authority under the Constitution to uphold the values of redemption and rehabilitation by commuting the sentences of 11 fellow Americans who are serving unduly long sentences for non-violent drug offenses. 

President Joseph R. Biden Jr. is commuting the sentences of the following 11 individuals:

Felipe Arriaga – Sunnyside, Washington
Offense: Conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine (District of Montana). 
Sentence: 20 years of imprisonment, 10-year term of supervised release (December 17, 2009).
Commutation Grant: Sentence commuted to expire on April 20, 2024, leaving intact and in effect the 10-year term of supervised release with all its conditions and all other components of the sentence.

Earlie Deacon Barber – Dothan, Alabama
Offense: Conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute more than five kilograms of a mixture and substance containing cocaine and more than 50 grams of a mixture and substance containing cocaine base (Northern District of Florida). 
Sentence: Life imprisonment, 10-year term of supervised release (September 9, 2009).
Commutation Grant: Sentence commuted to expire on April 20, 2024, leaving intact and in effect the 10-year term of supervised release with all its conditions and all other components of the sentence.

James Michael Barber – Gastonia, North Carolina
Offense: Conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute at least five kilograms of cocaine and 280 grams of cocaine base (Western District of North Carolina). 
Sentence: 15 years and eight months of imprisonment, five-year term of supervised release (February 13, 2015).
Commutation Grant: Sentence commuted to expire on February 20, 2024, leaving intact and in effect the five-year term of supervised release with all its conditions and all other components of the sentence.

Anthony Ewing – Union City, Georgia
Offense: Conspiracy to distribute cocaine and cocaine base (crack) (Central District of Illinois). 
Sentence: 20 years of imprisonment (as amended by order of June 22, 2017), 10-year term of supervised release (January 22, 2016).
Commutation Grant: Sentence commuted to expire on April 20, 2024, leaving intact and in effect the 10-year term of supervised release with all its conditions and all other components of the sentence.

Quittman Andre Goodley – Austin, Texas
Offense: Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribute 280 grams or more of cocaine base (Western District of Texas). 
Sentence: 20 years of imprisonment, 10-year term of supervised release (July 18, 2012).
Commutation Grant: Sentence commuted to expire on February 20, 2024, leaving intact and in effect the 10-year term of supervised release with all its conditions and all other components of the sentence.

Deondre Cordell Higgins – Kansas City, Missouri
Offense: Conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of cocaine base; distribution of cocaine base (Western District of Missouri).
Sentence: Life imprisonment, no supervised release (August 30, 2011).
Commutation Grant: Sentence commuted to a term of 25 years, leaving intact and in effect all other components of the sentence and with the final two years of his incarceration in prerelease custody, to the maximum extent permitted by law.

Leroy Lymons – Pensacola, Florida
Offense: Conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of cocaine (Northern District of Florida). 
Sentence: Life imprisonment, 10-year term of supervised release (June 12, 2012).
Commutation Grant: Sentence commuted to a term of 27 years, leaving intact and in effect the 10-year term of supervised release with all its conditions and all other components of the sentence.

Angel Rosario – Allentown, Pennsylvania
Offense: Distribution of 28 grams or more of cocaine base (crack) within 1,000 feet of a public school; distribution of 28 grams or more of cocaine base (crack); distribution of cocaine base (crack) within 1,000 feet of a public school (two counts); distribution of cocaine base (crack) (two counts) (Eastern District of Pennsylvania). 
Sentence: 21 years and 10 months of imprisonment, eight-year term of supervised release, and $2,500 fine (July 19, 2012).
Commutation Grant: Sentence commuted to expire on April 20, 2024, leaving intact and in effect the eight-year term of supervised release with all its conditions and all other components of the sentence.

Esaias J. Tucker – Tallahassee, Florida
Offense: Conspiracy to distribute more than five kilograms of cocaine and more than 280 grams of cocaine base; possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine and more than 28 grams of cocaine base (Northern District of Florida). 
Sentence: 20 years of imprisonment, 10-year term of supervised release (January 29, 2013).
Commutation Grant: Sentence commuted to expire on April 20, 2024, leaving intact and in effect the 10-year term of supervised release with all its conditions and all other components of the sentence.

Darryl Allen Winkfield – Augusta, Georgia
Offense: Conspiracy to distribute, and to possess cocaine and cocaine base with intent to distribute; distribution of cocaine hydrochloride (three counts); possession of cocaine and cocaine base with intent to distribute (Southern District of Georgia). 
Sentence: Life imprisonment, 10-year term of supervised release (September 29, 1998).
Commutation Grant: Sentence commuted to expire on April 20, 2024, leaving intact and in effect the 10-year term of supervised release with all its conditions and all other components of the sentence.

Kenneth Winkler – Indianapolis, Indiana
Offense: Conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute and to distribute 50 grams or more of actual methamphetamine (Southern District of Indiana). 
Sentence: 20 years of imprisonment, 10-year term of supervised release (July 23, 2012).
Commutation Grant: Sentence commuted to expire on February 20, 2024, leaving intact and in effect the 10-year term of supervised release with all its conditions and all other components of the sentence.

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Statement from President Joe Biden on Clemency Actions

Fri, 12/22/2023 - 08:00

America was founded on the principle of equal justice under law. Elected officials on both sides of the aisle, faith leaders, civil rights advocates, and law enforcement leaders agree that our criminal justice system can and should reflect this core value that makes our communities safer and stronger. That is why today I am announcing additional steps I am taking to make the promise of equal justice a reality.
 
First, I am commuting the sentences of 11 people who are serving disproportionately long sentences for non-violent drug offenses. All of them would have been eligible to receive significantly lower sentences if they were charged with the same offense today.
 
Second, following my pardon of prior federal and D.C. offenses of simple possession of marijuana, I am issuing a Proclamation that will pardon additional offenses of simple possession and use of marijuana under federal and D.C. law. Criminal records for marijuana use and possession have imposed needless barriers to employment, housing, and educational opportunities. Too many lives have been upended because of our failed approach to marijuana.  It’s time that we right these wrongs.  
 
Just as no one should be in a federal prison solely due to the use or possession of marijuana, no one should be in a local jail or state prison for that reason, either. That’s why I continue to urge Governors to do the same with regard to state offenses and applaud those who have since taken action.
 
I have exercised my clemency power more than any recent predecessor has at this point in their presidency. And while today’s announcement marks important progress, my Administration will continue to review clemency petitions and deliver reforms that advance equal justice, address racial disparities, strengthen public safety, and enhance the wellbeing of all Americans.

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FACT SHEET: Biden Administration Expands U.S. Sanctions Authorities to Target Financial Facilitators of Russia’s War Machine

Fri, 12/22/2023 - 07:51

Today, President Biden intends to sign a new Executive Order (E.O.) that strengthens U.S. sanctions authorities against financial facilitators of Russia’s war machine.  The E.O. will make clear to foreign financial institutions that they risk losing access to the U.S. financial system if they facilitate significant transactions relating to Russia’s military industrial base.  The E.O. will also provide authority to broaden U.S. import bans on certain Russian goods. 

In response to Russia’s unprovoked war on Ukraine, the Biden Administration has worked actively with our allies and partners around the world to hold Russia accountable for its brutal and unjust war and to undercut Russia’s efforts to ramp up its military capacity.  The United States has imposed sanctions and export control measures against thousands of entities and individuals, including on multinational procurement networks that Russia uses to acquire key defense-related and goods from abroad.  To counter evasion of these steps and degrade Putin’s war machine, the Biden Administration has coordinated with partners to target companies in third countries and has dispatched teams globally to engage directly with foreign governments, companies, and financial institutions to share information and highlight sanctions risks.  The United States has been clear: those who are supplying goods or processing transactions that materially support Russia’s military industrial base are complicit in Russia’s brutal violation of Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. 

With this E.O., the United States is taking action consistent with the G7 Leaders’ statement of December 6, 2023, which warned that we will work to further curtail Russia’s efforts to use the international financial system to facilitate expansion of its military industrial base.

Targeting financial institutions that support Russia’s military industrial base

As Russia creates cutouts and front companies to circumvent our restrictions and uses both witting and unwitting financial intermediaries, the new E.O. provides additional tools to root out Russia’s procurement networks.  This E.O. will amend Executive Order 14024 to expand U.S. authority to sanction:

  • Financial institutions determined to have conducted or facilitated any significant transaction for or on behalf of companies or individuals the United States has sanctioned for operating in sectors of the Russian economy that support its military industrial base; and
     
  • Financial institutions determined to have conducted or facilitated any significant transaction, or provided any service, involving Russia’s military industrial base, including the sale, supply, or transfer to Russia of certain critical items. 

The Department of the Treasury will issue a determination that includes a list of critical items.  A financial institution sanctioned under one of these criteria will face either full blocking sanctions or the loss of, or strict conditions on, their U.S. correspondent accounts.

Diamonds imports

To curtail Russia’s revenue from other sectors, the E.O. will also make it more difficult for specific Russian goods to enter the United States after being modified in a third country.  In the coming months, the United States and our partners intend to introduce import restrictions on certain diamonds mined, processed, or produced in Russia, building on an existing U.S. ban on the importation of Russian-origin diamonds.  Today’s E.O. amends Executive Order 14068 to provide the authority to ban, following a determination from appropriate U.S. departments and agencies, the importation of certain products mined, extracted, produced, or manufactured wholly or in part in Russia, even if these products are then transformed in a third country. 

Seafood imports

Similarly, the amendment to E.O. 14068 will provide the authority to ban, following a determination from appropriate U.S. departments and agencies, the importation of certain products harvested in Russian waters or by Russia-flagged vessels, even if these products are then transformed in a third country.  The Department of the Treasury intends to issue a determination identifying specific types of seafood that will be subject to this prohibition.

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Statement from National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan on Expanding Sanctions Authorities Against Russia’s Military Industrial Base

Fri, 12/22/2023 - 07:51

The United States has rallied the world to stand with Ukraine in response to Russia’s brutal invasion. Together with our allies and partners, we have put in place the largest set of sanctions and export control actions ever imposed on a major economy to undercut Russia’s ability to wage war, and to hold Russia accountable for attempting to conquer its neighbor by force and subjugate its people. Today, President Biden will sign an Executive Order to continue tightening the screws on Russia’s war machine and its enablers.

To date, our sanctions and export control actions have significantly degraded Russia’s ability to replace the equipment, materials, and technology it needs to fuel its aggression.  They have cut into Russia’s financial resilience, forcing Russia to turn to rogue regimes for supplies and make difficult decisions to resource its military spending.  And importantly, our measures have also been tailored and targeted to avoid unintended harm for the world economy.  

These new sanctions authorities will make clear to foreign financial institutions that facilitating significant transactions relating to Russia’s military industrial base will expose them to sanctions risk.  We are sending an unmistakable message: anyone supporting Russia’s unlawful war effort is at risk of losing access to the U.S. financial system.

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Background Press Call on Upcoming Action to Continue Holding Russia Accountable

Fri, 12/22/2023 - 06:00

Via Teleconference

(December 21, 2023)

3:05 P.M. EST

MODERATOR:  Thank you so much.  And thanks, everyone, for joining the call.  As a reminder, this call is on background, attributable to senior administration officials, and it’s embargoed until 6:00 a.m. Eastern on Friday, December 22nd.

For your awareness, not for your reporting, on the call today we have [senior administration official] and [senior administration official]. 

With that, I’ll turn it over to our speakers for a few words at the top, and then we’ll take your questions.

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL:  Great, thanks.  And thanks to everyone for joining today’s call.  It’s been almost two years since Russia drove towards Kyiv in a brutal invasion of Ukraine that threatens the very foundation of international peace and stability.

From that moment, the United States has taken strong and decisive actions to impose costs on Russia to hold it accountable for its actions in Ukraine, while also supporting Ukraine and its people.  That has included military aid and financial and humanitarian assistance, as you all know.  And we have also deployed our economic tools to undercut Russia’s ability to continue its unjust war. 

The core to our strategy is denying Russia access to the international financial system, ensuring the costs to Russia’s economy continue to grow over time, and preventing Russia from accessing the equipment, materials, and technology it needs to fuel its aggression.

As part of this strategy, we have imposed powerful sanctions and export control measures against thousands of entities and individuals, including sanctions on multinational procurement networks helping Russia to acquire key defense-related goods from abroad.  We’ve also sent teams across the globe to engage directly with foreign governments, companies, and financial institutions to share information and highlight sanctions risks.

We’ve been very clear in all of this, along — in all of this that those who are supplying goods or processing transactions that materially support Russia’s military industrial base are complicit in Russia’s brutal violation of Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

The action that we will take tomorrow is at the direction from President Biden and National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan to further step up our efforts to disrupt Russia’s efforts to expand its military industrial base.

Tomorrow, President Biden intends to sign a new executive order that strengthens U.S. sanctions authorities against Russia, with a focus on financial facilitators for Russia’s war.

This EO is an important step to further disrupt material support for Russia’s defense industrial base and to obstruct Russia’s efforts to increase its military capacity.

It’s also steps that we are taking in coordination with partners and allies.  The G7 leaders statement we secured on December 6th previews these actions, committing to further curtail Russia’s efforts to use the international financial system to facilitate expansion of its military industrial base.  G7 leaders also spoke to a commitment to curtail Russia’s revenue from other sectors, including non-industrial diamonds.

Before I hand to [senior administration official] for more details on this action, I did want to note that our sanctions on Russia are just one prong of a broader strategy to support Ukraine against Russia’s illegal aggression, alongside essential economic, military, and humanitarian support, which is why it remains essential that Congress pass supplemental funding for Ukraine. 

Let me turn it over to [senior administration official] for more details on the action we are taking tomorrow.

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL:  Thank you so much.  And thanks to you for all the hard work getting this across — getting this done.

We’ve now been doing this in terms of thinking about how to use sanctions and export controls as tools to go after Russia for more than two years now.  More than two years ago, we saw Russian troops gathering on the border of Ukraine.  The President directed the Secretary to think about what could be done using these tools to hold Russia accountable while limiting the impact on our allies and partners.  And that continues to be our objective.

And in doing that, we are seeking to do two things: one, deny Russia access to the revenues they need to fight this war of choice in Ukraine; and, two, put sand in the gears of Russia’s war machine and taking apart their supply chain.

Today’s action and the actions that have been — today’s actions that we’re describing for the executive order that will be signed tomorrow speaks to that second objective.

While many of us will be hitting the road soon to see our families or spend time with loved ones, we know all too well that Ukrainians face another holiday season of unprovoked war from Russia.

The United States has stood with the Ukrainians since the start of the brutal war, and we will continue to do so unequivocally.

Over the last two years, as part of the global coalition representing over half of the world’s GDP, we at Treasury have used our economic tools to disrupt and degrade Russia’s ability to supply its military and limit the Kremlin’s resources to wage this war of choice, as I’ve mentioned.

Our sanctions have had a meaningful impact already.  Since February of 2022, Russia’s military has lost over 13,000 pieces of equipment, including tanks, UAVs, and missile systems.  It’s now struggling to rebuild and reconstitute its arsenal because of production constraints, the lack of workers, and restricted access to foreign components.  Our goal is to make each one of these things harder.  And the executive order the President plans to sign will help us do just that.

And Russia is facing increasingly difficult economic pressures as well.  As the Kremlin’s defense spending rose by almost 75 percent in the first half of 2023, its energy revenues have dropped by almost 40 percent this year due to the price cap that was implemented by the United States and our allies and partners.

Beyond energy exports, Russia is increasingly isolated in global economic trade while simultaneously facing a brain drain.  Immigration out of Russia has reached historic highs.  Foreign direct investment has flipped into negative.

Overall, Russia’s economy is 5 percent smaller than predicted prior to the war and is far underperforming other oil-exporting countries.

Due to a lack of alternative, Russia has now converted itself into a war economy.  Manufacturing capacity and the labor force have reoriented to weapons production and producing things that will be necessary to fight this war of choice in Ukraine.

This singular wartime focus has weakened the domestic economy.  While Russia has the resources to maintain its war in the short term, its leaders face increasingly painful trade-offs that will sacrifice long-term prospects as under-investments, low productivity growth, and labor shortages will only deepen.

But beyond that sobering outlook, a more immediate way we know our economic measures are working is that the Kremlin has spent considerable time and resources in directing its intelligence services to find ways to evade the multilateral sanctions and export controls that we have put in place.  They have created cutouts and front companies using both witting and unwitting financial intermediaries to circumvent restrictions and source critical components for the war.

These are items like semiconductors, which of course have been in the news, but also things Russia needs to convert and power their wartime economy, such as machine tools, chemical precursors, ball bearings, and optical systems.

Over the past year, we and our global coalition have exposed and cut off sanctions evasion networks, sanctioning or listing hundreds of front companies, middlemen, and Russian companies who are taking actions to move these types of parts.

The new executive order by the President will simply give us a tool that will allow us to go after financial institutions that failed to make the choice to either stop allowing their companies to ship these goods to Russia’s military industrialized complex or getting out of business with Russia.

This tool will be the first time that we’re introducing a tool that allows us to use secondary sanctions to go after financial institutions during this conflict in order to provide us with a strong tool to disincentivize the type of behavior that is furthering Russia’s ability to build weapons of choice that they are using in Ukraine.

Over the course of the last two years, we have spent time talking to jurisdictions or financial institutions about the importance in making sure that they do not provide material support to Russia’s economy.  And with the President’s signing of the executive order, we have a tool that allows us to hold them accountable.

We look forward to keeping our promise to the Ukrainian people that as long as Russia continues its invasion of Ukraine, we will continue to use sanctions and export controls to hold Russia accountable.

With that, I’m happy to join [senior administration official] in taking your questions.

Q    Hi, this is Andrea Shalal with Reuters.  I guess we’re wondering whether you couldn’t already go after financial facilitators before.  Can you just explain exactly what this changes and how it gives you new authorities to go after institutions?  Because, I mean, my understanding was that you already were, you know, looking at these financial institutions for aiding and abetting.

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL:  A great question, Andrea.  And I’ll take it and see if [senior administration official] has anything to add.

What the executive order gives us the ability to do is it gives us a surgical tool that allows us to go after the financial institutions that are doing transactions that further Russia’s military industrialized complex. 

What we’ve seen to date is that our initial set of sanctions and export controls had a significant impact on Russia’s ability to get access to the goods and technology they needed to build weapons.  What the Kremlin then did was order them to go out and to build cutouts and facilitators that would allow smaller companies to be able to move some of these goods into Russia.

And what you’ve seen us do is we’ve sanctioned a number of these companies that we’ve found.  But ultimately, the chokepoint for these companies and Russia’s ability to continue to try and circumvent our sanctions is the financial system, because ultimately they need to have financial transactions in order to move things from a third-party jurisdiction into Russia.

What this tool allows us to do is to target those institutions and give them a very stark choice: If you are continuing to ship these types of goods into Russia, you need to be in a position to make sure that those goods are not going to Russia’s military industrialized complex, or you have to stop.  If you don’t take one of those two choices, you’re going to be subject to the sanctions regime.  And for the first time, we have a sanctions regime that includes secondary sanctions.

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL:  Great.  I think [senior administration official] covered it well. 

I think the only thing I would add is — really, very central to our strategy here — is thinking about how do we take that next step in disrupting Russia’s attempts to be able to produce the weapons systems, the industrial goods that it needs to prosecute its war. 

And I think, really, we do see this as a significant step forward by making very explicitly clear that financial institutions are responsible for ensuring that they are not becoming the facilitators of the transfer of the inputs that Russia needs to step up its military industrial base and increase its capacity to produce the weapons that it is using in Ukraine.

And I do think that that is a clarification.  It obviously builds on a huge amount of work that we’ve done, including with partners and allies, to go after entities in third countries that are shipping these goods, entities in third countries that are violating or evading our sanctions.  But it does put a more targeted focus on financial facilitation, which we think will be, as [senior administration official] said, an important step in slowing down Russia’s efforts to fuel its war.

Q    Thanks.  Can you guys say if the U.S. is planning to mirror the sanctions the EU adopted this week?  And then secondly, what’s the start date?  When do the provisions in this new EO kick in?

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL:  So, my understanding — and I’ll let [senior administration official] confirm this — is that the President intends to sign the EO tomorrow, which will also be the time in which the authority then is given for us to utilize this tool to hold banks accountable.

And I think the key thing here with this tool is that what we’re trying to do is go after materials that are key to Russia’s ability to build weapons of war.  But what we know is that in order for them to get those materials, they need to use the financial system, which makes the financial system a potential chokepoint and is the tool that’s targeted at that chokepoint and making clear to these banks that they need to take actions to prevent Russia’s military industrialized complex from getting access to these goods.

What we’re doing here with this executive order — the sanctions package we’ve already released prior to the 12th package is consistent with what Europe did with the 12th package and also consistent with the actions that the UK has taken, all driven by the leaders statement that came out from the G7 leaders when they met.

Ultimately, we’re increasingly focused on Russia’s ability and willingness and desire to circumvent the sanctions and export controls we’ve already put in place.  And we’re each taking actions to try and prevent that, using the different tools in our toolkit.  We have a very powerful tool, that the President is now giving us when he signs this executive order tomorrow, that we plan to use in collaboration and coordination with our colleagues throughout the government.

But our hope, frankly, is that jurisdictions and financial institutions will take actions to stop the behavior well before we have to use this tool.  And the basic reason we believe this is likely to be true is that, ultimately, for almost any bank in the world, given the choice between continuing to sell a modest amount of goods to Russia’s military industrialized complex or being connected to the U.S. financial system, they’re going to choose being connected to the U.S. financial system, given that our economy is far bigger and our currency is one used around the world.  Fundamentally, people are not going to want to take that risk.

And the message we’re going to send clearly to people is that you either do the due diligence that you need to, or you put at risk your ability to have access to our system.

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL:  Thanks.  I think that covered it well.  Let me just add just a few key things.

First of all, just to confirm that the President does intend to sign this EO tomorrow.  So the timing of the financial facilitators provisions that we are describing here will come into effect immediately upon that signing.

There’s two other elements of the EO and — or really one major other element which does align with the 12th package, which is the EO will also give the departments — relevant departments — the ability to take the steps necessary to implement bans on products that originated in Russia but were substantially transformed outside of Russia.  So that is things like the diamonds action that we are taking in concert with the EU where we’ve already, in the United States, banned the import of Russian diamonds directly — Russian non-industrial diamonds directly.  They are now taking the step to ensure that if Russia ships diamonds to another country for processing, those cannot enter the United States.

So the EO also contains that component which aligns with action in the EU’s 12th package.

Finally, I would just echo — remind everyone that we have already this month rolled out a package of over 250 individual targets but aligned within those same categories of the EU’s 12th package.  So we have, as is usually our practice, aligned with EU steps.  And it has taken sanction steps against individuals and entities already this month that cover many of the same categories and, in some cases, the same targets as the EU’s 12th package.

So I would say that if you took a step back, we can say, yes, we are aligning with the 12th package, although some of that we have already done and some of that will take place through this EO.

Q    Hi, this is Missy Ryan from the Washington Post.  I actually have a logistical question.  Can you all provide a recording of this call?  I was disconnected at the beginning.  So I’m just — I missed some of the material, so I’m hoping that we can get a recording afterwards so we can cover it properly.

MODERATOR:  Missy, yeah, happy to after this.

Q    Thanks.

Q    Hi, it’s Alan Rappeport from the New York Times.  I want to ask: Are there American or European financial services firms that have been in violation or have been facilitating these kinds of transactions already that will be in violation of these sanctions if they don’t stop?

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL:  Not to my knowledge, Alan.  And the reason for that, frankly, is that many American and European firms don’t do much business with Russia anymore.

If you all didn’t see it, some of our economists at Treasury put out a report that demonstrated that, since the war, Russia has had negative foreign direct investments because companies are pulling out of Russia and financial institutions are pulling out of Russia.

But what American and European firms do have, though, is they have correspond- — they’re the correspondent bank for other banks to get access to the U.S. financial system that are currently doing this type of business in third countries. 

And what we’re going to be doing over the course of the next several weeks is working with those U.S. and European banks to inform them about this EO and tell them about the importance of telling the banks that they work with that they need to take steps to prevent themselves from being subject to this executive order, or they’ll have to — or they may be cut off from their relationship.

So part of our goal in issuing — in using this tool is going to be getting banks in Europe, in the United States, that have relationships with banks around the world and other jurisdictions, to help warn them about the importance of taking steps to prevent themselves from being used to move goods into Russia that furthers their military industrialized complex.

Our overall goal here is to put sand in the gears of Russia’s supply chain, which we think is one of the most effective ways to slow Russia down. 

But as [senior administration official] said early on, we’re one tool in our overall strategy.  And in order for the Ukrainians to have — to speed up, frankly, and to go faster, they need our support.  And that’s going to require Congress to act in terms of providing Ukraine with a supplemental to give them the resources to continue to have the weapons to defend themselves and the money to make sure they support their economy.

So, to your question, I’m not aware of any U.S. or European financial institutions that fit into that category.  But what we do know is that a number of the banks in third-country jurisdictions that we have concerns with have relationships with U.S. and European banks that could be threatened if they don’t take steps to prevent Russia from getting access to goods that are used for their military industrialized complex.

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL:  You covered this well.  I’ll leave that one there.

Q    Hey, thanks.  Just one housekeeping question.  Will the President be making remarks, or this is going to be sort of a paper pushout of the EO being signed?  And if you do have an approximate time of when it will be signed.

And then secondly, connected, is there a renewed push to consider seizing Russian bank assets to help Ukraine pay for the cost of the war?

Thank you.

MODERATOR:  Aamer, I’ll take your first one there.  I’ll be back in touch on timing and the other details for the rollout after this.

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL:  Great.  On your second one, I think we have been public, and I think you all know that we have been in discussions with our G7 partners, on what is the best and most appropriate way to ensure that Russia doesn’t get to choose when it is it pays back Ukraine for the damage that it’s caused, which, of course, is international law obligation.  We’re also in really active discussions about the best ways to engage Russia to cease its illegal aggression. 

I don’t think we have anything to announce around a change in the U.S. position on seizing assets, although I think we have been very public that that is a conversation that we are continuing in the context of those strategic aims.

[Senior administration official], I don’t know if there’s anything that you wanted to say additionally on this, but just to emphasize, this is something that we’ve been very clear that we’re in active discussions with our partners and allies around these issues.  And we do have a strategic aim of making sure that Russia doesn’t get to choose when and if it compensates Ukraine for the damage it’s caused.

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL:  I think you covered that well.

MODERATOR:  Thank you.  I think that’s all the time we have for today.  Thanks, all, for joining.  And thanks again for our speakers for taking the time.

As a reminder, this call is on background.  All that you heard was attributable to senior administration officials.  And this is embargoed until 6:00 a.m. Eastern on Friday, December 22nd.

Thanks, everyone, for joining.

3:28 P.M EST

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Clemency Recipient List

Thu, 12/21/2023 - 19:14

Today, President Joseph R. Biden Jr. is using his authority under the Constitution to uphold the values of redemption and rehabilitation by commuting the sentences of 11 fellow Americans who are serving unduly long sentences for non-violent drug offenses. 

President Joseph R. Biden Jr. is commuting the sentences of the following 11 individuals:

Felipe Arriaga – Sunnyside, Washington
Offense: Conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine (District of Montana). 
Sentence: 20 years of imprisonment, 10-year term of supervised release (December 17, 2009).
Commutation Grant: Sentence commuted to expire on April 20, 2024, leaving intact and in effect the 10-year term of supervised release with all its conditions and all other components of the sentence.

Earlie Deacon Barber – Dothan, Alabama
Offense: Conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute more than five kilograms of a mixture and substance containing cocaine and more than 50 grams of a mixture and substance containing cocaine base (Northern District of Florida). 
Sentence: Life imprisonment, 10-year term of supervised release (September 9, 2009).
Commutation Grant: Sentence commuted to expire on April 20, 2024, leaving intact and in effect the 10-year term of supervised release with all its conditions and all other components of the sentence.

James Michael Barber – Gastonia, North Carolina
Offense: Conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute at least five kilograms of cocaine and 280 grams of cocaine base (Western District of North Carolina). 
Sentence: 15 years and eight months of imprisonment, five-year term of supervised release (February 13, 2015).
Commutation Grant: Sentence commuted to expire on February 20, 2024, leaving intact and in effect the five-year term of supervised release with all its conditions and all other components of the sentence.

Anthony Ewing – Union City, Georgia
Offense: Conspiracy to distribute cocaine and cocaine base (crack) (Central District of Illinois). 
Sentence: 20 years of imprisonment (as amended by order of June 22, 2017), 10-year term of supervised release (January 22, 2016).
Commutation Grant: Sentence commuted to expire on April 20, 2024, leaving intact and in effect the 10-year term of supervised release with all its conditions and all other components of the sentence.

Quittman Andre Goodley – Austin, Texas
Offense: Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribute 280 grams or more of cocaine base (Western District of Texas). 
Sentence: 20 years of imprisonment, 10-year term of supervised release (July 18, 2012).
Commutation Grant: Sentence commuted to expire on February 20, 2024, leaving intact and in effect the 10-year term of supervised release with all its conditions and all other components of the sentence.

Deondre Cordell Higgins – Kansas City, Missouri
Offense: Conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of cocaine base; distribution of cocaine base (Western District of Missouri).
Sentence: Life imprisonment, no supervised release (August 30, 2011).
Commutation Grant: Sentence commuted to a term of 25 years, leaving intact and in effect all other components of the sentence and with the final two years of his incarceration in prerelease custody, to the maximum extent permitted by law.

Leroy Lymons – Pensacola, Florida
Offense: Conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of cocaine (Northern District of Florida). 
Sentence: Life imprisonment, 10-year term of supervised release (June 12, 2012).
Commutation Grant: Sentence commuted to a term of 27 years, leaving intact and in effect the 10-year term of supervised release with all its conditions and all other components of the sentence.

Angel Rosario – Allentown, Pennsylvania
Offense: Distribution of 28 grams or more of cocaine base (crack) within 1,000 feet of a public school; distribution of 28 grams or more of cocaine base (crack); distribution of cocaine base (crack) within 1,000 feet of a public school (two counts); distribution of cocaine base (crack) (two counts) (Eastern District of Pennsylvania). 
Sentence: 21 years and 10 months of imprisonment, eight-year term of supervised release, and $2,500 fine (July 19, 2012).
Commutation Grant: Sentence commuted to expire on April 20, 2024, leaving intact and in effect the eight-year term of supervised release with all its conditions and all other components of the sentence.

Esaias J. Tucker – Tallahassee, Florida
Offense: Conspiracy to distribute more than five kilograms of cocaine and more than 280 grams of cocaine base; possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine and more than 28 grams of cocaine base (Northern District of Florida). 
Sentence: 20 years of imprisonment, 10-year term of supervised release (January 29, 2013).
Commutation Grant: Sentence commuted to expire on April 20, 2024, leaving intact and in effect the 10-year term of supervised release with all its conditions and all other components of the sentence.

Darryl Allen Winkfield – Augusta, Georgia
Offense: Conspiracy to distribute, and to possess cocaine and cocaine base with intent to distribute; distribution of cocaine hydrochloride (three counts); possession of cocaine and cocaine base with intent to distribute (Southern District of Georgia). 
Sentence: Life imprisonment, 10-year term of supervised release (September 29, 1998).
Commutation Grant: Sentence commuted to expire on April 20, 2024, leaving intact and in effect the 10-year term of supervised release with all its conditions and all other components of the sentence.

Kenneth Winkler – Indianapolis, Indiana
Offense: Conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute and to distribute 50 grams or more of actual methamphetamine (Southern District of Indiana). 
Sentence: 20 years of imprisonment, 10-year term of supervised release (July 23, 2012).
Commutation Grant: Sentence commuted to expire on February 20, 2024, leaving intact and in effect the 10-year term of supervised release with all its conditions and all other components of the sentence.

###

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Press Briefing by Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre and NSC Coordinator for Strategic Communications John Kirby

Thu, 12/21/2023 - 18:42

1:43 P.M. EST

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Apologies for the very long two minute there, guys. We had some technical difficulties, so I apologize.

So, we are aware of the terrible shooting that took place at Charles University in Prague, claiming the lives of at least 15 people and injuring dozens more.

The President and the First Lady are praying for the families who lost loved ones and everyone else who has been affected by this senseless act of violence.

On behalf of the United States, we send our condolences and also wish the survivors of this tragic event a speedy recovery.

Federal authorities are in — in touch with Czech authorities as they investigate this incident, and we stand ready to provide additional support as needed.

As we close out the year, we wanted to take a look back at the progress made since President Biden and Vice President Harris took office.

So, from day one, our administration has taken on historic challenges, and almost three years in, we have a record of delivering for the American people.

President Biden vowed to lower prescription drug costs for seniors and families, and he is delivering on that promise. Thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act, which every single Republican member of Congress voted against, we’re taking on Big Pharma. And here’s a couple of things that has allowed us to do: It has allowed us to cap the cost of insulin at 35 bucks for seniors, allow Medicare to negotiate lower prescription drug prices for the first time ever, and save 15 million Americans an average of 800 bucks per year on their health insurance.

Despite never-ending attacks from Republican officials, more Americans are covered by quality, affordable health insurance than ever before, including 7 million more Americans enrolled through the Affordable Care Act.

Now, the ab- — the President and the Vice President have also taken executive actions to fight back against state abortion bans that put the health of women in jeopardy, force women to travel out of state for care, and threaten to criminalize doctors.

Onto the economy for a second. Over 14 million jobs have been created under President Biden. That’s every job lost in the pandemic plus almost 15 [5] million more jobs.

And Americans have filed a record 15 million applications to start new businesses. That’s helping wages and wealth rise — both are now higher than before the pandemic.

We’re also cracking down on price gouging by banning hidden junk fees in airline tickets, credit cards, banking, healthcare, and apartment rentals. That work is saving Americans billions — billions of dollars each year.

And when it comes to our climate, the Biden-Harris administration continues to lead and deliver on the most ambitious climate agenda in history, including securing a historic agreement at the COP28 to transition away from fossil fuels and triple renewal [renewable] energy globally by 2030; launching the American Climate Corps to mobilize a new, diverse generation of clean energy, con- — conservation, resilience, and workers; taking bold action to cut emissions across the economy, including strong standards to reduce methane pollution from oil and gas operation.

This historic agenda is unleashing a manufacturing and clean energy boom with over $600 billion in private sector investments since the President took office.

President Biden and Vice President Harris will continue building on this pres- — on — on this progress that we’ve made the first two years in the years ahead. And that is how we see our progress has been over the last two years under the Biden-Harris admini- — administration.

And now, as you all know, we are joined again by Admiral John Kirby, who is here to take a few questions on Israel, the — and the deal to — to bring home wrongfully detained Americans from Venezuela, and the President’s call with President AMLO that he had earlier today.

And with that, Admiral.

MR. KIRBY: Thanks, Karine. Good afternoon, everybody.

Q Good afternoon.

MR. KIRBY: The President had a chance this morning to speak by phone with President López Obrador of Mexico. They had a chance to talk about ongoing efforts to manage the unprecedented migratory flows in the Western Hemisphere, building on the Los Angeles Declaration for Migration and Protection that President Biden launched in Los Angeles back in June of ’22.

The two leaders agreed that additional enforcement actions are urgently needed so that key ports of entry can be reopened across our shared border.

President Biden has asked Secretary of State Tony Blinken, Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas, and White House Homeland Security Advisor Liz Sherwood-Randall to travel to Mexico in coming days to meet with President López Obrador and his team to discuss further actions that can be taken together to address current border challenges.

And just a quick update, if I could, about humanitarian assistance going into Gaza. Yesterday, some 120 trucks entered through Kerem Shalom and more than 71 through Rafah. This brings the total to almost 200 in just the last 24 hours. And, of course, we’re going to continue to work as hard as we can to increase that flow through both those border crossings and then make sure that there are processes in place to get that aid and assistance to the people who actually need it inside Gaza.

That’s it.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Go ahead, Zeke.

Q Thanks, John. The United Nations says one in four civilians in Gaza is starving. Does the U.S. believe that assessment or — or accept that assessment of the situation on the ground in Gaza? And who is to blame for the humanitarian situation on the ground (inaudible)?

MR. KIRBY: Well, we’re certainly not — not in a position to dispute those numbers or that — or that — that assessment. I mean, we certainly agree that — that there is an immense amount of suffering inside Gaza — hunger, obviously, but altho- — also health needs as well. And with winter coming, harsh — harsher weather is going to make it tougher for people that are not able to shelter.

So, we certainly share the concerns about the humanitarian crisis that’s going on inside Gaza, which is why every day I come out here and talk to you about the things we’re doing to alleviate that suffering.

Q And in terms of the responsibility, why are more trucks not getting in now? Who is saying, “No more trucks”? Is it inspection capacity? The Israelis say that the U.N. doesn’t have the capacity to deliver the aid inside Gaza. Where is the bottleneck?

MR. KIRBY: It’s not — it’s not that somebody is saying, “No more trucks.” We’ve been working closely with our Israeli counterparts to get that — the — the level up and sustained. And we’ve had days where it was and days where it wasn’t.

I mean, you have to remember this is also a war zone. It’s an area of conflict. And that greatly increases the complexity of getting humanitarian assistance in in a safe, secure manner and, more critically, making sure, at the end of the pipeline, that it’s getting to people who are actually in need. And the U.N. is leading efforts on the ground, as they rightly should, to — to try to see if — about local distribution.

So, this is a tough — this is a tough problem set, but it doesn’t mean we’re going to back off of it.

And, again, the — the — you know, the last 24 hours, you had more trucks going in through Kerem Shalom than you had through Rafah. So, I’m not — obviously saying there needs to be more, but it’s — it’s a good thing that Kerem Shalom — you can see the impact that that crossing is having on getting aid in.

Q And just the bottleneck question. Where is it? Is it the distribution?

MR. KIRBY: It is a — I wish I could tell you there’s, like, one bottleneck. There’s a bunch of reason- — every day is different. And every day — some of it’s — some of — some of the — the limits are on the end of it, where the — the fighting is just making it harder to get trucks in. Some of it is the inspection regime and making sure that there’s enough inspectors and that the trucks are adequately looked at and — and gotten through that process. Some of it is the availability of — of the assistance itself and the — the trucks themselves.

So, I mean, every day, it’s a little bit different. But we are working at this really, really hard.

Q And just one — one little quick one on the inspection regime since you — since you brought that up. We know there’s a Security Council debate over this new resolution here. And the issue of who is doing the inspections is a key — key one in that — in that ongoing discussions up there.

Is the U.S. position that the Israelis must remain part of the inspection regime of what is going into Gaza?

MR. KIRBY: I — I’m not going to negotiate this language here from this podium. We’re still actively working with our U.N. partners about — about the resolution and the — and the language itself.

Israel has had — and understandably so, has had a role in the inspection regime — a key role, a pivotal role. And we understand and respect that. And I think I’ll leave it at that.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Go ahead, Trevor.

Q So, on — on Israel, I know you’ve said before many times that you’re trying to push Israel to end this high-intensity effort. There’s —

MR. KIRBY: No, that’s not what we said, but go ahead.

Q Okay. There’s eff- — there’s a request from lawmakers that you do, in fact, do that. Could you talk a little bit about where that conversation stands, what Israel has agreed to in terms of moving to lower-intensity conflict in Gaza? And have they agreed with you on a timetable?

MR. KIRBY: The Israelis say they, too, recognize the need to transition to a different phase of fighting.

I mean, in any military campaign, Trevor, you’re going to — you’re going to transition to a different set of objectives. And you’re going to achieve those different set of objectives through different tactics and operations. That’s just standard for the conduct of military operations.

They understand. They have said themselves that they realize they’re going to have to transition from a higher-intensity level of operations, such as what they’re doing now, to something a bit lower intensity.

They will decide when. They will decide what lower intensity looks like and what that means.

What we have done — Secretary Austin was just recently in the region, as well as Secretary Blinken — have talked to them about our lessons learned in doing those kinds of transitions and what we learn- — what we did right, what we didn’t do right, what they should be looking for, what questions they should be asking themselves, as well as asking them some tough questions.

And certainly, when Jake was there, just in the last few days, had lengthy discussions with his Israeli counterparts about — and the War Cabinet — about those questions, answering those tough questions.

So, again, this is — we’re not going to speak for their military operations. We recognize and they recognize that a transition is — is not — not only reasonable, but probably the most viable way to continue this fight. They’ll — they’ll work it out.

Q I guess my question: Do you have a common understanding on what the — that timetable looks like at this point?

MR. KIRBY: We are not dictating terms and timelines to the Israelis.

We have certainly talked about the importance of moving to lower-intensity operations. And obviously, we don’t want them to do it sooner than they think they can do it safely and effectively. But we do believe — we believe that a transition, you know, in the near future is the best possible outcome.

Q Point of clarification on the President’s comments yesterday on Venezuela. He said that there was an agreement with Maduro where Maduro said he would agree to essentially everything that U.S. had laid out on election reforms. Does that include having María Machado be represented as an opposition candidate on the ballot when that election takes place?

MR. KIRBY: I’m going to not get too involved in the diplomatic specific conversations that we had.

What the President said was that the Maduro regime did agree to certain electoral proposals to include and were supported by opposition parties. It’s important that they meet all those commitments. I think I’ll leave it there.

Q But does that include having her specifically?

MR. KIRBY: I’m going to leave it — I’m going to leave it the way I just put it.

Q Okay. Just one — one more — just on Mexico. In that conversation, was there any discussion between the President and AMLO around fentanyl? There has been some reporting that we’ve done that Mexico has been essentially inflating its statistics on how many of these fentanyl labs it’s actually taking down. Is that something that came up?

MR. KIRBY: Well, you know, we’ve talked to the Mexicans routinely about the flow of fentanyl and other narcotics and trafficking of drugs across the border. That’s a routine part of our discussions.

The focus today was really about the — the migratory flow and — and the pressure that’s being put on the southern border.

Q Thanks, I appreciate it. On the border. We’ve talked to CBP officials who say that they’re resourced at about half — to deal with about half the volume of encounters that they’re seeing, that smugglers are putting migrants more and more at risk by dropping them off in more and more remote locations.

Can you point to one thing the White House is doing right now that is making an impact on the border, is making an impact with this current surge?

MR. KIRBY: Well, one of the things that we — well, obviously, it’s a big part of the supplemental request. And should we get the funding we’re asking for, it will give us an opportunity to put more Border Patrol officers out there on the border. It will give us a chance to increase the asylum court officers and help with that process. And there’s some physical security measures that are baked into that funding as well.

So, part — part and parcel of the supplemental request was very much recognizing that more needs to be done on border security, and we’re willing to keep having that conversation with members of Congress.

I would also add that one of the things that President López Obrador and the President talked about today was trying to work on getting at the root causes of migration. We’re seeing record levels of people. More people are on the move in this hemisphere than — that has been the case since World War Two.

There’s a lot of factors. And part of that is, of course, dealing with instability — political and — and domestic instability in the region.

So, the work that we did with Venezuela here — not just to get Americans back, but to get the Maduro regime to ascribe to certain electoral reforms — that’s important. That’s important to help get at some of the root causes of migration.

Q And then on — on Gaza again. It’s the end of the year. I think a lot of — as you can see in the other questions — Americans are reflecting on this humanitarian crisis. You know, we’ve seen the estimates that the death toll reached 20,000. The WHO saying repeatedly that one child is killed in Gaza every 10 minutes. Can you just reflect a little bit more on the humanitarian crisis that you’re seeing and how Americans are supposed to sit with that reality?

MR. KIRBY: Nobody should — nobody can look at the images coming out of Gaza and not feel and not — not — not feel a — a sense of pain and anguish for so many innocent people that have been displaced from their homes, families killed, many wounded, a lot of fear and uncertainty. We feel that anguish, too, every single day. And that’s why we have worked — we’re leading the world in terms of getting humanitarian assistance into Gaza.

What I would ask Americans who are concerned about this as we head into the holidays to remember is how hard President Biden truly is working. The whole team is. And, again, we’re leading the world, in many cases, in terms of alleviating this — this pain and suffering of — of the people of Gaza.

And — and we’re going to keep — we’re going to keep doing that.

Q But then why are we seeing these Democratic lawmakers — you know, Tuesday, we saw this letter from, really, moderate Democratic lawmakers saying that he’s not doing enough, that he should be using even more levers of power to try to change how military — how — how the Israeli military is prosecuting this war. I mean, is he out of step with his party? He’s not the — even Democrats are saying he’s not doing enough.

MR. KIRBY: The President leads on foreign policy issues from a place of principles and values. That’s the core of every foreign policy approach he takes. And that is no different here.

And there are multiple principles and values at play here. One is making sure that Israel can defend itself against Hamas, that October 7th can never happen again. No nation should have to put up with that. And so, we’re going to continue to support them in that effort.

Another one is, again, helping the people of Gaza and the Palestinian people get the humanitarian assistance but also in terms of trying to get hostages out and getting a pause in place, which actually also reduces civilian casualties.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Go ahead. We’re r- — we’re actually running out of time. Go ahead.

Q On Mexico and the Biden administration officials that are going down. What exactly are they trying to accomplish with that trip? And is it related to the talks that have been taking place on Capitol Hill about border security?

MR. KIRBY: Their visit will really be about getting at the migratory flows and talking to President López Obrador and his team about what more we can do together. To the question I got earlier, you know, “What — what are you doing?” I mean, there’s lots we’re doing, but there’s probably more we can be doing. And — and in order to do it effectively, you’ve got to be in full partnership with Mexican authorities.

We have been. There’s been terrific cooperation. We’re proud of that. And I think we — I think it can be expanded, given the record levels of migrants that we’re seeing come a- — come across.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Go ahead, Ed.

Q And — sorry, when it comes to — to Gaza, when we saw Vice President Harris go to Dubai, she had pretty forceful words about the number of Palestinian deaths. Why did the White House feel that it was important for her to deliver that message there and at that time?

MR. KIRBY: Well, first of all, it’s a message we’ve been delivering for quite some time. We don’t want to see any more civilians harmed or wounded or displaced out of this conflict. The right number of casualties for civilians is zero. We’ve been very clear about that.

And it was appropriate, since the Vice President was — was in the region, for her to address that and to address that in full lockstep with the rest of the national security team about the messages we’ve been delivering to our partners in the region privately and to — and to do it publicly.

It was absolutely part and parcel of, again, the principled valued — principled approach that the President is taking and in accordance with our values as a country.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Go ahead, Ed.

Q Admiral, the Venezuelan President said when his friend got back to Venezuela yesterday that Alex Saab had been physically and psychologically tortured. How does the Biden administration respond to that?

MR. KIRBY: Well, we can’t verify those reports.

Q Okay. Other U.S. officials have said — have denied that. You’re — you’re not responding to that.

MR. KIRBY: I know of no indications or — that — that those reports are valid. I can’t — I can’t verify that.

Q How does this not invite other autocratic leaders around the world to take Americans hostage in order to get something or someone they want?

MR. KIRBY: This is the perennial question we get. Every single time we — we get Americans home, we get this question. I would say a couple of things: Number one, we — we don’t advise Americans to travel to Venezuela.

And Venezuela is one of those countries where we have a D designation for. Like, if you go, you know, as you — business or — or pleasure, you need to realize what the potential detention threat is. And in Venezuela, that — that threat is high. That’s right there on the website. If you’re going to travel, go to State.gov. It’s all right there.

We can’t guarantee that — that if you go against our advice and warnings, that — that something might happen to you. And there are regimes, there are leaders around the world that — that make this a staple, in terms of some of their policy approaches, to — to — to wrongfully detain Americans and then, you know, try to make deals for it.

Again, we — you know, that — that’s — that’s been perennial. That’s been before this administration, and that will be after this administration. Doesn’t mean that we aren’t going to do everything we can, if you’re wrongfully detained, to get you home.

And sometimes that means making a tough decision. Sometimes it means making a decision that makes you kind of have to swallow hard to do it. This is one of those decisions.

But we got 10 Americans back home. And we got Mr. Leonard, who was responsible for one of the worst bribery crimes throughout the Indo-Pacific with the United States Navy — he’s now going to face justice here in the United States. That’s a good outcome.

And the last thing I’ll say on this is the — while the President is willing to make these tough decisions, he’s not going to make decisions that’s — that is antithetical to our national security, our ability to protect and defend our national interests around — around the world.

Q What would he say to current and former Justice Department officials who helped arrest and prosecute Viktor Bout and saw him handed over to Russia, and then helped arrest and were working on prosecuting Alex Saab and saw him handed over? What’s to say that they’re not working today on some other case that may end up with that person being returned to their home county?

MR. KIRBY: He would say to them, as he would say to Americans around the world: As we make these tough decisions — and they are tough, Ed — he’s going to do it with our national security interests firmly and foremost in mind. But he also has an obligation as President of the United States to look after the safety and security of Americans overseas, particularly those who have been wrongfully detained.

And so, again, tough decisions — none are black and white and easy calls to make. But I would also encourage people to ask those families now — those families that are going to be reunited for the holidays — how they feel about the decision-making process. I think you’re going to find that — that they’re pretty grateful for the work that we’ve done and the leadership that we’ve shown.

Q Since we don’t get to ask him ourselves — we would have last night, maybe, if he’d stuck around a little while — what would the President say is his foreign policy achievement of the year?

MR. KIRBY: There’s a lot that we’ve achieved in foreign policy.

And Karine has already made sure that she — that you know that we’re — we’re running late, and I don’t want to — I don’t want to belabor this. So, I — this answer could go on for, like, 20 minutes.

But, I mean, from the Indo-Pacific and the Quad and the AUKUS deal to get Australia nuclear-powered submarine capability; to what we’ve done with supporting Ukraine, pushing back — they’ve clawed back more than 50 percent of the territory that Russia took in the early months of the war. You think they — you know, obviously, they did that through courage and bravery on the field. But they certainly did that with United States support.

Look at what Israel has been able to do to put pressure on Hamas in the wake of the worst terrorist attack they’ve — that they’ve ever — that they’ve ever succumbed to.

I mean, I could go on and on. There — there has been — I think if I had to bucket it into one thing, the — one of the most important things he’s done on the foreign policy front is shore up and revitalize our vast network of alliances and partnerships. No other nation in the world has that kind of a network at their disposal the way United — the United States does.

And our leadership on the world stage is stronger because he took the time to in- — invest in those relationships — many relationships that had been let lapse by the previous administration.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Go ahead.

Q Thanks, John. That letter mentioned earlier from members of Congress — moderate members of Congress, including Representative Abigail Spanberger to Seth Moulton, coming from, like, an intelligence, military perspective here —

MR. KIRBY: Yeah.

Q — in the letter, they said, “We know from personal and often painful experience that you can’t destroy a terror ideology with military force alone. And it can, in fact, make things worse.” Does the White House agree with that assessment?

MR. KIRBY: I have said that many times from this podium that we don’t — we don’t believe you’re going to be able to wipe out the ideology that inspires Hamas through military action. I have said it many, many times.

And as Secretary Austin said out at the Reagan Forum, you know, we want to make sure our Israeli counterparts don’t turn “a tactical victory into a strategic defeat.”

So, that is not a new notion. And certainly, we agree that that’s a risk here.

Q And they’re criticizing the President for not taking enough strong action here on — on how Israel is going about with their military operations. Have there been any recent conversations with the President and members of Congress who have been critical and — and want the President to do more here?

MR. KIRBY: I don’t know of any specific conversations that the President ha- — has had with members of Congress about this. But I can tell you, there’s not a day that goes by where we’re not having those conversations with our Israeli counterparts.

And as I’ve said before, they have been receptive to that message. They have tailored, they have changed, they have structured military operations in a way to try to be more cognizant.

Now, that doesn’t mean that more can’t be done or more shouldn’t be done to limit civilian casualties. Absolutely. But they have made an effort, and they will continue to make that effort.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Go ahead, Aurelia.

Q Thank you so much. On the U.N. Security Council resolution debate, are there tensions within the administration on the decision to make here?

And another one. If there is another veto, how concerned are you about the international image of the United States blocking one resolution after another while people are dying and starving in Gaza?

MR. KIRBY: Well, let’s not get ahead of ourselves. There isn’t a resolution to vote on right now. We’re still working with our partners up there about what that language ought to be.

It’s important to us, of course, that the humanitarian situation in Gaza gets addressed. We are working harder than any other nation to actually address those concerns.

So, we certainly would — would agree that that needs to be part and parcel of the language. But I — again, I don’t want to get ahead of where we are.

And we are working as a team to — to push forward the President’s approach and his policies with respect to supporting Israel and to supporting the Palestinian people. A key to that is still working towards the promise of a two-state solution.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Go ahead, Josh.

Q There’s a report, John, that the — that the U.S. and the EU are working together, looking whether seized Russian assets can be used to help fund Ukraine. Are you able to speak to that specifically or more broadly to what you will do if you do not get a supplemental? Is — are — you know, are there, sort of, extraordinary measures that you are considering as you —

MR. KIRBY: So, we’re kind of — we’re kind of talking about two different things here. We still need the supplemental request to be able to support — there’s no magical pot of money, as Shalanda Young said, to support Ukraine going forward.

I won’t talk to that specific proposal. But I will say, just broadly speaking, that — that we have talked to many of our allies and partners about what Russia’s role ought to be post-conflict, in — in terms of the restructuring, the —
the recovery inside Ukraine long term. But we aren’t at a point right now where — you know, where we can address the specific muscle movements and what that’s going to look like.

But Russia has destroyed an awful lot of infrastructure and killed, you know, tens of thousands of — of lives in Ukraine. And they should be held accountable for that long term.

Q So, too soon to say whether you’re looking at seized assets for that measure?

MR. KIRBY: I would say too soon to say.

Q And can you speak very quickly to where this — the Ven- — the Venezuelan s- — swap — excuse me — leaves us on the question of sanctions relief? Is the administration considering further changes to sanctions that are in place right now?

MR. KIRBY: I don’t —

Q Does this open the door for that?

MR. KIRBY: I don’t have any sanctions announcements to make today.

Q Okay. Thank you.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Patsy.

Q Thank you, Karine. John, Israel’s defense minister said that as they transition to the next phase of the operation, some of the local civilians may be able to return to their homes in North Gaza. I wonder if you can give an explanation on how that might work when there are many people who don’t have homes to return to — just kind of give an idea of what kind of plans the U.S. has to support these Palestinian civilians.

MR. KIRBY: Well, we certainly welcome those comments. I think that’s an important sign, to allow people that were displaced from the north to the south as operations intensified in the north to be able to go back home or be able to make that crossing back to — to north of Gaza. So, that’s — that’s — those are welcome comments.

I think we’ll be in touch with our Israeli counterparts about exactly what that looks like to address your exact concerns. Some of them will go back and there are no homes to go back to. So, we want to make sure that they — for those that are going back, that there is — there are means and availability for them to seek and to have secure shelter.

But, again, we’ll have that conversation with our Israeli counterparts.

Q Just to follow up on Ed’s question. When you argue that the U.S.’s biggest achievement in foreign policy is shoring up alliances and networks of partners, how can you argue that and how can you argue U.S. leadership is stronger when the President is almost singularly isolated in the U.N. over the issue of Gaza?

MR. KIRBY: Well, I think I would take premise with the question that we’re somehow “singularly isolated.” First of all, we’re still working with U.N. partners on the language here. So, let’s not get ahead of where we are in the process.

And I think all you have to do is look at what — what we’ve been able to do around the world and see that American leadership still matters, that — that America’s views still matter. And President Biden has literally been driving that forward since he came into office — again, through a reliance and a understanding that we can’t do everything alone.

The whole idea behind his foreign policy approach is that we need friends and partners, that they have capabilities and they have — they have skillsets that we don’t have in — in every other way and that — that we work better as a team.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Go ahead. And then we’ve got to wrap it up.

Q John, can you share just here today, since this may be one of the last briefings for a while, your assessment of where the status is of potential talks to secure another hostage deal and a pause in fighting? A lot of the families have expressed concern that this may get lost a little bit over the holidays and are worried that every day really matters here.

MR. KIRBY: It won’t get lost over the holidays. We’re working on it every single day, almost every hour of every day. Th- — there have been serious talks and negotiations over trying to get back into another pause and a hostage exchange.

I won’t go into the details of that, understandably so, but I can tell you that they are very serious and we are very serious about getting that back in place.

Q Thanks, Admiral. I wanted to ask you about the — the call between President Obrador and President Biden this morning.

We understand that the business owners in Northern Mexico are complaining about these bridges — the railroad bridges being closed and this is costing about $100 million of losses on an everyday basis.

Is the President of Mexico — Mexico concerned about all of these losses that are happening at the border? And are they talking about maybe this strategy to sort of slow down the flow? Because we understand that migrants are coming in big —

MR. KIRBY: Yeah.

Q — big numbers to that region.

MR. KIRBY: Yeah. I don’t want to speak for President Ló- — López Obrador. He should speak to his side of the conversation and what his concerns are.

But I think, broadly speaking, we — we — both presidents shared a similar concern about the — the increase in migratory flow here in recent weeks and months. There has been a dramatic increase.

And they did talk in broad terms about what can be done inside Mexico to slow that process down. And there are some things, like checkpoints on rail lines and on highways and that kind of thing. And — and the Mexican Armed Forces’ presence in the south also can be important to that as well.

But that was broadly speaking, and I think more to the point of why Secretary Blinken and Liz Sherwood-Randall and Secretary Mayorkas will be going down there is to see what can be done to sort of flesh those modalities out a little bit more.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Go ahead.

Q Thank you.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: And then we’re going to wrap it up.
Q Thanks, John. More on the AMLO call. You mentioned that part of the discussion will be about the root causes of migration. It’s something that other administrations have tried to tackle. It’s something that this administration has tried to tackle.

Earlier this year, there was a $4 billion announcement. Have those efforts in this administration made any noticeable difference when you talk about the spikes that we’ve been seeing?

MR. KIRBY: Noticeable difference —

Q In migration flows.

MR. KIRBY: Well, we’ve obviously, as I just said, in recent weeks and months now, seen a spike — a significant spike in the migratory flow and the presence at the border. And that’s one of the reasons why the — the two leaders thought it was important to talk today. And it’s another reason why we’re going to be sending down a team here in coming days — very soon — to — to speak with President López Obrador and his team about trying to see what we can do to better stem this.

I think, before the recent big surge, you — there was a general decline in some of the — the migrant flows. Again, not — not perfect. Not saying that it was down to a level that was comfortable for anybody. But there had been a decline.

And so, we want to see that — that same effort being — being applied, again, as a team going forward. And — and we’ll see where that goes. But we’re working on this really — really hard.

Q How successful would you say the administration’s efforts to stem root flow, to get to the root causes of migration have been?

MR. KIRBY: We believe that we’ve done a good job working with our partners in the region to try to get at some of the root causes, including political instability and crime. There is more that needs to be done.

And I think it’s important, again, as I said earlier, to keep this in perspective. You are seeing more people on the move, for a variety of reasons, across — in this hemisphere than since World War Two. I mean, it’s a historic level of migration. And there’s a lot of reasons for it. And we’re not the only country that’s facing this flow.

So, it’s — back to the question about alliances and partnerships, a way to get at this is to work with neighboring nations to try to get at these root causes. At the same time, working on our own infor- — immigration process here in the — in the — policies here in the country and getting at reform, as well as working on border security. And that’s why the President asked for $6 billion in the supplemental funding.

Q And very quickly on Gaza.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: No, we — we (inaudible).

Q Just really quickly on Gaza. Do — do you think that Israel is — how close do you think Israel is in its mission to destroying Hamas?

MR. KIRBY: That’s a question that you should put —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Okay.

MR. KIRBY: — to the IDF.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Arlette. And then we have (inaudible).

Q Paul Whelan says that he’s afraid for his safety after being assaulted by another inmate late last month. He also says that he’s being targeted by an official at the prison in retaliation for this official being admonished. Does the U.S. have any read on this situation? And are there any viable efforts —

MR. KIRBY: We’re very, very —

Q — or proposals underway to try to get him back?

MR. KIRBY: Very, very troubling reports that — that he would be under physical threat. I think we all — so, we’re very concerned as we — as we hear those accounts from — from Paul.

We’ll continue to work hard, through our embassy in Moscow, to make sure he gets consular access and that we can address these direct concerns with our — our Russian counterparts.

But that’s — it’s very troubling.

I would tell you, again, that while I don’t have a breakthrough to announce today, we — we did in recent days put forward a serious proposal. The Russians rebuffed it, regardless of what Mr. Putin says. And we’re working hard to see what we can do to get another proposal that — that might be more successful to get both him and Evan out.

Q And if I could, really fast on the U.N. Security Council vote. What has President Biden’s engagement been on this, in the negotiations? Has he been speaking regularly with Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield on the issue?

MR. KIRBY: He has been in touch with the national security team, including our team at U.N. headquarters, about how they’re — how they’re doing this, how we’re approaching this.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Okay. Last question. Go ahead.

Q Thank you, Admirable [Admiral]. Has President Biden seen photos and videos from the past week of the sea of people crossing into this country illegally? I understand he’s probably been briefed on it, but has he seen photos and videos of it actually happening?

MR. KIRBY: I can’t attest to what the — the content is of the material he gets every day, but he has been kept apprised and briefed, of course, by — by the domestic and national security teams on this. But what’s in that content, I mean, I’m not part of those discussions.

Q Some illegal border crossers are being given court dates in 2031. What are they supposed to do here for seven years?

MR. KIRBY: Again, that’s a better question put to DHS. I’m not in a position to — to talk about specific cases like that.

The President believes that we’ve got to do better at immigration. And he’s willing to talk and negotiate with members of Congress about immigration policy just as well as he is about border security. But I’m not in a position to talk about the specifics.

Q After someone has lived here for seven years and presumably gotten a work permit and worked here, if their asy- — asylum claim is denied, are they really going to be deported? Or is that just a problem for the next president?

MR. KIRBY: Again, I’m not going to get into hypotheticals about specific cases. He does believe we need — and he has worked to increase legal pathways to citizenship. But obviously, illegal pathways, you know, they — you need to be held to account if you’re trying to come into the country illegally.

Q But is the President thinking this far down the line? I mean, people are being given court dates seven years from now. So, is he creating a big problem for another president to have to figure out —

MR. KIRBY: The President —

Q — if these people are going to be deported after just working, living, maybe having families here for seven years?

MR. KIRBY: Again, I’m not going to get into hypothetical cases here. On day one of the administration, the President put to Congress a proposal for immigration reform. He has said, in recent days, he’s willing to have a serious discussion with members of Congress about immigration policy.

So, let’s see where that goes. But he’s taking the issue very, very seriously.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Thanks.

MR. KIRBY: Thanks, everybody.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Thanks, Admiral.

Q It’s not a hypothetical question. People are being given court dates in 2031.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Thanks, Admiral.

MR. KIRBY: Thank you.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Happy holidays.

Go ahead, Zeke.

Q Thank you.

Q Thanks, Karine. Traditionally, the president will hold a year-end press conference and talk about his record, make the case directly to the American people, defend some of the policy action he has taken. The President, since it’s December 21st, doesn’t seem to be doing that this year. Can you explain why he doesn’t want to defend his record to the American people and make his case for his record to the American people directly?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Look, I think that anytime the President travels and is in front of the American people, he does that. He did that in Wisconsin when he talked about Bidenomics. He talked about small businesses and how that’s a pillar of Bidenomics and investing in America.

So, you heard him do that directly to the American people.

Look, he does every — we — we make an effort to do a press conference as often as possible, whether it’s here, at home, or abroad.

As you know, he held a — he held a two-plus-two with President Zelenskyy, which I think was an incredibly powerful, important moment for the American people to see what we have been doing to help the brave people of Ukraine fight against tyranny, fight against the aggression from Russia. And you saw him do that right alongside President Zelenskyy.

And so, you know, the President certainly was very engaged with members of — of the press corps yesterday who traveled with him. He engaged with them three times: took questions, made a statement — really important statement about Venezuela and the hostage situation.

And so, this is something that we really make an effort to do. And — and, you know — and we will continue to do that in 2024: do as many as — press conference as possible, abroad and at home.

Q I’m sorry, you — could you just ta- — you mentioned that you do as many as possible.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah.

Q Is — what’s the President — he has nothing on his public schedule today. He obviously had a phone call this morning. I’m just wondering if you can ch- — you know, characterize, like, you know, why — you know, you can make time on the President’s calendar whenever you want.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Well, he made time yesterday to talk to the — to the press yesterday. He did. He talked to them. We made time to make sure that he gave a statement about what was happening in Venezuela — the hostage exchange, the swap that you all saw that was very successful. He made time to do that.

He — he stood in front of the — the press pool in front of m- — in front of him and made that statement and took some questions. You took — took a — he did two other gaggles yesterday. So, he certainly engages with the press. And he’ll continue to do that.

And yesterday, he spoke directly to the American people about Bidenomics, sell- — really showing what Bidenomics has done, what he’s done the last two years. And I think that’s important, as well, for the American people to hear directly from him.

And we will make the effort to do press conferences here, at home, and abroad as well, just like we did last week with President Zelenskyy.

Q And on a different topic.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah.

Q On the situation at the border. John Kirby a few minutes ago said that the U.S. probably could be doing more to — to deal with the situation there. What more should the White House be doing? And what more has the President been doing to address the situation we’ve seen over the last week or two, especially with this latest surge?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, I think one of the things, I think, he — he meant by that is, when we did the emergency supplemental, the national security component of that, it had a border security request. Right? And that — because the President understood that we did need — need to do more. And that’s why he asked for very important emergency funds to do just that.

And what you’re seeing, certainly, from the Senate side at this time — I know they — they d- — have decided to go home — but those conversation to get border security, to get that bipartisan agreement continues. And we encourage Congress to get to that as soon as possible, certainly, when they get back.

So, obviously, we’re having those negotiation conversations to get more funding because we understand — the President understands that we need to do more. You know, and as it relates to what we’re seeing — the flow of migrants that we’re seeing at the border, DHS is maximizing its enfortme- — enforcement efforts. That is important.

And the thing that is also — you know, is important is the message that we have to send to — to smugglers. Right? We have to be — be very, very mindful, because they also put out misinformation. So, we try to be mindful there as well.

And what we’re seeing here at the border, the migration flow — increased migration flow, certainly, it — you know, it ebbs and flows. And we’re at a time of the year where we’re seeing more at the border.

And it’s not unusual. This is an immigration system that has been broken for decades. And the President has taken this very seriously to try to do more. That’s why we have the comprehensive immigration policy legislation that the President put forth on day one.

So, yes, there is more to be done. But we need the help of Congress to get that done.

Q You’re saying there’s nothing the President can do himself unilaterally to surge resources down there?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Well, we — I mean, look, we asked for more Border Patrol, right? And he was able to get 24,000 more Border Patrol folks — law enforcement folks at the border. That’s unprecedented. We asked for more. And you got Republicans in Congress who — especially in the House, who want to cut that. They actually want to do the opposite of what the President is trying to do.

And so, look, the President has done everything that he can — right? — on — on his own. There’s — there’s clearly diplomatic conversation happening with AMLO and other folks — other leaders in the region. We’re going to continue to have those conversation just to make sure that we — we deal with the flow.

But we also need funding. We also need funding to deal with border security, which is what we’re trying to do right now with these negotiations that are happening with the Senate — with senators right now.

Go ahead, Trevor.

Q Just to follow up on that. You said the President has done everything he can on his own on this issue. The letter from House Speaker Johnson suggested otherwise, that there are specific steps that — that can be taken. Do you see anything in — in what he suggested that you would be open to?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, I’ve heard the letter. I have not read the letter. So, I can’t speak to the letter. They decided to go home, let’s not forget, before the Senate did and did not participate. Right? They wanted to push forward R- — H.R.2, which we — as we have said, doesn’t help the border, actually makes it worse: cuts — cuts cost, cuts law enforcement. It does not help at all.

And so, look, we are having those conversations with the — doing the Senate negotiations. And we want to make sure that we come to a bipartisan agreement. We understand that. We understand, to actually deal with this issue, we need a bipartisan agreement, which is why the President put forth a comprehensive immigration plan — legislation, to be even more clear, on the first day.

And so, I can’t speak to the letter. I have not seen it. I heard about it when I was coming out, but I cannot speak to what Speaker Johnson has — has laid out in the letter.

Q And just very specifically in terms of the conversations that Biden had with the Mexican leader today or in these conversations that are going to be happening in the coming days, is the Remain in Mexico policy something that is at all on the table in those discussions?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, I’m not going to go into the detail of diplomatic con- — conversations that the President is having. We’re going to do —

Q You won’t rule it out though?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I’m not ruling anything out from here. I’m not going to negotiate from here. That’s not what I’m going to do or lay out what on — is on the agenda from here. The conversations continue. Obviously, it takes diplomatic — diplomatic conversation, like the President is having with the President of Mexico, to deal with the flow that we’re seeing coming — coming from — coming into the border.

So, we have to actually have those conversations. That’s what the President is doing. And he’s cont- — he’s been doing that the last two years. And that’s what you’re going to see. I’m just not going to get ahead of that.

Q And then one quick one. The Senate sent back Julie Su’s nomination. Are you okay with her continuing in an acting capacity in 2024? Or do you want to force a vote on this issue?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, look, we believe — and we are going to be very clear — Julie Su will be renominated of — of Secretary of Labor in the new year. That is something that we are committed to. And as it relates to her acting authority, look, because she was confirmed — and you’ve heard me say this before — by the Senate as Deputy Secretar- — Deputy Labor Secretary, she is able to continue serving as Acting Labor Secretary.

So, we are — we are — we she — we see her performance as admirable, and we think she is doing a great job in that role. And so, we urge Senate to take action — swift action to confirm her for — to confirm her as Secretary. Certainly, she will be renom- — renominated. And we are certainly committed to that.

Go ahead.

Q Thank you. Appreciate it. You talked about a supplemental — the supplemental request to Congress for more funding when it comes to the border. But we also —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah.

Q — hear all the time from Republicans that it’s not just about funding.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah.

Q They want these policy changes. I understand you don’t want to negotiate from the podium, but can you tell the American people if there’s any immigration policy that this White House is willing to talk about and — and is working on with Republicans?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, I want to be really careful. As negotiations happen, we don’t want to do this in the public, right? It does not help the process.

And so, we want to make sure that those negotiations are happening. Obviously, we’re a part of those negotiations with — with the — with the senators.

We think it’s going in the right direction. We want to make sure that we get to a bipartisan agreement. It’s incredibly important. The President understands — he understands that we have to fix this immigration system. It has been broken for decades now. And so, we have to do everything that we can to fix that system.

And so, we’re going to have those conversation. And you’re right, it’s not just about funding. It’s also about policy discussions that they’re having. And so, don’t want to get ahead of it.

And let’s not forget, this is a President that has had these types of negotiation or been part of these types of — his team certainly have been part of these types of negotiation — negotiations for some — in different — obviously, in different — in different subjects and legislation. So, that has happened for — for the last two — two, almost three years, and they’ve been successful. So, we’re going to continue to do that and stay steadfast on that.

Q Just following up on that. Is it fair, then, to say that the White House thinks there will likely need to be some change to the asylum system?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I’m not going to get into specifics from here, but we understand that there needs to be a bipartisan agreement, right? And so, when you have a bipartisan agreement — right? — both sides have to decide what — what they’ve — how — what they are willing to move forward with.

I — I just want to be super mindful and let the team that are doing the negotiations do that — do that themselves. And when they’re ready to share what’s — what’s — what they’ve decided on, we’ll certainly talk about that.

Q You started talking about accomplishments from this last year. You talked about the economy. But in our latest ABC News poll back in November, by a 10-point margin, Americans still said that they would trust Republicans on the economy more. So, what is your message to Americans who just think what you’ve done on the economy is not enough?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Look, we understand what Americans have gone through. We do. They went through — and you’ve heard me say this many times before and my other colleagues — coming out of the pandemic was a tough time, a difficult time for so many Americans. And we understand it’s going to take some time for them to feel the accomplishments and what we’ve been able to do in the last three years.

That’s not something I say. That’s something that economists have said, right? It’s going to take some time.

What we can do is what the President did yesterday, right? He went to Milwaukee, Wisconsin; talked to — spoke directly to the American people — the people who live in Wisconsin, people who live in Milwaukee to talk about what Bidenomics has done.

He actually lifted a very important pillar of Bidenomics, which is small business. And there’s been 14 million new a- — applications since this administration started on small business. That’s important. That is investing in America. Fourteen million jobs created under this President. We have unemployment under 4 percent. All of those things matter.

We see inflation is moderating. That’s important.

And so, look, we’re going to continue to talk about it. We understand that folks — Americans still feel things are unaffordable. That’s something that the President said recently. And we’re going to do everything that we can to lower costs.

That’s why we talk about junk fees, right? Whether — and that’s why we talked — we talk about healthcare and making sure that we’re lowering prescription drugs. As I said at the top, fighting Big Pharma.

All of these things are important, and we just have to be — continue to speak to it.

Go ahead.

Q With the Congress being out now and not coming back until the first week or so after the start of the new year, they’re going to be confronting a perfect storm of funding battles on Capitol Hill: two deadlines, supplemental budget requests — on top of that, continuing resolutions that are expiring.

Is the White House concerned about whether it’s going to get anything accomplished — in terms of Ukraine funding, for example, and the whole border security issue — while all of these funding issues are coming up at the same time?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, look, I’m going to be really simple and to the point: These are important priorities for the American people. That’s what Congress needs to understand. They’re important priorities for the American people — everything that you just listed. And Congress needs to take action. They need to take action.

I will leave it to congressional leadership on the calendar and procedure and how they’re going to move forward. But these are important actions that American people need.

Go ahead.

Q Does the President plan to invite Speaker Johnson for a one-on-one meeting in the Oval Office in the new year?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I don’t have anything to — to lay out on a potential meeting with the Speaker.

Q Is there a reason that hasn’t happened yet?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I just don’t have anything at this time. I don’t have a reasoning for it. I just don’t have anything to — to read out.

You — as you’ve known, they’ve spoken before. Our team here, the Office of Leg Affairs, obviously, and other senior leadership here at the — at the White House have been in touch with his — if not his team, himself. And so, that is continuing — certainly a continuing conversation.

We speak to many members of Congress, whether they’re Republican or Democrat. I just don’t have anything on the President’s schedule about a meeting.

Q And does the White House have a response to this significant violent rhetoric that targeted the Colorado Supreme Court justices and Democrats following that ruling that would kept — that would keep Donald Trump off the ballot there?

Some of that violent rhetoric has come directly in response to his own posts on social media. But there were concerns raised about that and that spreading —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Whose — whose —

Q — on social media.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: — post?

Q On violent language and rhetoric in response to that, targeting specifically the Supreme Court justices in Colorado.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah. Well, we’ve been always very clear: Any — any intimidation, any violent rhetoric or violence, we’re certainly going to denounce that and say it’s inappropriate. And so, we’re going to be very, very clear: Any form of violence — any form of violence is inappropriate and obviously dangerous. And that is something that we’re going to speak out against.

Go ahead.

Q Thanks. Does the President have any plans for the third anniversary of the January 6th attack on the Capitol?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: As you know, I think the President has done something, I think, the last two years of his administration on January 6th and spoken, certainly, to the importance of our democracy. I don’t have anything to lay out today as to the President’s plan for January 6th.

Go ahead.

AIDE: You have time for a couple more.

Q Thanks. The White House put out a statement about the meeting on Tuesday with senior administration officials and the CEOs of the companies that make the RSV vaccine for infants. Last week, the manufacturers had said they could have an additional 230,000 doses available in January. With that meeting this week, was there any new commitment from these companies? Did they say they could produce even more vaccines in this winter season if that’s needed?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, look, we’ve been very clear. We think families should have access to the RSV vaccine. It is important for families to have access to that. We’re going to continue to do everything that we can to make sure that we urge manufacturers — right? — to produce and release enough RSV vaccines that meet the demand that we’re seeing, especially at this time.

And so, that work, we’re going to continue. We’re going to have those conversations. And I — we were — you know, we were glad to see the manufacturers announce an additional 230,000 vaccines that families need. And so, we’re going to have — continue to have those conversation. We want to see more. We want the — the needs to be met at this time.

And so, all I can say is that we’re going to continue to have those conversation. We want to make sure that ev- — everyone who needs a shot gets a shot.

Q So, was that meeting this week just to follow up on what they announced last week?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I mean, look, we have continued conversation with manufacturers — continued because we know how important it is to meet the demands that we’re currently seeing, right? So, that is going to be conversations that are going to continue from not just from this week — moving forward to make sure that those needs are met. And we have the vaccines — the RSV vaccinations that families need. It is important. Families should have access. It is critical for families to have access to RSV shots.

Go ahead, Josh.

Q Karine, the — the Journal reported today that the U.S. is considering raising tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles, as well as other kinds of similar products like batteries and solar panels. Can you give us an update on that and/or speak to the ongoing review of the China tariffs and when the President will make a final decision on them?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, a couple of things. The administration — this administration continues to conduct its statutory review of the Section 301 tariffs on Chinese products. This revi- — review, as you know, is led by USTR in partnership with the interagency partners and stakeholders.

We are taking a strategic, thoughtful, deliberative approach to a bilateral economic and trade relationship with China, and that certainly applies to our review of these tariffs.

I just don’t have any additional updates. But that has certainly been the path that we’ve taken on this.

Q Is that in, like, weeks, months?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Just don’t have a timeline. But that’s the updates that I can share with you.

Q Okay. And can you speak to —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Go ahe- — oh.

Q — earlier this week, there was Conference Board data that — that showed rising consumer sentiment. You’ve alluded to this in one of your early —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah.

Q — earlier statements. Does the White House believe that inflation will continue going down and that sentiment will continue improving? Or is it — do you believe it’s too soon to say, “We — we got into trouble, you know, a year or so ago with transitory this or that”? I just want to be clear on how you’re viewing this moment here.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, look, as you know, inf- — inflation fell to the lowest level in three years. That’s important. Consumer confidence is at the highest level since — since July and the second-highest level in two years.

And so, we’re glad to see that Americans are feeling more confident about the economy. And as you know, I think a year ago or just six months ago, there was always this talk about recession, recession, recession, and that is certainly not where we’re head- — not where we’re heading.

And so, we’ve always said that, you know, we’re at a transition here to a more stable and steady growth, and that’s kind of where we’re seeing we’re going. And we’re going to do everything that we can to make sure that inflation continues to moderate, and I think that’s a good path. That’s what the American people want to see, and — and, at the same time, lower costs for Americans, because we know that they — that’s — that’s important in our — as we talk about Bidenomics and the economy.

Go ahead.

Q So, a quick point of clarification on the Ukraine aid. Is the United States considering pulling from its own stocks to send to Ukraine without replenishing them? Or is the aid package that we expect to come in the next week or so the final one until Congress gives the United States more authority?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I mean, look, we’ve been very clear. There’s one more — one more final — final aid that we can give to Ukraine. And — and —

Q If — if the United States doesn’t replenish its own stocks.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Look, what I can tell you is we’re doing — one of the reasons why we asked for additional aid is because — because we’re running out, right? We are running out of aid to support the brave people of Ukraine.

And we have — what we’ve been able to do — and you’ve heard this from the Admiral, you’ve heard this from the National Security Advisor — is we have kind of lessened — like, made tho- — that aid that we’ve announced the last couple of weeks or last couple of months smaller and smaller, because we don’t have any more. Like, this is it.

And so, that is where we are. That’s why we asked for emergency funding. That’s why we asked for that supplemental, because we need to make sure that Ukraine continues to fight for their democracy. And that’s really where we are. That is where we are today.

All right.

AIDE: One last one.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Last one. Okay.

Go ahead, (inaudible).

Q Thank you. Angola announced today that they’re leaving OPEC. I was curious if there was an administration response, especially as it relates to energy prices, and if it was an issue that came up when Angola’s president met with President Biden three weeks ago.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, we’re — as you know, we’re not a member of OPEC+, so you would have to speak directly to the government of Angola.

Q Well, it sounds like Angola is not anymore either. That’s why I was asking.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Well, I’m just saying we’re not members of — we’re not mem- — (laughter). Good que- — good point. But we’re not members of OPEC+. That is not something that I can speak to. You would have —

Q But — so it did come up in conversations?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I can’t go beyond what the readout was from that — from that conversation.

But obviously, we are not members of OPEC+. So, you have to talk to them about that.

All right. Thanks, guys.

Q Thank you.

Q Karine, do you have a readout of the week ahead and what the President is up to for holidays?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Oh, we’re going to have something later on for you today on that, but — as we normally do.

All right.

(Cross-talk.)

Q Do you want to say anything —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: What?

Q — Christmassy?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Oh, you wanted me to say something Christmassy?

(Cross-talk.)

Q No, no —

Q No, on his plans around the —

Q His plans.

Q What is he doing —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Oh. We’ll — no, we’ll — we’ll have a week ahead.

Q (Inaudible.)

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: We’ll have a — we’ll have a week ahead. We’ll — we will. We will share a week ahead.

I thought you wanted something from me. I would say, “Happy holidays.” (Laughter.) Hope to see —

Q Happy holidays.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Happy New Year. It’s always good to see you all. Enjoy, be safe, and enjoy your time with your family. See you next year.

Bye, guys.

2:40 P.M. EST

The post Press Briefing by Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre and NSC Coordinator for Strategic Communications John Kirby appeared first on The White House.

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