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Leuven, Belgium

I. Introduction

The sixth ministerial meeting of the Trade and Technology Council (“TTC”) took place in Leuven, Belgium, on 4 and 5 April 2024. It was co-chaired by European Commission Executive Vice President Margrethe Vestager, European Commission Executive Vice President Valdis Dombrovskis, United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken, United States Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo, and United States Trade Representative Katherine Tai, joined by European Commissioner Thierry Breton, and hosted by the Belgian Presidency of the Council of the European Union.

The meeting took place against the backdrop of significant geopolitical developments and challenges, including Russia’s unprovoked and unjustified war of aggression against Ukraine and the escalation of violence in the Middle East, that have shaken the international rules-based order to which we are jointly committed. The United States and the European Union remain unwavering in our long-term political, financial, humanitarian, and military support to Ukraine.

There has been a buildup of global economic pressure through extensive non-market policies and practices. This accentuates excessive and possibly high-risk dependencies of strategic supplies, tilts the level playing field, and poses a threat to our economic security, our prosperity, and the well-being of our firms, workers, and citizens.

The acceleration of the digital transformation creates unprecedented opportunities for growth and innovation but also raises numerous risks and challenges that call for accelerating our efforts to establish joint leadership and continue robust coordination on our approaches for creating rules of the road for emerging technologies, such as artificial intelligence (AI), quantum technologies, and 6G wireless communication systems. We aim to foster interoperability and support our common democratic values and the protection of human rights, while also promoting innovation. We are also dedicated to continuing to equip our workforce with the skills necessary to meet the needs created by rapidly changing technology, including AI.

The cooperation between the United States and the European Union continues to be the bedrock for dealing with such global challenges, and the TTC has played a vital role in shaping a forward-looking dialogue and facilitating unprecedented coordination and quick responses to key trade and technology related issues and developments, not least in the context of Russia’s continued aggression against Ukraine. We therefore reaffirm the importance of the TTC and will continue to refine and adapt this forum to advance our shared objectives.

We have used the TTC to address global trade challenges, strengthen our economic and trade ties, accelerate the transition to climate-neutral economies, and boost our economic security. With the Transatlantic Initiative on Sustainable Trade (TIST), the TTC is contributing to the creation of a stronger, more sustainable, and more resilient transatlantic marketplace and facilitating environmentally responsible trade in goods and technologies. We have increased cooperation on interoperability of digital trade tools as well as standardisation of critical and emerging technologies to reduce the costs of trading across the Atlantic. To boost our economic security, we continue to cooperate through the TTC to diversify strategic supply chains, including solar panels, semiconductors, and critical raw materials, and to reduce vulnerabilities, including those caused by other countries’ non-market policies and practices. We have also deepened our dialogue and cooperation on export controls and investment screening.

Working with stakeholders, we continue to use the TTC to advance the governance of critical and emerging technologies, such as artificial intelligence, quantum technologies, semiconductors, biotechnology, and online platforms, including by supporting the development of rights-respecting international technical standards, codes of conduct, principles, and guidance. In particular, we call upon online platforms to ensure their services contribute to an environment that protects, empowers, and respects their users and the general public. We are working together to advance public interest research on online platforms, including to address particular societal risks, such as technology-facilitated gender-based violence. We will continue to combat foreign information manipulation and interference and to protect human rights defenders online, including in the context of elections.

We intend to continue our trade and technology cooperation as set out below.

II. Key Outcomes of the Sixth TTC Ministerial Meeting

A. Advancing Transatlantic Leadership on Critical and Emerging Technologies Artificial Intelligence

The United States and the European Union reaffirm our commitment to a risk-based approach to artificial intelligence (AI) and to advancing safe, secure, and trustworthy AI technologies. The dedicated coordination under the TTC continues to be instrumental to implementing our respective policy approaches which aim to reap the potential benefits of AI while protecting individuals and, society against its potential risks, and upholding human rights.

Our exchanges confirm our joint understanding that transparency and risk mitigation are key elements to ensure the safe, secure, and trustworthy development and use of AI, and we will continue to coordinate our contributions to multilateral initiatives such as the G7, the OECD, G20, Council of Europe, and UN processes to advance the responsible stewardship of AI. We encourage advanced AI developers in the United States and Europe to further the application of the Hiroshima Process International Code of Conduct for Organizations Developing Advanced AI Systems which complements our respective governance and regulatory systems.

With a view to ensuring continued and impactful cooperation on AI, leaders from the European AI Office and the U.S. AI Safety Institute have briefed one another on their respective approaches and mandates. These institutions today committed to establishing a Dialogue to deepen their collaboration, particularly to foster scientific information exchange among their respective scientific entities and affiliates on topics such as, benchmarks, potential risks, and future technological trends.

This cooperation will contribute to making progress with the implementation of the Joint Roadmap on Evaluation and Measurement Tools for Trustworthy AI and Risk Management, which is essential to minimize divergence as appropriate in our respective emerging AI governance and regulatory systems, and to cooperate on interoperable and international standards. Following stakeholder consultations, we have further developed a list of key AI terms with mutually accepted joint definitions and published an updated version.

We are also united in our belief of the potential of AI to address some of the world’s greatest challenges. We applaud the United Nations General Assembly Plenary Resolution “Seizing the Opportunities of Safe, Secure and Trustworthy Artificial Intelligence Systems for Sustainable Development,” that has solidified a global consensus around the need to manage the risks of AI while harnessing its benefits for sustainable development and the protection and promotion of human rights.

We are advancing on the promise of AI for sustainable development in our bilateral relationship through joint research cooperation as part of the administrative arrangement on artificial intelligence and computing to address global challenges for the public good. Working groups jointly staffed by U.S. science agencies and European Commission departments and agencies have achieved substantial progress by defining critical milestones for deliverables in the areas of extreme weather, energy, emergency response, and reconstruction. We are also making constructive progress in health and agriculture.

We will continue to explore opportunities with our partners in the United Kingdom, Canada, and Germany in the AI for Development Donor Partnership to accelerate and align our foreign assistance in Africa to support educators, entrepreneurs, and ordinary citizens to harness the promise of AI.

Quantum

The United States and the European Union established a Quantum Task Force to address open questions on science and technology cooperation between the United States and the European Union on quantum technologies. Its primary objective is to bridge gaps in research and development (R&D) between the United States and the European Union, thereby harmonizing efforts in quantum technology advancements. This includes the establishment of a shared understanding and approach to technology readiness levels, development of unified benchmarks, identification of critical components in quantum technology, and advancement of international standards.

The task force continues work to address key questions that are necessary to reach an agreement on launching joint actions for science and technology cooperation in quantum, such as reciprocity in openness of quantum research programs and in intellectual property rights regimes.

Post-Quantum Cryptography Coordination

The United States and the European Union affirm the importance of the rapid mobilization to secure our digital communication networks against the threats posed by the potential for a future cryptanalytically-relevant quantum computer. Our joint work in Post Quantum Cryptography (PQC), feeding into the U.S-EU Cyber Dialogue, enables U.S. and EU partners to share information to understand activities in PQC standardization and in the transition to PQC.

The Road to 6G

The United States and the European Union share the belief that advanced connectivity can  facilitate a more inclusive, sustainable, and secure global economy. We concur on shared principles for the research and development of 6G wireless communication systems, and we recognize that by working together we can support the development of technologies and global technical standards for tomorrow’s critical digital infrastructure that reflect shared principles and values. We support open, global, market-driven, and inclusive multi-stakeholder approaches for the development of technical standards for secure and interoperable telecommunications equipment and services. On the road to 6G, in a geopolitical environment increasingly marked by tension and conflict, the growing requirement for security and resilience of key enabling communications technologies and critical infrastructure highlights the need to rely on trusted suppliers, to prevent vulnerabilities and dependencies, with potential downstream effects on the entire industrial ecosystem.

We delivered a 6G outlook in May 2023. In addition, the two main industry associations on each side of the Atlantic jointly developed a 6G Industry Roadmap in December 2023. The roadmap affirmed the commitment of the stakeholders to collaborate on the development of 6G networks and proposed a comprehensive set of critical strategic reflections and recommendations from academia and industry. On 26 February 2024, ten countries, including some EU Member States concluded a joint statement on 6G.

These milestones have contributed to shaping the joint “6G vision” that we are adopting today. This vision focuses on technology challenges and research collaboration including on microelectronics; AI and cloud solutions for 6G; security and resilience; affordability and inclusiveness, sustainability and energy efficiency; openness and interoperability; efficient radio spectrum usage; and the standardisation process.

Having decided on this 6G vision, the United States and the European Union will strengthen cooperation between their research and innovation funding agencies, notably through an Administrative Arrangement signed between the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) and the Directorate‑General for Communications Networks, Content and Technology (DG Connect) of the European Commission covering collaboration in the field of 6G and Next Generation Internet technologies.

Considering the importance of developing a common vision to 6G and cooperating in the global standardisation process through standardisation organisations such as ETSI/3GPP, we also intend to develop an outreach plan with likeminded partners to support and advance the development of 6G networks.

Semiconductors

The coordination on our respective efforts to build resilient semiconductor supply chains remains crucial to the secure supply of semiconductors, which are indispensable inputs to an ever-growing range of key industry sectors, and to ensure leadership in cutting-edge technologies.

We have been cooperating fruitfully under two administrative arrangements:

• A joint early warning mechanism aimed at identifying (potential) supply chain disruptions and enabling early action to address their impacts, which has already proven useful in monitoring developments in the gallium and germanium markets; and
• A transparency mechanism for reciprocal sharing of information about public support provided to the semiconductor sector.

We intend to extend the two administrative arrangements for a period of three years to enable further coordination and to establish synergies between our support for investments in the semiconductor sector taking place under the EU Chips Act and the U.S. CHIPS Act.

The United States and the European Union share concerns about non-market economic policies and practices that may lead to distortionary effects or excessive dependencies for mature node (“legacy”) semiconductors. On the side of the fifth TTC ministerial meeting, which took place on 30 January 2024 in Washington, D.C., we held a joint roundtable with high-level industry representatives dedicated to legacy semiconductor supply chains. Both the United States and the European Union are committed to continuing to engage closely with industry on the issue. We plan to convene further government-to-government discussions with like-minded countries on this topic in the near future. In January 2024, the United States launched an industry survey to assess the use of legacy chips in supply chains that directly or indirectly support U.S. national security and critical infrastructure. The European Union is also gathering information on this issue. We intend to, as appropriate, continue to collect and share non-confidential information and market intelligence about non-market policies and practices, commit to consult each other on planned actions, and may develop joint or cooperative measures to address distortionary effects on the global supply chain for legacy semiconductors.

We plan to continue working to identify research cooperation opportunities on alternatives to the use of per- and polyfluorinated substances (PFAS) in chips. For example, we plan to explore the use of AI capacities and digital twins to accelerate the discovery of suitable materials to replace PFAS in semiconductor manufacturing.

Biotechnology Cooperation to Promote the Bioeconomy and Address Global Challenges

The bioeconomy is supported by the use of foundational and widely-applicable tools and technologies (including emerging biotechnologies), which have the potential to drive innovation to address global challenges. .These tools and technologies also represent an opportunity to begin developing a common international understanding of the bioeconomy and future efforts to evaluate, measure, and grow the global bioeconomy as a whole. A crucial component of this effort is establishing a shared understanding of some of the risks and vulnerabilities associated with the bioeconomy, including economic and security considerations, alongside a simultaneous commitment to enabling the safe, secure, sustainable, and responsible use of tools and technologies for bioeconomic development.

We look forward to cooperating on shared research, development, and innovation priorities through the U.S.-EU Joint Consultative Group that will push bioeconomic development forward in ways that address the most pressing global challenges we all face.

We acknowledge the significant promise and risks associated with the integration of advanced biotechnology with other technological disciplines such as AI, information technology, nanotechnology, neurotechnology, chemistry, and medicine, which will drive innovation and have significant implications for academia, industry, and economic security. To address the potential risks associated with the convergence of these technologies, we are committed to work toward mechanisms to safeguard dual-use advanced biotechnology items and equipment.

Transatlantic Cooperation on Standards for Critical and Emerging Technologies and Clean Energy Transition

The United States and the European Union share an interest in recognizing mutually compatible technical standards as a way to expand transatlantic approaches for the deployment of critical and emerging technologies that reflect our shared values.

We plan to continue to exchange information on international standardisation activities for critical and emerging technologies via the “Strategic Standardisation Information (SSI)” mechanism, as established at the second U.S-EU TTC ministerial meeting. Our deepened cooperation enables us to cooperate on global standards. In order to strengthen collaboration with the private sector, we organised a joint stakeholder workshop in Washington D.C. on 17 November 2023, which identified relevant areas for transatlantic collaboration.

Together with standards development organisations and stakeholders, we have endeavoured to work towards mutually compatible standards and best practices in areas of strategic interest with the objective of avoiding unnecessarily burdensome technical trade barriers, without prejudice to the specificities and needs of our respective legal systems.

Over the last two years, our cooperation has led to tangible outcomes. We have facilitated commonly recognised international standards for the rollout of megawatt charging systems for heavy-duty vehicle charging points, and joint work of U.S. and EU standardisation bodies on plastics recycling and additive manufacturing since the start of the TTC. Our work continues to facilitate the development of mutually recognised and compatible standards to enhance new opportunities for cooperation within our respective standardisation systems.  

Following a successful round of government-to-government technical exchanges, the European Commission and U.S. government released a Digital Identity Mapping Exercise ReportDigital Identity Mapping Exercise Report which provides the results of an initial mapping centred on the definitions, assurance levels, and references to international standards included across Revision 3 of the NIST Digital Identity Guidelines (Special Publication 800-63, Revision 3) and European Regulation (EU) No 910/2014 on electronic identification and trust services for electronic transactions in the internal market. The next phase of this project will focus on identifying potential use cases for transatlantic interoperability and cooperation with a view toward enabling the cross-border use of digital identities and wallets.

The United States and the European Union intend to continue to identify emerging technology standards that are enablers of the clean energy transition for transatlantic collaboration.

B. Promoting Sustainability and New Opportunities for Trade and Investment 

Transatlantic Initiative on Sustainable Trade 

The Transatlantic Initiative on Sustainable Trade (TIST) work programme, which we launched at the fourth U.S-EU TTC ministerial meeting in May 2023, has advanced our cooperation on actions to accelerate the transition to climate-neutral economies in the United States and the European Union in a mutually beneficial way. The United States and the European Union have been making progress on the different work strands under the TIST work programme and will continue to advance this work.

Building a Transatlantic Green Marketplace

Building on our strong economic links to accelerate the green transition while creating new business opportunities for our firms and good employment opportunities for our citizens is a key objective of the TIST.

On 30-31 January 2024, the United States and the European Union jointly organised the “Crafting the Transatlantic Green Marketplace” event in Washington, D.C. The event brought together representatives from the U.S. and EU business, civil society, and labor communities to engage in a series of thematic stakeholder-led discussions that focused on identifying opportunities for transatlantic collaboration to promote the transition to a more sustainable and climate-neutral economy on both sides of the Atlantic. The United States and the European Union thank the participants for their time and input. We are currently analysing the various proposals for cooperation received from the stakeholders to assess their potential to be taken forward.

In addition, the United States and the European Union will continue various efforts under the TIST umbrella, including exploring potential avenues of cooperation on conformity assessment.

Green Public Procurement

The United States and the European Union underscore that, by achieving a common understanding on green public procurement practices, we can accelerate the uptake of more sustainable and greener solutions to achieve our common environmental and climate goals.

To this end, we have issued a Joint U.S.-EU Catalogue of Best Practices on Green Public Procurement. It will contribute to advancing sustainability objectives by identifying and promoting policy tools for accelerating the deployment of publicly financed sustainability projects in the United States and the European Union.

The Joint Catalogue presents a collection of policies, practices, and actions used across all stages of the procurement process, from the strategic planning to pre-procurement, procurement, and post-contract award stage, and addresses all types of environmental and climate challenges, such as reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, energy efficiency or promoting circular economy approaches. It can serve as an inspiration for policymakers and suppliers, as well as provide ideas for the uptake of green solutions in public procurement globally.

The United States and the European Union will continue to work together on how to use the Joint Catalogue and maximise its impact.

Secure and Sustainable Supply Chains for the Clean Energy Transition

The United States and the European Union reaffirm that secure and sustainable transatlantic supply chains are key for a solid and steadfast transition towards a net zero economy and will help reduce excessive dependencies in strategic economic activities. We intend to continue to cooperate on strategic supply chains, such as solar, to help us increase secure supply of clean energy. The United States and the European Union share common challenges in the solar sector and reaffirm the importance of a dedicated workstream that explores ways to jointly support our photovoltaic manufacturing capacity (including equipment) and to diversify and de-risk this supply chain.

The United States and the European Union also continue efforts to promote transparency and traceability to improve social standards and environmental protections across supply chains that support the green transition. In this context, we are planning a workshop with stakeholders to present ongoing initiatives to promote innovative solutions in the management of sustainable supply chains, including a focused session on solar.

U.S-EU Clean Energy Incentives Dialogue

The United States and the European Union share a strong commitment to tackling the climate crisis. We want to further the growth of the global clean energy economy while establishing resilient, secure, and diverse clean energy supply chains. By strengthening and expanding clean energy industries and investing in future-oriented sectors, we generate jobs, ignite a positive cycle of innovation, and decrease costs for clean energy technologies.

Through the U.S-EU Clean Energy Incentives Dialogue, we continue to work in a transparent and mutually reinforcing manner, to avoid zero-sum competition, subsidy races and distortions in transatlantic trade and investment flows that could arise from our respective policies and incentives. In this way, we strive to maximise clean energy technology deployment that creates jobs and does not lead to windfalls for private interests. To further enhance transparency, we intend to share specific information about our respective public incentive programs starting with one sector as a pilot with the possibility to extend this to further sectors in the future and will explore putting in place a reciprocal mechanism for consultations.

We share concerns about a range of third country non-market policies and practices. We have discussed thoseused by certain third countries to attain a dominant global position in clean energy sectors, and recognise the value of continuing to exchange information on such non-market policies and practices. We will continue to explore policy tools and possible coordinated action to address harm caused by these policies and practices. including by fostering supply chain diversification, reducing dependencies, and building resilience to economic coercion.

Critical Minerals

The United States and the European Union affirm their close collaboration on diversifying global critical minerals supply chains. We welcome the launch of the Mineral Security Partnership (MSP) Forum, which we will co-chair. The MSP Forum will formalize and expand its existing engagements with minerals producing countries, with a particular focus on advancing and accelerating individual projects with high environmental protections and social governance and labor standards and promoting discussion of policies that contribute to diverse and resilient supply chains.

Continuing our well-established cooperation on critical raw materials, a workshop on “Developing the permanent magnets value chain” resulted in valuable exchanges focussing on rare earth magnets. We plan to continue these exchanges in the future.

To promote a green transition, enhance economic security, and strengthen environmental protections and labor rights in international critical minerals supply chains, the United States and the European Union are advancing negotiations toward a Critical Minerals Agreement.

Transatlantic E-Mobility Cooperation

We welcome the successful completion of the Electro-mobility and Interoperability with Smart Grids workstream with the publication of the U.S-EU joint technical recommendations for “Future Public Demonstrations of Vehicle-Grid Integration (VGI) Pilots”. Devised in consultation with industry experts and stakeholders, the recommendations propose the development of best practices to prepare for large-scale VGI demonstrations, educate potential customers, and incorporate requisite customer-related factors in demonstration programme designs, and aim at supporting communication and coordination between the United States and the EU.

The recommendations complement the “Transatlantic Technical Recommendations for Government Funded Implementation of Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure,” which were presented at the fourth TTC ministerial meeting in May 2023 in Luleå, Sweden.

Together, the two sets of recommendations can benefit companies and end users, and transatlantic trade and investment, by supporting the expansion of e-mobility as well as the realization of U.S. and EU clean energy and de-carbonization commitments.

Enhancing eInvoicing Interoperability between the United States and the European Union

As part of our efforts to increase the use of digital tools that enhance trade, Electronic Invoicing (eInvoicing) has emerged as a transformative tool in modern business, offering efficiency gains, cost savings, and trade benefits. The continued cooperation and efforts towards compatible eInvoicing between the United States and the European Union. offer a spectrum of advantages, with the potential to significantly reshape cross-market transactions and the dynamics of transatlantic trade. Even though most of the eInvoicing technical specifications and profiles are highly aligned, there are differences between our respective eInvoicing systems. We intend to continue to cooperate and coordinate for greater compatibility, particularly in terms of business and technical interoperability, as outlined in the declaration annexed to this Joint Statement.

Trade and Labor in the Green Transition

Today, the United States and the European Union held their third session of the tripartite Transatlantic Trade and Labor Dialogue (TALD). This session brought together TTC principals and senior representatives from labor, business, and government from both sides of the Atlantic and continued the joint transatlantic work with social partners on the promotion of sustainable and responsible supply chains with strong protections for labor rights. Building on the discussions during the workshop on the “Promotion of Good Quality Jobs for a Successful, Just and Inclusive Green Transition” on 30 January 2024, the TALD meeting provided the opportunity to dive deeper and hear views from labor and business stakeholders on the topic of the green transition, with specific focus on the green transition and other challenges, and the future of TALD.

In addition, the United States and the European Union reaffirmed their commitment to cooperate to eliminate forced labor from global supply chains, as called upon in the labor and businesses stakeholders’ May 2023 joint recommendations, and they expressed the intention to continue technical dialogue to exchange information, as well as share best practices regarding the implementation of their forced labor policies, including with regard to research and risk assessment.

C. Trade, Security, and Economic Prosperity

Trade for Economic Security

Strengthening our economic security is a fundamental pillar of the transatlantic partnership. The TTC has helped provide a better understanding of our respective approaches to economic security. We intend to continue cooperation under the TTC to address common challenges using relevant trade and technology tools, bilaterally and in relevant fora, including the G7 and the World Trade Organization. We reaffirm shared concerns about the challenges posed to our economic security by, among other issues, economic coercion, the weaponization of economic dependencies, and the use of non-market policies and practices by third countries. We share the objective of continuing efforts to de-risk and diversify our trade and investment relations, including by reducing critical and excessive dependencies and strengthening the resilience of strategic supply chains.

Cooperation on Export Controls and Sanction-Related Export Restrictions

We continue to recognise the important role played by the TTC in supporting the European Union, the United States, and other international partners in their unprecedented cooperation on measures against Russia and Belarus. Such cooperation has helped bring about a continuous alignment of our regulations and a consistent application of export restrictions targeting Russia and Belarus through, for example, regular exchanges of information about authorisation and denial decisions. It has also supported coordination to counter the circumvention of our measures, such as through the creation and update of a common list of high priority items (CHP) and our outreach to industry.

We will continue to work to further align U.S. and EU priorities on Russian export restrictions and coordinated international messaging on those priorities to combat circumvention and improve efficiency and effectiveness of domestic controls. As regards the implementation of export restrictions against Russia, both sides welcome the setting up of the platform for the exchange of licensing information and plan to continue to exchange information on outreach activities, including to third countries and industry.

Both sides have also decided to continue work on facilitating secure high-technology trade and reducing administrative burdens in areas covered by export controls by developing a common understanding of respective rules and mapping out measures that would help streamline this trade, while maintaining a well-functioning and effective export control regime. For example, the United States has expanded licencing exceptions to EU Member States.

We welcome the impulse the TTC has given to coordinated action by the United States and the European Union in reaching out to other countries and supporting them in strengthening their export controls, for example, through the provision of secure software for the processing of licenses.

Investment Screening

We reiterate the importance of having effective foreign direct investment (FDI) screening mechanisms in place aimed at addressing national security risks in the United States and addressing threats to security and public order in the European Union. We welcome the progress in this regard and will continue to support the development and implementation of these mechanisms, while promoting an open and attractive investment environment.

We have carried out joint work to identify certain best practices on foreign direct investment screening with the intention to eventually bring these to the attention of screening authorities and stakeholders more broadly. We will soon launch of a joint repository that will provide additional resources to U.S. and EU Member State investment screening professionals. We have deepened our cooperation on investment screening through hosting a public stakeholder event and conducting outreach to like-minded partners in the Western Balkans to support their development of effective FDI screening mechanisms and intend to continue such outreach in 2024.

We will continue our cooperation on investment screening through technical exchanges, including on investment trends impacting security risks related to specific sensitive technologies to provide a better understanding of similarities and differences in approach.

Outbound Investment Security

We recognize the importance of investment, innovation, and open economies. At the same time, we are also attentive to concerns regarding potential security threats and risks to international peace and security that may arise from certain outbound investments in a narrow set of critical technologies. Against this background, the United States and the European Union will continue to exchange information on the security risks, risk analyses, and on our respective approaches around this issue, and how to address this new challenge.

Addressing Non-Market Policies and Practices

The United States and the European Union remain concerned about the persistent use of other countries’ non-market policies and practices and the challenge they pose both to our workers and businesses and to other third-country markets. We continue to exchange on the risks that non-market policies and practices, including non-market excess capacity, pose in certain sectors and to engage with partners where appropriate.

We engaged with other countries who share our concerns about China’s non-market policies and practices in the medical devices sector, and conveyed these concerns directly to China. The United States and the European Union will continue to monitor developments in the medical devices sector.

D. Defending Human Rights and Values in a Changing Geopolitical Digital Environment

Protecting Information Integrity in a Pivotal Year for Democratic Resilience

The United States and the European Union reiterate our unwavering commitment to support democracies across the world. We are determined to defend human rights and will continue to call out authoritarianism. In a year marked by democratic elections around the world, we call upon all actors including governments, industry, journalists, human rights defenders, and civil society to protect and defend information integrity both online and offline.

We express our strong support for the role of free, pluralistic, and independent media in protecting information integrity. Independent media should serve as a public watchdog and a key pillar of democracy, as well as an important and dynamic part of our economy. We recognize its indispensable role informing public opinion, fact-checking, and holding those in power accountable.

We are witnessing rapid technological advancements which provide opportunities to enhance information integrity but also create new risks. The United States and the European Union share the concern that malign use of AI applications, such as the creation of harmful “deepfakes,” poses new risks, including to further the spread and targeting of foreign information manipulation and interference (FIMI). We call upon technology companies and online platforms to uphold information integrity, including in the run-up to elections across the world.

In the European Union, the Digital Services Act (DSA) requires designated very large online platforms and search engines to assess and mitigate societal risks emanating from their services, including negative effects on civic discourse and electoral processes and recommends specific measures, including on generative AI content.

 Cooperation on Online Platforms

The United States and the European Union reaffirm their view that online platforms should exercise greater responsibility in ensuring that their services contribute to an online environment that protects, empowers, and respects their users. We reiterate that online platforms should take appropriate actions to address the impact of their services on the mental health and development of children and youth.

The United States and the European Union also reaffirm that urgent action is needed to address technology-facilitated gender-based violence, which disproportionately impacts women and girls, who often experience multiple and intersecting discriminations and oppressions. We developed a set of joint principles on combatting gender-based violence on online platforms that complement further the joint high-level principles on the protection and empowerment of children and youth and facilitation of data access from online platforms for independent research, which were released at the fourth TTC ministerial meeting. 

In addition to releasing these principles, we are also publishing a status report on mechanisms for researcher access to online platform data, which builds upon efforts undertaken by the academic and research community. The aim of this work is to disseminate information about the new and improved possibilities now available to study and understand systemic risks related to online platforms. We call on online platforms to expand and improve access for researchers, particularly on societal risks.

To deepen this work, in the margins of this Ministerial Meeting, we organized a joint workshop on access to platform data and using this data to combat technology-facilitated gender-based violence. We invited, and continue to encourage, the research community to analyse these data access mechanisms, and to explore how they can contribute to a better understanding of the functioning of – and the potential risks emanating from online platforms with regard to areas such as the mental health and development of children and youth, and technology-facilitated gender-based violence.

We share the commitment to the highest appropriate standards of protection in these areas for users in both the United States and the European Union.

Protecting Human Rights Defenders Online

The United States and the European Union recognise the key role human rights defenders (HRDs) play in defending human rights and fundamental freedoms, and we are committed to the protection of HRDs online and offline. We are working together to address human rights risks stemming from the misuse of digital technologies, including combatting internet shutdowns, unlawful surveillance, and the targeting of HRDs online. Elevating the critical role of HRDs and supporting and protecting them in doing their work safely is not only a shared foreign policy priority for the United States and the European Union, but an imperative for advancing human rights for all.

Following the commitment made at the fourth TTC ministerial meeting, we have published joint Recommended Actions for Online Platforms on Protecting Human Rights Defenders Online. This document sets out ten recommendations that online platforms can take globally to prevent, mitigate, and provide remedy for attacks against HRDs online.

These recommendations reflect commitments we made with global partners through the Declaration of the Future of the Internet and reflect key principles of U.S. and EU legislation, initiatives, and policies to safeguard human rights online. They were informed by extensive stakeholder consultations organized by the United States and the European Union from January 2023 to February 2024. The United States and the European Union intend to take further actions to address the needs of HRDs around the world. We will engage with all relevant stakeholders to promote the recommended actions and facilitate their implementation. We will also facilitate further exchanges and cooperation between the European Union- and United States-based emergency mechanisms on support strategies which seek to prevent, curb, mitigate, and eliminate online attacks, including the use of arbitrary and unlawful surveillance targeting HRDs.

Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference in Third Countries

The United States and the European Union consider foreign information manipulation and interference (FIMI) to be geopolitical and security challenges. We share the aim of addressing this threat and enhancing the resilience of democracies. Against this background, we have taken a number of actions to increase transatlantic cooperation to proactively address FIMI, including disinformation, while upholding human rights and fundamental freedoms. We will continue to work together to address FIMI through the TTC and other multi- and bilateral contexts.

We will continue to jointly use and further advance the common analytical methodology to identify, analyse and detect FIMI decided at the fourth TTC ministerial meeting. We are engaging with other international partners on a quarterly basis to familiarise them with this methodology. Expanding the network of partners familiar with this methodology will enhance our common understanding of the threat and allow us to jointly identify, analyse, and counter FIMI globally.

The European Union, the United States, and the Western Balkan partners share the same vision for an open, reliable, and secure Internet, as evidenced by their joint endorsement of the Declaration for the Future of the Internet. We will coordinate our efforts in order to support the Western Balkan partners by launching a coordination mechanism to address FIMI threats more effectively in the region. This is in line with the European Union’s and like-minded partners’ initiatives to increase their capabilities to further identify, assess, and counter FIMI. Our support will reduce third countries’, and in particular Russia’s and other actors’, including China’s, ability to effectively employ FIMI campaigns in the region. We will help our partners in the Western Balkans to develop capacity in five key action areas: the development of national strategies and policies, the creation of dedicated governance structures and institutions, increasing human and technical capabilities, protecting and supporting the role of independent media, academia, and civil society, and multilateral engagement.

Secure and Trusted Digital Infrastructure and Connectivity in Third Countries

The United States and the European Union reiterate the importance of and support for secure, trusted, and resilient digital connectivity and information and communication technology and services (ICTS) supply chains in third countries, provided by trusted suppliers.

We commend the decisions taken by partner countries towards trusted ICT ecosystems by ensuring high cybersecurity and resilience standards for connectivity solutions and networks, including by restricting or excluding high-risk suppliers from their national networks and using trusted vendors and services providers for maintenance and repair.

We will continue to reach out to partners across the world to understand the needs and challenges around securing digital infrastructure and explore how we can best collaborate to support the digitalisation goals of emerging economies. We continue to engage emerging economies through technical discussions and high-level roundtables to increase interest in secure digital connectivity. We also remain committed to continued exchanges with relevant industry actors such as mobile network operators and trusted equipment suppliers.

We are delivering on our commitments to support to secure and resilient connectivity projects in Costa Rica, Jamaica, Kenya, and the Philippines, including through mechanisms like the Global Gateway, the Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment, and technical exchanges, including third counties sharing experiences to accelerate secure connectivity in other parts of the region.

The United States and the European Union are supporting Tunisia’s goal of establishing secure digital connectivity and infrastructure by relying on trusted vendors through collaborative advocacy, technical assistance and by exploring financing, coordination, and policy alignment. This includes providing training programs to targeted Tunisian government agencies, IT professionals, and businesses, and promoting the development of cybersecurity standards and frameworks, in particular for 5G. The United States and the European Union are advancing discussions with relevant financial institutions for the mobilisation of support for secure digital connectivity infrastructure projects with trusted vendors.

We aim to continue our actions to support secure and resilient digital connectivity in third countries. Following the earlier signing of a memorandum of understanding between the European Investment Bank (EIB) and the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC), the United States and the European Union intend to augment their actions by furthering cooperation between the EU Member State and United States financing agencies. In 2023, the Export-Import Bank of the United States (EXIM) signed co-financing memorandums of understanding with the Swedish EKN and Finnish Finnvera respectively to facilitate joint support for export projects, and has enabled direct support to trusted suppliers from both sides.

We are committed to exploring options to act strategically, cooperatively, and efficiently to provide attractive incentives to partner countries to choose trusted suppliers for the development of their connectivity networks.

Secure and Resilient International Connectivity

The United States and the European Union recall the economic and geostrategic importance of cooperating on trust and security in the entirety of ICT infrastructure, including maintenance and repair. To this end, we continue to seek ways to advance cooperation on international connectivity with trustworthy, secure, and resilient networks. This could include trans-oceanic routes including through the Arctic and Pacific regions.

III. Building the Transatlantic Partnership Together with Stakeholders

We remain committed to high levels of transparency and the close involvement of the transatlantic stakeholder community at large in the work of the TTC, including businesses, labor organisations, non-profit organisations, environmental constituencies, and academics.

We have therefore extensively reached out to stakeholders and given them the possibility to be involved and to provide input and receive feedback through the organisation of events, roundtables, and workshops and the establishment of dedicated websites like Futurium. With the support of the EU-financed Trade and Technology Dialogue, several high-level events have taken place and stakeholders have been consulted on topics such as sustainable trade, standardisation, AI, connectivity, and semiconductors.

In addition to these activities, we have also engaged with relevant stakeholders in more structured formats such as the Transatlantic Trade and Labor Dialogue, the Talent for Growth Task Force, and with small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in a series of webinars on the topic of SME access to and use of digital tools.

Talent for Growth

The Talent for Growth Task Force, launched in April 2023 with a one-year mandate, has served both as a platform for best practices and a catalyst for innovative skills approaches that promote economic growth and create opportunities for workers in the technology sector. The Task Force brought together leaders from government, business, labor unions, and organisations that support training from the United States and the European Union. The Task Force identified, mapped, and disseminated implementable models and ideas in four critical areas: training workers to meet business needs, including women and underrepresented groups in technical jobs, Moving to a skills-first culture, and micro-credentials. The Task Force endorsed a statement featuring key messages stemming from these discussions.

The discussions in this group have confirmed the critical role talent plays for the sustainable growth of our economies and the well-being of our societies in an age of rapidly changing technology. It examined the acceleration of change brought about by AI. The Task Force has established bilateral relations between Task Force members which have catalysed private-sector initiatives and will last beyond the timeframe of the Task Force. The European and the United States remain dedicated to continuing to equip our workforces with the skills necessary to meet the needs created by rapidly changing technology, including AI.

Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs)

The United States and the European Union recognise the use of digital tools as a key enabler for SMEs to innovate, grow, and compete and are continuing their work to promote the uptake of digital technologies by SMEs.

Several webinars and outreach activities where SMEs shared their needs and experience were held during the last two years. After an analysis of these stakeholder exchanges, we have developed a common set of recommendations for U.S. and EU policymakers to implement measures to help SMEs to accelerate access to these technologies.

The recommendations focus on the topics of digital-related trainings; transatlantic exchange programmes; information-sharing on cyber-security, intellectual property, and standards; and access to finance. To continue the work, we intend to develop an implementation process for these recommendations, including measures such as a webinar on access to finance and the publishing of cross-referenced U.S. and EU websites with practical information for SMEs.

IV. Conclusion and Next Steps

Since its inaugural meeting on 29 September 2021, the TTC has realized substantial progress and achievements across all workstreams. These results have enabled the United States and the European Union: to explore how to create new trade and investment opportunities, notably to contribute to the green transition; to advance our shared leadership in emerging technologies, such as 6G, quantum, and biotechnology so that democracies can remain at the vanguard of these developments; to provide a robust joint response to Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine; to cooperate on economic security measures to reduce economic dependencies; to continue to develop a shared understanding of the non-market policies and practices and the risks they pose or our workers, businesses and markets globally; to jointly enhance supply chain resilience while promoting transparency and cooperation on our industrial policy approaches in key sectors, including semiconductors and clean energy; to exchange information on best practices in eliminating forced labor from our global supply chains; to advance and reinforce interoperability between AI governance frameworks based on our shared democratic values to achieve our common vision for safe, secure, and trustworthy AI globally ; to advance the resilience and security of our ICT infrastructures; and to finance and promote secure connectivity with trusted suppliers around the world.

These achievements demonstrate the enduring ties between the United States and the European Union and the importance of maintaining an operational forum for cooperation on strategic trade and technology issues of common interest and geopolitical relevance. As the United States and the European Union enter their respective electoral processes, the work we do under the TTC will remain relevant, strategic, and timely, while allowing for the necessary flexibility to adapt to changing circumstances.

Building on the lessons learned from our cooperation so far, we intend to use the remainder of 2024 to engage with U.S. and EU stakeholders to learn their views on the future of the TTC.

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National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan spoke by telephone on Wednesday with Sri Lankan National Security Advisor Sagala Ratnayake. Their discussion covered areas of bilateral engagement including U.S. support to Sri Lanka’s security and sovereignty, Sri Lanka’s ongoing efforts to complete the fiscal, monetary, and governance elements of its IMF program, and future opportunities for cooperation. National Security Advisor Sullivan expressed his interest in maintaining an ongoing engagement with Sri Lanka in order to collaboratively pursue peace and security in the region.

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Maryland Transportation Authority
Baltimore, Maryland

3:21 P.M. EDT

THE PRESIDENT: Thank you, thank you, thank you. (Applause.) Please, please. Thank you.

By the way, folks, I say to my dad: Dad, they’re mispronouncing Baltimore. (Pronounced in an accent.) (Laughter.) My dad and the Biden — please, sit down — the Biden family goes all the way back to being watermen in this bay for a long, long time back in the la- — mid-1800s. And my father was born and raised here in Baltimore. And there’s a strong, strong connection. Still have family in the region as well.

Governor Moore, Senator Cardin, Senator Van Hollen, Congress[man] Mfume, Mayor Scott, County Executive Johnny O. — (laughter) — I like that — Johnny “O-ho-ho” — (laughter) — to all the military members and first responders and, most importantly, to the people of Maryland, I’m here to say: Your nation has your back, and I mean it. Your nation has your back. (Applause.)

And you’ve got, without exaggeration, one of the finest delegations in the Congress of any state in the Union. And they know how to get things done, and we’re going to get this paid for. Aren’t we?

PARTICIPANTS: Yes.

THE PRESIDENT: All right. I was just briefed by the United — Uni- — Unified Command about the ongoing impact of this tragic collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge last Tuesday.

The damage is devastating, and our hearts are still breaking. Eight — eight construction workers went into the water when the bridge fell. Six lost their lives. Most were immigrants, but all were Marylanders — hard-working, strong, and selfless.

After pulling a night shift fixing potholes, they were on a break when the ship struck.

Just seconds before, one of the men named Carlos, who was only 24, left a message for his girlfriend. Here’s what it said: “We just poured cement, and we’re waiting for it to dry,” he said.

Well, to all the families and loved ones who are grieving: I’ve come here to grieve with you. We all are.

It’s not the same, but I know a little bit about what it’s like to lose a piece of your soul — to get that phone call in the middle of the night to say family members are gone. I’ve been there. It’s feeling like having a black hole in your chest, like you’re being sucked in, unable to breath. The anger, the pain, the depth of the loss is so profound.

And we know it’s hard to believe, and you’re probably not going to believe me, but I can tell you now from personal experience: The day is going to come when the memory of your loved one, as you walk by that park or the church or something that you shared together, it’s going to bring a smile to your lips before it brings a tear to your eye.

It’s going to happen. It’s going to take a while, but I promise you, it will happen. And that’s when you know you’re going to be able to make it. I promise you it will come. And our prayers for you is that time comes sooner rather than later — but it will come.

We’ll also never forget the contributions these men made to this city. We’re going to keep working hard to recover each of them.

And, you know, my vow is that we will not rest, as Carlos said, until the cement has dried on the entirety of a new bridge — a new bridge. (Applause.)

Earlier this afternoon, we took an aerial tour to survey the wreckage. You know, from the air, I saw the bridge that’s been ripped apart. But here on the ground, I see a community that’s been pulled together.

I want to thank you all — the first responders, the port workers, state and local officials — who sprang into action before dawn, who’ve been here ever since.

And we did talk at, I think it was, 2:00 or 3:00 in the morning. You were out here. You were here.

Within minutes of the collapse, the U.S. Coast Guard arrived on the scene. Within hours, I ordered personnel from the Army Corps of Engineers, the Navy, the Department of Transportation to assist in every way possible.

Within a day, we stood up a Unified Command.

In the weeks to come, I want you to know: We’re going to continue to have your backs every step of the way. I guarantee you. I guarantee you.

First — our first is our priority to reopen the port. This is one of the nation’s largest shipping hubs. And it’s the top port in America both in importing and exporting of cars and light trucks — the number one.

Simply put: The impact here has a significant impact everywhere — up and down the coast and around the country.

Thousands of tons of mangled steel remain lodged in the water, blocking ships from moving in and out of the harbor.

I’ve dec- — I’ve directed the Coast Guard, the Navy, and the Army Corps of Engineers — who are, by the way, the finest engineers in the world — and the state officials to work together to help remove this steel as quickly as possible and as safely as possible.

So far, our team has been able to clear two small channels for essential ships helping clear the wreckage.

And, yesterday, the Army Corps announced that by the end of April they will be able to open the third channel for some commercial traffic, including car carriers. And by the end of May, we’ll open the full channel — the full channel. (Applause.)

My task force on Supply Chain Disruption has been able to — been engaging with union, rail, trucking, shipping, state and local leaders to minimize the impact on our supply chains.

And I’m proud to announce that the federal government will provide over $8 million in grant funds to make the infrastructure improvements at Sparrows Point, as the only [part of the] port unaffected by this collapse, which will allow Sparrows Point to take on more ships. And that’s happening now — will happen shortly.

Second, we’re focusing on protecting the workers and businesses. Folks, 20,000 jobs depend on this port. Twenty thousand families depend on this port to buy groceries, to make rent, to pay their bills.

Today, my administration is announcing the first tranche of Dislocated Worker Grants — fancy phrase to — which is dimed — all of it is there to make sure it — it helps create jobs for workers involved in the cleanup of this incident — additional jobs.

My Small Business Administration has also issued a disaster declaration, which will allow the SBA to offer low-interest loans for small businesses impacted by the collapse in order to keep things moving.

The state, the city, the county are also stepping up in impressive ways to help workers and businesses who have been affected by this disaster.

But, folks, we all need to step up. Amazon, Home Depot, Domino Sugar, and many other companies all rely on this port. And they have committed to keep workers and payrolls on their — and their businesses in Baltimore and [as we] move as quickly and clearly as possible to clear the channel. (Applause.)

I’m calling on every company at and around the port to do the same thing — the same exact thing: commit to stay.

And to the customers who use this port, we’re coming back, and we’re coming back soon.

Folks, finally, we’re going to move heaven and earth to rebuild this bridge as rapidly as humanly possible. And we’re going to do so with union labor and American steel. (Applause.) For a simple reason: They’re the best workers in the world, and that’s not hyperbole.

Every day, over 30,000 vehicles traveled across this bridge, and I was one of those people. I commuted every day from Delaware for 36 years year to Washington, D.C., back and forth, and about one fourth of that time by automobile. I’ve been to every part of this port.

Folks, we now face a question no American should ever have to ask: How will I get to work? How will I go to school? How will I get to a hospital?

A response — in response, everyone, including Congress, should be asking only one question, and they’re going to be asked the question by your delegation: How can we help? How can we solve that problem?

My administration is committed — absolutely committed to ensuring that the parties responsible for this tragedy pay to repair the damage and be held accountable to the fullest extent the law will allow.

But I also want to be clear: We will support Maryland and Baltimore every step of the way to help you rebuild and maintain all the business and commerce that’s here now. (Applause.)

As the governor — as the governor can tell you, within hours of the American req- — the Maryland request, we approved $60 million in emergency federal funding. I fully intend — I fully intend, as the governor knows, to have the federal government cover the cost of rebuilding this entire bridge — all of it — all of it — (applause) — as we’ve done in other parts of the country in similar circumstances.

And I stand here, I call on Congress to authorize this effort as soon as possible.

Let me close with this. This port is over 300 years old. As a matter of fact, as I said, my great-great-grandfather worked here as a waterman in this bay. This port is older than our Republic. And it’s been through tough, tough times before.

During the war of 1812, a young Marylander named Francis Scott Key, to whom the bridge is named after, sat in a boat in this very harbor, and he watched — he watched the British troops launch an attack after attack on American forces.

But as the dawn broke, we saw the American flag still flying, Baltimore was still standing, and our nation, as he wrote in the “Star-Spangled Banner,” had made it through a perilous fight.

Folks, this is going to take time, but Governor Moore, Senator Cardin, Senator Van Hollen, Congressman Mfume, Mayor Scott, County Executive Johnny O., and others are going to rebuild this bridge as rapidly as possible. And, folks, we’re determined to come back even stronger.

We’re the only nation that has gone through every crisis that we’ve had — we come out stronger than we went in. And we’re going to do it here as well. And once more to make this perilous challenge — this perilous challenge.

You know, because we’re the United States of America, there’s nothing — nothing, nothing beyond our capacity when we do it together. Think about that. Remember who we are. We’re the United States of America. Nothing is beyond our capacity.

May God bless you all. And may God protect our troops, our first responders, and all those who gave their soul.

Thank you, thank you, thank you. (Applause.)

3:33 P.M. EDT

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South Lawn

12:52 P.M. EDT

Q    Your reaction to the earthquake, sir — the New York City earthquake?  Can you talk about it briefly?  Your reaction, sir, to the New York —

THE PRESIDENT: With regard — with re- —

Q    Did you threaten to stop military —

THE PRESIDENT:  With regard —

Q    — aid to Israel?

THE PRESIDENT:  With regard to the earthquake, I spoke to the governor.  He thinks everything is under control.  He’s not too concerned about it — the governor of New Jersey — so things are all right. 

Thank you.

(Cross-talk.)

Q    Did you threaten to stop military aid to Israel, Mr. President?

THE PRESIDENT:  Pardon me?

Q    Did you threaten to stop military aid to Israel?

THE PRESIDENT:  I asked them to do what they’re doing. 

(Cross-talk.)

Q    Are you abandoning Israel?

THE PRESIDENT:  Where you from, man?

Q    Are you abandoning Israel?

THE PRESIDENT:  Is that a serious question? 

12:53 P.M. EDT

 

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Naomi Drenan Recreation Center
Charlotte, North Carolina

(April 4, 2024)

2:28 P.M. EDT

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Good afternoon, everyone.   Good afternoon.  Please have a seat.  Please have a seat. 

Donnetta, thank you for that introduction and all the work you’ve been doing at Self-Help.  I’m going to talk about that work in a minute. 

But I really — I really appreciate the fact that the spirit behind the announcements we’re making today really are about our community leaders and the love, the passion, the commitment, the drive, the ambition that our community leaders have, knowing that when we see and understand who the community is, everyone will benefit.  Everyone will benefit.  So, thank you for that. 

Mayor Lyles — Mayor Lyles, thank you for once again welcoming me to your beautiful city and for all the leadership that you have provided and the partnership you have provided to the President and me.  I want to thank you for that. 

And, of course, it is so good to be back in this beautiful state with so many incredible leaders. 

The Administrator, Michael Regan, who has been so bold and innovative as a leader for the EPA. 

And then I just — you know I’m going to talk about you — my Congresswoman.  I mean, I know I don’t live in your district, but — (laughter) — the great Alma Adams, a long-standing champion of North Carolina’s families and a dear, dear friend to me for the years that I have been in Washington, D.C., before as a senator and now as vice president. 

And many of you may know of her extraordinary work, including being the co-founder of the Black Maternal Health Caucus and all your work there.  (Applause.)  Thank you.  Thank you.

And so, thank you to everyone here for all your work. 

So, we are here today to address two issues that are critical to the strength of our economy and the future of our nation: access to capital and building a clean energy economy.  (Applause.)  Yes.

So, as you have now heard, since taking office, the President and I have made an incredible investment, the largest investment ever, to take on the climate crisis: roughly a trillion dollars — with a T — (laughter) — I had to — (laughter and applause) — over the next 10 years.  And that investment to create millions of jobs; to provide billions of dollars of clean energy money and investment to small businesses and entrepreneurs; to lower monthly energy bills for families across our nation; and to expand access to capital.

In every community in our nation, there are, of course, extraordinary people with talent, ingenuity, and the ability to help us take on the climate crisis: entrepreneurs, who I’ve met, who founded an innovative solar and wind power start-up that can help reduce our greenhouse gas emissions; in communities where there are small-business owners who help produce the batteries that power our nation’s fleet of electric vehicles; and, of course, community organizers that help millions of families make their homes more energy efficient to lower their energy bills. 

But while every community has the capacity to join the clean energy economy, not every community has had the opportunity to do that. 

As vice president, I have met with climate leaders from communities across our nation — from rural Arizona, to downtown Detroit; from Dalton, Georgia, to Denver, Colorado, to Durham.  And I can tell you that I have seen firsthand that in too many places, too many people with all of that talent there have still had limited opportunity to access to capital to do the work that they want to do to start and grow a clean energy business, to make their homes more energy efficient, or to install solar panels or EV chargers in their community. 

So, I have fought for years with so many of you — we have fought together shoulder to shoulder — to expand access to capital for every community.  And as you heard, as a United States senator, I was proud to — to gain more than $12 billion, which we secured for our nation’s community banks.  And those are, of course, financial institutions which are run by folks who live, work, and invest in the communities they serve. 

And then, as vice president, in 2022, I launched the Economic Opportunity Coalition, which is a coalition of banks, technology companies, and nonprofits, to invest billions of dollars in community banks from the private sector so they can make more loans under what we know to be circumstances where we’re looking at communities that have been underserved, including our rural communities. 

And so far, the Economic Opportunity Coalition has invested over a billion dollars across our country. 

And then, last year, we announced the largest investment in our nation’s history, $20 billion, to create a national network of nonprofits to expand access to capital for community-based climate projects — projects run by leaders from the community.  (Applause.)  Yes.  And the majority of this $20 billion will go to communities that have historically been left out and left behind. 

And here is what is special about this announcement: For the first time in history, we are providing tens of billions of dollars directly to community lenders to finance local climate projects. 

This is a novel approach.  It is actually the first time we have taken this approach, because we know that we have the capacity with this approach to empower communities to decide which projects they want, that will have the greatest impact from their perspective in the place they call home.  And then we can invest in those projects in a way that will actually have value for the people who live there, instead of us from Washington, D.C., telling you what you need.  (Applause.)  And that is critically important. 

And so, today, our announcement is that we have chosen eight nonprofits to lead this work, from a community of — of banks that are a network that serve Native communities, to a rural economic development collective that works in Appalachia, to a group of lenders that focus on economic and climate justice.  Yes. 

And this $20 billion investment will allow these eight nonprofits to fund tens of thousands of community-based climate projects. 

So, I’d like you to imagine what this means. 

Imagine, for example, the young entrepreneur who wants to launch a startup to repair electric vehicle chargers, and that this person can now get a small-business loan to hire her first employees. 

Imagine a small-business owner who can now take out a line of credit to buy a fleet of electric delivery vehicles so he can stop paying for gas and reduce pollution at the same time. 

Imagine a house of worship that can now get a zero-interest loan so they can install solar panels to generate clean energy through electricity for the entire neighborhood. 

Our investment will also help lower energy bills for homeowners and renters.  When President Biden and I first ran for office, folks told us we — we have to take on the climate crisis and we have to also lower monthly energy bills.  Well, the investment we’re talking about today will do both. 

For example, today, I visited Grier Heights — (applause) — and as many of you know, it is an his- — an historically Black neighborhood here in Charlotte.  And over the past two decades, the community bank Self-Help worked with residents and community organizations to install good insulation, high-quality windows, and new electric appliances in 49 homes in this part of Charlotte to make them more energy efficient. 

So, earlier today, before I arrived here, I visited with one of those homes and met Levon, who is here with his two beautiful sons — (applause) — the baby, who is napping after our visit — (laughter) — and the older young leader’s son who was talking with me about how he was watching the Shirley Chisholm documentary.  And I told him I’m counting on his leadership. 

And — and they were so kind to — to welcome us to — to visit with them.  Levon is a small-business owner and a former middle school teacher.  And — and he shared with me that last — in his last home, every month, he paid $300 for his gas bill and $300 for his electricity bill. 

After moving into one of Self-Help’s energy-efficient homes, Levon’s total energy bill — total — dropped to around $100 a month.  (Applause.)

And he offered to me what that meant for him as a young father of young children.  He said, well, that savings now allows him to have more money to pay for childcare.  He’s a small-business owner; he needs childcare for his children.  He said that he and his spouse now are putting aside at least $50 a month for each of their sons for their savings account for college or whatever they choose to do. 

So, let’s think about what this means.  Yes, we talk about cutting energy costs.  But when we’re talking about real people with their dreams and aspirations and responsibilities and obligations, this is a big deal. 

So, today’s investment will allow Self-Help and other nonprofits to help 30,000 more families across our nation upgrade their homes.  And that is just the beginning. 

But think about it: Soon, 30,000 more families will have the funds they need to replace drafty windows and install better insulation to keep their homes warm in the winter and cool in the summer and, here in North Carolina, to help you lower that monthly Duke Energy bill.  (Applause.)  You’re welcome.  (Laughs.)  Right?

And just like Levon, 30,000 more families will now have the opportunity to save potentially hundreds of dollars every month and with more money in their pocket, then, for groceries and school supplies and childcare. 

Our $20 billion public investment will also serve as an investment for the private sector.  And I met with the leaders of the eight non- — nonprofits before I came out to thank them.  Because over the next seven years, this $20 billion public investment will incentivize more than $100 billion in private-sector investing. 

And I know, and I think everyone here knows, that there is great power in public-private partnerships, which demonstrate how much we can accomplish when we combine the experience and expertise of the private sector with the scale and capacity of government. 

So, all of that being said, we also know that this investment is going to create jobs — good-paying union jobs; jobs for the workers of IBEW, who are going to install the energy-efficient lighting; jobs for sheet metal workers who can replace the dirty furnaces and — and replace them with clean electric heat pumps; and jobs for the laborers who will build affordable, energy-efficient housing. 

So, I’ll conclude with this.  This investment demonstrates an important point: When we invest in climate, we create jobs, we lower costs, and we invest in families. 

When we expand access to capital and give every person in our nation, no matter who they are or where they live, the opportunity to pursue their dreams, we build a cleaner, healthier, and more equitable and more prosperous future for everyone. 

Thank you all.  (Applause.)

May God bless you.  And God bless America. 

Thank you.  Thank you.

END                2:44 P.M. EDT

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Today’s report marks a milestone in America’s comeback. Three years ago, I inherited an economy on the brink. With today’s report of 303,000 new jobs in March, we have passed the milestone of 15 million jobs created since I took office. That’s 15 million more people who have the dignity and respect that comes with a paycheck.

My plan is growing the economy from the middle out and the bottom up, investing in all Americans, and giving the middle class a fair shot. Unemployment has been under 4% for the longest stretch in more than 50 years. Wages are going up. Inflation has come down significantly.

We’ve come a long way, but I won’t stop fighting for hardworking families. I’m taking action to lower costs, from bringing down the price of insulin and inhalers and prescription drugs, to eliminating junk fees. I’m calling on large corporations to pass along their record profits to consumers. And I’ll continue to stand against Congressional Republicans’ efforts to cut Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid and to enact massive tax giveaways for the wealthy and big corporations.

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Unified Command structure immediately established and clearing wreckage
 
$60 million in federal Emergency Relief funds quickly approved for Maryland’s initial costs
 
Small Business Administration to provide low-interest disaster loans to eligible businesses
 
 Department of Labor approves first tranche of Dislocated Worker Grant funding to support workers impacted by bridge collapse
 
President Biden requests congressional authorization to fully cover the cost of rebuilding the Francis Scott Key Bridge
 
Private sector makes commitments to support workers

Following the devastating collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge, President Biden has launched a whole-of-government effort to provide immediate response, reopen the port, rebuild the bridge, and support the people of Baltimore. President Biden and his team have worked with Governor Moore, Senator Cardin, Senator Van Hollen, Congressman Mfume, Mayor Scott, and numerous state and local officials. The President’s message has been clear: This Administration will be with the people of Baltimore every step of the way. This tragedy has had a devastating impact on the victims and their families, and as the President has said, our prayers are with them. The victims were fathers, husbands, and friends in their homes, work, and communities. The Administration will continue to work alongside our state and local partners to attend to the needs of the families and to assist in the ongoing search and recovery efforts of those still missing.  
 
Working Safely and Quickly to Clear Wreckage and Reopen the Port
 
Clearing the wreckage will be a complex and highly coordinated effort, as teams determine how to precisely cut the bridge’s steel trusses into movable pieces; develop plans to safely extract the cargo ship, which is weighed down by thousands of tons of wreckage; and as divers navigate murky waters with little to no visibility. The Biden Administration has taken decisive action to deploy federal resources to begin work to clear the wreckage and reopen the port as quickly and safely as possible.
 

• Immediately standing up a Unified Command: The U.S. Coast Guard immediately deployed following the collapse to support local emergency personnel. Federal agencies are working closely with the State of Maryland to survey the wreckage in the channel and allow the Port of Baltimore to reopen as soon as humanly possible. Through the Unified Command, the U.S. Coast Guard is coordinating this effort, in collaboration with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), the State of Maryland, and others, leveraging a unique coordinating function the Coast Guard is trained to perform in circumstances like this. The Unified Command brings order to a response with multiple stakeholders, prioritization of tasks, integration of skills and resources as needed, and prompt access to additional Federal resources as emerging needs are identified. 
  
• Completing initial survey work: Dive teams continue to work in extremely hazardous conditions, rain, choppy cold water, and little to no visibility so that surveys can be completed in order to start removing wreckage from within the federal channel.  Using these surveys, USACE is developing a plan to open a deeper draft channel to allow limited cargo traffic to start transiting to the Port which will be a key step in the recovery process.  This is an extraordinarily complicated process and will be executed with the safety of all personnel as the top priority.
  
• Deploying assets for wreckage removal: Hundreds of personnel from the USACE, Coast Guard, Navy, and the State of Maryland are supporting efforts on the ground. Highly trained salvage crews successfully cut and removed the first pieces of steel wreckage from outside the federal channel on Saturday, March 30. The Unified Command has a fleet of six heavy lift crane barges to conduct wreckage removal within the federal channel, including the Chesapeake 1000, the largest crane barge on the East Coast – which is nearly 200 feet long and can lift 1,000 tons. This will be a critical asset in clearing large wreckage from across the bow of the stranded MV Dali. Earlier this week, the Unified Command was able to open two small alternate channels for essential vessels supporting wreckage removal to better access the area, marking the first time vessels have been able to cross the harbor since the bridge collapse.
  
• Announcing a timeline for reopening: After detailed studies and engineering assessments, the USACE announce yesterday that they tentatively expect to open a limited access channel for barge container service and some vessels that move automobiles and farm equipment by the end of April and to restore the port to normal capacity by the end of May. More information is available here.

Providing Necessary Resources to Rebuild the Bridge

The Port of Baltimore is essential to the regional economy and the national supply chain, and the I-695 corridor, of which the Francis Scott Key Bridge was a part, provides a vital connection for people and goods traveling along the East Coast. Over 30,000 vehicles crossed the bridge daily.

• Quickly releasing emergency funds: Within hours of receiving the request, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) announced the immediate availability of $60 million in “quick release” Emergency Relief funds for the Maryland Department of Transportation. These funds serve as a down payment toward initial costs, and additional Emergency Relief program funding will be made available as work continues. These “quick release” Emergency Relief funds are an initial installment to help with costs associated with wreckage removal efforts, restore essential transportation and design and reconstruction on I-695 and the bridge. FHWA is also providing technical assistance, conducting site assessments, and administering emergency contracts for the new bridge.
  
• Covering the costs of repair: The President has also been clear since day one about his commitment that the Federal government should cover any needed costs for reconstructing the bridge. While we continue to assess those costs alongside our Federal and state partners, the Biden-Harris Administration is asking Congress to join us in demonstrating our commitment to aid in recovery efforts by authorizing a 100 percent Federal cost share for rebuilding the bridge. This authorization would be consistent with past catastrophic bridge collapses, including in 2007, when Congress acted in a bipartisan manner within days of the I-35W bridge collapse in Minnesota.
  
• Holding the responsible parties accountable: President Biden also made clear that as the Administration pursues its work to clean up wreckage, clear the channel, and rebuild the bridge, it will continue to pursue all avenues to recover costs of past, current, and future work, and ensure that any compensation for damages or insurance proceeds collected will reduce costs for the American people.

Supporting the Workers and Businesses of Baltimore and Mitigating Economic Impacts

The Port of Baltimore is one of the nation’s largest shipping hubs and the Francis Scott Key Bridge is critical to travel in the Northeast Corridor. The Biden Administration, in coordination with State of Maryland and other partners, has been working around the clock to mitigate the economic impacts of this temporary disruption, including:

Supporting industry to mitigate supply chain disruptions. Since the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge, the President’s Supply Chain Disruptions Task Force has engaged extensively with state and local officials, Port of Baltimore leaders, industry, labor unions, ocean carriers, rail and trucking companies, and ports along the East Coast to minimize economic disruptions. As a result of these discussions and collective efforts, import and export disruptions have been minimized. This work has included:

• Supporting the continued movement of autos and farm machinery through Baltimore. In 2023, Baltimore was the busiest port nationwide for handling of cars and light trucks, and is a hub for transporting other vehicles and machinery, all of which can require specialized equipment and facilities to load and unload. Over the past week, DOT has been working closely with the Port of Baltimore, Baltimore County, and the private Tradepoint Atlantic terminal operator to facilitate handling of additional “roll-on/roll-off” cargo at Sparrows Point, the only portion of the Port of Baltimore that is still accessible and operational following the bridge collapse. Additionally, to expand operations during this time, DOT is amending a previously awarded $8.26-million grant to help Tradepoint Atlantic take on permanent additional capacity that will also assist in handling vessels that are unable to access the other terminals at the Port of Baltimore. This funding will be reallocated to support paving of at least 10 acres, which will allow the Terminal to more than double its prior capacity of 10,000 autos per month to be able to handle over 20,000 autos per month. Tradepoint Atlantic estimates the new facility will be operational later this month.
  
• Encouraging East Coast port coordination and streamlining of rail service to Baltimore. Because of close coordination and collaboration among East Coast ports, ocean carriers, and others, dozens of vessels unable to dock at Baltimore have been successfully diverted to other East Coast ports for unloading so that Americans can get the goods they need. To help get that cargo to Baltimore for processing and storage as seamlessly as possible, the Supply Chain Disruptions Task Force worked with Norfolk Southern Railway Company to launch a dedicated new service between Elizabeth Marine Terminal at the Port of New York and New Jersey and the Seagirt Marine Terminal in Baltimore. This service is in addition to the service that rail company CSX has announced between New York and Baltimore.

Receiving commitments from businesses to support workers and Baltimore. The Port of Baltimore is a bedrock for the Baltimore economy, generating over $70 billion in economic impact for the State of Maryland in 2023 as it handled record cargo. Around 8,000 people work at the Port of Baltimore facility, many of them union members. Thousands more work nearby and depend on the port, including employees at small businesses in Baltimore. Businesses large and small over the past week have rallied to make clear that they will stick with Baltimore and its workers through this temporary disruption. Specific commitments made this week include:

• Keeping workers on payroll. Major local employers, including UPS, Amazon, Domino Sugar, Home Depot, Mercedes-Benz, Subaru, and Floor & Decor, are committing to retain their workers—amounting to thousands of jobs—in their Port of Baltimore facilities.
  
• Providing work and relief to longshoremen and stevedores. On April 5, the port’s collective bargaining parties will make lump-sum payments to over 1,200 longshore workers valued at between 1 and 4 weeks of salary. This scheduled payment represents vacation pay earned under the collective bargaining agreement during the previous six months. Additionally, Ports America Chesapeake, one of the largest employers at the Port of Baltimore, has committed to provide temporary work to hundreds of longshoremen who would otherwise go without hours or pay with no new shipments through the port. The Biden Administration, in coordination with State of Maryland counterparts, will continue to work closely with the International Longshoremen’s Association, the Teamsters, and other unions to monitor risks of layoffs and income loss.
  
• Committing to resume business at the Port of Baltimore. As companies temporarily reroute shipments to other East Coast ports, companies and manufacturers have committed to take steps to try to return key cargo operations to the Port of Baltimore once it reopens. These companies include the Port of Baltimore’s top four largest automobile importers Mazda, Mercedes-Benz, Subaru, and Mitsubishi Motors, as well as Amazon.

Standing strong with the people and businesses of Baltimore. President Biden has made clear that his Administration will move heaven and earth to fully reopen the port and rebuild the bridge as soon as humanly possible, and to stick with the people of Baltimore every step of the way. An outpouring of support has come in this week to support the victims’ families, affected workers and businesses, and broader recovery efforts. And, the federal government is working with its Maryland government counterparts to make every tool available for these efforts. These efforts include: 

• Promoting the Maryland Tough Baltimore Strong Alliance. The Biden Administration has partnered with Governor Moore, Baltimore Mayor Scott, Baltimore County Executive Olszewski, and Anne Arundel County Executive Pittman to support the Maryland Tough Baltimore Strong Alliance. Through organizations like the Greater Baltimore Committee, Maryland Chamber of Commerce, Baltimore Community Foundation, and Baltimore Civic Fund, the Alliance has collected commitments to support impacted workers, families, organizations, and businesses that rely on the Port of Baltimore.  
  
• Supporting the Building Bridges to Recovery Initiative. The Biden-Harris Administration and state and local partners are working with the Maryland Chamber of Commerce to support the Building Bridges to Recovery coalition. This broad-based coalition includes the Maryland Chamber of Commerce, U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Greater Baltimore Committee, World Trade Center Institute, Greater Washington Partnership, along with regional and local chambers, economic development organizations, industry associations, neighborhood groups and others united to assist businesses across Maryland impacted by the bridge collapse and partial closure of the Port of Baltimore. Through this collaborative effort, businesses gain access to vital information and resources while having a powerful platform to share their experiences, articulate their needs, and ensure robust advocacy efforts are provided to rebuild and strengthen Maryland’s economy in the wake of these disruptions.
  
• Providing relief for displaced workers. The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) released an initial tranche of $3.5 million from its Dislocated Worker Grants Program for employment services and temporary jobs to assist with clean-up in the wake of the Key Bridge disaster—and approve up to $25 million in overall funding. These funds can be used for worker training, and to pay or subsidize wages for those who lost their jobs and are engaged in post-disaster relief employment. This initial tranche of funding is in response to the State of Maryland’s request, and DOL expects to release additional funds as Maryland implements its grant activities.
  
• Assisting workers in accessing benefits: DOL is working closely with the State of Maryland to launch ‘Worker Support Centers’—in-person services that will offer support to port workers and others to access all of the benefits that they are entitled to. The first center launched yesterday and Maryland is committed to ensuring these centers expand across the impacted counties in the state and to cover vulnerable workers.
  
• Supporting small businesses in need. In the days following the accident, the Small Business Administration quickly approved a disaster declaration that will provide low-interest disaster loan assistance available to eligible businesses in need. These loans will provide up to $2 million to overcome any temporary loss of revenue stemming from the bridge collapse and may be used to pay normal operating expenses such as fixed debts, payroll, accounts payable and other bills that can’t be paid because of the disruption.  SBA has also set up two Business Recovery Centers to provide on-the-ground assistance to business owners in completing their applications and received over 550 applications. Yesterday, SBA approved the first four loans totaling $159,100, with more expected in the coming days.  
  
• Additionally, the Baltimore Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses team has committed to work on the ground in Baltimore to connect impacted small businesses with resources, navigate federal funding opportunities, organize network alumni, and connect impacted workers with temporary hiring opportunities.

###

The post FACT SHEET: Biden-Harris Administration Actions Following the Francis Scott Key Bridge Collapse appeared first on The White House.

We welcome the steps announced by the Israeli government tonight at the President’s request following his call with Prime Minister Netanyahu. These steps, including a commitment to open the Ashdod port for the direct delivery of assistance into Gaza, to open the Erez crossing for a new route for assistance to reach north Gaza, and to significantly increase deliveries from Jordan directly into Gaza, must now be fully and rapidly implemented. 

As the President said today on the call, U.S. policy with respect to Gaza will be determined by our assessment of Israel’s immediate action on these and other steps, including steps to protect innocent civilians and the safety of aid workers. We are prepared to work in full coordination with the Government of Israel, the Governments of Jordan and Egypt, the United Nations, and humanitarian organizations, to ensure that these important steps are implemented and result in a significant increase in humanitarian assistance reaching civilians in dire need throughout Gaza over the coming days and weeks.

The post Statement from National Security Council Spokesperson Adrienne Watson on Steps Announced by Israel to Increase Aid Flow to Gaza appeared first on The White House.

James S. Brady Press Briefing Room

2:10 P.M. EDT

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Hi, everyone. Good afternoon.

Q Good afternoon.

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

So, tomorrow, as you all know, the President is going to be traveling to Baltimore, where he will receive an operational update on response efforts from the unified command. Leaders from the Coast Guard and Army Co- — and the Army Corps of Engineers will share updates on the assistance they are providing to state officials in surveying and removing the wreckage in the channel and allowing the Port of Baltimore to reopen as soon as humanly possible.

The President will be joined by Governor Moore and other Maryland and Baltimore-area elected officials. He’ll also be joined by Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg.

As we all know, six individuals tragically lost their lives when the Francis Scott King [Key] Bridge collapsed last week. They were hard workers, laboring in the middle of the night to repair potholes on a bridge that tens of thousands of travelers crossed every day. The President will meet with loved ones of those individuals during his trip tomorrow.

The President is continuing to lead a whole-of-government approach in responding to the bridge collapse. As the President said within hours of the collapse, this administration will be with the people of Baltimore every step of the way.

SBA Administrator Guzman is in Baltimore today as part of this administration’s efforts to support small businesses in need.

I also want to share a very big announcement that the Vice President and the — EPA Administrator Regan made today in Charlotte, North Carolina. They announced a $20 billion — 20 — $20 billion in awards to expand access to clean energy, tackle the climate crisis, improve air quality, lower energy costs, and create good-paying jobs.

This investment through the EPA’s Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund will stand up a national network that will finance tens of thousands of climate and clean energy projects across America.

At least 70 percent of these funds will be invested in low-income and disadvantaged communities. This makes the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund the single-largest non-tax investment in the Inflation Reduction Act to build a clean energy economy while benefiting communities that have historically been left behind.

And finally, finally, finally, I want to briefly preview the President’s schedule next week.

On Monday, we — he will travel to Madison, Wisconsin, and discuss how he is lowering costs for Americans.

Later in the week, the President and the First Lady will host the Prime Minister of Japan and his wife for an official visit to the United States. This will include a state dinner on Wednesday, April 10th.

The visit will underscore the enduring strength of our alliance, the unwavering U.S. commitment to Japan, and Japan’s increasing global leadership role.

On Thursday, April 11th, President Biden will host Prime Minister [President] Marcos of the Philippines, Prime Minister Kishida of Japan at the White House for the first trilateral U.S.-Japan-Philippines leaders’ summit.

In addition, President Biden will host President Marcos for a meeting at the White House on April 11th to review the historic momentum in U.S.-Philippines relations.

Thank you for your patience. With that, the Admiral is here to talk about the President’s call with Prime Minister Netanyahu and any updates that we have in the Middle East.

Admiral.

MR. KIRBY: Thank you very much.

Good afternoon, everybody.

Q Good afternoon.

MR. KIRBY: Obviously, a busy day here. I do want to take a moment just at the start to recognize the 75th anniversary of the NATO Alliance, the greatest military alliance in the history of the world. And you all saw the statement from the President earlier today celebrating this historic milestone.

Now, for 75 years, the NATO Alliance has stood together for freedom and against aggression, provided an unrivaled bulwark of security that has helped protect the American people. And during that time, our NATO Allies have come to our aid in our time of need, with NATO forces serving alongside ours in Afghanistan.

Today, NATO is larger, stronger, it’s more relevant than ever before thanks in no small part to the President’s leadership. And we look forward to building on all that progress in July when we host our 31 NATO Allies here in Washington, D.C., for the next NATO Summit.

Now, as I’m sure you’re all aware, the President had a chance to speak with Prime Minister Netanyahu earlier today. On that phone call, the President emphasized that the strikes on humanitarian workers and the overall humanitarian situation in Gaza are unacceptable.

He made clear the need for Israel to announce and to implement a series of specific, concrete, and measurable steps to address civilian harm, humanitarian suffering, and the safety of aid workers.

He made clear that U.S. policy with respect to Gaza will be determined by our assessment of Israel’s immediate action on these steps.

He underscored that an immediate ceasefire is essential to stabilize and improve the humanitarian situation and to protect innocent civilians. And he urged the Prime Minister to empower his negotiators to conclude a deal without delay to bring the hostages home.

The two leaders also discussed public Iranian threats against Israel and the Israeli people. President Biden made clear that the United States strongly supports Israel in the face of those threats.

That’s all I have.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Go ahead, Zeke.

Q Thanks, John. First, on that last piece there. You said — you have said it from this podium several times that that — the — Hamas was the obstacle to getting some sort of ceasefire deal. Calling on the Israelis to empower the negotiators suggests that has changed. Has the U.S. assessment of Israeli willingness to reach a ceasefire deal changed in the last several weeks?

MR. KIRBY: No. It — look, it takes — it takes active participation and the negotiation of both sides here. And — and that’s what the President is urging. He’s certainly, in the call with Netanyahu, urging that — that the Prime Minister empower his team to the maximum extent possible to see if we can get this deal in place.

Q And then just on the substance of the real news from the President’s statement there, saying that he’s going to condition future U.S. support for this — for Israeli — the Israeli operation in Gaza on what Israel does. First off, what is at stake? What would be potentially cut off from Israel for use in this war if the — if he doesn’t change course?

And second, what do you want specifically to see from Israel were — to do to protect civilians and humanitarian aid workers?

MR. KIRBY: I’m not going to preview any potential policy decisions coming forward.

What we want to see are some real changes on the Israeli side. And, you know, if we don’t see changes from their side, there will have to be changes from our side.

But I won’t preview what that could look like.

Now —

Q Is that just body count —

MR. KIRBY: — they talked about — wha- — I’m sorry?

Q Is that just the body count, or is there specific changes?

MR. KIRBY: Again, I’m — I’m — in terms of concrete steps, what we are looking to see and hope to see here in coming hours and days is a dramatic increase in the humanitarian assistance getting in, additional crossings opened up, and a reduction in the violence against civilians and certainly aid workers. We want to — we want to see that — that even as the Israelis work through their investigation that they are willing and able to take practical, immediate steps to protect aid workers on the ground and to demonstrate that they — that they have that civilian harm mitigation in place.

So, again, those are broad brushes. I’ll let the Israelis speak to what they will or won’t do here. But, again, in coming hours and days, we will be looking for concrete, tangible steps that they’re taking.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Go ahead, Nancy.

Q Thanks. John, just to go back to that point. In your readout, when you say the President made clear that the U.S. — “that U.S. policy with respect to Gaza will be determined by our assessment of Israel’s immediate action,” could you decode that for us? What exactly is the warning that’s being issued here?

MR. KIRBY: I think it’s very clear in the language itself, Nancy. We’re going to — the — we’re looking for concrete steps to alleviate humanitarian suffering in Gaza.

Again, I won’t get ahead of what the Israelis will or won’t say or announce. We’re looking for concrete steps to be announced here soon.

And it’s not just about the announcement of concrete steps and changes in their policies, but it’s the execution of those announcements and those decisions and implementing them.

And so, we’re — we obviously will — will watch closely and monitor how — how they do on — on the commitments that they make. And as — as I said earlier, if there’s no changes to their policy and their approaches, then there’s going to have to be changes to ours.

Q I think — I think what the world wants to understand is: Is the White House warning that it may remove military aid? What exactly is the threat here?

MR. KIRBY: I think I’ve — I’ve stated it pretty clearly. And I’m not going to — I’m not going to — as I said earlier, I’m not going to preview steps. I’m not going to preview decisions that haven’t been made yet. But there are things that need to be done.

There are too many civilians being killed. The risk to aid workers is unacceptable. Now we have certain aid organizations that are reconsidering whether they’re even going to be able to continue operations in Gaza while famine looms. So, there has to be tangible steps.

Let’s see what they announce. Let’s see what they direct. Let’s see what they do. But I’m not going to get ahead of that.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Go ahead, Mary.

Q So, I’m going to try this one more time, because the President seems —

MR. KIRBY: I reckoned you would. (Laughter.)

Q That’s what we do. The President seems to have said to — to the Prime Minister today, you know, “Make these concrete changes or else.” It’s the “or else” that I want to make clear here. Is the President threatening to withhold aid to Israel if they do not make these changes?

MR. KIRBY: The President made it clear that our policies with respect to Gaza will be dependent upon our assessment of how well the Israelis make changes and implement changes to make the situation in Gaza better for the Palestinian people.

Q And how much time are you giving them to make these changes, to implement these concrete steps?

MR. KIRBY: Again, we — we would hope to see some announcements of changes here in coming hours and days. And I’ll leave it at that.

Q That’s short.

MR. KIRBY: Hours and days.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Go ahead.

Q John, why today?

MR. KIRBY: Why today what?

Q Why was —

MR. KIRBY: Why today for the phone call? Why —

Q Why — why this apparent shift in policy today? The —

MR. KIRBY: I think — look, the President — well, all of us, but particularly the President — was certainly shaken by the attack on the WCK convoy and the aid workers. As I said earlier, it wasn’t the only event. There had been others like that: humanitarian aid convoys coming under fire and losing people.

And — and the President felt strongly that it was time to — to talk to Prime Minister Netanyahu about his concerns.

Q Would you characterize this call as an ultimatum?

MR. KIRBY: I would characterize this call as very direct, very businesslike, very professional on both sides. And the President laid out his significant concerns about the direction and where things are going and, quite frankly, laid out, as is clear in the readout, that — that we are willing to reconsider our own policy approaches here, dependent upon what the Israelis do or don’t do.

Q And can you just tell us who all was on the call?

MR. KIRBY: Well, it was — it was a bilateral call between the two leaders — Prime Minister Netanyahu and the President. They were the only two speakers on the — on the call.

Q Okay. But Vice President Harris also dialed in or —

MR. KIRBY: Vice President Harris did — did dial in, yes.

Q And the Secretary of State and the —

MR. KIRBY: Secretary of State dialed in. Jake Sullivan, yes. I don’t know who was also listening in on the Israeli side. But the — but the discussion was between the two leaders.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: M.J.

Q So, Admiral, you’re not specifying what concrete steps Israel must take exactly.

MR. KIRBY: I — I gave you some — a broad sense of it. We want to see more crossings opened up. We want to see more trucks getting in, particularly from Jordan. We want to see tangible steps at the mitigation of civilian harm, particularly to humanitarian aid workers but, obviously, all civilians. But we want to see that they have — that they have moved forward on proper steps to deconflict with aid workers as they move around, that the information flow is viable.

Q Sure. But that’s language we’ve heard for weeks now. You’re not talking about sort of telling us how exactly you will measure those measurable steps, right?

MR. KIRBY: What I said was we’re going to — we’re going to examine our policy approaches based on the — our assessment of the way the Israeli side modifies their behavior, modifies their policy and decision-making processes.

And so, first of all, let’s see what they say they’re going to do. And then let’s watch and see how they execute to what they say and do.

I don’t want to get ahead of them on what they — on what they — what they plan to say about the changes they’re going to make. But we- — we’ll base our policy decisions based on an assessment of how they execute to their policy decisions.

Q Haven’t you been doing that all along?

Q And you’re not talking about what potential U.S. policy changes are on the table. Can you say whether the President shared that with the Prime Minister on this phone call?

MR. KIRBY: The President made clear that — that absent changes in the protection of civilians on the ground; absent changes to the volume of humanitarian assistance getting in; absent — absent any movement on a ceasefire that will allow hostages to get out and more aid to get in; absent, you know, a calming down, that he will have to reconsider his own policy choices with respect to — to Gaza.

Q And one of the seven aid workers was obviously a dual American citizen. Did the Prime Minister offer the President an apology?

MR. KIRBY: I — I — I’ll let the Prime Minister speak to his side of the conversation. The — I would note that the Israeli Defense Forces, their Southern Command commander has made a public apology for the — the strike.

Q And there was no mention of Rafah in this readout. Can you talk to us about how — if that did come up and how that might have been discussed between the two leaders?

MR. KIRBY: This conversation was — was focused primarily on the need to get a temporary ceasefire in place, the need for there to be a pause in — in the fighting so that we can get the hostages out, humanitarian assistance; the need to see that steps are being taken to learn from this strike and to make changes in the way civilian harm is mitigated from an operational perspective.

And they did spend time, as the readout makes clear, talking about the very public threats from — from Iran to Israel. And the President, as I said, made very clear to the Prime Minister that the United States’ support for Israel’s ability to defend itself from a range of threats, not just Hamas, remains ironclad.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Go ahead, Danny.

Q Thanks, Karine. Thanks, Admiral. Just a couple of things. Firstly, how — how long did this call last?

MR. KIRBY: It was about 30 minutes or so.

Q And just going back to, I mean, Jeff’s question about the — you know, why — why the sort of change in tone. I mean, has there been growing frustration on the part of President Biden that previous messaging to Prime Minister Netanyahu just doesn’t seem to have gotten through?

MR. KIRBY: Yes, there has been growing frustration.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Raquel.

Q Thank you so much, Karine. John, one question on Israel and another on Venezuela. We saw, in the past, President Biden pushing Netanyahu to protect civilians, but how much words really matter here when — on actions, the same day of the attack on the humanitarian words — the U.S. was approving more bombs to Israel? The U- — we are now six months into the war. How much the U.S. actions are actually encouraging Israel to not do enough to protect civilians?

MR. KIRBY: Yeah, look, I — I’m kind of glad the question came up, because I would tell you, when — I’ve seen press reporting, you know, about the — about the — the arms sales and that kind of thing. And I would just remind you that — that it — with the exception of the immediate two months after the attack, we haven’t really sent emergency aid and assis- — military assistance to — to Israel. There was in the first couple of months.

But what you’re seeing here is the result of a — a process of foreign military sales to Israel that takes years, and a lot of this materiel that’s been reported publicly was notified to Congress many, many months, if not years ago, and are in the train to get to Israel.

I think it’s important to remember, as I tried to mention in the last answer, that Israel still has a lot of threats it faces. I mean, we’re all focused on Hamas, and I understand that, but they still face active threats throughout the region, including from Iran. And the United States still has an ironclad commitment to help Ir- — Israel with its self-defense. And so, a lot of these articles, including the 2,000-pound bombs and the F-35s, that’s — those are things that have been long in the train and not tied — the sale — the foreign military sales process was not tied to this conflict.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Go ahead, Tam.

Q Can I have a one more —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah.

Q — on Ven- — on Venezuela quick. Because yesterday, Nicolás Maduro enacted a law creating a province of Venezuela in Guyana, and he accused the United States of building secret military bases in Essequibo. So, what is your reaction? And is the U.S. considering build a military base to support Guyana to defend their sovereignty?

MR. KIRBY: There’s no p- — there’s no plans for a secret military base.

And we’ve said ma- — many times that there’s an 1899 arbitral ruling about the border between Guyana and Venezuela, and we want both sides to respect that ruling and to do it peacefully.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Tam.

Q Thank you. You said, “We would hope to see an announcement of changes.” I’m wondering if that is just hope or is it an expectation?

MR. KIRBY: We ex- —

Q Is it based on a commitment?

MR. KIRBY: We expect that — that there will be some — some announcements coming from Israel in the coming hours and days, but I want to respect their right to manage that process on their own.

Q Okay. And was there any update given by the Prime Minister on what exactly happened with the World Central Kitchen envoy?

MR. KIRBY: They — they didn’t talk about the actual strike in great detail. The — the Prime Minister did reiterate, as his military has reiterated, that this was on them; that the investigation was — was concluding; that he looked forward to seeing it; and that, you know, he would take appropriate actions to make sure something like that couldn’t happen again.

I mean, they did — obviously, they talked about it, of course. But did they go through point by point the investigation’s findings? No, because I think the Prime Minister’s office is still evaluating the actual investigation results.

Q And just to try to get a technical understanding as you described the very long process of supplying arms to Israel, if this contingency isn’t met and there is a change in U.S. policy, how easy or hard would it be to slow down or change shipments to Israel based on current law and all of the requirements and all the things you just described?

MR. KIRBY: Yeah, again, I don’t want to get ahead of where we are. Let’s see what the Israeli side does and says and what they implement and where they go before we talk about actual policy decisions.

And I’m certainly not going to close down decision space for the President of the United States. He gets to make those decisions. But I mean, obviously, as Commander-in-Chief — and, yes, the foreign military sales certainly is — is supported by legislation, but — but there are certain authorities that you can do to manage that.

But, again, let’s not get ahead of where we are. This is really about seeing what the Israelis say they’re going to do and then act on — on those — on those changes.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Go ahead, Gabe.

Q Admiral, has the U.S. lost its leverage with Prime Minister Netanyahu?

MR. KIRBY: You know, I keep getting this question about leverage. Israel is an ally and a friend and a partner. And the President believes strongly, and has for his entire public career, in the security of the Israeli people and the — and the longevity of the Israeli state. And that’s not going to change.

And I can say unequivocally — and I don’t think the Prime Minister would mind me saying here — that, in the call today, the Prime Minister reiterated his thanks to President Biden and this administration for the support that — that we have continued to provide Israel. It’s longstanding. It was before the 7th of October, and it is now. And that support is — that support is going to continue.

But, again, with respect to Gaza, we need to see certain changes. And if we don’t, then we’ll have to consider changes to our own policy.

But it’s not about — it’s not about leverage. It’s about the relationship, and it’s about the credibility — I would even say the unique credibility that this particular president has in Israel and with Israeli leadership based on his long public service of support to —

Q But you talk about this relationship. Do you think the Prime Minister is really listening?

MR. KIRBY: It was — I think it was evident in the phone call today. It was a good discussion. Direct — no question — but a good discussion. And — and I believe the — the President made very clear his concerns and the Prime Minister acknowledged those concerns.

Q And in — and in terms of the timing of this call, we understand that this call was set up after the strike on the World Central Kitchen workers. Would you say that this call was a direct result of that? Was that the reason behind the call?

MR. KIRBY: Yes.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Go ahead, Nadia.

Q And then, one —

Q Thank you.

Q — one last thing: response to José Andrés. Chef Andrés says that the convoy was deliberately targeted. Any response from the U.S. on that?

MR. KIRBY: Again, I — I haven’t seen the Israeli investigation. They have said themselves publicly, after a preliminary investigation, that there was no deliberate targeting of WCK and — and Chef Andrés. They — they’re working their way through, now, independent follow-on investigation, which I understand is very, very close to complete.

The Prime Minister just talked about it broadly. And reiterated today — the Prime Minister reiterated today that there was no deliberate targeting of — of that aid convoy.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Go ahead, Nadia.

Q Thank you, Karine. Two questions. Senator Coons, who is very close to the President, said that we have reached a moment where arms restriction to Israel should be considered. Senator Warren also said that we have — Israel has violated our own laws. Are they wrong in their assessment?

MR. KIRBY: The President — I think it’s clear in the readout, Nadia, that the — that the President has — has made it clear today that if we don’t see changes to the way the IDF is treating innocent civilians and aid workers and flowing the humanitarian assistance, that he’s going to have to reconsider our Gaza policy. So, I mean, he was very direct with the Prime Minister about that.

I’m not going to close down his decision space. As satisfying as that may be for some of you, I can’t do that.

But he made it very clear that we need to see some changes on the Israeli side.

Q Okay. I want to ask you about very disturbing investigative report by an Israeli journalist who said that — is the White House aware of an AI program called “Lavender” that’s being used by the Israeli army to target operative in Gaza in what they call a “kill zone,” where this program has only 20 seconds of human supervision. And it led to the death of thousands of women and children in Gaza. Do you think — are you aware of it, number one? And, second, does the White House believe that AI can be used in this way with that supervision?

MR. KIRBY: I’m — I’m not aware of it. You’re going to have to let me take question. We’ll get back to you.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Go ahead.

Q Thank you so much, John. I’m going to start with the trilateral summit, then I’m going to move to Rwanda.

First of all, looking ahead to the trilateral summit next week, what are some of the priorities? And we recently heard the Filipino Ambassador say that the U.S., Japan, and the Philippines are going to start joint patrols in the South China Sea very soon. Can you confirm that and give us any details?

MR. KIRBY: I believe the Pentagon will have more to say about that this afternoon. So, I don’t — I don’t want to get ahead of — of them on that. We’re always looking for opportunities to improve cooperation with our allies in the Indo-Pacific.

We’re looking forward to this trilateral summit next week. I think it’ll be very, very important. As you know, we have self-defense treaty commitments with both countries. And so, the chance to sit down with — with both his Japanese and his Filipino counterparts is something the President is very much looking forward to.

There’s an awful lot to discuss. Certainly, the tensions in the South China Sea are not going away. That was an issue that was raised in the President’s call with President Xi just a — a couple of days ago. And so, there’s — there’s an awful lot to talk about there.

Q Cool. Then on Rwanda —

MR. KIRBY: Cool.

Q I’m going to ask — (laughter) — a multi-part question.

Q Cool.

Q It’s —
MR. KIRBY: I did not think my answer was cool, but I appreciate the compliment. (Laughter.)

Q It’s — sorry, it’s a small country. It doesn’t get a lot of attention. But President Biden has decided to send President Clinton —

MR. KIRBY: Correct.

Q — to observe the 30th anniversary of the genocide. You know, what message does this send to Rwandans who are understandably upset about President Clinton’s lack of action when the genocide was happening?

Secondly, what message is President Clinton taking to President Kagame, who has been in power since 1994 and has become increasingly authoritarian?

And then, finally, in 1998, President Clinton pledged to the Rwandan people that his administration was going to work to identify triggers of genocidal activity so that something like this would never happen again. Do you think Washington has improved on that front in the last 30 years?

MR. KIRBY: We — we — I — I believe — I can’t speak for every administration between 1998 and today, but I can tell you that President Biden absolutely takes those responsibilities very, very seriously, particularly when it comes to genocidal threats, wherever they occur around the world.

And he’s very grateful that President Clinton has agreed to lead the delegation for the 30th anniversary. Eight hundred thousand people slaughtered in that — in that —

Q Some people say it’s over 1.2 million.

MR. KIRBY: — in that conflict. And our hearts and our prayers go out to the families of the — of the survivors — of those who were — who were killed. Just a — just a dreadful situation.

And, again, the President is grateful that President Clinton has agreed to — to go down there and represent the administration.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Go ahead, Phil.

Q Thank you. I have two questions, one on Israel and another on China.

At this point in the conflict, does President Biden believe that a military victory against Hamas is possible for Israel?

MR. KIRBY: Obviously, that’s going to be up to the Israeli Defense Forces and the Israeli government to determine.

As I’ve said many, many times: It’s difficult to eliminate an ideology with military means, but you can absolutely, through military means, decapitate their leadership; dry up their resources; eliminate their infrastructure, their ability to — to operate and store weapons, train troops. I mean, all of that stuff can be — can be targeted with military means.

What — the — but as I’ve also said, and — and you have to keep it in the context of this call, it matters how you do that. It really matters a lot how you do that.

And it’s the how that the President was focused on today and the — the way these operations are being prosecuted and the additional harm that’s coming to civilian aid workers and innocent Gazans.

Q And then, Xi reportedly told President Biden during their summit in San Francisco that Beijing plans to reunify Taiwan with Mainland China. Did the Chinese leader bring up a similar sentiment in their call the other day? And if so, what was President Biden’s response?

MR. KIRBY: I wou- — certainly, Taiwan came up in the context of — of the call. There’s not a single discussion that we don’t have with senior leaders in the PRC where we don’t talk about Taiwan. Of course, it came up.

I — I won’t characterize President Xi’s comments. But I can tell you that — that President Biden was very, very clear that — that nothing has changed about our One China policy. We don’t support independence for Taiwan. But we also don’t want to see the status quo changed in a unilateral way and certainly not by force.

Q Thank you, sir.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Okay, a couple more. Go ahead, Jared.

Q Did — I know you said that Rafah wasn’t the point of this conversation and it wasn’t discussed a lot. Does that mean that that is still sort of a separate issue that’s going to be sort of an ongoing discussion between U.S. and Israeli officials in the delegation?

MR. KIRBY: I don’t know that I’d call it separate. It wasn’t a focus of this call. The call was — as I answered to M.J., it was really about the humanitarian situation and changes we need to see.

But we look forward to having another conversation with Israeli counterparts in coming days, hopefully in a week or so, on Rafah specifically. And we hope this next one will be in person, but we’ll have more to say about that as we get closer to it.

Q So, an operation in Rafah would not, sort of, run counter to — to these new conditions that the President laid out to — to the Prime Minister?

MR. KIRBY: Oh, I didn’t say that at all. I mean, one of the big concerns about a ground operation in Rafah that we’ve expressed is the damage it could do — the death and destruction it could render to the 1.5 million Gazans that are seeking refuge there.

So, again, today’s call was really focused on humanitarian assistance, civilian casualties, and that includes humanitarian aid workers. You can’t talk about Rafah and the possibility of operations going after those Hamas battalions in Rafah without also talking about the humanitarian situation down there, which is dire.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Go ahead, Brian.

Q Thanks a lot, Admiral. Does President Biden agree with Donald Trump that the — Israel’s war against Hamas is taking a long time?

MR. KIRBY: I’m not going to compare the President’s views to — to Mr. Trump. I think you can understand I need to stay out — out of that.

All I would tell you is we have expressed our concerns about the manner in which operations are being conducted and the — the speed and the energy with which we want to see changes to the way those operations are being conducted. And I think I’d leave it at that.

Q Well, does — does the President think that Israel’s war against Hamas is taking too long?

MR. KIRBY: The President believes that they have a right to go after the Hamas threat, which is still viable. And the President made it clear again today that we support and we will continue to support — not just philosophically but tangibly — Israel’s right to defend itself against a range of threats. And it — certainly that includes this — this fight against Hamas.

But, again, I want to — I want to reiterate what I said earlier. It’s not just the threat of Hamas that Israel is facing. They are facing broader threats throughout the region, including directly and publicly from — from Iran.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Peter.

Q John, a follow-up on that first. Did the CIA warn Israel or did President Biden warn Netanyahu today about an Iranian plan to attack inside Israel within 48 hours?

MR. KIRBY: I’m not going to talk about intelligence matters, Peter. I think you can understand. But they did talk about a very public and very viable, real threat by Iran to Israel’s security. And I think I need to leave it at that. It’s really as far as I can go.

Q On October 7th, President Biden said, “My administration’s support for Israel’s security is rock solid and unwavering.” That is not true anymore, correct?

MR. KIRBY: That i- — no, it is true. Still true today.

Q How is his support unwavering, but you’re also reconsidering policy choices?

MR. KIRBY: Both can be true.

Q They cannot be true. They’re — they’re completely different things.

MR. KIRBY: No. No, no. I just —

Q He is —

MR. KIRBY: I’m sorry — I —

Q He is wavering.

MR. KIRBY: Now, now, now. Come on, Peter.

Q How is he not wavering?

MR. KIRBY: Come on. (Laughter.) Come on, now.

As I said, and as it says in that readout, we made clear — and — and he made it clear to the Prime Minister in his call — that our support for Israel’s self-defense remains ironclad. They face a range of threats. And the United States isn’t going to walk away from helping Israel defend itself.

That said, you can say all that and you can act on that and you can believe that — and the President does — and still believe that the manner in which they’re defending themselves against the Hamas threat needs to change. And that is the conversation that we had today.

But both things are true. Our support is ironclad and consistent. It’s not going to — not going to stop; it’s not going to — not going to — not going to waver. But will there perhaps be some policy changes we might have to make if we don’t see policy changes out of Israel? Yes.

Q How is that unwavering? It sounds like you guys are trying to have it both ways here.

MR. KIRBY: No. I don’t know that I’d char- —

Q “We support Israel, but we are going to make all these changes because we don’t support Israel.”

MR. KIRBY: I didn’t say we’re going to make changes. I said we need to see w- — how Israel responds to the humanitarian crises in Gaza and how they respond to protection of aid workers. I think we can all agree, I think you would agree, you don’t want to see innocent civilians killed or targeted, do you? You don’t want to see Gazans starve. You don’t want to see famine in Gaza, do you?

Q Nobody wants to see —

MR. KIRBY: Of course not.

Q — that. But you’re —

MR. KIRBY: So —

Q — the policymaker and you’re talking about policy changes.

MR. KIRBY: So —

Q That is not what you were talking about on October 7th.
MR. KIRBY: Because things have —

Q When it was “solid and unwavering.”

MR. KIRBY: On October 7th, there wasn’t near famine in Gaza. On October 7th, there wasn’t a diminution of trucks getting into Gaza. On October 7th, we didn’t see thousands and thousands of innocent people killed. I mean, I could go on and on.

The — we’re talking about a conflict near — which is dang near at six months here — this weekend, six months. And it has changed over time. And the — what the President’s message today was: We need to see some changes in the way Israel is dealing with that threat.

Q And —

MR. KIRBY: That’s — that’s what two good friends and allies can discuss.

This isn’t about un- — this isn’t about changing our support to Israel or the security of the Israeli state. And I — I just have to take issue with the premise of the question.

Q Okay. Just the last one, then. Where is President Biden on any of this? When he wants to talk about how angry he is or frustrated he is about the high cost of insulin, he comes out and gives an impassioned speech. Where is he on any of this?

MR. KIRBY: He’s been talking about this. He’s been issuing statements on this.

Q In private.

MR. KIRBY: No, that statement, last I looked, was public.

Q But where is he? Why isn’t he here right now?

MR. KIRBY: Look, I’m sure you’ll continue to hear from the President about this and many other national security issues.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: All right. We’ve got to — we’ve got to wrap it up.

Go ahead.

Q Thanks. Can you share any- — anything about White House views on the upcoming U.N. Security Council resolution to prohibit nuclear weapons in space, which is scheduled to vote as soon as Friday?

MR. KIRBY: Yeah, actually, I can. And if you don’t mind, I’m — I do have some notes. I want to make sure that I get this right.

But, I think, last month, Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield announced that the United States and Japan would put forward a Security Council resolution calling on all countries not to deploy nuclear weapons in space or to develop nuclear weapons specifically designed to be placed in orbit around the Earth. And we will be bringing this resolution to a vote in New York early next week.

Now, the vote should be straightforward. The Outer Space Treaty — which has been signed by more than 130 countries, including Russia, the PRC, and, of course, the United States — prohibits the deployment of, quote, “nuclear weapons or other kinds of weapons of mass destruction,” end quote, in orbit, period.

Now, we have heard President Putin say that Russia has no intention of deploying nuclear weapons in space, so we look forward to Russia voting in favor of this resolution. There should be no reason why not to. And if they do, then I think that should open up some really legitimate questions to Mr. Putin about what his intentions really are.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Go ahead. S.V., you have the last question.

Q Yeah, thank you. Admiral, could you clarify on the — the ceasefire language that the President used in his statement? He says that he und- — that there should be a ceasefire, and then the next — after a comma, it’s, “he urged the Prime Minister to empower… negotiators to conclude a deal without delay.” So, are the two tied together? Or is he saying ceasefire right now and then the other thing later? I mean, what —

MR. KIRBY: We — we —

Q How immediate is “immediate”?

MR. KIRBY: I — I can’t really improve upon the President’s language. We — we want to see a pause in the fighting. We want to see a ceasefire immediately, so that we can get more humanitarian assistance in and create a set of conditions where aid organizations feel better about operating inside Gaza because, as we — we’ve already seen it in — as a result of the attack on the WCK workers, that some aid organizations now are pulling back. So, we want to see that immediate ceasefire in place.

We also, of course, as we’ve said many times, think that that could also provide a window here to get the hostages out.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: All right. Thanks. Thank you so much.

(Cross-talk.)

MR. KIRBY: Thank you very much.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Thanks, Admiral.

Q John, before you go, was it an ultimatum? Was it an ultimatum?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: All right. Thank you so much, Admiral.

Go ahead.

Q Thanks, Karine.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: That was a lot of screaming.

Q Was before — either before the call or after the call, has the White House briefed lawmakers on Capitol Hill about this potential change in U.S. policy, what is at stake here?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Well, look, I think the Admiral made it very clear. We are giving the Israeli government an opportunity to deal with something that is pretty serious: humanitarian aid workers who are — you know, who are, we saw this week, being killed. I think we talked about — we’ve seen that ov- — more than 200 humanitarian aid workers in the past several months.

And so, that needs to stop. And so, we’re giving the Israeli government, as you heard from my colleague, to come up with some — some ways — some — you know, some measures here on how to avoid that. We have to keep civilians — civilians safe; we have to keep humanitarian workers safe.

And so, I don’t want to get ahead of that. We’re always having conversations, always in contact with congressional members. I don’t have a readout of outreach that was done right after the call. Obviously, the call ended not too long ago. And so, don’t want to — to get ahead of that.

But I think in that readout the President made it very clear where he stand — where he — where he stands in this moment. He made it very clear after the horrific — you know, the — what happened — the horrific events of seven — seven, you know, brave people doing — doing heroic work — what happened to them. He put out a very strong statement.

So, I think the President has been very clear. He’s outraged, he’s heartbroken, and this needs to stop. We need to protect civilian lives. That’s why he’s having — that’s why his team is having conversat- — conversations with the Israeli government on Rafah operations and what that’s going to look like. They’re having a — a, you know, reasonable debate back and forth and — and talking about that.

We’re hoping — we — we expect that to happen in person very shortly. And so, the President has been very clear: We got to protect civilian lives; we have to protect humanitarian aid workers. And — and those conversations certainly are going to continue.

Q And you got a question yesterday whether the President’s conv- — conversation, with the doctor who had been in Gaza, on Tuesday was his first interaction with somebody who had been on the ground in Gaza since the war began. I was hoping you might have a — be able to give us an answer on that.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, a couple of things. I did have a moment to look into that. And so, as you know, the President and his senior team have been pretty actively honoring their commitment he made on — in continuing that ongoing engagement with communities directly, obviously, impacted by the conflict in Gaza. And he did that by hosting community leaders just this week. But, also, you’ve seen the senior White House officials going to Michigan, going to Illinois, and continuing those conversations over the past several months.

So, look — and we believe and — that by going across the country and hearing directly from community leaders in numerous states, that we’re doing — we are keeping that ongoing commitment.

And so, look, the three doctors — there were three doctors who recently returned from Gaza who participated in the meeting this week, and they shared their firsthand experience with President Biden. And so, we can say that there were three doctors.

We’re trying to be really respectful in keeping the privacy of those who are attending these very private meetings. But we were able to share — I am able to share there were at least three doctors who have — who have had the firsthand experience, have gone to Gaza, and they were able to share — to share their firsthand experience with the President.

And so, I can share that. But I also want to be really careful, because we do want to keep our commitment in keeping these conversations private. And that includes the atten- — the attendees.

Q But that was the first time though that the President has interacted with anybody who had been on the ground, correct?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, what I can say is didn’t go — I have not checked in on — on that. Right? I want to be really care- —

Q Not since (inaudible)? Okay.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: No, no. But I think three doctors coming to the meeting the other day — yesterday and laying out their first account, I think that’s important, right? So, we’re able to share that information with you: three doctors who were — who’ve been in Gaza, and they we- — shared directly with the President what they have seen on the ground. That matters, right? It’s — so, want to be very clear about that.

Look, we are going to continue to keep our commitment in hearing from folks in the communities who have been directly affected by this. That’s been our commitment from very early on.

We understand how painful this is for many. We understand how important it is to hear directly from Americans. This is what the President wants to do. He’s the president for all Americans. He has said that continuously on any issue.

And on this issue, it is important to do that as well.

Q And then, yesterday, you got a question that said the President had been briefed on this avian flu outbreak. I’m wondering has — is the President going to designate any sort of coordinator at the White House or —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah.

Q — for the federal government to manage those (inaudible)?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, I’m glad that you asked that question, because we do have a couple of things to share with all of you. The President has been briefed. I think I may have sa- — shared that yesterday as well.

Look, the health and safety of American public is very serious. We take that very seriously. Our top priority, obviously, is to keep communities healthy, safe, and informed.

What we were able to do is the White House — immediately, the White House stood up a response team with relevant agencies — like the CDC, FDA, USDA — to ensure that we are doing everything in our power to ensure we keep communities healthy, safe, and informed; ensure that our nation’s food supply remains safe; and monitor any and all trends to mitigate risk and prevent the spread of avian flu.

We are also in regular touch with those relevant agencies and receiving daily updates because, again, we take that very seriously.

And this is an issue — when you think about the avian flu, this is — public experts, health experts, and agencies have been preparing for this for decades — for 20 years now.

And so, we have invested the ability to test, the ability to prevent and to treat. And so, as CDC said themselves, right now, the risk to human health from this outbreak is low. But we want to keep it that way, which is why we set up this — this immediate response team.

And so, we’re going to monitor — continue to monitor, and — and we’re going to look for all the relev- — relevant trends as it relates to the avian flu. And we want to make sure that we keep all Americans safe.

Thank you for the question. I think it’s important.

Go ahead, M.J.

Q Karine, if Speaker Johnson were to put some form of Ukraine aid on the floor and a lawmaker, say Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, then moves to oust him, would the White House, would the President support Democrats working to keep him as Speaker?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, we’ve always been very ca- — very, very careful when it comes to leadership. And we have always said, when it comes to picking the Speaker, picking the Leader in the Senate, we want to let Congress deal with that. We want — in this case, it’s something that House Republicans have to decide on. That’s something that — that Leader Jeffries and his caucus have to decide on. We are not going to weigh in on that. We’ve been very consistent over the past three years, and we stand by that.

Q Any recent contact with the Speaker’s office that you can read out?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I don’t have anything to read out to you at this time. Obviously, our Office of Leg Affairs is in constant communication with congressional members on the Hill.

And I do want to just say — and we’ve been pretty consistent about this — when it comes to the national security supplemental that i- — includes all important Ukrainian aid. We believe that there’s bipartisan — there continues to be bipartisan support in Congress. The Speaker needs to put that on the floor. He needs to make sure that — that he gives House members an opportunity to vote for that. We believe it would get overwhelming support.

And we have to remember there are lives at stakes — there are live at stake here in — in Ukraine. And the brave people of Ukraine need the assistance from the U.S. to continue to fight for their democracy. That’s what we’ve been able to do for more than two years. We got to continue that.

And because of congressional inaction, we have — sadly, have seen that, you know, they’re — them — the Ukrainians — losing ground in the battlefield. And so, we believe: Put it out on the floor — Sp- — the Speaker needs to do that; let the con- — congressional members vote on it. We think it’ll get overwhelming support — 72-29 coming out of the Senate for that national security supplemental. It got to move. It has to move; lives are at stake here.

Go ahead.

Q Karine, was the President briefed yesterday or did he see the comments by José Andrés in his interview with Reuters?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: He’s aware. He’s aware. He’s been — he’s been briefed, and he’s aware by the comments.

Look, you saw the President — we — we put that in the s- — in his statement. Obviously, he — we made sure that it was in his statement how he felt about his relationship, his friendtr- — friendship with Chef — Chef Andrés.

They — he considers him a friend. He sees him as a hero in everything that he has done — not just in Gaza but across the globe in feeding — in feeding people who are in need — the humanitarian assistant that he provides. We have said the — the op-ed that he wrote is incredibly powerful. And he — you know, that — the first couple of words out of his statement yesterday was “outrage” and “heartbroken.” Seven people died.

Q Is he —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Outrage and heart- — heartbroken.

Q Is he concerned about the discrepancy, though, between how Chef Andrés described a deliberate attack on his workers versus what the White House and —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah —

Q — Israel have said in terms of describing that attack?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Look, there’s an investigation — ongoing investigation; we’re going to let that investigation move forward. And we certainly — I think we all can understand how heartbroken Chef José Andrés is at this moment. We understand that. We are mourning with him. We are mourning with the families that lost their loved ones. So, we can be sensitive to that.

But as it relates to making any declarative statement, we have to make sure that this investigation moves forward, and it is. And we will see where that takes us.

Go ahead, Nancy.

Q Thanks, Karine. The presidents of — the par- — parents, rather, of Jacob Flickinger, who is the American citizen who was killed in the World Central Kitchen strike — they said this morning they haven’t heard from anyone in the U.S. government, except for that first day when they got a notification from the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem. Does the President or anyone else at the White House plan to reach out to them?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, I don’t have a readout for you at this time.

Look, we’ve been always very clear about this, that our hearts — and I just said this to Jeff — our hearts go out to the families. It is tragic — tragic. We send our deepest, deepest condolences, obviously, to the family of Jacob.

And, you know, he and the World — World Centra- — Central Kitchen workers were doing heroic work, as I just mentioned, and what happened — what happened on the ground as they were doing that heroic work in Gaza is tragic. It’s devastating. It’s heartbreaking.

And we just don’t have any additional calls to read out right now. I expect members of the administration to be in touch with the — with the family to express our — our condolences directly. Just don’t have any — anything to read out at this time.

But obviously, our hearts go out to all the families who lost — who lost some- — who lost someone they loved.

Q And several Democrats are now calling for an independent investigation into what happened here. Is the White House open to changing its position on this?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: We’re going to let Israeli — the Israeli government do their investigation and see where that takes us. Don’t want to get ahead of that. They’re doing an investigation.

We have said we want it to be comprehensive. We want it to be — make sure there — it — that it has accountability. We want it to be swift, obviously. And we want it to be public. So, don’t want to get ahead of that — let that process move forward. And we’ll see where we are from there.

Okay. Go ahead.

Q Thanks, Karine. So, yesterday, John Kirby said that the U.S. would not consider a shift in their policy towards Israel until they finished their review of the World Central Kitchen strike. And just now, he said that the U.S. may consider a change if they don’t make changes in Gaza within hours and days. So, where is that — where is that shift coming from?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I think it’s — we’re talking about that — the conversation that happened today with the President, as we have said, was very direct, it was productive, it was professional — a 30-minute conversation. And it was based on humanitarian aid; protecting aid workers, which is really important; protecting civilians. And that’s what the conversation was primarily about.

And what we have said — it’s in the readout — that we want to see measurable changes to protect those aid workers, to protect civilian lives. And so, that is what is — he was talking about. That’s what he — the President laid out in — in the statement that we put out. You heard that from Secretary Blinken today.

And I think that’s the way that we want to make sure that we’re — you know, we want b- — be very clear about that. We want to see measurable changes to how humanitarian aids workers are protected. That’s what the conversation was about, and that’s the changes that we want to see the Israeli government present. That’s what he was talking about in the days to come.

Q Yeah. And if I could just get one more.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Sure.

Q Yesterday, Benny Gantz, the Israeli War Cabinet Minister, called for Israel to hold early elections by September. Where does the White House stand on that?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: We’re not going to — we’re not going to get involved in the Israeli government or any government’s elections. That is something for them to decide on. It’s not coming from here.

Go ahead.

Q I have a question about electric vehicles. Ford said today it’s delaying production on an electric SUV. Tesla earlier this week said that its sales are plunging. Do these types of developments make the administration rethink their EV policy?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: No, not at all. Look, you know, when it comes to EV sales, they are reaching record highs. EVs are more affordable than ever, and that’s because of the work that this administration has done. Last year, EV sales surpassed 1 million for the first time ever. That’s a 50 percent increase. That matters.

Under President Biden, EV sales have more than quadrupled. Sales of hybrids and EVs are now a record high of 18 percent of all light-duty vehicle sales. Average price of an EV is down 20 percent from just a year ago — just one year ago.

So, we believe that this is part of — well, I should say, the President has always said that he wants to make sure we do everything that we can to lower cost, lower prices — this is part of that — and also do eve- — all — everything that we can to deal with a climate crisis. And this is part of that.

Q So, is it realistic to go from about 7 or 8 percent of sales to 50 percent of sales in eight years if the automakers themselves are cutting back prod- — on production?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: We believe — and we have seen that — that U.S. manufact- — U.S. manufacturing jobs have increased. Jobs have indeed increased. And when you see so- — a boom like this, that means you need autoworkers, right? It can’t happen on its own.

And so, we — we believe this is working. We believe this is part of what the President has promised. And we want to see a manufacturing industry that’s for the future of this — of this country, and that’s what we’re seeing. And that’s what the President is work — working towards.

Q And a question about yesterday’s call with President Xi. If President Biden is concerned enough about TikTok to bring it up on a call with the President of China, why is he and why is the Vice President — why are they still making videos for TikTok?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: That’s coming out of the campaign, so I would refer you to the ca- —

Q But — but they’re —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Wait. Wait, that’s —

Q — doing the videos.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I understand. It is the campaign’s decision. I would refer you to the campaign.

We have been very clear: We are not trying to ban TikTok. We’re not trying to ban TikTok. We’re talking about a divestment. You heard that from the National Security Advisor when he has been here a couple of times at the podium speaking to TikTok and the legislation and how we’re trying to move forward. It is a — it is a platform that we really need to take seriously here. We’re talking about our national security.

And so, we’ve talked about not banning, divesting — not banning, divesting. So, I want to be very clear about that.

Go ahead, Karen.

Q Thanks, Karine. There’s a report from Bloomberg that the White House — specifically Jeff Zients and Lael Brainard — are calling major Baltimore employers, including Amazon and Home Depot, encouraging them to not cut jobs in the wake of the bridge collapse. Can you confirm that that outreach is happening and other outreach like that? And what is the message from the administration to those big companies?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, a couple of things that — and I think I’ve read this out before — that we have been doing as it relates to sup- — supply chain and the potential economic impact. The President’s Supply Chain Dis — Distribution Task Force has convened multiple times at this point to analyze the impact of supply chains, which has so far been manageable, which is important. The task force worked with railroads to set up new service lines and with ports and ocean carriers to divert vessels.

The SBA — the Small Business Administration — has made low-interest disaster loan assistance available to eligible businesses and set up business recovery centers to help on the ground.

As it relates to your question about Chief — the Chief — Chief of Staff Zients and other senior White House officials, they have had — they have called major employers in the Baltimore area, including retail chains and distributors, to encourage them to retain workers. So, we wanted to make sure that we’re having those important conversation for the people of Baltimore, obviously.

They’re also working with SBA to reach out to small businesses and are in touch with local unions alongside the Labor Department as well.

So, we’re going to do everything we can to have these conversations with stakeholders so that we can identify any — and address any potential disruptions.

And so, we — if anything, this should show that this is an adminis- — administration that’s being active. And we’re being proactive, obviously, in trying to make sure that — that we deal with any potential economic impact.

Right now, as I said at the top, we see this being manageable. And this is why the — these — these conversations are critical with stakeholders at this — this point.

Q And will the President have any update tomorrow for state and local officials about Congress moving forward on the funding package?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, I’m not going to get ahead of — of the President. He — as you know, he’s going to be there on the ground. We’ll certainly have more to share later tonight. I — as I mentioned at the top, he’s going to have an opportunity to engage with family members. We lost — as you know, we lost lives on that night. And the President, as he does — he understands what it means for people to have loss. He’ll be there for those families, just like he’ll certainly be there for the people of Baltimore.

Go ahead. Go ahead, Emily.

Q Thanks, Karine. I had a question about the state dinner next week.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: (Laughs.)

Q I saw the White House announced today the dinner itself is going to be held in the East Room. And I was just curious: The last state dinner was held on a tent on the South Lawn.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah.

Q Was the East Room chosen out of concern that protesters who have been —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: No.

Q — coming after to the President might be shouting out —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: No.

Q — past the South Lawn and (inaudible) the atmosphere?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: No at all. We’ve — we’ve — it’s not the — it’s not the first state dinner that’s been held in the East Room. I believe, if I’m remembering correctly, South Korea was held in the East Room. So, I wouldn’t — I wouldn’t read too much into it.

Okay. I’m going to take one more.

Q Karine — it’s been a while, Karine.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Okay. Go ahead. Go ahead. (Laughter.)

Q Thank you very much.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I —

Q I appreciate you calling me, Karine.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I have thoughts, but I’m going to keep my thoughts to myself. (Laughter.)

Q Thank you very much.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: No, go ahead. Go ahead.

Q I’d like to ask you —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I — I appre- — you are correct. It’s been a while. So, go ahead.

Q Well, thank you. I’d like to ask you about press freedom and then about a significant White House personnel matter.

About press freedom —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah.

Q — our government appears to be closer to potentially extraditing Julian Assange. Press freedom groups say that the case threatens to criminalize our profession. So, I’m wondering what the White House’s thinking is regarding that matter and the potential threat to press freedom. And does the White House have a stance on the pending federal press shield legislation that passed the House and that Senator Schumer told me he hopes reaches President Biden’s be- — desk this year?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: You’re — you’re talking about the PRESS Act, more specifically?

Q Yes. Yes.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Look, and I said this — I’ve said this many times. I said this last week — where journalism is not a crime. We’ve been very clear about that.

And as it relates to this particular legislation, I haven’t reviewed it. Would have to talk to our Office of Leg Affairs on that particular legislation.

But I do want to say, back in October of 2022, the Justice Department codified a policy to ban subpoenas of journalist records.

The President strongly supports the right of free and independent press. That is something that the President talked about when he was at the Gridiron. The President talked about this at the last White House Correspondents Dinner. He has been very consistent about this.

And I’ll just quote him for a second: A free press is “a pillar of any free society.” And while we may not always agree with certain coverage or admire it, we do admire the courage of the free press. Journalism, again, is not a crime.

Q Before moving on, just to confirm. No stance yet on the PRESS Act that you’re aware of? And the Assange matter — is there a concern about that and its implications?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: You know, I don’t have much more to share beh- — besides what I just laid out here. So, I’ll just leave it as what I just stated to you.

Q He’s been in prison five years.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I understand. I hear — I hear — I heard the question. I’m just not going to go beyond from what I just stated.

Q And on the personnel matter, I’d like to ask you about my reporting on Anthony Bernal, who is one of the most powerful figures in this White House. The First Lady reportedly refers to him as her “work husband.” Three former colleagues have made allegations of sexual harassment against him, building on prior reports of bullying. Some of these sources have worked with you. I — I think you’d find them credible. But Chief of Staff Zients issued a statement dismissing the allegations as “unfounded attacks” without even investigating them, which my sources say they’re alarmed about, because they say it could —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I —

Q — chill sexual harassment and bullying reports.

How can the White House potentially — or possibly justify not invest- — investigating these allegations when the President says he will fire people —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, a couple of things. I don’t know who your sources are, so I can’t — I — just, with all due respect, I can’t speak to that. Right? I — I just don’t. I mean, they’re blind sources. I can’t speak to that.

What I can speak to is: You saw our statement from our Chief of Staff, Jeffrey Zients, saying they are unfounded. You saw a very strong statement from Anthony himself. It was in your — obviously, in your reporting. And he said the same.

And I cannot speak to personnel investigations here or anything like that. That is not something I will ever speak to. And I’m not saying there is one. I’m just saying that I will never sp- — I cannot speak to that. And that’s not something I can do.

Q (Inaudible.)

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: But — hold on. I have known Anthony for some time now. I have known him for more than a decade. I’ve worked closely with him. And I consider him a friend but also a colleague that I respect. And that’s basically what you also heard from Jeffrey Zients.

I just don’t have anything else to share beyond your reporting. I — I’m —

Q I’ve just got to press you on this, though —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: No, w- —

Q — because the President said he would —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: No, I — I don’t —

Q — fire people for disrespecting colleagues.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I don’t have anything — but —

Q And there’s no investigation.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: But I just laid — I just said to you that they have said themselves — Jeffrey Zients and also Anthony Bernal — that they are unfounded.

I can’t speak to your sources. Those are your sources to speak to. I cannot. But no —

Q Does Bernal’s special status come from the First Lady shielding him —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Steve — Steven —

Q — as some sources believe?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I — I’ve answered the question. I’ve answered the question.

Bernal — Anthony Bernal spoke for himself. You heard from our Chief of Staff — our Chief of Staff — and gave your publication a statement, obviously. And you’ve heard from me. I — I’m — I don’t have a —

Q Is there not going to be a chilling effect, though, on —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I don’t — I don’t have anything else to share.

Q — people who have suffered sexual harassment or bullying?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: S- — I don’t have anything else to share on that.

With — so we don’t end in that way —

(Cross-talk.)

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: (Laughs.) Go ahead, Brian.

Q Thanks.

Q Real quick. I guess I want to just clean up something that you have spoken to today. Would you car- — categorize the conversation with Netanyahu that we’ve been told about all day long — was it an ultimatum? Did we deliver an ultimatum (inaudible)?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: No. I mean, look —

Q Was it a shot across the bow?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Wait, hol- — it was — it was a direct conversation. It was a honest conversation. It lasted 30 minutes, as you heard from my colleague.

And we have said these many times before — you’ve heard this from us; you’ve heard this from the President himself: The — the Prime Minister and this President have known them — known each other for decades. And because they have known each other for some time, they have been able to have a direct and honest conversation.

And so, after what we saw — especially with seven — you know, seven lives taken from the — who were part of the World Central Kitchen workers — right? — who were doing heroic — heroic acts, providing humanitarian aid — you know, after what we saw — and you heard from the President: He was outra- — he was outraged. He was heartbroken. He wanted to have this direct conversation on how to keep humanitarian aid workers safe, protected — and also civilians — innocent civilians.

And that conversation has been happening for some time, and so — on protecting innocent civilian lives. I mean, that’s one of the reasons, as I stated moments ago, why he wanted to make sure that his team and the Prime Minister’s team came together to talk about their Rafah — potential Rafah operations, because he believes that we need to protect civilian lives and a major — major military operation was not the way to go, understanding that th- — there are Hamas operatives in Rafah. But we have to make sure that we protect innocent lives here.

So, they had a very direct conversation. That is — that is because they’ve known each other for many decades.

All right, everybody. Thank you so much.

Q Thank you.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: We’ll see you — hopefully, we’ll see some of you in Baltimore tomorrow.

3:13 P.M. EDT

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East Room

5:29 P.M. EDT

THE PRESIDENT: Well, Your Eminence, thank you very much.

I should start by saying the only reason I’m able to stand here is because of the Greek community. That’s not hyperbole.

I won my election as a 29-year-old senator — I know I’m only about 40 now, but — (laughter) — a 29-year-old senator by 3,100 votes — as my sister, Valerie, who’s here, will tell you — managed my campaign.

And as we were — you always look, in Delaware, from — you work politically from south to north. And I was coming up from Delmar, Delaware, checking all the polling stations on Election Day in — that November in ‘72. And I got across what they call the Canal — the Delaware and Chesapeake Canal. We — it’s the C&D Canal, the Chesapeake and Dela- — we call it the other way around.

And I was losing. And I got into Wilmington, and one of the — please move all that back, by the way.

One of the things that I — I learned early on was that I had a very close relationship with the Greek American community — for real — in the heart and — I mean, real — and the church there as well.

And I think, if there were — I forget the exact number of votes, but I think every Greek American in Delaware voted for me because they — (laughter) — no, no, no, no, no — (applause).

By the way, as some of the Delawareans would tell you, that’s where I acquired a nickname I’m very proud of: I am Joe “Biden-opoulos.” (Laughter and applause.) That’s the nickname I got.

So, Your Eminence, thank you for that — that introduction and for reminding us of the core values that unite Greece and America and so many other people around the world.

Welcome to the White House, everybody. This is your house, and you’re one of the reasons why, as I said, I’m here and why this house is here.

Today, we celebrate 203 years of Greek independence — 203 years. And we celebrate the ties of friendship and family between Greece and the United States that stretch back even longer than that.

Archbishop, the folks in this room embody those ties. We have proud Greek Americans here in the worlds of science, journalism, academia, finance, as well as small-business owners, religious leaders, public servants from all across America.

And together — together, you truly embody the breadth of the contributions that the Greek American community delivers every day for their country in communities all across the country and all across the nation.

I want to make — I want to welcome Eleni, who is here. She is the Lieutenant Governor of California. (Applause.) But before that, she was an ambassador in the Biden-Obama — the O-Biden — (laughter) — the — the Obama-Biden administration. (Laughter.) And she to- — anybody who could take care of Hungary in those days can handle anything. (Laughter.) But you’ve been a great friend for many years, and I thank you.

And welcome to the ambassadors from Greece and Cyprus, who are here. Raise your hands, guys. I don’t know where you are out there.

There you are. (Applause.) Thank you, thank you, thank you.

As well as the United States’ Ambassador to Greece, an old friend of mine — I asked him to be the ambassador, and I hope he forgives me, but he’s doing a great job — George Tsunis.

George Tsunis, where are you? (Applause.) There you are, George.

And if you’ll allow me to name a few additional friends here today. Now, look, I went to University of Dela- — everybody tells me the great schools they went to. All my kids went to Penn and Georgetown and all these other — they — they didn’t go to the really great school. I went to the University of Delaware. (Laughter.) And the president of the University of Delaware happens to be a Greek American standing right in front of me here. (Applause.)

The president of the University of Delaware, Dennis Assanis, and Eleni, who is really the president, I think, his wife. (Laughs.) Mr. President, you’re making me very proud and the university very proud.

And, look, I see some old friends out there: Andy and Mike Manatos. Guys, you — you go back a long way with me. You’re one of the reasons why I’m here, for real.

This is not hyperbole. I’m not exaggerating any of this. It’s the reason why I got here.

And, by the way, it’s though he’s not here to- — although he’s not here today, I just got off the phone with an old friend of mine, celebrating his birthday everywh- — elsewhere with his grandchildren, my friend, Father Alex. He sends all his love. (Applause.) And he is my friend — from the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America.

And, by the way, I have a — and he and I have traveled the country and the world together, including in Greece. And on more than one occasion, I visited His All Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, who was a great, great friend and a great, great man.

Remember he was having a little trouble being held in another country? We made it clear that if he wasn’t taken care of quickly, we may have a problem w- — the United States.

And two years ago, I was very proud to give Father Alex, by the way, the Medal — the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

You know — (applause) — my friends, to be very blunt about it, my sister and I, all year, look forward to this reception. And some of you know, the fact is that we’re in a situation where I have found lifelong friends in this audience, mentors in this country [community]. I’ve found inspiration in the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, which has been a clarion voice for social justice for decades.

You know, I’m an Irish American. I know that shocks you all. (Laughter.) But we have — I’ve felt a deep kinship with the Greek American community. So many grandparents, so many great-grandparents started out in America just — with just the clothes on their back, like my ancestors did, and went on to build good lives for themselves and, even more importantly, good futures for their families.

And so many of the values I grew up with, the values my Greek American friends grew up with as well, like treating everyone with dignity. My dad used to say, “You know, Joey, a job is about a lot more than a paycheck. It’s about your dignity. It’s about respect. It’s about being able to look your kid in the eye and say, ‘Honey, it’s going to be okay.’”

Like treating everyone with dignity, no matter who they are; working hard, dreaming big, never forgetting where you come from, and always holding on to the pride — pride in your family, in your community, your heritage, and, above all, pride in the great country we share together.

That pride is felt by so many immigrant communities all across America. And we celebrate that today.

Today is about friendship. Aristotle said, “A friend is a single soul dwelling in two bodies.” “A friend is a single soul dwelling in two bodies.” And that’s what we are: We’re friends.

To me, that captures the relationship between Greece and the United States. I believe the soul is the breath, the life, the essence of who we are. The soul is what makes us “us,” in my view.

America is the only country on Earth built on an idea. Every other country is based on ethnicity, geography, religion, and other attributes. But America is based on a simple idea, for real.

We’re not based on geog- — we’re based on an idea: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men and women are created equal, endowed by their Creator with certain in- — inalienable rights,” et cetera — you know, that we’re all entitled to be treated with decency and dignity, respect throughout our lives. And democracy must always be defended because it’s the vehicle that allows it all to happen — makes all this possible.

And you all know where that idea came from — democracy, where it was born: in Greece, a millennia ago, where some of the greatest thinkers in the world’s history conceived the notion of “We the People.” That’s where it came from. “We the People” — “demos” in democracy — can and should control our own destiny.

In my view, it’s the precious gift the Greeks — Greece has given the world. And that gift can give rise to our nation — it gave rise to it.

America’s Founding Fathers studied ancient Greek thinkers and leaders. Our revolution in 1776 was inspired — literally, not figuratively — inspired by their ideas. I know we always say this, but I wonder whether we really fully, totally appreciate what it was.

Forty-five years after that, Greek patriots fought for their own independence, galvanized by America’s quest for liberty. And that’s why the anniversary of Greece’s in- — Greek’s independence is a special day in America as well.

Our nations are connected. We have shared values, shared aspirations, and shared belief in all that is possible.

I was once asked by Xi Jinping in — I traveled 17,000 miles with him in Tibet- — I was on the Tibetan Plateau. And he looked at me, and he said to me, “Can you define America?” And I could say the same thing if he asked me to define Greece. I said, “Yes, one word,” — and I mean this sincerely; it’s reg- — it’s recorded. I said, “One word: possibilities.” “Possibilities.”

We believe anything is possible. When “We the People” come together for the common good, the bonds between us are rooted in our history. But they’re very much alive today. In this very room, together, we’re keeping those bonds alive.

The people of Greece, the people of the United States did not just inherit democracy. We have to be its defenders. It has to be, every generation, championed. We must be its champion. And that’s as important today as it’s ever been, and that’s not hyperbole.

So, I want to thank you all for being here to celebrate liberty. And I want to thank you for your commitment, making it real, in our time, the ideals that sparked our two nations’ struggle for independence more than 200 years ago.

And may both Greece and the United States continue to lift high the lamp of democracy so we can always serve as the beacon of hope to the world.

So, folks, happy Greek Independence Day. And welcome to your house.

Thank you, thank you, thank you. (Applause.)

5:40 P.M. EDT

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Today, my Administration is announcing protections for 2.2 million career civil servants from political interference, to guarantee that they can carry out their responsibilities in the best interest of the American people. Day in and day out, career civil servants provide the expertise and continuity necessary for our democracy to function. They provide Americans with life-saving and life-changing services and put opportunity within reach for millions. That’s why since taking office, I have worked to strengthen, empower, and rebuild our career workforce. This rule is a step toward combatting corruption and partisan interference to ensure civil servants are able to focus on the most important task at hand: delivering for the American people.

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 Fifty-six years ago today, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. gave his last breath in the cause to redeem the soul of our nation. He was in Memphis to march with sanitation workers rightly demanding safer working conditions, fairer wages, and basic dignity as part of the larger quest to make real the promise of America for all Americans.
 
But then, an extremist – armed with a rifle in his hands and fueled by the poison of white supremacy in his heart – shot and killed a great American who loved his country so deeply to make it better – even greater – even when it didn’t always love him back. Dr. King and generations of foot soldiers known and unknown embody a patriotism that continues to inspire generations of Americans, including me.
 
Dr. King is one of my political heroes. I was just out of law school when my hometown of Wilmington, Delaware was among the many cities engulfed in turmoil in the wake of his assassination. His unfinished mission inspired me to leave a prestigious law firm to become a public defender and begin a career in public service.
 
Since then, I’ve seen the push and pull and progress and setback on everything he stood for from voting rights to jobs and justice for all Americans. I’ve had the greatest honor to serve as Vice President to the first Black President and now President with the first woman Vice President, as we carry forward his vision of a beloved community.
 
But on this day, and in this time, we all do well to remember another essential lesson about Dr. King’s life and legacy. All Americans – regardless of party or background – should be able to reject political violence and hate-fueled violence in any form. We must condemn it, not condone it. We must confront it, not whitewash it. As we do, we must teach history and make history, not erase history. We must choose community over chaos.
 
Jill and I send our love to the entire King family. We especially keep in our hearts the legacy of Mrs. Coretta Scott King, who we all miss dearly and who did so much in her own right to redeem the soul of our nation.
 
May God bless Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

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The post Statement from President Joe Biden On the 56th Anniversary of theAssassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. appeared first on The White House.

The Uganda Constitutional Court’s decision to uphold most aspects of the Anti-Homosexuality Act is deeply disappointing, imperils human rights, and jeopardizes economic prosperity for all Ugandans.
 
While the Court overturned some clauses of the law, in failing to fully overturn the Act, the Court has left LGBTQI+ persons vulnerable to hate-fueled violence, discrimination, persecution, life imprisonment, or even the death penalty – simply for existing as they are. As President Biden said when this legislation was enacted: “No one should have to live in constant fear for their life or being subjected to violence and discrimination. It is wrong.”
 
As directed by President Biden, the United States continues to assess implications of the AHA on all aspects of U.S. engagement with the Government of Uganda and has taken significant actions thus far. The United States will continue to hold accountable individuals and entities that perpetrate human rights abuses in Uganda, both unilaterally and with partners around the world.
 
Yesterday’s ruling is a missed opportunity for Uganda—not only to uphold the human rights of all Ugandans, but also to reaffirm the importance of dignity, compassion, and tolerance for all. The United States remains committed to the Ugandan people and has the greatest respect for Uganda’s human rights defenders that are bravely fighting for the rights of all. We will continue to work to strengthen democratic institutions, protect human rights, and accelerate the fight against corruption, in Uganda, at home, and globally.

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President Biden spoke by telephone with Prime Minister Netanyahu. The two leaders discussed the situation in Gaza. President Biden emphasized that the strikes on humanitarian workers and the overall humanitarian situation are unacceptable. He made clear the need for Israel to announce and implement a series of specific, concrete, and measurable steps to address civilian harm, humanitarian suffering, and the safety of aid workers. He made clear that U.S. policy with respect to Gaza will be determined by our assessment of Israel’s immediate action on these steps. He underscored that an immediate ceasefire is essential to stabilize and improve the humanitarian situation and protect innocent civilians, and he urged the Prime Minister to empower his negotiators to conclude a deal without delay to bring the hostages home. The two leaders also discussed public Iranian threats against Israel and the Israeli people. President Biden made clear that the United States strongly supports Israel in the face of those threats.

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New state-by-state analysis shows how the Republican Study Committee budget would also worsen wait times for seniors who call for assistance with Medicare and Social Security

During his State of the Union Address, President Biden made clear that he will always stand up for America’s seniors and stand in the way of any Congressional Republicans who try to cut Social Security and Medicare. He laid out his vision for a future where we make the wealthy and big corporations pay their fair share while protecting and strengthening these bedrock programs that hardworking Americans pay into their entire working lives.

Less than two weeks later, the Republican Study Committee—which speaks for 80% of House Republicans and 100% of their leadership—released an extreme budget that takes direct aim at Medicare and Social Security. Their plan:

• Calls for over $1.5 trillion in cuts to Social Security, including an increase in the retirement age to 69 and cutting disability benefits.
• Raises Medicare costs for seniors by taking away Medicare’s authority to negotiate prescription drug costs, letting drug companies raise prices without consequence, and repealing $35 insulin and the $2,000 out-of-pocket cap in the Inflation Reduction Act.
• Transitions Medicare to a system that would raise premiums for many seniors.

Congressional Republicans are demanding these reckless cuts in order to make room for another $5.5 trillion in tax cuts skewed to the wealthy and big corporations—including by providing massive tax cuts for billionaire investors, repealing President Biden’s minimum tax on billion-dollar corporations, and weakening the IRS’s ability to make wealthy tax cheats pay the taxes they owe.

At the same time, the Republican Study Committee budget would also require a roughly 31% cut to non-defense discretionary spending, which would force devastating cuts to countless programs that hardworking Americans count on. What would these cuts mean for seniors and people with disabilities who call for assistance with their Social Security and Medicare?

• Social Security: People applying for disability benefits would have to wait at least two months longer for a decision. With fewer staff available, seniors would also be forced to endure longer wait times when they call for assistance with Social Security, and many Social Security field offices would be forced to close or shorten the hours they are open to the public.

• Medicare: Seniors and people with disabilities in states across the country would be forced to endure longer wait times when they call the Medicare call center, potentially increasing average wait times from five to more than twelve minutes.

Below is a state-by-state breakdown showing how many Americans would face longer wait times when calling for assistance with Medicare and Social Security under the Republican Study Committee budget:

Impact of Republican-Proposed Reduction to Social Security and Medicare Administrative Funding
Number of beneficiaries impacted by RSC budget proposalState or TerritoryMedicare EnrolleesSocial Security and/or Supplemental Security Income BeneficiariesAlabama             1,095,969                     1,271,110Alaska                114,560                        121,947Arizona             1,450,888                     1,572,937Arkansas                666,139                        783,091California             6,740,207                     7,028,718Colorado             1,004,624                     1,003,278Connecticut                730,973                        766,671Delaware                235,718                        252,898District of Columbia                   95,598                        100,438Florida             5,000,231                     5,429,229Georgia             1,886,764                     2,147,409Hawaii                299,283                        309,201Idaho                379,816                        414,029Illinois             2,362,004                     2,484,919Indiana             1,340,157                     1,505,777Iowa                668,579                        720,042Kansas                574,432                        618,746Kentucky                969,832                     1,126,358Louisiana                924,261                     1,047,919Maine                369,141                        389,655Maryland             1,114,980                     1,150,875Massachusetts             1,421,815                     1,439,660Michigan             2,196,981                     2,470,760Minnesota             1,115,271                     1,186,800Mississippi                631,140                        758,911Missouri             1,300,245                     1,442,657Montana                255,037                        268,394Nebraska                373,424                        388,983Nevada                 583,337                        629,242New Hampshire              332,890                        344,762New Jersey             1,716,970                     1,809,342New Mexico                453,190                        502,257New York             3,822,366                     4,141,114North Carolina             2,160,891                     2,417,289North Dakota                143,541                        151,537Ohio             2,475,491                     2,667,022Oklahoma                785,494                        900,692Oregon                925,614                        982,160Pennsylvania             2,885,014                     3,164,221Rhode Island                236,676                        256,810South Carolina             1,187,364                     1,335,123South Dakota                193,214                        206,006Tennessee             1,445,200                     1,644,532Texas              4,605,871                     5,059,972Utah                448,571                        479,038Vermont                161,347                        170,059Virginia             1,636,771                     1,747,890Washington             1,482,637                     1,547,916West Virginia                446,668                       519,308Wisconsin             1,277,405                     1,404,426Wyoming               123,476                        130,282Puerto Rico                 775,298                      827,567Total 65,623,365 71,239,979

This analysis assumes an across-the-board reduction of roughly 31% compared to the currently enacted FY 2024 levels for non-defense discretionary (NDD) accounts. This aligns with the Republican Study Committee Budget, which would cut NDD base funding to $534 billion in FY 2025, a roughly 31% reduction from the funding provided in the enacted FY 2024 bills.

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This week, Domestic Policy Council Director Neera Tanden, Deputy Secretary of Health and Human Services Andrea Palm, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure and Deputy Administrator and Director of the Center for Medicare Dr. Meena Seshamani, and Gender Policy Council Deputy Director Katie Keith headlined a White House convening on how President Biden’s prescription drug law, the Inflation Reduction Act, is directly benefitting women with Medicare, as well as the Biden-Harris Administration’s ongoing efforts to lower prescription drug costs for women of all ages.

Senior Administration officials highlighted new research released today by the Department of Health and Human Services on how the President’s prescription drug law is lowering costs for women enrolled in Medicare, including the nearly 30 million women in Medicare Part D. From lowering caps on costs for covered insulin to $35 per month, to capping out-of-pocket prescription drug costs for Medicare enrollees at $2,000 annually in 2025, to negotiating the prices of prescription drugs for the first time, the Administration is helping women and their families save money on the care they need—from treatment for cancer to asthma to autoimmune diseases.

The convening also featured a panel with leading experts and advocates who discussed how women are benefitting from President Biden’s historic prescription drug law. Panelists highlighted the importance of the Inflation Reduction Act in promoting women’s economic security and ensuring that more women can access affordable medications for themselves and their families. Panelists also discussed the importance of the law’s benefits to younger women and the need to continue the Administration’s fight to lower health care costs for all Americans and deliver a better deal for women and their families.

Panelists and speakers included:

• Sneha Dave, Executive Director, Generation Patient
• Stacie Dusetzina, Professor, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine
• Jocelyn Frye, President, National Partnership for Women & Families
• Leigh Purvis, Prescription Drug Policy Principal, AARP
• Samantha Reid, Patient Advocate and Senior Director of Digital Engagement, Center for American Progress

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Today, we celebrate a historic milestone: the 75th  anniversary of NATO.

This is the greatest military alliance in the history of the world. But it didn’t happen by accident, nor was it inevitable. Generation after generation, the United States and our fellow Allies have chosen to come together to stand up for freedom and push back against aggression—knowing we are stronger, and the world is safer, when we do.

We saw this during the Cold War, as we stood united against the forces of Soviet totalitarianism. We saw it again when America was attacked on September 11, 2001 and our Allies invoked NATO Article 5—an attack against one, is an attack against all—for the first and only time in history. And we’ve seen it over the last two years, as Allies have stepped up to support the brave people of Ukraine in the face of Russia’s vicious invasion—the largest war in Europe since World War II.

Today, NATO is larger, stronger, and more determined than ever before. We’ve added Finland and Sweden to the Alliance—two democracies, with two highly capable militaries. Over the past three years, our NATO Allies have increased their own annual defense spending by almost $80 billion. As our adversaries have plotted to break our remarkable unity, our democracies have stood unwavering. And this July, the United States will host a Washington NATO Summit—bringing together our Allies to modernize our defense and deterrence.

Now, like generations before us, we must choose to protect this progress and build on it. We must remember that the sacred commitment we make to our Allies—to defend every inch of NATO territory—makes us safer too, and gives the United States a bulwark of security unrivaled by any other nation in the world. And like our predecessors, we must ask ourselves what can we do—what must we do—to create a more peaceful future.

75 years ago today—after signing the treaty that brought NATO into existence—President Harry Truman said: “If there is anything certain today, if there is anything inevitable in the future, it is the will of the people of the world for freedom and for peace.” I believe that will is stronger today than ever before—and in the years ahead, I know we’ll prove it. 

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Vice President Harris and Administrator Regan to visit Charlotte, North Carolina to announce selectees under the Inflation Reduction Act’s Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund
 

First-of-its-kind national network to fund tens of thousands of climate and clean energy projects across America, especially in communities historically left behind and overburdened by pollution

Today, Vice President Kamala Harris and EPA Administrator Michael Regan will announce selections for $20 billion in awards to stand up a national financing network that will fund tens of thousands of climate and clean energy projects across the country, especially in low-income and disadvantaged communities, as part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda. This investment is part of the Environmental Protection Agency’s Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, afirst-of-its-kind and national-scale $27 billion program funded through President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act to combat the climate crisis by catalyzing public and private capital for projects that slash harmful climate pollution, improve air quality, lower energy costs, and create good-paying jobs. This program will ensure communities across the country have access to the capital they need to participate in and benefit from a cleaner, more sustainable economy.

Vice President Kamala Harris and EPA Administrator Michael Regan will be joined by Governor Roy Cooper, Mayor Vi Lyles, and Congresswoman Alma Adams to announce the selections under these two grant competitions in Charlotte, North Carolina.

This historic investment will support a wide range of climate and clean energy projects, including distributed clean power generation and storage, net-zero retrofits of homes and small businesses, and zero-emission transportation, all of which can lower energy costs for families and improve housing affordability while tackling the climate crisis. Collectively, the selected applicants have committed to reducing or avoiding up to 40 million metric tons of carbon pollution annually over the next seven years, contributing toward the Biden-Harris Administration’s historic climate goals. In addition, selectees plan to mobilize almost $7of private capital for every $1 of federal funds—approximately $150 billion total—ensuring that today’s awards will have a catalytic, ongoing effect on the deployment of climate and clean energy technologies at scale, particularly in underserved communities.

The Greenhouse Gas Reduction Program advances the Biden-Harris Administration’s Justice40 Initiative, which sets the goal that 40% of the overall benefits from certain federal climate, clean energy, and other investments flow to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized by underinvestment and overburdened by pollution. At least70% of the funds announced today—over $14 billion of capital—will be invested in low-income and disadvantaged communities, including historic energy communities that have powered our nation for over a century, communities with environmental justice concerns, communities of color, low-income communities, rural communities, Tribal communities, and more. This makes the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund the singlelargest non-tax investment within the Inflation Reduction Act to build a clean energy economy while benefiting communities historically left behind.

Meanwhile, Republicans in Congress are already attempting to roll back these historic investments. Last month, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 1023, which would repeal the EPA’s Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund. On March 19, President Biden issued a Statement of Administration Policy with his intent to veto that bill if it were to pass the Senate and come to his desk.

Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund Selectees

The $20 billion in awards announced today will be deployed through eight selected applicants across two separate and complementary programs under EPA’s Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund—the $14 billion National Clean Investment Fund (NCIF) and the $6 billion Clean Communities Investment Accelerator (CCIA). Together, the two programs will create a first-of-its-kind national network of mission-driven, community-led financial institutions that will finance climate and clean energy projects across the country, especially in low-income and disadvantaged communities.

Under the $14 billion National Clean Investment Fund (NCIF), selected applicants will partner with the private sector, community organizations, and others to provide accessible, affordable financing for new clean technology projects nationwide. While EPA required that at least 40 percent of NCIF funds flow to low-income and disadvantaged communities, each selected applicant significantly surpassed that requirement. Therefore, almost 60 percent of NCIF funds will flow to the communities that need it most. The three NCIF selectees are:

• Climate United Fund ($6.97 billion award), a nonprofit formed by Calvert Impact to partner with two U.S. Treasury-certified Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs), Self-Help Ventures Fund and Community Preservation Corporation. Together, these three nonprofit financial institutions bring a decades-long track record of successfully raising and deploying $30 billion in capital with a focus on low-income and disadvantaged communities. Climate United Fund’s program will focus on investing in harder-to-reach market segments like consumers, small businesses, small farms, community facilities, and schools—with at least 60% of its investments in low-income and disadvantaged communities, 20% in rural communities, and 10% in Tribal communities.
  
• Coalition for Green Capital ($5 billion award), a nonprofit with almost 15 years of experience helping establish and work with dozens of state, local, and nonprofit green banks that have already catalyzed $20 billion into qualified projects—and that have a pipeline of $30 billion of demand for green bank capital that could be coupled with more than twice that in private investment. The Coalition for Green Capital’s program will have particular emphasis on public-private investing and will leverage the existing and growing national network of green banks as a key distribution channel for investment—with at least 50% of investments in low-income and disadvantaged communities.
  
• Power Forward Communities ($2 billion award), a nonprofit coalition formed by five of the country’s most trusted housing, climate, and community investment groups that is dedicated to decarbonizing and transforming American housing to save homeowners and renters money, reinvest in communities, and tackle the climate crisis. The coalition members—Enterprise Community Partners, LISC (Local Initiatives Support Corporation), Rewiring America, Habitat for Humanity, and United Way—will draw on their decades of experience, which includes deploying over $100 billion in community-based initiatives and investments, to build and lead a national financing program providing customized and affordable solutions for single-family and multi-family housing owners and developers—with at least 75% of investments in low-income and disadvantaged communities.

Through the $6 billion Clean Communities Investment Accelerator (CCIA), selected applicants will establish hubs that provide funding and technical assistance to community lenders working to finance clean technology projects in low-income and disadvantaged communities—leading to near-term deployment of climate and clean energy projects while building the capacity of community lenders to finance projects at scale for years to come. 100 percent of CCIA funds will flow to low-income and disadvantaged communities. The five selectees of the CCIA are:

• Opportunity Finance Network ($2.29 billion award), a ~40-year-old nonprofit CDFI Intermediary that provides capital and capacity building for a national network of 400+ community lenders—predominantly U.S. Treasury-certified CDFI Loan Funds—which collectively hold $42 billion in assets and serve all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and several U.S. territories.
  
• Inclusiv ($1.87 billion award), a ~50-year-old nonprofit CDFI Intermediary that provides capital and capacity building for a national network of 900+ mission-driven, regulated credit unions—which include CDFIs and financial cooperativas in Puerto Rico—that collectively manage $330 billion in assets and serve 23 million individuals across the country.
  
• Native CDFI Network ($400 million award), a nonprofit that serves as national voice and advocate for the 60+ U.S. Treasury-certified Native CDFIs, which have a presence in 27 states across rural reservation communities as well as urban communities and have a mission to address capital access challenges in Native communities.
  
• Justice Climate Fund ($940 million award), a purpose-built nonprofit supported by an existing ecosystem of coalition members, a national network of more than 1,200 community lenders, and ImpactAssets—an experienced nonprofit with $3 billion under management—to provide responsible, clean energy-focused capital and capacity building to community lenders across the country.
  
• Appalachian Community Capital ($500 million award), a nonprofit CDFI with a decade of experience working with community lenders in Appalachian communities, which is launching the Green Bank for Rural America to deliver clean capital and capacity building assistance to hundreds of community lenders working in coal, energy, underserved rural, and Tribal communities across the United States.

Expanding Access to Clean Energy

Today’s historic Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund announcement builds on a range of innovative tools and programs in President Biden’s Investing in America agenda that aim to empower the communities that can benefit most from new investments to take an active role in building the clean energy economy. These programs leverage a range of approaches to make it easier and more affordable for states, cities, Tribes, schools, nonprofit organizations, and businesses of all sizes to build, own, and benefit from cost-saving clean energy projects, invest in energy efficiency improvements, expand access to clean transportation, and participate fully in decisions that affect underserved communities and populations.

For example:

• In March, the Treasury Department finalized rules for direct pay—a provision in the Inflation Reduction Act that enables, for the first time, tax-exempt entities like states, cities, Tribes, counties, territories, nonprofit organizations, public schools, hospitals, rural electric co-operatives, and more to access clean energy tax credits and fully participate in building and owning new clean energy projects. For example:
  
• To meet its goal of 100% carbon free operations by 2030, the City of Madison, Wisconsin is planning to access $13 million via direct pay to support transitioning their municipal fleet to low and no-carbon vehicles, as well as for solar and geothermal energy projects.
  
• The City of San Antonio, Texas is taking advantage of direct pay to build and own the largest municipal onsite solar project in Texas. This $30 million project will install roof top, parking, and park canopy solar photovoltaic systems at 42 city facilities to lower their energy costs and energy consumption and make progress toward their goal of achieving net-zero energy for all municipal buildings by 2040.
  
• The Inflation Reduction Act’s transferability provision allows businesses to transfer all or a portion of certain clean energy tax credits to a third-party in exchange for cash, so that small businesses, start-ups, and other entities without sufficient tax liability may still take advantage of the credits. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has already registered more than 45,000 new projects seeking to benefit from this new tool, which is lowering financing costs for clean energy projects and helping accelerate the buildout of the clean energy economy.
  
• The Low-Income Communities Bonus Credit program created by the Inflation Reduction Act promotes cost-saving clean energy investments in low-income communities, on Tribal lands, as part of affordable housing developments, and that benefit low-income households by providing a 10 to 20 percentage point bonus credit for up to 1.8 GW of small clean energy projects per year. In the first year of the program, the administration received more than 46,000 applications for allocations, signaling robust market demand to build projects serving low-income communities. The second year of the program will open for applications later this spring.
  
• In March, the Department of Energy’s Loan Programs Office (LPO) offered its first conditional commitment through the Tribal Energy Financing Program, which was expanded and provided new loan authority by the Inflation Reduction Act to support tribal entities in building out energy infrastructure. LPO announced up to $72.8 million for a partial loan guarantee to finance the development of a solar-plus long-duration energy storage microgrid on the Tribal lands of the Viejas Band of the Kumeyaay Indians near Alpine, California. 
  
• Last week, LPO offered its first conditional commitment through the Energy Infrastructure Reinvestment Program under Title 17 Clean Energy Financing Section 1706, first authorized and appropriated by the Inflation Reduction Act, to finance projects that retool, repower, repurpose, or replace energy infrastructure that has ceased operations or enable operating energy infrastructure to reduce pollution. These projects direct new investment in historical energy communities that have powered our nation for over a century. Last week’s offer of a conditional commitment of up to $1.52 billion for a loan guarantee to Holtec Palisades will finance the restoration and resumption of service of an 800-MW electric nuclear generating station in Covert Township, Michigan that closed in May 2022 and upgrade it to produce baseload clean power for decades to come. 
  
• Last week, the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Acting Secretary Todman traveled to Chicago to announce that the Department has now awarded more than half of the nearly $1 billion provided through the Inflation Reduction Act to make homes more energy-efficient, comfortable, and climate resilient for low-income Americans. The Green and Resilient Retrofit Program makes grants and loans to finance energy and climate renovations in HUD-assisted multifamily housing for low-income individuals, families, and seniors.
  
• Since the start of the Biden-Harris Administration, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has invested more than $1.8 billion through their Rural Energy for America Program, which provides guaranteed loan financing and grant funding for rural small businesses and agricultural producers to adopt clean energy and save money. President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act invests more than $2 billion to expand this program, and USDA just announced the latest tranche of over $120 million in awards for projects in 44 states last week.
  
• In December 2023, EPA announced 11 grant makers to receive $600 million from the Inflation Reduction Act through the Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Grantmaking Program to offer subgrants for environmental justice projects to local community-based organizations around the country. This new program is designed to make it easier for small community-based organizations to access federal environmental justice funding and responds to feedback about the need to reduce barriers to federal funds and improve the efficiency of the awards process to benefit underserved communities. 
  
• In November 2023, EPA announced approximately $2 billion in funding available to support community-driven projects that deploy clean energy, strengthen climate resilience, and build capacity for communities to tackle environmental and climate justice challenges. The Community Change Grants Program is the single largest investment in environmental justice going directly to communities in history, and will advance collaborative efforts to achieve a healthier, safer, and more prosperous future for all. 

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President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. today announced the designation of a Presidential Delegation to attend Kwibuka 30, the 30th Commemoration of the 1994 Genocide, on April 7, 2024, in Kigali, Rwanda.

The Honorable William Jefferson Clinton, 42nd President of the United States of America, will lead the delegation.

Members of the Presidential Delegation:

The Honorable Eric Kneedler, United States Ambassador to the Republic of Rwanda

The Honorable Mary Catherine Phee, Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of African Affairs, U.S. Department of State

The Honorable Casey Redmon, Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Legislative Affairs, National Security Council, The White House

The Honorable Monde Muyangwa, Assistant Administrator of the Bureau for Africa, U.S. Agency for International Development

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Indian Treaty Room

12:00 P.M. EDT

THE PRESIDENT:  Kris, thank you, thank you, thank you.  First of all, thank you for the courage you’ve shown over the years dealing with your health issues but also for standing up here before the whole nation and explaining to us what you’ve gone through.  It’s not easy to do.

You know, trying to afford your expensive medications, from blood disorders to asthma — millions of Americans — millions — have similar stories: lying in bed at night literally staring at the ceiling wondering what in God’s name will happen if their spouse gets cancer of if their child gets sick or something happens to them.  Are they going to have enough insurance?  Can they afford the medical bills they’re going to have?  Will they have to sell the house to keep things moving?

You know, and you find out a big reason why we’re lying awake at night with these questions is because the drug companies are charging exorbitant — exorbitant prescription drug prices — higher prices than anywhere in the world. 

When Bernie said it — I was listening in the back, Bernie.  You and I have been fighting this for 25 years.  Finally — finally we beat Big Pharma.  Finally.  (Applause.)  I’m serious.

I’m proud — (laughs) — I’m proud that my administration is taking on Big Pharma in the most significant ways ever.

And I wouldn’t have done it without Bernie.  And Bernie got a — you know, look, Bernie was the one who was leading the way for decades in which we’re — why we’re here today.

You know, Bernie mentioned that Americans pay more for prescription drugs than other advanced nation in the world.

If you want to — if you walk into a local drugstore here in America, the prices are at least two to three times more for the exact same prescription made by the exact same pharmaceutical company in Canada, France, Italy, and even in Eastern Europe — all around the world.  But not anymore.

For years, people have talked about how Medicare has the power to negotiate for lower drug price — prescription drug prices the government pays for, just like the VA does when they’re able to negotiate medicines and — and needs for the veterans.

But we’ve tried and tried and tried.  And finally, with Bernie’s help, I finally got my Inflation Reduction Act, which passed — and Bernie helped get it passed.  Not one Republican in the entire Congress — this — this did surprise me; I have to admit to you — not one single Republican voted for it — not one single one — to give us authority to take on and beat Big Pharma.

Take insulin for people with diabetes — it costs 10 bucks to make.  If you add everything in terms of packaging and all the rest, you can argue maybe $12 total.  And they’re charging as much as $400 a month.  Not anymore.  Not anymore.  Seniors with diabetes will only have to pay $35 a month from this point on.  (Applause.) 

And, by the way, when I first got the law passed, guess what?  It applied to every American — every American.  But the Republicans were able to cut back on the fact that only — they only were not able — the only thing they couldn’t defeat was seniors.

But I want to — I want those savings to be for every — every single person in America, no matter what their age.  No one should pay more than 35 bucks a month for insulin, period.

And, by the way, drug companies still make a significant pro- — product — I’m — excuse me, significant profit because I said: Ten bucks to make.  By the way, the guy who invented the drug didn’t want to patent it because he wanted it available to everybody.  Well, it’s available all right.

Look, folks, there’s a whole lot of prescription drugs that are ongoing — undergoing the process of lower pricing.

Medicare is now able to negotiate lower drices — lower prices for some of the costliest drugs that treat everything from heart disease to arthritis.

This year alone, the law that’s already passed — it’s in the law now that we signed — Medicare is negotiating

10 of the most costly drugs next year, and they’ll do that every year beyond for the — it goes well beyond 50 drugs. 

Next year, it’ll be 15.  It isn’t just saving seniors money.  Along with other reforms, it’s taxpayer money and we’re cutting the federal deficit.  And people say, “Well, it’s costing money.”  Guess what?  It’s costing the drug companies money. 

It cuts the deficit by $160 billion — $160 billion.  (Applause.)  No, I’m serious.  Think about it.  Over the next 10 years — because Medicare will no longer have to be — pay those exorbitant prices.  Instead of paying 400 bucks, they’re paying 35 bucks.

But I think we should be more aggressive.  It’s time to negotiate lower prices for at least 50 drugs a year.  We only have it — the law only requires 10 now, and then 15, and it moves up.

Along with other actions, we’re not only saving lives, but if we move that number up, we’ll save taxpayers another $200 billion on top of the $160 billion, because Medicare will not be paying these exorbitant costs.

It is a gigantic — and, by the way, the other guy talks about cutting the deficit.  He increased the deficit more than any president has in history.  And we’ve cut it.

Look, in addition to the law we passed that will cap prescription drug costs for seniors on Medicare starting in 2025 — it’s already the law — doesn’t require anything else — because when I say these things, they say, “You think you can get it done?”  It’s already the law. 

Every- — your drugs will not cost you — if you’re a senior on Medicare — will not have to pay more than $2,000 a year, no matter what the drugs costs.  And as you know — many of you unfortunately know or your parents — some of the cancer drugs cost $10-, $12-, $15,000 a year.  Combined — combined, they will not have to pay a penny beyond $2,000 a year.  (Applause.)  And the drug companies will still make a lot of money.

Folks, Bernie and I want to cap prescription drug costs at $2,000 a year for every American, not just seniors.  (Applause.)

We’re here today to talk about how we’re lowering prices and cracking down on un- — unfair competition in prescription drugs.

I’m a capitalist.  Capitalism, though, without competition isn’t capitalism;  it’s exploitation.  That’s what’s going on: exploitation.

When Big Pharma doesn’t play by the rules, competitors can’t offer lower prices for generic drugs and devices that carry that medication, so prices are raised artificially.  I thank Bernie for leading the charge to do something about this.

For example, asthma is one of the most common respiratory illnesses in America.  Twenty-seven million Americans have asthma, including four million children.  Asthma causes about one thou- — one million visits to a hospital emergency rooms every year.

Nationwide, the cost of treating asthma is estimated to be $50 billion a year — the treating the asthma — not the drug, treating the asthma.

If you have asthma, you will likely need an inhaler to breathe.  Now this spring is here, the season and allergies are on — upon us.  We’re on the rise even more.  More people with asthma need inhalers to breathe.

You know, many asthma medications — many have — be on the market for more than 25 years.  They cost less than $5 to make.  They cost less than $5 to make, but the medication — the medication hasn’t changed at all.

Theoretically, if the drug company came with a new medicine that would — they invested in a lot of money to find a better way, they di- — they wouldn’t have to — they could argue that — another price.  But drug companies have increased prices for asthma drugs up to eight times more than the original cost.  And the mechanism is- — and the m- — the mechanisms attached to the inhaler, the thing that makes it, you know, go into your — into your nose or mouth, that is a device that Med- — Medicare hasn’t changed much either.

Look, these big companies try to keep generic companies away from getting patents on devices that deliver the medication through the inhalers.

So, there’s two pieces.  It’s not just the — what’s in the inhaler.  It’s the mechanism that allows it to go into your body.

For example, they slightly changed the cap of an inhaler and they use the new patent on that cap to block generic drug companies from being able to enter the market.  It’s a big deal.  Playing these games with patients and pricing, Big Pharma is able to charge Americans significantly higher prices and pad their profits.

Senator Sanders has pointed out one company sells an inhaler for 49 bucks in the United Kingdom.  You know how much they charge in the United States for that one inhaler?  Six hundred and forty-five dollars.  So, I take — $645.

If you need that inhaler and you get on Air Force One with me, the next time we go to London, you can get off and you can get it for — (laughter) — no, I’m serious.  Think about that, though.  Just think about that.  For the same exact medicine and the same exact device.  It’s outrageous.

Another company sells an inhaler for $9 in Germany — $9 in Germany — and we pay $286 here in the United States.  Nine bucks in Germany — same outfit, same company, same device — and it’s 30 times more.  Thirty times more.  I repeat: It’s outrageous.  And we’re doing something about it, finally.

Why in God’s name should an American pay $645 for the same inhaler sold in the United Kingdom for $49 by the same outfit — the same outfit?

Bernie called out the drug companies during the congressional hearings.  And you just heard from Lina Khan, the Federal — the Chair of the Federal Trade Commission, who is working with the Food and Drug Administration to crack down on these drug companies, and it’s a big deal. 

As a result of all this action, some drug companies have withdrawn their abusive patent listings for inhalers and other common products like EpiPens.

You know, the last few weeks, some of the big drug companies have gotten the message to reduce the prices for some asthma drugs.  Bernie is a big reason why that’s happened.  In fact, three of the four largest companies are capping the cost of inhalers for many patients — that can be up to $600 out of pocket — at $35.  There’s some progress going on beyond what we’ve done — the law.  But it’s about time. 

And — and going forward with more competition and more generic drugs in the market, the price could be even less than it is now and coming down. 

But that’s not all.  Because of all of you, my Inflation Reduction Act — drug companies that raise prices more than inflation are going to pay back Medicare the difference between what they charged and the inflation rate.  This is based on the price of their drugs in 2021. 

That means consumers will pay less for prescription drugs, and they’ll save taxpayers money and discourage companies from hiking prices faster than inflation in the first place.  But we want to do more.

It’s time the drug companies pay rebates when they increase prices faster than inflation — not just for seniors but for every single American — every single American.  (Applause.)

And today’s announcement follows actions we’ve already taken to significantly reduce the healthcare costs for average Americans.  We took action to reduce the cost of hearing aids for millions of Americans by as much as $3,000 for a pair of hearing aids. 

In addition, my administration is banning junk fees on health insurance plans.  These are the plans that stick consumers with big unexpected charges instead of covering the care they need.

Look, they ended up with fair surpri- — I ended up- — surprise medical bills so hospitals that are in-network can’t send you a bill for an out-of-network doctor that you didn’t choose or you would — haven’t even been consulted.  I was in the hospital for a while years ago and that happened.  

Kamala and I are protecting and expanding the Affordable Healthcare Act, known as Obamacare, which, I might add, is still a big deal.   (Applause.)

Today — thank God my mother wasn’t here — (laughter) — today, 21 million Americans are covered through the Affordable Care Act, 9 million more than when I took office.

I exact tax credits — we enacted tax credits to save an average of $800 per person per year, reducing healthcare premiums for millions of working families whose coverage — who have coverage under the Affordable Care Act.

Those tax credits, though, expire.  You can only get it for — through this year.  And I’m calling on Congress to make tax credits permanent — permanent for this process.  (Applause.)

And, folks, all of our progress is in stark contrast to my predecessor and MAGA Republicans in — in the Congress.  They want to, quote — I love their word they love — they want to “terminate” the Affordable Care Act — I love it, “terminate” –my — as my predecessor says, kicking millions of Americans off their health insurance.

And, by the way, the vast majority of these people would not be able to get insurance because they have a preexisting condition. 

They also want to eliminate the Inflation Reduction Act, eliminate the savings to lower prescription drug prices, and so much more.

During the last administration, my president ex- — my predecessor exploded the national debt more than any previous president in the history in a four-year term — more than any prev- — he talks about the debt.  He exploded it more than any other president in a four-year term with his $2 trillion tax cut that overwhelmingly — overwhelmingly benefitted the very wealthy and the biggest corporations in America. 

Now he and his Republicans in Congress want to cut Social Security — raise the age — and cut Medicare while they cut taxes for the very wealthy again.

You know, I got a better idea.  I’m going to protect Social Security and Medicare, along with Bernie and other members of Congress, to make sure the wealthy begin to pay their fair share to keep these programs solvent.  (Applause.)  It’s not hard. 

And let me repeat what I said that even some people, like Bernie, didn’t like at the beginning — and I don’t blame them — but I said on day one, to make a point: No one in America will pay a single penny more in federal taxes if they make under — less than — if they make less than $400,000 a year. 

I wish I was able to do that.  I was listed — and Bernie will — used to kid me about it — I was listed as the poorest man in Congress for 36 years.  I didn’t think I was poor.  I got a good salary.  But I was the poorest man in Congress.

Trump brags about he is the reason Roe v. Wade was overturned.  And here’s his quote: “I did something no one thought possible.  I got rid of Roe v. Wade.”  End of quote.

And now he and his MAGA officials are calling on a nat- — for a national ban on the right to choose in every state.

I promise you: With a Democratic Congress, Kamala and I will make Roe v. Wade the law of the land again.  I promise you.  (Applause.)

I’m talking too long here.  Let me close with this.  (Laughter.)  I’m excited about this.  I’m really proud of what we’ve been able to do.  I really am.

Bernie and I have been doing this work for a long time.  I know we don’t look it, but we’ve been doing it a long time.  (Laughter.)  Bernie and I have something else in common: We both married way above our stations.

But any rate, but we know we’ve made historic progress in the last three years: 35 bucks for insulin for seniors, $35 for inhalers for asthma, $2,000 a year total cap on costs for seniors.

We’re lowering the cost of some of the most expensive prescription drugs for seniors.

And what I want to do next — what we want to do next is these caps on costs for everyone — everyone, not just seniors.

With Bernie’s help, we’re showing how healthcare ought to be a right and not a privilege in America.  And that’s why I’ve never been more optimistic about — I really mean it.  You’ve heard me say in this very room how optimistic I am.  I am optimistic because the laws we got passed are now coming into effect, whether it’s the infrastructure or whether it’s this.  I mean, there’s so much more.

I just have — we have to — and I said this many times and I’ll get out of your hair.  You know, we have to remember who we are.  We’re the United States of America.

I mean — I mean these things from the bottom of my heart.  We’re the United — there is nothing beyond our capacity when we do it together.  We’re the only nation — as a student of history — that I can find that’s come out of every crisis we’ve entered stronger than we went in.  Every single time.  So, let’s remember who the hell — we’re the United States of America. 

God bless you all.  And may God protect our troops.  (Applause.)

12:17 P.M. EDT

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