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WASHINGTON – This week, the White House announced the appointment of Donna Hayashi Smith as the new Curator. Ms. Hayashi Smith, the ninth White House Curator, joined the Executive Residence Office of the Curator in 1995 and has served under five administrations. She began her career as the administrative and collections assistant, then became the White House collections manager and registrar. Most recently, she was the associate Curator of the collections and registrar, a position where she was responsible for caring for and tracking over 60,000 objects in the White House Collection. She also led the Office of the Curator through its American Alliance of Museums re-accreditation in 2022, ensuring that the White House continues to be recognized nationally as an accredited museum. Ms. Hayashi Smith has been serving as the acting White House Curator since the retirement of her predecessor, Lydia Tederick, after her decades of service.   

“Donna Hayashi Smith brings years of experience to this position, along with unique perspectives from serving under five administrations. She understands the history and legacy of the White House, as well as the intricate innerworkings of the building itself,” said First Lady Jill Biden. “I look forward to continuing our work together to preserve the White House’s living history, increasing opportunities for Americans to see themselves reflected here, and making the “People’s House” more accessible to the millions of people who visit our Nation’s Capital each year.”

Originally from Wahiawa, Hawaii, Ms. Hayashi Smith received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Art History from the University of Hawaii at Manoa. In 1990, she moved to Washington, D.C. for a Smithsonian Institution minority fellowship at the National Museum of American History and was hired as a museum aide at the National Museum of American Art a year later. Shortly after arriving at the White House, Hayashi Smith earned a Master of Arts degree in Museum Studies at the George Washington University while continuing her work in the Office of the Curator.  Ms. Hayashi Smith is the first Asian American to hold the title of Curator of the White House.

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The post White House Announces Appointment of New Curator appeared first on The White House.

Funding from President Biden’s Investing in America Agenda Will Accelerate Progress Toward the President’s Commitment to Replace Every Lead Pipe in the Country Within a Decade

President Biden believes that every American should be able to turn on the tap and drink clean, safe water. But over 9 million homes, schools, daycares, and businesses receive their water through a lead pipe, putting people at risk of lead exposure. Lead is a neurotoxin that can irreversibly harm brain development in children, and it can also accumulate in the bones and teeth, damage the kidneys, and interfere with the production of red blood cells needed to carry oxygen. Due to decades of inequitable infrastructure development and underinvestment, lead poisoning disproportionately affects low-income communities and communities of color. There is no safe level of exposure to lead. That is why the President made a commitment to replace every lead pipe in the country within a decade and coordinated a whole of government effort to deploy resources and leverage every tool across federal, state and local government to address lead hazards through the Lead Pipe and Paint Action Plan. 

As part of this unprecedented commitment, President Biden is traveling today to Wilmington, North Carolina, to announce $3 billion through his Investing in America agenda to replace toxic lead pipes. This investment, administered by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), is part of the historic $15 billion in dedicated funding for lead pipe replacement provided by the President’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Today’s announcement delivers funding to every state and U.S. territory to help address lead in drinking water while creating good-paying jobs, many of them union jobs. In addition, this program funding is part of the President’s Justice40 Initiative, which set a goal that 40% of the overall benefits of certain federal investments flow to disadvantaged communities, and is helping address the inequities of lead exposure.

Additionally, to further reduce lead exposure, the Department of Housing and Urban Development is announcing today nearly $90 million in available funding to reduce residential health hazards in public housing, including lead-based paint hazards, carbon monoxide, mold, radon, fire safety, and asbestos, advancing the President’s Lead Pipe and Paint Action Plan.

Today’s announcement from the EPA builds on more than $20 billion in water infrastructure investments that state and local governments have made through the President’s American Rescue Plan. North Carolina has invested close to $2 billion from the American Rescue Plan in more than 800 clean water, wastewater, and stormwater projects across the state and is using another $150 million to test for and remove lead hazards in every school and child care center across the state, a historic effort to remove lead from North Carolina schools.

In Wilmington, North Carolina, President Biden will announce $76 million from his Bipartisan Infrastructure Law for lead pipe replacement across the state. The President will also meet with faculty and students from a Wilmington school that replaced a water fountain with high levels of lead with funding from his American Rescue Plan.

EPA estimates North Carolina has an estimated 300,000 lead pipes, and today the President will highlight his goal of replacing every lead pipe in the state. With today’s new investment of $76 million, the President has now delivered $250 million in Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding to North Carolina for lead pipe replacement. This funding has already reached over 60 communities across the state to kick start lead pipe identification and replacement efforts.

One of these communities is Wilmington, North Carolina, which has already received over $4 million from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to identify and replace 325 lead pipes. Today, President Biden is announcing that the first Bipartisan Infrastructure Law-funded lead pipe replacement in Wilmington is now underway, kicking off this project for the city.

Progress Replacing Lead Pipes Across America

The Biden-Harris Administration is taking action to accelerate lead pipe replacement in communities across the country. The total lead pipe replacement funding announced by the Administration to date will replace up to 1.7 million lead pipes, protecting countless families and children from lead exposure.

To ensure that communities that bear most of the burden of lead exposure are not left behind in this opportunity, EPA and the Department of Labor are partnering directly with disadvantaged communities across the country to provide the support and technical assistance they need to secure funding for and execute lead pipe replacement initiatives. EPA has partnered with over 40 communities to date, and last November announced it would partner with 200 more communities through the EPA Get the Lead Out Initiative.

This work is also creating good-paying jobs, many of them union jobs, in replacing lead pipes – and accelerating the development of a skilled water workforce. Unions including the Laborers’ International Union of North America (LIUNA), the United Association of Plumbers and Pipefitters, and the International Union of Operating Engineers are already training workers in lead pipe replacement and putting them to work on neighborhood blocks across the country. The EPA estimates that 200,000 jobs have been created by the Administration’s investments in drinking water infrastructure alone.

In addition, last November, EPA issued a proposal to strengthen its Lead and Copper Rule that would require water systems to replace lead pipes within 10 years and drive progress nationwide toward reducing lead exposure.

The examples below highlight several communities where the Administration’s investments are making an impact:

• In Milwaukee, Wisconsin, $41 million from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law has helped put the city on track to replace all its lead pipes within 10 years instead of the initially estimated 60 years. The city is using a high proportion of union labor to replace lead pipes, and will be one of four new White House Workforce Hub cities that were announced by President Biden last week.
  
• Following a lead-in-water crisis, Benton Harbor, Michigan, successfully replaced all its lead pipes within just two years, fueled by $18 million in funding from the President’s American Rescue Plan.
  
• Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has received $42 million from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to replace lead pipes, and is on track to replace every lead pipe by 2026. Vice President Harris visited the city in February to highlight this progress in lead pipe replacement and announce new funding for clean water.
  
• St. Paul, Minnesota, has received $16 million from the American Rescue Plan to replace lead pipes. This funding has enabled the city’s Lead-Free St. Paul program to target the replacement of all lead pipes by 2032 at no cost to residents.
  
• Cincinnati, Ohio, passed an ordinance to develop a program to replace all lead pipes in line with the President’s goal, and authorized covering the cost of replacing private lead pipes that bring water to residents’ homes. A $20 million investment from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will support this work.
  
• Tucson, Arizona, received $6.95 million to develop a Lead Service Line inventory for their nine public water systems. The city will use this inventory to develop a plan to replace lead service lines in the community and improve drinking water quality for residents – many of whom live in low-income and disadvantaged communities.
  
• Denver, Colorado, has replaced almost 25,000 lead service lines since the program launched in 2020. Denver plans to replace another 5,000 this year and is on target to replace 100% by 2031, accelerating its lead pipe replacement due to Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding.
  
• Last week, at the White House Water Summit, the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative launched its new Great Lakes Lead Pipes Partnership with three of its members – Chicago, Illinois, Detroit, Michigan, and Milwaukee, Wisconsin. This first-of-its kind, mayor-led effort to accelerate lead pipe replacement in cities with the heaviest lead burdens will provide a collaborative forum for metropolitan areas in the Great Lakes to share emerging best practices to encourage faster, more equitable replacement programs and overcome common challenges, including reducing replacement costs, improving community outreach, and spurring water workforce development.

Broader Administration Actions to Deliver Clean Water

The funding announced today is part of the over $50 billion provided by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to upgrade the nation’s water infrastructure – the largest investment in clean and safe water in American history. In addition, over $20 billion from the American Rescue Plan has been invested in water infrastructure, including lead pipe replacement, nationwide.

Beyond replacing lead pipes, these broader investments are helping to expand access to clean drinking water, improve wastewater and sanitation infrastructure, and remove per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) contamination in water. The Administration has launched over 1,400 of these projects to deliver clean water to date.

Delivering Clean Drinking Water. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law invests nearly $31 billion in funding to secure clean drinking water through infrastructure projects such as upgrading aging water mains and improving water treatment plants.

Improving Wastewater and Sanitation Infrastructure. Over 2 million people in the U.S. live without basic running water or sanitation systems in their homes. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law invests nearly $13 billion to improve wastewater, sanitation, and stormwater infrastructure.

Tackling PFAS Pollution in Water. Exposure to PFAS “forever chemicals” in drinking water is linked to severe health impacts including deadly cancers, liver and heart damage, and developmental impacts in children. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law invests $10 billion to address toxic PFAS pollution in water. In addition, this month EPA announced the first-ever national drinking water standard for PFAS , which will protect 100 million people from PFAS exposure.

Lowering Costs for North Carolina Families

As the President invests in all of America and all Americans, his agenda is lowering costs for North Carolina families:

• Saving 2.2 million North Carolina Medicare beneficiaries money on prescription drugs, insulin, and vaccines.
• Saving 1 million North Carolinians hundreds of dollars per year on health insurance.
• North Carolina families will get lower utility bills thanks to $209 million in home energy rebates and new tax credits for energy-efficient appliances.
• President Biden is taking on corporate rip-offs like junk fees to lower costs for North Carolina families on everything from airfares to event tickets to overdraft fees.
• President Biden would lower housing costs with a $10,000 tax credit for first-time homebuyers, expanded rental assistance, and by building more than 2 million homes.
• President Biden would lower child care costs by guaranteeing child care for families making up to $200,000, with most families paying no more than $10 a day.

Congressional Republicans have no plan to lower costs—in fact, their plan would increase costs for North Carolinians by:

• Increasing costs for health care, prescription drugs, and insulin by siding with Big Pharma to repeal the Inflation Reduction Act and Affordable Care Act and slash Medicare.
• Cutting Social Security by $1.5 trillion and raising Medicare costs for seniors by transitioning Medicare to a system that would raise premiums.
• Raising taxes for middle-class families by repealing the Inflation Reduction Act and Affordable Care Act.
• Raising housing costs by cutting rental assistance and programs to build new homes.

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The post FACT SHEET: Biden-Harris Administration Announces $3 Billion to Replace Toxic Lead Pipes and Deliver Clean Drinking Water to Communities Across the Country appeared first on The White House.

Actions will protect nearly 120,000 acres of culturally, ecologically, and historically important lands in California while expanding outdoor access for local communities

President Biden on track to conserve more lands and waters than any President in history

Since their first day in office, President Biden and Vice President Harris have delivered on the most ambitious climate and conservation agenda in history. This includes the President’s America the Beautiful Initiative, which is supporting locally led conservation efforts across the country with a goal to protect, conserve, and restore at least 30 percent of U.S. lands and waters by 2030. The Biden-Harris Administration has already conserved more than 41 million acres of lands and waters – putting President Biden on track to conserve more lands and waters than any President in history.
 
Today, as part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s unprecedented commitment to protect America’s natural wonders for future generations, honor areas of cultural significance to Tribal Nations and Indigenous peoples, and expand access to nature, President Biden will sign proclamations expanding the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument and the Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument. Together, these actions will protect nearly 120,000 acres of lands in California of scientific, cultural, ecological, and historical importance, adding unparalleled value to these already beloved national monuments and expanding outdoor access to nearby underserved and disadvantaged communities. The proclamation for the Berryessa Snow Mountain expansion also renames the ridgeline at the heart of the expansion, previously known as “Walker Ridge,” to Molok Loyuk, which means Condor Ridge in the language of the area’s Patwin people.
 
These expansions honor Tribal Nations and Indigenous peoples by protecting sacred ancestral places and their historically important features, while conserving our public lands, protecting scientific features, including critical wildlife habitat and migration corridors, safeguarding clean water, and supporting local economies. Federal, state, and local leaders, Tribal governments, Indigenous communities, and a coalition of community-based and conservation organizations came together to advocate for the additional protections for both of these national monuments. The sites protected through these expansions will ensure that future generations can experience, learn from, and enjoy these irreplaceable resources.
 
Vice President Harris has been a critical leader on efforts to ensure protections for California public lands, including the lands protected by these proclamations. In 2018, then-Senator Harris introduced the “San Gabriel Mountains Foothills and Rivers Protection Act,” the first Senate proposal to expand the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument. In addition, then-Senator Harris introduced the “Protecting Unique and Beautiful Landscapes by Investing in California (PUBLIC) Lands Act,” a legislative package of three bills, including the “San Gabriel Mountains Protection Act,” that together would have increased protections and access for over 1 million acres of California lands, including nearly 600,000 acres of new wilderness and over 100,000 acres of new national monument lands. The proclamation that the President is signing today will permanently protect the lands in the San Gabriel Mountains covered by those bills.
 
Since taking office, the Biden-Harris Administration has established or expanded seven national monuments (including through today’s actions) and restored protections for three more; created four new national wildlife refuges and significantly expanded five more; protected the Boundary Waters of Minnesota, the nation’s most visited wilderness area; safeguarded Bristol Bay in southwest Alaska; and withdrawn Chaco Canyon in New Mexico and Thompson Divide in Colorado from further oil and gas leasing which will protect pristine lands and thousands of sacred sites.
 
Expanding San Gabriel Mountains National Monument
 
President Biden is taking action to expand the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument, which President Obama designated in 2014, near Los Angeles, California. The proclamation will add 105,919 acres of U.S. Forest Service lands to the south and west of the current monument’s 346,177 acres; protect additional cultural, scientific, and historic objects; and expand access to outdoor recreation on our shared public lands for generations to come.
 
Since time immemorial, the rich landscape within the expansion area has sustained Indigenous peoples, including the people known as the Gabrielino, Kizh, or Tongva, and the Chumash, Kitanemuk, Serrano, and Tataviam peoples. Today, their descendants are part of Tribal Nations and other Indigenous peoples in the region, some of whose members continue to use the area for ceremonial purposes, as well as for collecting traditional plants important for basketry, food, and medicine.
 
The lands added to the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument contain spectacular cultural, geological, and ecological resources. A diversity of animals, birds, reptiles, and other wildlife, including numerous sensitive, threatened, and endangered species, live among the unique geological and ecological features of the area, including its unusual canyons, chapparal and coastal sage scrub lands, riparian woodlands, and conifer forests. These lands also provide homes to some of California’s most imperiled and iconic birds, including the endangered California condor. The area includes key habitats that support wetland-dependent plant species, sensitive fish and amphibians, and migration corridors. The area also holds important geologic significance; the exceptional landscape of the San Gabriel Mountains, shaped by massive geologic forces over hundreds of millions of years, provides views deep into ancient earth.
 
Though it is adjacent to highly developed areas of Los Angeles, the expansion area includes highly secluded and largely undeveloped areas, such as the 4,700-acre Arroyo Seco inventoried Roadless Area—an iconic landscape feature. The expanded monument’s natural lands and increased proximity to the city make it a unique place of rejuvenation and recreation for the people of the ever-changing urban and suburban communities of the greater Los Angeles region.
 
President Biden’s proclamation directs the U.S. Forest Service to manage the area according to the same terms, conditions, and management as the original national monument designation, which respects grazing permits, water rights, existing infrastructure, military use of airspace, state management of wildlife, and wildfire response, among other things. The proclamation directs the Secretary of Agriculture to develop a management plan for expansion area, incorporating Indigenous Knowledge and maximum community input. With this designation, the U.S. Forest Service will establish a Federal Advisory Committee to provide information and advice regarding the development of the management plan and management of the expansion. The committee will include state agencies and local governments; Tribal nations and Indigenous communities with cultural, traditional, or ancestral ties to the area; recreational users; conservation organizations; wildlife, hunting, and fishing organizations; the scientific community; business owners; and the general public in the region.
 
To better manage the high levels of visitation to this popular area, the Administration, alongside state and private partners, is also investing to improve outdoor recreation infrastructure, restore and protect resources, and increase staffing to create an improved visitor experience in the existing and expanded national monument.  
 
Expanding Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument
 
President Biden will also sign a proclamation expanding the Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument, originally designated by President Obama in 2015, in northern California. This expansion honors Tribal Nations and Indigenous peoples through the protection of this sacred California landscape and its historically and biologically important features, while conserving our public lands and growing America’s outdoor recreation economy. The expansion will add 13,696 acres of public lands, managed by the Department of the Interior, to the monument’s original 330,000 acres, which are jointly managed by the Bureau of Land Management and the U.S Forest Service. 
 
The expansion area includes the portion of Molok Luyuk that is outside the boundary of the existing monument. The striking 11-mile north-to-south ridgeline, sacred to the Patwin people, is dotted with a mosaic of unique geologic and hydrologic features. The ridge is flanked by iconic California chapparal-covered canyons, oak and cypress woodlands, and spring-fed meadows. Unusual and rare serpentine wetlands dot Molok Luyuk and its downward slopes are fed by the numerous seeps and springs scattered across the area, underpinning the region’s prolific botanical richness—nearly 500 native California plant species have been identified within the expansion area, including at least 38 different special-status plants. Molok Luyuk also serves as a wildlife corridor for species such as tule elk, mountain lions, and bears, and is home to iconic species such as bald and golden eagles. Conserving this area fortifies protection for the scientifically critical north-south migration corridor provided by the existing monument.
 
The name Molok Luyuk recalls a time when California condors were a common sight soaring above the ridge, and the Patwin people would celebrate them with dances and ceremonies. On a clear day, the highest points of Molok Luyuk offer a commanding view of the surrounding rugged and undeveloped landscape, encompassing Mount Shasta to the north, Mount Tamalpais to the southwest, and Sutter Buttes to the east. The view of the sun rising over Sutter Buttes to the east is central to the Patwin origin story. The expansion area contains evidence of occupation by Indigenous people for more than 10,000 years.
 
This expansion of the Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument honors the Cachil Dehe Band of Wintun Indians, Kletsel Dehe Wintun Nation, Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation, and other Tribal Nations and Indigenous leaders who worked tirelessly to ensure protection of these sacred lands for generations to come. In order to reflect the historic, spiritual, and cultural significance of Molok Luyuk to the Patwin people, the President has also directed that the ridgeline be officially renamed Molok Luyuk. To further honor the ties of the Patwin people to these lands, the President’s proclamation also directs the Secretary of the Interior to explore co-stewardship of the area with Tribal Nations.
 
The proclamation directs the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to manage the area according to the same terms, conditions, and management as the original national monument designation, which respects grazing permits, water rights, military use of airspace, state management of wildlife, and wildfire response among other things. It also directs the BLM to include the expansion area in the monument plan for the entire monument and to issue a travel management plan.
 
Background on Antiquities Act Designations
 
Today’s expansions only reserve federal lands and do not affect the property rights of state or private land owners. Any existing state or private lands within the boundaries are not included in the monuments.
 
Today’s designations mark President Biden’s ninth and tenth uses of the Antiquities Act. President Theodore Roosevelt first used the Antiquities Act in 1906 to designate Devils Tower National Monument in Wyoming. Since then, 18 presidents of both parties have used this authority to protect unique natural and historic features in America, including the Statue of Liberty, Colorado’s Canyon of the Ancients, and the Grand Canyon.

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The post FACT SHEET: President Biden Expands San Gabriel Mountains National Monument and Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument appeared first on The White House.

Funding from President Biden’s Investing in America Agenda Will Accelerate Progress Toward the President’s Commitment to Replace Every Lead Pipe in the Country Within a Decade

President Biden believes that every American should be able to turn on the tap and drink clean, safe water. But over 9 million homes, schools, daycares, and businesses receive their water through a lead pipe, putting people at risk of lead exposure. Lead is a neurotoxin that can irreversibly harm brain development in children, and it can also accumulate in the bones and teeth, damage the kidneys, and interfere with the production of red blood cells needed to carry oxygen. Due to decades of inequitable infrastructure development and underinvestment, lead poisoning disproportionately affects low-income communities and communities of color. There is no safe level of exposure to lead. That is why the President made a commitment to replace every lead pipe in the country within a decade and coordinated a whole of government effort to deploy resources and leverage every tool across federal, state and local government to address lead hazards through the Lead Pipe and Paint Action Plan. 

As part of this unprecedented commitment, President Biden is traveling today to Wilmington, North Carolina, to announce $3 billion through his Investing in America agenda to replace toxic lead pipes. This investment, administered by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), is part of the historic $15 billion in dedicated funding for lead pipe replacement provided by the President’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Today’s announcement delivers funding to every state and U.S. territory to help address lead in drinking water while creating good-paying jobs, many of them union jobs. In addition, this program funding is part of the President’s Justice40 Initiative, which set a goal that 40% of the overall benefits of certain federal investments flow to disadvantaged communities, and is helping address the inequities of lead exposure.

Additionally, to further reduce lead exposure, the Department of Housing and Urban Development is announcing today nearly $90 million in available funding to reduce residential health hazards in public housing, including lead-based paint hazards, carbon monoxide, mold, radon, fire safety, and asbestos, advancing the President’s Lead Pipe and Paint Action Plan.

Today’s announcement from the EPA builds on more than $20 billion in water infrastructure investments that state and local governments have made through the President’s American Rescue Plan. North Carolina has invested close to $2 billion from the American Rescue Plan in more than 800 clean water, wastewater, and stormwater projects across the state and is using another $150 million to test for and remove lead hazards in every school and child care center across the state, a historic effort to remove lead from North Carolina schools.

In Wilmington, North Carolina, President Biden will announce $76 million from his Bipartisan Infrastructure Law for lead pipe replacement across the state. The President will also meet with faculty and students from a Wilmington school that replaced a water fountain with high levels of lead with funding from his American Rescue Plan.

EPA estimates North Carolina has an estimated 300,000 lead pipes, and today the President will highlight his goal of replacing every lead pipe in the state. With today’s new investment of $76 million, the President has now delivered $250 million in Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding to North Carolina for lead pipe replacement. This funding has already reached over 60 communities across the state to kick start lead pipe identification and replacement efforts.

One of these communities is Wilmington, North Carolina, which has already received over $4 million from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to identify and replace 325 lead pipes. Today, President Biden is announcing that the first Bipartisan Infrastructure Law-funded lead pipe replacement in Wilmington is now underway, kicking off this project for the city.

Progress Replacing Lead Pipes Across America

The Biden-Harris Administration is taking action to accelerate lead pipe replacement in communities across the country. The total lead pipe replacement funding announced by the Administration to date will replace up to 1.7 million lead pipes, protecting countless families and children from lead exposure.

To ensure that communities that bear most of the burden of lead exposure are not left behind in this opportunity, EPA and the Department of Labor are partnering directly with disadvantaged communities across the country to provide the support and technical assistance they need to secure funding for and execute lead pipe replacement initiatives. EPA has partnered with over 40 communities to date, and last November announced it would partner with 200 more communities through the EPA Get the Lead Out Initiative.

This work is also creating good-paying jobs, many of them union jobs, in replacing lead pipes – and accelerating the development of a skilled water workforce. Unions including the Laborers’ International Union of North America (LIUNA), the United Association of Plumbers and Pipefitters, and the International Union of Operating Engineers are already training workers in lead pipe replacement and putting them to work on neighborhood blocks across the country. The EPA estimates that 200,000 jobs have been created by the Administration’s investments in drinking water infrastructure alone.

In addition, last November, EPA issued a proposal to strengthen its Lead and Copper Rule that would require water systems to replace lead pipes within 10 years and drive progress nationwide toward reducing lead exposure.

The examples below highlight several communities where the Administration’s investments are making an impact:

• In Milwaukee, Wisconsin, $41 million from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law has helped put the city on track to replace all its lead pipes within 10 years instead of the initially estimated 60 years. The city is using a high proportion of union labor to replace lead pipes, and will be one of four new White House Workforce Hub cities that were announced by President Biden last week.
  
• Following a lead-in-water crisis, Benton Harbor, Michigan, successfully replaced all its lead pipes within just two years, fueled by $18 million in funding from the President’s American Rescue Plan.
  
• Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has received $42 million from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to replace lead pipes, and is on track to replace every lead pipe by 2026. Vice President Harris visited the city in February to highlight this progress in lead pipe replacement and announce new funding for clean water.
  
• St. Paul, Minnesota, has received $16 million from the American Rescue Plan to replace lead pipes. This funding has enabled the city’s Lead-Free St. Paul program to target the replacement of all lead pipes by 2032 at no cost to residents.
  
• Cincinnati, Ohio, passed an ordinance to develop a program to replace all lead pipes in line with the President’s goal, and authorized covering the cost of replacing private lead pipes that bring water to residents’ homes. A $20 million investment from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will support this work.
  
• Tucson, Arizona, received $6.95 million to develop a Lead Service Line inventory for their nine public water systems. The city will use this inventory to develop a plan to replace lead service lines in the community and improve drinking water quality for residents – many of whom live in low-income and disadvantaged communities.
  
• Denver, Colorado, has replaced almost 25,000 lead service lines since the program launched in 2020. Denver plans to replace another 5,000 this year and is on target to replace 100% by 2031, accelerating its lead pipe replacement due to Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding.
  
• Last week, at the White House Water Summit, the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative launched its new Great Lakes Lead Pipes Partnership with three of its members – Chicago, Illinois, Detroit, Michigan, and Milwaukee, Wisconsin. This first-of-its kind, mayor-led effort to accelerate lead pipe replacement in cities with the heaviest lead burdens will provide a collaborative forum for metropolitan areas in the Great Lakes to share emerging best practices to encourage faster, more equitable replacement programs and overcome common challenges, including reducing replacement costs, improving community outreach, and spurring water workforce development.

Broader Administration Actions to Deliver Clean Water

The funding announced today is part of the over $50 billion provided by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to upgrade the nation’s water infrastructure – the largest investment in clean and safe water in American history. In addition, over $20 billion from the American Rescue Plan has been invested in water infrastructure, including lead pipe replacement, nationwide.

Beyond replacing lead pipes, these broader investments are helping to expand access to clean drinking water, improve wastewater and sanitation infrastructure, and remove per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) contamination in water. The Administration has launched over 1,400 of these projects to deliver clean water to date.

Delivering Clean Drinking Water. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law invests nearly $31 billion in funding to secure clean drinking water through infrastructure projects such as upgrading aging water mains and improving water treatment plants.

Improving Wastewater and Sanitation Infrastructure. Over 2 million people in the U.S. live without basic running water or sanitation systems in their homes. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law invests nearly $13 billion to improve wastewater, sanitation, and stormwater infrastructure.

Tackling PFAS Pollution in Water. Exposure to PFAS “forever chemicals” in drinking water is linked to severe health impacts including deadly cancers, liver and heart damage, and developmental impacts in children. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law invests $10 billion to address toxic PFAS pollution in water. In addition, this month EPA announced the first-ever national drinking water standard for PFAS , which will protect 100 million people from PFAS exposure.

Lowering Costs for North Carolina Families

As the President invests in all of America and all Americans, his agenda is lowering costs for North Carolina families:

• Saving 2.2 million North Carolina Medicare beneficiaries money on prescription drugs, insulin, and vaccines.
• Saving 1 million North Carolinians hundreds of dollars per year on health insurance.
• North Carolina families will get lower utility bills thanks to $209 million in home energy rebates and new tax credits for energy-efficient appliances.
• President Biden is taking on corporate rip-offs like junk fees to lower costs for North Carolina families on everything from airfares to event tickets to overdraft fees.
• President Biden would lower housing costs with a $10,000 tax credit for first-time homebuyers, expanded rental assistance, and by building more than 2 million homes.
• President Biden would lower child care costs by guaranteeing child care for families making up to $200,000, with most families paying no more than $10 a day.

Congressional Republicans have no plan to lower costs—in fact, their plan would increase costs for North Carolinians by:

• Increasing costs for health care, prescription drugs, and insulin by siding with Big Pharma to repeal the Inflation Reduction Act and Affordable Care Act and slash Medicare.
• Cutting Social Security by $1.5 trillion and raising Medicare costs for seniors by transitioning Medicare to a system that would raise premiums.
• Raising taxes for middle-class families by repealing the Inflation Reduction Act and Affordable Care Act.
• Raising housing costs by cutting rental assistance and programs to build new homes.

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The post FACT SHEET: Biden-Harris Administration Announces $3 Billion to Replace Toxic Lead Pipes and Deliver Clean Drinking Water to Communities Across the Country appeared first on The White House.

Actions will protect nearly 120,000 acres of culturally, ecologically, and historically important lands in California while expanding outdoor access for local communities

President Biden on track to conserve more lands and waters than any President in history

Since their first day in office, President Biden and Vice President Harris have delivered on the most ambitious climate and conservation agenda in history. This includes the President’s America the Beautiful Initiative, which is supporting locally led conservation efforts across the country with a goal to protect, conserve, and restore at least 30 percent of U.S. lands and waters by 2030. The Biden-Harris Administration has already conserved more than 41 million acres of lands and waters – putting President Biden on track to conserve more lands and waters than any President in history.
 
Today, as part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s unprecedented commitment to protect America’s natural wonders for future generations, honor areas of cultural significance to Tribal Nations and Indigenous peoples, and expand access to nature, President Biden will sign proclamations expanding the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument and the Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument. Together, these actions will protect nearly 120,000 acres of lands in California of scientific, cultural, ecological, and historical importance, adding unparalleled value to these already beloved national monuments and expanding outdoor access to nearby underserved and disadvantaged communities. The proclamation for the Berryessa Snow Mountain expansion also renames the ridgeline at the heart of the expansion, previously known as “Walker Ridge,” to Molok Loyuk, which means Condor Ridge in the language of the area’s Patwin people.
 
These expansions honor Tribal Nations and Indigenous peoples by protecting sacred ancestral places and their historically important features, while conserving our public lands, protecting scientific features, including critical wildlife habitat and migration corridors, safeguarding clean water, and supporting local economies. Federal, state, and local leaders, Tribal governments, Indigenous communities, and a coalition of community-based and conservation organizations came together to advocate for the additional protections for both of these national monuments. The sites protected through these expansions will ensure that future generations can experience, learn from, and enjoy these irreplaceable resources.
 
Vice President Harris has been a critical leader on efforts to ensure protections for California public lands, including the lands protected by these proclamations. In 2018, then-Senator Harris introduced the “San Gabriel Mountains Foothills and Rivers Protection Act,” the first Senate proposal to expand the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument. In addition, then-Senator Harris introduced the “Protecting Unique and Beautiful Landscapes by Investing in California (PUBLIC) Lands Act,” a legislative package of three bills, including the “San Gabriel Mountains Protection Act,” that together would have increased protections and access for over 1 million acres of California lands, including nearly 600,000 acres of new wilderness and over 100,000 acres of new national monument lands. The proclamation that the President is signing today will permanently protect the lands in the San Gabriel Mountains covered by those bills.
 
Since taking office, the Biden-Harris Administration has established or expanded seven national monuments (including through today’s actions) and restored protections for three more; created four new national wildlife refuges and significantly expanded five more; protected the Boundary Waters of Minnesota, the nation’s most visited wilderness area; safeguarded Bristol Bay in southwest Alaska; and withdrawn Chaco Canyon in New Mexico and Thompson Divide in Colorado from further oil and gas leasing which will protect pristine lands and thousands of sacred sites.
 
Expanding San Gabriel Mountains National Monument
 
President Biden is taking action to expand the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument, which President Obama designated in 2014, near Los Angeles, California. The proclamation will add 105,919 acres of U.S. Forest Service lands to the south and west of the current monument’s 346,177 acres; protect additional cultural, scientific, and historic objects; and expand access to outdoor recreation on our shared public lands for generations to come.
 
Since time immemorial, the rich landscape within the expansion area has sustained Indigenous peoples, including the people known as the Gabrielino, Kizh, or Tongva, and the Chumash, Kitanemuk, Serrano, and Tataviam peoples. Today, their descendants are part of Tribal Nations and other Indigenous peoples in the region, some of whose members continue to use the area for ceremonial purposes, as well as for collecting traditional plants important for basketry, food, and medicine.
 
The lands added to the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument contain spectacular cultural, geological, and ecological resources. A diversity of animals, birds, reptiles, and other wildlife, including numerous sensitive, threatened, and endangered species, live among the unique geological and ecological features of the area, including its unusual canyons, chapparal and coastal sage scrub lands, riparian woodlands, and conifer forests. These lands also provide homes to some of California’s most imperiled and iconic birds, including the endangered California condor. The area includes key habitats that support wetland-dependent plant species, sensitive fish and amphibians, and migration corridors. The area also holds important geologic significance; the exceptional landscape of the San Gabriel Mountains, shaped by massive geologic forces over hundreds of millions of years, provides views deep into ancient earth.
 
Though it is adjacent to highly developed areas of Los Angeles, the expansion area includes highly secluded and largely undeveloped areas, such as the 4,700-acre Arroyo Seco inventoried Roadless Area—an iconic landscape feature. The expanded monument’s natural lands and increased proximity to the city make it a unique place of rejuvenation and recreation for the people of the ever-changing urban and suburban communities of the greater Los Angeles region.
 
President Biden’s proclamation directs the U.S. Forest Service to manage the area according to the same terms, conditions, and management as the original national monument designation, which respects grazing permits, water rights, existing infrastructure, military use of airspace, state management of wildlife, and wildfire response, among other things. The proclamation directs the Secretary of Agriculture to develop a management plan for expansion area, incorporating Indigenous Knowledge and maximum community input. With this designation, the U.S. Forest Service will establish a Federal Advisory Committee to provide information and advice regarding the development of the management plan and management of the expansion. The committee will include state agencies and local governments; Tribal nations and Indigenous communities with cultural, traditional, or ancestral ties to the area; recreational users; conservation organizations; wildlife, hunting, and fishing organizations; the scientific community; business owners; and the general public in the region.
 
To better manage the high levels of visitation to this popular area, the Administration, alongside state and private partners, is also investing to improve outdoor recreation infrastructure, restore and protect resources, and increase staffing to create an improved visitor experience in the existing and expanded national monument.  
 
Expanding Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument
 
President Biden will also sign a proclamation expanding the Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument, originally designated by President Obama in 2015, in northern California. This expansion honors Tribal Nations and Indigenous peoples through the protection of this sacred California landscape and its historically and biologically important features, while conserving our public lands and growing America’s outdoor recreation economy. The expansion will add 13,696 acres of public lands, managed by the Department of the Interior, to the monument’s original 330,000 acres, which are jointly managed by the Bureau of Land Management and the U.S Forest Service. 
 
The expansion area includes the portion of Molok Luyuk that is outside the boundary of the existing monument. The striking 11-mile north-to-south ridgeline, sacred to the Patwin people, is dotted with a mosaic of unique geologic and hydrologic features. The ridge is flanked by iconic California chapparal-covered canyons, oak and cypress woodlands, and spring-fed meadows. Unusual and rare serpentine wetlands dot Molok Luyuk and its downward slopes are fed by the numerous seeps and springs scattered across the area, underpinning the region’s prolific botanical richness—nearly 500 native California plant species have been identified within the expansion area, including at least 38 different special-status plants. Molok Luyuk also serves as a wildlife corridor for species such as tule elk, mountain lions, and bears, and is home to iconic species such as bald and golden eagles. Conserving this area fortifies protection for the scientifically critical north-south migration corridor provided by the existing monument.
 
The name Molok Luyuk recalls a time when California condors were a common sight soaring above the ridge, and the Patwin people would celebrate them with dances and ceremonies. On a clear day, the highest points of Molok Luyuk offer a commanding view of the surrounding rugged and undeveloped landscape, encompassing Mount Shasta to the north, Mount Tamalpais to the southwest, and Sutter Buttes to the east. The view of the sun rising over Sutter Buttes to the east is central to the Patwin origin story. The expansion area contains evidence of occupation by Indigenous people for more than 10,000 years.
 
This expansion of the Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument honors the Cachil Dehe Band of Wintun Indians, Kletsel Dehe Wintun Nation, Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation, and other Tribal Nations and Indigenous leaders who worked tirelessly to ensure protection of these sacred lands for generations to come. In order to reflect the historic, spiritual, and cultural significance of Molok Luyuk to the Patwin people, the President has also directed that the ridgeline be officially renamed Molok Luyuk. To further honor the ties of the Patwin people to these lands, the President’s proclamation also directs the Secretary of the Interior to explore co-stewardship of the area with Tribal Nations.
 
The proclamation directs the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to manage the area according to the same terms, conditions, and management as the original national monument designation, which respects grazing permits, water rights, military use of airspace, state management of wildlife, and wildfire response among other things. It also directs the BLM to include the expansion area in the monument plan for the entire monument and to issue a travel management plan.
 
Background on Antiquities Act Designations
 
Today’s expansions only reserve federal lands and do not affect the property rights of state or private land owners. Any existing state or private lands within the boundaries are not included in the monuments.
 
Today’s designations mark President Biden’s ninth and tenth uses of the Antiquities Act. President Theodore Roosevelt first used the Antiquities Act in 1906 to designate Devils Tower National Monument in Wyoming. Since then, 18 presidents of both parties have used this authority to protect unique natural and historic features in America, including the Statue of Liberty, Colorado’s Canyon of the Ancients, and the Grand Canyon.

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The Mayflower Hotel
Washington, D.C.

6:03 P.M. EDT

THE PRESIDENT:  My name is Joe Biden.  I work for Tammy Duckworth.  (Laughter.)

Folks, I want to thank Tammy for that introduction — most of all, for her friendship and her partnership.  And, Raja, your partnership and leadership in the House has been invaluable. 

Excuse me.  I’ve got a bit of a cold.  (Clears throat.)

And I also want to thank Senator Ma- — where is Mazie?  She — where is Mazie Hirono? 

AUDIENCE MEMBER:  She (inaudible) —

THE PRESIDENT:  She was here.  I was saying hi to her a little bit earlier.  Thank her for her friendship as well. 

And Congressman Ted Lieu is also here.  And I know several other members are on their way and couldn’t her- — be here because of votes. 

I want to thank you all and all of our co-hosts and all of you for your support.  So many of you were with me from the beginning, back in 2019. 

I’m honored and t- — to join you on this first day of Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. 

Folks, I’m honored to see that heritage across most of the diversem- — and I — let me say it another way.  I told you, when I got elected, I was going to have an administration that looked like America.  Well, guess what?  It does.  It does, starting with Kamala doing an incredible job as Vice President. 

And I also want to thank Katherine Tai, who’s here today.  Katherine, you were here, anyway.  (Applause.)  There you are.  

As we enter the spring, we genuinely feel the excitement and momentum being built in the campaign.  So far, 1.5 million individual people have contributed to our campaign, 550,000 of them being brand-new contributors, and 97 percent of all those contributors contributed less than $200.  It’s a real genuine movement. 

And we’re ra- — we’re ramping up the campaign headquarters and field offices, hiring staff all across the country.  And we’re way ahead of Donald Trump’s MAGA Republicans, which have done virtually nothing so far. 

And while the press doesn’t write about it, momentum is — momentum is clearly in our favor, with polls moving toward us and away from Trump.  Just lack we- — last week, the Mor- — the Marist Poll had us up by three among all voters, six for the — points for the likely voters; Florida Atlantic poll has us up four, et cetera. 

But you and I both know, this far out, the polls don’t mean a lot.  They don’t mean a lot.  People are really going — don’t really begin to focus focus until they get closer to September. 

But I know not everyone is feeling the enthusiasm.  The other day, a defeated-looking man came up to me and said, “Mr. President, I’m being crushed by debt.  I’m completely wiped out.”  And I had to look at him and say, “Donald, I’m sorry; I can’t help you.”  (Laughter and applause.)  “I’m not able to help you.”  (Laughter.)

Trump is in trouble, and he knows that.  Last week, I was in Florida, where today we’re implementing — they’re implementing the most extreme abortion bans in the country — one of them.  He’s only one — the only one person responsible is Donald Trump. 

After bragging about he’s the reason Roe v. Wade was overturned on television, on camera, making the case, he’s now worried the voters are going to hold him accountable for all the cruelty and chaos he’s created. 

Well, I have news for Trump.  They are going to hold him accountable.  They are going to hold him accountable.  (Applause.)

Today, a six-week ban in Florida.  And then Trump did a long interview in TIME Magazine.  I — it’s coming out.  You got to read it.  It’s a mandatory reading.  And he s- — he said in that magazine — he said states should monitor women’s p- — now, get this: States should monitor women’s pregnancies and prosecute those who violate abortion bans.  Monitor women’s pregnancies? 

That’s not all.  He said, in a quote, “A lot of people liked it when I said I want to be a dictator for one — on day one.”  Asked if he thought violence would occur if he lost, and his response was, “It all depends.” 

He calls the insurrectionists who are in prison — he calls them “patriots,” and if reelected, he wants to know — let everybody know he’s going to pardon every one of them — his quote — every one of them.

Trump says when he loses again in November, there will be — if he loses, but he will — there will be a “bloodbath.”  And he means it.  And said a whole lot more in that TIME interview.  You got — TIME Magazine.  I guess it comes out next week, if I’m not mistaken.  You got to read it. 

Look, chaos is nothing new to Trump.  His entire presidency for four years was chaos.  Trump is trying to make the country forget just how dark and unsettling things were when he was president.  But we’ll never forget. 

We’ll never forget lying about the pandemic, telling the Amer- — because th- — remember that interview he did — honest interview; he got exposed — telling them he knew it was — the pandemic was deadly?  And he — what did he tell people?  It was mentioned already: Inject bleach. 

Well, all that bleach apparently injected into his hair instead of his arm.  (Laughter.)

We’ll never forget the rise of anti-Asian hate crimes during the pandemic.  And I’m proud to have signed the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act with your support. 

We’ll never forget his love letters with Kim Jong Un and his admiration for Putin. 

Here’s what he said in that TIME interview: He may not come to the — he said he may not — if he were president again, not come to the aid of an ally attacked in Europe or Asia if he felt the country wasn’t paying enough for their own defense.  Isn’t that wonderful?  A President of the United States of America. 

Do you want to go back to any of that?  I don’t think so. 

Look how far we’ve come: 15 million new jobs — a record for any one term for a President of the United States.  (Applause.)  Because of you, historically low levels of unemployment for Asian Americans, while Asian American unemployment nearly doubled under Trump. 

We’re seeing record small-business creation, including among Asian Americans.  In fact, we’ve increased loans to Asian American businesses through the Small Business Administration by one third since Trump left office. 

Because we expanded the Child Care Tax Credit during the pandemic — not one — I might add, not one Republican voted for it — we cut Asian American child poverty by 25 percent — a record low. 

More people have health insurance today than ever before in the history of this country, including among Asian Americans. 

We took on Big Pharma — I’ve been fighting them since I was a senator, and we finally won — to lower prescription drug costs, like insulin.  It used to cost $400 a month; now it’s 35 bucks a month.  It only costs them 10 bucks to make it.  (Applause.)

Folks, when I originally got that law passed, it affected everyone, not just the elderly.  If I’m elected again, it’s going to affect everybody.  All Americans should be — I could put you on Air Force One, fly you to any — if you had a prescription from an American drug company, fly you to any major capital in the world, and I can get you that same prescription for 40 to 60 percent less. 

Look, we made the most significant investment in climate ever.  And I signed the most significant gun safety law in 30 years, which I know matters with the community as they mourned — as we mourned with you in Atlanta and Monterey Park. 

I could go on.  The point is we’re lowering costs, expanding opportunities, protecting freedoms for the communities.  We’re keeping our commitments and our communities safe in combating anti-Asian hate.  But a lot more is at stake. 

Look, Trump is determined — determined to terminate the Affordable Care Act.  Why?  Because of — it’s Obamacare expanded.  He can’t stand anything associated with Barack Obama. 

He’s determined to get rid of my climate law.  Why?  Because oil companies hate it.  He said in that TIME interview, his — he has two goals, one of which is to drill, drill, drill.  He’s determined to cut taxes for the very wealthy while cutting Social Security and Medicare and do so much to — other damage. 

Look, I proposed the most comprehensive immigration reform in decades while Trump is saying immigrants “poison the blood of the country,” looking at many of you when he says it. 

But the biggest threat Trump poses is to our democracy.  Above all, what’s at risk in 2024 are the freedoms and our democracy. 

Let me close with this.  This election is about competing values and competing visions in America.  Trump values and visions are one of anger, hate, revenge, and retribution.  That’s not hyperbole. 

I have a very different set of values that leads — like you do — leads me to a very different vision of America: one of hope and optimism.  That’s the heart of Asian American, Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islanders’ story of our nation — in our nation. 

I see an America where we defend democracy, not diminish it.  I see an America where we protect our freedoms and not take them away.  I see an America where the economy grows from the middle out and the bottom up and where working people have a fair shot, where healthcare is a right, not a privilege.  And I see a future where we save the planet from the climate crisis and our country from gun violence.

Folks, this election is about freedom, America, and democracy.  That’s why I badly need you. 

You know, one of the reasons why our economy is growing is because of you and many others.  Why?  Because we welcome immigrants.  We look to — the reason — look, think about it.  Why is China stalling so badly economically?  Why is Japan having trouble?  Why is Russia?  Why is India?  Because they’re xenophobic.  They don’t want immigrants. 

Immigrants is what makes us strong.  Not a joke.  That’s not hyperbole.  Because we have an influx of workers who want to be here and just contribute. 

This community’s vote will be critical in — from Virginia to Georgia to Nevada.  I know we can do a lot together — a lot more. 

And I’ve never been more optimistic about our future.  We just have to remember who we are.  We’re the United States of America, for God’s sake.  There’s nothing beyond our capacity when we act together. 

Think about it.  We’re the only nation in the history — modern history of the world that’s come out of every crisis stronger than we went in — stronger than we went in every time we’ve stood together. 

And we’re standing together, I promise you.  You have my commitment.  I’ll never leave the value set I’ve laid out for you, I guarantee you.

Thank you all for what you’re doing.  Thank you for the enormous contributions you’ve made to this American society. 

And whether you’re immigrants or not, whether you’re the children of immigrants, like I am, the fact of the matter is you’re what makes America what it is.  Not a joke.  It’s not a joke. 

So, God bless you all.  And may God protect our troops.

Thank you.  (Applause.)  Thank you.  Thank you.

6:15 P.M. EDT

The post Remarks by President Biden at a Campaign Reception appeared first on The White House.

The Mayflower Hotel
Washington, D.C.

6:03 P.M. EDT

THE PRESIDENT:  My name is Joe Biden.  I work for Tammy Duckworth.  (Laughter.)

Folks, I want to thank Tammy for that introduction — most of all, for her friendship and her partnership.  And, Raja, your partnership and leadership in the House has been invaluable. 

Excuse me.  I’ve got a bit of a cold.  (Clears throat.)

And I also want to thank Senator Ma- — where is Mazie?  She — where is Mazie Hirono? 

AUDIENCE MEMBER:  She (inaudible) —

THE PRESIDENT:  She was here.  I was saying hi to her a little bit earlier.  Thank her for her friendship as well. 

And Congressman Ted Lieu is also here.  And I know several other members are on their way and couldn’t her- — be here because of votes. 

I want to thank you all and all of our co-hosts and all of you for your support.  So many of you were with me from the beginning, back in 2019. 

I’m honored and t- — to join you on this first day of Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. 

Folks, I’m honored to see that heritage across most of the diversem- — and I — let me say it another way.  I told you, when I got elected, I was going to have an administration that looked like America.  Well, guess what?  It does.  It does, starting with Kamala doing an incredible job as Vice President. 

And I also want to thank Katherine Tai, who’s here today.  Katherine, you were here, anyway.  (Applause.)  There you are.  

As we enter the spring, we genuinely feel the excitement and momentum being built in the campaign.  So far, 1.5 million individual people have contributed to our campaign, 550,000 of them being brand-new contributors, and 97 percent of all those contributors contributed less than $200.  It’s a real genuine movement. 

And we’re ra- — we’re ramping up the campaign headquarters and field offices, hiring staff all across the country.  And we’re way ahead of Donald Trump’s MAGA Republicans, which have done virtually nothing so far. 

And while the press doesn’t write about it, momentum is — momentum is clearly in our favor, with polls moving toward us and away from Trump.  Just lack we- — last week, the Mor- — the Marist Poll had us up by three among all voters, six for the — points for the likely voters; Florida Atlantic poll has us up four, et cetera. 

But you and I both know, this far out, the polls don’t mean a lot.  They don’t mean a lot.  People are really going — don’t really begin to focus focus until they get closer to September. 

But I know not everyone is feeling the enthusiasm.  The other day, a defeated-looking man came up to me and said, “Mr. President, I’m being crushed by debt.  I’m completely wiped out.”  And I had to look at him and say, “Donald, I’m sorry; I can’t help you.”  (Laughter and applause.)  “I’m not able to help you.”  (Laughter.)

Trump is in trouble, and he knows that.  Last week, I was in Florida, where today we’re implementing — they’re implementing the most extreme abortion bans in the country — one of them.  He’s only one — the only one person responsible is Donald Trump. 

After bragging about he’s the reason Roe v. Wade was overturned on television, on camera, making the case, he’s now worried the voters are going to hold him accountable for all the cruelty and chaos he’s created. 

Well, I have news for Trump.  They are going to hold him accountable.  They are going to hold him accountable.  (Applause.)

Today, a six-week ban in Florida.  And then Trump did a long interview in TIME Magazine.  I — it’s coming out.  You got to read it.  It’s a mandatory reading.  And he s- — he said in that magazine — he said states should monitor women’s p- — now, get this: States should monitor women’s pregnancies and prosecute those who violate abortion bans.  Monitor women’s pregnancies? 

That’s not all.  He said, in a quote, “A lot of people liked it when I said I want to be a dictator for one — on day one.”  Asked if he thought violence would occur if he lost, and his response was, “It all depends.” 

He calls the insurrectionists who are in prison — he calls them “patriots,” and if reelected, he wants to know — let everybody know he’s going to pardon every one of them — his quote — every one of them.

Trump says when he loses again in November, there will be — if he loses, but he will — there will be a “bloodbath.”  And he means it.  And said a whole lot more in that TIME interview.  You got — TIME Magazine.  I guess it comes out next week, if I’m not mistaken.  You got to read it. 

Look, chaos is nothing new to Trump.  His entire presidency for four years was chaos.  Trump is trying to make the country forget just how dark and unsettling things were when he was president.  But we’ll never forget. 

We’ll never forget lying about the pandemic, telling the Amer- — because th- — remember that interview he did — honest interview; he got exposed — telling them he knew it was — the pandemic was deadly?  And he — what did he tell people?  It was mentioned already: Inject bleach. 

Well, all that bleach apparently injected into his hair instead of his arm.  (Laughter.)

We’ll never forget the rise of anti-Asian hate crimes during the pandemic.  And I’m proud to have signed the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act with your support. 

We’ll never forget his love letters with Kim Jong Un and his admiration for Putin. 

Here’s what he said in that TIME interview: He may not come to the — he said he may not — if he were president again, not come to the aid of an ally attacked in Europe or Asia if he felt the country wasn’t paying enough for their own defense.  Isn’t that wonderful?  A President of the United States of America. 

Do you want to go back to any of that?  I don’t think so. 

Look how far we’ve come: 15 million new jobs — a record for any one term for a President of the United States.  (Applause.)  Because of you, historically low levels of unemployment for Asian Americans, while Asian American unemployment nearly doubled under Trump. 

We’re seeing record small-business creation, including among Asian Americans.  In fact, we’ve increased loans to Asian American businesses through the Small Business Administration by one third since Trump left office. 

Because we expanded the Child Care Tax Credit during the pandemic — not one — I might add, not one Republican voted for it — we cut Asian American child poverty by 25 percent — a record low. 

More people have health insurance today than ever before in the history of this country, including among Asian Americans. 

We took on Big Pharma — I’ve been fighting them since I was a senator, and we finally won — to lower prescription drug costs, like insulin.  It used to cost $400 a month; now it’s 35 bucks a month.  It only costs them 10 bucks to make it.  (Applause.)

Folks, when I originally got that law passed, it affected everyone, not just the elderly.  If I’m elected again, it’s going to affect everybody.  All Americans should be — I could put you on Air Force One, fly you to any — if you had a prescription from an American drug company, fly you to any major capital in the world, and I can get you that same prescription for 40 to 60 percent less. 

Look, we made the most significant investment in climate ever.  And I signed the most significant gun safety law in 30 years, which I know matters with the community as they mourned — as we mourned with you in Atlanta and Monterey Park. 

I could go on.  The point is we’re lowering costs, expanding opportunities, protecting freedoms for the communities.  We’re keeping our commitments and our communities safe in combating anti-Asian hate.  But a lot more is at stake. 

Look, Trump is determined — determined to terminate the Affordable Care Act.  Why?  Because of — it’s Obamacare expanded.  He can’t stand anything associated with Barack Obama. 

He’s determined to get rid of my climate law.  Why?  Because oil companies hate it.  He said in that TIME interview, his — he has two goals, one of which is to drill, drill, drill.  He’s determined to cut taxes for the very wealthy while cutting Social Security and Medicare and do so much to — other damage. 

Look, I proposed the most comprehensive immigration reform in decades while Trump is saying immigrants “poison the blood of the country,” looking at many of you when he says it. 

But the biggest threat Trump poses is to our democracy.  Above all, what’s at risk in 2024 are the freedoms and our democracy. 

Let me close with this.  This election is about competing values and competing visions in America.  Trump values and visions are one of anger, hate, revenge, and retribution.  That’s not hyperbole. 

I have a very different set of values that leads — like you do — leads me to a very different vision of America: one of hope and optimism.  That’s the heart of Asian American, Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islanders’ story of our nation — in our nation. 

I see an America where we defend democracy, not diminish it.  I see an America where we protect our freedoms and not take them away.  I see an America where the economy grows from the middle out and the bottom up and where working people have a fair shot, where healthcare is a right, not a privilege.  And I see a future where we save the planet from the climate crisis and our country from gun violence.

Folks, this election is about freedom, America, and democracy.  That’s why I badly need you. 

You know, one of the reasons why our economy is growing is because of you and many others.  Why?  Because we welcome immigrants.  We look to — the reason — look, think about it.  Why is China stalling so badly economically?  Why is Japan having trouble?  Why is Russia?  Why is India?  Because they’re xenophobic.  They don’t want immigrants. 

Immigrants is what makes us strong.  Not a joke.  That’s not hyperbole.  Because we have an influx of workers who want to be here and just contribute. 

This community’s vote will be critical in — from Virginia to Georgia to Nevada.  I know we can do a lot together — a lot more. 

And I’ve never been more optimistic about our future.  We just have to remember who we are.  We’re the United States of America, for God’s sake.  There’s nothing beyond our capacity when we act together. 

Think about it.  We’re the only nation in the history — modern history of the world that’s come out of every crisis stronger than we went in — stronger than we went in every time we’ve stood together. 

And we’re standing together, I promise you.  You have my commitment.  I’ll never leave the value set I’ve laid out for you, I guarantee you.

Thank you all for what you’re doing.  Thank you for the enormous contributions you’ve made to this American society. 

And whether you’re immigrants or not, whether you’re the children of immigrants, like I am, the fact of the matter is you’re what makes America what it is.  Not a joke.  It’s not a joke. 

So, God bless you all.  And may God protect our troops.

Thank you.  (Applause.)  Thank you.  Thank you.

6:15 P.M. EDT

The post Remarks by President Biden at a Campaign Reception appeared first on The White House.

New York, NY

Thank you, Lynn. You lead this organization always looking to the future – for the next opportunity that will change our world. And today is just another example of that. I’m honored you invited me to be a part of the Women’s Health Summit’s second year. 

It was an ordinary Saturday in an extraordinary life. I was in my office in the East Wing doing what community college teachers do on weekends – especially on a weekend so late in the semester: I was grading papers. Just like right now.

It was late April last year. Earlier that morning, I’d read in the New York Times that our country loses $1.8 billion in working time every year to the menopause symptoms that upend women’s lives.

It struck me – I’d experienced those kinds of symptoms too, so had many of my friends, but, I thought, that’s the way life is, isn’t it?

And then, that afternoon, Maria Shriver, the former First Lady of California, came in for a meeting. 

She wanted to talk about women’s health. She told me that it’s not just menopause symptoms that don’t have enough treatment options. It’s all of women’s health – for our whole bodies, for our whole lives.

It’s a problem that’s so simple – yet often ignored: women’s health is understudied and research is underfunded. As a result, too many of our medications, treatments, health products, and medical school textbooks are based on men.

This has created gaps in our understanding of conditions that mostly affect women, only affect women, or affect women and men differently, leaving women seeking health care in a medical world largely designed for men.

Women’s health is about understanding those conditions. And the discoveries we make will give us insight into all of human biology and experience. 

It was one of those moments that happen in life, where you learn something and you can never see the world the same way again.

Suddenly, the problem felt so familiar – because we all know it.

If you ask any woman in America about her health care, she probably has a story to tell. You know her.

She’s the woman who gets debilitating migraines, but doesn’t know why, and can’t find treatment options that work for her.

She’s the woman going through menopause, who visits her doctor and leaves with more questions than answers, even though half the country will go through menopause at some point in their lives.

She’s the woman whose heart attack isn’t recognized because her symptoms don’t look like a man’s, even as heart disease is the leading cause of death among women.

She’s the woman who needs treatments, and affordable and easy-to-use products that help her stay healthy or feel better when health needs arise.

Over the last few months, I’ve visited research centers and universities, and I’ve spoken with doctors and scientists to understand the research questions we need to ask – and the answers they could find if we invest in women’s health.

All of you know that potential: In 2021, the Boston Consulting Group estimated that the size of the women’s health market would grow from $9 billion to $29 billion in just eight years.

But those numbers don’t tell the whole story. Because there’s a cost to inaction.

Women spend more years of their lives in “poor health” than men. Time spent negotiating health conditions for which we need to find more answers. Time away from loved ones, time not spent following their dreams, or pursuing their careers.

We can change this. We can give hours and days and years back to women, and to the families who love them. Making it so women don’t have to leave their careers because of treatable conditions. And it could add a trillion dollars annually to the world economy by 2040.

We have to invest in women’s health. We can’t afford not to.

That’s why my husband, President Biden, is fundamentally changing how our nation approaches and funds women’s health research. Last year, Joe and I launched the first-ever White House Initiative on Women’s Health Research.

We’re helping close the research gaps in women’s health, so we can understand the science behind the conditions that so many women experience, building the knowledge that will create life-changing products and fuel innovation.

During his State of the Union, Joe called on Congress to make a bold investment to do just that – with $12 billion. And he signed an Executive Order to make sure that when the government funds studies, they include women from the beginning.

Earlier this year, ARPA-H – the agency Joe created to pursue health breakthroughs with lightning speed – launched its first-ever Sprint for Women’s Health. Over this year, we will invest $100 million to fund transformative research and development.

We’re “de-risking” investments in big ideas  from researchers and start-ups – the ones that could revolutionize women’s health – so that answers can get to the women who need them, quickly.

President Biden is taking a leap toward the future – making a change today that will open up all the possibilities of tomorrow with an all-of-government effort.

Investing in women’s health matters to Joe – and to me. But we can’t do this alone. We need industry to look ahead with that same vision.

The private sector – from entrepreneurs and investors, to companies like yours – is essential to bringing these discoveries to the marketplace, reaching millions of women who need solutions.

Thanks to leaders in this room, the momentum behind women’s health feels unstoppable.

Thank you for being a part of this. We can’t let this moment pass us by.

And together, we will build a health care system where women aren’t an after-thought, but a first-thought. Where we leave doctors’ offices with more answers than questions. Where we don’t have to miss days of work or life for treatable conditions. Where no woman or girl has to hear, “it’s all in your head,” or, “it’s just stress,” ever again. Where women don’t just survive, they lead long, healthy, and happy lives.

Thank you.

###

The post Remarks as Prepared for Delivery by First Lady Jill Biden at the 2024 NYSE Women’s Health Summit appeared first on The White House.

New York, NY

Thank you, Lynn. You lead this organization always looking to the future – for the next opportunity that will change our world. And today is just another example of that. I’m honored you invited me to be a part of the Women’s Health Summit’s second year. 

It was an ordinary Saturday in an extraordinary life. I was in my office in the East Wing doing what community college teachers do on weekends – especially on a weekend so late in the semester: I was grading papers. Just like right now.

It was late April last year. Earlier that morning, I’d read in the New York Times that our country loses $1.8 billion in working time every year to the menopause symptoms that upend women’s lives.

It struck me – I’d experienced those kinds of symptoms too, so had many of my friends, but, I thought, that’s the way life is, isn’t it?

And then, that afternoon, Maria Shriver, the former First Lady of California, came in for a meeting. 

She wanted to talk about women’s health. She told me that it’s not just menopause symptoms that don’t have enough treatment options. It’s all of women’s health – for our whole bodies, for our whole lives.

It’s a problem that’s so simple – yet often ignored: women’s health is understudied and research is underfunded. As a result, too many of our medications, treatments, health products, and medical school textbooks are based on men.

This has created gaps in our understanding of conditions that mostly affect women, only affect women, or affect women and men differently, leaving women seeking health care in a medical world largely designed for men.

Women’s health is about understanding those conditions. And the discoveries we make will give us insight into all of human biology and experience. 

It was one of those moments that happen in life, where you learn something and you can never see the world the same way again.

Suddenly, the problem felt so familiar – because we all know it.

If you ask any woman in America about her health care, she probably has a story to tell. You know her.

She’s the woman who gets debilitating migraines, but doesn’t know why, and can’t find treatment options that work for her.

She’s the woman going through menopause, who visits her doctor and leaves with more questions than answers, even though half the country will go through menopause at some point in their lives.

She’s the woman whose heart attack isn’t recognized because her symptoms don’t look like a man’s, even as heart disease is the leading cause of death among women.

She’s the woman who needs treatments, and affordable and easy-to-use products that help her stay healthy or feel better when health needs arise.

Over the last few months, I’ve visited research centers and universities, and I’ve spoken with doctors and scientists to understand the research questions we need to ask – and the answers they could find if we invest in women’s health.

All of you know that potential: In 2021, the Boston Consulting Group estimated that the size of the women’s health market would grow from $9 billion to $29 billion in just eight years.

But those numbers don’t tell the whole story. Because there’s a cost to inaction.

Women spend more years of their lives in “poor health” than men. Time spent negotiating health conditions for which we need to find more answers. Time away from loved ones, time not spent following their dreams, or pursuing their careers.

We can change this. We can give hours and days and years back to women, and to the families who love them. Making it so women don’t have to leave their careers because of treatable conditions. And it could add a trillion dollars annually to the world economy by 2040.

We have to invest in women’s health. We can’t afford not to.

That’s why my husband, President Biden, is fundamentally changing how our nation approaches and funds women’s health research. Last year, Joe and I launched the first-ever White House Initiative on Women’s Health Research.

We’re helping close the research gaps in women’s health, so we can understand the science behind the conditions that so many women experience, building the knowledge that will create life-changing products and fuel innovation.

During his State of the Union, Joe called on Congress to make a bold investment to do just that – with $12 billion. And he signed an Executive Order to make sure that when the government funds studies, they include women from the beginning.

Earlier this year, ARPA-H – the agency Joe created to pursue health breakthroughs with lightning speed – launched its first-ever Sprint for Women’s Health. Over this year, we will invest $100 million to fund transformative research and development.

We’re “de-risking” investments in big ideas  from researchers and start-ups – the ones that could revolutionize women’s health – so that answers can get to the women who need them, quickly.

President Biden is taking a leap toward the future – making a change today that will open up all the possibilities of tomorrow with an all-of-government effort.

Investing in women’s health matters to Joe – and to me. But we can’t do this alone. We need industry to look ahead with that same vision.

The private sector – from entrepreneurs and investors, to companies like yours – is essential to bringing these discoveries to the marketplace, reaching millions of women who need solutions.

Thanks to leaders in this room, the momentum behind women’s health feels unstoppable.

Thank you for being a part of this. We can’t let this moment pass us by.

And together, we will build a health care system where women aren’t an after-thought, but a first-thought. Where we leave doctors’ offices with more answers than questions. Where we don’t have to miss days of work or life for treatable conditions. Where no woman or girl has to hear, “it’s all in your head,” or, “it’s just stress,” ever again. Where women don’t just survive, they lead long, healthy, and happy lives.

Thank you.

###

The post Remarks as Prepared for Delivery by First Lady Jill Biden at the 2024 NYSE Women’s Health Summit appeared first on The White House.

The Prime F. Osborn III Convention Center
Jacksonville, Florida

2:27 P.M. EDT

     THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Hi, everyone.  (Applause.)  Hello.  Hello.  Good afternoon, everyone.  Can we please give it up for Dr. Tien?  Where is she?  (Applause.)

     I had the chance to spend some time with her this afternoon, and I thanked her for her courage and for the work that she and her colleagues are doing at this critical time in our country in the midst of this critical healthcare crisis.  She has been an extraordinary leader.  So, thank you, Dr. Tien, for all that you are.  (Applause.)

     And thank you to all the leaders who are with us today — (applause) — Leader Driskell, Leader Davis, Mayor Deegan — (applause) — and Democratic State Party Chair Nikki Fried.  (Applause.)  And a special thank you to all the organizers and advocates and elected leaders who have been on the forefront of this fight for so long.

     So, listen, I think we all know this is a fight for freedom.  This is a fight for freedom — the fundamental freedom to make decisions about one’s own body and not have their government tell them what they’re supposed to do.  (Applause.)

     And as we know, almost two years ago, the highest court in our land — the court of Thurgood and RBG — took a constitutional right that had been recognized from the people of America, from the women of America.  And now, in states across our nation, extremists have proposed and passed laws that criminalize doctors, punish women; laws that threaten doctors and nurses with prison time, even for life, simply for providing reproductive care; laws that make no exception for rape or incest, even reviving laws from the 1800s.

     AUDIENCE:  Booo —

     THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Across our nation, we witnessed a full-on assault state by state on reproductive freedom. 

     And understand who is to blame.  Former President Donald Trump did this.  (Applause.)

     AUDIENCE:  Booo —

     THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Donald Trump handpicked three members of the United States Supreme Court because he intended for them to overturn Roe.  And as he intended, they did. 
 
Now, many of you here may recall I served on the Judiciary Committee as a United States senator, and I questioned two of those nominees.  To one of them I asked, quote — I will quote myself — (laughter) — “Can you think of any law that give the government the power to make decisions about the male body?”  (Applause.)  And it will come as no shock to everyone here, he had no good answer.  And that day, we all knew what was about to come, and it happened just as Donald Trump intended. 
 
Now, present day, because of Donald Trump, more than 20 states have abortion bans, more than 20 Trump abortion bans.  And today, this very day, at the stroke of midnight, another Trump abortion ban went into effect here in Florida.  As of this morning, 4 million women in this state woke up with fewer reproductive freedoms than they had last night.  This is the new reality under a Trump abortion ban. 
 
Starting this morning, medical professionals like Dr. Tien could be sent to prison for up to five years for providing reproductive care even earlier in pregnancy — reality under a Trump abortion ban. 
 
Starting this morning, women in Florida became subject to an abortion ban so extreme it applies before many women even know they are pregnant — which, by the way, tells us the extremists who wrote this ban either don’t know how a woman’s body works or they simply don’t care. 
 
Trump says he wants to leave abortion up to the states.  He says “up to the states.” 
 
All right.  So, here’s how that works out.  Today, one in three women of reproductive age live in a state with a Trump abortion ban, many with no exception for rape or incest. 
 
Now, on that topic, as many of you know, I started my career as a prosecutor specializing in crimes against women and children.  What many of you may not know is why. 
 
So, when I was in high school, I learned that my best friend was being molested by her stepfather.  And I said to her, “Well, you’ve got to come and live with us.”  I called my mother, and my mother said, “Of course, she does.”  And so, she did.
 
     So, the idea that someone who survives a crime of violence to their body, a violation of their body would not have the authority to make a decision about what happens to their body next, that’s immoral.  That’s immoral. 
 
     And one does not have to abandon their faith or deeply held beliefs to agree the government should not be telling her what to do.  (Applause.)
 
     And let us understand — let us understand the impact of these bans, the horrific reality that women face every single day.  Folks, since Roe was overturned, I have met women who were refused care during a miscarriage.  I met a woman who was turned away from an emergency room, and it was only when she developed sepsis that she received care. 
 
     Now, I’m proud to be the first president or vice president in history to visit a reproductive health clinic.  (Applause.)  But around our country, since that decision came down, clinics have been forced to close.  Think about it: Clinics that provide breast cancer screenings, contraceptive care, Paps, lifesaving care. 
 
     And I have seen firsthand, then, that this truly is a healthcare crisis.  And Donald Trump is the architect. 
 
     And, by the way, that is not a fact he hides.  In fact, he brags about it.  He has said the collection of abortion bans in the state is, quote, “working the way it’s supposed to.”  Just this week, in an interview, he said states have the right to monitor pregnant women to enforce these bans and states have the right to punish pregnant women for seeking out abortion care.
 
     So, Florida, the contrast in this election could not be more clear.  Basically, under Donald Trump, it would be fair game for women to be monitored and punished by the government, whereas Joe Biden and I have a different view.  (Applause.)
 
We believe the government should never come between a woman and her doctor.  (Applause.)  Never.
 
And as much harm as he has already caused, a second Trump term would be even worse.  Donald Trump’s friends in the United States Congress are trying to pass a national ban.  And understand: A national ban would outlaw abortion in every single state, even in states like New York and California. 
 
And now Trump wants us to believe he will not sign a national ban.  Well, I say, enough with the gla- — gaslighting.  Enough with the gaslighting.  (Applause.)  Because we all know if Donald Trump gets the chance, he will sign a national abortion ban. 
 
And how do we know?  Well, let’s take a look at the evidence and follow the facts.  Maybe as a former prosecutor, I like to say: We should really look at the evidence and follow the facts. 
 
Okay.  Congress tried to pass a national abortion ban in 2017.  And the then-President, Trump, endorsed it — 2017 — and promised to sign it if it got to his desk. 
 
And in that same interview he gave this week, he seemed perfectly fine signing a national ban that would make it illegal to receive IVF treatment. 
 
Well, the great Maya Angelou once said, “When someone tells you who they are, believe them the first time.”  (Applause.)  And Donald Trump has told us who he is. 
 
So, here’s what a second Trump term looks like: more bans, more suffering, less freedom.  But we are not going to let that happen.  (Applause.) 
 
Because, you see, we trust women.  We trust women to know what is in their own best interests.  (Applause.)  And women trust all of us to fight to protect their most fundamental freedoms.  (Applause.)
 
     And this November, up and down the ballot, reproductive freedom is on the ballot.  And you, the leaders — you, the people, have the power to protect it with your vote. 

     Donald Trump may think he can take Florida for granted.  It is your power that will send Joe Biden and me back to the White House.  (Applause.)

     And when Congress passes a law that restores the reproductive freedoms of Roe, our President, Joe Biden, will sign it.  (Applause.)  Donald Trump was the president who took away the protections of Roe.  Joe Biden will be the president who puts the protections of Roe back in place.  (Applause.)

     And it’s going to take all of us to get there.  And, by the way, momentum — momentum is on our side.  Just think about it.  Since Roe was overturned, every time reproductive freedom has been on the ballot, the people of America voted for freedom.  (Applause.)

     From Kansas to California to Kentucky, in Michigan, Montana, Vermont, and Ohio, the people of America voted for freedom — and not by little but often by overwhelming margins, proving also that this is not a partisan issue — it’s not a partisan issue — and proving that the voice of the people has been heard and will be heard.  (Applause.)

     So, today, I ask: Florida, are you ready to make your voices heard?  (Applause.)

     Do we trust women?  (Applause.)  

     Do we believe in reproductive freedom?  (Applause.)

     Do we believe in the promise of America? (Applause.)

     Are we ready to fight for it?  (Applause.) 

     And when we fight, we win. 

     God bless you and God bless the United States of America.  Thank you all.  (Applause.)  

END                 2:41 P.M. EDT

# # # 

The post Remarks by Vice President Harris on the Fight for Reproductive Freedoms appeared first on The White House.

The Prime F. Osborn III Convention Center
Jacksonville, Florida

2:27 P.M. EDT

     THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Hi, everyone.  (Applause.)  Hello.  Hello.  Good afternoon, everyone.  Can we please give it up for Dr. Tien?  Where is she?  (Applause.)

     I had the chance to spend some time with her this afternoon, and I thanked her for her courage and for the work that she and her colleagues are doing at this critical time in our country in the midst of this critical healthcare crisis.  She has been an extraordinary leader.  So, thank you, Dr. Tien, for all that you are.  (Applause.)

     And thank you to all the leaders who are with us today — (applause) — Leader Driskell, Leader Davis, Mayor Deegan — (applause) — and Democratic State Party Chair Nikki Fried.  (Applause.)  And a special thank you to all the organizers and advocates and elected leaders who have been on the forefront of this fight for so long.

     So, listen, I think we all know this is a fight for freedom.  This is a fight for freedom — the fundamental freedom to make decisions about one’s own body and not have their government tell them what they’re supposed to do.  (Applause.)

     And as we know, almost two years ago, the highest court in our land — the court of Thurgood and RBG — took a constitutional right that had been recognized from the people of America, from the women of America.  And now, in states across our nation, extremists have proposed and passed laws that criminalize doctors, punish women; laws that threaten doctors and nurses with prison time, even for life, simply for providing reproductive care; laws that make no exception for rape or incest, even reviving laws from the 1800s.

     AUDIENCE:  Booo —

     THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Across our nation, we witnessed a full-on assault state by state on reproductive freedom. 

     And understand who is to blame.  Former President Donald Trump did this.  (Applause.)

     AUDIENCE:  Booo —

     THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Donald Trump handpicked three members of the United States Supreme Court because he intended for them to overturn Roe.  And as he intended, they did. 
 
Now, many of you here may recall I served on the Judiciary Committee as a United States senator, and I questioned two of those nominees.  To one of them I asked, quote — I will quote myself — (laughter) — “Can you think of any law that give the government the power to make decisions about the male body?”  (Applause.)  And it will come as no shock to everyone here, he had no good answer.  And that day, we all knew what was about to come, and it happened just as Donald Trump intended. 
 
Now, present day, because of Donald Trump, more than 20 states have abortion bans, more than 20 Trump abortion bans.  And today, this very day, at the stroke of midnight, another Trump abortion ban went into effect here in Florida.  As of this morning, 4 million women in this state woke up with fewer reproductive freedoms than they had last night.  This is the new reality under a Trump abortion ban. 
 
Starting this morning, medical professionals like Dr. Tien could be sent to prison for up to five years for providing reproductive care even earlier in pregnancy — reality under a Trump abortion ban. 
 
Starting this morning, women in Florida became subject to an abortion ban so extreme it applies before many women even know they are pregnant — which, by the way, tells us the extremists who wrote this ban either don’t know how a woman’s body works or they simply don’t care. 
 
Trump says he wants to leave abortion up to the states.  He says “up to the states.” 
 
All right.  So, here’s how that works out.  Today, one in three women of reproductive age live in a state with a Trump abortion ban, many with no exception for rape or incest. 
 
Now, on that topic, as many of you know, I started my career as a prosecutor specializing in crimes against women and children.  What many of you may not know is why. 
 
So, when I was in high school, I learned that my best friend was being molested by her stepfather.  And I said to her, “Well, you’ve got to come and live with us.”  I called my mother, and my mother said, “Of course, she does.”  And so, she did.
 
     So, the idea that someone who survives a crime of violence to their body, a violation of their body would not have the authority to make a decision about what happens to their body next, that’s immoral.  That’s immoral. 
 
     And one does not have to abandon their faith or deeply held beliefs to agree the government should not be telling her what to do.  (Applause.)
 
     And let us understand — let us understand the impact of these bans, the horrific reality that women face every single day.  Folks, since Roe was overturned, I have met women who were refused care during a miscarriage.  I met a woman who was turned away from an emergency room, and it was only when she developed sepsis that she received care. 
 
     Now, I’m proud to be the first president or vice president in history to visit a reproductive health clinic.  (Applause.)  But around our country, since that decision came down, clinics have been forced to close.  Think about it: Clinics that provide breast cancer screenings, contraceptive care, Paps, lifesaving care. 
 
     And I have seen firsthand, then, that this truly is a healthcare crisis.  And Donald Trump is the architect. 
 
     And, by the way, that is not a fact he hides.  In fact, he brags about it.  He has said the collection of abortion bans in the state is, quote, “working the way it’s supposed to.”  Just this week, in an interview, he said states have the right to monitor pregnant women to enforce these bans and states have the right to punish pregnant women for seeking out abortion care.
 
     So, Florida, the contrast in this election could not be more clear.  Basically, under Donald Trump, it would be fair game for women to be monitored and punished by the government, whereas Joe Biden and I have a different view.  (Applause.)
 
We believe the government should never come between a woman and her doctor.  (Applause.)  Never.
 
And as much harm as he has already caused, a second Trump term would be even worse.  Donald Trump’s friends in the United States Congress are trying to pass a national ban.  And understand: A national ban would outlaw abortion in every single state, even in states like New York and California. 
 
And now Trump wants us to believe he will not sign a national ban.  Well, I say, enough with the gla- — gaslighting.  Enough with the gaslighting.  (Applause.)  Because we all know if Donald Trump gets the chance, he will sign a national abortion ban. 
 
And how do we know?  Well, let’s take a look at the evidence and follow the facts.  Maybe as a former prosecutor, I like to say: We should really look at the evidence and follow the facts. 
 
Okay.  Congress tried to pass a national abortion ban in 2017.  And the then-President, Trump, endorsed it — 2017 — and promised to sign it if it got to his desk. 
 
And in that same interview he gave this week, he seemed perfectly fine signing a national ban that would make it illegal to receive IVF treatment. 
 
Well, the great Maya Angelou once said, “When someone tells you who they are, believe them the first time.”  (Applause.)  And Donald Trump has told us who he is. 
 
So, here’s what a second Trump term looks like: more bans, more suffering, less freedom.  But we are not going to let that happen.  (Applause.) 
 
Because, you see, we trust women.  We trust women to know what is in their own best interests.  (Applause.)  And women trust all of us to fight to protect their most fundamental freedoms.  (Applause.)
 
     And this November, up and down the ballot, reproductive freedom is on the ballot.  And you, the leaders — you, the people, have the power to protect it with your vote. 

     Donald Trump may think he can take Florida for granted.  It is your power that will send Joe Biden and me back to the White House.  (Applause.)

     And when Congress passes a law that restores the reproductive freedoms of Roe, our President, Joe Biden, will sign it.  (Applause.)  Donald Trump was the president who took away the protections of Roe.  Joe Biden will be the president who puts the protections of Roe back in place.  (Applause.)

     And it’s going to take all of us to get there.  And, by the way, momentum — momentum is on our side.  Just think about it.  Since Roe was overturned, every time reproductive freedom has been on the ballot, the people of America voted for freedom.  (Applause.)

     From Kansas to California to Kentucky, in Michigan, Montana, Vermont, and Ohio, the people of America voted for freedom — and not by little but often by overwhelming margins, proving also that this is not a partisan issue — it’s not a partisan issue — and proving that the voice of the people has been heard and will be heard.  (Applause.)

     So, today, I ask: Florida, are you ready to make your voices heard?  (Applause.)

     Do we trust women?  (Applause.)  

     Do we believe in reproductive freedom?  (Applause.)

     Do we believe in the promise of America? (Applause.)

     Are we ready to fight for it?  (Applause.) 

     And when we fight, we win. 

     God bless you and God bless the United States of America.  Thank you all.  (Applause.)  

END                 2:41 P.M. EDT

# # # 

The post Remarks by Vice President Harris on the Fight for Reproductive Freedoms appeared first on The White House.

James S. Brady Press Briefing Room

12:57 P.M. EDT

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  Good afternoon, everybody.

Q    Good afternoon.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

With that, Zeke.

Q    Let’s stick with “everybody.”  (Laughter.) 

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

Q    There’s Rosen.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  Oh, darn.  There’s Rosen in the back.  To wit — Mr. To Wit in the back.  (Laughter.) 

Q    Hi.  Thank you, Karine —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  Go ahead, Zeke.

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

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  Yeah.

Q    — that Hamas could respond in the negative?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Go ahead.

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

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

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

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  Yeah.

Q    — and confirm that?

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

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

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

Q    But you can’t confirm that it’s now at (inaudible) —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  I — I —

Q    — for the next phase of this?

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

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

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

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

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

Q    I know.  (Laughter.)  And I’m looking forward.

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

Go ahead, Weijia.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Go ahead.

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

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

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

Q    So, he’s not aware of that?

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

Go ahead.

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

I want to clarify: What is the administration’s position on —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  Yeah.

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

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

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

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

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

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  Yeah.

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

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

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

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

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

Go ahead, Gabe.

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

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  Yeah.

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

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  Yeah.

Q    — in talking about the protests?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  Yeah.

Q    You talked about how he’s talked about antisemitism.  But specifically on the protests —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  Yeah.

Q    — why hasn’t the President been more —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  Well — no —

Q    — forceful on that?

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

Q    But that’s not — that’s not the question. 

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  What —

Q    It’s the protest.

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

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

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

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

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

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

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  Yeah.

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

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  Yeah.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Go ahead, Anne.  Oh —

Q    Oh, ac- — no, no, no. 

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  (Laughs.)

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

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  (Laughs.)  Fair enough.

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

Okay.  Go ahead.  Yeah. 

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

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

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

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

Go ahead.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Go ahead.

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

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

Q    What mood does he expect to encounter on campus?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  What mood?

Q    I know you can’t talk about —

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

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

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

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

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  I —

Q    And if so, why?

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

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

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

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

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

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

Q    Thank you.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Q    Karine —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  Go ahead.  I’ll (inaudible).

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

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  We’ve —

Q    — move forward next week?

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

Go ahead.

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

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

Go ahead.

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

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

Go ahead, Jon.

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

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  Fair.  Fair enough. 

Q    — a follow-up with that question with —

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

Q      North Carolina

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  Okay.

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

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  Yeah.

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

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  So, here —

Q    — other day?

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

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

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

Go ahead.

Q    I have a question on Elon Musk’s China visit.  He concluded a surprise visit recently, meeting with senior Communist Party officials and made some deals with — to work with the Chinese technology companies.  Is the White House worried that the U.S. advanced electric vehicle technology will be in China’s hands?  And would the administration look into the deal if there is a national —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  I —

Q    — security concern?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  I’m going to be really careful.  Elon Musk is a private citizen.  I’m just not going to speak to his travels from here.  I’m just not going to speak to it.

Go ahead.  Go ahead, Adam.

Q    Hi.  Thanks.  I wanted to follow up once more on Gabe’s question, because I think the way that —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  Yeah.

Q    — you responded leaves maybe the impression that the White House views antisemitism as synonymous with the protests as a whole.  That’s the only issue you’re going to (inaudible) —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  No, I was — I was very clear about —

Q    So —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  There’s a small number of students who are causing the disruption, and I’ve been very clear about that.  And we have to make sure that we create a safe environment — a safe environment is created for students to — to learn, for students to be able to go to graduation.  I’ve been very clear: a small number of students.

Q    So, I — so, maybe this specific question because —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  Yeah, sure.  Sure, sure.

Q    What — what is the White House — how do they — how does the White House view the protests themselves, the causes behind them, the frustrations behind them?  How do — does White House view those as legitimate?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  So, look, topline here: Every — every American has the right to peacefully protest within the law.  That is something that we believe.  Seizing buildings, taking over buildings is not peacefully protesting.  I think we’ve been very, very clear about that.  That is not peacefully protesting.

Students have the right to attend class and feel safe and feel like they are in a safe campus environment.  That’s what we want to see. 

And I’ve also said over and over again, we believe that it is a small percentage of students who are causing this disrupt- — disruption, and they’re causing a disruption that — that really takes away from students’ academic experience — might take away, for some, their commencement experience, which is supposed to be a really important day for many of these graduates.

And so, at the same time, we’re going to continue to underscore that antisemitism should be called out.  It is hate speech, and that should not be allowed — not on college campuses, not in communities, not in the political discourse.  And so, been very clear about that, and we’re going to continue to do so.

Q    And in terms of, you know, the causes that are driving these protests — the frustration —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  Yeah.

Q    — with the war in Gaza, the frustration with U.S. support for Israel and this offensive — does the White House view the drivers of these protests as legitimate?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  We believe and understand — understand that this is a painful moment for many communities.  We get that.  I mean, we say that over and over again.  That’s why the President and senior White House officials here have had multiple conversations with members of that — of those communities — to hear from them, to listen to them. 

And we also believe people have the right — Americans have the right to peacefully protest.  That is part of what — freedoms here in America, that’s what it all means.  It is important to be able to peacefully protest within the law.

Hate speech should not be allowed.  We should condemn that.  That’s what this administration has always been consistent about and clear about.  And we’re going to continue to do that.

Go ahead.

AIDE:  Karine.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  Oh.

Q    Thank you, Karine.  Some of these encampments, they had matching tents.  We’re being told that there are professional outside agitators involved.  We don’t know if they’re being paid to sow chaos by domestic folks or foreign entities.  Does President Biden want his administration to find out who is funding some of these protests?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  What I can say — I — you know, I cannot — I cannot speak to the organizations that are being reported — that — that’s on the ground.  That is not something for me to speak to.  That is obviously something that local governments — local official — I keep saying “local government” — local officials are going to speak to.  They’ll have better information on that. 

What we have said — and I don’t think I’ve iterated that yet from here — is that the DOJ and FBI is going to continue to offer support to universities and colleges with — in respect to federal laws.  So, that is something that the DOJ and FBI is doing.

As far as local organizations and what is all being reported on the ground, that is something that I’m — that local law enforcement certainly is looking into.

Q    And I understand that President Biden historically has spoken very forcefully about antisemitism, but this week he’s not.  He’s MIA.  Is he that worried about losing the youth vote with these protestors?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  I’m going to be mindful.  You’re talking about “youth vote.”  You’re talking about 2024. 

Q    Support of young people. 

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  No, no, no.  I — I have to say what I have to say and just give me a second.  So, I’m not going to speak about —

(A cell phone rings.)

Somebody’s doorbell?  Is that a doorbell?  (Laughter.)

(Cross-talk.)

Q    An alarm.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  An alarm.  Okay.  All right.

And I’ll speak more broadly.  I can’t speak to youth pe- — youth and support and voters.  That’s not something I can do from here.

The President has taken a lot of policy actions here that he knows that young people care about.  And a lot of those actions are popular with those young folks, whether it’s giving a little bit of breathing room with student debt relief. 

So- — we made an announcement today, matter of fact, and we are going to continue to do that because we think it’s important as families or as an American and you coming out of college and you want to build a family, buy a home, you have the opportunity to do that and not be crushed by student debt.  The President understands how important it is to deal with that issue.

Climate change — something that young people really, truly care about.  One of the crises that the President said he came in to having to deal with was the climate change crisis.  This is a president who has taken more — have taken aggressive, aggressive action to deal with climate crisis.

Look, I can’t speak to — I can’t speak to youth voters or their support.  What we’re going to do is continue to take actions that we believe helps all Americans in all communities.

Q    And you mentioned what he said in 2017, after Charlottesville.  He said about Trump’s response then, “Charlottesville, for me, was a moment where I thought silence would be complicity.”

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  Yeah.

Q    So, how does he explain, how you explain —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  Yeah.

Q    — his silence this week?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  The President has not been silent on this issue when it comes to hate speech, antisemitism.  He started — 

Q    He — he has.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  Wait.  He started — he launched the first-ever antisemitism — Strategy to Counter Antisemitism, something that no other president did.  No other president
do —

Q    In the time since, a school building on a — at an Ivy League campus got taken over. 

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  And I — and we call that out.  And we said: That is not peacefully protesting.  Taking over a building at a university is — or a college is not peacefully protesting.

And we’ve been very clear.  We’ve been very clear — taking more than a hundred new actions to deal with antisemitism in this administration, no one has ever done that before.  Not any other administration has ever done that before.

Q    Does he think it’s working?  You’re talking about 2017 —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  We’re going to continue — we’re going to continue —

Q    — vile, antisemitic rhetoric (inaudible) —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  We’re going to continue to do the work.  And it’s not just here in the White House.  We’re talking about DOJ.  We’re talking about Homeland Security.  Right?  We’re talking about Department of — Department of Education, talking and working with campuses and colleges to deal with this issue.

We have seen a uptick in antisemitism in the last, certainly, several months and in the past year.  And we have to call that out.  And it is not okay.  It is not okay.

Go ahead, Phil.

Q    Thank you.  Two quick questions here.  You’ve made the distinction between the President’s support for peaceful protest and, say, less-than-peaceful protests.  I’m curious, what is the President’s view and what is the view of the White House on some of these college campuses where we’ve seen the U.S. flag torn down and the Palestinian flag replace it?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  What I will say is this.  Americans have the right to peacefully protest within the law — within the law.  And we have to re- — we have to also respect that, you know, we cannot disturb campuses in the way of taking over buildings, in the way that we have seen.  That is not peacefully protest.  It’s just not.

And, you know, look, we have seen some really vile, hateful — hateful language used against the Jewish community — Jewish Americans in this country.  It is a dangerous time for that community.  And we have been very clear about what we need to do to fight that hate but also condemn that hate.

And so, we’re going to continue to do that.  And as it relates to what’s happening, obviously, the actions that colleges and universities are — are taking, obviously, it’s up to them.  They’re on the ground.  But we’re going to continue to call that out.

Q    And then zooming out just a little bit here.  You know, not all of these protesters have expressed antisemitism, but some have.  And I’m — I’m curious: Does the President believe that at, perhaps, some of these universities that higher education has gone off the rails, that, you know, something more fundamental has gone wrong on these college campuses?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  I mean, I wouldn’t go that far.  And I’ve been — and you said it in your question to me.  It is a small percentage of students who are causing this disruption.  And students should be — feel safe to go to school.  They should be — feel safe to be able to have that all-important academic experience.  They should be able to have — and have their commencement and be able to have their families and loved ones show up for them on that important day.

And I wouldn’t go that far in your question because, as I stated and you stated, we believe it’s a small number of students who are causing this disruption.  And if they are going to protest, Americans have the right to do it in a peaceful way within the law.  And we’re going to continue to call out hateful speech as we have been.

Q    One more.  One more, Karine. 

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  Thanks, everybody.  Thanks, everyone.

   1:38 P.M. EDT

The post Press Briefing by Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre appeared first on The White House.

James S. Brady Press Briefing Room

12:57 P.M. EDT

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  Good afternoon, everybody.

Q    Good afternoon.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

With that, Zeke.

Q    Let’s stick with “everybody.”  (Laughter.) 

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

Q    There’s Rosen.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  Oh, darn.  There’s Rosen in the back.  To wit — Mr. To Wit in the back.  (Laughter.) 

Q    Hi.  Thank you, Karine —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  Go ahead, Zeke.

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

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  Yeah.

Q    — that Hamas could respond in the negative?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Go ahead.

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

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

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

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  Yeah.

Q    — and confirm that?

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

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

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

Q    But you can’t confirm that it’s now at (inaudible) —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  I — I —

Q    — for the next phase of this?

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

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

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

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

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

Q    I know.  (Laughter.)  And I’m looking forward.

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

Go ahead, Weijia.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Go ahead.

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

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

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

Q    So, he’s not aware of that?

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

Go ahead.

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

I want to clarify: What is the administration’s position on —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  Yeah.

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

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

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

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

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

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  Yeah.

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

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

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

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

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

Go ahead, Gabe.

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

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  Yeah.

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

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  Yeah.

Q    — in talking about the protests?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  Yeah.

Q    You talked about how he’s talked about antisemitism.  But specifically on the protests —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  Yeah.

Q    — why hasn’t the President been more —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  Well — no —

Q    — forceful on that?

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

Q    But that’s not — that’s not the question. 

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  What —

Q    It’s the protest.

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

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

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

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

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

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

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  Yeah.

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

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  Yeah.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Go ahead, Anne.  Oh —

Q    Oh, ac- — no, no, no. 

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  (Laughs.)

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

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  (Laughs.)  Fair enough.

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

Okay.  Go ahead.  Yeah. 

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

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

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

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

Go ahead.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Go ahead.

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

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

Q    What mood does he expect to encounter on campus?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  What mood?

Q    I know you can’t talk about —

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

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

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

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

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  I —

Q    And if so, why?

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

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

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

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

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

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

Q    Thank you.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Q    Karine —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  Go ahead.  I’ll (inaudible).

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

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  We’ve —

Q    — move forward next week?

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

Go ahead.

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

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

Go ahead.

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

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

Go ahead, Jon.

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

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  Fair.  Fair enough. 

Q    — a follow-up with that question with —

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

Q      North Carolina

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  Okay.

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

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  Yeah.

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

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  So, here —

Q    — other day?

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

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

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

Go ahead.

Q    I have a question on Elon Musk’s China visit.  He concluded a surprise visit recently, meeting with senior Communist Party officials and made some deals with — to work with the Chinese technology companies.  Is the White House worried that the U.S. advanced electric vehicle technology will be in China’s hands?  And would the administration look into the deal if there is a national —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  I —

Q    — security concern?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  I’m going to be really careful.  Elon Musk is a private citizen.  I’m just not going to speak to his travels from here.  I’m just not going to speak to it.

Go ahead.  Go ahead, Adam.

Q    Hi.  Thanks.  I wanted to follow up once more on Gabe’s question, because I think the way that —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  Yeah.

Q    — you responded leaves maybe the impression that the White House views antisemitism as synonymous with the protests as a whole.  That’s the only issue you’re going to (inaudible) —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  No, I was — I was very clear about —

Q    So —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  There’s a small number of students who are causing the disruption, and I’ve been very clear about that.  And we have to make sure that we create a safe environment — a safe environment is created for students to — to learn, for students to be able to go to graduation.  I’ve been very clear: a small number of students.

Q    So, I — so, maybe this specific question because —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  Yeah, sure.  Sure, sure.

Q    What — what is the White House — how do they — how does the White House view the protests themselves, the causes behind them, the frustrations behind them?  How do — does White House view those as legitimate?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  So, look, topline here: Every — every American has the right to peacefully protest within the law.  That is something that we believe.  Seizing buildings, taking over buildings is not peacefully protesting.  I think we’ve been very, very clear about that.  That is not peacefully protesting.

Students have the right to attend class and feel safe and feel like they are in a safe campus environment.  That’s what we want to see. 

And I’ve also said over and over again, we believe that it is a small percentage of students who are causing this disrupt- — disruption, and they’re causing a disruption that — that really takes away from students’ academic experience — might take away, for some, their commencement experience, which is supposed to be a really important day for many of these graduates.

And so, at the same time, we’re going to continue to underscore that antisemitism should be called out.  It is hate speech, and that should not be allowed — not on college campuses, not in communities, not in the political discourse.  And so, been very clear about that, and we’re going to continue to do so.

Q    And in terms of, you know, the causes that are driving these protests — the frustration —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  Yeah.

Q    — with the war in Gaza, the frustration with U.S. support for Israel and this offensive — does the White House view the drivers of these protests as legitimate?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  We believe and understand — understand that this is a painful moment for many communities.  We get that.  I mean, we say that over and over again.  That’s why the President and senior White House officials here have had multiple conversations with members of that — of those communities — to hear from them, to listen to them. 

And we also believe people have the right — Americans have the right to peacefully protest.  That is part of what — freedoms here in America, that’s what it all means.  It is important to be able to peacefully protest within the law.

Hate speech should not be allowed.  We should condemn that.  That’s what this administration has always been consistent about and clear about.  And we’re going to continue to do that.

Go ahead.

AIDE:  Karine.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  Oh.

Q    Thank you, Karine.  Some of these encampments, they had matching tents.  We’re being told that there are professional outside agitators involved.  We don’t know if they’re being paid to sow chaos by domestic folks or foreign entities.  Does President Biden want his administration to find out who is funding some of these protests?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  What I can say — I — you know, I cannot — I cannot speak to the organizations that are being reported — that — that’s on the ground.  That is not something for me to speak to.  That is obviously something that local governments — local official — I keep saying “local government” — local officials are going to speak to.  They’ll have better information on that. 

What we have said — and I don’t think I’ve iterated that yet from here — is that the DOJ and FBI is going to continue to offer support to universities and colleges with — in respect to federal laws.  So, that is something that the DOJ and FBI is doing.

As far as local organizations and what is all being reported on the ground, that is something that I’m — that local law enforcement certainly is looking into.

Q    And I understand that President Biden historically has spoken very forcefully about antisemitism, but this week he’s not.  He’s MIA.  Is he that worried about losing the youth vote with these protestors?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  I’m going to be mindful.  You’re talking about “youth vote.”  You’re talking about 2024. 

Q    Support of young people. 

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  No, no, no.  I — I have to say what I have to say and just give me a second.  So, I’m not going to speak about —

(A cell phone rings.)

Somebody’s doorbell?  Is that a doorbell?  (Laughter.)

(Cross-talk.)

Q    An alarm.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  An alarm.  Okay.  All right.

And I’ll speak more broadly.  I can’t speak to youth pe- — youth and support and voters.  That’s not something I can do from here.

The President has taken a lot of policy actions here that he knows that young people care about.  And a lot of those actions are popular with those young folks, whether it’s giving a little bit of breathing room with student debt relief. 

So- — we made an announcement today, matter of fact, and we are going to continue to do that because we think it’s important as families or as an American and you coming out of college and you want to build a family, buy a home, you have the opportunity to do that and not be crushed by student debt.  The President understands how important it is to deal with that issue.

Climate change — something that young people really, truly care about.  One of the crises that the President said he came in to having to deal with was the climate change crisis.  This is a president who has taken more — have taken aggressive, aggressive action to deal with climate crisis.

Look, I can’t speak to — I can’t speak to youth voters or their support.  What we’re going to do is continue to take actions that we believe helps all Americans in all communities.

Q    And you mentioned what he said in 2017, after Charlottesville.  He said about Trump’s response then, “Charlottesville, for me, was a moment where I thought silence would be complicity.”

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  Yeah.

Q    So, how does he explain, how you explain —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  Yeah.

Q    — his silence this week?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  The President has not been silent on this issue when it comes to hate speech, antisemitism.  He started — 

Q    He — he has.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  Wait.  He started — he launched the first-ever antisemitism — Strategy to Counter Antisemitism, something that no other president did.  No other president
do —

Q    In the time since, a school building on a — at an Ivy League campus got taken over. 

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  And I — and we call that out.  And we said: That is not peacefully protesting.  Taking over a building at a university is — or a college is not peacefully protesting.

And we’ve been very clear.  We’ve been very clear — taking more than a hundred new actions to deal with antisemitism in this administration, no one has ever done that before.  Not any other administration has ever done that before.

Q    Does he think it’s working?  You’re talking about 2017 —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  We’re going to continue — we’re going to continue —

Q    — vile, antisemitic rhetoric (inaudible) —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  We’re going to continue to do the work.  And it’s not just here in the White House.  We’re talking about DOJ.  We’re talking about Homeland Security.  Right?  We’re talking about Department of — Department of Education, talking and working with campuses and colleges to deal with this issue.

We have seen a uptick in antisemitism in the last, certainly, several months and in the past year.  And we have to call that out.  And it is not okay.  It is not okay.

Go ahead, Phil.

Q    Thank you.  Two quick questions here.  You’ve made the distinction between the President’s support for peaceful protest and, say, less-than-peaceful protests.  I’m curious, what is the President’s view and what is the view of the White House on some of these college campuses where we’ve seen the U.S. flag torn down and the Palestinian flag replace it?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  What I will say is this.  Americans have the right to peacefully protest within the law — within the law.  And we have to re- — we have to also respect that, you know, we cannot disturb campuses in the way of taking over buildings, in the way that we have seen.  That is not peacefully protest.  It’s just not.

And, you know, look, we have seen some really vile, hateful — hateful language used against the Jewish community — Jewish Americans in this country.  It is a dangerous time for that community.  And we have been very clear about what we need to do to fight that hate but also condemn that hate.

And so, we’re going to continue to do that.  And as it relates to what’s happening, obviously, the actions that colleges and universities are — are taking, obviously, it’s up to them.  They’re on the ground.  But we’re going to continue to call that out.

Q    And then zooming out just a little bit here.  You know, not all of these protesters have expressed antisemitism, but some have.  And I’m — I’m curious: Does the President believe that at, perhaps, some of these universities that higher education has gone off the rails, that, you know, something more fundamental has gone wrong on these college campuses?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  I mean, I wouldn’t go that far.  And I’ve been — and you said it in your question to me.  It is a small percentage of students who are causing this disruption.  And students should be — feel safe to go to school.  They should be — feel safe to be able to have that all-important academic experience.  They should be able to have — and have their commencement and be able to have their families and loved ones show up for them on that important day.

And I wouldn’t go that far in your question because, as I stated and you stated, we believe it’s a small number of students who are causing this disruption.  And if they are going to protest, Americans have the right to do it in a peaceful way within the law.  And we’re going to continue to call out hateful speech as we have been.

Q    One more.  One more, Karine. 

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  Thanks, everybody.  Thanks, everyone.

   1:38 P.M. EDT

The post Press Briefing by Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre appeared first on The White House.

     On this National Day of Prayer, we recognize the power of prayer to strengthen our spirits, draw us together, and create hope for a better tomorrow.

     The right to practice our faiths freely and openly is enshrined in the Constitution and remains at the core of our American spirit.  For centuries, Americans of every religion and background have come together to lift up one another and our Nation in prayer.  Throughout America’s history, faith and prayer have helped fuel some of the greatest moral missions of our time — from the abolition of slavery to the fight for voting rights and the Civil Rights Movement.  Many of our Nation’s greatest leaders have been motivated by faith to push all of us toward a more perfect Union and to bend the arc of the moral universe toward justice.  

     Prayer is also deeply personal:  For the First Lady and me, and so many across this Nation, prayer has helped us find solace during tough times and stay grounded in good ones.  Prayer has helped the bravest among us — including our Nation’s service members and their caregivers, survivors, and families  – summon the courage to make great sacrifices for our democracy.  It has guided the hands of medical professionals, who heal our loved ones, and steeled the nerves of our first responders, who put everything on the line to keep the rest of us safe.  We will never know the full impact of prayer on our Nation or the world, but we remain confident that it makes a profound difference each and every day.

     Scripture tells us to rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, and be constant in prayer.  This year, my prayer for our Nation is that we keep faith that our best days are ahead of us and continue to believe in honesty, decency, dignity, and respect.  May we see each other not as enemies but as fellow human beings, each made in the image of God and each precious in His sight.  May we leave no one behind, give everyone a fair shot, and give hate no safe harbor.  May we remember that nothing is beyond our capacity if we act together.

     The Congress, by Public Law 100-307, as amended, has called on the President to issue each year a proclamation designating the first Thursday in May as a “National Day of Prayer.”

     NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim May 2, 2024, as a National Day of Prayer.  I call upon the citizens of our Nation to give thanks, in accordance with their own faith and conscience, for our many freedoms and blessings, and I invite all people of faith to join me in asking for God’s continued guidance, mercy, and protection.

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

                        JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR.

The post A Proclamation on National Day of Prayer, 2024 appeared first on The White House.

     On this National Day of Prayer, we recognize the power of prayer to strengthen our spirits, draw us together, and create hope for a better tomorrow.

     The right to practice our faiths freely and openly is enshrined in the Constitution and remains at the core of our American spirit.  For centuries, Americans of every religion and background have come together to lift up one another and our Nation in prayer.  Throughout America’s history, faith and prayer have helped fuel some of the greatest moral missions of our time — from the abolition of slavery to the fight for voting rights and the Civil Rights Movement.  Many of our Nation’s greatest leaders have been motivated by faith to push all of us toward a more perfect Union and to bend the arc of the moral universe toward justice.  

     Prayer is also deeply personal:  For the First Lady and me, and so many across this Nation, prayer has helped us find solace during tough times and stay grounded in good ones.  Prayer has helped the bravest among us — including our Nation’s service members and their caregivers, survivors, and families  – summon the courage to make great sacrifices for our democracy.  It has guided the hands of medical professionals, who heal our loved ones, and steeled the nerves of our first responders, who put everything on the line to keep the rest of us safe.  We will never know the full impact of prayer on our Nation or the world, but we remain confident that it makes a profound difference each and every day.

     Scripture tells us to rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, and be constant in prayer.  This year, my prayer for our Nation is that we keep faith that our best days are ahead of us and continue to believe in honesty, decency, dignity, and respect.  May we see each other not as enemies but as fellow human beings, each made in the image of God and each precious in His sight.  May we leave no one behind, give everyone a fair shot, and give hate no safe harbor.  May we remember that nothing is beyond our capacity if we act together.

     The Congress, by Public Law 100-307, as amended, has called on the President to issue each year a proclamation designating the first Thursday in May as a “National Day of Prayer.”

     NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim May 2, 2024, as a National Day of Prayer.  I call upon the citizens of our Nation to give thanks, in accordance with their own faith and conscience, for our many freedoms and blessings, and I invite all people of faith to join me in asking for God’s continued guidance, mercy, and protection.

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

                        JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR.

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Today, my Administration is approving $6.1 billion in student debt cancellation for 317,000 borrowers who attended the Art Institutes. This institution falsified data, knowingly misled students, and cheated borrowers into taking on mountains of debt without leading to promising career prospects at the end of their studies.

While my predecessor looked the other way when colleges defrauded students and borrowers, I promised to take this on directly to provide borrowers with the relief they need and deserve. Over the last three years, my Administration has approved nearly $29 billion in debt relief for 1.6 million borrowers whose colleges took advantage of them, closed abruptly, or were covered by related court settlements, compared to just 53,500 borrowers who had ever gotten their debt cancelled through these types of actions before I took office. And in total, we have approved debt cancellation for nearly 4.6 million Americans through various actions.

Today’s announcement builds on all we’ve done to fix broken student loan programs and bring higher education more in reach. That includes: providing the largest increases to the maximum Pell Grant in over a decade, fixing Public Service Loan Forgiveness and Income Driven Repayment so borrowers get the relief they are entitled to under the law, launching the SAVE Plan – the most affordable repayment plan ever, and pursuing new plans that would cancel student debt for more than 30 million Americans when combined with everything we’ve done so far.

We will never stop fighting to deliver relief to borrowers, hold bad actors accountable, and bring the promise of college to more Americans.

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The post Statement from President Joe Biden on $6.1 Billion in Student Debt Cancellation for 317,000 Borrowers who Attended the Art Institutes appeared first on The White House.

Today, my Administration is approving $6.1 billion in student debt cancellation for 317,000 borrowers who attended the Art Institutes. This institution falsified data, knowingly misled students, and cheated borrowers into taking on mountains of debt without leading to promising career prospects at the end of their studies.

While my predecessor looked the other way when colleges defrauded students and borrowers, I promised to take this on directly to provide borrowers with the relief they need and deserve. Over the last three years, my Administration has approved nearly $29 billion in debt relief for 1.6 million borrowers whose colleges took advantage of them, closed abruptly, or were covered by related court settlements, compared to just 53,500 borrowers who had ever gotten their debt cancelled through these types of actions before I took office. And in total, we have approved debt cancellation for nearly 4.6 million Americans through various actions.

Today’s announcement builds on all we’ve done to fix broken student loan programs and bring higher education more in reach. That includes: providing the largest increases to the maximum Pell Grant in over a decade, fixing Public Service Loan Forgiveness and Income Driven Repayment so borrowers get the relief they are entitled to under the law, launching the SAVE Plan – the most affordable repayment plan ever, and pursuing new plans that would cancel student debt for more than 30 million Americans when combined with everything we’ve done so far.

We will never stop fighting to deliver relief to borrowers, hold bad actors accountable, and bring the promise of college to more Americans.

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The post Statement from President Joe Biden on $6.1 Billion in Student Debt Cancellation for 317,000 Borrowers who Attended the Art Institutes appeared first on The White House.

As part of the President’s Investing in America agenda, a key component of Bidenomics, the Biden-Harris Administration has made historic progress towards lowering costs – including internet costs – for American families across the country. The Affordable Connectivity Program, enacted under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law as the largest internet affordability program in our nation’s history, has helped 23 million households save on their monthly internet bills. Today, May 1st, begins the final month that Affordable Connectivity Program households will receive any benefit on their internet bills. Without Congressional action to extend funding for the program, millions of Americans will see their internet bills go up or lose internet access at the end of this month. President Biden is once again calling on Republicans in Congress to join their Democratic colleagues in support of extending funding for the Affordable Connectivity Program, so tens of millions of Americans can continue to access this essential benefit.

Losing the monthly Affordable Connectivity Program benefit will have drastic, meaningful impacts on American households, according to survey data collected by the Federal Communications Commission. More than three-quarters of surveyed ACP households say losing their ACP benefit would disrupt their service by making them change their plan or drop internet service entirely. More than two thirds of households had inconsistent internet service or no internet service at all prior to ACP, and this number is even higher for surveyed households residing in rural areas. These respondents also reported that ACP has enabled them to schedule or attend healthcare appoints, apply for jobs, complete work, and do schoolwork.

During the month of May, as funding for the Affordable Connectivity Program runs out, millions of households will receive only a partial subsidy on their internet bills and some will receive no discount at all if their provider opts out of the partial benefit.

At this crucial time, the White House is encouraging providers to take steps to keep their consumers connected by offering low-cost or no-cost plans or providing discounts.

On October 25, 2023, President Biden sent Congress a supplemental request for $6 billion to extend funding for the Affordable Connectivity Program. Despite that request, Republicans in Congress have failed to act. Without action from Republicans in Congress, this program will sunset at the end of May and tens of millions of Americans may no longer be able to afford high-speed internet service. It is time for Republicans in Congress to step up for families across the country.

See below for the state-by-state breakdown of the number of households that will see a $30 or $75 per month increase on their internet bill if Congressional Republicans fail to extend funding for the Affordable Connectivity Program. This breakdown includes estimates of percentages of households enrolled in ACP in every Congressional District.

• Alabama
• Alaska
• American Samoa
• Arizona
• Arkansas
• California
• Colorado
• Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands
• Connecticut
• DC
• Delaware
• Florida
• Georgia
• Guam
• Hawaiʻi
• Idaho
• Illinois
• Indiana
• Iowa
• Kansas
• Kentucky
• Louisiana
• Maine
• Maryland
• Massachusetts
• Michigan
• Minnesota
• Mississippi
• Missouri
• Montana
• Nebraska
• Nevada
• New Hampshire
• New Jersey
• New Mexico
• New York
• North Carolina
• North Dakota
• Ohio
• Oklahoma
• Oregon
• Pennsylvania
• Puerto Rico
• Rhode Island
• South Carolina
• South Dakota
• Tennessee
• Texas
• U.S. Virgin Islands
• Utah
• Vermont
• Virginia
• Washington
• West Virginia
• Wisconsin
• Wyoming

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The post FACT SHEET: Biden-Harris Administration Continues to Call on Congressional Republicans and Internet Service Providers to Keep Americans Connected as the Affordable Connectivity Program Enters Final Month appeared first on The White House.

As part of the President’s Investing in America agenda, a key component of Bidenomics, the Biden-Harris Administration has made historic progress towards lowering costs – including internet costs – for American families across the country. The Affordable Connectivity Program, enacted under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law as the largest internet affordability program in our nation’s history, has helped 23 million households save on their monthly internet bills. Today, May 1st, begins the final month that Affordable Connectivity Program households will receive any benefit on their internet bills. Without Congressional action to extend funding for the program, millions of Americans will see their internet bills go up or lose internet access at the end of this month. President Biden is once again calling on Republicans in Congress to join their Democratic colleagues in support of extending funding for the Affordable Connectivity Program, so tens of millions of Americans can continue to access this essential benefit.

Losing the monthly Affordable Connectivity Program benefit will have drastic, meaningful impacts on American households, according to survey data collected by the Federal Communications Commission. More than three-quarters of surveyed ACP households say losing their ACP benefit would disrupt their service by making them change their plan or drop internet service entirely. More than two thirds of households had inconsistent internet service or no internet service at all prior to ACP, and this number is even higher for surveyed households residing in rural areas. These respondents also reported that ACP has enabled them to schedule or attend healthcare appoints, apply for jobs, complete work, and do schoolwork.

During the month of May, as funding for the Affordable Connectivity Program runs out, millions of households will receive only a partial subsidy on their internet bills and some will receive no discount at all if their provider opts out of the partial benefit.

At this crucial time, the White House is encouraging providers to take steps to keep their consumers connected by offering low-cost or no-cost plans or providing discounts.

On October 25, 2023, President Biden sent Congress a supplemental request for $6 billion to extend funding for the Affordable Connectivity Program. Despite that request, Republicans in Congress have failed to act. Without action from Republicans in Congress, this program will sunset at the end of May and tens of millions of Americans may no longer be able to afford high-speed internet service. It is time for Republicans in Congress to step up for families across the country.

See below for the state-by-state breakdown of the number of households that will see a $30 or $75 per month increase on their internet bill if Congressional Republicans fail to extend funding for the Affordable Connectivity Program. This breakdown includes estimates of percentages of households enrolled in ACP in every Congressional District.

• Alabama
• Alaska
• American Samoa
• Arizona
• Arkansas
• California
• Colorado
• Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands
• Connecticut
• DC
• Delaware
• Florida
• Georgia
• Guam
• Hawaiʻi
• Idaho
• Illinois
• Indiana
• Iowa
• Kansas
• Kentucky
• Louisiana
• Maine
• Maryland
• Massachusetts
• Michigan
• Minnesota
• Mississippi
• Missouri
• Montana
• Nebraska
• Nevada
• New Hampshire
• New Jersey
• New Mexico
• New York
• North Carolina
• North Dakota
• Ohio
• Oklahoma
• Oregon
• Pennsylvania
• Puerto Rico
• Rhode Island
• South Carolina
• South Dakota
• Tennessee
• Texas
• U.S. Virgin Islands
• Utah
• Vermont
• Virginia
• Washington
• West Virginia
• Wisconsin
• Wyoming

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The post FACT SHEET: Biden-Harris Administration Continues to Call on Congressional Republicans and Internet Service Providers to Keep Americans Connected as the Affordable Connectivity Program Enters Final Month appeared first on The White House.

Today, President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. declared that a major disaster exists in the State of Oklahoma and ordered Federal aid to supplement State, tribal, and local recovery efforts in the areas affected by severe storms, straight-line winds, tornadoes, and flooding beginning on April 25, 2024, and continuing.

The President’s action makes Federal funding available to affected individuals in the counties of Hughes, Love, and Murray.

Assistance can include grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses, and other programs to help individuals and business owners recover from the effects of the disaster.

Federal funding is also available to State, tribal, and eligible local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations on a cost-sharing basis for debris removal and emergency protective measures, including direct federal assistance in the counties of Hughes, Love, and Murray.

Lastly, Federal funding is available on a cost-sharing basis for hazard mitigation measures statewide.

Mr. Benjamin Abbott of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has been appointed to coordinate Federal recovery operations in the affected areas.

Damage assessments are continuing in other areas, and more counties and additional forms of assistance may be designated after the assessments are fully completed.

Residents and business owners who sustained losses in the designated areas can begin applying for assistance at www.DisasterAssistance.gov, by calling 800-621-FEMA (3362), or by using the FEMA App. Anyone using a relay service, such as video relay service (VRS), captioned telephone service or others, can give FEMA the number for that service. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION MEDIA SHOULD CONTACT THE FEMA NEWS DESK AT (202) 646-3272 OR FEMA-NEWS-DESK@FEMA.DHS.GOV.

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The post President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. Approves Oklahoma Disaster Declaration appeared first on The White House.