ウィスパリング同時通訳研究会コミュのJen Psaki White House Press Conference Transcript July 23

Jen Psaki: (00:00) Hello, happy Friday. (00:04)
Okay. Couple of notes for you at the top. Today, the Biden-Harris administration took additional steps to provide stability and relief to homeowners who are still feeling the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. HUD, USDA, and the VA announced details to help people with government back mortgages stay in their homes through monthly payment reductions and potential loan modifications. Homeowners could see reductions in their monthly payments of roughly 20 to 25%, allowing them to remain in their homes and build long-term equity. We’re working hard to get the word out to the Americans who may benefit from these new programs. And thanks to the work of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and today’s actions, most servicers of mortgages are required to provide borrowers information about these options. Homeowners can visit consumerfinance.gov/housing for up-to-date information and more details.
(00:59)
Also, would note on our delegation in Haiti, the presidential delegation is safe and accounted for in light of the reported shootings outside of the funeral. They’re on their way back to the United States. We are deeply concerned about unrest in Haiti. In this critical moment, Haiti’s leaders must come together to chart a united path that reflects the will of the Haitian people. We remain committed to supporting the people of Haiti in this challenging time. Also, a vaccine sharing update for you. We shipped a record number of doses to a record number of countries this week. 22 million doses went out to 23 countries, including Guatemala, Senegal, Zambia, [inaudible 00:01:40], Gambia, El Salvador, Honduras, the Central African Republic, Cameroon, Lesotho, Panama, Vietnam, Georgia, Pakistan, Tanzania, Mozambique, Benin, Morocco, [inaudible 00:01:53], Columbia, Madagascar, Liberia, [inaudible 00:01:56]. Our teams across the government are working to get more and more doses out every day. But this was a record week for our efforts to provide supply to the global community.
(02:04)
Finally, a week ahead. On Monday, the president will host an event in the Rose Garden to celebrate the 31st anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, which the president proudly co-sponsored as a Senator. While we have much work to do to realize the full aspiration of the ADA, our country has made progress toward its goals of equality of opportunity, full participation, self-sufficiency, and respect for the 61 million Americans with disabilities. Also Monday, the president will welcome the prime minister of Iraq to the White House.
(02:34)
The prime minister’s visit will highlight the strategic partnership between the United States and Iraq and advanced bilateral cooperation under the strategic framework agreement. The visit will also focus on key areas of shared interests, including through education, health, cultural, economic, energy, and climate initiatives. President Biden looks forward to strengthening bilateral cooperation with Iraq on political, economic, and security issues, including joint efforts to ensure the enduring defeat of ISIS. On Wednesday, the president will travel to Pennsylvania in the Lehigh valley area where he will emphasize the importance of American manufacturing, buying products made in America, and supporting good paying jobs for American workers. We’ll have more details for you over the weekend, as things get finalized. Josh, why don’t you kick us off?

Josh: (03:21)Thanks, Jen. Two subject areas. First, a [inaudible 00:03:26] survey found that 45% of the unvaccinated say they will definitely not get vaccinated. Another 35% say they probably won’t get vaccinated. Why does this opposition still exist after all the public outreach and should more governments and employers mandate vaccinations?

Jen Psaki: (03:45)Well, Josh, I think let’s take a step back first. In December before the president took office, the percentage of Americans willing to get a shot was in the 30s. Today over 68% of adult Americans have taken a shot. So what that shows you is that in a relatively short period of time, we’ve been able to influence a whole lot of people to change their mind, take action, get a shot, save their lives, and the lives of people around them. I’d also note that we’ve seen some encouraging data over the last couple of weeks. The five states with the highest case rates, Arkansas, Florida, Louisiana, Missouri, and Nevada had a higher rate of people getting newly vaccinated compared to the national average. That is a good sign.
(04:27)
This is the second week in a row. I noted this last week. And finally, in the past 10 days, more than 5.2 million Americans have gotten a shot. Now there will be institutions, there will be private sector companies and others who make decisions about how to keep their community safe. That’s certainly appropriate, but I would just note that we’re going to continue our efforts to go community by community, case by case to convey the accurate information about the efficacy of vaccines.

Josh: (04:57)Gotcha. Secondly, the Taliban has said that as a condition for peace in Afghanistan, [inaudible 00:05:05] has to be removed as president and a new negotiated government formed. Does the administration believed that that’s in the best interest of the Afghan people and US national security?
Jen Psaki: (05:15)Well, first the president and the administration supports the leadership of the Afghan people, including [inaudible 00:05:23]. The president was scheduled to speak with him today, I believe. And I don’t believe there’s a read up that’s come out about that call quite yet. It may, while we’re speaking here. I would note that there are ongoing political negotiations and discussions that we certainly support between African leaders, members of the Afghan government, and the Taliban. And we believe a political solution is the only outcome to lasting peace in Afghanistan. But we will continue to provide support to the government in the form of humanitarian support, security support, training. And we will also continue to encourage them to take a leading in defending and protecting their own people.

Speaker 1: (06:00)Thanks, Jen. Alabama’s Republican governor says it is time to start blaming the unvaccinated folk for letting us down. What do you think about that take? Should the administration be taking a sharper tone against unvaccinated people for putting vaccinated people at risk?

Jen Psaki: (06:17)Well, I don’t think our role is to place blame, but what we can do is provide accurate information to people who are not yet vaccinated about the risks they are incurring not among on themselves, but also the people around them. And well, if you are a young person, you may think you are Superman or Superwoman and immune from getting the virus. That is not true. That is not accurate. You can get very sick, you can die from the virus. You can also make your grandparents sick and your parents sick. That is factual information. But we’re not here to place blame or threats. We’re here to provide accurate information.

Speaker 1: (06:52)She says that she doesn’t know what else she can do at this point. That she’s hit a brick wall trying to convince people to get vaccinated. Is not a sign that perhaps the federal government should step in and issue mandates? And if not, are you putting the needs of unvaccinated people ahead of the needs of vaccinated people?
Jen Psaki: (07:12)I think the question here, one, that’s not the role of the federal government. That is the role that institutions, private sector entities, and others may take. That certainly is appropriate. Also, local communities are going to take steps they need to take in order to protect people in their communities. I will say we understand her frustration and we understand the frustration of leaders out there and public voices who are trying to say the right thing, advocate for the efficacy of the virus, save people in their communities. What our role is and what we are going to continue to do is make the vaccine available. We’re going to continue to work in partnership to fight misinformation. And we’re going to continue to advocate and work in partnership with local officials and trusted voices to get the word out.

Speaker 1: (07:57)Is there something to be learned from our neighbors to the north Canada. They got a much slower start. They didn’t have nearly as many vaccines as we did early on. And yet, now they’ve shot past us. And 70% of their population is at least partially vaccinated. What’s the difference between the two countries? What can we learn from their experience?
Jen Psaki: (08:13)First, I would say 162 million Americans are now vaccinated. That certainly is a positive step. We’re the first to say, and we have long said, that that’s not enough. We need to ensure more people and more communities are vaccinated. And it is now we’re reached a point where there are some communities, even states where there are 70%, 80% or higher vaccination rates. Other communities where there’s 40%, 50% or otherwise. That’s not just a health issue. It’s a huge health issue. It’s an economic issue. We’ve seen how that can impact local communities as it may lead to shutdowns of different businesses. It’s an economic issue as well. So of course we work in close partnership with our neighbors, but we have 162 million Americans vaccinated. We’re the world’s largest provider of vaccines to the global community. That’s progress in our view, even as we’ve said from the beginning, there’s more work to be done. Go ahead.

Speaker 2: (09:07)Thank you. About the economics of COVID that you just mentioned. Now that daily doses administered of the vaccine are down below 300,000 for the first time, since December, we’ve heard talk about maybe updating the mask guidance. Do you know if there’s been any talk here about updating guidance to start shutting businesses down in places that have very low vaccination rates?
Jen Psaki: (09:30)No, there has not been. No.
Speaker 2: (09:30)Okay. And then on crime generally-
Jen Psaki: (09:34)Can I not the two things just for your public information purposes. One is, well, we don’t look at one week of data as an indication of, as you know, we talked about weekly averages. We did see a larger numbers of unemployment claims in areas where there are lower vaccination rates. It’s not enough data to draw a conclusion, I’m just noting it for all of you.(09:57)
I would also note that on the American Rescue Plan, the way we design that is for the impact and the assistance that we’re providing to communities across the country to be long lasting, not to stop all in July or all in September. It extends far beyond. That is a lesson learned from the past. And so there are different components of that package. That’s providing assistance to businesses, to organizations, to communities that is going to be lasting for months to come.

Speaker 2: (10:23)Okay. And then on crime, the intersection in DC that was shot up last night, only about a mile and a half from here, President Biden had lunch in that neighborhood this summer. What is your message to innocent people who live in cities like this one who might start to get worried about getting caught in the crossfire?
Jen Psaki: (10:40)Well, their message is that the cornerstone of the president’s comprehensive plan to reduce gun violence is providing communities with the tools and resources they need to reduce gun crime, including in Washington DC. And there are a couple of steps specific to Washington, DC. I mean, a lot of us live there or live in the neighboring communities, or know people who are on 14th street or in the neighboring areas. And for people who are not, who are watching or hearing this who are not from those neighborhoods, there’s a lot of restaurants there. A lot of foot traffic. This is a pretty popular part of the city many of us live in. DC is one of the five areas, nationwide, where DOJ launched gun trafficking strike forces just yesterday, which are going to focus law enforcement resources across jurisdictions to keep guns out of the hands of criminals.
(11:25)
DC is also a part of our 16 city community violence intervention collaborative, which is helping cities implement evidence-based strategies, which have been shown to reduce violence by as much as 60%. And Washington DC is also taking advantage of the historic funding that they’ve gotten through the rescue plan to bolster public safety. So Mayor Bowser’s budget proposal would invest $59 million from the rescue plan to reduce violent crime. It would add 100 new slots to the cadet program and add $14 million for youth safety initiatives. So we’re certainly seeing this and feeling this even in our community here. And it is one of the cities that DOJ has focused on.

Speaker 2: (12:02)You just mentioned the White House is working with DC as part of this collaborative, but just in the last week and a half or so, since the mayor of DC was here, a six year old girl was shot and killed, a Nationals game had to be evacuated. And then there’s this incident last night where diners are diving for cover. So at what point would the president maybe reconsider his strategy?
Jen Psaki: (12:24)Well, I would say we’re just implementing our strategy, which is a multi-pronged effort to work in partnership with local leaders, including Mayor Bowser, who has been a great partner to us in this effort to address gun violence that’s rising in cities across the country, including Washington. And the events of the last week are just examples of that. Go ahead.

Speaker 3: (12:42)Thanks, Jen. Secretary Yellen just said, before you came to the podium, that the Treasury Department will need to take extraordinary measures if the debt limit isn’t raised by August, and she indicated those to run out shortly after the lawmakers return, possibly as soon as October. So does the White House… Are you guys setting a deadline before recess? Do you want to see that debt limit raised? And what is the White House doing to urge lawmakers to address the debt limit?
Jen Psaki: (13:08)This is like the Olympics for Bloomberg these days. And Reuters, sorry, and other financial outlets in the room. Let me give you just a little bit of context for those of you who have not seen the letter that just went from Secretary Yellen to the hill. So this is a letter that’s standard practice for treasury secretary’s when a debt limit is going to be reimposed, which there’s a timeline coming up at the end of this month. I’m not saying you’re suggesting this. That is different from defaulting, which has never happened in the history of the United States and would clearly be a catastrophic event. But it is a timeline for the debt limit to be raised or extended.
(13:48)
So during the previous two administrations, the treasury secretary sent nearly 50 letters to the hill on the debt limit. Some of which were very similar in wording and asks and updates to this letter. Raising or suspending the debt limit does not authorize new spending commitments, it simply enables the government to pay for obligations that congresses and presidents of both parties have already approved.(14:10)
And Congress, last piece of history, has raised or suspended the debt limit approximately 80 times which has happened under both Republican and Democratic presidents. I will say just for historical fact, more often under Republican presidents, but it has happened under both and it has been supported in a bipartisan way. So we expect Congress to act promptly to raise or suspend the debt limit and protect the full faith and credit of the United States.(14:34)
Now, I gave you all of that context because it is not out of the ordinary, even though they’re called extraordinary measures for treasury secretaries to present to Capitol Hill steps that they are going to take even as this is being litigated on Capitol Hill. That is what this update was to provide.(14:53)
In that letter she also noted that the period of time that extraordinary measures may last is subject to considerable uncertainty due to a variety of factors, which are exacerbated this year by uncertainty related to the pandemic and calculations about inflows and outflows. So the October timeline that she referenced in there, or the October 1st date I should say, was referenced was because there’s a very large reduction in the cash balance on October 1st, or we’re projecting that, due to outflows on that date to meet our obligations to the Department of Defense. (15:23)
So, she was giving a sense of what the timeline looks like while also conveying that we can give a sense at this point on the length of time for extraordinary measures. We certainly expect Congress to act in a bipartisan manner as they did three times under the prior administration to raise the debt limit.

Speaker 3: (15:39)Given that uncertainty, is the White House communicating to congressional leaders that you’d like to see this debt limit extended before the recess for August?
Jen Psaki: (15:47)I’m not here to set a new deadline. I’m conveying to you the history and conveying to you that we think it’s clear Congress should act in a bipartisan manner to raise the debt limit as they have in the past.
Speaker 3: (15:57)And then just one more on the bipartisan infrastructure framework. Is the White House getting involved in this dispute between Democrats and Republicans over transit funding, and are you recommending any solutions as to how that should be resolved? Are you backing Democrats who say it should remain with the 80/20 highway transit split?
Jen Psaki: (16:14)Transit funding is obviously extremely important to the President, the “Amtrak President” as we may call him. But we believe that members can get this work done and can work through these issues quite quickly. And as you know, the issue is about the balance of funding and how it would be allocated between different forms of infrastructure. But we’re encouraged by their progress, they’re having conversations and we believe they can work through any disagreement. I’m just going to go to the back cause I’m not always good at that. Mike Memoli, do you have a question today?
Mike Memoli: (16:52)Yes, Jen. Thank you. We’ve talked a lot-
Jen Psaki: (16:52)Okay. You didn’t raise your hand, but you usually have a question. I’ll go to the back-back too.
Mike Memoli: (17:01)We’ve talked a lot about, this week, the protocols, etc., in place at the White House to ensure the President’s safety with COVID-19. But we’ve seen, over the last few weeks, the President has been traveling the country quite a bit. He’s been engaging in more uncontrolled environments, he went to an ice cream stop, he was on a rope line for almost an hour in Philly last week, he’s doing a campaign event today.
Jen Psaki: (17:24)Best hour he spent, probably, in a while.

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