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FS24 WH PSAKI PRESS BRIEF CUTS POOL 4 1215 CBS POOL White House briefing with Press Secretary Jen Psaki, Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry, and National Climate Advisor Gina McCarthy 123147 PSAKI>> Hi, everyone! I have to give you a fancy introduction [laughter] Good afternoon President Biden is continuing to follow through on his key promise to take swift and bold action that addresses the climate crisis, building on his Day 1 actions of rejoining the Paris Agreement, and strengthening our clean air and water protections and to -- and holding polluters accountable 123218 Today, he will take executive action to tackle the climate crisis at home and abroad while creating good paying, union jobs, building sustainable infrastructure and delivering environmental justice I'm thrilled today, as a part of our effort to bring policy experts into the briefing room, we're joined by two very special guests who are going to take you -- talk to you all about today's executive orders and take a few questions as well And I will always -- as always play the role of bad cop when they have to go 123248 National climate adviser Gina McCarthy and special presidential envoy for climate and my former boss, former secretary of state John Kerry And a big day for Boston in the briefing room, so [laughter] With that, go ahead GINA MCCARTHY 123300 MCCARTHY>> Thank you It's a big day for Boston every day Thank you, everybody Today, president Biden will build on the actions he took on day one, and he'll take more steps to fulfill commitments he made to tackle the climate crisis while creating good paying, union jobs and achieving environmental justice 123324 In his campaign, he and vice president Harris put forward the most ambitious climate vision that any presidential ticket had ever embraced And he spent more time campaigning on climate than we have ever seen The president also has consistently identified the climate crisis as one of four interrelated existential crises that are gripping our nation all at once And he's demanding answers that can address all four And he's not waiting to take action, getting us started on his first day in office because science is telling us that we don't have a moment to lose to fight against all four of these crises in a way that recognizes their intersectionality 123412 He's always committed the US to renter -- I'm sorry, he's already committed the US to re-enter the Paris climate agreement And he committed us, as well, to start undoing the assault on our environment that has occurred over the past four years And he is now taking additional action to really target the challenge of climate change So, today, for me is a very good day Just one week into his administration, president Biden is continuing to move us forward, at the breadth and the pace that climate science demands 123449 Today's executive order starts by saying, it is the policy of this administration that climate considerations shall be an essential element of US foreign policy and national security That's where the big guy comes in It gives my colleague John Kerry, the first ever international climate envoy, the authority to really drive forward a process that will restore American leadership on climate throughout the world, and you will see and hear more about that from Secretary Kerry 123523 But here at home, we have to do our part or we will not be able to make the kind of worldwide change that climate change demands So this executive order establishes a White House Office of Domestic Climate Policy, and it directs everyone who works for the President to use every tool available at our disposal to solve the climate crisis 123548 Because we're going to take a whole of government approach We're going to power our economy with clean energy We're going to do that in a way that will produce millions of American jobs that are going to be good paying, that are going to be jobs that have the opportunity for workers to join a union because, as President Biden has often told us, when he thinks of climate change, his first thought is about jobs 123618 And it should be Because people in this country need a job, and this is about making that happen in the most creative and significant way that the federal government can move forward And we're going to make sure that nobody is left behind And I'm not just talking about communities in terms of environmental justice, but workers as well 123639 This order takes historic strides to address environmental injustice It creates both a White House Interagency Task Force to address environmental justice, as well as an Advisory Council It directs the Department of Health and Human Services to create an office of Climate Change and Health Equity because, after all, climate change is the most significant public health challenge of our time 123706 And it tasks the department of justice with establishing an office of Climate Justice Because we know that communities who are being hurt, and we know we have to start enforcing the standards today and ensuring that they are part of the solution, and in places that we can invest In fact, it commits 40% of our investment in clean energy towards disadvantaged communities so they can benefit from the new jobs that are available, and see that better future 123737 President Biden's order establishes a working group on coal and power plant communities because we have to make sure that, in this transition, every agency in government is using every tool at their disposal to drive resources to those communities And it fulfills long-standing commitments to leverage our vast resources to contribute to our clean energy future It places a pause and review on new oil and gas leases on federal public lands and waters, consistent with the promise president Biden has repeatedly made and has been very clear in the face of efforts to distort his promise 123822 And it sets a goal of doubling offshore wind production by 2030 In addition, he plans to sign a presidential memorandum that aims to restore scientific integrity across the federal government and earn back the public's trust, making a commitment to base solutions on the best available science and data So, today is a very big day for science and for our efforts to power our economy with good paying union jobs Thank you very much JOHN KERRY 123903 KERRY>>> Good afternoon, everybody It's great to be here Let me say, first of all, what a pleasure it is to be here with Gina I'm a big fan of Gina's Gina and I worked very, very closely together during the campaign, when we sat down to -- to bring the Bernie Sanders folks together around the Biden climate plan 123927 And she is the perfect person to be tackling the domestic side of this equation, which is complicated And nobody knows the details better than she does, and nobody is going to be more effective at corralling everybody to move in the same direction It's also an enormous pleasure for me to be here with Jen Psaki 123950 She mentioned that -- nobody was her boss, but I had the privilege of working with her And she, seven years ago, we gathered in the State Department briefing room -- she's traded up, obviously But she has not given away any of her fundamental principles in commitment to telling you all the truth, telling the American people the truth and doing so with great candor and transparency 124020 And I'm very happy to be here with her The stakes -- the stakes on climate change just simply couldn't be any higher than they are right now It is existential We use that word too easily and we throw it away, but we have a big agenda in front of us on a global basis 124041 And President Biden is deeply committed, totally seized by this issue as you can tell by this executive order and, and by the other -- the initiative of getting back into Paris immediately That's why he rejoined the Paris agreement so quickly because he knows it is urgent He also knows that Paris alone is not enough, not when almost 90% of all of the planet's emissions, global emissions, come from outside of US borders 124110 We could go to zero tomorrow, and the problem isn't solved So that's why today, one week into the job, President Biden will sign this additional executive set of orders to help move us down the road, ensuring that ambitious climate action is global in scope and scale, as well as national -- here at home 124136 Today, in the order that he will sign that Gina has described to you, he makes climate central to foreign policy planning, to diplomacy, and to national security preparedness It creates new platforms to coordinate climate action across the federal agencies and departments, sorely needed And most importantly, it commissions a National Intelligence estimate on the security implications of climate change to give all of us an even deeper understanding of the challenge 124211 This is the first time a President has ever done that And our 17 intelligence agencies are going to come together and assess exactly what the danger and damage and potential risks are The order directs the State department to prepare a transmittal package, seeking Senate advice and consent, on the Kigali Amendment on the Montreal protocol, an amendment that by itself, if ratified and fully enforced globally, could hold the Earth's temperature by 5 of an entire degree, not insignificant 124247 And it sets forth a process for us to develop a new ambitious Paris target, as well as a US Climate Finance plan, both of which are essential to our being able to bring countries of the world together, to raise ambition, and meet this moment when we go to Glasgow for the follow-on agreement to Paris 124309 So that's the only way for the world to succeed together, my friends It's -- again, this is an issue where failure literally is not an option 124318 As he committed to doing on the campaign trail, the President is announcing that he will host a leaders' summit on climate change less than three months from now on April 22nd, Earth Day, which will include a leader-level reconvening of the major economies forum We'll have specifics to lay out over time, but the convening of this -- of this summit, is essential to ensuring that the -- that 2021 is going to be the year that really makes up for the lost time of the last four years 124355 And that the UN Climate conference COP26, as it's called, which the UK is hosting in November to make sure that it's an unqualified success The road to Glasgow will be marked not just by promises, but by progress at a pace that we can all be proud of And Gina is going to be putting her efforts into making concern that that is true The world will measure us by what we can do here at home So with these executive actions today, we believe we're steps further down that journey Thank you Q&A 124433 PSAKI>> All right Let's start with Nancy Q>> Thank you so much Secretary Kerry, a question for you and then for administrator McCarthy You talked about the fact that it won't really matter what we do very much if the rest of the world doesn't do the same thing But the US Has had a fairly rocky relationship with China recently How do you plan to try to bring both China and India to the table on this issue? 124457 KERRY>> Wel, before I -- before I answer that, let me just say that the issue of making a difference -- ie, what we do at home -- what I'm saying is: you can't solve the problem alone, but our doing things makes an enormous difference What Gina succeeds in pulling together is essential to our ability to have credibility in the world Now -- 124524 With respect to China, obviously, we have serious differences with China on some very, very important issues And I am as mindful of that as anybody, having served as Secretary of State and in the Senate The issues of theft of intellectual property and access to market, South China Sea -- I mean, you run the list We all know them 124528 Those issues will never be treated for anything that has to do with climate That's not going to happen, but climate is a critical stand alone issue that we have to deal on, in the sense that China is 30% of the emissions in the world We're about 15% of the emissions in the world 124609 You add the EU to that, and you've got three entities that are more than -- than 55% or so So it's urgent that we find a way to compartmentalize, to move forward, and we'll wait and see But President Biden is very, very clear about the need to address the other issues with China And I know some people have been concerned Nothing is going to be siphoned off into one area from another 124638 Q>> And then, a question for either of you on coal Your executive order talks about oil and gas on federal lands, but it doesn't really say much about coal What is this administration's policy when it comes to coal? 124650 MCCARTHY>> Well, in terms of the oil and gas decision, it was -- is to make sure that we take a little pause, and review the entire strategy of how we're looking at public lands So it will include looking at what new leases ought to be approved and sold It's looking at our ability, also, to look at coal in that mix So the program review is going to look at how we manage public lands, consistent with climate 124715 But also consistent with the marriage between climate and, really, growing jobs of the future So, it will be in the mix to be looked at, but it is -- it is not at this point included It was not part of the commitments on the campaign, but we're going to take a close look at all of it And can I just add on your comment about China, which I'm not going to speak to the international dynamic, but I am going to say that: part of the challenge that we face here is a challenge that president Biden has already started to address with his Buy America pledge 124748 We have to start not just shifting to clean energy, but it has to be manufactured in the United States of America You know, not in other countries, and there is going to be a large discussion about how we make sure that a lot of the investment is -- is about building up our manufacturing base again That's great jobs That's often, hopefully, union jobs But it is also a wonderful opportunity for us to recoup the benefits of that manufacturing, and lower the cost of clean energy 124820 Part of the way we're going to get there is by making sure the federal government buys American, and that the federal government looks at its procurement across every agency, so that the breadth of what we spend is spent designed to advance job growth in the United States, to advance health benefits for environmental justice communities, and to begin to tackle the very challenged -- the existential challenge of climate change PSAKI>> Jeff Mason 124849 Q>> Thank you Jeff Mason with Reuters Question for both of you Can you give us a sense of when you expect to have the so-called NDC or the US Target for cutting greenhouse gas emissions as part of the Paris accord? And can you also give us a sense of how ambitious you plan to make that number? Will it be 40%, 50%, higher than that? 124914 MCCARTHY>> Well -- KERRY>> We're united in this, so MCCARTHY>> Yeah, I'm -- I'm the dude who's supposed to deliver this in a timely way, and he sets the timing So that basically -- 124923 We want to make sure that the NDC is something that can be announced before the summit on Earth Day And so we're going to be, out of the gate, working with the agencies to see what kind of reductions and mitigation opportunities there are 124938 And also, again, to look at our public lands to make sure that we can continue to store carbon in our soil, to work with agriculture and others, to look at how we better manage our forests so we're not seeing the devastating forest fires that we've been having before So all across the federal government, every agency, and you'll see many of them specifically tasked in this executive order, will participate in the task force that we're going to have to actually develop the most aggressive NDC that we can to deliver the kind of boost that Secretary Kerry is looking for, to be able to ensure that our international efforts are robust and -- and sufficient to address the challenge internationally 125025 Q>> Just follow-up for that, for Secretary Kerry, how do you assert to our international partners that the US will stick to whatever you propose after having seen the Trump administration take the US out of the Paris accord? KERRY>> Well, that's precisely why we're going to stick by it And I think our word is strong 125045 I've been on the phone for the last few days, talking to our allies in Europe, elsewhere around the world, and they are welcoming us back They know that this administration already had a significant part of what has brought us to -- will bring us to Glasgow, which was the Paris Agreement The Obama-Biden administration had great credibility on this issue, and having President Biden be the person now who is driving this forward is enormously meaningful to -- to the folks there 125117 And they also know that I was deeply involved in the negotiations in Paris And am now asked by the President, by President Biden, to make certain that we do the same at Glasgow, if not more So, I have had no one question our credibility at this point in time Someone probably will And the answer will be that I think we can achieve things in the course of the next four years that will move the marketplace, the private sector, global finance, innovation and research, that, in fact, no -- no one, no political person in the future will be able to undo what the planet is going to be organizing over the next months and years 125203 This is the start of something new I don't know if you read Larry Fink's letter of BlackRock the other day, yesterday But there's a new awareness among major asset managers, commercial banks and others about the need to be putting resources into this endeavor, because it is -- it is major in investment demand So, I think the proof will be in what we do Neither Gina nor I are going to start, you know, throwing around a lot of big promises 125237 But you heard what she just said, and we will work very closely Because we're going to try to bring to the table to help inform her and the folks she's working with what we're picking up abroad, and what people are doing abroad and the steps they're taking and how we now have to measure ourselves against them, and they will measure themselves against us We are well aware of that 125257 MCCARTHY>> Can I just add something? I just want to call attention to the fact that cities and states have really picked up the initiative to move forward on clean energy because the solutions are cheap The solutions compete effectively against fossil fuels 125316 We are talking about solutions that we're not asking anybody to sacrifice but are to their advantage, and if you look at the record over the past four years, while the prior administration might have wanted energy -- clean energy to head in a different direction, it's gone faster and farther than anyone ever expected 125335 And the idea that we could, with this new work that we're doing together, send signals to the marketplace through our purchasing at the federal level and our re-looking at different ways of having on-the-ground change, we can build that demand We actually grow significantly millions of clean energy jobs And all of a sudden, the question won't be whether the private sector is going to buy into it The private sector is going to drive it 125405 And so, this is going to be a signal setter, the way the federal government ought to set, on what our values are, what we think the future needs to be and that's -- it's -- this is a value-lading -- laden effort that President Biden has undertaken with full knowledge that it's going to benefit jobs, it's going to benefit our health, and is going to lead to that future we want to hand to our children PSAKI>> Let's do these two in the front Then, they will come back I promise So go ahead 125434 VEGA Q>> Thank you Mr Secretary, if you would, there certainly are oil and gas industry workers who are watching you both right now who will hear the message, that's -- the takeaway to them is that they're seeing an end to their livelihoods What do you say to them, particularly those people who President Trump struck a chord with on the campaign trail when he promised to save their jobs? What is your message to them right now? And also, to the oil industry executives who are listening, are you putting them on notice today? 125507 KERRY>> Well, we didn't come here to put anybody on notice except to the seriousness of President Biden's intent to do what needs to be done to deal with this crisis, and it is a crisis With respect to those workers, no -- no two people are more, in this room, more concerned about it 125528 And the President of the United States has expressed in every comment he's made about climate the need to grow the new jobs that pay better, that are cleaner, that -- I mean, you know, you look at the consequences of black lung for a miner, for instance, and measure that against the fastest growing job in the United States before Covid was solar-powered technician 125551 The same people can do those jobs, but the choice of doing the solar-power one now is a better choice And similarly, you have the second fastest growing job pre-Covid was wind turbine technician This is happening 75%, 70% of all the electricity that's come online in the United States in the last few years came from renewables, not -- you know, coal plants have been closing over the last 20 years 125620 So what President Biden wants to do is make sure those folks have better choices, that they have alternatives, that they can be the people who go to work to make the solar panels That we're (?) making them here at home, that is going to be a particular focus of the Build Back Better agenda And I think that, unfortunately, workers have been fed a false narrative -- no surprise, right? -- for the last few years 125650 They've been fed the notion that, somehow, dealing with climate is coming at their expense No, it's not What's happening to them is happening because other market forces are already taking place 125703 And what the -- what the fiananceres, the big banks, the asset managers, private investors, ventures capital are all discovering is there's a lot of money to be made in the creation of these news jobs in these sectors So whether it's green hydrogen that is going to come, whether it's geothermal heat, or whether it -- whatever it's going to be, those are jobs The same worker who works in South Carolina today, putting together a BMW which happens to be made there, and -- and is currently an internal combustion can put together a car, but it's electric 125743 So this is not a choice between having jobs, having good jobs, having the quality of life Quality of life will be better when Gina has put her team together that produces choices for us that are healthier -- less cancer, cleaner air The greatest -- the greatest cost to America, the greatest cause of children being hospitalized every summer in the United states, we spend $55 million a year on it, is environmental induced asthma 125813 That will change as we begin to rein in what we used to call pollution in this country, because it is pollution And I think that workers are going to see that, with the efforts of the Biden administration, they're going to have a much better set of choices and, frankly, it will create more jobs than stuck where we were 125833 MCCARTHY>> Can I just add, by pointing out a couple of things in the executive order that I want you to just call to your attention? We talked about the civilian conservation corp That is an opportunity to put younger people into work in vitally important efforts But if you look at this, it also has set up a task force that is looking at these coal communities, communities that are really reliant on their local energy and utility, and it talks about how do we revitalize those economies? 125907 And it talks about how we can put people to work using the skills they currently have where they are to start looking at those old abandoned oil and gas wells that are spewing out methane, or all of the coal that is -- mines that haven't been properly closed that are doing the same That has great impact on climate, but also will keep an opportunity for those -- for those individual workers to have work in their own communities We're not going to ask people to go from the middle of Ohio, or Pennsylvania and ship out to the coast to have solar jobs You know, solar jobs will be everywhere But -- 125950 We need to put people to work in their own communities That's where their home is That's where their vision is So we're creatively looking at those opportunities for investment, so that we can get people understanding that we are not trying to take away jobs Remember, when -- when we say climate change, eventually, people are going to think jobs just like President Biden when he hears the words climate change 130016 And so, we'll do everything we can to recognize that revitalization is necessary in these communities to find creative ways to put them to work And then, we're going to do, as secretary Kerry says, and start investing in new technologies and new manufacturing And that includes the large manufacturing like cement and steel That's work that we should be doing here That's work that inevitably is going to be necessary to rebuild our infrastructure which is also one of the biggest opportunities we have for job growth moving forward 130052 Q>> Two quick questions? PSAKI>> Peter Q>> Sure Administrator, one to you and one to the secretary, if I may What you may hear from some corners of the criticism is why are we doing this now when we're already in an economic crisis? You look at the state of New Mexico where one-third of the state's budget is funded by oil and gas So, why not let the country get back on its feet before we do this? 130115 MCCARTHY>> Well, the issue in New Mexico is that somebody reported a bit incorrectly -- well, maybe not as precisely enough -- that this wasn't about impacting existing permits and fracking This was about new leases on federal lands So I think that the opportunity for the states to continue to accrue the royalties from -- from, from both coal and oil and natural gas that is properly done on federal lands is going to continue And there's even an opportunity in the review of that program to look at the royalty issues, look at the job growth opportunities, look at a variety of things to make sure that public lands are being properly managed 130158 Now, in terms of the job issue, we're explicitly doing this because our economy is right now stagnant We have people -- millions of people out of work, out of jobs, millions of people that are afraid they can't feed their families If you're faced with that, what do you do? You boost the economy and you grow jobs 130219 But why, at the same time, aren't we thinking about the weaknesses of our current economy in terms of the number of environmental injustice communities that have been left behind? 130230 The number of people breathing dirty air and their kids are getting asthma So instead, let's think about it all of it at the same time I know it's a crazy idea in a bureaucracy You're only supposed to do one thing, but we're going to do and think about all of it Because people need to have jobs This is all about building the jobs of the future we want, not continuing needle (?) at an economy that is no longer going to be where our future lies 130259 Q>> Mr Secretary, to you, right now, over the course of this first week, there are a lot of big priorities here There's Covid, the economy, immigration, racial justice, aow climate change As a veteran of Congress, of the Senate, what is the priority? And how quickly do you need legislation to make this permanent? 130317 KERRY>> Well, the -- Peter, the priority is precisely what the president has set out All of them, all six of the major crises that he faces And he's addressing every single one of them, and he knows that the United States, all of us, have the ability to be able to do that And the reason that has to be done is every single one of them are life and death Every single one of them represent a challenge to the very fiber of our society 130347 And the other reason, obviously, everything -- I agree with everything Gina said But I'd simply add that the other reason for doing it now is the science tells us we have to And that's one of the things the president is restoring today, in the executive order, is respect for science and the science office So, I mean -- Q>> 2 trillion price tag $2 trillion for Covid $2 trillion for this It's a lot of money to a lot of Americans 130414 KERRY>> It is real money And yes, it's a lot of money But you know what? It costs a lot more if you don't do the things we need to do It costs a lot more There are countless economic analyses now that show that it is now cheaper to deal with the crisis of climate than it is to ignore it We spent $265 billion, two years ago on three -- three storms, Irma, Harvey and Maria Maria destroyed Puerto Rico Harvey dropped more water on Houston in five days than goes over Niagara Falls in a year 130448 And Irma had the first recorded winds of 185 miles an hour for 24 sustained hours That -- last year, we had one storm, $55 billion So we're spending the money, folks We're just not doing it smart We're not doing it in the way that would actually sustain us for the long term So this is critical We're -- the goal of the Paris Agreement was to hold the Earth's temperature increase to 2 degrees centigrade Even if you did everything that was in Paris, we're going up 37 or 4 That's catastrophic 130524 What president Biden is trying to do is listen to science, listen to facts, and make tough decisions about what we need to do to take the world to a better place And particularly, our own country And that is what he is committed to doing So, yes, there are a lot of challenges right now which, sadly, all of them were exacerbated by the last four years Now, we have to try to make up for that And that is a hard pull, but this president is capable of doing it And he's putting together a great team that I think can help him that Q>> Thank you, sir PSAKI>> Thank you MCCARTHY>> Thank you JEN PSAKI 130601 PSAKI>> Thank you, Gina McCarthy Thank you Secretary Kerry for joining us You're free to go-- MCCARTHY>> Thank you PSAKI>> -- to go see the President So you can all see, they're both experienced and passionate and tenacious, having worked with -- with both of them in the past So, the crisis is in good hands I know we have a short period of time here But I just wanted to provide an update on a question that you all have been asking a bit about which is what some of the outreach our teams are doing, as it relates to the covid package 130632 That is a top priority for President Biden As we have talked about almost everyday in here, probably every day, our team continues to build support for the American Rescue Plan as more and more across the country recognize the urgent need to get American families the help they need We've obviously seen a broad coalition of support emerge from the chamber of commerce to Senator Sanders and organized labor to hundreds of mayors and local public health officials 130702 The President and Vice President are engaged directly with members, and have had a number productive conversations That will continue during the course of the week and will only pick up in the days ahead Senior White House officials are also engaging with not just Congressional leaders, but also state and local officials, key constituency groups and others, to gather feedback on the proposal and move the package forward So let me give you a couple of examples from just yesterday 130728 Chief of Staff Ron Klain engaged with members directly throughout the day, as did Senior Adviser Anita Dunn which they will both continue to do moving forward Counselor to the President Steve Fraschetti and office of Legislative Affairs Director Louisa Terrell are quarterbacking the teams' broader legislative outreach, and have had dozens of conversations with individual members to understand their priorities and receive their feedback 130751 In addition to ongoing conversations with leadership on both sides of the aisle, already this week, members of the national economic council and domestic policy council and staff from treasury have met with the relevant committees, including Senate Banking committee, senate finance committee, House ways and mean, House financial services, House education and labor, and the bicameral small business committee NEC Director Brian Deese is doing one-on-one briefings with members of the Congress and meetings with caucuses including yesterday's meeting, which I believe has been reported, with the problem-solvers caucus to discuss the proposal 130824 Hill engagement will continue with Jeff Zients and Brian Deese meeting with the new Dem coalition, along with several other briefings that are scheduled Also, our outreach isn't limited to Congress which is vitally important This isn't just about speaking to elected officials This is also about speaking to the country and building support, and educating and engaging with leaders across the country So yesterday, Jeff Zients and his team spoke with bipartisan governors, as you all know They talked about the Covid package by the national governors association -- organized by then 130856 And administration officials briefed tribal leaders and a number of mayors yesterday as well And the office of Public Engagement led by Cedric Richmond briefed civil rights groups yesterday including the NAACP, the National Action Network, Justice Action Network, Urban league coalition of Black Civic Participation, and Black women's roundtable Today, they have meetings with labor leaders, advocates for young people as well as organizations dedicated to building wealth in the Black community 130921 On Friday, OP will also -- the Office of Public Engagement, I should say I hate acronyms -- will convene 100 presidents of historically Black colleges and universities also to discuss this proposal And the only other thing I wanted to mention before we get to your questions is that, as you all know, treasury secretary Janet Yellen was just confirmed 130940 The President will be meeting with his economic team on Friday including secretary Yellen for a briefing on impact of delay, and moving forward with the additional economic relief With that, let's get to your questions Alex, your first day in the white house briefing room And Alex's first days Two Alexes first days Q>> It's good to be here PSAKI>> There's an initiation afterwards that the press corp will conduct PSAKI Q&A Q>> [inaud] PSAKI>> Yes, go ahead Q>> I'll make it quick because you have a pretty hard out in a few minutes PSAKI>> I think you all have a hard out, too but yes-- 131009 Q>> I wanted to ask about one of your favorite topics: impeachment Nearly every Republican senator last night voted to throw out the impeachment trial of president Trump Does president Biden have a reaction to that? Does he trust congress to hold president Trump accountable for the insurrection against the Capitol? And does see censure against former president trump as a viable alternative to convictions, since it looks unlikely at this point? 131034 PSAKI>> Well, the President certainly respects the role that Congress has Senators, of course, the Senate, as they're overseeing the trial moving forward, in determining the pace and the path forward for holding the former president accountable That continues to be his belief In all of his conversations that he's been having with members about the recovery plan, he has -- they have said they expect from him that his focus will be on Covid relief That's how he will use the bully pulpit 131104 That's how he will speak to the American people And they are eager to work with him on that so that's where his focus remains, and what steps they take to hold the former president accountable, he'll leave it to them Q>> Why the resistance on weighing in on the issue? 131117 PSAKI>> We've weighed in many times The president has been asked about the issue We put out a statement when the House put out a vote -- voted on impeachment, I should say But his focus is on doing -- delivering on what the American people elected him to do, which to get relief to the -- to the American people, to get the pandemic under control, to ensure working families can put food on the table And that's where he feels his efforts should be -- should remain Okay Go ahead 131144 VEGA Q>> Thanks, Jen Does the White House have a comment on the social media profile that has emerged of Representative Marjorie Taylor Green And is there a response to whether any disciplinary action should be taken against her, given everything that's come out? 131158 PSAKI>> We don't, and I'm not going to speak further about her, I think, in this briefing room VEGA>> Okay, and -- PSAKI>> Oh, go ahead VEGA>> Okay One more, if you don't mind, it's just kind of a little bit of a house keeping -- PSAKI>> Sure 131207 VEGA Q>> The last administration has suggested that -- on the origins on the Covid-19 virus -- that it may have originated in a lab in China It was never definitive Do you have an update on that, on the origin, where we are in that investigation? 131222 PSAKI>> Well, first, obviously, the -- the misinformation, of course, that has -- we've seen also come out of -- of some sources in China is of great concern to us It's imperative that we get to the bottom of the early days of the pandemic in China And we've been supportive of an international investigation that we feel should be robust and clear 131248 We -- our view is that we must prepare to draw on information collected and analyzed by our intelligence community, which is something that is ongoing, and to work -- and also to continue to work with our allies to evaluate the report's credibility on the investigation, once it's done 131304 In addition, as you all know, secretary of state was just -- Tony Blinken was just sworn in yesterday, and one of his priorities, of course, is ensuring that our staffing on the ground in Beijing, which is something that fell back in the last administration, is returned to what it was prio, which means we want to have science experts, policy experts on the ground, in the roles that they should be serving in to ensure that, you know, we're also there representing, you know, our interests from the United States on the ground in China Go ahead 131334 Q>> Couple quick ones that I still don't think I fully understand I know the executive order was signed, but has this white house invoked the DPA? And how soon will we actually see companies be compelled to produce supplies or vaccines or whatever else impacts Americans? PSAKI>> We -- It was invoked, the day it was signed, within 24 hours of it being signed Q>> I know that jump-started the process So I guess that meant it was invoked? PSAKI>> Yes, and I confirmed that when it was -- the next day, the following day in the briefing room which I realize everybody can't be here every day because of Covid 131402 But it was invoked and it means that our work is ongoing with companies to ensure that we are expediting the manufacturing of materials to ensure that we can get 100 million shots in the arms of Americans And I know there's been some confusion about this, and what exactly it is What does the DPA mean? 131422 There are a few examples that our team has cited including vaccine -- on vaccine supply, low-dead space syringes which means it allows for the ability to get an extra dose into the Pfizer vial which is important to getting more doses out there, help -- additional N-95, the production of additional N-95 masks, isolation gowns, gloves, pipette tips and high absorbancy foam swabs So we're really talking about very specific materials that can be used by vaccinators to get these shots in the arms of Americans 131454 Q>> Thanks for clarifying There was some confusion on the earlier call which is why I repeated here Let me ask one other question Yesterday, you deflected this to the USOC (?) but my question is a little bit different today We're now hearing from the organizers of this year's summer games in Japan The head of Japan's olympic committee is seeking public reassurances from President Biden himself given that the US, of course, Is the largest contingent of athletes, that the games should be able to go on As the world's -- as the world is dealing with this pandemic right now, based on where we are right now with the vaccine, does president Biden believe the games in Japan can safely go on? 131529 PSAKI>> Well, the president -- and I'm not sure if this readout had gone out yet, but he had spoken with the prime minister of Japan earlier this morning And a readout was going out as we were coming out to the briefing I'm not sure if they spoke about the Olympics I'm happy to check with our national security team on that, to follow up with, but I don't have any more assessment of the olympics at this point in time Q>> So it hasn't been discussed whether he has a position on whether it will safely be able to go ahead? 131555 PSAKI>> I don't have anything more than -- I haven't had much on it But I don't have anything more than I've had on other days on it Q>> -- so, we asked So we'll follow up PSAKI>> Understood And they just had a call this morning but I haven't had a chance to talk to him specifically about it Go ahead Q>> Thank you, Jen Q>> Thanks, Jen Two vaccine questions First of all, this came up on the Covid call earlier but how seriously is the White House considering using the defense protection act to compel other pharmaceutical companies to produce the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines to resupply? 131624 PSAKI>> Well, I didn't hear the entirety of the call because we were doing some preparation for the event this afternoon But from listening to our team talk about it, there are obviously manufacturing facilities that have the capacity and ability to get these vaccine doses out And we don't want to get our -- behind the pace, and start from scratch, I should say, in ensuring that they're ready to do that I don't think our concern at this point is whether or not we're going to have the vaccine doses 131653 Obviously, the president announced yesterday the intention to purchase dosed -- additional doses, the -- our confidence in the manufacturers to have those doses available, the concerns we have are, one, contingency planning and all of the different things that can happen because this is a herculean task that has never been done before, but also ensuring we have vaccinators, vaccine sites, et cetera, available So I have not heard from our team of plans to seek other manufacturers at this point in time And I'm happy to follow up with them and see if there's anything additional 131728 Q>> On the 200 million doses, the president said he's ordering them What is the status of that order? Have Pfizer and Moderna agreed to produce 100 million doses each? And how quickly do they say they can do it? PSAKI>> Well, we expect to get the doses by mid-to-late summer The majority of doses by mid-to late-summer, some earlier than that so we are confident that we'll be able to get those from the manufacturers, yes Go ahead, Karen 131757 TRAVERS Q>> Jen, a couple questions on schools Does the administration plan to develop metrics or standards for what a safe reopening of schools will look like? 131804 PSAKI>> We do And -- and our CDC director, and I'm not sure, again, if she was asked about this important question, I know as a fellow mother But we will have specifics that we'll defer to the CDC on, on the safe reopening of schools As you know, the President talked about -- has talked about his commitment and his goal of reopening most K through 8 schools within 100 days There are obviously a number of steps that will need to be taken in order for that to be possible 131834 But he's directed the Department of Education, the Department of Health and Human Services to provide guidance on safe reopening and operating for schools, child care providers and institutions of higher education But as our Covid team has outlined, that's going to require testing materials, support for contact tracing, vaccinations for teachers, and ensuring they're equitably provided But our, the -- our CDC director and team will be looking into putting together some specific guidelines so there can be clarity on that front -- TRAVERS>> And to follow up on that -- PSAKI>> -- which I know a lot of districts are looking for Go ahead 131905 TRAVERS Q>> Those things you mentioned all cost a lot of money, and a big part of the Covid relief package is a lot of money to go to school reopening If Congress doesn't approve the money you want, and schools don't have what they need to pay for things to open safely, would the President support teachers staying at home and support virtual learning continuing through this entire school year? 131923 PSAKI>> Well, I think the President recognizes, as we all do, the value of having children in schools and doing that in a safe way, which is one of the reasons he's set this ambitious goal of reopening most K through 8 schools within 100 days, but one of the reasons that this -- the funding for safe reopening for getting schools the equipment, the testing, the ventilation in some cases that they need is because nobody wants to be having a conversation in May or June about why schools are not reopened 131954 So, this goes back to the argument that our team has been making, and all of these calls and engagements and meetings that I outlined about the importance and vital nature of each component of the package So, we won't get into a hypothetical We are confident that Congress will move forward with a package 132010 Let me just go-- we gotta wrap up soon Okay I'm sorry We'll do more questions tomorrow But we had two such great guests Jen, go ahead Q>> Thank youone on the climate actions today, they leave out treasury's financial stability and oversight council, which the experts say could play an influential role in addressing climate risks Does the administration have plans to take action on climate finance, and should FSOC direct agencies and regulators to address climate change? 132037 PSAKI>> Well, I'm going to use a reference that my friend and colleague Ambassador Susan Rice used yesterday which is there are 1,453 days left in this administration And addressing climate and the crisis of climate is an issue that the President has conveyed to members of his cabinet, members of his senior team is an absolute priority So Secretary Yellen has been in her role for one day, but certainly, I'd send you to them for any more specifics But this is the beginning, not the end of our work on climate Nadia? Oh, go ahead 132108 Q>> Is the white house concerned about the stock market activity we're seeing around Gamestop, now with some other stocks as well including thecompany that was Blockbuster? And have there been any conversations with the FCC on how to proceed? 132127 PSAKI>> Well, I'm also happy to repeat that we have the first female treasury secretary and a team that's surrounding her, and often questions about market we'll send to them But our team is, of course, our economic team including secretary Yellen and others are monitoring the situation It's a good reminder, though, that the stock market isn't the only measure of the health of our econom-- of our economy It doesn't reflect how working and middle class families are doing As you all know, from covering this, we're in the midst of a K-shaped recovery America's are struggling to make ends meet, which is why the President has introduced this urgent package to get immediate relief to families Alright I'm going to go Nadia, and then, we'll be totally done 'cause everybody has to go Okay Go ahead 132205 Q>> [inaud] I have two questions PSAKI>> Sure Q>> One about covid and one about China Regarding Covid, the president promised to increase supplies to states by 10 million doses, yet statistically 47% of Americans are hesitant to take the vaccine, despite that the President and vice president took it publicly What is the administration doing to convince Americans to take it, to reach the herd immunity by say 70% by the fall? 132235 PSAKI>> You're absolutely right, Nadia, that this is one of the biggest challenges we face And for anyone who tuned into the briefing that our health team led this morning, it was one of the first issues that CDC director Dr Walensky raised And one of the things we're doing is prioritizing providing correct information about it -- the vaccine -- and -- so I'll take the opportunity, the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are safe and effective That's one of the things she said today 132301 They were tested in large clinical trials to make sure they meet safety standards About 30% of US participants in those trials were Hispanic, African American, Asian or Native american About half were adults And so, we want to provide clear data as I just did, but also we want to meet people where they are, communicate directly with communities of color, people who have concerns, and use medical and health professionals to do exactly that Okay, you had a China question, and then you really have to go But go ahead 132328 Q>> And second, many welcomed your rejoining of the WHO, yet some want to push for a transparent investigation into the relationship between China and WHO And also yesterday in the hearing in the senate, governor Raimondo declined to black list Huawei technology in the US Is this some kind of caving in to China or is it a nuanced way to deal with China? 132354 PSAKI>> So, I think your -- the second reference I think was to Huawei, right? And then, come -- yes Q>> [inaud] PSAKI>> So let me just convey clearly our position on this Let us be clear: telecommunications equipment made by untrusted vendors including Huawei is a threat to the security of the US and our allies 132413 We'll ensure that the American telecommunications network do not use equipment from untrusted venues, and will work with allies to secure their telecommunications networks And make investments to expand the production of telecommunications equipment by trusted US and allied companies Again, we'll take many more questions tomorrow Thank you all Have a great rest of your day ##