James S. Brady Press Briefing Room
3:02 P.M. EDT
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Good afternoon, everybody.
Q Good afternoon.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I have a few things at the top for everybody.
Okay, so I wanted to provide you an update on our efforts to support the people of Jackson and the state of Mississippi. The President spoke with the mayor of Jackson this morning, and the FEMA Administrator also spoke with the governor. The President last night also immediately approved the governor's emergency declaration request, directing his team to surge assistance to the state.
FEMA has personal — personnel on site in the State Emergency Operations Center and is coordinating with the State Emergency Management Team to identify specific resource requirements.
The Environmental Protection Agency is deploying a subject-matter expert to support the emergency assessment of the Jackson water treatment plants and is working to expedite delivery of experiment [sic] — sorry — equipment needed to repair Jackson's water treatment plant.
We are committed to helping the people of Jackson and the Mississippi — and the state of Mississippi during this urgent time of need.
We are saddened by the tragic loss of life and destruction as a result of the severe flooding in Pakistan. We send our deepest condolences to all the individuals and families impacted. The United States stands with communities in Pakistan as they experience severe flooding and landslides.
Yesterday, USAID announced it is providing an additional $30 million in humanitarian assistance to support the people affected by the severe flooding. With these funds, USAID partners will prioritize urgently needed support for flo- — for food, nutrition, safe water, improved sanitation and hygiene, and shelter assistance.
A USAID disaster management specialist is also in Islamabad to assess the impact of the floods and to determine additional humanitarian assistance that the U.S. government may provide.
The United States has and will continue to be a strong supporter of the people of Pakistan. We are the — we are the single-largest humanitarian donor to Pakistan, having provided over $33 million in humanitarian assistance. We will continue to closely monitor the situation in Pakistan for further needs following this horrific tragedy.
Also, this morning, we announced new public- and private-sector actions to strengthen the teaching profession and support schools as they address teacher shortages.
The new efforts include commitments from leading job platforms — such as — such as ZipRecruiter, Indeed, and Handshake — to make it easier for Americans to find teaching opportunities. They include new initiatives from teacher unions and organizations to expand high-quality pathways into the teaching profession.
Secretary Cardona and Secretary Walsh also sent a letter to state and local leaders outlining a series of actions they can take to support teachers and schools.
And earlier this afternoon, First Lady Jill Biden, Domestic Policy Advisor Susan Rice, Secretary Cardona, and Secretary Walsh met with public- and private-sector leaders here at the White House. They discussed short- and long-term strategies to address the teacher shortage and the actions the President has already taken to address longstanding staffing challenges facing our schools.
This includes the $130 billion the President secured through the American Rescue Plan for school districts across the country to hire, retain, and support teachers.
We are committed to addressing the teacher shortage and giving students, families, and educators the resources they need for a successful and safe schoolyear this year.
And lastly, I want to take a moment to recognize International Overdose Awareness Day. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 107,000 Americans tragically died from a drug overdose in 2021.
Today the Second Gentleman and Dr. Gupta, the Director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, will meet with families from across the country who have lost loved ones to deadly drugs like illicit fentanyl.
For far too many years, the overdose epidemic has been destroying American lives and causing pain and heartbreak for families across the country.
As the President said in the State of the Union, beating the overdose epidemic is a key part of his agenda. The President's strategy expands access to high-impact public health services while reducing the supply of illicit drugs like fentanyl.
As part of that strategy, the Department of Health and Human Services announced today around $80 million in grants to support prevention and treatment for substance use and overdose prevention.
While this funding will help communities across the nation, we need more resources to match the scale of the problem. That's why the President's fiscal year 2023 budget proposed a significant increase in funding to beat the overdose epidemic and save lives.
With that — hello, Chris.
Q Hello.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Good to see you back in D.C.
Q Yeah. So, last night, the Justice Department released a photo of top-secret documents found at Mar-a-Lago. Has President Biden seen the photo, been briefed on the photo? And does the White House believe that there was national security at risk by having these documents there?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, as I've said many times — and I get how you're asking the question; I hear you, Chris — we're just not going to comment on the investigation — anything — any underlying pieces of the investigation, any content of the investigation.
This is an ongoing, as you all know, investigation that the Department of Justice — an independent investigation that the Department of Justice is doing.
We are not going to politically interfere. We are not going to comment on anything connected to the investigation. And we're just going to keep it there.
Q Sure, but not on the investigation, the legal process, the FBI — but as the President's role as Commander-in-Chief, overseeing national security, you have top-secret documents — some potentially involving human sources there. You know, is that something that the President is keeping tabs on or that's part of his intelligence briefing?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, as far as top-secret materials or classified materials, look, the President has said he believes — he said this very recently — in the importance of properly handling classified materials. But in — in regards to this specific case, again, we're just not going to comment from here.
We want to make sure we're — what we're doing is, like, out of an abundance of caution — right? — to not comment on an ongoing investigation, not to politically interfere.
This is an independent investigation that the Department of Justice is doing. And this is something that the President has talked about during his campaign, making sure that they have that independence — the Department of Justice has that independence as it relates to investigations.
And we're just not going to comment any further.
Q And on tomorrow's speech, does the President plan to talk specifically about Donald Trump in the speech tomorrow? And does he feel, like — you know, when he's talking about the battle over democracy in this country, does he feel like things are moving in the right direction, the wrong direction? What can you tell us of what the President is going to talk about tomorrow?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, I don't want to — I don't want to get ahead of the President's speech. It's not a good thing to do, as you know.
But, you know, the President thinks that there is an extremist threat to our democracy. The President has been clear as he can be on that particular piece. When we talk about our democracy, when we talk about our freedoms, the way that he sees it is the MAGA Republicans are the most energized part of the Republican Party. That extreme — this is an extreme threat to our democracy, to our freedom, to our rights.
They just don't respect the rule of law. You've heard that from the President. And, you know, they are pursuing an agenda that takes away people's rights, so — which is what the President said last week on Thursday. You all heard him. This is what the President said yesterday. And that's what he's going to continue to say.
And here's the thing: The President is not going to shy away to call out what he clearly sees is happening in this country. And, you know, again, MAGA Republicans are this extreme part of their party, and that is just facts. And that's what he's going to continue to lay out.
Q On the speech tomorrow, can you explain a little bit the decision to do this as a primetime event?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: The President takes what he's talking about — again, not to go into — not to go into specifics about the speech — but, as you know, we're calling it the "soul of the nation." He takes that very seriously when we — when it comes to our democracy.
As you might remember, the President laid out his thesis — right? — the foundation for what he calls the "soul of the nation" — fighting for the soul of the nation, the battle of the soul of the nation — in an Atlantic op-ed back in August of 2017. And again, that is the thesis, that is the foundation, when you read that article.
And that's what he talked about during the campaign. That's what he talked about during his inaugural — Inauguration Day. And not only are we fighting for the soul of the nation, but we need to continue to be vigilant.
And, you know, there's a clear through line if you — if you read that article and you look at what — the speeches that he's made. So that article talked about Charlottesville. You think about January 6th. I mentioned the Inauguration. You think about what we're seeing today. You think about the battle that continues.
And so — but what the President believes, which is a reason to have this in primetime, is that there are an overwhelmingly amount of Americans — majority of Americans — who believe that we need to continue — we need to save the core values of our — of our country.
Q And on last night's filing, you have said in the past that the President was not briefed ahead of time on other aspects of the investigation. So just to be clear: Was the President briefed on this latest development yesterday?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: The President has not been briefed on this latest development. He has not been briefed on anything that's connected to this particular criminal investigation, which is — we're not going to comment. Again, it's an independent investigation. At this time, we're just not going to comment on it. We are going to let the Department of Justice continue its — its independent investigation.
Q Karine, the President yesterday weighed in pretty forcefully about threats to the FBI and FBI agents. Is he satisfied, is the White House satisfied that FBI agents are getting the protection that they need as a result of these threats?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, you know, just like the President, just want to say this — and the President spoke to this very forcefully, very clearly yesterday, as you all heard him: He's rejected defunding the police. He rejects defunding other law enforcement, including the FBI. The President has called for boosting police funding through the COPS program and hiring 100,000 additional officers. He also included over $10.8 billion for the FBI in the most recent budget.
And so, the — the way that he believes this and we have said is that the men and women who bravely serve in law enforcement to keep us safe, to keep our community safe, to keep our country safe deserve the resources and support they need to do their jobs, and not seeing their budget slashed.
So, he has provided additional funding, and he wants to make sure that they are kept safe. I cannot speak to what — you know, specifically what they're seeing and how — you know, what they're seeing at the FBI. I would refer you to them specifically on what potential — you know, what's coming in as — as far as their protection. But clearly, this is something that's important for the President, which is why he's included it in his budget.
Q Okay. On a separate topic, what — what additional assistance is the White House planning for Ukraine? And will you need congressional approval for funding that additional package?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, as you know, $40 billion was approved by Congress, in a bipartisan way, of as- — of assistance not too long ago. We announced — well, under this President's leadership, we've provided unprecedented amount — about $13.5 billion — in security assistance.
And — and the assistance that most recently was announced — last week, I believe — will begin in the next several months and continue over the coming years. It's intended to support Ukraine's defense capabilities for the long term.
So you've already seen our commitment to Ukraine for the long term, as it's related to what we announced last week, which is about $3 billion, which was the largest once — once — at-once tranche that we've announced.
And, you know, we're going to continue to meet both the urgent and the long-term needs. And that's what you saw from the — the most recent — the most recent announcement.
Look, just that announcement and the announcement prior to that, it's about 19 presidential draw — drawdown of security assistant [assistance]. That was the one before the $3 billion. That was the one before the $3 billion was — the presidential drawdown. That's — that was the 19.
So you have seen consistent support for Ukraine. We have always said we have been incredibly impressed by their bravery and what they've been able to do to fight for their freedom, to fight for their democracy, and that's important for folks to know.
This has been a bipartisan effort, and all because of an unprovoked, brutal war that was started by the Kremlin. So, we're going to conti- — you're going to continue to see those efforts. And we are in daily conversation with the Ukrainian government on what else their needs might be.
Q And lastly, will the U.S. send a representative to Mikhail Gorbachev's funeral or do anything else to commemorate his death?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So I don't — I don't have anything to preview or to announce at this time on that piece.
Go ahead.
Q Just back to yesterday's speech from the President. He obviously was critical of some senior lawmakers, he said, for saying things to the effect of "If such and such happens, there will be blood in the street." He was obviously also very clear that any threats, attacks on the FBI law enforcement agents — that those were not acceptable.
Given all of that, I'm just wondering whether the President would be open to having direct conversations with some senior lawmakers, some of whom he has known for many years, to tell them to cut it out.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So I don't have any calls to preview
or any conversation on this specific subject. As you know, we try to keep our conversations with lawmakers private, and so nothing there to preview or to add.
Look, you know, we have been — long been clear that when the Department of Justice independence — sorry that the Department of Justice and the FBI — you know, as I just said, like, we need to — we need to not attack our brave men and women who protect our country and who protect our communities. And you just heard me lay down what funding this President has put forward and has announced and — to do just that.
So, you know, the President was just reemphasizing that violence or threats of violence has absolutely no place — no place in our society, which we should all agree on, regardless of the point of view. It doesn't matter which side of the aisle that you're sitting on, we need to denounce that.
And so, when you are inciting violence or when you are making comments the way that we've heard over the weekend for some — from some leadership and some members — members in elected office, that's a dangerous thing. And the President is not going to shy away from calling out — calling out those types of comments.
Q I guess, just without previewing specific conversations that may have happened or could happen in the future, you know, if he believes this kind of rhetoric is potentially harmful or dangerous to law enforcement, you know, does he feel that he has a responsibility to do everything he can — actually, I think he made that very clear yesterday — by, for example, again, reaching out to some of these members directly and having that conversation with them?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Look, MJ, I hear your question, but all you have to do is turn on the TV and hear from the President directly on how he feels about what he's hearing. And he's been very clear about that.
And again, he's not going to shy away. He believes — and I have said this a couple of times at this podium at this point — is, as President, he has the obligation to speak out against threats against our democracy, against violence. It is — he believes, as President, you have the — you have the strongest platform, if you will, the strongest voice, and that's what he's going to continue to do.
Again, he's not going to step away from it. He's not going to shy away from that. I think any of those legislators or any of those elected officials, all they have to do — I'm sure they have seen the clip over and over again from your network and others about what the President has said yesterday and how forceful he was, how passionate he was. And that's just — that is going to continue.
Q And just one more quickly on tomorrow —
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: One last one. Go ahead. (Laughs.) Yeah.
Q Just given that, you know, you all have billed it as being related to the battle for the soul of America, which is something that he obviously ran on back in 2020 — the threats to democracy that he obviously saw as being very real two, three years ago, does he believe that those forces are very much still at large now? Or does he believe that there has been some progress since he came into office?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Look, he believes that it continues. He believes that we need to continue to fight for our democracy. And he's been very clear. You look at the extreme wing of a party — the MAGA Republicans — it's not stopping. It is continuing. And we heard it over the weekend, as you're asking me about the President talking directly with legislators.
And this is — this is an important time. And he is — again, he's not going to shy away from it. He's going to continue to lift that up and what he sees and what he's going to call out. And, you know, he believes that there are a majority of Americans who disagree with that, who disagree on the attack of our core values as a country, and he's going to speak directly to them tomorrow. That's what you're going to hear.
Okay. Go ahead, Nancy. And then I'm going to come to the back and then I'll come —
Q Thanks, Karine. Over the past week or so, we've heard many Republicans argue that this President ran as a uniter and now he's calling MAGA Republicans, which is a very large swath of the American populace, semi-fascists. He is arguing that they're a threat to democracy. Does the White House believe that this is a fair criticism by Republicans that this is not unifying language?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, I'll say this, Nancy: Sadly, there are more examples than I can count on how we have seen recently armed attacks on federal law enforcement.
There are a couple of things I just want to say here.
You have Representative Paul Gosar has posted videos depicting him attacking the President and members of Congress.
You have Representative Majority [sic] Tay- — Marjorie Taylor Greene has publicly expressed support for shooting prominent Democratic elected officials and suggesting physically assaulting transgender school officials.
You have Representative Madison Cawthorn has said, falsely, "If our election systems continue to be rigged and continue to be stolen, then it's going to lead to one place, and that's bloodshed."
And just last week, you had Governor Ron DeSantis suggested that Dr. Fauci should be physically assaulted. And former President Trump has done the same many, many times.
Look, and many of your colleagues have actually talked about and reported on this dangerous trend that we're seeing. And — for example, the New York Times headline from this month — "As Right-Wing Rhetoric Escalates, So Do Threats and Violence."
And so, these are things that we have to call out.
Again, I was talking — I can't remember who just asked me the question — I was talking about soul of the nation, something the President has talked about since 2017 when he wrote that article in The Atlantic. And he's called it out then. He called it out January 6th. He called it out Inauguration Day. He called it out last week. He called it out yesterday.
So there has been a consistent callout from the President about what he's seeing from an extreme part of — of this party, of the Republican Party. And historians, I would argue, would say the same.
Q I have a question about Jackson, Mississippi. You talked about the help that's coming from FEMA and the disaster declaration, but, clearly, Jackson is going to need an entirely new water system. They've been having big problems even before this latest crisis. What kinds of federal resources are being dedicated, can be dedicated to what could be a billion-dollar price tag to provide Jackson with an entirely new water system?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, a couple of things. As we've said, the administration is — is committed to helping the people of Mississippi during this urgent — urgent time of need. And so, we're going to prioritize that and making the long — and making the long-term infrastructure investment needed to all to — to ensure all Americans just across — across — have access across the country, but, clearly, in the state have access to clean water. So that is something that we're committed — that long-term — that long-term need.
So, just a couple of things just to list out that we have provided and that we are doing from the federal government:
$450 million was provided through the American Rescue Plan for water upgrades across the state. The city has allocated $20 million of its ARP — that American Rescue Plan funds — for water and sewer infrastructure needs.
You have $75 million through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to support the state to provide clean and safe water this year, with an additional $429 million available to the state over the next five years.
There is $30.9 million through the EPA's revolving loan funds for treatment and distribution system improvements for Jackson, Mississippi, specifically.
For — again, for long-term support, earlier this year, we announced $300,000 as part of the administration's Just- — Justice40 Initiative for the Army Corps to conduct a validation study to reduce flooding from the Pearl River in Ja- — Jackson, Mississippi.
So, we continue to work with Mississippi's congressional delegation to improve the projects moving forward. But as you can see, we're committed and we're going to continue to help the people in Mississippi.
I'm going to go to the back, and then I'll come back up. Go ahead.
Q Thank you, Karine. On Iran, the EU's foreign policy chief said this morning that he expects a deal in the coming days. Is this also your assessment? And is this maybe the reason why the President had a call with Israeli Prime Minister Lapid today?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, let me give you a little bit about Lapid. We'll have — we'll have a readout momentarily on that.
So the President spoke with the —
Q You already sent it. It went out already.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: It was already? Okay, there we go. You guys are ahead of the game. I think I'm thinking about something else. Okay.
The President spoke with Prime Minister Lapid this morning to consult on global and regional security challenges, including threats posed by Iran and Iran-backed proxies.
The President expressed appreciation for the warm reception during his July trip to Israel — a visit that — a visit that illustrated the unbreakable bonds and friendship between our two countries. He also committed to sustained coordination to implement the announced trip deliverables. The President further emphasized the importance of conduct- — concluding the maritime boundary negotiations between Israel and Lebanon in the coming weeks.
As it relates to the EU and — look, we've said many times from here we're just not going to negotiate in public. As you know, last week we conveyed our feedback about Iran's comments on the EU's proposal directly to the EU. And so, we're not going to say more than that, we're not going to negotiate from here, and we're not going to go into details on contents or our response. So, we're going to keep it there.
Q So the International Energy Agency summer report shows that the Russian revenue from oil exports increased 40 percent from last year. It seems that the sanctions are not cutting off revenue to the Russian president.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So this is exactly why — I think you've heard us say this before — President Biden and the G7 leaders have directed relevant members of their team to explore a mechanism to set a global price cap. You heard us talk about that when the President was in Europe — most recently, in Germany. And this would be for Russian oil and — and starving Putin of his main source of cash and forcing down the price of Russian oil to help blunt the impact of Putin's war on the pump.
So, it will be discussed further this week at the G7 Finance Ministers' meeting. This is happening on Friday.
The U.S. has already taken strong action on — action to ban Russia oil, and U.S. allies have announced plans to wind down their own imports of Russian oil.
But again, Putin, as you've heard us say, has continued to try to find new markets for Russian oil. This is the most effective way, we believe, to fit — to hit hard at Putin's revenue. And doing so will result in not only a drop in Putin's oil revenue but also global energy prices as well.
Q But why not signal the policy change for long-term support to oil — open oil production here at the U.S. or natural gas pipelines here in the U.S. to undercut the Russian supply of oil on the global market?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I mean, look, we think that working with our allies in making this announcement, this price cap on Russian oil, is going to be very effective.
Again, you've heard directly — you heard the President speak about this very recently. We'll hear more on Friday how this is going to work. And it is not just us; it is also a partnership with our allies, the G7.
So, again, we believe this is going to be a — a way to really hit Russia financially. And so, that's kind of the process that we're going to take moving forward. And also, as you know, we've taken — we've also taken actions already that we think has had an effect.
But again, as we know, as I just stated, Russia is always looking at other markets, which is why doing this particular piece, we think, will be effective.
Q But those other markets are China and India. Is the President then going to use his relationship to stand up to China and India and say, "Stop buying oil from Russia"?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Look, we've been also very clear about that. I don't have anything more to add.
But, again, we think by doing these price caps is going to hit Russia in a way that is going to be the most effective.
So, again, the G7 finance ministries are meeting on Friday to talk more about that, and we'll have more to share.
Okay. Go ahead, Phil. I haven't called on you in a bit. And then I'll come down.
Q When it comes to voters, how does the President differentiate between the ultra-MAGA folks who he sees as an extremist threat to democracy and the average GOP voter?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, can't talk about voters from here, as you know.
Q (Inaudible) average individuals.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: No — oh, no. I get you. Not going to — I just need to say that, right? Just to — just to be clear.
I mean, the President has been — has been really clear about the leadership — right? — the MAGA Republicans in leadership. They're the ones who have the platform. They're the ones who — again, the extremist part of the Republican Party; they're the ones who, you know, folks listen to in their own party.
And by inciting violence, by trying to take away — they're the ones who are the legislators and trying to take away our rights, trying to take away our freedoms. And that's who the President is speaking to. Right? He's being very targeted in that way and calling that out and saying, you know, "We can't allow our democracy to be attacked in this way."
And they have a responsibility — right? — they have a responsibility in how they're doing their business on behalf of their constituents.
Q So, for folks sitting at home, when the President is talking about preserving the soul of the nation and these threats to democracy, he's not referring to those individuals; he's talking about Republican leadership?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Well, let me be — be very clear: It's not just Republican leadership. It's not just that blanket. Right? He is talking about an extre- — an extreme portion, like extreme part of the party. He's been very, very clear about that.
He was just in Maryland, as you all know, and he talked about Governor Larry Hogan and talked about how he is a conservative Republican who does not — who is not in that bucket. Right? He was very clear, and he was very purposeful in saying that and being respectful to conservative Republicans who are not part of that extreme.
So, again, I want to be very clear here: This is not a blanket statement. This is calling out what we have seen for some time, since 2017, as the President wrote about in his article. Right?
When you are — when you are supporting an authoritarian figure, as we have seen, who is leading — currently leading — the former — the former President, you know, and — and saying the — inciting the violence that you are or wanting to take away our freedoms, you know, it — we need to say something. He's not going to shy away from that.
Q Thank you, Karine.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Okay. Go ahead.
Q Karine, now that the FDA has authorized this new COVID booster, can you say whether the administration is confident you'll have enough of these new boosters for everyone who wants one?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, to answer your question, yes, because we have planned for this. But want to say a couple of things about the FDA.
So, the announcement is an important step to getting updated COVID vaccine boosters, which we expect to provide additional protection against the variants of COVID circulating in the U.S. to the American people while we wait for the CDC to make its clinical recommendation. So, there's still another step, so we want to be very clear about that.
We've been working for months to be prepared for this moment and to get shots into arms this fall and through the end of the year, so we are prepared to do that.
So, with FDA's authorization, doses can be shipped now to tens of thousands of sites nationwide and shots in arms can start as soon as possible after CDC issues its recommendation later this week. All states have ordered doses already. So there has been some orders that have been done.
And to make sure vaccines get to communities quickly, primary care providers at community health centers and rural health clinics across the country are able to order vaccine directly from federal government, and long-term care pharmacy networks can also order a vaccine directly. And as we work to ensure that our highest riks [sic] — risk Americans get protected.
Teams have already started the process of packing and shipping doses across the country. And pending, again, CDC action, we expect shots in arms to begin in earnest starting after Labor Day weekend.
We've been working with providers, clini- — clinicians, local health departments, and other critical groups to vaccinate — for vaccination efforts. And we've been doing all of this preparation despite the lack of funding from Congress. But we have been prepared for this particular moment to make sure that we get shots in arms.
Q So even given that lack of funding, you feel you'll have the supply — you'll be able to get enough doses to get to everybody who wants one?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah. So, again, despite the — the Congress failing to provide us with funding that would have bolstered our campaign, clearly, we're not — you know, that would have happened — we've been preparing by working closely, again, with local — local departments, clinicians, and other groups.
Look, we're still leveraging a comprehensive public education program, as I've just stated.
But look, the bottom line is: Despite a failure for — by Congress to act — as we've been asking, as you know, for the past several months — we've prepared with resources so we can meet the moment with these — with these boosters.
Q And if I could just follow up real quick on the student loan announcement from last week. We've been hearing from some loan servicers and advocacy groups who are concerned that there's not going to be enough time in this four-month period to get everybody's applications processed and their balances adjusted before repayment starts. I guess, could you kind of respond to that concern? And then is there anything the White House could do? Maybe extend the pause if all those balances haven't been adjusted by January 1st?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So just want to — you know, just want to reiterate that this is a priority for the President. This is a priority for the Secretary of Education. You've heard them both say that.
And look, there's also — we've got experience here. They've got experience with this. The Department of Education has already canceled $32 billion in student loan debt for over 1.6 million borrowers, which has never happened before, which is unprecedented. That has happened in the last 19 months.
And so, you know, the administration will be launching a simple application — just to go down through the process — by early October for folks who don't know. If you would like to be notified when the application is open, you can go to the StudentAid.gov to sign up for notifications.
Once a borrower completes the application, they can expect relief within four to six weeks. That's what we are — have determined.
Borrowers are advised to apply before November 15 — so there are — there is a deadline there — in order to receive relief before the payment pause expires on December 31st, as you all know, this year.
The Department of Education will continue to process applications as they rec- — as they are received, even after the pause expires on December 31st.
But again, just to — we are encouraging people to do it before November 15th.
We — and we are going to do everything that we can. The Department of Education is — has been committed to doing this, and there is precedent for them doing that for 1.6 million Americans previously.
Go ahead.
Q Thanks, Karine. On a speech tomorrow, will the President be outlining any new policies or proposals designed to safeguard democracy or protect voting rights?
