James S. Brady Press Briefing Room
1:15 P.M. EST
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: All right. Good afternoon, everyone.
Q Good afternoon.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Okay, I just have one thing at the top. Sorry, I just ran here, so I'm a little out of breath. Okay.
So, today, the President and First Lady will host a screening of "Till," the story of Mamie Till-Mobley, who pursued justice after the lynching of her 14-year-old son, Emmett Till, in 1955.
Invit- — invitees include cast of the film, the family of Emmett Till, students, civil rights leaders, historians, and families of victims of hate-fueled violence.
The Biden administration is working to counter the corrosive effects of hate-fueled violence. In March, President Biden signed H.R.55, the Emmett Till Antilynching Act. In September, the President hosted the United — the United We Stand Summit to rally a whole-of-society response to prevent and recover from hate-fueled violence and to foster national unity.
With that, Zeke, you want to kick us off?
Q Thank you, Karine. I know the President is back from his physical. Are we going to get a readout from his physician at some point?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, as you just mentioned, the President had his — his physical this morning. It was very — very much — the exam was straightforward. And as you all saw, he returned to the White House to get back to work.
In — hopefully, in a couple of hours, later today, we will have a comprehensive written report from his doctor. The same — this is going to be the same transparent way that we did it back in 2021. So, you can expect to hear directly from his doctor via this comprehensive written report.
Q Any flags in the physical?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I don't want to get ahead of — of the doctor. As you saw, he just got back moments ago. They're working to finalize the memo. As soon as we have that for you all, we certainly will share that.
Q And the President is going to give remarks in — in about an hour or so on the unidentified objects that have been shot down, on the Chinese spy surveillance program, on the balloon. There's been that interagency review process underway last week. Is it safe to assume, now that the President is speaking, that that review is now done? And should we expect to hear about these new procedures that you have been previewing the last couple of days?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, let me just first say, I'm not going to get ahead of the President in his remarks, which will happen momentarily.
He will speak about the United States' response to the recent aerial objects. That includes our devi- — decisive response to China's high-altitude surveillance balloon and the President putting the safety and security of the American people always first. So that's what you'll hear from him, but I'm not going to get ahead of the details.
As far — as it relates to the interagency team, they are continuing to work intensively on putting forth parameters to — to what — you know, this is something that the President asked them to do. So, they — that is continuing. That work is continuing.
But you will hear from the President, and he'll give an update on — on what has occurred over the last several days.
Q And briefly: Last night, there were some reports that the — the FBI searched the University of Delaware — the President's papers there from his time in the Senate. Did the President consent to that search?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, I understand the questions. I know there are going to be a few more questions about that. I'm going to say from here, as I have been for the past couple of weeks, we're going to continue to be prudent. I will not give any comments about this ongoing investigation. I would refer you to the Department of Justice.
Go ahead. Hey, welcome.
Q Hi.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I haven't seen you in a long time.
Q It's been a minute.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah.
Q Good to see you. Good to be here.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Good to see you as well.
Q On the searches — regarding the search at the University of Delaware, is there any other office space President Biden kept his records from the time he was Vice President to now?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Again, I'm going to respond the same way I just did with Zeke — is we're just going to continue to be consistent here. And I'm just not going to respond to — or give comment to — to what's occurring right now with that investigation. I'd refer to Department of Justice.
Q Okay. Can you say what prompted the search?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Again, I would refer you to Department of Justice.
Q One on Nikki Haley, who is now running for President. She is calling for mental competency tests for politicians 75 and up, clearly a dig at the current President.
In her first speech, she — since announcing her run, she said, "America is not past our prime, it's just that our politicians are past theirs. We won't win the 21st century if we keep trusting politicians from the 20th century." Does the President have any response to that statement?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, I'll say this — again, I'm going to be very careful, as I am speaking about a candidate. She is currently a can- — as you all know, a candidate for 2024, so I am covered by the Hatch Act. So, I'm not going to speak to her directly and her comments specifically.
But I will say this, more broadly: You know, we've heard these types of attacks or remarks before. And, you know, if you go back to 2020, they said that the President couldn't do it in 2020 and attacked him there, and he beat them.
In 20- — in 2021, when he entered the White House and worked to do his best to turn everything around with the economy tanking, with no COVID — real COVID comprehensive response, the President got to work and was able to pass the American Rescue Plan with the help of Democrats in Congress. And guess what? They turned around the economy. And he beat them there, too.
In 2022, when everyone was talking about a red wave and saying that we were going to get another shellacking, if you will, the President beat them as — at their own game there as well.
And so, I don't know. Maybe they're for- — they've forgotten. Maybe they're forgetting the wins that this President has had over the last couple of years. But I'm happy to remind them anytime.
Go ahead.
Q Thanks, Karine. The Israeli Cabinet has voted to expand the settlements — Israeli settlements into the West Bank. What's the Biden administration's position on that?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, a couple of things on that — on those reporting or what we have seen. We're deeply dismayed by Israelis' announcement that they will advance thousands of new settlements and retroactively legalize nine outposts in the West Bank that were — that were, until now, illegal under Israeli law.
The United States strongly opposes these unilateral measures, which — which exacerbates tensions, harm, trust between the parties, and undermines the geographic viability of the two-state solution.
During this — his recent trip to Israel, Secretary Blinken was clear that all parties should refrain from actions that heighten tensions and take us further away from peace.
Settlement, construction, and expansion in the heart of the West Bank to include the legalization of outposts creates facts on the ground that undermine a two-state solution.
It has been longstanding U.S. policy under both Republican and Democratic administrations that settlements are counterproductive to the cause of peace.
The Biden administration maintains this — this firm opposition to the settlement expansion, and that is where we are with that at this time.
Q Thank you. And one other topic. Has the White House been in touch with Senator Manchin about his comments or his push that there should be talks about the debt ceiling and a reduction in spending?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, I'll say, more broadly, we are — our team here is in regular communication with Senator Manchin. We have — we've had, clearly, a close relationship with him in working on key historic pieces of legislation over the past two years.
Look, the President's stance on negotiation stands — stands — right? — which is he does not believe, as it relates to the debt ceiling, that we should be negotiating. That is not — that is not his belief. His belief: It is a constitutional duty of Congress to deal with the debt ceiling, just like they have done multiple times — three times with the last President.
We should not be — there should not be conditions around this. We should not be negotiating.
And, again, if they want to talk about ways to lower the deficit, like the President has done the last two years — $1.7 trillion. The President has said he — he said yesterday in his — the State of the Union address that his — his fiscal plan, his budget will lower the deficit by another $2 trillion. Clearly, we'll have more to share on March 9th.
He's willing to have that conversation. He's willing to see what Republicans are going to put forward and how they see dealing with — dealing with the budget in a fiscally responsible way.
But as it comes to the debt ceiling, he is going to — we're going to continue to be where we are. He mentioned this yesterday in his speech, which is he doesn't believe that this should be — we should be negotiating.
Go ahead.
Q Thanks, Karine. I know the EPA Administrator was visiting East Palestine today. I was wondering — the Ohio governor was talking about efforts to get federal support. He said that they still have not gotten an indication from FEMA that they can get support at this point. What — what are the hurdles there that you guys see on the administration side?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, the governor, as you mentioned today, asked for additional public health testing and assessments. We're deploying teams from HHS and the CDC now.
As you all know, these needs are much more expansive than what FEMA can meet. And so, FEMA is on the frontlines when there is a hurricane or a tornado, as you know. You've seen the President visit devastated areas across the country.
This situation is very different. And so, that doesn't mean FEMA isn't supporting a response. They indeed are. This is a multiple-agency response that are — folks that are involved, as you — the agencies that are involved, as I just mentioned — HHS, CDC, EPA as well. And they are coordinating with the emergency operations center and working closely with the Ohio Emergency Management Agency.
Each federal agency has its own unique role here, and we've mobilized an interagency team to get the people of Palestine — Palestine — (corrects pronunciation) — pardon me — of East Palestine, to be more exact, the support that they need.
And, look, our priority, as I said two days ago, is the health and safety of the community. That is indeed our top priority for the moment as we look at what they're dealing with in Ohio.
Q And then just one more on a foreign policy topic. China yesterday warned — or threatened, I guess — of countermeasures against U.S. entities in response to the shootdown of their spy balloon. Today, they sanctioned two U.S. defense contractors. Is there any response there? And what does this mean for the bilateral relationship?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, the way that we see that there — there's the sanctions that you just mentioned — is that these are symbol — symbolic and — measures and unnecessary. That's how we view them.
And, look, China can speak to their own actions, but, again, we see them as symbolic and unnecessary.
Go ahead, Michael.
Q Thanks, Karine. Back —
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: The other Michael.
Q I'm sorry?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: There's two Michaels.
Q (Laughs.) Okay.
Q It's okay. Go ahead.
Q On the train derailment in Ohio, Secretary Buttigieg has gotten some criticism — some of it — much of it in Ohio, some of it from Democrats and Republicans, who argue that he waited too long to respond and that he's — has seemed to be fixated on trying to deflect blame to the previous administration.
So, does the President — is he satisfied with the — with the government's response to this derailment? And is he — does he have confidence in —
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yes, absolutely.
Q — continue to have confidence in Secretary Buttigieg?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I can answer that very quickly and very — with quick — with confidence from here that we do have absolute confidence in — in Mayor Pete — in Sec- — I always say that — Secretary Buttigieg.
All right. Go ahead.
Q Thanks, Karine. There's been some reporting about this, but it would be great to hear about it from you. When did the U.S. first begin tracking the balloon? Was when it first took off from Hainan Island?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, that's a good question. I know that the Pentagon has answered — kind of answered that before, actually laid out a timeline of when that all occurred. I don't have that in front of me to share with all of you, so I would point you to the Pentagon.
And so, again, they've had detailed information on the tracking of the balloon and when it was first — when it was first, I guess, seen or visible to them, and also laid out when the President was — was informed. I just don't have that to — it's in great detail. I just don't have that in front of me at this time.
Q And has the intelligence community now concluded that it likely began heading east but veered off course and that's why it ended up traversing the United States?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, look, you know, I want to be really mindful here because I have heard — I've heard this before. I don't — I don't have any specifics to share on that. You're talking about the Hawaii and the Guam piece to this? So, I just want to be super careful there. And I would probably refer you to the Pentagon.
And what we think that they are doing is they are deflecting, they're coming up with excuses, and trying to spin this.
And — and at the end of the day, their — their surveillance balloon was indeed in our airspace. And they said it was — as you all know, they said it was a potential weather balloon, which it was not.
And so, it's been very clear. The whole — all of the American people, the entire world saw what — what China did, and it was irresponsible.
Q Chinese officials were initially not very responsive — for example, when the Secretary of Defense tried to get a hold of them. Are they being more responsive now?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, I'll say this: Our — our approach with China is going to continue to be calm, resolute, and practical. And we have said this before: We're going to continue to keep our airwaves, our communication lines open, and continue to have those conversations, as we have been before the China surveillance balloon and after.
But, look, again, you know, what they did was irresponsible. We — it is up to China to decide how they want to move forward with this relationship.
As you all know, the President and President Xi met at the G20. They said that they would be good actors; they were — they were a country that we could work with.
And let's see. Are they going to build on that and show that they — it's something that they are willing to do? And that is — that's on them.
Q But are they picking up the phone? Are they communicating?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I'm — I'm not going to go into de- — details on diplomatic conversations or a discussion that's currently happening. But I can say that the lines of communication has been open. There has been discussions. The — like I said, days before the balloon arrive- — balloon went on its path and certainly after.
Go ahead.
