English subtitles for clip: File:6-28-16- White House Press Briefing.webm

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Mr. Earnest: Good
afternoon, everybody.

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Nice to see you all.

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I do not have any
announcements to make at the

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top, so we can go straight
to your questions.

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Darlene, do you
want to start?

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The Press: Thank you.

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What response do you have
for the House Benghazi

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Committee's report?

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I'm sure you have something.

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Mr. Earnest: Well,
listen, I don't have much.

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It seems at this point
that, after eight different

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congressional inquiries have
now been conducted into this

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matter, it seems that
there's only one remaining

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question, and it's simply
this: Is the RNC going to

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disclose the in-kind
contribution that they've

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received from House
Republicans today?

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This is a $7-million effort
funded by taxpayers to do

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what the would-be Speaker
of the House says was their

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goal, which is to tear down
Secretary Clinton's

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poll numbers.

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So that was their goal.

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It remains to be seen if
that's what they accomplish.

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The Press: What about the
specific claim that the

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military was slow to respond
to these assaults -- eight

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hours after they had begun,
no military assets had been

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directed towards the --

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Mr. Earnest: Well, this has
been thoroughly debunked by

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previous Republican-led
investigations in the Congress.

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So I'm not going to get into
the back-and-forth because,

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frankly, Republicans
have already done that.

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Republicans in the House
Intelligence Committee have

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concluded that those
charges are not true.

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Questions have been raised
about that assertion by the

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Benghazi Committee's
lead investigator.

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So this is -- there is
plenty of churn just to

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review what Republicans
have concluded about

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this incident.

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And the fact is those
congressional committees

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that have been committed to
trying to understand the

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facts of a tragedy that
led to the death of four

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Americans have concluded
that what happened

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was a tragedy.

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But they've also concluded
that the variety of

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conspiracy theories that
have been flowering on the

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Republican side of the aisle
are politically

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motivated fantasies.

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And it's unfortunate that
the death of four Americans

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would be subject to
that kind of political

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fantasizing, but that is
the state of the Republican

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Party these days.

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The Press: One more.

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On another issue brewing up
on the Hill, Democrats up

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there say that it's time to
take another look at agency

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policies regarding displays
of the Confederate flag at

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federal cemeteries.

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Would President
Obama agree to that?

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And would he direct the
Veterans Administration and

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also the National Park
Service to remove any flags?

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Mr. Earnest: Well, I'm not
aware of how this question

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has been raised
administratively, so we can

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take a look at that.

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I do know that House
Republicans, in a partisan

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attempt to extend displays
of the Confederate flag, did

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include that in the Zika
bill that they passed in the

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dark of night last week.

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I think that underscores
the partisan nature of the

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legislation that
they put forward.

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But I'm not aware of any
executive action that's

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being contemplated
on this question.

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Ayesha.

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The Press: Thank you.

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I wanted to talk about some
more fallout from

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the Brexit vote.

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Scotland is looking at ways
of possibly staying with the

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EU -- stay in the EU or
stay in the market -- also

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possibly looking at
independence from the UK in

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the wake of the vote.

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Is that a concern for the
White House, especially from

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a national security
standpoint?

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Scotland houses the UK
nuclear program, so there

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are issues in that way, too,
if there was to be a split

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within the UK.

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So does the U.S.

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have any position on that?

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Mr. Earnest: Well, there
are a couple of things that

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we've said before that I
think are relevant to the

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question that you raised.

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The first is that the United
States values the critically

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important security
relationship that we have

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with the United Kingdom.

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Obviously the UK is a
critically important partner

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in the NATO alliance.

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That is the bedrock of our
national security

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in this country.

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So we obviously believe
that that relationship is

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critically important and,
frankly, there's no reason

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that that should at all be
affected by the decision

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that British voters
made last week.

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There was a referendum on
Scottish independence a year

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or two ago.

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We made clear at the time
that, again, that was a

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decision for voters
in Scotland to make.

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But the United States' view
has been and continues to be

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that a united UK is in the
best interest of the

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United States.

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It makes them a
stronger partner.

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It makes them more effective
in contributing to the NATO

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alliance that's the bedrock
of our national security.

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The Press: And following up
on that, has the President

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made any more calls to world
leaders in the wake

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of that vote?

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I know he made a call to
Cameron and to Germany's

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Merkel, but has there
been any more calls?

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And also, the President made
the trip to London earlier

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this year in support of the
UK remaining in the EU.

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Does the President -- now
that it hasn't gone that

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way, the markets are kind of
flailing, there's a lot of

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uncertainty now.

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Does the President feel the
need to maybe do more to try

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to calm the markets, do
more to maybe push the U.S.

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-- what the U.S.

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would like to happen, to
stable -- I guess to stable

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the move of the UK from the
EU -- but is there more that

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the President needs
to do to get the U.S.

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message out on this issue?

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Because it is having such a
large impact on the markets

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and on the global economy.

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Mr. Earnest: Well, listen,
I'm not going to talk about

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individual market movements.

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Obviously senior
administration officials had

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been in close touch with
their counterparts in Europe

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and in the UK to discuss the
consequences of the decision

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from the British people.

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So we can get you a rundown
of all of the conversations

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that Secretary Kerry has
had with his counterparts.

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He's even traveled in Europe
and had conversations in

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person to discuss
this matter.

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Other senior officials here
in the White House that also

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work closely with the
President have been in touch

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with their counterparts,
including the President's

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Deputy National Security
Advisor for International

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Economics, Wally Adeyemo,
has been engaged with his

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G20 counterparts to discuss
both this vote but also the

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consequences for increased
volatility that we've seen

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in the global
financial markets.

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So this is something that
the Treasury Department

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continues to
monitor closely.

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Obviously the President is
monitoring it closely as well.

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He's getting regularly
briefed on it.

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I would expect that the
next opportunity that the

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President will have to
discuss these issues with

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his counterparts will be at
the NATO meeting in Poland

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-- it's coming up next week.

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You've heard us previously
announce that the President

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intends to meet with the
leaders of the EU in advance

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of his NATO Summit meeting,
but I would anticipate that

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a lot of the conversations
that he'll have with world

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leaders at that meeting,
both formally and

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informally, will be to
discuss the impact

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of this vote.

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And obviously there has
been some, as I mentioned,

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renewed volatility in the
global financial markets,

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but the fact is, the special
relationship between the

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United States and
the UK will endure.

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The close financial,
economic, commercial and

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trade ties between the
United States and the UK

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will remain.

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That's good news because
that's critically important

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to both our economies.

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And I mentioned, of course,
that the U.S.-UK defense

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relationship will
remain strong.

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The United States also
has a number of very close

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partners who are part of
the EU, and we're going to

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continue to closely
coordinate with the EU on a

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variety of financial and
national security measures.

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And that cooperation and
that collaboration continues

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unabated as well.

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Michelle.

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The Press: Thanks, Josh.

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While we're still on that
subject, just very quickly,

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would the President support
a second referendum that's

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been floated as at least a
possibility once a new prime

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minister comes in?

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Mr. Earnest: Look, I think
the British ambassador to

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the United States was
pretty definitive about the

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finality of this decision.

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But, ultimately, how all of
this moves forward is up to

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the British people and
their elected leaders.

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The Press: The President
obviously had a strong

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opinion when the first
referendum was coming

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around, so would he have
just as strong an opinion on

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a second referendum
if that does happen?

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Mr. Earnest: Again, the
question about whether or

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not it's going to happen
I think is something that

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British leaders and the
British people will have

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to determine.

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British leaders I think have
made pretty clear their view

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that the decision that was
made by the voters was final.

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But, again, it will be up to
them to render a judgment

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about the path forward here.

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Our expectation, our hope
is that the process, as it

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moves forward, will be
orderly, will be as

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transparent as possible.

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And we have been pleased to
see a commitment to those

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principles, both by leaders
in the UK but also leaders

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in the EU.

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The Press: And on the
Benghazi report, you've made

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your feelings abundantly
clear what you think of it.

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Mr. Earnest: Not
particularly surprising,

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I assume.

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The Press: But now that
it's over, the fact that --

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Mr. Earnest: I thought it
was over after the first

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five investigations.

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This is the eighth.

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The Press: Well, let's
start with that, then.

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Do you feel that the breadth
of this and the amount of

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time spent and, as you
mentioned, the amount of

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money spent -- I mean,
this was the broadest

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investigation we've seen.

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So at the very least does
this, in your view, end

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things and sort of put a
definitive stamp on it?

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Mr. Earnest: Well,
again, it's hard to say.

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I think there were a lot
of people who thought that

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after the first or second,
or the third, or the fourth,

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or the fifth, or the
sixth, or the seventh

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investigation, that that
might be the end of it.

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Republicans have clearly
discerned a political motive.

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And, to their credit, at
least they were pretty blunt

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about it -- the would-be
Speaker of the House

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indicated that the reason
this committee was created

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was to drive down Secretary
Clinton's poll numbers.

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Congressman Richard Hanna
from New York indicated that

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-- basically the same thing.

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He said that the goal of
this committee was to go

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after Secretary Clinton.

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So it's pretty clear
what their motives are.

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That's why, I guess, the
only question that remains

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is whether or not this $7
million in-kind contribution

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will be correctly reported
on next month's FEC campaign

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finance disclosure
by the RNC.

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Maybe we should have a
congressional committee form

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to take a look at that.

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The Press: If the goal on
both sides was to -- or,

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okay, your goal, at least,
was to put this to rest.

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The fact that this
investigation, unlike the

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others before it, did look
at substantially more

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00:11:48,407 --> 00:11:52,277
documentation that wasn't
viewed by previous

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00:11:52,278 --> 00:11:55,918
investigations -- don't you
see some value in that?

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That at least it might
have answered questions in

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00:11:58,918 --> 00:12:00,958
people's minds about the
kind of information that was

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00:12:00,953 --> 00:12:02,223
not viewed prior?

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00:12:02,221 --> 00:12:05,691
Mr. Earnest: Well, this is a
select committee that spent

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00:12:05,691 --> 00:12:09,291
more time looking at this
matter than Congress spent

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00:12:09,295 --> 00:12:13,365
looking at things like Pearl
Harbor, the 9/11 attacks,

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00:12:13,365 --> 00:12:16,465
the response to Hurricane
Katrina, the Iran-Contra

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00:12:16,469 --> 00:12:20,409
affair, the assassination
of President Kennedy.

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So it is clear that a lot of
time and money and resources

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00:12:23,709 --> 00:12:25,709
has been devoted
to this effort.

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00:12:25,711 --> 00:12:31,551
But even Senator Rubio
tweeted today that the

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00:12:31,550 --> 00:12:34,150
committee found something
that we already knew.

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00:12:34,153 --> 00:12:37,053
So I think even Republicans
are struggling to articulate

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00:12:37,056 --> 00:12:39,656
exactly what value has been
derived from this -- other

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00:12:39,658 --> 00:12:45,268
than what they acknowledge
is their primary goal, which

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00:12:45,264 --> 00:12:47,364
is to take more shots
at Secretary Clinton.

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I think the unfortunate
thing is that they had to

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00:12:49,702 --> 00:12:53,442
spend $7 million in
taxpayer money to do it.

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And the unfortunate thing
is that they are cynically

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00:12:57,343 --> 00:13:00,683
trying to capitalize on
the death of four innocent

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00:13:00,679 --> 00:13:04,319
Americans who were serving
their country overseas and

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00:13:04,316 --> 00:13:06,316
were killed in this
tragic accident.

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And the degree to which
Republicans are willing to

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00:13:12,258 --> 00:13:16,598
play politics with their
death and this tragedy

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is appalling.

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The Press: You view this
as purely political.

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How worried are you then
about the political effects

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00:13:27,673 --> 00:13:28,843
of this on Democrats?

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00:13:28,841 --> 00:13:31,941
And how do Democrats need
to counter the message that

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00:13:31,944 --> 00:13:33,244
comes out of this report?

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00:13:33,245 --> 00:13:36,145
Mr. Earnest: Well, listen, I
think individual Democrats

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00:13:36,148 --> 00:13:38,148
will have to figure
out for themselves.

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00:13:38,150 --> 00:13:41,750
Secretary Clinton and her
campaign have obviously

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issued their own statements.

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00:13:42,755 --> 00:13:44,725
You can talk to them about
the strategy that they hope

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to pursue.

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But, look, I think when it
comes down to the political

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00:13:51,664 --> 00:13:56,634
questions here, I think we
should just sort of start by

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00:13:58,938 --> 00:14:02,608
acknowledging what Leader
McCarthy and Congressman

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00:14:02,608 --> 00:14:04,608
Hanna have indicated, which
is that this is a

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00:14:04,610 --> 00:14:05,640
political exercise.

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I think once we start from
that conversation, then we

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00:14:07,646 --> 00:14:12,556
can have an honest debate
about what the political

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00:14:12,551 --> 00:14:15,691
consequences of this
particular decision should be.

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00:14:15,688 --> 00:14:19,458
And I think Secretary
Clinton is more than capable

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00:14:19,458 --> 00:14:24,468
of making her own case about
her judgment, her successful

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00:14:26,532 --> 00:14:29,102
tenure as Secretary of
State, and what that says

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00:14:29,101 --> 00:14:31,101
about her presidential
campaign.

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00:14:31,103 --> 00:14:33,103
But, ultimately, that's
the responsibility

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00:14:33,105 --> 00:14:34,375
of her advisors.

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00:14:34,373 --> 00:14:37,943
The Press: But do you view
this as damaging to Clinton

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00:14:37,943 --> 00:14:40,743
in the eyes,
potentially, of voters?

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00:14:40,746 --> 00:14:42,946
Mr. Earnest: Look, I think
voters will have to decide

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00:14:42,948 --> 00:14:43,948
for themselves.

303
00:14:43,949 --> 00:14:46,149
But, again, I think
Secretary Clinton and her

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00:14:46,151 --> 00:14:48,151
team obviously have a strong
case to make about her

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00:14:48,153 --> 00:14:50,323
successful tenure as
Secretary of State.

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00:14:50,322 --> 00:14:52,792
But that's a case
I'll let them make.

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00:14:52,791 --> 00:14:53,791
Mark.

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00:14:53,792 --> 00:14:55,792
The Press: Josh, to what
extent is the British exit

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00:14:55,794 --> 00:14:57,134
vote going to be discussed
at the North American

310
00:14:57,129 --> 00:14:57,729
Summit tomorrow?

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00:14:57,730 --> 00:15:00,000
There seem to be some
pretty serious security and

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00:14:59,999 --> 00:15:03,399
economic considerations that
even North American leaders

313
00:15:03,402 --> 00:15:04,402
will want to talk over.

314
00:15:04,403 --> 00:15:08,743
Mr. Earnest: Well, listen,
the Brexit vote has had an

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00:15:08,741 --> 00:15:10,981
impact on global financial
markets, including financial

316
00:15:10,976 --> 00:15:12,076
markets here in
North America.

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00:15:12,077 --> 00:15:14,817
So I would anticipate it's
something that the leaders

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00:15:14,813 --> 00:15:15,813
will discuss.

319
00:15:15,814 --> 00:15:17,814
I don't anticipate that it
will be the focus of their

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00:15:17,816 --> 00:15:19,816
conversations, but I'm
confident that it will come up.

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00:15:19,818 --> 00:15:22,718
The Press: Are there any
lessons to be drawn about

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00:15:22,721 --> 00:15:27,431
the willingness of one part
of the trading bloc to want

323
00:15:27,426 --> 00:15:31,196
to go it alone in terms of
North America, NAFTA has

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00:15:31,196 --> 00:15:33,236
proven tremendously
controversial.

325
00:15:33,232 --> 00:15:35,572
It's a big issue on
the campaign trail.

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00:15:35,567 --> 00:15:39,467
Does the vote have any
implications on that subject

327
00:15:39,471 --> 00:15:40,771
here in this
continent as well?

328
00:15:40,773 --> 00:15:43,113
Mr. Earnest: Well, look, I
think it's always dangerous

329
00:15:43,108 --> 00:15:48,018
to oversimplify these kinds
of questions that voters are

330
00:15:48,013 --> 00:15:53,023
considering, but there's
something unique about the

331
00:15:56,088 --> 00:16:01,598
efforts to integrate Europe
that I think makes it quite

332
00:16:01,593 --> 00:16:03,733
a bit different than
just a trade agreement.

333
00:16:03,729 --> 00:16:07,429
Obviously the trade ties and
our relationship with both

334
00:16:07,433 --> 00:16:12,443
Mexico and Canada are
strong, and our economies

335
00:16:16,575 --> 00:16:17,575
are well-integrated.

336
00:16:17,576 --> 00:16:20,746
Obviously the security of
all of our countries is

337
00:16:20,746 --> 00:16:26,286
enhanced by maintaining
strong and high-functioning

338
00:16:26,285 --> 00:16:29,455
relationship with
our neighbors.

339
00:16:29,455 --> 00:16:31,925
What Europe was trying --
was attempting to do was

340
00:16:31,924 --> 00:16:37,764
materially different in
terms of trying to establish

341
00:16:37,763 --> 00:16:39,363
a common currency.

342
00:16:39,365 --> 00:16:41,935
Obviously the UK wasn't a
part of that, but it's an

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00:16:41,934 --> 00:16:45,574
indication of the ambition
that they had for

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00:16:45,571 --> 00:16:48,271
integrating the continent
and binding their

345
00:16:48,273 --> 00:16:49,273
countries together.

346
00:16:49,274 --> 00:16:51,314
The countries in North
America have pursued a

347
00:16:51,310 --> 00:16:54,550
different strategy, and one
that has worked well for us.

348
00:16:54,546 --> 00:16:59,886
It is a strategy that has
enhanced the economies of

349
00:16:59,885 --> 00:17:00,855
all of our countries.

350
00:17:00,853 --> 00:17:02,023
It's enhanced the national
security of all of our

351
00:17:02,020 --> 00:17:08,090
countries, and it certainly
has made North America the

352
00:17:08,093 --> 00:17:11,993
most successful
continent in the world.

353
00:17:11,997 --> 00:17:15,037
And the goal of the leaders
in their discussions

354
00:17:15,033 --> 00:17:18,433
tomorrow will be to further
intensify our efforts to

355
00:17:18,437 --> 00:17:22,937
cooperate, even as we see
some added volatility in the

356
00:17:22,941 --> 00:17:28,251
global financial markets and
even as we face down some

357
00:17:28,247 --> 00:17:30,247
other threats to
our own security.

358
00:17:30,249 --> 00:17:32,249
The Press: One more
question on trade.

359
00:17:32,251 --> 00:17:34,321
You said in the wake of the
Brexit vote that you still

360
00:17:34,319 --> 00:17:37,819
want to press ahead with a
trade agreement with Europe.

361
00:17:37,823 --> 00:17:40,123
That's not going to happen
on the President's watch, is it?

362
00:17:40,125 --> 00:17:41,525
Mr. Earnest: Well, the goal
that we have set, Mark, is

363
00:17:41,527 --> 00:17:44,127
to try to complete those
negotiations by the end of

364
00:17:44,129 --> 00:17:44,999
this year.

365
00:17:44,997 --> 00:17:46,197
The Press: But you've got
a continent that now

366
00:17:46,198 --> 00:17:47,868
is in turmoil.

367
00:17:47,866 --> 00:17:50,506
How can you possibly
complete an agreement with a

368
00:17:50,502 --> 00:17:52,942
Europe that is so
distracted by this?

369
00:17:52,938 --> 00:17:55,438
Mr. Earnest: Well, that
certainly is one argument.

370
00:17:55,441 --> 00:17:58,941
I think the other argument
you could make is that given

371
00:17:58,944 --> 00:18:03,084
the new challenges that the
EU is facing, they would

372
00:18:03,081 --> 00:18:05,081
place an even higher
priority in strengthening

373
00:18:05,083 --> 00:18:08,223
their ties economically
to the United States.

374
00:18:08,220 --> 00:18:13,330
So there is no denying that
even if the UK had voted to

375
00:18:13,325 --> 00:18:17,865
remain in the EU, that
completing a T-TIP by the

376
00:18:17,863 --> 00:18:19,863
end of this year would
be an ambitious goal.

377
00:18:19,865 --> 00:18:22,035
I think it continues to be
an ambitious goal, but one

378
00:18:22,034 --> 00:18:24,804
that we believe is possible
by the end of the year.

379
00:18:24,803 --> 00:18:27,403
We'll just have to see
where things go from here.

380
00:18:27,406 --> 00:18:29,106
Toluse.

381
00:18:29,107 --> 00:18:30,307
The Press: Thanks.

382
00:18:30,309 --> 00:18:34,149
Following up on Brexit and
trade, Speaker Paul Ryan

383
00:18:34,146 --> 00:18:36,486
said in a couple of
interviews that the U.S.

384
00:18:36,482 --> 00:18:39,982
should start immediately
sort of negotiating a new

385
00:18:39,985 --> 00:18:42,225
trade agreement with the UK.

386
00:18:42,221 --> 00:18:44,891
Is he wrong to say that
that is a good strategy?

387
00:18:44,890 --> 00:18:48,390
Mr. Earnest: Well, I think
what's important, first, to

388
00:18:48,393 --> 00:18:52,333
recognize is that there
already is an important

389
00:18:52,331 --> 00:18:55,001
financial and economic
relationship between the

390
00:18:55,000 --> 00:18:57,900
United States and
the United Kingdom.

391
00:18:57,903 --> 00:19:00,103
Those ties are valuable.

392
00:19:00,105 --> 00:19:03,275
Those ties have a positive
impact on both of

393
00:19:03,275 --> 00:19:05,275
our countries.

394
00:19:06,845 --> 00:19:09,615
What the President said when
he was in London earlier

395
00:19:09,615 --> 00:19:13,715
this year continues to be
true, however, which is that

396
00:19:13,719 --> 00:19:18,319
if the United States were to
begin bilateral trade talks

397
00:19:18,323 --> 00:19:21,093
with the UK, those talks
would be starting a

398
00:19:21,093 --> 00:19:23,493
different place because
we've already made years of

399
00:19:23,495 --> 00:19:25,795
progress through
negotiations with the

400
00:19:25,797 --> 00:19:27,067
broader EU.

401
00:19:27,065 --> 00:19:31,605
And the President discussed
in some detail the value and

402
00:19:31,603 --> 00:19:34,943
the efficiency gains of the
United States negotiating

403
00:19:34,940 --> 00:19:38,010
with a whole block of
countries, as opposed to

404
00:19:38,010 --> 00:19:39,280
just one country.

405
00:19:39,278 --> 00:19:41,278
Now, the one country that
we're talking about is the

406
00:19:41,280 --> 00:19:43,420
United Kingdom, a country
with whom we have a special

407
00:19:43,415 --> 00:19:46,555
relationship, a country
with whom we already have

408
00:19:46,552 --> 00:19:50,152
critically important
economic ties.

409
00:19:50,155 --> 00:19:52,595
But the fact remains that
we've already made lots of

410
00:19:52,591 --> 00:19:59,461
progress in negotiating a
trade agreement with a bloc

411
00:19:59,464 --> 00:20:02,334
of countries.

412
00:20:02,334 --> 00:20:06,874
So that's just where
things stand right now.

413
00:20:06,872 --> 00:20:10,442
I think in terms of sort of
what additional steps could

414
00:20:10,442 --> 00:20:14,412
be taken to enhance the
economic relationship

415
00:20:14,413 --> 00:20:17,083
between the United States
and the United Kingdom is

416
00:20:17,082 --> 00:20:21,452
something that policymakers
in both countries will have

417
00:20:21,453 --> 00:20:25,523
to consider in years ahead
-- and presumably that

418
00:20:25,524 --> 00:20:30,334
picture for that path
forward will be clearer --

419
00:20:30,329 --> 00:20:35,339
once it's clearer exactly
how the UK will pursue the

420
00:20:37,736 --> 00:20:40,036
process of extricating
itself from the EU.

421
00:20:40,038 --> 00:20:43,838
The Press: The President
also sort of made a

422
00:20:43,842 --> 00:20:47,312
statement that it could be
years before -- sort of

423
00:20:47,312 --> 00:20:49,412
several years down the line,
and that Britain would be at

424
00:20:49,414 --> 00:20:51,854
"the back of the queue"
when it comes to trade.

425
00:20:51,850 --> 00:20:55,850
It seems like you're
saying that the U.S.

426
00:20:55,854 --> 00:20:58,954
and the UK could not even
start something while other

427
00:20:58,957 --> 00:21:01,097
negotiations are going
on on a parallel track.

428
00:21:01,093 --> 00:21:05,893
Mr. Earnest: Well, again, I
think it's too early to say.

429
00:21:05,897 --> 00:21:10,437
We're four or five days out
of this decision being made

430
00:21:10,435 --> 00:21:15,445
by the British voters, so
I wouldn't handicap a date

431
00:21:18,577 --> 00:21:21,117
about when those kinds of
conversations would occur.

432
00:21:21,113 --> 00:21:24,953
I think what is true is that
the UK would not benefit

433
00:21:24,950 --> 00:21:27,890
from the years of progress
we have made in negotiating

434
00:21:30,455 --> 00:21:31,925
a trade agreement
with the EU.

435
00:21:31,923 --> 00:21:35,193
The UK does benefit from the
special relationship they

436
00:21:35,193 --> 00:21:36,263
have with the United States.

437
00:21:36,261 --> 00:21:39,031
They benefit from the
important economic

438
00:21:39,031 --> 00:21:41,831
relationship what already
exists between our

439
00:21:41,833 --> 00:21:42,833
two countries.

440
00:21:42,834 --> 00:21:46,504
But they start -- if and
when those negotiations were

441
00:21:46,505 --> 00:21:49,575
to start, they would start
in a different place because

442
00:21:49,574 --> 00:21:53,344
of the progress that we've
already made in trying to

443
00:21:53,345 --> 00:21:54,515
complete an agreement
with the EU.

444
00:21:54,513 --> 00:21:56,113
Jerome.

445
00:21:56,114 --> 00:21:57,184
The Press: Thank you, Josh.

446
00:21:57,182 --> 00:22:00,322
I was wondering how does the
President feel about the

447
00:22:00,318 --> 00:22:01,518
role he played in
the Brexit debate?

448
00:22:01,520 --> 00:22:04,560
Does he believe he shouldn't
have gone so far, given the

449
00:22:04,556 --> 00:22:05,586
end result?

450
00:22:05,590 --> 00:22:08,960
Or to the contrary, does he
believe he did too little,

451
00:22:08,960 --> 00:22:10,860
too late, and as some
argue, he didn't pay enough

452
00:22:10,862 --> 00:22:12,202
attention to Europe
during his presidency?

453
00:22:12,197 --> 00:22:20,137
Mr. Earnest: Well, listen,
let me try to unpack this.

454
00:22:20,138 --> 00:22:25,408
I think what I would start
with is that the President

455
00:22:25,410 --> 00:22:27,680
traveled to London at the
invitation of Prime

456
00:22:27,679 --> 00:22:29,049
Minister Cameron.

457
00:22:29,047 --> 00:22:33,287
And while in London, they
had conversations on a range

458
00:22:33,285 --> 00:22:35,485
of issues that are
critically important to our

459
00:22:35,487 --> 00:22:39,887
two countries -- issues both
related to national security

460
00:22:39,891 --> 00:22:43,761
and the economy.

461
00:22:43,762 --> 00:22:47,262
And while he was there,
the President did make an

462
00:22:47,265 --> 00:22:50,965
unequivocal statement
about the U.S.

463
00:22:50,969 --> 00:22:54,739
view of the question facing
British voters, and the

464
00:22:54,740 --> 00:22:59,950
President I think gave a
rather lengthy but direct

465
00:22:59,945 --> 00:23:05,155
analysis of how the United
States would be impacted by

466
00:23:05,150 --> 00:23:07,250
the decision made by
the British people.

467
00:23:07,252 --> 00:23:13,862
And this was an important
analysis for the President

468
00:23:13,859 --> 00:23:15,859
to offer for a
couple of reasons.

469
00:23:15,861 --> 00:23:17,861
The first is, given the
special relationship between

470
00:23:17,863 --> 00:23:20,403
our two countries, it seemed
appropriate for the British

471
00:23:20,398 --> 00:23:25,108
people to factor in the
impact of this vote on their

472
00:23:25,103 --> 00:23:27,103
relationship with
the United States.

473
00:23:29,775 --> 00:23:31,745
It also was an important
statement for the President

474
00:23:31,743 --> 00:23:37,613
to make because many
proponents of Brexit were

475
00:23:37,616 --> 00:23:41,556
ascribing to the United
States some views of the

476
00:23:41,553 --> 00:23:44,453
matter that, frankly, didn't
reflect the views of the

477
00:23:44,456 --> 00:23:46,526
leader of the United States.

478
00:23:46,525 --> 00:23:48,525
So the President had an
opportunity to set the

479
00:23:48,527 --> 00:23:50,527
record straight.

480
00:23:51,763 --> 00:23:54,463
What eventual impact that
had on the outcome I think

481
00:23:54,466 --> 00:23:57,066
is something that I'll leave
to the analysts to decide.

482
00:23:57,068 --> 00:24:00,208
I think what is clear is
that in the days after those

483
00:24:00,205 --> 00:24:06,245
comments from the President
in London, there was what I

484
00:24:06,244 --> 00:24:12,914
would describe as positive
movement in the polls, but

485
00:24:12,918 --> 00:24:16,618
things didn't end up where
we would have liked.

486
00:24:16,621 --> 00:24:19,991
But, again, the President,
all along, from before the

487
00:24:19,991 --> 00:24:22,761
trip to during the trip, to
after the trip, made clear

488
00:24:22,761 --> 00:24:26,161
that this was a decision for
the British people to make

489
00:24:26,164 --> 00:24:28,804
based on their own analysis
of their country's interests.

490
00:24:28,800 --> 00:24:33,240
And that's what they did.

491
00:24:33,238 --> 00:24:35,578
As it relates to our broader
relationship with Europe, I

492
00:24:35,574 --> 00:24:37,674
think it is hard for the
President's harshest critics

493
00:24:37,676 --> 00:24:42,686
to suggest that somehow he
has given short shrift to

494
00:24:46,885 --> 00:24:50,855
our relationship with our
European allies when some of

495
00:24:50,856 --> 00:24:52,856
the President's most
prominent critics have

496
00:24:52,858 --> 00:24:55,058
suggested that, for example,
the United States should

497
00:24:55,060 --> 00:24:56,060
leave NATO.

498
00:24:56,061 --> 00:25:01,171
I think that would be
undermining our important

499
00:25:01,166 --> 00:25:03,836
relationship with our allies
in Europe in a way that

500
00:25:03,835 --> 00:25:05,835
would have devastating
consequences for our

501
00:25:05,837 --> 00:25:06,937
national security.

502
00:25:06,938 --> 00:25:11,078
So I think the President's
record of strengthening

503
00:25:11,076 --> 00:25:15,646
those relationships
is well documented.

504
00:25:15,647 --> 00:25:16,617
Ron.

505
00:25:16,615 --> 00:25:20,355
The Press: On Benghazi,
after all these

506
00:25:20,352 --> 00:25:23,952
investigations and so forth,
what is the simple answer to

507
00:25:23,955 --> 00:25:28,095
the question of why
there was no rescue?

508
00:25:28,093 --> 00:25:33,233
Mr. Earnest: Well, again, I
think that there was a --

509
00:25:33,231 --> 00:25:35,971
there have been committee
hearings that have looked

510
00:25:35,967 --> 00:25:36,967
at this --

511
00:25:36,968 --> 00:25:39,208
The Press: I honestly don't
know the answer to

512
00:25:39,204 --> 00:25:40,204
the question.

513
00:25:40,205 --> 00:25:43,305
And I think a lot of people
at home who are trying to

514
00:25:43,308 --> 00:25:45,448
sort this out and it's out
there, and they hear all the

515
00:25:45,443 --> 00:25:49,853
back-and-forth between --
it's a simple question.

516
00:25:49,848 --> 00:25:51,448
Why didn't that happen?

517
00:25:51,449 --> 00:25:54,049
Why wasn't there --
why wasn't the U.S.

518
00:25:54,052 --> 00:25:56,222
military able to
rescue these --

519
00:25:56,221 --> 00:25:58,791
Mr. Earnest: Well, I think
where we should start, Ron,

520
00:25:58,790 --> 00:26:00,190
is we should start talking
about what the Department of

521
00:26:00,191 --> 00:26:01,431
Defense did do.

522
00:26:01,426 --> 00:26:06,236
And they did, as Secretary
Panetta has acknowledged,

523
00:26:06,231 --> 00:26:09,501
react to the President's
orders to make sure that all

524
00:26:09,501 --> 00:26:15,211
available DOD assets in the
region were available and

525
00:26:15,206 --> 00:26:17,906
could be used to respond
to the attack in Libya and

526
00:26:17,909 --> 00:26:18,909
protect U.S.

527
00:26:18,910 --> 00:26:22,610
interests and personnel
in the region.

528
00:26:22,614 --> 00:26:24,854
What that meant
is that the U.S.

529
00:26:24,849 --> 00:26:29,119
military did succeed
in executing the safe

530
00:26:29,120 --> 00:26:30,860
evacuation of all U.S.

531
00:26:30,855 --> 00:26:34,625
government personnel from
Benghazi 12 hours after the

532
00:26:34,626 --> 00:26:36,926
initial attack.

533
00:26:36,928 --> 00:26:41,468
And they moved a number of
personnel to the Ramstein

534
00:26:41,466 --> 00:26:46,636
Air Force Base and took
steps to protect U.S. personnel.

535
00:26:46,638 --> 00:26:49,238
And that is consistent with
the conclusions of the

536
00:26:49,240 --> 00:26:53,410
Accountability Review Board
that basically found that

537
00:26:53,411 --> 00:26:58,951
the result was
exceptional U.S.

538
00:26:58,950 --> 00:27:02,350
government coordination
military response and saved

539
00:27:02,354 --> 00:27:06,054
the lives of two severely
wounded Americans.

540
00:27:06,057 --> 00:27:09,127
The Press: You said -- the
DOD statement emphasized

541
00:27:09,127 --> 00:27:13,667
that they were involved in
stabilizing the evacuation

542
00:27:13,665 --> 00:27:15,465
of Tripoli, the
embassy in Tripoli.

543
00:27:15,467 --> 00:27:19,807
You're focusing on the
military role there --

544
00:27:19,804 --> 00:27:21,804
Mr. Earnest: My point
is they did both.

545
00:27:21,806 --> 00:27:23,806
There were a number of
personnel in Benghazi that

546
00:27:23,808 --> 00:27:27,548
were safely extracted by
DOD assets hours

547
00:27:27,545 --> 00:27:28,915
after the attack.

548
00:27:28,913 --> 00:27:30,053
There were some U.S.

549
00:27:30,048 --> 00:27:31,048
citizens who were killed.

550
00:27:31,049 --> 00:27:33,049
That's the reason we're
having this conversation.

551
00:27:33,051 --> 00:27:37,391
But, yes, this was a
successful DOD operation to

552
00:27:37,389 --> 00:27:40,029
respond to the President's
orders to save as many

553
00:27:40,025 --> 00:27:41,125
Americans as possible.

554
00:27:41,126 --> 00:27:43,326
It is tragic that
four Americans died.

555
00:27:43,328 --> 00:27:49,398
But according to the
Accountability Review Board

556
00:27:49,401 --> 00:27:51,671
that was chaired by the
former Chairman of the Joint

557
00:27:51,669 --> 00:27:54,869
Chiefs of Staff, Admiral
Mullen, and Thomas

558
00:27:54,873 --> 00:27:57,013
Pickering, a U.S.

559
00:27:57,008 --> 00:27:59,608
diplomat that served both
Presidents, they took a

560
00:27:59,611 --> 00:28:01,681
close look at this and had
praise for the

561
00:28:01,679 --> 00:28:02,819
military response.

562
00:28:02,814 --> 00:28:06,484
The Press: And while a lot
has been said about whether

563
00:28:06,484 --> 00:28:11,524
this was an attack on
Secretary Clinton, there

564
00:28:11,523 --> 00:28:15,423
were some allegations or
charges at the White House,

565
00:28:15,427 --> 00:28:17,997
specifically --
not the Secretary.

566
00:28:17,996 --> 00:28:21,236
And some focused on this
7:30 meeting that was

567
00:28:21,232 --> 00:28:24,502
chaired by Denis McDonough.

568
00:28:24,502 --> 00:28:27,772
Again, I realize you don't
want to litigate point by

569
00:28:27,772 --> 00:28:31,842
point, but in the interest
of clarity, what was

570
00:28:31,843 --> 00:28:34,813
accomplished at that time?

571
00:28:34,813 --> 00:28:37,683
And I know you're going to
debunk the allegation that

572
00:28:37,682 --> 00:28:40,182
somehow there was an order
to stand down or something --

573
00:28:40,185 --> 00:28:41,255
Mr. Earnest: Well, it's not
just me that's going to

574
00:28:41,252 --> 00:28:42,052
debunk it.

575
00:28:42,053 --> 00:28:43,723
The lead investigator of the
committee is going to

576
00:28:43,721 --> 00:28:44,421
debunk that.

577
00:28:44,422 --> 00:28:45,092
The Press: I get that.

578
00:28:45,090 --> 00:28:46,220
And I don't want to --
that's not the issue.

579
00:28:46,224 --> 00:28:47,464
Mr. Earnest: Okay.

580
00:28:47,459 --> 00:28:49,859
The Press: The issue is,
what happened in that meeting?

581
00:28:49,861 --> 00:28:54,871
What evidence is there that
that moved the

582
00:28:54,866 --> 00:28:56,166
operation forward?

583
00:28:56,167 --> 00:28:59,707
The other charge that this
was all about the video and

584
00:28:59,704 --> 00:29:01,774
not about what was really
going on on the ground.

585
00:29:01,773 --> 00:29:03,713
I know, I hear you.

586
00:29:03,708 --> 00:29:07,578
But tell me whatever you can
-- just to clear the air

587
00:29:07,579 --> 00:29:08,979
once and for all about
what happened when in

588
00:29:08,980 --> 00:29:09,850
that session.

589
00:29:09,848 --> 00:29:12,688
Mr. Earnest: I don't think
there's any air to clear,

590
00:29:12,684 --> 00:29:13,684
Ron.

591
00:29:13,685 --> 00:29:15,685
I think the fact is that the
White House and the National

592
00:29:15,687 --> 00:29:17,687
Security Council that
functions here at the White

593
00:29:17,689 --> 00:29:21,329
House fulfilled its
responsibility to make sure

594
00:29:21,326 --> 00:29:24,596
that the number of
government agencies that

595
00:29:24,596 --> 00:29:27,796
were involved in this effort
were assembled to discuss an

596
00:29:27,799 --> 00:29:30,739
ongoing emergency.

597
00:29:30,735 --> 00:29:33,105
And there were steps that
were taken to safeguard

598
00:29:33,104 --> 00:29:37,644
diplomats in other places
around the globe, and a

599
00:29:37,642 --> 00:29:39,642
variety of other
steps were taken.

600
00:29:39,644 --> 00:29:42,614
That's what you
would expect.

601
00:29:42,614 --> 00:29:47,114
I think this is the best
evidence yet that this is a

602
00:29:47,118 --> 00:29:50,518
Republican conspiracy
seeking political advantage

603
00:29:50,522 --> 00:29:52,522
out of the terrible tragedy.

604
00:29:54,325 --> 00:29:55,795
There's just no
"there" there.

605
00:29:55,793 --> 00:29:57,163
There hasn't been.

606
00:29:57,162 --> 00:30:00,132
But yet we have seen
repeated attempts by

607
00:30:00,131 --> 00:30:03,101
Republicans to try to score
political points off the

608
00:30:03,101 --> 00:30:05,101
deaths of four
innocent Americans.

609
00:30:05,103 --> 00:30:07,173
The Press: But the "there"
there was, in fact, once

610
00:30:07,172 --> 00:30:09,172
this happened, after this
happened, there had to be

611
00:30:09,174 --> 00:30:10,144
some changes made.

612
00:30:10,141 --> 00:30:10,811
Correct?

613
00:30:10,808 --> 00:30:12,948
There had to be some changes
made in terms of how the

614
00:30:12,944 --> 00:30:14,884
military could respond
to something like this.

615
00:30:14,879 --> 00:30:17,019
So clearly, the military
wasn't organized in the way

616
00:30:17,015 --> 00:30:18,085
effectively to do this.

617
00:30:18,082 --> 00:30:20,982
I'm sure the White House
reassessed how it might have

618
00:30:20,985 --> 00:30:25,225
better responded to this
sort of situation -- correct?

619
00:30:25,223 --> 00:30:30,793
Mr. Earnest: Well, Ron,
again, years ago -- years

620
00:30:30,795 --> 00:30:34,565
ago, the Accountability
Review Board -- this is a

621
00:30:34,566 --> 00:30:36,906
body that was chaired by the
former Chairman of the Joint

622
00:30:36,901 --> 00:30:40,301
Chiefs of Staff
and a renowned U.S.

623
00:30:40,305 --> 00:30:44,345
diplomat who served under
both Presidents -- examined

624
00:30:44,342 --> 00:30:45,342
this situation.

625
00:30:45,343 --> 00:30:48,413
They put forward 29
different recommendations

626
00:30:48,413 --> 00:30:50,883
for reforms that should be
implemented by the

627
00:30:50,882 --> 00:30:51,882
State Department.

628
00:30:51,883 --> 00:30:54,923
The State Department has
implemented or is in the

629
00:30:54,919 --> 00:30:56,919
process of implementing
every single one of

630
00:30:56,921 --> 00:30:58,821
those things.

631
00:30:58,823 --> 00:31:01,123
Again, that is a set of
conclusions that were

632
00:31:01,125 --> 00:31:04,325
reached more than
three years ago, now.

633
00:31:04,329 --> 00:31:06,369
I think the real question
is, again, why are we

634
00:31:06,364 --> 00:31:09,134
considering the eighth
congressional investigation

635
00:31:09,133 --> 00:31:10,933
into this matter?

636
00:31:10,935 --> 00:31:15,505
If the Accountability Review
Board that was led by men

637
00:31:15,506 --> 00:31:18,246
with impeccable, bipartisan
national security

638
00:31:18,243 --> 00:31:21,713
credentials has reviewed
this matter, suggested that

639
00:31:21,713 --> 00:31:23,713
there are 29 different
reforms that could be

640
00:31:23,715 --> 00:31:27,755
implemented, those reforms
are implemented, what

641
00:31:27,752 --> 00:31:31,692
possible goal could
Republicans have by taking a

642
00:31:31,689 --> 00:31:37,129
look at this matter in
2016 other than trying to

643
00:31:37,128 --> 00:31:40,798
influence the outcome of the
elections that are held in 2016?

644
00:31:40,798 --> 00:31:43,368
The Press: All right.

645
00:31:43,368 --> 00:31:45,338
Mr. Earnest: Jordan.

646
00:31:45,336 --> 00:31:46,606
The Press: Thanks, Josh.

647
00:31:46,604 --> 00:31:48,944
I want to ask you a
question about Zika.

648
00:31:48,940 --> 00:31:51,680
The Surgeon General said
earlier this month that

649
00:31:51,676 --> 00:31:54,546
we're coming to the point
where the funding of the

650
00:31:54,545 --> 00:31:56,615
Zika response is
going to run out.

651
00:31:56,614 --> 00:32:00,214
Now that Congress -- the
Senate failed to advance

652
00:32:00,218 --> 00:32:02,288
this latest funding package,
and it doesn't look like

653
00:32:02,287 --> 00:32:05,787
there's going to be a deal
at least before July 4th,

654
00:32:05,790 --> 00:32:09,460
can you say exactly when the
money for the Zika response

655
00:32:09,460 --> 00:32:11,830
is going to run out?

656
00:32:11,829 --> 00:32:14,729
Mr. Earnest: Well, again,
Jordan, I think the issue

657
00:32:14,732 --> 00:32:18,472
that we have is that there's
insufficient funding that's

658
00:32:18,469 --> 00:32:23,039
being dedicated to the
effort to fight Zika and to

659
00:32:23,041 --> 00:32:25,681
protect pregnant women and
their children in this country.

660
00:32:25,677 --> 00:32:27,317
That is the issue.

661
00:32:27,312 --> 00:32:30,982
And what the Department of
Health and Human Services

662
00:32:30,982 --> 00:32:37,322
has already done is taken
funding that has been

663
00:32:37,322 --> 00:32:40,592
deployed for a range of
public health questions,

664
00:32:40,591 --> 00:32:45,261
challenges, and devoted it
specifically to this effort.

665
00:32:45,263 --> 00:32:46,733
But even that is not enough.

666
00:32:46,731 --> 00:32:48,731
And we've made clear
that that's not enough.

667
00:32:48,733 --> 00:32:50,733
That's why the President
put forward a package four

668
00:32:50,735 --> 00:32:53,305
months ago -- this is a
package that was recommended

669
00:32:53,304 --> 00:32:56,044
to him by the foremost
public health officials in

670
00:32:56,040 --> 00:32:57,380
the country.

671
00:32:57,375 --> 00:33:00,075
And for the last four
months, we have seen

672
00:33:00,078 --> 00:33:03,118
Republicans do very little
other than play political

673
00:33:03,114 --> 00:33:05,654
games with that request.

674
00:33:05,650 --> 00:33:09,820
So you would think that at
some point the safety and

675
00:33:09,821 --> 00:33:12,791
well-being of pregnant women
in the United States would

676
00:33:12,790 --> 00:33:15,160
be more important than
politics to Republicans.

677
00:33:15,159 --> 00:33:16,799
But unfortunately, it's not.

678
00:33:16,794 --> 00:33:21,304
Because as I mentioned to
Darlene earlier, Republicans

679
00:33:21,299 --> 00:33:24,169
now apparently see the Zika
funding as the vehicle to

680
00:33:24,168 --> 00:33:26,368
allow the display of
Confederate flags in

681
00:33:26,371 --> 00:33:28,141
cemeteries across
the country.

682
00:33:28,139 --> 00:33:30,139
I don't really understand
what that has to do with the

683
00:33:30,141 --> 00:33:33,711
Zika virus and protecting
pregnant women, but that's

684
00:33:33,711 --> 00:33:36,151
the vehicle that Republicans
have apparently chosen to

685
00:33:36,147 --> 00:33:40,487
use in order to ram through
a partisan measure.

686
00:33:40,485 --> 00:33:42,455
It's apparent that
Republicans don't take this

687
00:33:42,453 --> 00:33:44,453
particularly seriously, but
I can tell you that public

688
00:33:44,455 --> 00:33:46,455
health professionals across
the country take

689
00:33:46,457 --> 00:33:47,457
this seriously.

690
00:33:47,458 --> 00:33:52,468
In fact, just today we have
a letter from a couple dozen

691
00:33:54,665 --> 00:34:00,035
nonprofits urging Congress
to dispense with the kind of

692
00:34:00,037 --> 00:34:02,707
partisanship that House
Republicans have displayed

693
00:34:02,707 --> 00:34:05,077
and to act on what they
describe as a public

694
00:34:05,076 --> 00:34:06,976
health emergency.

695
00:34:06,978 --> 00:34:09,118
These are organizations like
the American Academy of

696
00:34:09,113 --> 00:34:11,913
Pediatrics, the American
Congress of Obstetricians

697
00:34:11,916 --> 00:34:14,286
and Gynecologists, the
Easter Seals, the

698
00:34:14,285 --> 00:34:15,355
March of Dimes.

699
00:34:15,353 --> 00:34:17,353
These are organizations that
don't have any interest in

700
00:34:17,355 --> 00:34:20,055
partisan politics; they do
have a keen interest in

701
00:34:20,057 --> 00:34:22,297
protecting the American
people and protecting

702
00:34:22,293 --> 00:34:24,533
pregnant women, and
preventing birth defects.

703
00:34:24,529 --> 00:34:30,239
And what they're urging
Republicans to do is to

704
00:34:30,234 --> 00:34:32,204
dispense with the
partisanship and actually

705
00:34:32,203 --> 00:34:34,203
focus on this public
health emergency.

706
00:34:36,507 --> 00:34:38,277
We'll see if Republicans
are persuaded.

707
00:34:38,276 --> 00:34:40,746
The Press: I guess in the
absence, though, of that

708
00:34:40,745 --> 00:34:43,915
funding for now, can you
tell us when is the next

709
00:34:43,915 --> 00:34:45,915
time that public health
agencies are going to have

710
00:34:45,917 --> 00:34:49,787
to move around money to fund
the Zika response through

711
00:34:49,787 --> 00:34:51,757
the summer --

712
00:34:51,756 --> 00:34:55,496
Mr. Earnest: Jordan, I think
the point is that right now

713
00:34:55,493 --> 00:34:57,493
they don't have as much
money as they would like to

714
00:34:57,495 --> 00:35:00,265
have in order to do
everything possible to

715
00:35:00,264 --> 00:35:03,904
protect the American people
from the Zika virus.

716
00:35:03,901 --> 00:35:06,301
If you're asking me when are
those agencies going to need

717
00:35:06,304 --> 00:35:08,974
more money to fight the Zika
virus, they need that money

718
00:35:08,973 --> 00:35:09,973
right now.

719
00:35:09,974 --> 00:35:11,974
They needed that
money four months ago.

720
00:35:11,976 --> 00:35:13,976
They needed to send --
for a variety of reasons.

721
00:35:13,978 --> 00:35:16,018
They needed to send a clear
message to the private

722
00:35:16,013 --> 00:35:18,613
sector that we were going to
be invested in their efforts

723
00:35:18,616 --> 00:35:21,386
to develop a vaccine
and to develop enhanced

724
00:35:21,385 --> 00:35:24,185
diagnostics, and to expand
lab capacity so that people

725
00:35:24,188 --> 00:35:26,758
would get tested quickly,
get their results and know

726
00:35:26,757 --> 00:35:28,897
what precautions they should
take to protect their

727
00:35:28,893 --> 00:35:30,893
partner or other people in
their community from the

728
00:35:30,895 --> 00:35:31,925
Zika virus.

729
00:35:31,929 --> 00:35:36,239
For weeks, if not months,
we've seen local officials,

730
00:35:36,234 --> 00:35:38,634
particularly in the
South, ask for additional

731
00:35:38,636 --> 00:35:40,636
assistance from the federal
government so they could do

732
00:35:40,638 --> 00:35:42,108
a better job of fighting
mosquito populations in

733
00:35:42,106 --> 00:35:42,936
their states.

734
00:35:42,940 --> 00:35:46,140
That request, even from
those Republican officials,

735
00:35:46,143 --> 00:35:48,113
has fallen on deaf ears.

736
00:35:48,112 --> 00:35:50,382
Governor Rick Scott from
Florida -- no friend of the

737
00:35:50,381 --> 00:35:52,481
Obama administration -- is
making the same case that

738
00:35:52,483 --> 00:35:54,883
the Obama administration is,
that Congress needs to step

739
00:35:54,886 --> 00:35:57,186
up to the plate and provide
additional resources that

740
00:35:57,188 --> 00:35:59,328
can be used to try to fight
the mosquitoes that are

741
00:35:59,323 --> 00:36:01,923
carrying the Zika virus.

742
00:36:01,926 --> 00:36:03,896
It's only Republicans in
Congress who are treating

743
00:36:03,895 --> 00:36:05,225
this as a partisan issue.

744
00:36:05,229 --> 00:36:08,199
Governors in both parties
all across the country have

745
00:36:08,199 --> 00:36:11,339
called on Congress
to act on this.

746
00:36:11,335 --> 00:36:13,535
Public health professionals,
including charitable

747
00:36:13,538 --> 00:36:15,578
organizations, like the
Easter Seals and the March

748
00:36:15,573 --> 00:36:18,843
of Dimes, are calling on
Republicans in the Congress

749
00:36:18,843 --> 00:36:19,843
to act.

750
00:36:19,844 --> 00:36:23,514
But the only thing we've
seen Republicans in Congress

751
00:36:23,514 --> 00:36:27,054
do thus far is to try to
make this issue partisan,

752
00:36:27,051 --> 00:36:31,121
for reasons that are
difficult to explain.

753
00:36:31,122 --> 00:36:31,822
April.

754
00:36:31,822 --> 00:36:33,162
The Press: Josh,
on another subject.

755
00:36:33,157 --> 00:36:34,797
July 4th is next week.

756
00:36:34,792 --> 00:36:37,062
Federal lawmakers come
back to town after that.

757
00:36:37,061 --> 00:36:39,861
What is the White House --
what kind of conversations

758
00:36:39,864 --> 00:36:43,334
have White House officials
been in with the lawmakers,

759
00:36:43,334 --> 00:36:46,004
particularly those who
staged the sit-in when it

760
00:36:46,003 --> 00:36:47,573
came to guns last week?

761
00:36:47,572 --> 00:36:51,812
Mr. Earnest: Well, the
President's commitment to

762
00:36:51,809 --> 00:36:53,679
seeing common-sense gun
safety legislation pass

763
00:36:53,678 --> 00:36:56,848
continues to be a priority.

764
00:36:56,847 --> 00:37:01,317
There have been ongoing
conversations between some

765
00:37:01,319 --> 00:37:04,219
members of the Senate and
the Justice Department to

766
00:37:04,221 --> 00:37:09,891
put together a bipartisan,
common-sense amendment that

767
00:37:09,894 --> 00:37:12,534
would effectively prevent
individuals who are

768
00:37:12,530 --> 00:37:15,030
suspected of having ties
with terrorism from being

769
00:37:15,032 --> 00:37:17,672
able to walk into a
store and buy a gun.

770
00:37:17,668 --> 00:37:23,178
But we've seen very little
appetite from Republicans in

771
00:37:23,174 --> 00:37:25,474
Congress and most
Republicans in the Senate to

772
00:37:25,476 --> 00:37:27,916
moving forward on that
common-sense bill.

773
00:37:27,912 --> 00:37:30,352
In fact, they don't want
to move forward -- Leader

774
00:37:30,348 --> 00:37:32,348
McConnell said over the
weekend that he believes

775
00:37:32,350 --> 00:37:35,320
that we should just move on.

776
00:37:35,319 --> 00:37:37,519
That is a
dereliction of duty.

777
00:37:37,521 --> 00:37:39,591
That is a failure of their
fundamental responsibility

778
00:37:39,590 --> 00:37:42,890
to take common-sense steps
to protect the country.

779
00:37:42,893 --> 00:37:45,863
And ultimately, voters are
going to have to decide

780
00:37:45,863 --> 00:37:47,863
whether and how to
hold their elected

781
00:37:47,865 --> 00:37:50,535
representatives in Congress
responsible for

782
00:37:50,534 --> 00:37:51,404
that dereliction.

783
00:37:51,402 --> 00:37:54,142
The Press: So last week, the
spotlight was on the sit-in

784
00:37:54,138 --> 00:37:56,538
and the effort and the bill.

785
00:37:56,540 --> 00:38:00,580
Next week there are calls
to possibly do it again if

786
00:38:00,578 --> 00:38:01,808
there's not movement.

787
00:38:01,812 --> 00:38:04,682
President Obama, the First
Lady, Valerie Jarrett and

788
00:38:04,682 --> 00:38:06,782
many from the White House
supported publicly on

789
00:38:06,784 --> 00:38:10,824
Twitter and all social media
the efforts of the sit-in.

790
00:38:10,821 --> 00:38:18,831
Are you in support of
another sit-in if there were

791
00:38:18,829 --> 00:38:20,099
some type of action like
that, that would maybe last

792
00:38:20,097 --> 00:38:23,967
even longer to bring more
attention to possibly get

793
00:38:23,968 --> 00:38:24,838
this measure passed?

794
00:38:24,835 --> 00:38:26,475
Mr. Earnest: What the White
House is strongly in support

795
00:38:26,470 --> 00:38:27,770
of is congressional action.

796
00:38:27,772 --> 00:38:31,042
And House Democrats are
going to see -- are going to

797
00:38:31,042 --> 00:38:34,282
need to figure out what they
can do to try to prompt

798
00:38:34,278 --> 00:38:36,078
that action.

799
00:38:36,080 --> 00:38:38,650
Obviously the White House is
going to stand with them as

800
00:38:38,649 --> 00:38:41,149
they undertake
those efforts.

801
00:38:41,152 --> 00:38:45,292
But we've seen far too much
congressional dysfunction

802
00:38:45,289 --> 00:38:47,889
under Republican
congressional leadership.

803
00:38:47,892 --> 00:38:52,802
And whether that is failing
to pass -- to approve the

804
00:38:52,797 --> 00:38:55,697
needed resources to
fight Zika, or to pass

805
00:38:55,700 --> 00:38:59,140
common-sense gun safety
legislation, or to play

806
00:38:59,136 --> 00:39:03,476
politics with the terrible
tragedy in Libya, I think

807
00:39:03,474 --> 00:39:06,774
the record of Republicans
in Congress is one that is

808
00:39:06,777 --> 00:39:12,647
checkered with partisanship
and not filled with a

809
00:39:12,650 --> 00:39:14,750
lot of results.

810
00:39:14,752 --> 00:39:15,422
Olivier.

811
00:39:15,419 --> 00:39:16,389
The Press: Thanks, Josh.

812
00:39:16,387 --> 00:39:18,127
Why is it so hard to
reschedule the joint

813
00:39:18,122 --> 00:39:19,992
campaign event with
Hillary Clinton?

814
00:39:19,990 --> 00:39:22,290
Mr. Earnest: Well, you won't
be surprised to hear that

815
00:39:22,293 --> 00:39:25,233
both President Obama and
Secretary Clinton have

816
00:39:25,229 --> 00:39:27,099
rather busy schedules.

817
00:39:27,098 --> 00:39:29,598
But hopefully we'll
have some news on that

818
00:39:29,600 --> 00:39:31,300
rescheduled
event quite soon.

819
00:39:31,302 --> 00:39:32,872
The Press: She's on the
trail -- that's her

820
00:39:32,870 --> 00:39:33,870
busy schedule.

821
00:39:33,871 --> 00:39:37,941
And he surely anticipated
that he would be out

822
00:39:37,942 --> 00:39:39,742
campaigning for Democrats.

823
00:39:39,744 --> 00:39:42,184
I mean, it's not -- it
wasn't a surprise that we're

824
00:39:42,179 --> 00:39:44,649
in an election year, so
why -- do you guys have

825
00:39:44,648 --> 00:39:45,418
requirements for this?

826
00:39:45,416 --> 00:39:48,556
Does it have to be
a particular state?

827
00:39:48,552 --> 00:39:49,552
Does it have to be
on a particular day?

828
00:39:49,553 --> 00:39:50,693
I don't understand why this
isn't coming together.

829
00:39:50,688 --> 00:39:52,088
Mr. Earnest: Again, I'm
not sure it's quite

830
00:39:52,089 --> 00:39:55,659
that complicated.

831
00:39:55,659 --> 00:39:58,799
I think -- you have to talk
the Secretary Clinton and

832
00:39:58,796 --> 00:40:00,996
her team about exactly
what's on their schedule.

833
00:40:00,998 --> 00:40:02,468
Obviously we can't do
it tomorrow because the

834
00:40:02,466 --> 00:40:05,066
President is meeting with
the leaders of

835
00:40:05,069 --> 00:40:06,139
Canada and Mexico.

836
00:40:06,137 --> 00:40:09,777
The President had the Global
Entrepreneurship Summit on

837
00:40:09,774 --> 00:40:11,104
the West Coast last week.

838
00:40:11,108 --> 00:40:13,448
So there are constraints
given their schedule.

839
00:40:13,444 --> 00:40:15,744
But I would anticipate that
we'll have some news on this

840
00:40:15,746 --> 00:40:16,846
relatively soon.

841
00:40:16,847 --> 00:40:18,547
The Press: The Washington
Post had a really

842
00:40:18,549 --> 00:40:21,919
captivating story about
the apparent campaign of

843
00:40:21,919 --> 00:40:25,019
harassment of American
diplomats by Russia.

844
00:40:25,022 --> 00:40:26,662
Has this ever been brought
to the

845
00:40:26,657 --> 00:40:27,857
President's attention?

846
00:40:27,858 --> 00:40:29,098
Has he discussed it?

847
00:40:29,093 --> 00:40:31,533
His former ambassador
Michael McFaul apparently

848
00:40:31,529 --> 00:40:32,399
was one of the targets.

849
00:40:32,396 --> 00:40:34,466
Has this ever risen
to his attention?

850
00:40:34,465 --> 00:40:38,135
And if so, has he ever
brought it up with

851
00:40:38,135 --> 00:40:40,575
Vladimir Putin?

852
00:40:40,571 --> 00:40:41,501
Mr. Earnest: Well, I don't
have any additional details

853
00:40:41,505 --> 00:40:42,705
of conversations to relay.

854
00:40:42,706 --> 00:40:45,046
I can tell you that the
United States continues to

855
00:40:45,042 --> 00:40:47,982
be concerned about U.S.

856
00:40:47,978 --> 00:40:52,348
diplomats who are being
harassed at not just the

857
00:40:52,349 --> 00:40:54,989
embassy in Moscow, but in
other diplomatic facilities

858
00:40:54,985 --> 00:40:55,985
around the world.

859
00:40:55,986 --> 00:41:01,456
We've raised those concerns
with senior Russian

860
00:41:01,458 --> 00:41:06,198
officials and reminded them
of their responsibility,

861
00:41:06,197 --> 00:41:10,037
particularly when it
pertains to diplomats in

862
00:41:10,034 --> 00:41:10,964
Russia, of their
responsibility to protect

863
00:41:10,968 --> 00:41:12,968
those diplomats,
not to harass them.

864
00:41:12,970 --> 00:41:19,340
But I can't speak to any
specific presidential

865
00:41:19,343 --> 00:41:21,483
involvement other than to
confirm for you that he

866
00:41:21,478 --> 00:41:22,848
certainly is aware of it.

867
00:41:22,847 --> 00:41:27,387
Byron.

868
00:41:27,384 --> 00:41:28,114
The Press: Thanks, Josh.

869
00:41:28,118 --> 00:41:30,718
common for him to be
involved in preparing

870
00:41:30,721 --> 00:41:32,261
employees with a national
security portfolio

871
00:41:32,256 --> 00:41:34,926
for TV appearances?

872
00:41:34,925 --> 00:41:37,195
Mr. Earnest: Byron, it
was common for senior

873
00:41:37,194 --> 00:41:41,334
communications officials
in the White House to be

874
00:41:41,332 --> 00:41:43,602
involved in preparing senior
administration officials for

875
00:41:43,601 --> 00:41:44,471
television appearances.

876
00:41:44,468 --> 00:41:47,168
That was true in
the first term.

877
00:41:47,171 --> 00:41:48,501
It's been true in the
second term, as well.

878
00:41:48,505 --> 00:41:50,545
The Press: In her interview,
Susan Rice seemed to imply

879
00:41:50,541 --> 00:41:52,041
that that was unusual.

880
00:41:52,042 --> 00:41:54,342
David Plouffe's presence in
helping her prepare for that

881
00:41:54,345 --> 00:41:56,915
Sunday talk show had nothing
to do with the fact there

882
00:41:56,914 --> 00:41:59,284
was a hard-fought
presidential

883
00:41:59,283 --> 00:42:00,153
campaign underway?

884
00:42:00,150 --> 00:42:01,050
Mr. Earnest: No.

885
00:42:01,051 --> 00:42:04,591
I think the fact that
a senior communication

886
00:42:04,588 --> 00:42:08,558
official at the White House
was involved in a call to

887
00:42:08,559 --> 00:42:10,229
ensure that a senior
administration official was

888
00:42:10,227 --> 00:42:13,167
prepared for a television
appearance shouldn't be

889
00:42:13,163 --> 00:42:14,833
particularly surprising to
someone like you, who has

890
00:42:14,832 --> 00:42:16,372
closely covered
the White House.

891
00:42:16,367 --> 00:42:18,307
The Press: Can you
understand, at least, why

892
00:42:18,302 --> 00:42:19,972
there is some controversy
about what the

893
00:42:19,970 --> 00:42:23,340
administration was telling
the public at the time?

894
00:42:23,340 --> 00:42:24,280
Mr. Earnest: No.

895
00:42:24,275 --> 00:42:26,015
(laughter)

896
00:42:26,010 --> 00:42:26,640
I can't.

897
00:42:26,644 --> 00:42:27,244
The Press: Your
predecessor --

898
00:42:27,244 --> 00:42:28,174
Mr. Earnest: I can't.

899
00:42:28,178 --> 00:42:29,178
The Press: Your predecessor
stood up there three days

900
00:42:29,179 --> 00:42:32,219
after the attack and said,
"There is no information

901
00:42:32,216 --> 00:42:34,916
that suggests Benghazi was
preplanned attack," when

902
00:42:34,919 --> 00:42:37,559
three days earlier your
Secretary of State had

903
00:42:37,554 --> 00:42:41,324
emailed her daughter that
it clearly seemed to be a

904
00:42:41,325 --> 00:42:42,355
terrorist attack.

905
00:42:42,359 --> 00:42:44,459
And then a few days later,
you have State Department

906
00:42:44,461 --> 00:42:47,831
employees emailing each
other that Susan Rice was

907
00:42:47,831 --> 00:42:49,771
"off the reservation."

908
00:42:49,767 --> 00:42:53,937
In hindsight, were the
things the administration

909
00:42:53,938 --> 00:42:56,008
was saying in the days
after the attack incorrect?

910
00:42:56,006 --> 00:42:58,046
Should you have
been more judicious?

911
00:42:58,042 --> 00:42:59,272
Mr. Earnest: Byron, I think
I'm going to leave it to the

912
00:42:59,276 --> 00:43:04,846
Republicans on the House
Permanent Select Committee

913
00:43:04,848 --> 00:43:07,918
on Intelligence, who in
their report that was issued

914
00:43:07,918 --> 00:43:10,958
almost two years ago -- I'll
just quote from them to make

915
00:43:10,955 --> 00:43:12,355
this process a
little easier.

916
00:43:12,356 --> 00:43:16,026
They said, "The process
used to develop the talking

917
00:43:16,026 --> 00:43:20,636
points was flawed, but that
the talking points reflected

918
00:43:20,631 --> 00:43:23,371
the conflicting intelligence
assessments in the days

919
00:43:23,367 --> 00:43:25,237
immediately following
the crisis."

920
00:43:25,235 --> 00:43:29,305
They continued, "There was
absolutely no evidence in

921
00:43:29,306 --> 00:43:31,906
documents or testimony that
the intelligence community's

922
00:43:31,909 --> 00:43:35,209
assessments were politically
motivated in any way."

923
00:43:35,212 --> 00:43:36,912
It's not my statement.

924
00:43:36,914 --> 00:43:39,684
That is the statement
of House Republicans.

925
00:43:39,683 --> 00:43:42,483
I don't understand why
the current crop of House

926
00:43:42,486 --> 00:43:45,926
Republicans who are looking
at this matter didn't pay

927
00:43:45,923 --> 00:43:48,293
any attention to the
previous assessment of

928
00:43:48,292 --> 00:43:49,662
House Republicans.

929
00:43:49,660 --> 00:43:53,230
The previous assessment was
from House Republicans who

930
00:43:53,230 --> 00:43:57,770
serve on the Intelligence
Committee in the House.

931
00:43:57,768 --> 00:44:00,238
So I'll let you draw your
own conclusions on why a

932
00:44:00,237 --> 00:44:02,877
politically motivated
Benghazi committee may have

933
00:44:02,873 --> 00:44:05,643
reached a different
conclusion than Republicans

934
00:44:05,642 --> 00:44:08,942
who serve on the House
Intelligence Committee.

935
00:44:08,946 --> 00:44:11,886
The Press: But by saying
there's no information

936
00:44:11,882 --> 00:44:14,682
suggesting Benghazi was a
preplanned attack, that's

937
00:44:14,685 --> 00:44:16,925
different than saying
there's conflicting -- if he

938
00:44:16,920 --> 00:44:18,690
had come out and said,
there's a lot of conflicting

939
00:44:18,689 --> 00:44:20,289
information about this,
that's one thing.

940
00:44:20,290 --> 00:44:22,890
But you chose the
interpretation that's sort

941
00:44:22,893 --> 00:44:24,763
of most favorable
politically to

942
00:44:24,762 --> 00:44:25,792
the White House.

943
00:44:25,796 --> 00:44:28,366
Mr. Earnest: House
Republicans say there's no

944
00:44:28,365 --> 00:44:30,765
evidence in documents
or testimony that the

945
00:44:30,768 --> 00:44:32,508
intelligence community's
assessments were politically

946
00:44:32,503 --> 00:44:33,803
motivated in any way.

947
00:44:33,804 --> 00:44:36,244
So again, I think it is
really hard to argue with

948
00:44:36,240 --> 00:44:38,840
the conclusion of House
Republicans who serve on the

949
00:44:38,842 --> 00:44:40,012
intelligence committee who
concluded that there is no

950
00:44:40,010 --> 00:44:43,550
evidence of any political
motivation or interference.

951
00:44:43,547 --> 00:44:46,917
The Press: Being politically
motivated, though, is

952
00:44:46,917 --> 00:44:49,757
different from whether the
White House was sloppy in

953
00:44:49,753 --> 00:44:51,023
providing information after
-- in the days

954
00:44:51,021 --> 00:44:51,851
after the attack.

955
00:44:51,855 --> 00:44:53,355
Mr. Earnest: And again,
there's no evidence of that.

956
00:44:53,357 --> 00:44:56,227
The process used to develop
talking points was flawed.

957
00:44:56,226 --> 00:44:59,396
But the talking points
reflected the conflicting

958
00:44:59,396 --> 00:45:00,966
intelligence assessments
in the days immediately

959
00:45:00,964 --> 00:45:01,904
following the crisis.

960
00:45:01,899 --> 00:45:03,639
That's not my defense.

961
00:45:03,634 --> 00:45:05,104
That is actually the
conclusion of House

962
00:45:05,102 --> 00:45:06,702
Republicans who serve on the
Intelligence Committee in

963
00:45:06,703 --> 00:45:07,603
the House.

964
00:45:07,604 --> 00:45:10,404
The Press: Can I ask a
question on North America?

965
00:45:10,974 --> 00:45:14,414
The Press: Yesterday, during
the press call with the

966
00:45:14,411 --> 00:45:17,381
White House official on the
meeting, the bilateral that

967
00:45:17,381 --> 00:45:19,781
President Obama is going to
have with the President of

968
00:45:19,783 --> 00:45:22,323
Mexico tomorrow,
information, trade, energy,

969
00:45:22,319 --> 00:45:25,959
and other issues, but it was
an absence of human rights

970
00:45:25,956 --> 00:45:27,456
in Mexico.

971
00:45:27,458 --> 00:45:31,128
That's always been a very
important topic for the U.S.

972
00:45:31,128 --> 00:45:32,098
to discuss with Mexico.

973
00:45:32,096 --> 00:45:36,536
And the last few weeks has
been a very high crisis with

974
00:45:36,533 --> 00:45:38,073
human rights in Mexico.

975
00:45:38,068 --> 00:45:40,908
Is President Obama going to
ask the President of Mexico

976
00:45:40,904 --> 00:45:42,474
about the situation
of human rights?

977
00:45:42,473 --> 00:45:44,143
Mr. Earnest: Well, listen,
the President is looking

978
00:45:44,141 --> 00:45:45,741
forward to the opportunity
that he'll have to sit down

979
00:45:45,742 --> 00:45:47,942
with President PeĂąa
Nieto tomorrow.

980
00:45:47,945 --> 00:45:53,255
Mexico, obviously, is a
country with whom the United

981
00:45:53,250 --> 00:45:54,920
States has a critically
important relationship.

982
00:45:54,918 --> 00:45:59,458
That relationship has an
impact on a variety of

983
00:45:59,456 --> 00:46:03,456
aspects of American life.

984
00:46:03,460 --> 00:46:04,930
That includes our economy.

985
00:46:04,928 --> 00:46:06,228
That also includes
our culture.

986
00:46:06,230 --> 00:46:08,670
And the President is looking
forward to the opportunity

987
00:46:08,665 --> 00:46:09,605
to have that meeting.

988
00:46:09,600 --> 00:46:11,640
I don't have much of a
preview to share at this

989
00:46:11,635 --> 00:46:13,105
point, other than to tell
you that you'll have an

990
00:46:13,103 --> 00:46:16,303
opportunity to hear from the
two leaders tomorrow -- both

991
00:46:16,306 --> 00:46:18,446
at the beginning of their
bilateral meeting, but also

992
00:46:18,442 --> 00:46:21,342
in a trilateral news
conference that all three

993
00:46:21,345 --> 00:46:23,615
leaders will be
convening together.

994
00:46:23,614 --> 00:46:26,514
Obviously, human rights is
something that the President

995
00:46:26,517 --> 00:46:31,017
raises in his conversations
with leaders of countries

996
00:46:31,021 --> 00:46:32,121
around the world.

997
00:46:32,122 --> 00:46:38,062
And human rights is a
priority for this President,

998
00:46:38,061 --> 00:46:40,531
and advancing the cause of
human rights around the

999
00:46:40,531 --> 00:46:42,901
world is a priority
for this President.

1000
00:46:42,900 --> 00:46:47,340
But I don't have more of a
preview of that meeting to

1001
00:46:47,337 --> 00:46:48,207
share at this point.

1002
00:46:48,205 --> 00:46:50,905
The Press: It was also
mentioned that President

1003
00:46:50,908 --> 00:46:53,548
Obama is going to ask the
government of Mexico to

1004
00:46:53,544 --> 00:46:55,014
reduce the
production of heroin.

1005
00:46:55,012 --> 00:47:00,152
And today the DEA released
the new heroin threat

1006
00:47:00,150 --> 00:47:03,850
assessment, saying that the
number of Americans who die

1007
00:47:03,854 --> 00:47:08,024
of an overdose of heroin
tripled in the last four years.

1008
00:47:08,025 --> 00:47:14,135
My question is, since to the
Mexicans, that it's also the

1009
00:47:14,131 --> 00:47:15,461
failure of the U.S.

1010
00:47:15,465 --> 00:47:18,665
government to attack the
problem of consumption and

1011
00:47:18,669 --> 00:47:22,669
the amount of heroin, it's
not just Mexico to blame of

1012
00:47:22,673 --> 00:47:25,173
production of heroin.

1013
00:47:25,175 --> 00:47:27,415
It's also the consumption
and the demand of the drug

1014
00:47:27,411 --> 00:47:29,381
in the U.S.

1015
00:47:29,379 --> 00:47:32,119
How do you respond to that
question of the Mexicans?

1016
00:47:32,115 --> 00:47:33,655
Mr. Earnest: Well, I guess
I would respond to it in a

1017
00:47:33,650 --> 00:47:34,550
couple of ways.

1018
00:47:34,551 --> 00:47:39,191
The first is, the United
States is obviously taking

1019
00:47:39,189 --> 00:47:43,489
quite seriously our efforts
to combat the drug trade.

1020
00:47:43,493 --> 00:47:47,263
We've been able to work
effectively with the Mexican

1021
00:47:47,264 --> 00:47:51,864
government to fight the flow
of drugs coming over the

1022
00:47:51,868 --> 00:47:53,568
border from Mexico.

1023
00:47:53,570 --> 00:47:55,570
But we obviously believe
that there is more that

1024
00:47:55,572 --> 00:47:59,142
Mexico can and should do
to assist in that effort.

1025
00:47:59,142 --> 00:48:01,382
We also believe that there
is more that the United

1026
00:48:01,378 --> 00:48:06,188
States can and should do to
treat heroin addiction in

1027
00:48:06,183 --> 00:48:09,553
this country as more than
just a law enforcement problem.

1028
00:48:09,553 --> 00:48:12,093
And the President has put
forward a very specific set

1029
00:48:12,089 --> 00:48:18,299
of ideas about how to expand
access to health care so

1030
00:48:18,295 --> 00:48:21,135
that people who are addicted
to opioids and heroin can

1031
00:48:21,131 --> 00:48:22,631
get treatment.

1032
00:48:22,633 --> 00:48:25,073
And, unfortunately, we
have not seen additional

1033
00:48:25,068 --> 00:48:28,168
resources committed by
Republicans in Congress,

1034
00:48:28,171 --> 00:48:31,771
despite repeated
requests to do so.

1035
00:48:31,775 --> 00:48:36,145
And, in fact, the President
put forward in his budget

1036
00:48:36,146 --> 00:48:41,156
proposal a very specific,
funded, paid-for plan to

1037
00:48:41,151 --> 00:48:44,821
expand access to drug
treatment programs

1038
00:48:44,821 --> 00:48:45,591
in this country.

1039
00:48:45,589 --> 00:48:48,189
And as you will recall,
House Republicans and Senate

1040
00:48:48,191 --> 00:48:51,661
Republicans, for the first
time in 40 years, *[didn't]

1041
00:48:51,662 --> 00:48:54,062
agree to even have a hearing
on the President's budget.

1042
00:48:54,064 --> 00:48:57,734
So it's not just that
Republicans have blocked

1043
00:48:57,734 --> 00:48:59,934
that funding, they won't
even talk about it.

1044
00:48:59,936 --> 00:49:01,736
And that's unfortunate
because we know that the

1045
00:49:01,738 --> 00:49:06,348
heroin and opioids addiction
problems in this country are

1046
00:49:06,343 --> 00:49:11,153
significant and are having
an impact on not just lives,

1047
00:49:11,148 --> 00:49:12,988
but communities
across the country.

1048
00:49:12,983 --> 00:49:16,683
And there certainly is more
that we can do expand access

1049
00:49:16,687 --> 00:49:19,587
to health care, to expand
access to treatment

1050
00:49:19,589 --> 00:49:22,859
programs, and reduce the
demand for heroin in the

1051
00:49:22,859 --> 00:49:24,099
United States.

1052
00:49:24,094 --> 00:49:26,134
That would absolutely have a
positive impact on our law

1053
00:49:26,129 --> 00:49:27,129
enforcement efforts.

1054
00:49:27,130 --> 00:49:30,600
It also would have a
positive impact on the lives

1055
00:49:30,600 --> 00:49:37,470
of the people who are --
have been so deeply affected

1056
00:49:37,474 --> 00:49:41,444
in a negative way by
this kind of addiction.

1057
00:49:41,445 --> 00:49:42,515
Margaret.

1058
00:49:42,512 --> 00:49:44,712
The Press: Josh, I do have
a question about the summit

1059
00:49:44,715 --> 00:49:47,715
tomorrow, but first I want
to ask about Benghazi.

1060
00:49:47,718 --> 00:49:51,758
There does seem to be at
least one thing that both

1061
00:49:51,755 --> 00:49:53,725
the Democrats and
Republicans agree on when it

1062
00:49:53,724 --> 00:49:54,524
comes to this probe.

1063
00:49:54,524 --> 00:49:55,964
Mr. Earnest: That it's
politically motivated.

1064
00:49:55,959 --> 00:49:59,029
The Press: Well, the
Democrats in their probe, as

1065
00:49:59,029 --> 00:50:00,799
well, I'm talking about, and
the report they

1066
00:50:00,797 --> 00:50:01,427
released yesterday --

1067
00:50:01,431 --> 00:50:02,061
Mr. Earnest: Okay.

1068
00:50:02,065 --> 00:50:04,565
The Press: -- pointing out
that security was "woefully

1069
00:50:04,568 --> 00:50:07,638
inadequate" in Benghazi.

1070
00:50:07,637 --> 00:50:09,807
That was the language
used by Democrats.

1071
00:50:09,806 --> 00:50:11,646
They also pointed to
intelligence failures in the

1072
00:50:11,641 --> 00:50:13,811
Republican report.

1073
00:50:13,810 --> 00:50:17,180
So my question is whether
the White House is satisfied

1074
00:50:17,180 --> 00:50:21,250
that those failures have
been adequately addressed by

1075
00:50:21,251 --> 00:50:23,721
the State Department
and other agencies.

1076
00:50:23,720 --> 00:50:27,060
I mean, are American
diplomats abroad any safer now?

1077
00:50:27,057 --> 00:50:29,497
Mr. Earnest: Well, again, I
think what I would go back

1078
00:50:29,493 --> 00:50:33,733
to is the Accountability
Review Board.

1079
00:50:33,730 --> 00:50:37,600
This was an independent
group of professionals, of

1080
00:50:37,601 --> 00:50:40,641
experts, that was created
by Secretary Clinton, was

1081
00:50:40,637 --> 00:50:44,507
chaired by Admiral Mullen --

1082
00:50:44,508 --> 00:50:46,078
The Press: Congressionally
mandated, though -- they're

1083
00:50:46,076 --> 00:50:48,016
required to.

1084
00:50:48,011 --> 00:50:50,681
But I take your point,
people were on it.

1085
00:50:50,680 --> 00:50:52,380
Mr. Earnest: But they're
basically our experts who

1086
00:50:52,382 --> 00:50:54,082
took an independent
look at the situation.

1087
00:50:54,084 --> 00:50:56,454
These are individuals
like Admiral Mike Mullen,

1088
00:50:56,453 --> 00:50:58,993
Ambassador Thomas Pickering,
a diplomat who served under

1089
00:50:58,989 --> 00:51:03,189
both Presidents, and they
took a careful look at this.

1090
00:51:03,193 --> 00:51:06,593
They put forward 29 specific
recommendations that should

1091
00:51:06,596 --> 00:51:08,636
be implemented by the State
Department to improve

1092
00:51:08,632 --> 00:51:12,002
security at facilities
around the globe and to

1093
00:51:12,002 --> 00:51:14,472
address other concerns
that were raised by this

1094
00:51:14,471 --> 00:51:15,911
particular incident.

1095
00:51:15,906 --> 00:51:17,746
The State Department has
implemented all of them.

1096
00:51:17,741 --> 00:51:19,741
So, again, this is something
that happened years ago.

1097
00:51:19,743 --> 00:51:23,783
That's why it's hard to take
very seriously the charges

1098
00:51:23,780 --> 00:51:27,880
that are being leveled by
Republicans in Congress.

1099
00:51:27,884 --> 00:51:31,524
The Press: State said they
implemented 26 of the 29

1100
00:51:31,521 --> 00:51:32,521
recommendations.

1101
00:51:32,522 --> 00:51:34,522
But that aside, I mean,
bigger picture, is the White

1102
00:51:34,524 --> 00:51:35,394
House satisfied?

1103
00:51:35,392 --> 00:51:36,932
Mr. Earnest: Twenty-six have
been completed, the other

1104
00:51:36,927 --> 00:51:38,397
three are in the process
of being implemented.

1105
00:51:38,395 --> 00:51:42,735
The Press: Are American
diplomats abroad safer now?

1106
00:51:42,732 --> 00:51:44,872
Mr. Earnest: Yes,
absolutely, because these

1107
00:51:44,868 --> 00:51:51,438
recommendations have been or
are being implemented by the

1108
00:51:51,441 --> 00:51:52,241
State Department.

1109
00:51:52,242 --> 00:51:54,582
The Press: And when it
comes to the intelligence

1110
00:51:54,578 --> 00:51:57,478
failures, you think those
have also been adequately

1111
00:51:57,481 --> 00:51:59,721
addressed in terms of those
laid out by Secretary

1112
00:51:59,716 --> 00:52:03,186
Panetta and other
agency leaders?

1113
00:52:03,186 --> 00:52:04,856
Mr. Earnest: Yes, I have
full confidence that the

1114
00:52:04,855 --> 00:52:06,595
kinds of reforms that we
would like to see after an

1115
00:52:06,590 --> 00:52:09,660
incident like this have been
implemented in a way that

1116
00:52:09,659 --> 00:52:11,799
has enhanced our national
security, that has enhanced

1117
00:52:11,795 --> 00:52:13,295
the safety of diplomats
around the globe.

1118
00:52:13,296 --> 00:52:15,596
That's the kind of response
that you would expect if

1119
00:52:15,599 --> 00:52:17,499
there was a genuine interest
in trying to address the

1120
00:52:17,501 --> 00:52:20,171
tragedy to make the country
safer -- to learn lessons

1121
00:52:20,170 --> 00:52:22,140
and make sure that something
like that didn't happen

1122
00:52:22,138 --> 00:52:24,538
again, or at least take as
many steps as possible to

1123
00:52:24,541 --> 00:52:27,181
prevent something like
that from happening again.

1124
00:52:27,177 --> 00:52:28,617
If you're interested in
politics, what you do is you

1125
00:52:28,612 --> 00:52:32,112
spend basically the three
or four years after the

1126
00:52:32,115 --> 00:52:36,925
incident basically trying to
drum up conspiracy theories

1127
00:52:36,920 --> 00:52:39,560
that never really pan out,
and releasing high-profile

1128
00:52:39,556 --> 00:52:41,626
reports that even
Republicans themselves

1129
00:52:41,625 --> 00:52:45,595
acknowledged are motivated
at attacking a prominent

1130
00:52:45,595 --> 00:52:46,465
Democratic politician.

1131
00:52:46,463 --> 00:52:48,263
That's unfortunate.

1132
00:52:48,265 --> 00:52:51,635
And that certainly is
a disrespectful way to

1133
00:52:51,635 --> 00:52:56,035
recognize and memorialize
the death of four innocent

1134
00:52:56,039 --> 00:52:58,479
Americans who were serving
their country overseas.

1135
00:52:58,475 --> 00:53:00,975
The Press: Last on Benghazi.

1136
00:53:00,977 --> 00:53:04,077
Your feelings are very
clear, but bigger picture,

1137
00:53:04,080 --> 00:53:08,150
do you think there is any
public interest that was

1138
00:53:08,151 --> 00:53:10,451
served to have gone through
what was supposed to be this

1139
00:53:10,453 --> 00:53:12,223
select committee
bipartisan probe?

1140
00:53:12,222 --> 00:53:14,962
I mean, some would argue
that this was how evidence

1141
00:53:14,958 --> 00:53:19,058
was revealed in regard to
Secretary Clinton using a

1142
00:53:19,062 --> 00:53:22,302
private email server for
government business -- it

1143
00:53:22,299 --> 00:53:25,439
all sort of -- the scandals
melded together there in

1144
00:53:25,435 --> 00:53:26,735
some way.

1145
00:53:26,736 --> 00:53:30,076
But some would say, hey, at
least that was something

1146
00:53:30,073 --> 00:53:32,413
that perhaps is in the
public interest, given that

1147
00:53:32,409 --> 00:53:35,249
there's still an FBI
investigation underway in

1148
00:53:35,245 --> 00:53:36,945
regard to that
particular point.

1149
00:53:36,947 --> 00:53:40,217
Mr. Earnest: Look, I think
what I would simply have to

1150
00:53:40,216 --> 00:53:43,656
say about this is that it is
clear that Republicans had

1151
00:53:43,653 --> 00:53:46,953
to work really hard to make
the eighth installment of

1152
00:53:46,957 --> 00:53:49,397
this series interesting.

1153
00:53:49,392 --> 00:53:53,802
I think Hollywood producers
would be happy to tell you

1154
00:53:53,797 --> 00:53:55,697
how difficult it
is to sell sequels.

1155
00:53:55,699 --> 00:53:59,269
And by the time you're
around to the eighth one,

1156
00:53:59,269 --> 00:54:03,109
you have to find ways to add
high-speed car chases and

1157
00:54:03,106 --> 00:54:06,776
more explosions, but that
doesn't make them any more

1158
00:54:06,776 --> 00:54:09,376
useful to the public.

1159
00:54:09,379 --> 00:54:11,179
It may make them more
entertaining to the audience

1160
00:54:11,181 --> 00:54:13,881
that you're trying to appeal
to, and we know there's a

1161
00:54:13,883 --> 00:54:15,953
very clear partisan audience
that Republicans are trying

1162
00:54:15,952 --> 00:54:19,552
to appeal to, but I think
it's pretty hard for any

1163
00:54:19,556 --> 00:54:24,056
Republican or a Democrat,
for that matter, to make the

1164
00:54:24,060 --> 00:54:26,860
case that useful, additional
information has been yielded

1165
00:54:26,863 --> 00:54:29,933
in the context of the
Benghazi committee's years'

1166
00:54:29,933 --> 00:54:38,413
long probe of this
particular situation.

1167
00:54:38,408 --> 00:54:41,278
The Press: On the summit
tomorrow, Canada today

1168
00:54:41,277 --> 00:54:44,877
lifted visa requirements on
Mexicans traveling there,

1169
00:54:44,881 --> 00:54:47,481
making it easier for
Mexicans to visit Canada.

1170
00:54:47,484 --> 00:54:51,584
Is President Obama looking
at a similar or any kind of

1171
00:54:51,588 --> 00:54:55,388
sort of confidence-building
gesture, given the talk

1172
00:54:55,392 --> 00:54:56,722
right now about building
walls, rather than making it

1173
00:54:56,726 --> 00:54:59,066
easier for Mexicans to
come to the United States?

1174
00:54:59,062 --> 00:55:00,802
Mr. Earnest: I don't have
any announcements to make in

1175
00:55:00,797 --> 00:55:03,397
terms of our
immigration policies.

1176
00:55:03,400 --> 00:55:11,340
Obviously the ability of the
United States and Mexico to

1177
00:55:11,341 --> 00:55:19,251
do business, to give
Americans and Mexicans the

1178
00:55:19,249 --> 00:55:23,189
opportunity to visit our
respective countries for

1179
00:55:23,186 --> 00:55:24,926
tourism or for other
purposes is something that

1180
00:55:24,921 --> 00:55:28,821
makes a substantial and
positive contribution to our

1181
00:55:28,825 --> 00:55:31,065
economy and economic growth.

1182
00:55:31,061 --> 00:55:34,361
So maintaining those
ties is important.

1183
00:55:34,364 --> 00:55:37,004
But what the President has
also said is that securing

1184
00:55:37,000 --> 00:55:39,840
the border is important, and
that's why, under President

1185
00:55:39,836 --> 00:55:44,176
Obama's leadership, we have
made an historic investment

1186
00:55:44,174 --> 00:55:48,874
in resources and personnel
to secure the border between

1187
00:55:48,878 --> 00:55:50,518
the United States
and Mexico.

1188
00:55:50,513 --> 00:55:52,313
But we certainly want to do
that in a way that doesn't

1189
00:55:52,315 --> 00:55:55,715
unnecessarily inhibit lawful
travel between our two

1190
00:55:55,719 --> 00:55:59,389
countries because we know
that kind of travel and

1191
00:55:59,389 --> 00:56:00,489
those kinds of exchanges
have positive economic

1192
00:56:00,490 --> 00:56:03,730
benefits for both countries.

1193
00:56:03,727 --> 00:56:05,467
The Press: The Mexican
President has obviously

1194
00:56:05,462 --> 00:56:06,732
watched television.

1195
00:56:06,730 --> 00:56:09,830
-- made public comments in
his own country, expressing

1196
00:56:09,833 --> 00:56:12,433
a lot of concern about some
of the rhetoric being used

1197
00:56:12,435 --> 00:56:13,265
by Donald Trump.

1198
00:56:13,269 --> 00:56:15,509
Will President Obama
directly address some of

1199
00:56:15,505 --> 00:56:18,775
that in his conversation
with the Mexican

1200
00:56:18,775 --> 00:56:19,845
President tomorrow?

1201
00:56:19,843 --> 00:56:22,513
I mean, is he in any way,
broadly speaking, trying to

1202
00:56:22,512 --> 00:56:25,112
strengthen the relationship
with Mexico ahead

1203
00:56:25,115 --> 00:56:26,955
of this election?

1204
00:56:26,950 --> 00:56:29,250
Mr. Earnest: Well, I think
the President has spoken

1205
00:56:29,252 --> 00:56:33,222
before about how world
leaders have certainly made

1206
00:56:33,223 --> 00:56:37,193
note of the debate on
the campaign trail.

1207
00:56:37,193 --> 00:56:42,003
The President has made clear
that the impact of that

1208
00:56:41,998 --> 00:56:45,238
debate has not been entirely
positive when it comes to

1209
00:56:45,235 --> 00:56:48,175
the international perception
of the United States.

1210
00:56:48,171 --> 00:56:55,211
But the President, as he has
done many times publicly,

1211
00:56:55,211 --> 00:57:00,981
has privately assured other
world leaders of the wisdom

1212
00:57:00,984 --> 00:57:02,114
of the American people.

1213
00:57:02,118 --> 00:57:04,358
The Press: So Donald Trump,
in short, will come up in

1214
00:57:04,354 --> 00:57:06,454
terms of trying
to reassure him?

1215
00:57:06,456 --> 00:57:07,356
Mr. Earnest: Well,
again, that's not on the

1216
00:57:07,357 --> 00:57:08,757
President's agenda
tomorrow, but --

1217
00:57:08,758 --> 00:57:12,798
The Press: But immigration,
refugees, all of those

1218
00:57:12,796 --> 00:57:14,466
issues are on the table.

1219
00:57:14,464 --> 00:57:16,834
The Mexican President has
compared Trump to Mussolini

1220
00:57:16,833 --> 00:57:17,503
and Hitler.

1221
00:57:17,500 --> 00:57:19,600
I mean, his views
are pretty clear.

1222
00:57:19,602 --> 00:57:20,472
Mr. Earnest: I think that's
why I'm not denying that

1223
00:57:20,470 --> 00:57:21,540
it's going to come up.

1224
00:57:21,538 --> 00:57:23,708
I'm just saying that the
President's agenda

1225
00:57:23,706 --> 00:57:24,376
will be different.

1226
00:57:24,374 --> 00:57:25,874
But we'll see.

1227
00:57:25,875 --> 00:57:27,775
You'll have an opportunity
to hear from the leaders

1228
00:57:27,777 --> 00:57:29,577
tomorrow, and they can tell
you whether or not they

1229
00:57:29,579 --> 00:57:30,079
discussed it.

1230
00:57:30,079 --> 00:57:31,549
Karen.

1231
00:57:31,548 --> 00:57:33,648
The Press: Josh,
back to Zika.

1232
00:57:33,650 --> 00:57:35,050
You say that there already
isn't enough funding there

1233
00:57:35,051 --> 00:57:37,921
for public health officials
and public health agencies.

1234
00:57:37,921 --> 00:57:45,531
All indications are now that
nothing will get done, as

1235
00:57:45,528 --> 00:57:46,458
you just went through to the
earlier question, but is

1236
00:57:46,462 --> 00:57:47,632
there a backup plan right
now to find funds somewhere

1237
00:57:47,630 --> 00:57:53,400
else as there was done the
Ebola funding -- take money

1238
00:57:53,403 --> 00:57:55,373
from somewhere and apply it
to this, given how urgent

1239
00:57:55,371 --> 00:57:56,441
you keep saying this?

1240
00:57:56,439 --> 00:57:58,979
Mr. Earnest: Well, again,
our backup plan has already

1241
00:57:58,975 --> 00:58:00,575
been deployed.

1242
00:58:00,577 --> 00:58:04,717
And you'll recall that it
was four months ago that the

1243
00:58:04,714 --> 00:58:06,984
administration put forward
a very specific legislative

1244
00:58:06,983 --> 00:58:11,823
proposal, written by public
health experts, detailing

1245
00:58:11,821 --> 00:58:14,861
for Congress exactly
what was necessary to do

1246
00:58:14,858 --> 00:58:17,628
everything possible to
protect the American people

1247
00:58:17,627 --> 00:58:18,497
from the Zika virus.

1248
00:58:18,494 --> 00:58:20,594
And Congress hasn't acted.

1249
00:58:20,597 --> 00:58:26,237
Democrats have been eager to
act on that proposal, but

1250
00:58:26,236 --> 00:58:26,736
Republicans have blocked it.

1251
00:58:26,736 --> 00:58:30,076
Republicans have turned yet
another critical matter into

1252
00:58:30,073 --> 00:58:37,483
a partisan tool, and
that's unfortunate.

1253
00:58:37,480 --> 00:58:45,520
But, look, I don't have any
additional information about

1254
00:58:45,521 --> 00:58:47,461
other potential steps that
could be used to find

1255
00:58:47,457 --> 00:58:48,897
additional funding for this.

1256
00:58:48,892 --> 00:58:50,592
That's why Congress
needs to act.

1257
00:58:50,593 --> 00:58:52,633
That's why this is
Congress's responsibility to

1258
00:58:52,629 --> 00:58:56,669
ensure that the necessary
resources are provided to

1259
00:58:56,666 --> 00:59:02,976
develop vaccines, to develop
diagnostics, to expand lab

1260
00:59:02,972 --> 00:59:11,412
capacity, to educate the
public about steps they can

1261
00:59:11,414 --> 00:59:12,084
take to protect themselves.

1262
00:59:12,081 --> 00:59:12,951
There are certainly
additional resources that

1263
00:59:12,949 --> 00:59:14,419
can be deployed to fight
mosquito populations in

1264
00:59:14,417 --> 00:59:15,957
local communities
across the country.

1265
00:59:15,952 --> 00:59:18,522
We've got state and
local officials who are

1266
00:59:18,521 --> 00:59:20,521
practically begging for
additional resources to do a

1267
00:59:20,523 --> 00:59:22,723
better job of fighting
the mosquito population.

1268
00:59:22,725 --> 00:59:26,025
But those calls from
Democratic and Republican

1269
00:59:26,029 --> 00:59:28,869
officials alike are falling
on deaf ears when it comes

1270
00:59:28,865 --> 00:59:30,405
to Republicans in Congress.

1271
00:59:30,400 --> 00:59:31,500
The Press: You've been
ringing the alarms now for

1272
00:59:31,501 --> 00:59:35,141
weeks, if not months, when
the initial request for

1273
00:59:35,138 --> 00:59:35,868
funding went out.

1274
00:59:35,872 --> 00:59:38,212
But is there more that the
White House could be doing?

1275
00:59:38,207 --> 00:59:41,147
Could the President be doing
more hands-on talking to

1276
00:59:41,144 --> 00:59:42,684
members of Congress on this?

1277
00:59:42,679 --> 00:59:45,219
Is the Vice President making
calls up on the Hill and

1278
00:59:45,214 --> 00:59:47,054
pushing for this?

1279
00:59:47,050 --> 00:59:48,650
I mean, you keep saying how
urgent it is, but besides us

1280
00:59:48,651 --> 00:59:51,191
asking questions and you
talking about it, what else

1281
00:59:51,187 --> 00:59:52,627
is being done that
we don't know about?

1282
00:59:52,622 --> 00:59:54,162
Mr. Earnest: I guess the
question I would have is,

1283
00:59:54,157 --> 00:59:57,327
why should the President be
in the position of twisting

1284
00:59:57,327 --> 01:00:00,167
Republican arms in Congress
to do something that our

1285
01:00:00,163 --> 01:00:03,433
public health professionals
say is necessary to address

1286
01:00:03,433 --> 01:00:05,403
a public health emergency?

1287
01:00:05,401 --> 01:00:08,841
So the President has had a
number of conversations, and

1288
01:00:08,838 --> 01:00:12,778
I'm confident that he will
moving forward, but it's

1289
01:00:12,775 --> 01:00:18,685
pretty obvious what's
happening here.

1290
01:00:18,681 --> 01:00:21,021
The Republicans are refusing
to embrace their basic

1291
01:00:21,017 --> 01:00:23,217
responsibility to ensure
that our public health

1292
01:00:23,219 --> 01:00:25,959
professionals have the
funding that they need to do

1293
01:00:25,955 --> 01:00:28,225
everything possible to
protect the American people.

1294
01:00:28,224 --> 01:00:33,234
And I don't know why
Republicans won't act.

1295
01:00:33,229 --> 01:00:39,139
But they'll have to explain
that to their constituents

1296
01:00:39,135 --> 01:00:39,735
I suppose.

1297
01:00:39,736 --> 01:00:43,106
Rich.

1298
01:00:43,106 --> 01:00:46,906
The Press: Josh, in the
first part of the Republican

1299
01:00:46,909 --> 01:00:48,109
comment that you read
in response to Byron's

1300
01:00:48,111 --> 01:00:51,311
question, you cited the
Republicans said the

1301
01:00:51,314 --> 01:00:53,754
talking-point
development was flawed.

1302
01:00:53,750 --> 01:00:54,820
Was it?

1303
01:00:54,817 --> 01:00:57,317
Do you sign on to that
part of their statement?

1304
01:00:57,320 --> 01:01:00,490
Mr. Earnest: Well, I think
there's a -- it has long

1305
01:01:00,490 --> 01:01:03,290
been acknowledged that there
were conflicting assessments

1306
01:01:03,292 --> 01:01:04,492
from the intelligence
community in the days after

1307
01:01:04,494 --> 01:01:06,434
this particular incident.

1308
01:01:06,429 --> 01:01:09,229
I think that's something
that the intelligence

1309
01:01:09,232 --> 01:01:10,702
community has testified to.

1310
01:01:10,700 --> 01:01:12,900
The Press: The posture,
the answer from the

1311
01:01:12,902 --> 01:01:14,802
administration wasn't
necessarily conflicting --

1312
01:01:14,804 --> 01:01:17,874
it was largely
focused on this video.

1313
01:01:17,874 --> 01:01:22,014
That didn't come across
publicly, at least in what

1314
01:01:22,011 --> 01:01:23,951
we had heard in the
interviews following the

1315
01:01:23,946 --> 01:01:26,116
event on September 11th.

1316
01:01:26,115 --> 01:01:27,255
Mr. Earnest: But I think the
difference here, Rich, is

1317
01:01:27,250 --> 01:01:29,150
that Republicans have
suggested that there is a

1318
01:01:29,152 --> 01:01:30,022
political motive.

1319
01:01:30,019 --> 01:01:31,689
Republicans in the context
of this committee have

1320
01:01:31,687 --> 01:01:33,327
suggested that there is
a political motive when

1321
01:01:33,322 --> 01:01:35,562
writing the talking points.

1322
01:01:35,558 --> 01:01:37,698
But House Republicans who
serve on the intelligence

1323
01:01:37,693 --> 01:01:39,863
community -- on the
Intelligence Committee in

1324
01:01:39,862 --> 01:01:43,332
the House say that there was
no evidence to substantiate

1325
01:01:43,332 --> 01:01:44,302
that claim.

1326
01:01:44,300 --> 01:01:46,170
The Press: So taking your
point that it's not -- that

1327
01:01:46,169 --> 01:01:47,269
you say that it's not
political, was it

1328
01:01:47,270 --> 01:01:48,370
flawed, though?

1329
01:01:48,371 --> 01:01:50,441
Was the process flawed and
were the points flawed?

1330
01:01:50,440 --> 01:01:51,510
Mr. Earnest: Well, again,
I think the Intelligence

1331
01:01:51,507 --> 01:01:53,447
Committee -- the
intelligence community, even

1332
01:01:53,443 --> 01:01:55,543
in testifying here, has
acknowledged that there was

1333
01:01:55,545 --> 01:01:58,515
conflicting intelligence
information that they were

1334
01:01:58,514 --> 01:02:00,084
sifting through in the
immediate aftermath

1335
01:02:00,083 --> 01:02:00,783
of the attack.

1336
01:02:00,783 --> 01:02:03,253
I don't think that's new.

1337
01:02:03,252 --> 01:02:05,352
I also think given the
chaotic situation that was

1338
01:02:05,354 --> 01:02:07,594
unfolding, I don't think
it's particularly surprising

1339
01:02:07,590 --> 01:02:09,060
to hear that that might
have been the case.

1340
01:02:09,058 --> 01:02:11,358
The Press: And in discussing
the briefing and you talking

1341
01:02:11,360 --> 01:02:17,800
about it with Byron,
Republicans point out who

1342
01:02:17,800 --> 01:02:19,270
wasn't in the briefing.

1343
01:02:19,268 --> 01:02:23,268
They say the administration
did not have DOD, FBI, CIA

1344
01:02:23,272 --> 01:02:26,012
-- not on that private call
with Ben Rhodes and David

1345
01:02:26,008 --> 01:02:28,848
Plouffe the night before the
Sunday show appearances.

1346
01:02:28,845 --> 01:02:34,285
Would it be -- why not?

1347
01:02:34,283 --> 01:02:39,393
And how and when did
Ambassador Rice get an

1348
01:02:39,388 --> 01:02:41,188
intelligence assessment
before appearing to

1349
01:02:41,190 --> 01:02:44,630
essentially be the face of
the description for what had

1350
01:02:44,627 --> 01:02:46,467
happened from the
administration's point of view?

1351
01:02:46,462 --> 01:02:50,162
Mr. Earnest: Rich, I think
what is pretty clear is --

1352
01:02:50,166 --> 01:02:55,106
and, again, this is
something that is backed up

1353
01:02:55,104 --> 01:02:58,774
by conclusions reached by
Republicans in one of the

1354
01:02:58,774 --> 01:02:59,474
seven previous
investigations that they

1355
01:02:59,475 --> 01:03:01,845
have done -- is that there
was no political effort to

1356
01:03:01,844 --> 01:03:03,684
manipulate the information
that was presented.

1357
01:03:03,679 --> 01:03:07,449
There is no evidence to
substantiate that claim.

1358
01:03:07,450 --> 01:03:09,620
I recognize it has not
prevented Republicans from

1359
01:03:09,619 --> 01:03:12,119
continuing to make that
claim, but they do so

1360
01:03:12,121 --> 01:03:13,591
without any shred
of evidence.

1361
01:03:13,589 --> 01:03:18,959
The Press: And discussing
the politicization of it in

1362
01:03:18,961 --> 01:03:21,461
your remarks at the top of
the briefing, you talked

1363
01:03:21,464 --> 01:03:23,464
about the RNC
reimbursing taxpayers.

1364
01:03:23,466 --> 01:03:26,266
Mr. Earnest: Just disclosing
the in-kind contribution I

1365
01:03:26,269 --> 01:03:27,299
think would be enough.

1366
01:03:27,303 --> 01:03:29,403
The Press: In the Democrats'
version of the report, they

1367
01:03:29,405 --> 01:03:31,905
mentioned the presumptive
Republican nominee 23 times.

1368
01:03:31,908 --> 01:03:32,978
Isn't that political?

1369
01:03:32,975 --> 01:03:34,515
Mr. Earnest: Look, I think
you'd have to ask the House

1370
01:03:34,510 --> 01:03:36,110
Democrats about
their report.

1371
01:03:36,112 --> 01:03:40,212
I think what is clear is
that the would-be Speaker of

1372
01:03:40,216 --> 01:03:41,486
the House acknowledged
that the reason that this

1373
01:03:41,484 --> 01:03:43,784
committee was formed was
to drive down Secretary

1374
01:03:43,786 --> 01:03:46,186
Clinton's poll numbers.

1375
01:03:46,189 --> 01:03:48,389
Congressman Richard Hanna
from upstate New York

1376
01:03:48,391 --> 01:03:51,761
indicated that the whole
purpose of this committee

1377
01:03:51,761 --> 01:03:52,331
was to go after
Secretary Clinton.

1378
01:03:52,328 --> 01:03:54,998
So, again, you're certainly
welcome to quote me in

1379
01:03:54,997 --> 01:03:57,667
talking about the political
motivations of the

1380
01:03:57,667 --> 01:04:03,107
Republicans in Congress
when looking at this issue.

1381
01:04:03,105 --> 01:04:04,645
But if you're skeptical and
you think that I have a

1382
01:04:04,640 --> 01:04:06,540
partisan bias, then I would
encourage you to look at

1383
01:04:06,542 --> 01:04:10,112
leading Republicans who
serve in the House of

1384
01:04:10,112 --> 01:04:12,512
Representatives, who say
that the activities of their

1385
01:04:12,515 --> 01:04:15,015
fellow Republicans in the
House of Representatives are

1386
01:04:15,017 --> 01:04:17,757
politically motivated and
merely an attempt to drive

1387
01:04:17,753 --> 01:04:19,393
down Secretary
Clinton's poll numbers.

1388
01:04:19,388 --> 01:04:22,658
The Press: And does the
administration regret any

1389
01:04:22,658 --> 01:04:25,558
decisions made up to,
during, or after?

1390
01:04:25,561 --> 01:04:29,101
Anything it thinks it could
have done differently?

1391
01:04:29,098 --> 01:04:29,928
Mr. Earnest: Well, I think,
Rich, the fact that the

1392
01:04:29,932 --> 01:04:33,472
Accountability Review Board
found 25 -- or 29 reforms

1393
01:04:33,469 --> 01:04:36,569
that needed to be
implemented I think is an

1394
01:04:36,572 --> 01:04:39,012
indication that, yes, there
are some reforms that

1395
01:04:39,008 --> 01:04:39,938
were necessary.

1396
01:04:39,942 --> 01:04:44,852
And the President certainly
has prioritized the safety

1397
01:04:44,847 --> 01:04:46,617
and security of Americans
who are serving our country

1398
01:04:46,616 --> 01:04:48,416
around the globe, whether
that is in uniform or in our

1399
01:04:48,417 --> 01:04:50,017
diplomatic corps.

1400
01:04:50,019 --> 01:04:53,359
So the administration is
taking quite seriously the

1401
01:04:53,356 --> 01:04:56,126
need to implement these
reforms, and as Margaret

1402
01:04:56,125 --> 01:04:58,065
pointed out, almost all of
them have been implemented

1403
01:04:58,060 --> 01:05:00,030
and the three that haven't
been yet are in the process

1404
01:05:00,029 --> 01:05:01,099
of being implemented.

1405
01:05:01,097 --> 01:05:04,197
So I think that is a pretty
clear indication that this

1406
01:05:04,200 --> 01:05:06,340
administration has set
aside politics and actually

1407
01:05:06,335 --> 01:05:08,075
focused on what can make the
country and our

1408
01:05:08,070 --> 01:05:09,540
diplomats safer.

1409
01:05:09,538 --> 01:05:13,008
And we've taken concrete
steps to follow that advice.

1410
01:05:13,009 --> 01:05:14,439
But here's the thing.

1411
01:05:14,443 --> 01:05:17,213
That is advice that we
received almost three years

1412
01:05:17,213 --> 01:05:20,583
ago, and that is advice
that we are implementing to

1413
01:05:20,583 --> 01:05:22,723
protect the safety and
well-being of the American

1414
01:05:22,718 --> 01:05:24,358
people and American
diplomats.

1415
01:05:24,353 --> 01:05:28,453
Republicans, three years
later, are still trying to

1416
01:05:28,457 --> 01:05:29,557
play politics.

1417
01:05:29,558 --> 01:05:33,298
And that's rather
unfortunate, to say

1418
01:05:33,296 --> 01:05:34,596
the least.

1419
01:05:34,597 --> 01:05:36,637
Lauren.

1420
01:05:36,632 --> 01:05:39,002
The Press: Back to Zika.

1421
01:05:39,001 --> 01:05:43,171
Why isn't $1 billion
better than nothing?

1422
01:05:43,172 --> 01:05:46,012
You keep saying that this
is political, that the

1423
01:05:46,008 --> 01:05:48,478
Republicans are making
this a political issue.

1424
01:05:48,477 --> 01:05:51,047
But Speaker Ryan is the one
who said there needs to be

1425
01:05:51,047 --> 01:05:53,517
checks and balances
on this money.

1426
01:05:53,516 --> 01:05:56,856
So why don't we give X
amount of money and then

1427
01:05:56,852 --> 01:05:58,622
another piece of money?

1428
01:05:58,621 --> 01:06:01,591
Mr. Earnest: Well, again,
I haven't heard him say

1429
01:06:01,590 --> 01:06:02,760
exactly that.

1430
01:06:02,758 --> 01:06:05,198
I think the first question I
would ask for Speaker Ryan

1431
01:06:05,194 --> 01:06:07,964
is, if our public health
professionals say they need

1432
01:06:07,963 --> 01:06:11,103
$1.9 billion to do
everything possible to

1433
01:06:11,100 --> 01:06:14,000
protect pregnant women and
their newborn babies, then

1434
01:06:14,003 --> 01:06:16,673
why wouldn't we just use
those resources to do

1435
01:06:16,672 --> 01:06:17,642
exactly that?

1436
01:06:17,640 --> 01:06:19,380
I think that is a very
difficult question for

1437
01:06:19,375 --> 01:06:21,975
Speaker Ryan and other House
Republicans to answer.

1438
01:06:21,977 --> 01:06:25,547
They would rather, Lauren,
because there is nothing

1439
01:06:25,548 --> 01:06:28,188
that apparently escapes
their partisan motivations,

1440
01:06:28,184 --> 01:06:29,754
they'd rather play politics.

1441
01:06:29,752 --> 01:06:34,092
So what Republicans have
done is basically found what

1442
01:06:34,090 --> 01:06:36,890
they apparently think is
a convenient vehicle for

1443
01:06:36,892 --> 01:06:41,502
ramming through
controversial policy that

1444
01:06:41,497 --> 01:06:42,627
relates to
Confederate flags.

1445
01:06:42,631 --> 01:06:44,101
What does that have to
do with the Zika virus?

1446
01:06:44,100 --> 01:06:45,030
Nothing.

1447
01:06:45,034 --> 01:06:47,474
Other than it presents an
opportunity for Republicans

1448
01:06:47,470 --> 01:06:50,770
to ram through the Congress
something controversial.

1449
01:06:50,773 --> 01:06:54,213
I think the other thing
that's included in here is

1450
01:06:54,210 --> 01:06:59,450
that there are certain
prohibitions on using these

1451
01:06:59,448 --> 01:07:03,048
resources for
contraception efforts.

1452
01:07:03,052 --> 01:07:06,692
This is a sexually
transmitted disease.

1453
01:07:06,689 --> 01:07:12,059
I think that's an indication
that Republicans don't take

1454
01:07:12,061 --> 01:07:12,961
this particularly seriously.

1455
01:07:12,962 --> 01:07:15,302
There are also measures in
here that would suspend some

1456
01:07:15,297 --> 01:07:19,907
rules and regulations that
apply for the

1457
01:07:19,902 --> 01:07:22,242
Clean Water Act.

1458
01:07:22,238 --> 01:07:24,808
What does that have to
do with fighting Zika?

1459
01:07:24,807 --> 01:07:27,507
Why do we need to suspend
environmental regulations

1460
01:07:27,510 --> 01:07:30,110
for six months in order
to more effectively fight

1461
01:07:30,112 --> 01:07:31,312
mosquito populations?

1462
01:07:31,313 --> 01:07:35,523
Again, I think these are
questions that are hard for

1463
01:07:35,518 --> 01:07:36,888
Republicans to answer.

1464
01:07:36,886 --> 01:07:40,756
The only explanation is
they're willing to play

1465
01:07:40,756 --> 01:07:46,366
politics with the health and
safety of pregnant women and

1466
01:07:46,362 --> 01:07:48,202
newborn babies.

1467
01:07:48,197 --> 01:07:49,297
Shame on them.

1468
01:07:49,298 --> 01:07:51,538
But, apparently,
they have no shame.

1469
01:07:51,534 --> 01:07:53,634
That's the only explanation
I can think of.

1470
01:07:53,636 --> 01:07:56,506
The Press: The President
did a video yesterday about

1471
01:07:56,505 --> 01:07:58,205
getting people to
register to vote.

1472
01:07:58,207 --> 01:07:59,947
Is this the first time he
has ever made a

1473
01:07:59,942 --> 01:08:00,912
friendship bracelet?

1474
01:08:00,910 --> 01:08:03,410
(laughter)

1475
01:08:03,412 --> 01:08:07,282
Mr. Earnest: As
far as I know, yes.

1476
01:08:07,283 --> 01:08:09,323
(laughter)

1477
01:08:09,318 --> 01:08:14,328
I think the President
made the crafting of that

1478
01:08:14,323 --> 01:08:18,163
bracelet look rather
difficult, so I suspect it

1479
01:08:18,160 --> 01:08:20,830
was probably the first
time that he had done it.

1480
01:08:20,830 --> 01:08:21,500
The Press: (inaudible)

1481
01:08:21,497 --> 01:08:22,227
Mr. Earnest: Yes, he did.

1482
01:08:22,231 --> 01:08:23,571
In the back, I'll
give you the last one.

1483
01:08:23,566 --> 01:08:25,966
The Press: On Puerto Rico,
there is no guarantee that

1484
01:08:25,968 --> 01:08:27,638
the Senate will pass
a bill tomorrow.

1485
01:08:27,636 --> 01:08:30,506
The administration has said
that it's this or nothing.

1486
01:08:30,506 --> 01:08:34,306
As the time gets closer to
that July 1st deadline, are

1487
01:08:34,310 --> 01:08:35,410
there any other options?

1488
01:08:35,411 --> 01:08:37,081
Are you guys considering
anything else other

1489
01:08:37,079 --> 01:08:38,149
than the bill?

1490
01:08:38,147 --> 01:08:41,687
Mr. Earnest: Look, this is
yet another example -- and

1491
01:08:41,684 --> 01:08:43,724
I'm glad you raised it here
before we wrapped up -- of

1492
01:08:43,719 --> 01:08:47,789
Congress needing to act
to protect the safety and

1493
01:08:47,790 --> 01:08:49,790
well-being of
millions of Americans.

1494
01:08:49,792 --> 01:08:51,562
In this case, we're talking
about the 3.5 million

1495
01:08:51,560 --> 01:08:53,130
Americans that live
in Puerto Rico.

1496
01:08:53,128 --> 01:08:58,868
Secretary Lew, who has done
yeoman's work to try to move

1497
01:08:58,868 --> 01:09:00,568
this legislation across the
finish line, has made clear

1498
01:09:00,569 --> 01:09:08,409
that if Congress doesn't
act, what is certainly

1499
01:09:08,410 --> 01:09:12,080
possible is we'll find
ourselves in a situation in

1500
01:09:12,081 --> 01:09:13,451
which the Puerto Rico
government has to take rash

1501
01:09:13,449 --> 01:09:18,189
measures like emergency
furloughs, and laying off

1502
01:09:18,187 --> 01:09:22,057
police officers, or
teachers, and health

1503
01:09:22,057 --> 01:09:23,597
care workers.

1504
01:09:23,592 --> 01:09:28,432
They could potentially be
faced with the need to shut

1505
01:09:28,430 --> 01:09:30,570
down public
buses and trains.

1506
01:09:30,566 --> 01:09:33,806
And the reason for all of
this is that because of the

1507
01:09:33,802 --> 01:09:36,342
upcoming deadline, the
government could face a

1508
01:09:36,338 --> 01:09:39,738
responsibility to pay their
bondholders and not provide

1509
01:09:39,742 --> 01:09:41,482
these essential services.

1510
01:09:41,477 --> 01:09:45,217
So, hopefully, we will avoid
a situation in which Puerto

1511
01:09:45,214 --> 01:09:47,854
Rican officials have to
face this basic choice.

1512
01:09:47,850 --> 01:09:50,390
But there are grave
consequences for

1513
01:09:50,386 --> 01:09:51,956
congressional inaction.

1514
01:09:51,954 --> 01:09:58,824
And the ray of good news
here is in an almost

1515
01:09:58,827 --> 01:10:03,337
unprecedented step, we did
see a majority of Democrats

1516
01:10:03,332 --> 01:10:05,172
and majority of Republicans
in the House of

1517
01:10:05,167 --> 01:10:09,307
Representatives come
together to pass a bill to

1518
01:10:09,305 --> 01:10:11,105
address the situation
in Puerto Rico.

1519
01:10:11,106 --> 01:10:12,346
The bill is imperfect.

1520
01:10:12,341 --> 01:10:17,911
But it is something that
would prevent these kinds

1521
01:10:17,913 --> 01:10:19,213
of consequences.

1522
01:10:19,214 --> 01:10:21,154
It's not a bailout.

1523
01:10:21,150 --> 01:10:25,590
But a bailout only becomes
more likely if Congress

1524
01:10:25,588 --> 01:10:26,618
doesn't act.

1525
01:10:26,622 --> 01:10:30,222
That is a scenario that
Democrats and Republicans in

1526
01:10:30,225 --> 01:10:33,565
the Congress should avoid.

1527
01:10:33,562 --> 01:10:35,832
And we're hopeful that
Democrats and Republicans in

1528
01:10:35,831 --> 01:10:38,331
the Senate will come
together in the same way

1529
01:10:38,334 --> 01:10:39,764
that Democrats and
Republicans in the House did

1530
01:10:39,768 --> 01:10:44,038
to support an imperfect but
critically important piece

1531
01:10:44,039 --> 01:10:46,409
of legislation that would
have an impact on the lives

1532
01:10:46,408 --> 01:10:49,708
of 3.5 million Americans
living in Puerto Rico.

1533
01:10:49,712 --> 01:10:51,382
The Press: So that's the
only option at this point?

1534
01:10:51,380 --> 01:10:55,150
Mr. Earnest: That is the
only option that can avert

1535
01:10:55,150 --> 01:11:00,890
the potential consequences
of this deadline.

1536
01:11:00,889 --> 01:11:04,689
And again, hopefully we'll
see the kind of bipartisan

1537
01:11:04,693 --> 01:11:07,033
action in the Senate that
we surprisingly saw

1538
01:11:07,029 --> 01:11:08,929
in the House.

1539
01:11:08,931 --> 01:11:09,561
Thanks, everybody.