Press Briefing by Press Secretary Josh Earnest, 7/3/2014
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Before we get started I just wanted to do a brief announcement at the top. Both yesterday and today, the President was briefed by his Homeland Security Advisor,
The President directed his team to ensure that state and local officials in the storm's path have all the support and resources they need to prepare for and respond to any potential impacts. He'll continue to receive updates as necessary through the weekend.
I also wanted to point out that FEMA Administrator
So that's one way in which some administration officials are preparing for the weekend.
Jim, why don't you go ahead and get us started today?
Q Thanks, Josh. I wanted to ask you about the jobs report today. The President has argued that Republicans have blocked his legislative policies; Republicans claim Democrats are blocking theirs. Given that both sides essentially acknowledge that there has been no progress legislatively, can the President truly take credit for these positive job numbers?
But they have been aided by some of the policies that this President put in place at the very beginning of his presidency. From the Recovery Act to the politically courageous decision that the President made to rescue the auto industry, to a range of other reforms, some of which we put in place with congressional support and some of which have required independent action from the President, have laid the foundation that has been helpful to the private sector as they have led the recovery of the American economy.
Q That's over five, six years ago.
The President is very pleased with the progress that we've made. There is some history associated with today's statistics. In the first six months of this year, 1.4 million private sector jobs were created. That is more jobs that have been created in the first six months of any year since 1999. We've seen in the last five consecutive months more than 200,000 jobs have been created. That's the first that that's happened since the end of 1999. We've created now 9.7 million private sector jobs over the last 52 months. And the unemployment rate has actually declined more quickly when you consider year-over-year numbers than at any point in the last three decades.
So we have made tremendous progress, and the numbers bear that out. But what's also important is the President believes that there's more that we can do to ensure the middle-class families all across the country are enjoying the benefits of what seems to be a strengthening recovery. And so that's why this President is so focused on putting in place the kinds of policies that will expand economic opportunity for the middle class so that the benefits of this recovery don't just float to the top, but actually float to families in the middle class as well -- because the President believes that if we're going to have a sustainable growing economy that we're going to grow this economy from the middle out.
That's what the President is focused on. And these strong numbers that we saw in today's report only give the President a greater sense of urgency to making sure that we're capitalizing on this momentum and making sure that middle-class families across the country are benefitting from this recovery.
Q I wanted to ask about something the President said to
The President alluded to this in the interview -- that strong and dynamic financial markets are part of what makes the American economy the envy of the world. After all, it's performing financial markets that ensure that there's capital available to entrepreneurs who want to start and grow their business. Small businesses are an important contributor to job growth in this country. It's the efficient functioning of our capital markets that ensures that middle-class families across the country will be able to go out and get a mortgage at an affordable rate that will allow them to purchase a home.
So there's an important role for our own financial markets to play in the strength of our broader economy, but also in terms of making sure that our economy's strength benefits middle-class families across the country.
In terms of the President's comments, Jim, you've been covering the economic policymaking decisions of this administration for five and a half years now, so you're familiar with the idea that the President and his team, since the President's very first day in office, have been focused on the financial markets and making sure that we both are stabilizing those financial markets through a regulatory regime that prevents banks from making the kinds of risky bets that hurt our economy so badly in 2007 and 2008. He's also concerned about making sure that middle-class families have an advocate and a voice in the policymaking process here in
In terms of the President's interview yesterday, he wasn't referring to any specific regulation or law that he had in mind, but rather the need to continue to vigilantly monitor financial markets to assess risks that may be emerging and to ensure that the necessary regulatory protections are in place, again, to ensure the stability of the financial markets, but also to make sure that somebody is looking out for middle-class families.
Steve.
Q So he's not -- he just sort of threw these things out there? He's not looking for legislation or any sort of executive action, regulations, nothing?
There obviously is an important role to play -- let me say it this way -- there is also obviously an important role for those agencies to play as they continue to implement
So those people should understand that there's a President here in
Michelle.
Q We're talking about recovery in a couple of ways. We see the first storm of the season possibly causing a lot of damage. Is the administration concerned about the effect that that could have on all these local economies up the coast, the most densely populated part of the country, as well as the pressure that it could put on the insurance industry and infrastructure?
In terms of the broader impact, we also want to make sure that we are -- that
In terms of the longer-term economic consequences of a storm like this, I'd hesitate to make any predictions -- either meteorological or financial -- about what the potential impact is of this storm. But it's certainly something that we'll be watching carefully. And as you've heard the President say many times, that when there are local communities who are affected by difficult events like this or destructive events like this, that this administration and the American people will stand with those communities as they prepare to rebuild.
Q And we're getting ready to see this hearing down in
We've also, as we've talked about a couple of weeks ago, are considering alternatives to detention -- ankle bracelets and other things -- that would, again, in a humane way allow this administration to continue to enforce the law.
What's also true is some of the -- one of the reasons that we are asking for additional resources is we would like to process these immigration cases more efficiently through the legal system. So certainly those who are apprehended are entitled to due process and they'll be given that due process, but we also want to make sure that the system is functioning efficiently. And so what we're finding right now is that there has been a spike in those individuals who have been apprehended at the border and so we're looking for resources to bring to bear additional immigration judges, asylum officers and ICE lawyers to process these cases more quickly, and we're asking for
Q Does the administration agree with the fact that the law works differently depending on what country these people are coming from?
Let's move around just a little bit. Viqueira.
Q Thank you, sir. The Kurds in northern
The best way for
Q Are the Kurds in a position, though, militarily and economically, to be far more stable now than what we're seeing from the government in
I'm not surprised to hear that there may be some speculation or some analysis from different quarters who might suggest that one group might be better off standing on its own. But it's the policy of this administration and this country that, again,
Chris.
Q Thanks, Josh. I want to follow up on that planned executive order barring LGBT discrimination among federal contractors. LGBT advocates are pushing back against a request from some faith leaders -- to include a religious exemption in the measure. When will we have more information about the content of this executive order?
Q Can you at least say at this point whether the
Q There are two executive orders now on the LGBT community. The President announced a separate executive order that would bar discrimination against transgender federal employees. Can we at least expect that both these executive orders will be on the same track for signing implementation?
Move around a little bit. Let's see -- Mark.
Q Tell us more about tomorrow's naturalization ceremony.
We'll have more information about those individuals who will be naturalized tomorrow, but I can tell you that the President is genuinely looking forward to it.
Julie.
Q Back on the border for a moment. Two questions. You said the President has no plans to visit the border when he's in
Secretary Johnson traveled to Nogales on
The CBP commissioner earlier this week traveled to
So the point of me reviewing all of that is to make clear to you and to your readers that senior administration officials have spent a lot of time on the border, because the President and other members of his senior team are concerned both about what's happening there but also making sure that they have a very clear up-to-date assessment of what exactly is happening on a regular basis there and how the additional resources that have been devoted to that region are dealing with this surge and illegal migration that we've seen.
In terms of the President's trip to
Q And on the status of the emergency supplemental, he said the he was going to -- you said you would have more details on that next week. There's been some pushback from refugee and immigration advocacy groups on the approach -- the new authorities that the President alerted
There are some challenges that are posed by the current law, this 2008 law, that requires that unaccompanied children from non-contiguous countries be treated differently in the system than children from
That's important for a couple of reasons. One is it's a fair way to deal with people in the immigration system rather than having them sort of languish in that system for a long time. The second thing is it sends a clear and unmistakable signal to parents who might be considering putting their children in the hands of a stranger -- in some cases a criminal -- to transport them to the southwest border with the expectation that if they get to the border that they'll be allowed to remain in the country. That is simply not the case. And that is further demonstrated by the exercise of the Secretary's discretion to promptly deal with some of these cases.
Jim.
Q Despite the fact that the unaccompanied minors who are coming across and the minors who are coming across with their mothers are not eligible for DACA, there are those in the
That is what we're up against right now. And that is why you've heard the President, other senior administration officials articulate very clearly what the law is and the fact that the law will continue to be rigorously enforced. What we'll also do is we're going to also enforce that law in line with our values and in line with the responsibility that's also mandated by the law to treat those who are apprehended in a humanitarian way.
So we're balancing a lot of different imperatives here. But first and foremost, this administration is committed to enforcing the law. And that's what we're going to continue to do.
Q The governor of
So I guess what I would observe is that the most effective way for us to address this problem -- and I think the most effective way that
That would have a tangible impact on so many of the problems that we see in our immigration system -- not just the problems that we're seeing at the border, although it would address them because it includes significant investments in border security, but that compromised proposal would also have enormous economic benefits for communities all across the country, probably even disproportionate benefits for some of those communities along the border like those communities in
Right now there are a lot of companies that are trying to do the right thing and follow the current immigration guidelines when it comes to hiring workers. They're often undercut by unscrupulous companies that are willing to pay people under the table and not follow those immigration laws. We need to take away that incentive, and one way we could do that would be by passing comprehensive immigration reform.
So there's a whole host of reasons that this should get done. And the only reason it hasn't is because we've seen Republicans, principally in the
Q But what I'm not hearing, though, Josh -- and I'm sure you have an answer for this -- is, why would -- why not send a message that -- Republicans say the DREAM Act sends a message to people in
You disagree with that?
Setting aside the fact that putting your children in the hands of a criminal for a dangerous journey like that can have tragic consequences, that is not something that a parent should even consider at this point. The President has been unmistakable about sending that signal. You've seen the Vice President and the
So we've been transparent about how the law will be applied in these cases. And it seems to me that those who might be complaining about the President's actions are more interested in landing political blows than they are in trying to solve this problem.
Chuck.
Q How about having the President unequivocally -- it sounded at first ambiguous. And then you were saying that eventually -- Homeland Security Secretary
So the President has delivered that message unambiguously. That is part of the law. And that's been a message that's been echoed by the Vice President when he traveled to the region, by the
Q Can you say without ambiguity that most of these kids are going to get deported?
And we've even sought additional authority that can be wielded by the Secretary of Homeland Security so that when those cases have been processed, that those who don't have a legal claim for remaining in this country can be returned to their home country.
Q But you guys are supposedly stepping up an ad campaign. Can you tell us more about it, trying to -- explain what this campaign is down in these countries?
Q Is the President going to appear in this campaign? Are they going to use his image, his voice, his words in this?
Q But if they did you would know, so obviously he's -- I would assume you would know, but you don't --
Q Okay.
Q To quickly follow up on the economy and to Jim's question here, which is, neither party has gotten what they've wanted in what they claim would sort of jumpstart the economy over the last three or four years. So his question was obviously does anybody deserve the credit. But do you -- does the President feel vindicated that his economic philosophy is contributing to this economic recovery?
This is not a situation where the government can go in and do it for the private sector. What we need is, we need American entrepreneurs and business owners and American workers to lead that recovery, and that's exactly what they've done. It's only because of the hard work and grit and determination of the American people that we've enjoyed this success and made all of the progress that we've made.
What the President wants to do is to capitalize on this progress and make sure that the benefits of this recovery aren't just flowing to those at the top, but actually are flowing to those in the middle class. That's one of the reasons that the President is strongly supportive of raising the minimum wage -- that if you're working full-time and trying to raise a family of four, you shouldn't have to do that in poverty. That's one of the reasons the President wants to lower the cost of a college education to give more middle-class families the opportunity to send their kid to college and get the skills they're going to need to succeed in the 21st century global economy.
Q So what you're saying is the President doesn't believe we have a -- this has been an uneven economic recovery -- does believe that?
There are middle-class families who are benefitting from this recovery. The President wants to make sure that we build on that progress and that by investing in job training, raising the minimum wage, investments in infrastructure would have a short-term economic benefit in terms of creating jobs, but also lay the foundation for our long-term economic strength. There's a lot that we can do. The President believes that we shouldn't miss this opportunity to capitalize on this growth and make sure that we're expanding economic opportunity for the middle class.
Q The best six months in 15 years, and it comes at a time at the highest rate of
Q Not to be that cynical, but --
And we have seen our economy bounce back. The President is not surprised about that. One of the reasons he has so much optimism about the America economy is because he knows that there are American entrepreneurs out there that have all kinds of great ideas that can lead to the creation of small businesses and eventually grow those businesses into large businesses; that there are a lot of American workers out there who aren't fully utilizing the skills that they have to benefit our economy. So we want to capture that potential and double down on the progress that we've already made.
And that's why the President is so determined to both try and work with
Ed.
Q Josh, on that point, if you still have more than 26 million people who are in part-time jobs -- you talk to youth advocacy groups, they say that the unemployment number for young people who have given up looking and are unemployed is about 15.2 percent. If the economy is strengthening so much, and the recovery is getting stronger as you say, why are so many people still looking for full-time work?
Look, there are some simple things that the President has put forward, common-sense ideas that have traditionally earned the support of Republicans in the past that Republicans right now are blocking. These are things like raising the minimum wage; making critical investments in our infrastructure and paying for them by closing the loopholes that benefit only the wealthy and well-connected; investing in job-training programs that lead directly to work; expanding access to a college education, making more affordable for middle-class families to send their kids to college.
These are all the kinds of things that would ensure that middle-class families are benefitting from our economic recovery. And those benefits would be magnified if we can put in place some of these common-sense policies.
Q I want to ask a couple on immigration. When you were saying a moment ago that the law will be rigorously followed -- a couple weeks ago, Jim was asking questions about what are the numbers in terms of people who show up at the border who actually are deported, and how many of them actually stay with relatives and end up staying in America. Do you have a better sense now of those numbers? My question being, how can you know for sure the law is going to be followed when some of these folks may just end up staying in America?
Q Do you need numbers to back up that that's what's been happening in recent months and years?
We want to do this quickly and efficiently and effectively, all within the confines of due process. So by adding more judges and prosecutors and asylum officials to the case, we can make sure that we are following due process but also enforcing the law.
Q Last one. I want to go back to the
Q But when there's a hurricane you'll send the FEMA Director, all these people, but then the President himself goes there and he meets with the families, he hold their hands, he talks to them and he tries to get a sense -- why can't he do that this time?
And the trip that he's taking to
Lesley.
Q Josh, on the Kurds' bid for autonomy, how much does that complicate your message? And what are you saying to the Kurds themselves? You said, I think,
And it's the view of this administration that
April.
Q Can I follow on that?
Q Josh, I want to go back to the border issue and the President not going and how he gets his updates. When the President is in the Situation Room, is he getting -- seeing live pictures of the border? Is he getting kind of visuals on the border? And is that some of the reason why he may not be going to the border next week?
The President is getting regular updates and has a very good sense both of what's happening there on the ground, and how effectively resources are being deployed to confront those challenges.
Q But beyond the updates, I'm trying to -- the reason people are asking for him to go to the border is because it's tangible for him to see, for him to feel. But is he at least getting visuals from these persons, or getting updates? Is he getting any visuals in the
Q Thank you. (Laughter.)
He's also very interested in finding out whether or not this surge in resources has been helpful, whether it's worked, whether we are able to enforce the law more efficiently and at the same time meet the basic humanitarian needs of those who have appeared on the southwest border.
We are, after all, as you've heard me say in discussing this issue many times, we're a nation of laws but we're also a nation of immigrants. And there are values associated with that. And we want to make sure that as we enforce the law, that we do so in line with our values. The President is comfortable that that's happening right now.
Q And on another issue, Mrs. Biden is in
And this is an important part of communicating directly to the people of
Bill.
Q And just as an aside, your answer to April about the President not going to the border because it would be political
-- since when is it not political that he goes and visits with an average American to show empathy?
Q Which doesn't have much to do with the President's own politics in sitting down with -- anyway, let's go back to your answer on
Q It's not working.
And once that government is formed, it's important for that government to pursue the kind of inclusive governing agenda that makes it clear to every citizen in
We're confident that
Q -- before the government is formed. There have been suggestions that they could work in cooperation with
But I've also pointed out and been pretty ready to admit that there clearly is some overlapping interest here, that there is -- it is not in the interests of
So there is a little common interest that's been exposed by this. But I want to be clear that our ongoing diplomatic conversations with
Q But the door to cooperation does not seem to be closed.
Q On bank bonuses -- surprise, surprise -- listening to the President's comments on Marketplace, talking about taking more action on the bank bonuses and he believes they're risky -- well, his
Q He's satisfied with what's been done so far, right?
Q -- is dissatisfied that that's enough -- sorry. It's a good thing I'm not the spokesman. (Laughter.)
Q Is he dissatisfied with the amount of progress so far even if he feels there has been progress on this?
The President ran for office because he wanted to make sure that middle-class families had a voice in
Q But it sounds like from what he was saying that he clearly thinks more should be done. I don't think there's any other fair reading of his remarks.
So let me give you a couple of examples of things that the President believes should be part of the kinds of things that should be addressed. One of those things is the role of shadow banking and the role that they play in our financial markets. The President also believes that we need to protect the integrity of our financial markets from abuses in high-frequency trading.
The President also believes that we need to have the seamless application of regulations in our international markets. Those of you who have traveled with us to G20 meetings over the years have heard countless briefings from senior administration officials who say that the President and other senior economic policymakers in this administration have been in regular communication with our counterparts in other markets about the importance of also raising standards for their financial markets.
After all, we can't just raise the financial standards in this market when you have such a globally interconnected financial system. We need to raise standards all across the globe. And that's been a focal point of some of the ongoing policymaking efforts in this administration.
So, again, we're constantly vigilant and on guard about -- as we monitor the financial system and make sure that risks don't crop up that threaten the entire financial system. And that means hard work that's done on a daily basis by economic policymakers in the administration, but also work that's done on a daily basis at the independent financial regulators who have front-line responsibility for dealing with some of these issues.
Q Thank you, Josh. According to what purports to be minutes from the last meeting of Secretary Kerry and Prime Minister Maliki, he was quoted as telling Maliki that
So what you've seen is in recent days the announcement of deployment of some additional troops to
Now, the other thing that the President has said -- and the President said this more eloquently than I will -- about three weeks ago when he was standing in front of Marine One, where he said it was incumbent upon
Q But does he still maintain that any direct military assistance, actual assistance -- airstrikes against the ISIL locations, for example, is still preconditioned on that inclusive government?
Jared. Jared, I'm going to give you the last one.
Q Josh, when it comes to
Again, it's important for countries in the region that the kind of instability that started out in
Q When it comes to -- we're heading into the long weekend. We've got on the House calendar, at least, I think seven legislative weeks before
But there are two others that come to mind that will be priorities when
Highway Trust Fund that I think Mara asked about yesterday, that this is traditionally an issue that has enjoyed bipartisan support, and we hope that will be true in this case because of the consequences of
With that, why don't I do a little week ahead here? It's only Thursday, but I have a sneaking suspicion that many of you won't be here tomorrow.
Q No briefing? (Laughter.)
Q Happy Fourth.
On Monday, the President will host a group of teachers at the
On Tuesday, the President will welcome NATO Secretary General
In the evening, the President will depart for
On Wednesday in
On Thursday while in
And then on Friday, the President will attend meetings at the
I should point out that tomorrow the President does have a couple of
And then tomorrow evening, the President will be hosting a barbecue and picnic for military families on the South Lawn of the
So with that I wish you all a very happy
Q Any Saturday events?
Q Any press conferences coming up soon?
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