Jennifer Rene Psaki

“ That’s not what our focus is on from the White House.
We do believe that the focus on Georgia is a reminder that — and should be a reminder, I should say — that this is much bigger than Georgia; that Georgia was just one of the first states to act on a concerted effort to use easily disprovable conspiracy theories to fuel their attempts to make it even harder for eligible Americans to vote. ”

“ Everything we do in our foreign policy and national security will be measured by a basic metric: Is it going to make life better, safer, and easier for working families?
So, of course, that means a different approach to trade policy. We’re not about trying to make the world safe for multinational investment; we’re about creating jobs and raising wages here in the United States. So our priority is not to get access for Goldman Sachs in China; our priority is to make sure that we are dealing with China’s trade abuses that are harming American jobs and American workers in the United States. ”

“ And I think there is a recognition that President Biden is doing the right thing in pushing us to conceive of infrastructure as broad, as including investments in STEM, research and development, investments in basic research, investments in broadband, investments in training our workforce. And the truth of it is, that’s what it’s going to take to compete.
A key component of the American Jobs Plan is training our workforce. This is a reality. The changes in the American economy, many of which have been massively accelerated by COVID, are very scary for millions of Americans. ”

“ Going back to the issue of vaccines, when is this administration expecting herd immunity? And I ask that because there are still populations in this nation that are not running to this vaccine, even though you’re — or these vaccines, even though you’re flooding the zone. Is there a concern that herd immunity will not be reached at the time that you are hoping for because of this mindset in certain communities? ”

“ So today is Equal Pay Day — a day that is sym- — is a symbolic representation of how far into this year women must wor- — work to catch up to what men made in the previous year.
Women working fulltime, year round, are typically paid just 82 cents for every dollar paid to men. It’s a reminder of the work that remains to be done to advance equity and ensure that all Americans have the opportunity to reach their full potential.
Because of this gender gap, women lose thousands of dollars each year and hundreds of thousands of dollars over a lifetime. ”

“ Today is an exciting day; we enter a new phase of our vaccination program and our effort to put the pandemic behind us. Starting today, everyone 16 years and older, in every state, is eligible for the vaccine. Thanks to the aggressive action we have taken through our wartime whole-of-government response, we have enough vaccine supply for all adults to get vaccinated; thousands of vaccinators — we will have, I should say, thousands of vaccinators ready to get people vaccinated; and more than 60,000 places — convenient places — for people to get their shot. ”

“ Does he disagree that our nation’s infrastructure is outdated and needs repair? Does he disagree that we need to do more to put American workers back to work and to invest in industries that have growth potential over the long term? Does he disagree that one third of the country who doesn’t have broadband access should have access to broadband? There are a lot of areas where there is agreement with — across the political spectrum, from investment and infrastructure, doing more to be competitive with China.And what we’re really talking about here is how to pay for it. ”

“ At its core, the American Jobs Plan is about making sure every American has the opportunity to get a decent job. A decent, well-paying job, with dignity and has opportunity.
It’s a historic investment in America, intended to create tens of millions of jobs, rebuild our country’s infrastructure, and position the United States to outcompete China.
Many have commented that it’s large, it’s bold. It’s necessarily large because, frankly, we’re behind, and we’ve neglected for too long important investments in our infrastructure. ”

“ With the virus posing a grave threat to the country, and economic conditions grim for so many, the need for action is urgent, and the scale of what must be done is large. The American Rescue Plan – including $1400 relief checks, a substantial investment in fighting COVID and reopening schools, aid to small businesses and hurting families, and funds to keep first responders on the job (and more) – is badly needed. As leading economists have said, the danger now is not in doing too much: it is in doing too little. Americans of both parties are looking to their leaders to meet the moment. ”

“ But, you know, over time, making sure that, as — you know, as Cecilia said, making sure that we have that strong foundation in the care economy on issues around childcare, also issues around, you know, how we help families that have someone who needs some extra care or, sort of, later-in-life issues — the aging and the disabled — along with making sure that we have workplace flexibility and we have paid leave. These are all things that help make it possible for people who have care responsibilities to be full members of our economy and our society. ”

“ So whether it’s dumping or subsidies or intellectual property theft, or the countries across the world who have engaged in problematic currency practices, our priorities in the trade space will be about the American worker.
But it’s about much more than that. It’s about thinking about national security as national competitiveness, making investments in our own industrial and innovation base so that the good-paying jobs and industries of the future are here in the United States. So Build Back Better isn’t just about economics; it’s about national security as well. ”

“ The first, we’re approaching tax season, and by some estimates, of the unemployment assistance that states have paid out, more than half of it, Americans have not withheld taxes on. So is the administration concerned that there may be millions of Americans who are going to face a surprise tax bill, some of whom are still unemployed? And has the administration considered changing the way the IRS looks at, at least, the pandemic-related unemployment assistance, treat it like disaster aid and so it doesn’t have taxes withheld? ”

“ Are there any discussions within the White House about reversing the policy of allowing all unaccompanied children in the United States? MS. PSAKI: No. Q None at all? So, I guess, is the plan then to take in and safely and humanely find a home for an unlimited number of unaccompanied children? MS. PSAKI: I think this issue requires us taking a step back, as human beings and as mothers, of which I am one; I know that there are many in the room, or many at home. These kids are coming. They are fleeing prosecution. ”

“ We’re thinking of her friends and family and the communities that are hurting and grieving her loss. We know that police violence disproportionately impacts Black and Latino people in communities, and that Black women and girls, like Black men and boys, experience higher rates of police violence. We also know that there are particular vulnerabilities that children in foster care — care, like Ma’Khia, face. And her death came, as you noted, just as America was hopeful of a step forward after the traumatic and exhausting trial of Derek Chauvin and the verdict that was reached. ”

“ But why is the administration setting the bar at one day a week? Why not go higher? MS. PSAKI: Well, certainly we are not planning to celebrate at 100 days if we reach that goal. That is our own effort to make our own — set our own markings, bold and — set a bold and ambitious agenda for how we’re going to measure ourselves and progress.But we certainly hope to build from that, even at 100 days. And from there, our objective — the President’s objectives is for all schools to reopen, to stay open, to be open five days a week, for kids to be learning. That’s what our focus is on. ”

“ I think that when we talk about housing needs, we can’t, at this point, come up with enough money to take care of all of the homeless people in this country. We cannot, through this package alone, repair and restore 50-year-old housing authorities across this country which are crumbling every day. We cannot abate lead in every single building we need to with these resources. ”

“ This morning, the White House — we released 50 state-by-state factsheets, in addition to factsheets for Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia, laying out the critical necessity of passing the American Jobs Plan so we can invest in vital infrastructure, create good-paying jobs, and grow our economy.
On the screens behind me, you’ll see some of the needs outlined and the tangible difference the Jobs Plan will make in improving the lives of Americans. ”

“ We need to ensure that investments in infrastructure, advanced manufacturing, workforce development, and our care economy are made — are made at the scale we need and are made in every single community in America.
And as the President has — has led us to — is leading us to build back better, that means we need to do so more inclusively and ensure that these investments that we are making — in broadband, in housing, in the care economy, in water — are in every community in America: rural, tribal, urban, communities of color, and reaching everyone across America. ”

“ So I would say that advocates should pressure Republicans in the Senate, that all of you should pressure Republicans in the Senate and ask them why they are opposing universal background checks when the vast majority of the American public supports it. ”

“ No Republicans voted for the COVID relief package. And they argue that this is the sixth package, and it adds to a deficit that’s already a trillion dollars this year alone. What do you say to that criticism that, ultimately, this type of a sweeping piece of legislation will be a drag on the economy down the line? MS. PSAKI: Well, I would say to them we’re in the midst of twin crises, from the pandemic to an economic downturn that is impacting tens of millions of people in this country. ”

“ Is there a specific plan for anyone who would lose their job if the minimum wage is increased? Or is it just a hope that CBO is wrong about those numbers? MS. PSAKI: Well, remember that the plan — the American Rescue Plan — why there was a score of any component of it would put millions of people to work, and that is also something that outside economists and many studies have shown. ”

“ And I’m wondering what President Biden has done to redirect an emphasis on right-wing extremism. MS. PSAKI: Well, we’ve launched an entire review on domestic violent extremism that would cover that across the board — activity across the board — concerning activity across the board. It’s not a political review; it’s a review of domestic violent extremism. And our plan is to look at that — have our team look at that — again, not through a political lens, but through the lens of national security experts and teams who have expertise in this area. ”

“ Voting rights and ensuring people have access to voting — that it is easier, not harder — is a core priority for the President. That’s why his team is so engaged in this process. And, of course, investing in infrastructure; ensuring that we can create good, clean energy, union jobs is also a priority. ”

“ This is a good example of how you can expect the White House, in the coming months, to reach out with critical public health messaging as part of an education campaign, meeting Americans where they are — on their couches, watching the Super Bowl, for yesterday — and communicating about the important mitigation steps people can take. ”

“ The whole purpose is to get us through this pandemic with — and to help our businesses that are viable stay in business, to help the workers who need help paying their rent and getting food on the table to stay engaged and not just imagine that they’re going to drop out and drop out forever.We know that the longer that we have the economic crisis and the longer that workers are out of the workforce, the harder it is for them to come back. So that is the entire focus of the American Rescue Plan — is to get us back on track so that by next year we are back to essentially full employment. ”

“ And when we talk about the Climate Summit and how we’re thinking about setting these targets and how we’re going to achieve them, a big part of that is investing in areas of our economy where there are industries of the future — where we can create and build out industries, and create jobs where we’re also able to meet our targets that we’ll set.So, he thinks of them as in lockstep. And that’s one of the reasons why, when he put out his climate plan during the campaign, he had labor leaders and climate advocates meet together and discuss how we could work together on a path forward. ”

“ When the Trump administration pulled out of the Joint Plan of Action, what they left us with is a far-decreased visibility of Iran’s nuclear capability, of what — of inspections at their sites, of an understanding of how close they were to acquiring a nuclear weapon. That’s not in anyone’s interest, certainly not the American people. ”

“ Our focus is on ensuring the American people are receiving the vaccine, and that we are vaccinating the American public. That’s our first priority. But we are also engaging with and working with the global community to figure out how we can get the global pandemic under control together, whether that’s through financial contributions or through, you know, navigating with them how we can work together to address it. ”

“ Well, I would say that the President is — one of the President’s core objectives is addressing racial injustice in this country not just through his rhetoric, but through his actions. And what anyone should look to is his advocacy for passing the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, for nominating leaders to the Department of Justice to address long-outdated policies, and to ask his team — leadership team here in the White House to prioritize these issues in his presidency, which is current and today and not from 30 years ago. ”

“ Every single business leader I’ve talked to applauds the fact that this package is more than just roads, bridges, and water. Like, come on, 35 percent of Americans in rural areas don’t have broadband. You cannot have a modern economy without that. We have a crisis in semiconductor manufacturing. You cannot have a modern economy without that.
So I hope that that isn’t where we settle because we’d be shortchanging the American people — workers and businesses. ”

“ The American public should — should read it as his commitment to delivering on exactly what they elected him to do, which is not to be a commentator on the daily developments of an impeachment trial, but to push forward an American Rescue Plan that will put people back to — that will ensure people are back to work, get the assistance they need, get shots in arms, reopen schools. ”

“ Kristen, who’s back today again, asked a great question about the Artemis program, which I dug into, and I’m very excited about it now to tell my daughter all about it.
So, for those of you who have not been following it as closely: Through the Artemis program, the United States government will work with industry and international partners to send astronauts to the surface of the Moon — another man and a woman to the Moon, which is very exciting; conduct new and exciting science; prepare for future missions to Mars; and demonstrate America’s values. ”

“ We have made progress. My daughter is here today; she’s downstairs. And when I was her age, the gender wage gap was about 60 percent, compared to 80 percent — 82 percent today. That said, there’s still a lot of work to do. The Biden-Harris administration is working to make sure our daughters have the same opportunities that our sons do, and to make sure that every American is given a fair shot to get ahead in this country.
These aren’t simply women’s issues. They affect all families, the ability of our economy to recover, and our nation’s competitiveness. ”