Press Gaggle by Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre En Route Detroit, Michigan – The White House

Aboard Air Power One
En Route Detroit, Michigan

10:10 A.M. EDT
 
MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  Hello, all people.  Whats up.  Okay.  President Biden’s financial plan has fueled an electrical car manufacturing growth in America, and we’ll see that on full show in Detroit, Michigan, at this time. 
 
Since President Biden took workplace, firms like Toyota, Honda, Ford, GM, and Panasonic have introduced $85 billion in investments to make electrical autos, batteries, and chargers throughout America.  They’re making investments in states like North Carolina, Michigan, Ohio, Missouri, and Kansas.  And the variety of electrical autos bought in America has tripled.
 
Whereas in Detroit, President Biden will tour the Detroit Auto Present, the place Stellantis will probably be showcasing two new hybrid electrical Jeeps, Common Motors will probably be highlighting their whole EV portfolio and their new electrical Equinox, and dozens of different — of automakers will probably be displaying off their laste- — their newest choices.
 
The President will then ship remarks on how his auto imaginative and prescient and management — together with via his Bipartisan Infrastructure Legislation, Inflation Discount Act, and CHIPS and Science Act — have positioned the USA to guide the electrical car future and the way we at the moment are creating extra jobs, and manufacturing extra in America, all whereas preventing local weather change.
 
All through the day, he’ll get an opportunity to speak with union employees, CEOs, and native leaders.  He’ll even be joined by Secretary Buttigieg, EPA Administrator Michael Regan, Governor Whitmer, Senator Stabenow, Congresswoman Dingell, and different members of the Michigan congressional delegation.
 
I additionally wish to observe, for the second day in a row, that whereas President Biden is in Michigan at this time specializing in strengthening our economic system and the American individuals, excessive MAGA Republicans are consumed with their efforts to tear away rights from wom- — from thousands and thousands of ladies.
 
Yesterday, Senator Graham launched a radical nationwide ban on abortion, which might strip away ladies’s rights in all 50 states.  And final evening, West Virginia handed one other excessive abortion ban, which we count on to be signed into regulation shortly.
 
As I mentioned yesterday within the briefing room, these actions are wildly out of step with what People imagine and wish from their authorities.  The President and the Vice President received’t cease preventing to revive the protections of Roe within the face of continued radical steps by elected Republicans to place private healthcare choices within the arms of politicians as a substitute of ladies and their docs.
 
And West Virginia’s invoice is one other sign of the significance that Congress acts to codify Roe into regulation.
 
With that, Colleen, welcome again.
 
Q    Thanks. 
 
MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  Good to see you.
 
Q    Thanks, Karine.  Are you able to inform us why the President went to Wilmington yesterday to vote within the main when he may have had an absentee poll or he may have voted in particular person, early voting, when he was there final weekend?
 
MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  So, it’s a number of issues.  I do know there was plenty of curiosity on this. 
 
So each American, as you realize, has a sacred and constitutional proper to vote.  The President exercised that proper, alongside different Delawareans, final evening.  That’s what you noticed, only a couple — to reply your particular questions.
 
Look, as you realize, the President has a really heavy schedule.  He’s the President of the USA.  It labored out finest for him to vote yesterday, to vote on Tuesday.  He thought it was essential to train his constitutional proper to vote, as I simply talked about, and set an instance by displaying the significance of voting.
 
He additionally had the chance to say howdy to ballot employees and thank them for his or her work.  And we all know how below assault ballot employees have been these previous a number of years. 
 
And as a few of you famous — a few of your colleagues famous that many Presidents — it’s not — it’s common — head dwelling to vote of their native elections.  And he thought it was essential to take action yesterday.
 
Q    Do you assume that it could have been higher then to make it extra of, like, a public occasion, for him to kind of, like, tout it a bit of bit extra?  It was kind of a shock — proper? — till we — till he landed there.
 
MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  Look, the President has been voting in Delaware for many years.  And that is one thing that was essential to do.  He wasn’t going to overlook a possibility to vote — to vote yesterday, and he did that.  It isn’t uncommon for him.  He’s carried out that for — once more, for a lot of a long time.
 
And so — so, you realize, he had a possibility to thank the ballot employees.  He had a possibility — I feel by the President going to vote, that sends a really robust mesh- — message to the American public.
 
Q    Karine, are you able to give us an replace on the railway strike chance, what the federal government is doing, and what the newest is on talks?
 
MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  So, the newest is — so, this morning, Secretary Walsh is internet hosting the rail firms and unions in Washington, D.C., on the Division of Labor.  You guys might all already know that.  It’s taking place actually as we’re flying to Detroit at this second.  The President and members of Cupboard have been in contact with each union — unions and corporations concerned a number of instances in an effort to attempt to avert a rail shutdown. 
 
Our administration has been engaged in these negotiations for months, as I discussed yesterday within the briefing room, within the early days of spring.  All events want to remain on the desk, discount in good religion to resolve excellent points, and are available to an settlement.  A shutdown of our freight sys- — rail system is an unacceptable consequence for our economic system and the American individuals, and all events should work to keep away from simply that.
 
Q    Are you placing any contingency plans in place in case it does come to a shutdown?
 
MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  Once more, you realize, we’ve been — we’ve been speaking to either side.  The President — I discussed this yesterday as properly — whereas he was in Boston, had a dialog with either side of this situation.  And our continued message retains — stays the identical, which is that they should proceed to — to barter on the desk in good religion.
 
Once more, Secretary Walsh is on the Division of Labor, internet hosting either side.  And we’re going to proceed to work to make it possible for we don’t put one other burden — one other burden on the American fam- — American individuals and the American households.
 
Q    Senator Burr put ahead a decision urging the — either side to — or urging, I ought to — sorry — urging that either side settle for the Biden board’s advice on the rail strike — in different phrases, that the President get behind backing these suggestions.  Do you will have a place both on Senator Burr’s decision or extra broadly in regards to the intervention with respect to the suggestions of the board?
 
MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  So, the negotiating strategy of the — of the Presidential Emergency Board, which the President fashioned again in July — on July fifteenth, to be actual — places the onus of resolving variations on the events themselves.
 
And so, this is a matter that may and ought to be labored out between the rail firms and the unions, not by Congress. In truth, events are on the desk proper now, as I simply mentioned, on the Division of Labor — of Labor. 
 
Look, that is — they’ve been in a position to come collectively and negotiate up to now.  And that’s what we’re anticipating this time round as properly.
 
Q    And really rapidly, is there any replace you can provide us on the SPR?  We’ve given — had some reporting yesterday that the administration might start saying buybacks as the worth — if the worth dips additional.  Are you able to say at what level will the administration step in to assist alleviate a worth if it thinks it will get too low?  And on the flip facet, at what level would you assume the worth is getting too excessive?  And are additional releases down the road on the desk as properly?
 
MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  So, as you realize, Josh, the Division of Power, they’ve put collectively an overview — its plan to replenish the Strategic Petroleum Reserve just some months again.  And that plan is at present going via the usual regulatory assessment course of. 
 
And so, because the Division mentioned then, a number of months in the past, it anticipates that replenishment wouldn’t happen till properly into the long run, doubtless after fiscal yr 2023.  I don’t have any new steps to share presently or to preview.  So, we might refer you to the Division of Power.
 
Q    So if oil price costs actually drop, you’re not fearful about that?  The administration wouldn’t step in.
 
MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  Once more, I might — this can be a course of.  They — the Division of Power put ahead a plan on this.  And this can be a course of that they’re operating.  And it’s going via, once more, a assessment.  So I might undoubtedly refer again to the Division of Power.
 
Q    Thanks.
 
Q    Any updates on the London journey?  Have you learnt if he’s going to be assembly with the brand new prime minister or with King Charles?
 
MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  So I do have an replace for you on that.  Effectively, not your particular query, however an replace on — on the UK extra broadly. 
 
However so, first off, I don’t have an replace on the — on who he’s going to be assembly or something like that.  We don’t have extra to share exterior of that the President and the First Girl are going to be attending the funeral on Monday the nineteenth. 
 
However what I’ll share is: The President at this time “spoke with King Charles III to supply his condolences on the passing of Queen Elizabeth II.  The President recalled fondly the Queen’s kindness and hospitality, together with when she hosted him and the First Girl at Windsor Fort final June.  He additionally conveyed the nice admiration of the American individuals for the Queen, whose dignity and fidelity deepened the enduring friendship and particular relationship between the USA and the UK.  President Biden conveyed his want to proceed a detailed relationship with the King.”
 
It is a readout that simply went up moments in the past, so that’s what occurred this morning.
 
Q    Have you learnt if he or the First Girl has talked to Prince Harry?  I do know they’ve clearly carried out occasions earlier than up to now and are seemingly shut.
 
MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  I don’t have any — you’re speaking about First Girl, Dr. Biden? 
 
Q    Yeah.
 
MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  I don’t — I don’t have something to preview presently.  I might in all probability simply refer you to her workplace.  I don’t know of any calls presently.
 
Q    Karine, on Taiwan, possibly, if I could.  There’s going to be a preliminary vote at this time within the Senate on the so-called Taiwan Coverage Act.  Does the President assist this textual content?
 
MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  So — so, I do know this was requested within the briefing room.  Simply extra broadly, our — our legislative groups have been — have been in contact with members — in contact with Congress, to be extra particular.  We are going to proceed to speak instantly with Congress on this laws, like we do with laws simply throughout vari- — numerous matters — a wide range of matters.
 
The Biden administration has deepened our partnership with Taiwan and can proceed to take action with efficient diplomatic, financial, and navy assist. 
 
Look, we admire the robust bipartis- — bipartisan assist for Taiwan and wish to work with Congress to strengthen that assist.  However once more, this invoice — as we perceive it or as I perceive it — remains to be being labored out via the Senate and can run via a complete course of, as you realize, because the Senate works.  And so, we simply don’t wish to get forward of that course of presently.
 
Q    However nonetheless, at this time, do you assume this invoice is coherent with the One China coverage because it stands?
 
MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  Once more, I’m going to let the method proceed.  It’s going to undergo a number of processes earlier than it reaches an finish.  So we’re going to let that undergo. 
 
However we admire the bipartisanship that we now have seen relating to Taiwan particularly.
 
Q    Karine, on the economic system, how involved is the President in regards to the state of the economic system?  And given what we noticed yesterday with the Dow, is the President in any respect remiss in regards to the split-screen second that he had on the South Garden?
 
MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  So let’s not overlook the second that we noticed on the South Garden of the President and 1000’s of individuals coming collectively who helped get the Inflation Discount Act carried out was a celebration for the American individuals.  It was a win for the American individuals. 
 
When you consider how lengthy elected members — Democrats, particularly — in Congress have been preventing for many years towards particular curiosity teams — particularly, pharma — to carry prices down for Medicare, that’s what you noticed yesterday.  That’s what you noticed on this combat: decreasing prices for Medicare, decreasing prices for healthcare, decreasing prices on vitality co- — on vitality itself.
 
Because it pertains to the inventory market, it’s one measure of how the economic system is doing, and we’re watching this intently. 
 
It’s additionally essential to take a look at what’s taking place on Fundamental Road.  We’ve one of many strongest job markets on report — 3.7 unemployment fee — and we’ve created 10 million new jobs.  Extra persons are on the lookout for work. 
 
Due to the President’s financial plan, companies are investing in America at report charges, and we’re making extra in America.
 
Simply final week, the President visited Intel for the groundbreaking of their new facility in Ohio that may manufacture semiconductors. 
 
And we’re — and we went to Detroit — or we’re going to Detroit, the place, due to his financial plan, the three — the Massive Three automobile firms are investing in new manufacturing in the USA. 
 
So we perceive there’s extra progress to be carried out.  We’re going to proceed to try this — try this work.  Fuel costs, as you’ve heard us inform, has gone down greater than 90 days at — it’s gone down by $1.30 per gallon.  And that’s the work — due to the work that this President has carried out as a result of we wished to make it possible for we’re decreasing prices for individuals.
 
I do know you haven’t requested a query but.
 
Q    Any replace on UNGA: who the President will probably be assembly with, any bilats, when he will probably be talking?
 
MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  So, I don’t have something for you presently.  Nothing to — to preview.  However as I’ve famous earlier than, he’s going to be attending UNGA. 
 
We’ll have extra to share as we get nearer.
 
Q    Previously, you mentioned meals safety was going to be a difficulty.  Some other points — how a lot Ukraine will probably be a part of this, Russia, China?
 
MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  Once more, look, so far as Ukraine, I might level you to their authorities on how they’re going to be concerned in UNGA.  We’re not going to talk for them or some other nation.
 
We will say for ourselves: The President goes to be attending, and we’ll have extra particulars to share down the highway.
 
Q    Is he planning to fulfill Prime Minister Truss both within the UK or round UNGA or in Washington?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  Once more, I don’t — simply don’t have something to preview.  As soon as we do, as we all the time do, we’ll share that with all of you. 
 
Thanks, all people. 
 
Q    Is he going to test-drive automobiles at this time?
 
MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  Oh, my gosh.  I don’t know.  I assume we’ll — it stays to be seen.  That’ll be — I wish to check.  I wish to check a type of.  (Laughs.) 
 
Q    We do too.  (Laughs.)
 
MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  I do know, proper?  Okay, guys.  Thanks.
 
10:25 A.M. EDT