Press Briefing by Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, and Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas

James S. Brady Press Briefing Room

2:48 P.M. EDT

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  Good afternoon, everyone.

Q    Good afternoon.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  I’m going to be really quick here.  I have the national security advisor, Jake Sullivan, to talk about the latest in the Middle East, so I’ll turn it over to him.

MR. SULLIVAN:  Thank you, Karine, and good afternoon, everyone.  I’m here to provide a brief report on the Iranian ballistic missile attack against Israel that occurred earlier today.  I can take just a few questions, because this is an ongoing situation and I need to get back to my desk.

Today, Iran launched nearly 200 ballistic missiles towards targets in Israel.  The United States military coordinated closely with the Israeli Defense Forces to help defend Israel against this attack.  U.S. naval destroyers joined Israeli air defense units in firing interceptors to shoot down inbound missiles.

President Biden and Vice President Harris monitored the attack and the response from the White House Situation Room, joined in person and remotely by their national security team.

We are still working with the IDF and the authorities in Israel to assess the impact of the attack, but at this time — and I stress “at this time” — we do not know of any deaths in Israel.  We are tracking the reported death of a Palestinian civilian in Jericho in the West Bank.  We do not know of any damage to aircraft or strategic military assets in Israel.

In short, based on what we know at this point, this attack appears to have been defeated and ineffective.  This was first and foremost the result of the professionalism of the IDF, but in no small part because of the skilled work of the U.S. military and meticulous joint planning in anticipation of the attack.

We’re also aware of reports of a terrorist attack in Jaffa that took the lives of a number of Israeli civilians and wounded several others today.  Our condolences go out to the families of the victims and to the family of the Palestinian civilian in Jericho.

Obviously, my update here is based on early reports, and we reserve the right to amend and adjust as necessary as we gather more information.  The word “fog of war” was invented for a situation like this.  This is a fluid situation.

We will consult with the Israelis on next steps in terms of the response and how to deal with what Iran has just done, and we will continue to monitor for further threats and attacks from Iran and its proxies.  We are particularly focused on protecting U.S. servicemembers in the region.

And with that, I’ll take just a few questions.

Yeah.

Q    Thanks, Jake.  Is the administration making any preparations to evacuate U.S. citizens from Lebanon or elsewhere in the region?

MR. SULLIVAN:  We have been very clear for some time now that U.S. citizens should avail themselves of commercial means to depart Lebanon given everything that’s going on.  We have said that from this podium, from multiple podiums.  We continue to say that.  But we have not begun triggering a noncombatant emergency evacuation — a NEO — and do not have an intention to do so at this time. 

If that changes, we’ll let you know.  But we continue to reinforce the point: American citizens in Lebanon should follow the guidance from the State Department, which is to find civil- — civilian commercial means to depart, because in extremis, we may not be able to get them out safely.

Yes.

Q    Thanks, Jake.  What is the U.S. view on whether Israel should retaliate?  And what is your concern about this leading to a wider escalation of war in the region?

MR. SULLIVAN:  We’ve had some initial discussions with the Israelis in the aftermath of this at the military level and also at the White House to prime minister’s office level.  We’ll continue those conversations in the hours ahead.  I’m not going to prejudge or get ahead of anything.  We want to have some deep consultations with the Israelis, and I’ll have more to report to you after we get the opportunity for deeper discussions.

Q    And escalation —

MR. SULLIVAN:  Yeah.

Q    — in the region?

MR. SULLIVAN:  Obviously, this is a significant escalation by Iran, a significant event, and it is equally significant that we were able to step up with — with Israel and create a situation in which no one was killed in this attack in Israel so far as we know at this time.

We are now going to look at what the appropriate next steps are to secure, first and foremost, American interests and then to promote stability to the maximum extent possible as we go forward.

Yeah.

Q    Back in April, the president’s message to Israel was to take the win when the U.S. and Israel were able to intercept the barrage of Iranian missiles.  Is he recommending a similarly limited response this time?

MR. SULLIVAN:  I will not, from this podium, share the president’s recommendations.  He will have the opportunity to share them directly.  We’re going to have, as I said, ongoing consultations with the Israelis this afternoon, this evening.  It is too early for me to tell you anything publicly in terms of our assessment or in terms of what our expectations are of the Israelis or the advice that we would give them.

Q    So, will he be speaking to Prime Minister Netanyahu today?

MR. SULLIVAN:  I don’t have anything to announce from this podium, but I can tell you that he is tracking this minute by minute.  We are very much deeply in touch with the Israelis, and insofar as we have calls to read out, we’ll make sure to read them out with you.

Just last question, then I’ll turn it over.

Q    Thank you, Jake.  In April, after Iran struck Israel, the U.S. issued a number of sanctions as a consequence.  This morning, the president said there will be severe consequences if Iran carried out this attack.  What are those consequences, and are they more severe than sanctions?

MR. SULLIVAN:  Totally legitimate question, and that answer will come based on the conversations and consultations we have with our Israeli counterparts.  It’s too soon for me to stand before you today and give you an answer. 

What I can tell you is this: We are proud of the actions that we’ve taken alongside Israel to protect and defend Israel.  We have made clear that there will be consequences — severe consequences — for this attack, and we will work with Israel to make that the case.

Thank you very much.

Q    Thank you.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  Thank you, Jake.  Thank you, Jake.

Okay.  On to the rest of — rest of the programming here.

This morning, President Biden was briefed by his homeland security adviser, Liz Sherwood-Randall, on the latest impacts of Hurricane Helene.  And this afternoon, he will receive an interen- — interagency briefing on the Hurricane Helene response and recovery efforts.

At the president’s direction, the Biden-Harris administration continues to use every tool available to get assistance and resources to the communities that need them the most.

Yesterday, the president approved a major disaster declaration for Georgia, which will unlock additional assistance to help those recovering.  This is in addition to the major disaster declaration swiftly approved by the president following requests from North Carolina, South Carolina, and Florida, as well as requests for emergency assistance across seven states. 

Tomorrow, the president will travel to Raleigh, North Carolina, where he will visit the state emergency operations center to meet with local officials and also first responders. 

And the vice president will travel to Augusta, Georgia, tomorrow and will then head to North Carolina in the coming days. 

As of today, thousands of personnel from across the federal workforce are deployed and supporting state-led Hurricane Helene response efforts across the six affected states, including over 1,200 personnel in North Carolina. 

Still, there is more work to be done, and the Biden-Harris administration will be there for these communities every step of the way. 

Now, as you can see, we also have Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas.

SECRETARY MAYORKAS:  Thank you, Karine, and good afternoon. 

Before standing at the podium, I was at FEMA’s National Operations Center being briefed by our personnel as well as state emergency personnel.  I thought it very moving and very telling that North Carolina’s emergency management director described Hurricane Helene as catastrophic and noted the fact that numerous towns situated along the river had virtually disappeared, had been completely destroyed. 

In fact, Hurricane Helene is of a — an historic magnitude: this many states hit this hard.  The wind field of the hurricane stretched 350 miles from its center.  More than 100 fatalities have been reported.  Hundreds and hundreds of homes and businesses destroyed. 

Our hearts break for those who have lost loved ones, and we pray for the swift assistance and rescue of those who are currently missing. 

We are in different phases of a post-hurricane environment, depending on the state and the location within the state.  In some areas, we are still in search and recovery — search and rescue operations.  In others, we are, in fact, in the response and recovery phase. 

I thought I would give you some of the latest statistics based on the briefing that I received, and I should say that these numbers are, as you can all well understand, quite dynamic and fluid.  They change minute by minute and hour by hour. 

But just as devastating as the hurricane has been, the re- — the response of federal, state, and local authorities has been extraordinary.  We have more than 2,000 federal personnel

dedicated to this effort.  On the ground, we have more than 1,200 urban search — urban search and rescue personnel.  FEMA staff deployed over 1,200.

Karine mentioned the major disaster declarations and the emergency declarations previously issued.  I should note that in the six states most severely impacted, those emergency declarations were issued before the storm hit, and we had thousands of personnel dedicated there. 

We have delivered more than 2.6 million ready-to-eat meals and more than 1 million liters of water.

At its peak, there were 5.1 million customers without power.  We have reduced that amount — and not just the federal government in support of the state and local authorities, but working very closely with the power companies and the other utilities, we’ve reduced that number of customers without power by 3.8 million people. 

And so, the — the operation is very, very significantly underway.  We are working in support of our state and local partners.  This is an all-of-government, frankly, all-of-community effort. 

And with that, I’ll take some questions.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  Okay.  Go ahead, Gabe.

Q    With regards to how many were unaccounted for.  Yesterday, Liz said about 600 were unaccounted for.  Do you have an updated number on that, Mr. Secretary?

SECRETARY MAYORKAS:  We do not have an update, but that work is still underway.  And I know, for example, within the Department of Homeland Security, the Coast Guard has recently rescued approximately 21 people through their patrols. 

Q    And there was also discussion yesterday on whether resources may have been better pre-positioned in other parts of the country.  There were many assets in the Big Bend region of Florida, some in North Carolina.  But should the government have pre-positioned more in the North Carolina area?

SECRETARY MAYORKAS:  Well, we actually pre-positioned our personnel and state and local personnel were pre-positioned in all six of the most heavily impacted states.  This is a — an historic hurricane.  It reached not only industrial areas but, of course, as we also point poignantly see, rural areas as well.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  Go ahead.

Q    Yeah.  Thanks, Karine.  Liz yesterday, focusing on the — the pre-positioning here before the storm, said that the — that it was focused on the Big Bend region of Florida.  So, what pre-positioning was taking place there that wasn’t taking place in the North Carolina, western North Carolina area?

SECRETARY MAYORKAS:  Remember that the pre-positioning of assets, to include personnel as well as equipment and the like, also depends on the terrain and the access points.  And so, we — we pre-positioned where we think the impacts are going to be greatest.

And we have seen the impacts hit mountainous regions that are inaccessible.  We now have roads destroyed.  There is a significant amount of mud.  We understand that people are still situated in the mud, and therefore we cannot undertake debris removal until we are assured that the search and rescue operation has been completed. 

Q    But what sorts of —

SECRETARY MAYORKAS:  We have to be very careful about the lives that still can be saved. 

Q    But what sorts of things were done in — was done in North Carolina before the storm came?  Like, what was the federal presence there, emergency-wise?

SECRETARY MAYORKAS:  I don’t have the specific numbers of the personnel already situated —

Q    Okay.

SECRETARY MAYORKAS:  — but we can get you that data. 

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  Go ahead, Weijia. 

Q    Thank you, Karine.  Thank you, Secretary.  Despite all the proactive things that the federal government did and its response, the sentiment, according to my colleagues on the ground, from people is that the federal government is not doing enough to help.  “Where are they?  Where is the help?”  What is your message to those people? 

SECRETARY MAYORKAS:  I would say the following: that we are there and we will continue to be there and we will reach the most difficult to access locations.  We are relentless in our efforts to ensure the safety and security of all.

And as Karine pointed out, we will be there for the long haul as well.  And I must — I must pay tribute to the heroic men and women not only of the Fer- — Federal Emergency Management Administration but throughout the federal government and throughout the state and local enterprise. 

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  Go ahead.

Q    Thank you, Secretary, for talking about electric power.  I’m curious about the status of cell phone service, as the Associated Press is hearing reports that people are having a tough time using their cell phones, being able to make calls, even reach you.

SECRETARY MAYORKAS:  Yes.

Q    What are you doing, and what is the status of that right now?

SECRETARY MAYORKAS:  So, in fact, communication has been difficult in — in a number of areas, if — if not impossible.  A great deal of infrastructure has been demolished.  We are working with the private communications companies as well as the FCC to ensure that we can rebuild communication towers.  We have, for example, deployed 50 Starlink satellite systems to help with the reconstruction of that infrastructure.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  Go ahead, Karen.

Q    You mentioned that there are roads that have been destroyed.  There are places that are so hard-hit that it’s hard to get to them right now.  Can — the president mentioned land bridges yesterday in working with the Defense Department.  Can you talk about what the effort is right now to get to some of those hard-hit areas and what the timeline is looking like to reach the people that are in need there right now?

SECRETARY MAYORKAS:  So, this is, at the president and vice president’s direction, an all-of-government effort.  So, it’s not only by land, but we have deployed air assets.  The Department of Defense has been of extraordinary assistance.  I don’t recall exactly the number of Army Corps of Engineer that have been deployed.  I think it’s close to 6,000.

So, it’s an all-of-government effort to reach individuals, not just by land but by air as well.

Q    And how quickly do you anticipate getting to some of those areas that have been cut off because of the roads being flooded and destroyed?

SECRETARY MAYORKAS:  As quickly as we can.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  We’ve got to start wrapping up.  Go ahead, Jeff.

Q    Thank you, Karine.  Mr. Secretary, do you have a sense of how much money it’s going to cost, A, to do this relief effort and, B, to do the rebuild effort once we get there?  And how much of that will be covered by insurance companies, and how much will be covered by the government?

SECRETARY MAYORKAS:  So, this is a multibillion-dollar undertaking in terms of the search and rescue and the response.  I should note that we already have approved approximately $1.7 million in individual assistance that individuals —

Q    Million or billion?

SECRETARY MAYORKAS:  Million.

— that individuals will be able to access.  I believe it will be as early as tomorrow.  It is a direct deposit into their accounts. 

But the rebuilding is something that is not for today but that is going to be extraordinarily costly and is going to be a multiyear enterprise.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  Go ahead, Toluse.

Q    Thank you, Karine.  Thank you, Mr. Secretary.  Two questions.  First, about the president’s decision to go to Raleigh.  Do — can you give us a little bit of a breakdown as to why he’s going to that location and what he will see and whether or not he’ll be able to see any of the harder-hit areas in the western part of the state?

SECRETARY MAYORKAS:  So, the decision of where to go and when to go is a decision that must be calibrated according to the capabilities and needs on the ground.  And so, the president and the vice president have been quite deliberate to take those sensitivities into account, to work with state and local authorities, and ensure that their visit is constructive and not in any way interfering with the urgency of search and rescue operations and the work underway on the ground.

And so, they selected the timing and location of their visits accordingly.

Q    And another question about the upcoming election.  Obviously, North Carolina is a very important state.  Do you have — and ballots are supposed to be going out in — in the coming days.  Do you have any sense of how much impact the hurricane had on the ability to carry out the election and carry it out safely?

SECRETARY MAYORKAS:  Well, the state and local authorities are in charge of their respective election efforts.  They are — have that top of mind, and we are going to be able to make sure — they are going to be able to make sure that people have the ability to exercise their fundamental right to vote.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  Kevin, last question.

Q    One of the issues we’re hearing about in North Carolina is not just downed power lines but flooded substations.  Do you have a sense of how long it will take to get those back online and what the administration can do to help remedy that?

SECRETARY MAYORKAS:  So, the president, as Karine mentioned, is going to be briefed in a — in an interagency effort.  Secretary Granholm and other representatives of the Department of Eng- — Energy are going to be there.

It is — as am I, of course.  It is a multiphase approach.  Not only do we have to bring in some additional infrastructure, but there is going to be damage and the like that is going to take time and money to replace and reconstruct.  Precise figures I don’t have.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  All right.  Thank you so much, Mr. Secretary.  Appreciate it.

SECRETARY MAYORKAS:  Thank you, Karine.  Thank you all very much.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  Okay. 

Q    Thank you.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  Thank you.

Okay.  I do want to give some stats — some additional stats so that you all have this.

More than 4,500 personnel from across the federal workforce — that’s the numbers as of today.  FEMA has shipped 7.1 million meal- — meals ready-to-eat, more than 7.5 million liters of water, 150 generators, and over 95,000 tarps.  Nearly 1,300 urban search and rescue personnel on the ground.  The Department of Defense has 30 high-water trucks and 22 helicopters.

So, just wanted to make sure you guys have that.  Those are the numbers as they are today, the most accurate.

And I just have one more thing at the top, and then we will go to Josh to kick us off.

So, collective bargaining, as you hear us say many times before, is the best way for workers and companies to reach a fair deal, including one that gives workers the pay and benefits they deserve.  It’s important that both parties come to the table and negotiate in good faith, as we talk about, is what we’re seeing with the ports situation.

As you saw the president say in his statement earlier today, he has urged USMX to come to the table and present a fair contract to the workers of the ILA that ensures they are paid appropriately in line with their peers. 

Shippers have made record profits since the pandemic, and in some case, have seen profits grow in excess of 800 percent compared to their profits prior to the pandemic.  Executive compensation has grown in line with those profits, and profits have been returned to shareholders at record rates.  It’s only fair that workers who put themselves at risk during the pandemic to keep ports open see a meaningful increase in their wages as well.

As the president said, dock workers will play an essential role in getting communities the resources they need out of the aftermath of Hurricane Helene. 

Now, this administration will be monitoring for any price gouging activity that benefits foreign ocean carriers, including those on the USMX board as well.  It is time for USMX to negotiate a fair contract with the longshoremen that reflects the substantial contribution they — they’ve been making to our economic comeback. 

And with that, Josh, it’s good to see you. 

Q    It’s good to see you.  If we can step back — 

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  Yeah.

Q    — Americans right now are seeing chaos in the Middle East, death and destruction from Helene, and now a port worker strike.  And I’m curious for — how worried should people be about what seem to be three kind of unraveling issues, and what is President Biden doing in terms of changing his schedule or taking additional steps —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  Yeah.

Q    — to try to reassure them?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  So, look, I think a couple of things here that I would note is that I hope the American people have confidence in this president — someone who has experience, who’s been a u- — a U.S. senator, a vice president, and now president for three and a half years — to get the job done, to make sure that he has the American people front and center on everything that he does.  It doesn’t matter if it’s for- — foreign policy issues, world issues, here in the United States, obviously.

And you’re right.  There are three major events, if you will, happening all at the same time.  And this is a president that spent a lot of his time in a Situation Room with the vice president getting updates, being hands- — hand- — hand-on — hands-on on getting updates and — and talking to — and obviously, communicating with the Israeli government on what was going on and how to move forward and really monitoring the situation, really.

And he has been — he and his team have been having regular conversation.  Well, his team has been ha- — regular conversations with represent- — representi- — representatives, as it relates to ILA, USMX, for the past several days, all the way up until yesterday.  And he’s been getting updates on that as well.

The hurricane — you’ve heard from — you’ve heard and seen, obviously, updates from us on what the president has been doing — having conversations with governors, local officials; trying to make sure they are getting everything that they need; directing his team to make sure that — I just laid out some of the things that are already on the ground, whether it’s water, food, generators, assistance that is needed to really deal with the impact — this horrible impact that this hurricane has had. 

And so, this is the job of the president, right?  Unfortunately, there are going to be events like this, and this is where you see the leadership of a president show up, direct their team to do everything that they can on behalf of the American people, be that lead- — have that world — global leadership, as you see from this president. 

And so, he has been doing that not just today, not just in the last couple of days, but three and a half years.  And I think this should send a message to Americans: It matters.  It matters who sits behind that Resolute Desk.  It matters what the leadership looks like.  It matters.  And you see that almost every day in this administration.

Go ahead, Karen.

Q    You had mentioned that the vice president is finalizing a trip, potentially, to North Carolina later.  The president had mentioned he might go to Florida and Georgia later this week.  Is there any more you can give on that trip?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  I don’t have anything more to share on that.  Obviously, our big thing is — is always to make sure that we don’t take away from — from the emergency operations on the ground.  We want to make sure there’s — it’s the right time to go. 

The president said he’s going — he wants to do it.  We’re working through it.  I don’t have a date or time at — at this — at this moment.  But tomorrow, he’s going to go to Raleigh, North Carolina, as I mentioned.  He’s going to really thank the frontline workers who have been really heroic in the past several days in what they’ve been able to do.  And he’s going to also survey the impacted area. 

So, that’s what you’ll see from the president.  We’ll certainly have more to share. 

He does truly want to go to Florida and Georgia to say thank you directly to frontline workers there, meet people, see folks who have been impacted by this horrible storm — a historic storm, I should say.  And so, we’ll certainly have more to share. 

Q    And just a funding question.  Last week, when Administrator Criswell was here, she had said that the agency had enough money to conduct lifesaving measures for this disaster.  Days later now, given the scope of the damage and that large number of people still unaccounted for, the Homeland Security secretary said that there’s still search and rescue operations in many places.  Is there still enough money for lifesaving measures for this particular disaster? 

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  So, I would let FEMA speak to that directly. 

My understanding is I don’t think anything has changed from when the FEMA administrator was here just this past Thursday. 

But I think what’s important to note is we’re going to be in touch with state and local officials to ensure that they have everything that they need in this time, in this moment — all the federal assistance, all the federal resources.  We are committed to that. 

Obviously, we had pre- — we had presented Congress with a robust funding request that did not make it into the CR.  We are obviously disappointed by that.  And so, those convert- — con- — those conversations are going to continue.  We want to see Congress act.

As we can see — just what we’ve seen from the past couple of days, it is important to have federal assistance for — for Americans who have lost everything — who have lost everything. 

Go ahead, Jeff.

Q    Karine, briefly, back on the topic of the Middle East.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  Yeah.

Q    Did the United States have a heads up from Iran that this missile strike was coming?  And if so, what channels — through which channels did you receive the heads up?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  As you know, we — there are — there are conversations that we have and that are not necessarily — what — here’s what I can say.  I’m not going to speak to private diplomatic conversation.  I’m not going to get into that. 

What I can say is that what you saw today, what you heard from Jake Sullivan is that we are going to continue to be there for Israel, to defend Israel.  They have the right to defend themselves. 

What you saw today — what’s happening, the developments of what you saw today and what you heard from the president directing the Department of Defense to make sure that we assist Israel, and what we — in the — in the operation that we saw coming from Iran.  We were — we — you heard from us earlier today.  You heard from the president. 

And so, we’re going to continue to make sure that we are there to defend Israel, and we are committed.  As you heard from Jake as well, there will be consequences.  This is an ongoing, developing situation.  And so, you will hear more from us. 

I’m not going to get into any — into any intelligence or any diplomatic conversations that we have from here. 

Go ahead, Kevin.

Q    When it comes to the dockworkers strike, should Americans be prepared for shortages of goods?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  So, look, I know that there’s been a lot of reporting on that, on the impact of — impact that this will have on the economy.  And so, look, what we see and how we see this moving forward, as it relates to the economy and — and potential impacts, is that we’re going to continue closely monitoring the situation.  We’re going to — what this could have potentially on the supply chain impacts, assessing ways to address any concerns if necessary. 

And the president and the vice president, as I said at the top as well, are being briefed.  They were briefed on the agency assessments that show limited impacts on critical consumer needs at this time, including in the important areas of fuel, food, and medicine. 

And so, the president has dir- — directed — remember, he started the — he started the Supply Chain Disruption Task Force very early on to deal with what we saw related to the pandemic. 

And so, they’re going to meet every day.  This task force still exists.  They’re going to meet every day and prepare to address potential disruptions if necessary. 

And so, we are — we are engaged extensively with labor industry, state and local officials, ocean carriers, and rail and truck companies, including multiple meetings with retailers, grocers, manufacturers, and ar- — and agriculture. 

So, this is something — when it comes to the supply chain, as we — obviously, as I just mentioned, we started — the president started the task force.  We are taking this very seriously, and we’re going to monitor this very closely.

Go ahead, Weijia.

Q    Thank you, Karine.  Yesterday, when the president was asked whether he was aware of a limited ground operation into Lebanon by Israel, he said, “I’m more aware than you might know.”  Can you elaborate on what he meant?  Did the president play a role in determining the size and scope of that ground operation?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  No.  I mean, this is — when it comes to any military operations that — that Israel has, IDF, it is for them to speak to.  It is — it is for them to come to their determination of what that looks like. 

What we have been very clear about is that Israel has the right to defend itself against Iran-backed groups, including Hezbollah, Hamas, and the Houthis.  And we have always been clear about that.

We understand, as I’ve stated, and I’ll give a little bit more today, the Israeli- — the Israelis will be conducting limited operations to destroy Hezbollah infrastructure that would be used to threaten Israeli citizens.  And this is in line with Israel’s right to defend itself and — and its citizens and safely return their — their civilians to their homes. 

So, we support that right to — to defend themselves against Hezbollah and all — again, all of Iran-backed groups.  And we’ve been very consistent about that and will continue to be so. 

Q    And then, I know there is a lot going on, but will the president sit down and watch the vice presidential debate tonight?  Where?  With who?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  (Laughs.)  As you — as you just stated, there’s a lot going on.  There’s a lot going on.  I mean, the question that I got from Josh moments ago is — there are multiple events happening all at once, and the president is going to continue, certainly, to deal with all of these events on behalf of the American people. 

Look, you heard from the president just a couple days ago.  He has complete confidence in — in Tim Walz. 

I’m going to be really mindful, you know, because it is a — a campaign event.  I’m just going to leave it there. 

Q    But is he going to watch?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  He’s going to be very, very busy.  Continues to be very busy with all of the events happening today.  But he has complete confidence in — in Tim Walz.

Q    Thank you.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  Go ahead.

Q    Thank you, Karine.  You spoke about wages earlier.  Can you talk about the president’s view of the ILA’s push to put restrictions on automation?  That’s a major sticking point

in those negotiations. 

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  Look, what I will say — I’m not going to go point by point with what they’re negotiating.  We believe — we believe it is important that workers get fair pay and also benefits.  That’s what they deserve. 

I just laid out what — what the shippers were able to do.  Right?  They were able to get — they were able to regain their profits, some of it in excess of 800 percent, since the pandemic.  Right?  Executive compensation has grown in line with those profits, and profits have been returned to shareholders at record rates. 

And so, you know, the ILA, these workers deserve to get paid what they’re worth.  They deserve that.  They put their lives at risk during — you know, they — they worked.  You know, they had to work during the pandemic to keep ports open.  That was not an easy thing to do.  They put themselves at risk.  And so, now they deserve fair wages.

Yeah.

Q    Is there anything particularly about technology, their concern that robots could —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  I hear the question.

Q    — potentially replace their jobs?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  I’m not going to get into specifics here.  What we believe is that they should get their fair — their fair wages and benefits, just like their peers.  And — and so, we believe that collective bargaining is the way to go.  Both sides need to — to continue to have conversation and do that in — in — obviously, in a way that leads to a way that workers get their fair share.

Q    And just a question on tomorrow’s travel.  Why isn’t Harris traveling with Biden, since she will be going to North Carolina, as you said, in the coming days? 

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  Well, she’s going to Georgia.  So, the president is going to do North Carolina, South Carolina, and she’s going to go to Georgia.  So, I think it’s a — it was a way to make sure that we cover — we cover all fronts.  And then, she’ll go to North Carolina in upcoming days.

Go ahead, Ed.

Q    Tha- – thanks, Karine.  So, on the port strike.  So, with the rebuilding of North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia, isn’t it a bad time to have supplies stuck at 36 ports, as of right now?  So, how long, then, until the president decides he should step in in this strike?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  So, a couple of things.  According to FEMA, it — the strike is not impacting the relief of — recovery efforts at this time because supplies were pre-positioned.  You heard — you heard the FEMA administration — administrator mention this just last week.  You heard that from — from the secretary just moments ago. 

So, any specifics on that, obviously, I would refer you to them. 

Look, we have a Supply Chain — Supply Chain Disruptions Task Force.  They’re going to be monitoring the situation.  This — there’s a reason why the president put that together to assess the supply chain.  And so, they’re going to be there to work with any potential disruptions. 

But I — in your — in your question to me about when is the president going to be involved, the president’s message has been very clear.  I just laid that out for one of your colleagues. 

We’ve been very clear when it comes to these types of moments here that labor, when it comes to negotiating, there needs to be — collective bargaining is incredibly important.  Workers need to get their fair share.  They need to get what they deserve: pay, paid benefits, wages.  It is important that happens. 

 The president is going to continue to be regularly briefed, and we are urging USMX to come to the table to present a fair proposal to ILA. 

 Q   So, Taft-Hartley is off the table indefinitely?

 MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  I — I’ve spoken to this.  This is not — this — we — we have not used Taft-Hartley, and we’re not planning to.

 Q   One quick one, if I could, on Iran.  So, Iran — obviously, we saw what happened today.  They also have an active plot to assassinate one of the candidates in the U.S. election, which could be seen as a direct election interference.  Is there any talk of consequences for Iran in terms of limiting their revenue, going after their oil exports?

 MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  So, look, you heard Jake speak to this — on what — there will be consequences.  You heard Jake say this.  This is an ongoing situation.  He had to get back to his desk to make sure that he continues to monitor what’s happening, occurring, having conversations with — with his counterparts as well in Israel. 

 But this administration has not lifted a single sanction on Iran.  We cannot forget that.  Rather, we continue to increase pressure.  That’s what we have seen.  Our extensive sanctions on Iran remain in place, and we certainly will continue to enforce them.  And you heard from the national security advisor; you heard what he said today.

 Q   But oil — Iran’s oil exports have reached record levels now — one report showing 3.2 million barrels per day, according to OPEC.  That’s about $90 billion a year.  So, when do we cut off that revenue?

 MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  We have not lifted any — a single sanction.  If anything, as I said moments ago, we increased pressure.  That’s what we have been doing.

 You’ll hear more from us.  Jake was very clear when he was here at the podium about consequences.  And so, I’m going to let — I’m going to let that be for now.

 Go ahead.

 Q   Thanks.  Six months ago, the vice president was in Los Angeles when Iran conducted its first wave of strikes, and the vice president joined virtually when she joined the national security team for a briefing that day. 

 Today, she’s the nominee.  She was in the Situation Room.  I’m just wondering if you can elaborate at all about what her engagement has been like today and what it will be like in the next 48 hours as Israel plots its response?

 MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  I mean, you just answered your own question.  The pres- — the pres- — the vice president joined the president today in the Situation Room as they were monitoring the situation, as the president was listening to his team and hearing feedback on what was happening on the ground. 

 She was there.  She was alongside him in getting that — in getting that update, and she is — many times has been in the room or, as you just said, has called in when it’s come to really important, critical national security issues. 

 And so, that has been the way that they have worked together in the past three and a half years, and that’s the way it’s going to continue as — as we work through what’s next. 

 Q   Does it make any difference, though, participating virtually versus being here in person today?

 MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  No, I wouldn’t — I — I wouldn’t say there’s a difference.  The point — the point is, she’s in the room.  She’s side by side with the president.  She’s getting an update from the national security team and others that is part of his — a part of his team on these important issues.  As we talk about foreign policy and what’s going on in the world, she’s part of it.  She’s there.  She was there for a majority of the time that the president was in the Situation Room today as we were watching what was occurring.  And that’s going to continue. 

 Go ahead, Gabe.

 Q   Thanks, Karine, the president walked the picket line last year with autoworkers in Michigan, which is a swing state.  Why not walk the picket line here?

 MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  So, look, I — I think that message has been really clear — it really has — on what the president wants to see.  We’ve been very clear about making sure that there is a — a — there is a — there is a way that these workers get their — get their fair pay — right? — get their wages. 

 And the president’s team has been having these conversations.  Secretary Buttigieg and also secretary of the Department of Labor and also NSC [NEC] Director Lael have been having regular co- — communications, and we’ve made our message really clear on collective bargaining, how important it is and how — or how USMX needs to come to the table and present a fair proposal to ILA.

 Outside of that, I don’t have anything else to share, but

I think our — I think we’ve been loud and clear on what we want to see and what we believe the workers deserve. 

 Q   Has the administration been as involved in this strike as it was during the UAW strike?

 MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  So, let’s not forget, there’s been multiple strikes — right? — over the last three and a half years, and we’ve been pretty consistent and pretty steady.  The president has been called the most pro-union president in modern — in modern history, if you will.  And so, we have delivered our message directly to USMX.  We have been very, very clear — and also the other senior officials that I listed.  It’s been very clear.  We’ve delivered those message, and we have been in touch with both parties.  And so, we’re going to continue to do that. 

 And what we want to see is collective bar- — bargaining in the best way for the workers to make sure they get their fair pay, to make sure they get the benefits that they deserve. 

 During the pandemic, they did the hard work.  They put their lives at risk to make sure that the ports were open.  And let’s not forget, these executives have made record profits — record profits.  And so, these workers deserve an increase as well. 

 Q   And quickly on the Middle East —

 MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  Yeah.

 Q   — if I may.  Is the U.S. — the bottom line — is the U.S. urging Israel to measure its response?

 MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  What I will say is what Jake Sullivan said to you all just moments ago: We’re going to continue the conversations.  We’re going to — there will be consequences.  We were con- — we are going to continue to be there for Israel, help Is- — help Israel defend itself.  That — when it comes to Israel’s security, that continues to be ironclad. 

 I don’t have anything else to share beyond that. 

 Go ahead.

 Q   Thank you.  Just turning back to the strike for a minute.  I wanted to get a sense — you had mentioned the president is — calls himself the most pro-union president.

 MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  Not just him. 

 Q   Not just him, of course. 

 MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  Oh, yeah, union members.

 Q   Others say the same thing. 

 MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  Yeah.

 Q   But could you expand a little bit on his relationship with Harold Daggett, the head of the union, and also —

 MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  Yeah.

 Q   — the vice president’s relationship with him?

 MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  So, I don’t have anything to — to read out on their relationship or private conversations.  What I can say is, you have s- — you have heard me say multiple times, his senior officials, White House senior officials have been in touch with both parties, and we are urging USMX to come to the table — to come to the table with a fair proposal. 

 We cannot say this enough.  We believe that these workers deserve a fair pay.  They deserve a benefits and that — that meets the — the level of their peers. 

And so, that’s what we’re going to continue to say and have those conversations.  You read and saw the president’s statement earlier today.  And the message is going to be very, very clear here.  And those conversations are continuing.

I don’t have a relationship to speak to.  I don’t have any — any preview to speak of at this time.

Q    Okay.  Is it just — Karine, you said that they have actually spoken to each other, though. 

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  I — no, I’m saying I don’t have anything to —

Q    You’re saying you can’t (inaudible)?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  — read out.

Q    Okay.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  I — I don’t have anything for you at this time.

Q    Okay.  And then just sort of related to that, you have — you sort of made a very clear point that the — in the sort of immediate days here, there — many experts say there isn’t an immediate impact that consumers will feel but that, as, you know, Harold Daggett has pointed out himself, after one week, two weeks, three weeks, that dynamic would change significantly.  And is — can you say anything o- — about how long the president is willing to wait?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  So, look, a couple of things.  We’re going to closely monitor the situation.  You heard me talk about the — the supply chain task force.  I do want to lay out: A number of our agencies, they put out assessment that showed limited impact on critical consumers’ needs at this time. 

So, on energy, for example, from the Department of En- — Energy, the strike will not have any immediate impact on fuel supplies or prices.  On food, from the Department of Agriculture, we should not expect a si- — a significant changes to food prices or availability in the near term.  On medicine, from the Department of Health and Human Services, immediate impacts across medicines, medical devices, and infant formula for consumers, parents, and caregivers should be limited.

But, of course, we’re going to closely monitor this and any — for any potential supply chain impacts. 

Look, and we have this task force.  This task force came into play obviously during the pandemic to deal with the situation that we were dealing with because of a once-in-a-century pandemic.

And so, they’re going to monitor it very closely.  And so, we’re — you know, what we’re going to continue to do is be very clear on our message to USMX: They got to come forward with a fair proposal that is fair to the — to the workers.  And so, that is our message.  And they are hearing that from senior officials from the White House.

Go ahead.

Q    Thank you.  I have two questions regarding Africa.  For Angola, President Biden is traveling to Angola, as you’ve mentioned.  Could you provide — there are 54 countries on the continent.  And I — as well as other leaders from the administration have traveled over there, what is your message to other African nations as well as the African (inaudible)?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  I would say that the president traveling to the continent sends a positive message to other nations.  I know you’re asking me about other countries, but the president is going —

Q    (Inaudible.)

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  No, wait.  But the president is going to the continent.  I think —

Q    But he’s only going to one country.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  Wait.  Wait.  But the president — and you just mentioned too in your question that other — other officials have gone to other countries in the continent, right? 

And so, if anything, you have seen our commitment to building on that relationship with th- — with those countries in the continent. 

As it relates to Angola, he’s going to have bilateral meetings there.  He’s going to have multilateral meetings as well to discuss increased collaboration on shared priorities.  And let’s not forget the PGI, what — an initiative that this president started.  That’s going to be the — Africa’s first transcontinental open-access rail network that’s going to start there. 

So, I think if you think about it, what the president has done this past three and a half years, going to Angola is a connecting — connecting factor in some of — in this key initiative, the PGI.  Right?  We’re talking about a — a historic effort in this open-access rail network. 

And so, that’s going to be a big deal for everyone, every country in the continent.  And so, if anything, this shows the president’s commitment, and he said he was going to go.  He’s keeping that commitment.  But it’s not just that. 

He wants to make sure that we’re advancing cooperation with the continent when it comes to the economy — right? — when it comes to technology.

And so, that’s what you’re going to see from this president.

Q    My other question is: Today is Nigeria’s Independence Day.  Do you guys have any remarks or any statements? 

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  I will talk to National Security Council.  I don’t have anything to share with you at this time.

AIDE:  Karine, you have time for (inaudible).

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  Okay.  All right.  Go ahead.  Back — in the back, yeah. 

Q    Me?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  Yeah.

Q    Ahead of tonight’s debate between J.D. Vance and Tim Walz, there are reports that VA staffers have accessed their medical records at the VA.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  Wait, say that one more time.  I — I missed that.

Q    That’s okay.  There are reports that VA staffers have accessed —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  Okay.

Q    — the medical records of J.D. Vance and Tim Walz, you know, as there’s rising interest in them as part of the election.  Is that acceptable?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  Wait, the — there are medical records that were asc- — accessed?

Q    Accessed by VA staffers.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  On —

Q    On their medical records —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  Of —

Q    — when they were —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  Of J.D. Vance?

Q    And Tim Walz.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  Okay.

Q    Is that acceptable to this administration?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  I — this is the first I’m hearing about this, so I have to get some more information on that.  I — this is the — literally the first time I’m hearing about this.  So, let me get back to you because I’m — I need to get the full context of that question.

All right, everybody.  Thank you so much. 

Q    Thank you, Karine.

3:35 P.M. EDT

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