Press Briefing by Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, September 2, 2022 | Eastern North Carolina Now

    Q - three follow-ups. So -

    MS. JEAN-PIERRE: No. No, no, no, I answered the first question. You just - you know, I had to just dive in a little bit more, but I certainly answered it because I said, "Making your voices heard is a powerful tool." I answered it the first time you asked.

    I'm going to go around.

    Go ahead, Nancy.

    Q Thank you. Oh, thanks so much, Karine. Just on the Treasury Department's oil price cap, I'm wondering: Will the President be making any personal appeals to world leaders to jump on this Russian oil price cap policy?

    MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So let me just give you a couple of things at the top because this is a really important first step. And so, we're moving from exploring a price cap on Russian oil to gaining an agreement with G7 nations, making up 50 percent of the global economy to implement one.

    A global price cap will help us accomplish our two goals. The first one is: significantly reduce Putin's biggest source of revenue for his war chest.

    Number two: ensure that oil continues to flow into the market at lower prices and supply meets demand.

    The impact of our efforts to implement a price cap is already bearing fruit. Reports show that Russia is already offering steep discounts - as much as 30 percent - and long-term contracts to some countries. This also demonstrates that Russia is planning to continue supplying its oil and willing to swallow bigger discounts.

    A price cap will give more countries better leverage to strike bargain with - deals with Russia. We will fur- - we will further work in the coming - upcoming weeks to determine the price cap level; release further information, including technical guidance for market participation; and announce our coalition partners as well.

    A price cap on Russia - on Russian oil is a powerful tool - one part of the tool in our agenda to put downward - to put downward pressure on global energy prices in a way that will benefit consumers in the U.S. and globally. And we are determined to implement this policy in a way that achieves those goals.

    We're going to let folks who are working on this continue the work.

    This was, again, a very big step forward. And we'll have more in the upcoming days.

    As you know, this is something that the Treasury is leading - but U.S. Treasury is leading.

    Q But is the President himself going to ask world leaders to sign onto this?

    MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Well, here's the thing: The President started this conversation, as you know, in Europe when we were in Germany at the G7. So this is part of the President's leadership. He moved this forward. He started this conversation.


    Now, the Treasury and our - our administration is going to continue to have those conversations. When I - we'll have more - clearly. We always share more.

    If the President is going to put out a statement, we'll let you know.

    Go ahead.

    Q Where does the President think the line should be drawn for having members of the military who could be perceived as being part of stagecraft for an address?

    The former President was criticized for using military many different times in many different settings. And you're right, there have been other instances and other Presidents where members of the military - especially here at the White House. But to be at a location in Pennsylvania where the Marines are not normally stationed, where does the President see the line for having members of the military included?

    MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, I - I just want to be very clear: You know, as you know, the President was at Independence Hall. And you know the history. I'm just going to - I'm going to repeat it, but I know you know the history. Which is where some of our - some of our - the documents of some of our most critical rights and freedoms were debated and were drafted.

    And so, being at Independence Hall for this President - and you - you followed this President. You know how he thinks, and you know how - you know, how he is - as an elected official. He believes that it is important for him to speak very loudly - to have, actually, the loudest voice when it comes to our democracy.

    And so, for him, this was not a political speech. This was an opportunity in primetime to talk directly to the American people, and to be very clear - clear - with a clear voice to talk about what is happening in our country today.

    And it was about our values as a country, about our democracy as a country. And so, that is what the President wanted to convey.

    And he believes the men and women who wear the uniform and protect us every day, protect this country every day - that's what they fight for as well.

    And so, this was an opportunity, as he's having this conversation, of leveling - right? - of a level conversation with the American people to do that.

    So, I just want to - that's really the best way that I can explain how the President was thinking about this last night.

    You know, when it comes to - you know, when it comes to the soul of the nation, this is something that the President has talked about, as I mentioned, for years. He has seen where we are headed as a country. He has been concerned where our democracy is going.

    And again, he took this opportunity to directly speak to the American people, understanding - understanding that the Marines who were standing behind him are - you know, are men and women who believe in our democracy as well, who fight for it every day.

    So that's - that's the thinking that I can give you behind that.


    Q On the Mississippi issue, briefly - just following up on the other question. Is there some tens- - some tension between the President and Governor Reeves? Because this is obviously an ongoing health concern, a day-to-day lifestyle concern, a real crisis for people in Mississippi. And the President seemed to be pointed in his comments - there hasn't been leader-to-leader direct communication.

    Is something getting in the way of the President and the governor speaking to each other? And is that necessary to further any assistance or progress on this issue?

    MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I mean, look, it's not necessary to further any progress in this situation.

    FEMA director is on the ground today - who lead - who is part of the agencies that, if anything, leads the effort when it comes to natural disasters that we're seeing. In this case, it is an infrastructure issue that we're see- - we're seeing in Jackson, Mississippi.

    And we're also going to have - we have EPA officials on the ground as well.

    So it's not necessary to have a leader-leader conversation. The federal government is going to do its job because of - the President has, you know, has put -

    Q But it is typical when there's a crisis in a state regardless of party, regardless of personal relationships.

    MS. JEAN-PIERRE: And you're right. Regardless of party. You're absolutely right. We've gone to Republican governors who - other Republican governors who are in a state and have delivered emergency assistance many times, sadly, during these last 18 months because -

    Q So has a call been attempted and not been welcomed or -

    MS. JEAN-PIERRE: No, I don't have a call to preview. I don't have to call to read out to you at this time.

    I can tell you that, regardless of a call, the President, as I just laid out with an update, is determined to help the people of Mississippi, in particular the people of Jackson, as they're dealing with this incredibly tough time.

    We have provided funding through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. We have provided funding through the American Rescue Plan that is going to, we believe, start the process of really dealing with an infrastructure issue that exists in Jackson, Mississippi.

    And we have said - I was asked about this yesterday - we - we are looking at all options to ensure that the people of Jackson have access to clean - to clean, safe drinking water. So that work is going to continue regardless if there's a call or not.

    And because the President - he says this all the time; you've heard him say this - he's a - he's the President for all Americans. And he's going to make sure that we do everything that we can for the people in Mississippi.

    Okay. Go ahead.

    Q Thank you. Thank you, Karine. I have a question about Jackson, and then also just following up on the speech yesterday. First, with Jackson: So FEMA has - you've talked a lot about the infrastructure funding - FEMA basically has two climate resilience programs that received a boost from that infrastructure bill, one of them being BRIC. Jackson hasn't, in the past two years, filed applications for that program - still hasn't now.

    Has the administration asked the state whether or not those applications were blocked, or just asked why those applications haven't gone through yet?

    MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So I'll say this: That is a question for FEMA. The FEMA director is going to be on the ground today. And I'm sure those many conversations will come up about ways that we can help the city of Jackson.

    She's going to - we're - you all are going to hear from her directly today. So I will leave it to her to answer that specific question, because you're asking about a specific program that I clearly don't have any information on it at this time.

    But, you know, the FEMA - the FEMA director - Director Criswell - is very good at her job. We have seen what she's been able to make happen over the last 19 months. And so, we have confidence that she will get to the bottom and be as helpful as she can be, as we can be on the ground.

    Q More broadly, just these smaller, poorer communities tend to not be able to hire the staff, don't have the infrastructure to actually navigate through this climate resilient system and get federal funding often. Years show this, you know, when you go back and look at reporting as well.

    So I wonder: What - what actual kind of stick does the administration have to - and since so much of the power is with the states - that this funding actually gets to communities that need it after these (inaudible)?

    MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, I spoke to this a little bit yesterday and I'll talk about it now. You know, we have put a real emphasis on making it easier for state and local governments to access the federal - federal savings. Because when we talk about the President's economic plan, when we talk about lifting people from the bottom up and - and - and out - you know, out, it is - has that, in the middle of it, equity.

    And you saw that in his response to - also to his COVID response and making sure that equity was at the center of that. And everything that you see from the American Rescue Plan, from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, from everything that we have dealt with as we talk about the economy, we want to make sure we do not leave anybody behind.

    And so, one of the reasons we've asked every state to appoint a state infrastructure coordinator to help streamline communications and information flow - so one of the other - one of the other administration officials who are - is on the ground is Mitch Landrieu, who runs that team. And so, he'll be on the ground. He'll be having those conversation. And so having that coordinator is incredibly important as we engage directly with, again, state and local governments and Tribal governments as well to help them quickly assess - access the necessary technical assistance and capacity to underserved communities, to your point.

    So we have also partnered with not-for-profits. That's another way that we have found a way to assist communities in access- - accessing and deploying these federal infrastructure funding, including Bloomberg Philanthropies, Emerson Collective, Ford Foundation, so - and so many more people that we are partnering in ways so that folks under- - in underserved communities could get that funding.


    So our goal, again, is to help local, state, Tribal, and territorial governments navigate and access and deploy infrastructure resources that will build a better community and a better America.

    So, again, there's a coordinator that is connected to getting that Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. You know, you're going to hear from Mitch Landrieu, you're going to hear from Criswell - Director Criswell - Administrator Criswell, who are both down there today. And we will hear a lot more on what we can do as an administration.