Hi, all. Today's report features:
• Great Outdoors Initiative: The President discusses the America’s Great Outdoors Initiative, which encourages partnerships with local communities to restore and protect the health, heritage, resources, and social and economic value of our nation’s lands and waters. Interior Secretary Salazar travels around the country to highlight goals including developing a new generation of great urban parks, improving access to outdoor recreation, restoring critical ecosystems and telling America’s story
• State News: Secretary Clinton hosts the first-ever Strategic Dialogue with Civil Society at the U.S. Department of State with citizen activists from around the world.
• White House press briefing: Jay Carney conducts his first briefing as White House Press Secretary and takes questions on the budget, the Middle East and other issues.
• GREAT OUTDOORS INITIATIVE •
White House, Feb. 16, 2011:
President Obama on America's Great Outdoors Initiative
The President speaks on the America's Great Outdoors Initiative at the White House.
Office of the Press Secretary, Feb. 16, 2011:
Remarks by the President on America's Great Outdoors Initiative
THE PRESIDENT: Well, welcome to the White House, everybody. It is great to have you here. What better place to hold our Great Outdoors event than right here, inside the East Room. (Laughter.) We thought it might be a little chilly for some of you. Not the folks from Montana. (Laughter.) Now, while an indoor celebration of the great outdoors may seem strange, it is worth noting that the White House is actually inside a 82-acre national park –- including an area once found to have the “densest squirrel population known to science.” (Laughter.) This is true. So we’ve got that going for us. (Laughter.)
I want to thank Sally for the terrific introduction. I asked her if she brought me any gear. She said that Secret Service wouldn't let her -- otherwise she would have. (Laughter.)
I also want to make a couple of acknowledgements -- people who have worked so hard on this initiative, and I want to make sure that they get all the credit in the world: my great Secretary of the Interior, Ken Salazar, is here. (Applause.) My outstanding Secretary of Agriculture, Tom Vilsack. (Applause.) Tom is still recovering from the Super Bowl -- big Steelers fan. (Laughter.) Went down to the game, all that stuff. Had the towel. (Laughter.)
Administrator of the EPA, Lisa Jackson. (Applause.) Chair of the White House Council on Environmental Quality, Nancy Sutley. (Applause.) Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works, Jo Ellen Darcy. (Applause.) And somebody I am just thrilled to have here because this is my model for public service and just not only a great former senator but also just a class act and a wonderful gentleman, who I have not seen in a while -- John Warner of the great Commonwealth of Virginia. (Applause.) Best to you, John. Thank you.
We also have -- in addition to Sally, I want to make sure that everybody knows who’s standing behind me here -- Dusty Crary, who’s a rancher from Rocky Mt. Front Advisory Committee -- Dusty. (Applause.) Sam Solomon, the president and CEO of the Coleman Company. (Applause.) John Tomke, president Sporting Conservation Council, Ducks Unlimited. (Applause.) Troy Uentillie, Navaho Nation member and the Sherman BIE School. (Applause.) And Rebecca Wodder, president of American Rivers. (Applause.)
All these folks have just done a lot of work to make this day possible.
Now, in 1786, Thomas Jefferson described the view from Monticello: “How sublime to look down into the workhouse of nature,” he wrote. “To see her clouds, hail, snow, rain, thunder, all fabricated at our feet.” To most Americans at the time, Jefferson’s experience was a familiar one. The vast majority of the continent was wilderness. No matter where you lived, you didn’t have to travel far to find acres of open fields and unspoiled forests.
But in the years that followed, Americans began to push westward. Cities sprang up along riverbanks and railroad tracks. The nation grew so fast that by 1890, the census director announced that he could no longer identify an American “frontier.” And yet, in the midst of so much expansion, so much growth, so much progress, there were a few individuals who had the foresight to protect our most precious national treasures -– even in our most trying times.
So at the height of the Civil War, Abraham Lincoln agreed to set aside more than 60 square miles of land in the Yosemite Valley -– land he had never seen -– on the condition that it be preserved for public use. Teddy Roosevelt, of course, our greatest conservation President, wrote that “there is nothing more practical in the end than the preservation of beauty.” Even FDR, in the midst of the Great Depression, enabled the National Park Service to protect America’s most iconic landmarks –- from Mount Rushmore to the Statue of Liberty. So conservation became not only important to America, but it became one of our greatest exports, as America’s beauty shone as a beacon to the world. And other countries started adopting conservation measures because of the example that we had set.
Protecting this legacy has been the responsibility of all who serve this country. But behind that action, the action that’s been taken here in Washington, there’s also the story of ordinary Americans who devoted their lives to protecting the land that they loved.
That’s what Horace Kephart and George Masa did. This is a wonderful story. Two men, they met in the Great Smoky Mountains of North Carolina -- each had moved there to start a new life. Horrified that their beloved wilderness was being clear-cut at a rate of 60 acres a day, Horace and George worked with other members of the community to get the land set aside. The only catch was that they had to raise $10 million to foot the bill.
But far from being discouraged, they helped rally one of the poorest areas in the country to the cause. A local high school donated the proceeds from a junior class play. Preachers held “Smokey Mountain Sunday” services and encouraged their congregations to donate. Local businesses chipped in. And students from every grade in the city of Asheville -– which was still segregated at the time –- made a contribution.
So stories like these remind us what citizenship is all about. And by the way, last year Michelle and I, we were able to walk some of the trails near Asheville and benefit from the foresight of people that had come before us. Our daughters, our sons were able to enjoy what not only Teddy Roosevelt did but what ordinary folks did all across the country. It embodies that uniquely American idea that each of us has an equal share in the land around us, and an equal responsibility to protect it.
And it’s not just the iconic mountains and parks that we protect. It’s the forests where generations of families have hiked and picnicked and connected with nature. It’s the park down the street where kids play after school. It’s the farmland that’s been in the family longer than anybody can remember. It’s the rivers where we fish, it’s the forests where we hunt.
These days, our lives are only getting more complicated, more busy, and we’re glued to our phones and our computers for hours on end. I have to -- Michelle and I, we're constantly having to monitor our kids, get outside. Turn off the TV. Put away the Skype. (Laughter.)
Cars and buses shuttle us from one place to another. We see our kids spending more and more time on the couch. For a lot of folks, it’s easy to go days without stepping on a single blade of grass.
At times like these, we have to ask ourselves: What can we do to break free from the routine and reconnect with the world around us? What can we do to get our kids off the couch and out the door? And by the way, because I’m a smart husband, I, here, want to point out all the great things that Michelle is doing with the “Let’s Move” initiative to help kids stay active and healthy. (Applause.)
Today, our open spaces are more precious than ever -– and it’s more important than ever that we come together to protect them for the next generation.
So, in my first months of office I signed a public lands bill -- that many of you worked on -- that designated two million acres of wilderness, over 1,000 miles of wild and scenic rivers and three national parks. (Applause.) I'm very proud of that. And some of the members of Congress who worked with us on that are here today, and we're very proud of them.
But at a time when America’s open spaces are controlled by a patchwork of groups, from government to land trusts to private citizens, it’s clear that conservation in the 21st century is going to take more than just what we can do here in Washington. Just like the story of the Great Smoky Mountains, meeting the new test of environmental stewardship means finding the best ideas at the grassroots level. It means helping states, communities and non-profits protect their own resources. And it means figuring out how the federal government can be a better partner in those efforts.
And that’s why, last year, we launched the America’s Great Outdoors Initiative. Over the last 10 months, members of my administration have held more than 50 listening sessions with over 10,000 people -– from hunters and fishermen to tribal leaders and young people. And together, we’ve laid the foundation for a smarter, more community-driven environmental strategy.
To make it easier for families to spend time outside no matter where they live, we’re going to work with cities and states to build and improve urban parks and waterways, and make it easier to access public lands.
To encourage young people to put down the remote or the video games and get outside, we’re going to establish a new Conservation Service Corps so they can build a lifelong relationship with their natural heritage. And this is something I know Ken cares deeply about. (Applause.)
To help set aside land for conservation and to promote recreation, we’re proposing to fully fund the Land and Water Conservation Fund, for only the third time in our history. (Applause.) And we’re intending to pay for it with existing oil and gas revenues, because our attitude is if you take something out of the Earth, you have a responsibility to give a little bit back to the Earth. (Applause.)
So these are the right steps to take for our environment. But they’re also the right steps to take for our country. They help spur the economy. They create jobs by putting more Americans back to work in tourism and recreation. They help inspire a new generation of scientists to learn how the world works. They help Americans stay healthier by making it easier to spend time outside. And they’ll help carry forth our legacy as a people who don’t just make decisions based on short-term gains of any one group but on what’s best for the entire nation in the long run.
So working together to protect the environment we share, lifting up the best ideas wherever we find them, preserving the great outdoors for our children and for their children -- that’s our responsibility.
The great Rachel Carson once wrote that “The real wealth of the nation lies in the resources of the Earth -— soil, water, forests, minerals, wildlife... Their administration is not properly, and cannot be, a matter of politics.” Something more than politics. That was the call echoed by Jefferson and Lincoln and Roosevelt. It’s the call that has driven generations of Americans to do their part to protect a small slice of the planet. And it’s the call that we answer today.
So I’m grateful to all of you for the great work that you’ve already done. Keep it up. Thank you. God bless you, and God bless the United States of America. (Applause.)
Department of the Interior, Feb. 16, 2011:
America's Great Outdoors
The official video of the America's Great Outdoors Initiative.
Department of the Interior, Feb. 16, 2011:
Secretary Salazar to Hit the Road for America’s Great Outdoors
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Following President Obama’s announcement of the America’s Great Outdoors report today, Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar will visit communities around the country to highlight the importance of the 21st century conservation and recreation initiative. The America’s Great Outdoors initiative encourages partnerships with local communities to restore and protect the health, heritage, resources, and social and economic value of our nation’s lands and waters.
Secretary Salazar will visit New York, Florida, California, and Maryland to highlight America’s Great Outdoors initiatives, including developing a new generation of great urban parks, improving access to outdoor recreation, restoring critical ecosystems and telling America’s story. Specific details of the trips to follow.
Thursday, February 17, 2011
WHO: Secretary Salazar, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, NPS Director Jon Jarvis
WHAT: New York Great Urban Park Announcement
WHERE: New York City, NY
Friday, February 18, 2011
WHO: Secretary Salazar, Acting Director of FWS Rowan Gould
WHAT: Everglades Restoration Project Groundbreaking
WHERE: Picayune Strand, FL
Sunday, February 20, 2011
WHO: Secretary Salazar, BLM Director Bob Abbey
WHAT: Visit to Imperial Sand Dunes Recreation Area
WHERE: El Centro, CA
Monday, February 21, 2011
WHO: Secretary Salazar, NPS Director Jon Jarvis
WHAT: 40 Acres National Historic Landmark Plaque Dedication Ceremony
WHERE: Delano, CA
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
WHO: Secretary Salazar
WHAT: Civil War Sesquicentennial Event: Reenacting Abraham Lincoln's Historic Train Ride
WHERE: Baltimore, MD
Thursday, February 24, 2011
WHO: Secretary Salazar
WHAT: A Conversation about America's Great Outdoors at the Center for American Progress
WHERE: Washington, D.C.
• STATE NEWS •
Department of State, Feb. 16, 2011:
Secretary Clinton Hosts Strategic Dialogue With Civil Society
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton hosts the first-ever Strategic Dialogue with Civil Society at the U.S. Department of State in Washington, D.C., on February 16, 2011.
Department of State, Feb. 16, 2011:
Remarks at the Launch of Strategic Dialogue with Civil Society
Hillary Rodham Clinton, Secretary of State; William J. Burns, Under Secretary for Political Affairs; Rajiv Shah, USAID Administrator; Egyptian Activist Sherif Mansour and Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission Chair Sima Samar
…. SECRETARY CLINTON: …. We have a broad cross-section of global civil society here today, and we have thousands of others who are participating via interactive videoconferences at 50 of our embassies around the world. Even more are taking part in live online chats in Arabic, Russian, and Spanish. I want to start by acknowledging the many brave people who could not be with us today because they are doing what civil society does. They are fighting for human rights and dignity. In the last weeks, we have seen their courage on display in the streets of Tunis and the town squares of Cairo. We have watched with great anticipation as they have stood up for their rights and aspirations.
For decades, Egyptian activists worked under a repressive system of official controls, including laws that required them to register before they could start work, the kinds of measures that impede the work of many of you here today and many more who are joining us by conference. But you are here because you have not been deterred. You have gone on with your work despite harassment and persecution. And we have seen the progress that can be made because of your commitment.
The events of the past few weeks, which we never could have predicted when we began to plan for this months ago, makes our meeting even more timely and the issues more urgent. If we’re going to take advantage of this historic moment, we have to tap the expertise, experience, and energy of civil society. Across the Middle East today, we see people calling on governments to be more open, more accountable, more responsive. They want a stronger voice in their own affairs. They want to be treated fairly and with dignity. As I’ve said before, it is in the interests of governments to answer these demands, to reflect the will of their own people. Countries with vibrant and representative institutions settle differences not in the streets, but in city halls and parliament buildings. That, in turn, makes them more stable, and they tap the potential of all of their people, which gives them the base for greater prosperity and progress.
The United States supports democratic change. It is in line with our values and our interests. We support citizens working to make their governments more open, transparent, and accountable. We uphold the universal rights of every person to live freely, to have your voice heard, and your vote count. And we want to work with all partners, governments, the private sector, civil society, the entire cross-section that gives us the chance to make real and lasting change.
Now, of course, we recognize there are many paths to democracy, and we recognize that true and sustainable democracy is about far more than elections. Each society will work to realize its own democratic values and build its own democratic institutions in its own way, because we also recognize the uniqueness of culture and history and experience. But let me be clear, our support for democracy and human rights is not about siding for or against either governments or citizens. This is about standing up for universal principles and for those in and out of government who support them. So as our partners take steps to open their own political and economic systems, we will support those efforts. And we will urge others to follow that path. Governments that pursue democratic change, economic openness, will have a friend in the United States.
We’re also continuing to work with civil society and those who are outside of government to lay a groundwork for reform because, as I said earlier this month in Munich, the transition to democracy is more likely to be peaceful and permanent when it involves both the government in power and a broad cross-section of the governed. Civil society holds governments accountable, keeps them honest, and helps them be more effective. But you play an even more fundamental role than that. You help to strengthen the basic bonds of trust that are essential to democracy.
We had a wonderful phrase that came to us from the French observer Alexis de Tocqueville, who talked about the habits of the heart. Because we understand that building trust is the glue that holds democratic societies together, and trust is often in very short supply. Working with others toward a common purpose, contributing to the life of your community, that’s how we practice those habits through civil society.
I’ve talked often about the three-legged stool that upholds stable societies – a responsive, accountable government; an energetic, effective private sector economy; and then civil society, which represents everything else that happens in the space between the government and the economy, that holds the values, that represents the aspirations. If one of those legs on the stool is too short or too tall, the stool is not stable. And we’ve seen a lot of unstable stools that now no longer can hold the weight of their societies. And what we hope to do is to bring that into balance with you.
Now, what consists of the individual actions of civil society joining religious organizations of your choice to pursue your spiritual fellowship, donating to humanitarian causes, working to improve your school or clean your street or provide other kinds of citizen activism may not be life-altering events, they may not change the world, but they serve a very important purpose. They ground people in the life of a community. They build that trust with neighbors and they remind us all that we have a stake in the future, that we can work with our fellow citizens in pursuit of a common good even when we disagree. Those are the building blocks of a healthy democracy.
Both President Obama and I have deep personal connections to civil society. He began his career as a community organizer; I began mine as an advocate for women and children’s rights. Both of us are committed to defending civil society. In Krakow last July, I spoke about how, in many countries, governments are trying to crush civic activism. Well, we will continue to stand up for you. And we are backing that commitment with action. I’m very pleased to announce we are more than doubling our financial support for efforts to respond to threats to civil society, to help human rights workers who have been arrested, activists who’ve been intimidated, journalists who have been censored. We have launched an international fund that will provide quick assistance, such as communications gear and legal support to NGOs affected by government crackdowns.
We also recognize that new technology opens up new ways for governments to restrict civil society. And yesterday, I spoke at George Washington University about our commitment to Internet Freedom and outlined steps we are taking to protect and advance it.
We’re also using diplomatic channels. Last October, I asked every U.S. ambassador and embassy to engage with civil society as a cornerstone of our diplomacy. I’ve also asked every assistant secretary who travels overseas to meet with civil society groups in addition to governments. I’ve had that opportunity in my travels as Secretary. Students and professors at a women’s college in Saudi Arabia, survivors of human trafficking in Cambodia, business leaders in Brazil. It’s one of the best parts of my job. And I also raise these issues with government leaders. I recently wrote the foreign minister of Cambodia about proposed legislation that would impose burdensome reporting requirements on NGOs and prevent many small organizations from operating at all. They’ve now begun a dialogue with civil society about this law, and we are following that debate closely.
Finally today, we are launching this new Strategic Dialogue. This is the first time we’ve held a strategic dialogue with any group other than a government, but we know very well the benefits that such dialogues offer. They help break down barriers across governments by creating a forum for regular contact between senior people on both sides. They build habits of cooperation, which increases understanding and helps translate that understanding into practical results. They make it easier for us to identify common problems, set common goals, and share what we are learning.
In our ongoing dialogue with countries, we make progress in areas like nonproliferation, climate change, health and development, agriculture, and other critical issues. We’re rolling up our sleeves and getting to work, and that’s exactly what we want to do with each of you because our work together on women’s rights, corruption, religious freedom, and other issues is just as important as anything we do with governments.
Now, many of our current dialogues involve civil society, and that will continue. But we need to elevate our engagement beyond the discussions we’re already having. We have a lot of ideas about what we might accomplish together, and we have many of our senior diplomats here who will be working on specific issues. Under Secretary Bob Hormats will lead a working group on governance and accountability. Assistant Secretary Mike Posner will focus on democracy and human rights. And Ambassador Melanne Verveer will lead a group focused on empowering women. Now, this is our initial plan, but we want to hear from you about what we need to do to be responsive to what you are facing and how we can build this project together over the next months.
None of us can ever predict what will spark the kind of movements we’ve seen or even from the past, the firing of a Polish shipyard worker who inspired a democratic movement that changed the face of Europe. But we know that the power of human dignity is always underestimated until the day it finally prevails. So come with us on this journey, because that’s what democracy is. It is a road traveled rather than a destination. We know where that journey begins, with the people here in this room and the men and women of civil society everywhere....
• WHITE HOUSE PRESS BRIEFING •
White House, Feb. 16, 2011:
2/16/11: White House Press Briefing
Jay Carney conducts his first briefing as White House Press Secretary. White House Press Briefings are conducted most weekdays from the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room in the West Wing.
Office of the Press Secretary, Feb. 16, 2011:
Press Briefing by Press Secretary Jay Carney, 2/16/2011
MR. CARNEY: Good afternoon, everybody. How’s everybody doing today?
Q: Welcome.
MR. CARNEY: Excellent. Good. Well, thank you very much. I’m glad to be here. I really appreciate the turnout. I’ve never seen this room this crowded.
Before we get started today, I have a presidential scheduling update for you. This afternoon the President will tape television interviews with local television affiliates in Cincinnati -- that’s WCPO; Richmond, WWBT; and Milwaukee, WTMG; and the Hearst TV conglomerate. It’s part of his continued effort to talk to Americans across the country about his budget proposal and how it will prepare our country to win the future. These TV interviews are embargoed until 6:00 p.m. Eastern, so you can begin refreshing those local TV websites now, which is where you’ll be able to get information on what he said in those interviews.
And with that, I’d like to go to my briefing….
Q: I had one question on the news of the day, but before that I wanted to ask you about -- as you see of the role of the press secretary, particularly as a former journalist. Do you think when you come out here that your primary job as you see it is to promote the interests of the President, or is it primarily to provide us with unvarnished information so we can inform the public?
MR. CARNEY: Well, Ben, let me tell you this. We obviously all here serve the President. I work for him. But the press secretary is a unique position within a White House. And not just because I’m a former journalist, because I think every press secretary understood this and understands it -- I work to promote the President and the message that he’s trying -- the messages he’s trying to convey to the American people.
But I also work with the press to try to help you do your jobs -- to help you cover the White House, cover the administration, and report on what we’re doing here. So I think it’s been said before that the office that the press secretary has is somewhat symbolically located about halfway between the briefing room and the Oval Office, and I think that says something about what the nature of the job is.
I mean, I do work for the President, but I’m also here to help the press understand what we’re doing, to give the best information I can give -- with the help of a great team -- and that’s what I will try to do.
Q: Fair enough. One question on the budget. The President said yesterday in his news conference that what’s needed now is an adult conversation, and then later he added that what we need is a reasonable, responsible and initially probably somewhat quiet and toned-down conversation. And I’m wondering whether -- from the White House end, whether there’s a pledge basically to honor that. Are you guys willing to say, we’re not going to politicize this spending debate?
MR. CARNEY: Look, the President has made clear, I think as he did yesterday, that he takes very seriously the need to reduce spending in the near term. That’s why his budget proposal does things like cut $400 billion over 10 years to reduce spending to get -- not just spending, but the deficit, which is very important.
But he also understands that there needs to be a conversation about our long-term debt, and that needs to be, as he said, an adult conversation where reasonable people from both parties sit down and talk about this major challenge that we face and ways to deal with it. And I think that needs to be -- if we’re going to succeed to get there, it needs to be civil and it needs to be reasonable. And I think, as he said, each side needs to be willing to give. That’s what compromise is all about.
And remember, last December we saw -- we have a template for how this can work. Where people thought agreement couldn’t be reached, both sides got together, each side gave a little bit, neither side got exactly what it wanted, but the President and the Congress were able to achieve something in the interests of the American people that will help grow the economy, create jobs, make us more competitive in this very competitive 21st century.
Q: So we should expect an adult, civil tone coming from here?
MR. CARNEY: Yes, absolutely.
Let me go to Reuters. Yes, Jeff.
Q: Thanks, Jay. Israel said today that Iranian warships plan to sail through the Suez Canal to Syria. Does the United States view that as a provocation, and how should Israel react?
MR. CARNEY: Look, I think our position on Iran in a variety of ways is well known. I would refer you on that specifically to the State Department. I don’t have anything for you on the ship in the Suez.
Q: Let me follow up with a Mideast question then. A lot of spread of the unrest in Egypt to other areas in the Mideast -- the President referred to this issue yesterday and said that leaders of those countries need to get out ahead of the change. Does the White House think the leaders in countries like Libya or Bahrain are ahead of that change?
MR. CARNEY: Well, look, as he said, each country is different in how they respond to the expression of the legitimate aspirations of their people. It is very important and they need to do it in a way that reflects what we believe, what the President has said, are these universal values that each government needs to respect. And those are freedom of expression, freedom of the press, freedom of movement, freedom of assembly, freedom of access to information -- the Internet in particular -- and to respond to those demonstrations in a non-violent way.
We've called, as we did in -- as the President did in Egypt and as we are doing now, we call on both sides in countries where these demonstrations are taking place to be non-violent and for the governments to be responsive….
Q: The President seems to think that borrowing money to pay the interest on the debt is not adding to the debt. I don't understand that math.
MR. CARNEY: What the President made clear is that we need to get to a place -- and his budget absolutely does this -- where we are no longer spending more than we're taking in. And what the reality is, is that we have, like some families might have, debt on their credit card with interest rates that have to be contended with. But the first, important step to dealing with this issue is getting your regular spending and income in balance so that you are no longer adding to the problem.
The interest is something we have to deal with and interest payments are a major portion of our long-term debt problem that we need to address. But, look, it is not an inconsequential deal to propose a budget that cuts as substantially as it does in targeted areas so that the federal government lives within its means in order to be able to continue to invest in the future, because you have to have economic growth, you have to have job creation if we're going to address this overall long-term problem.
Q: I assume when the President calls for an adult conversation he means that conversation should be forthright and politicians shouldn’t be hiding behind cute language, such as we will not be adding more to the national debt, even if hundreds of billions of dollars are being added to the national debt in interest paid on debt that President Obama helped himself create.
MR. CARNEY: Well, the debt has been created over a number of years, as you know …. and we came in here with an economic crisis the likes of which I daresay nobody in this room has ever seen and which threatened to head straight into a depression if we didn’t act. But I also remind you that we inherited -- when this administration came into office, this President came into office -- an enormous debt that had been piled up in the previous eight years. And that is part of the problem, and the interest that you're talking about is on that debt as well.
But, look, I think it’s important to step back. The President put forward a budget that seriously addresses the need to reduce spending, that also protects the key areas that he thinks need to be invested in so that we can remain competitive, grow the economy, create jobs. And he looks forward to working with Republican and Democrats in Congress to deal with both the budget proposals and the long-term debt. And he thinks that we can -- there is reason to believe that we can get this done.
Q: So you -- just to button this, you think that we will not be adding more to the national debt is a statement that stands scrutiny?
MR. CARNEY: Absolutely, absolutely. And, Jake, we have explained precisely what that means in terms of new spending, getting our spending and income -- I mean our income and spending into balance. That is an important step towards dealing with our deficit and our debt.
Q: Jay, in terms of that -- following on that, PolitiFact, which is nonpartisan -- both sides tend to agree with its nonpartisan analysis -- looked at the very issue of interest on the debt, and they said that if the President’s budget passes, annual spending minus interest will equal annual revenue in 2017. So basically that's the point when the interest on the debt can be put aside -- that basically in the next six years, new spending is going to continue to add to the debt….
MR. CARNEY: Well, we obviously have our budget proposal, and Jack Lew, the budget director, has been out answering in far greater detail than I can or do on what our budget proposal contains, and the assumptions it contains and the numbers it contains.
But the President has made very clear what his priorities are here, and what -- the reductions that we’re looking to make and how that really is -- it’s the only plan out there. Ed, I would remind you, it is the only budget proposal out there right now that reduces spending and brings down the deficit. Now, it is a very serious, reasonable proposal that demonstrates his seriousness about this debate….
Well, look, I would just refer you to the statements of Jack Lew explaining this. I’m not an economist. I know you’ve heard phrases like that before. (Laughter.) But I’m not. And we absolutely stand by the budget.
Q: …. What is this government doing to press the Egyptian government for answers about what happened (to Lara Logan, CBS reporter who was assaulted) and what they're going to do to bring people to justice?
MR. CARNEY: Well, Ed, as you know, during those events, the 18 days, the President made clear that our position was violence was unacceptable, and that -- specifically harassment, detention -- violence against journalists was unacceptable, and that the perpetrators of violence needed to be held accountable. And that remains our position….
And we obviously have a lot of contacts with -- through our embassy and elsewhere with the current government. And we still believe that those responsible for these acts -- and there were other -- obviously, there was other violence -- need to be held accountable….
Q: …. how concerned is the President that these (Egyptian) generals are going to get comfortable with power and keep it that way?
MR. CARNEY: Well, look, there have been -- Chip, there have been a number of positive signs in the very few days since this transition in terms of the top leadership took place. But our position in terms of what needs to happen, the constitutional reforms, the lifting of the emergency law, the release of political prisoners, those positions still pertain.
And obviously, we are watching closely and advising and assisting where we can. But also I would point to you that this is an Egyptian process. The amazing events that occurred over those 18 days were driven by the Egyptian people from all stripes -- from all corners of society who went out on the streets to air their grievances and make demands for more democratic representation and to be able to participate in the process and to create greater prosperity in Egypt.
And we support the Egyptian people now just as we did then because I think they have made clear that they want a democracy and they want free and fair elections. And we are obviously as on this today as we were in the last -- the previous three weeks….
Q: …. How do you explain to the average American that we’re not adding to the credit card (with the budget proposals)? ….
MR. CARNEY: Well, I think again, not being an economist, I will venture to explain the miracle and sometimes the horror of compound interest, and the reality is the interest on the debt is a major portion of the debt that we have to pay and the growth of the debt in future years. And I think Americans understand that….
Q: The President reflected on history a bit yesterday, talking about Ronald Reagan with Tip O’Neill and then Bill Clinton with the Republican Congress. Does he believe there’s time to get perhaps something done on entitlements before we get into 2012 campaign mode?
MR. CARNEY: The President is very confident that if we get together with both sides, members of Congress, the President, that something can be accomplished. And he has -- he believes that the approach he’s taking by putting forward a budget that is serious about the need to reduce spending but is also serious about the need to continue to promote economic growth and innovation and infrastructure, building for the future and educating our children -- that he has created -- helped create an environment where we can have these conversations in a productive way.
So I think his seriousness about this issue is very clear and he wants to work together with members of both parties to get there….
Q: Jay, first of all, the interviews with Cincinnati, Richmond, Milwaukee -- those are the three media markets of John Boehner, Eric Cantor, Paul Ryan. Coincidence?
MR. CARNEY: I think those are important states, important parts of the country. And he’s very eager to talk to and reach out to Americans in all parts of the country to explain what he’s doing on the budget, explain his vision for the future, the need to reduce spending reasonably, promote economic growth and invest in the areas that will help us compete in a very competitive environment in the 21st century….
He speaks to -- he travels around the country; he has meetings with Americans around the country; and this is just part of that process.
Q: Oh, come on, Jay. (Laughter.)
MR. CARNEY: This is almost fun. (Laughter.)
Q: …. Is it now no longer a main policy goal of this administration to get Guantanamo closed in the first term?....
MR. CARNEY: Well, look, I think the DNI Director has also followed up on that. But I would just point out that the President remains committed to closing the prison at Guantanamo Bay, because, as our military commanders have made clear, it’s a national security priority to do so. I don’t have anything beyond that on it for you….
I’m not going speculate about what would happen if we were to capture Osama bin Laden. I can tell you that this government is very focused on bringing to justice the perpetrator of the attacks on 9/11. But beyond that, I wouldn’t speculate about what would happen….
Q: Tomorrow the President is meeting in a private fundraiser, no public events in San Francisco, and overnighting there.
MR. CARNEY: It’s not a fundraiser…. It’s a dinner…. I think the focus of the discussion is innovation and job creation, and these are representatives of businesses who can -- who know a lot about private sector job growth.
Q: Will the full list of attendees be released?
MR. CARNEY: Yes….
Q: Welcome. On Social Security, the President repeated yesterday that he is opposed to slashing benefits… (is he) ruling out any benefit cut whatsoever?
MR. CARNEY: I think the President was pretty clear in the State of the Union about his position on this, which is we need -- first of all, as all of you know -- some of you may even be economists -- the Social Security issue is not a deficit -- near-term deficit issue. It is a problem with the long-term debt. Secondly, we do not -- the President wants to protect current retirees. He does not want a solution that slashes benefits. And he wants to make it stronger and solvent for the future, because it is an important element of security for our seniors.
Now, on the specifics, I’m not going to get into negotiating a Social Security solution from this podium, precisely because, as the President said yesterday and has said many times, we need to get together -- he needs to -- and will get together with leaders of both parties who want to address this issue seriously -- entitlement spending, in general -- and talk about the ways to do that….
Q: And on the continuing resolution debate on Capitol Hill right now….
MR. CARNEY: Similarly, I’m not going to negotiate the CR from here. But I would just like to say that this is the beginning of a process; the President believes we can work through it. And we haven’t seen a formal proposal yet from Congress on the CR, and we will wait to see what it is. But he’s enunciated his principles and we will let Congress come together and create a product….
Q: Jay, welcome. On the CR, is there worry here about a government shutdown after March 4th?
MR. CARNEY: You know, Mark, I would say that it is our understanding that not only does the President not believe that a government shutdown is a good idea but the leaders of Congress in both parties obviously want to avoid that. And we believe that we can work together to prevent that from happening. So that’s what we think -- that’s an important position to take. We think that we can get there and avoid a problem like that.
Q: And on the ambush of the ICE agents, what has President Obama been told about that, and what is the U.S. response?
MR. CARNEY: Well, the President has been fully informed on what happened in Mexico. And earlier this morning, the President called the parents of Special Agent Jaime Zapata to send his and Michelle’s heartfelt condolences on the loss of their son yesterday. The President told them that no words could express the sadness of the loss of a loved one. Their son served our country admirably, the President said, and assured his parents that the entire country was grateful for his selfless service and contributions to our nation.
Now, you should know that the U.S. law enforcement agencies are working closely with Mexican authorities to investigate the shooting, and that the resources of the federal government are at the disposal of our Mexican partners in the investigation. And today, Secretary Napolitano and the Attorney General Eric Holder are formalizing a joint task force between the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Justice that will leverage the investigative capabilities of both agencies to work with Mexico in tracking down the perpetrators….
Q: …. Now that all three House Republican leaders have said that they are going to offer some kind of entitlement reform or cuts in their 2012 budget, what is the message the President has to Democrats about how they should react when those cuts are released? ….
MR. CARNEY: Well, Mara, let me say that the President, as he noted yesterday in the press conference, was glad to see Republican leaders acknowledge as he did in his State of the Union that our larger long-term spending issues -- deficit and debt issues -- cannot be resolved by cuts in 12 percent of the budget, which is our non-security discretionary spending. And then I would just go back to say that we welcome the conversation about how to address the entitlement issue.
And I would remind you that this President has demonstrated his seriousness about the need to reduce health care costs. As you know, health care costs are one of the big drivers in the deficit and debt. And he did that with the Affordability Care Act, which CBO has said will reduce spending by $230 billion over the first 10 years and a trillion over 10 years after that. So -- and again, we have more cuts primarily in Medicare in this budget that he laid down.
So he has already demonstrated his seriousness about beginning to tackle these issues and he looks forward to working with members of both parties -- Democrats and Republicans -- in a calm, reasonable way to address this issue….
Q: Jay, during the 2008 campaign the President was so committed to transparency and openness in the process he said he’d have the health care negotiations on CSPAN. Can you explain -- yesterday he said the Social Security negotiations had to be in private; otherwise they couldn’t be effective….
MR. CARNEY: Well, the administration is committed to openness and transparency. We are also committed to getting things done. And I don’t think the President said that every discussion about entitlement reform would be held in private, but I think he made clear, as I think some other of the leaders on the Hill have made clear, that one of the lessons we’ve learned in history, in recent history anyway, about tackling these big, difficult issues is that it helps to have quieter conversations about some of the issues so that, as the President said, when an agreement is reached, first of all, we can get there, and then we all get into the boat at the same time so it doesn’t tip over…. But we’re talking now about the entitlement issue, and we’re not saying that every discussion will be in public or private. We’re just saying that the President is committing to getting something done. And I think that’s what the American people expect and want him to do. And there are ways to do that when we’re talking about these difficult issues. And obviously holding meetings and having conversations with members of Congress is one of those….
The President made the point yesterday that there is -- we understand the urgency, we understand that people want a solution now. But this is a big issue. This is a hard nut to crack. And we’re at the beginning of a process in terms of this stage of the process. But as he pointed out yesterday, the deficit commission, which he appointed, really helped change the conversation and created a framework for discussion going forward.
So, I mean, this process has already begun. The process began, as I said, when the President addressed soaring health care costs in the Affordable Care Act. It’s present again in the way he addresses additional health care costs in his budget. It’s present in the deficit commission that he created. And he’s -- the conversations -- there’s not a start date or an end date that I’m going to announce from here. The conversations are happening and they will continue to happen….
Q: Last question -- do you have a preference on which member of the cast of Saturday Night Live plays you this weekend. (Laughter.)
MR. CARNEY: God forbid that anyone does. (Laughter.)
Q: You answered a hypothetical. (Laughter.)
MR. CARNEY: Got me.
Q: Jay, does the President want to see the provisions of the Patriot Act extended?
MR. CARNEY: Well, as you know, it’s our position that it would be helpful to extend that for two years. We're working with Congress to see what we can get done, but the answer is yes…
The act -- I think what we've said is with the necessary provisions in there and precautions that -- the safeguards, but we believe it should be extended….
Q: Well, what do you say to people who say that it’s the President’s responsibility to lead on this (conversation about budget cuts)?
MR. CARNEY: I think he is -- look, he is leading. He led for two years. This is a President who has done big things. He has tackled hard issues. And again I would point you to, on the issue of reducing health care costs, what he did with the Affordable Care Act. I would point you to the budget proposal he just put on the table, which is the -- only in Washington would $400 billion be viewed as not a lot of money. I think in the places that the President travels around the country, they understand, Americans do understand that that's significant money.
And they understand this, that this budget proposal will reduce non-security discretionary spending to its lowest level since Dwight Eisenhower was President. I don't want to embarrass people and ask who was alive when Dwight Eisenhower was President, but that was a long time ago, and that is a period that includes Presidents Reagan, Clinton, Bush -- this is a long time.
So this is a substantial step forward that takes very seriously the need to reduce spending and also to invest so that we can grow, because Americans want this country to grow economically and to be the economic powerhouse in the 21st century that we were in the 20th -- I mean in the 21st that we were in the 20th.
And the only way to do that is to make the key investments in our infrastructure, in innovation, in the industries and the technologies that will drive job creation in the future in America, and in education so that we have the kind of educated workforce in science and technology and engineering and other areas that we need in order to win the future….
Q: Is the White House concerned that the political unrest in Bahrain could make it more difficult for the U.S.-allied government to support the Fifth Fleet’s base there?
MR. CARNEY: Look, what the President believes and the administration believes is that Bahrain, like all the countries in the region, needs to respect the universal rights of its citizens, their right to protest, the right to have their grievances heard, and that they should refrain from violence on both sides. And we are obviously watching events in Bahrain and around the region very closely, but our position on all the countries is the same at the universal-rights level….
Q: … why have all of (the President’s) public events since the State of the Union been not about budget cutting but spending?....
MR. CARNEY: Again, I would point you to the budget, Savannah. It’s very clear, and he’s talked very clearly about it in the State of the Union, in his press conference, other venues, in his weekly radio address. And we’re talking about priorities that have to coexist, exist together. You have to cut spending where we can to live within our means, but invest where it’s absolutely necessary so the economy grows and that we’re competitive in the future.
I think you could maybe count the words that he’s addressed -- that he’s dedicated to each issue. I think it would be very much in balance because both are essential priorities….
Q: Thank you, Jay. Welcome. The President’s response to the Republican spending cuts seems to be a little muted….
MR. CARNEY: Well, I disagree with that. I mean, I think that, first of all, this is the beginning of a process. He’s committed to cutting spending and reducing the deficit, and that’s why he put forward a tough budget. But he has already made clear that, like families around the country who are making tough decisions about their family budget, that we need to tighten our belts where we can, but we have to do that in order to preserve the ability to invest in the future. And he’s made very clear that those investments are important and protecting those investments are important because we do not want to create a situation where we stymie economic growth or limit our ability to create jobs….
Without getting into specifics, I think that the President has made clear that he doesn’t -- we cannot support arbitrary or irresponsible or deep cuts that undermine our ability to grow the economy or create jobs, win the future, or harm our national security or other essential functions of government….
That’s it. Thank you, guys….
Q: Was it as bad as you feared?
MR. CARNEY: It was better than I ever could have imagined. (Laughter.)
Q: Which side do you prefer being on?
MR. CARNEY: I like it up here. (Laughter.)