Q The second —
MS. PSAKI: Go ahead.
Q I have a follow-up question.
Please.
Thank you.
MS. PSAKI: Okay, let me just get — I just have a few more minutes in case we got to gather, so I just want to get around to as many people as possible.
We’ll just keep track of it.
But, go ahead.
Q Thank you, Jen.
As a follow-up to Jennifer’s question —
MS. PSAKI: Sure.
Q — about the G7 virtual meeting this morning: From a White House point of view, when that meeting was over, was the President satisfied that the message had gotten through to them?
Was — did you think there was a consensus among those leaders?
Was there a lot of pushback?
Or were you happy with how it ended?
Let’s put it that way.
MS. PSAKI: I appreciate the different way of asking the question.
(Laughter.)
It was very creative.
I will — I will say first, the President is about to give an update both on the progress that is being made in the House, and also his meeting with the G7 leaders.
I know that that was now several hours ago, but we wanted to wait, as there was progress being made in the House, for him to give that statement.
So he can speak to that, and he will speak clearly to what he conveyed to them directly, to give you all a sense.
In terms of the assessment from others: Again, I would point you to them on anything further.
Q But do you think he was satisfied with it at the end?
MS. PSAKI: Well, I think the President felt he conveyed what his position is.
And part of his position, which was part — a big part of his decision, as it related to bringing our troops home and is also a huge factor for him now is about what we’re asking the men and women in the military to do and, obviously, the decision to bring them home, related to fighting a war that the Afghans wouldn’t fight themselves.
And now it, of course, is a factor for him what threats are being posed to them every day that they are on the ground there.
Go ahead.
Q Thank you.
Two quick questions.
How do you describe the U.S. relationship with Taliban now?
Do you think it’s a de facto ruler — they are of Afghanistan now?
MS. PSAKI: Well, I would say, first, that it is — it is true that they have taken over much of Afghanistan, but this is not about trust.
This is not about validation.
Right now, we are working with them in a coordinated way to get American citizens, to get Special Immigrant Visa applicants, to get individuals who are eligible to evacuate from the — from Afghanistan out, either to third countries or to the United States.
But I’m not going to put a further label on it than that.
TO BE CONTINUED ...
TRANSCRIPT 24 AUGUST 2021 PSAKI PRESS BRIEFING
Re: TRANSCRIPT 24 AUGUST 2021 PSAKI PRESS BRIEFING
Q (Inaudible) was that the Taliban has included former President Karzai and Dr. Abdullah Abdullah as a (inaudible) member of coordinating council.
How do you see this development there?
MS. PSAKI: I don’t have an update on their discussions at this point in time from here.
Go ahead.
Q Hi, Jen.
Shira —
MS. PSAKI: Oh, I’ll come back to you.
Sorry about that.
Go ahead.
Q Thank you.
Shira Stein from Bloomberg Law.
Would the President accept a Build Back Better package that doesn’t include a Medicare drug-pricing negotiation?
MS. PSAKI: Certainly lowering the price of prescription drugs is a top priority to the President.
That’s why he proposed it.
I’m not going to negotiate from here, but I also know there’s a lot of support in Congress for that initiative.
Go ahead.
Q Thank you, Jen.
A follow-up on the metrics question.
And it’s a hypothetical, but it’s not something that is —
MS. PSAKI: Oh, I love hypotheticals.
They’re my favorite.
Q No, this is — this is not realistic.
I’m just trying to (inaudible).
MS. PSAKI: Go ahead.
Go ahead.
I didn’t mean to — go ahead.
Q Okay.
Say, after the withdrawal — it’s done; the U.S. declared it’s done; everyone is out — if one U.S. citizen was suddenly discovered, you know, saying, “Hey, I really want to get out and I’m stuck” — who knows where; somewhere in Afghanistan or in Kabul, (inaudible) got any problem — would this trigger a diplomatic, military, all-hands-on-deck-type thing to get that person out, whatever the date?
MS. PSAKI: Our commitment continues to be to U.S. citizens: If they want to leave, we will help get them out.
Q No matter what the date?
MS. PSAKI: Again, we expect there could be some, but I don’t — I’m not going to get into it further.
Go ahead.
Q Thanks, Jen.
A question to follow up on — you said the President has been in touch with members about the Build Back Better plan.
I wondered, did he have direct conversations with this group of 10 moderates who were in talks with the Speaker about advancing, you know, the bipartisan package versus the reconciliation bill?
Did he have direct contact with them or did he reach out to them at all as they were trying to kind of broker this (inaudible)?
MS. PSAKI: He spoke with a range of members, including some from the Group of Nine, I believe it is, about the path forward.
And obviously, we’re seeing progress, and that’s a good sign.
And the President will speak to it shortly.
Q Thanks, Jen.
TO BE CONTINUED ...
How do you see this development there?
MS. PSAKI: I don’t have an update on their discussions at this point in time from here.
Go ahead.
Q Hi, Jen.
Shira —
MS. PSAKI: Oh, I’ll come back to you.
Sorry about that.
Go ahead.
Q Thank you.
Shira Stein from Bloomberg Law.
Would the President accept a Build Back Better package that doesn’t include a Medicare drug-pricing negotiation?
MS. PSAKI: Certainly lowering the price of prescription drugs is a top priority to the President.
That’s why he proposed it.
I’m not going to negotiate from here, but I also know there’s a lot of support in Congress for that initiative.
Go ahead.
Q Thank you, Jen.
A follow-up on the metrics question.
And it’s a hypothetical, but it’s not something that is —
MS. PSAKI: Oh, I love hypotheticals.
They’re my favorite.
Q No, this is — this is not realistic.
I’m just trying to (inaudible).
MS. PSAKI: Go ahead.
Go ahead.
I didn’t mean to — go ahead.
Q Okay.
Say, after the withdrawal — it’s done; the U.S. declared it’s done; everyone is out — if one U.S. citizen was suddenly discovered, you know, saying, “Hey, I really want to get out and I’m stuck” — who knows where; somewhere in Afghanistan or in Kabul, (inaudible) got any problem — would this trigger a diplomatic, military, all-hands-on-deck-type thing to get that person out, whatever the date?
MS. PSAKI: Our commitment continues to be to U.S. citizens: If they want to leave, we will help get them out.
Q No matter what the date?
MS. PSAKI: Again, we expect there could be some, but I don’t — I’m not going to get into it further.
Go ahead.
Q Thanks, Jen.
A question to follow up on — you said the President has been in touch with members about the Build Back Better plan.
I wondered, did he have direct conversations with this group of 10 moderates who were in talks with the Speaker about advancing, you know, the bipartisan package versus the reconciliation bill?
Did he have direct contact with them or did he reach out to them at all as they were trying to kind of broker this (inaudible)?
MS. PSAKI: He spoke with a range of members, including some from the Group of Nine, I believe it is, about the path forward.
And obviously, we’re seeing progress, and that’s a good sign.
And the President will speak to it shortly.
Q Thanks, Jen.
TO BE CONTINUED ...
Re: TRANSCRIPT 24 AUGUST 2021 PSAKI PRESS BRIEFING
MS. PSAKI: Go ahead.
Q Thanks, Jen.
MS. PSAKI: Oh, okay.
We got to wrap up in a second here.
Q Thanks, Jen.
Following up on Jennifer’s and Bob’s question again —
MS. PSAKI: Okay.
Q — on G7.
And that is that Tony Blair wrote a pretty scathing op-ed claiming that President Biden’s decision put politics over policy.
And also, the question is here: First of all, would the — how does the White House respond to that?
And also, there’s this lingering question that the President has had this impulse to get out of Afghanistan.
He even had an interaction with former diplomat Holbrooke that said — where Holbrooke said, “Listen, we have a duty to these people.”
And the Vice President, reportedly, had answer to that.
What is your response?
MS. PSAKI: Well, I would first say that that was clearly more than 10 years ago.
Second, if it happened — which I have no confirmation of.
Q That’s true.
MS. PSAKI: But I would say, first, that the President has been in touch directly with Prime Minister Boris Johnson — who is the current leader of the UK — and has been clear with his G7 partners about what his objectives are, his commitment to the mission, the progress we’re making, and the factors that he has considered.
And that is something he’s in touch with current leaders about.
We also understand that allies and partners of ours, and adversaries — for a different reason — have advocated for the United States and our men and women in the military staying longer.
But as the President of the United States and the Commander-in-Chief of this country, he has to factor in their security, their safety.
And that is his responsibility, even if it’s not theirs.
Thanks, everyone.
You’re going to see the President shortly.
4:23 P.M. EDT
https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-roo ... t-24-2021/
Q Thanks, Jen.
MS. PSAKI: Oh, okay.
We got to wrap up in a second here.
Q Thanks, Jen.
Following up on Jennifer’s and Bob’s question again —
MS. PSAKI: Okay.
Q — on G7.
And that is that Tony Blair wrote a pretty scathing op-ed claiming that President Biden’s decision put politics over policy.
And also, the question is here: First of all, would the — how does the White House respond to that?
And also, there’s this lingering question that the President has had this impulse to get out of Afghanistan.
He even had an interaction with former diplomat Holbrooke that said — where Holbrooke said, “Listen, we have a duty to these people.”
And the Vice President, reportedly, had answer to that.
What is your response?
MS. PSAKI: Well, I would first say that that was clearly more than 10 years ago.
Second, if it happened — which I have no confirmation of.
Q That’s true.
MS. PSAKI: But I would say, first, that the President has been in touch directly with Prime Minister Boris Johnson — who is the current leader of the UK — and has been clear with his G7 partners about what his objectives are, his commitment to the mission, the progress we’re making, and the factors that he has considered.
And that is something he’s in touch with current leaders about.
We also understand that allies and partners of ours, and adversaries — for a different reason — have advocated for the United States and our men and women in the military staying longer.
But as the President of the United States and the Commander-in-Chief of this country, he has to factor in their security, their safety.
And that is his responsibility, even if it’s not theirs.
Thanks, everyone.
You’re going to see the President shortly.
4:23 P.M. EDT
https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-roo ... t-24-2021/