Subject: White House Press Briefing 05-20-16
From: "Debose, Levi" <[email-masked]>
To: Comm_D <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 20 May 2016 11:27:10 -0700

WHITE HOUSE PRESS BRIEFING

Eric Schultz did the Briefing today.

Topper: Sunday = 67 days, which has been the normal nomination time. Now, Garland can't even get a hearing.

Vietnam

Do you know if WH will ask for any additional assistance?

*         First of its kind = focused on economic opportunity

*         POTUS will use this as an opportunity to talk to Vietnam's middle class

*         We will provide announcements

POTUS was 14 when the US started to pull out of Vietnam. What can you say to that?

*         You will hear about that when he gets here.

*         He is excited to go.

*         Will meet will so many people on the ground

2016 Election

DJT said that he was invited to go to UK. UK said that was normal procedure. Any response?

*         I have no response

*         POTUS just went to the UK and we had a great time

*         You should go and look at the visit from a 2012 GOP presidential candidate

All of the candidates are against TPP. What is the chance that this gets passed?

*         Only one of them has a vote in congress right now

*         This will improve America's middle class

*         If we don't pass this then China will take over these markets

*         Will lower tariffs and make it easier for people to buy our products

LGBT

In the House, after that whole scenario, what is your response?

*         We put out a detailed proposal on legislation for LGBT

*         This is only hurting our military

*         Hurts with the modernization

*         The whole bill only makes our military worse

Zika

POTUS was critical of both bills not being enough. Veto threat?

*         Veto threat on the House Bill, because it is so little and takes away from Ebola funding

*         Rubio said that this request is grounded in reality

*         There is no reason for delay

*         State and local government's need to get funding

Will he veto though?

*         It's less than what he wants

*         Senate bill is bipartisan  and  is less than what we want

Why won't you issue a veto threat?

*         It is less than what POTUS

*         NGA wants this money too

*         Still not what the US needs

Where's is the POTUS' outreach on this?

*         POTUS was able to retrieve funds in order to fight Zika

*         That is all of the money we could get

*         Every congressman is aware of the Zika request

*         POTUS may have made contacts that we didn't read out

Did update talk about the Summer Games later this summer?

*         The latest on our response to this effort is stymied do to congress

TSA

*         Sec Johnson told TSA to address long security lines

Puerto Rico

Why did the WH not fight harder on minimum wage?

*         The bill hasn't passed yet correct

*         We believe that this proposal will come out

If this bill works then the minimum wage should be lowered, right?

*         Two separate issues

*         Minimum wage will give workers more money in their pockets

Travel / India

*         Modi will visit US on June 7th

Week ahead:

Saturday - Leave DC

Monday - BiLat with Vietnam PM and Press Conference

Tuesday - Embassy personnel, civil society meetings and deliver remarks

Wednesday - town hall with youth. Depart Vietnam and move to Japan

Thursday - G7 Summit (Energy and Climate, Asian Prosperity)

Friday - Hiroshima and leave for DC