Subject: White House Press Briefing 04-29-16
From: "Debose, Levi" <[email-masked]>
To: Comm_D <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 29 Apr 2016 12:14:50 -0700

WHITE HOUSE PRESS BRIEFING

CJ Cregg topper on Prescription Drug Abuse and Heroin Abuse

2016 Election
A few days ago HRC Comms Director went against Bernie. Does POTUS think that Democrats are united?

*         Going through a primary

*         This is a heated discussion about the issues

*         Voters will decide and POTUS will, at some point, make a strong case for his policies

You said that this was good for the country, but POTUS at private events would said that Democrats need to come together. Is Bernie doing this?

*         Democrats need to unify when we get to the general

*         POTUS will continue to help the nominee in the general

Sanders being called 'destructive', will you not comment on this?

*         No, I will not.

*         The tone and tenor on the Democratic side is better

*         POTUS agrees on the value of a robust debate and he will help out the nominee

*         Voters will make up their mind

Is POTUS going to do anything different for the White House Correspondents Dinner?

*         Watch out for surprises

*         He speaks all the time over serious topics, so he is happy to poke fun at himself, the process, and enemies

Does POTUS regret the opportunity to not have Donald Trump at the dinner?

*         Watch out for Trump

Any comment on the protests at the Trump rally?

*         There is a history of protest in America

*         Voters should also have the chance to hear a debate

*         Protests shouldn't incite violence

Internationally, everyone is shocked about the protests and the violence. Will POTUS not speak about this?

*         He has

*         He talks all the time about peace and unity, and even though it hasn't talked about it in relation to the Presidential race.

Donald Trump ISIS in CA: He may use nuclear weapon. What is the WH reaction?

*         You can conclude how wise that strategy is

*         Success is not unrelated to how those efforts are carried out

*         Avoiding casualties is a priority

*         Reflection of our commitment to our values

*         Leaders shouldn't incite violence or discrimination

Correspondents Dinner: Is the surprise for Donald Trump?

*         No not necessarily

Would POTUS want more smart guns in the federal government?

*         Statement sent out today to find a way to get smart guns in law enforcement

*         Fed is a bulk purchaser of fire-arms

*         How to figure out guidelines and standards

*         Everyone wants to make their product safer

Puerto Rico
Clock is ticking. How can we eliminate the damage?

*         Authority that the federal government opposed is the same type of authority that Puerto Rico needs

*         Administration wants financial and fiscal reforms

*         May 1st is close and GOP has failed to act on POTUS proposal

Zika Funding
Does that money give the administration any flexibility on the budget?

*         Not an expert on congressional budget

*         Irresponsible for GOP to suggest that this isn't a priority

*         People are at risk and GOP won't do a thing

Sen. Bluse and Sen. Graham want to get something to POTUS, would POTUS accept it?

*         Depends on what it is

*         Emergency funding is generally not off-set, because it is an emergency

*         If it has strong bipartisan support with a few measures we would look at it, but it seems as if that won't happen

SCOTUS
SCOTUS didn't block Texas ID law. What is your response?

*         POTUS talked about this yesterday

*         Less people voting is a political ploy used by Republicans

*         When cities, states, and the federal government limit votes then it is not good

Pro-WH groups are pushing in 9 states. Will the campaign coming up be the last best shot coming up?

*         No, not necessarily

*         They have the responsibility to advice and consent

*         Leading conservatives have called a consensus nominee

*         Judge should interpret law, no be political, we will continue to press against Republicans who are being political about this

*         GOP Approval rating is as low as it is in high school; people aren't pleased about GOP leaders

*         GOP has bad ratings because they don't do their job

*         Could have chosen a super-liberal, but he picked someone who was bipartisan

Will they run out the clock?

*         They can still do so, but it is possible

How did the Invictus Games come about?

*         Rivalry between the US and Royal Family

*         For a good cause

*         Great games so go and watch the video

Week ahead:
National Teacher of the Year - Tuesday
Flint Michigan Trip / AAPIC - Wednesday
Cinco de Mayo festivities - Thursday
POTUS commencement address at Howard - Friday