Subject: White House Press Briefing 05-19-16
From: "Debose, Levi" <[email-masked]>
To: Comm_D <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 19 May 2016 14:54:09 -0700

WHITE HOUSE PRESS BRIEFING

Puerto Rico

Would you sign this bill?

*         We are encouraged that this was a bipartisan effort

*         Quirk in the law that will only affect people who are under age 20 will have their wages cut

*         This is mean-spirited policy making

*         This bill is less than perfect

*         We want congress to pass legislation even if it is less than perfect

Will POTUS go to Puerto Rico?

*         No plans are in the making yet.

*         There is no trip to talk to you about

EPA

There was a bipartisan proposal made in the Senate over EPA. What is your response to that?

*         We haven't been briefed on the proposal

*         Will check with my team and get back with you

TPP

ITC report said that it would boost agriculture and services, but hurt manufacturing. Is that a disappointment and do you agree?

*         Overall numbers are quite good

o   47 billion dollars of real income increase

o   GDP would go up by 43 billion

o   2/3rd of GDP growth would go through wage increases

o   Didn't account for non-tariff barriers

*         Manufacturing would grow according to the ITC

*         ITC did their analysis based off of the status quo with no change

*         If we don't pass TPP then China will start to try trading with these nations, which will hurt us

Democrats are against this and will you take this up this year?

*         They will be challenged to take an argument

*         If US withdraw then the world is worse off

What is the timing on TPP?

*         ASAP to get it done by bipartisan group of legislatures

2016 Election

24 hours to study Trump's SCOTUS nominees. What is your response?

*         Have not looked and have not thought about it

Iraq/Syria

Sec. Gates said that this is combat. Are you sticking to you words?

*         Trying to explain to America what we are doing there

*         The mission that they have been given by their commander-in-chief.

*         Different mission and area than Bush

*         Iraq is dangerous nod advice sessions may have to go into combat but it is for self-protection