Subject: Daily Message Points -- May 2, 2016
From: "Cunnane, Pat EOP/WHO" <[email-masked]>
To: "Cunnane, Pat EOP/WHO" <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 2 May 2016 16:41:06 +0000

Daily Message Points

May 2, 2016

5th Anniversary of the Death of Osama Bin Laden

*         Five years ago, U.S. Special Operations forces undertook a mission that killed Osama Bin Laden during a raid against his compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan.

*         We have never lost sight of our commitment to defeating al-Qa'ida and bringing to justice those responsible for attacking the United States.

*         Not only has Osama Bin Laden been killed but most of his top lieutenants have been taken off the battlefield and we continue to systematically pursue al-Qa'ida terrorists who remain.

*         We have severely degraded core al-Qa'ida and we have maintained strong pressure utilizing all of our resources as al-Qa'ida has attempted to exert influence in places like Yemen, parts of Africa, Iraq, and Syria.

*         For example, just this month the U.S. military conducted a strike in Syria that targeted longtime senior al-Qa'ida operative Abu Firas al Suri who had been an associate of Osama Bin Laden for decades.

*         Today what remains of al-Qa'ida is in hiding and has great difficult moving around or planning to carry out large scale operations and there is no question our homeland is more secure from its threat.

*         Of course the challenge of terrorism remains. That is why we have a comprehensive approach to counter terrorist groups, including ISIL, that incorporates and builds on many of the lessons we have learned in our pursuit of al-Qa'ida and its other affiliates.

Supreme Court

*         Today, the President is interviewing with six local television stations - from Ohio, New Hampshire, Iowa, Missouri, Wisconsin and Arizona - to continue to make the case for why Senate Republicans need to consider the President's nominee for the Supreme Court.

*         The President fulfilled his constitutional responsibility by nominating Chief Judge Merrick Garland - an eminently qualified American - to the Supreme Court.

*         He did his job. Now, Senate Republicans should do their jobs, and quickly move to give the President's nominee a fair hearing and an up or down vote.

*         That is what the Constitution dictates, and that's what the American people expect and deserve from their leaders.

Meeting with Senators

*         Judge Garland has continued meeting with numerous Senators, but Leader McConnell has stated he will not meet with the Preident's nominee.

*         Still, 18 Senate Republicans have either met with or indicated that they would be willing to meet with Judge Garland.

*         To do otherwise - to follow in the footsteps of Senator McConnell - would be to abdicate their constitutional duty.

*         Presidents do not stop working in the final year of their term. And it's becoming clear that many Republican senators realize they shouldn't either.

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