President Joe Biden gave his presidency’s first formal press conference on Thursday – long after his last 15 predecessors and one that looked very different because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
While previous press conferences featured rooms packed with the White House press, Biden’s had only 30 socially distant reporters in the East Room of the White House.
He began by announcing that he has now set a new goal of 200 million doses of vaccine by the end of his first 100 days at the office, after spending his original goal of 100 million doses last week on Day 58.
After Biden praised the benefits of his $ 1.9 trillion COVID aid plan and advances in helping the economy recover, he faced immediate questions about the growing challenges that diverted the focus from his effort to sell his legislative victory, including the rise of migrants on the southern border and widespread Republican opposition to its political agenda on immigration reform, arms control and voting rights.
“I was elected to solve problems,” replied Biden when asked if he would be prevented from delivering on his campaign promises. “There are a lot of problems,” he said, but he argued that these other issues were “long-term problems”, while he needed to put all of his initial focus on dealing with the pandemic and the economic consequences.
“I think my Republican colleagues will have to determine whether or not we want to work together or decide whether the way they want to proceed is – it’s just deciding to divide the country, to continue the division policy, but I’m not going to do that. I’m just going to move on and take these things as they come, “said Biden.
Biden calls facilities for migrant children ‘totally unacceptable’
The United States Customs and Border Protection has struggled to cope with the flow of unaccompanied minors crossing the border, which is only expected to increase in the coming months, and media access to facilities that house children has been extremely limited and tightly controlled.
When asked if messages from him and his government were leading to an increase in migrants, Biden stepped back, saying the influx happens every year. He also said that many of the current problems were caused by the failures of former President Donald Trump.
“So what we’re doing now is trying to rebuild, rebuild the system that can accommodate what’s going on today,” said Biden. “And I would like to think that it is because I am a nice guy, but it is not, it is because of what happens every year.
ABC News White House correspondent Cecilia Vega lobbied Biden on conditions for migrant children to be held at US border facilities, particularly in Donna, Texas. Images from that facility released earlier this week showed overcrowding.
“There are children who are sleeping on the floor. They are huddled in these capsules. I spoke with lawyers who say that some of these children have not seen the sun for days. What is your reaction to these images that emerged outside that specific facility? What is happening inside is acceptable to you? And when will it be fixed? “Vega asked.
Biden called the conditions “totally unacceptable”.
“That’s why we’re going to remove thousands of these kids quickly. That’s why I opened Fort Bliss. That’s why I’ve been working since the time it started to try to find additional access for kids to be able to safely, not just children, but mainly children, to be able to be safely sheltered while we move on with the rest of what’s going on, “said Biden.
Biden also pledged transparency and access to facilities, although he said he did not say when and where he would allow reporters and cameras to enter.
Biden avoids when he will deal with gun control
He was also asked about the politically charged issue of gun control after a mass shooting in Atlanta left eight people dead last week and 10 during a shooting at a supermarket in Boulder, Colorado, on Monday.
Biden asked Congress to take action, but has yet to introduce its own gun control legislation – despite a campaign pledge to send a bill to Congress on its first day in office to repeal liability protections for gun manufacturers. and close the background check for gaps.
When asked when he would propose the promised reforms, he avoided it, saying, “stay tuned,” adding that the answer applies to other key items on his agenda, saying that infrastructure is his next priority.
“It is a matter of time,” he said. “As you all have observed, successful presidents who are better than I have been successful in large part because they know how to time what they are doing. Make the request. Decide on priorities what needs to be done.”
Despising the obstructionist
Biden suggested for the first time that he could be open to going beyond just reinstating the “talking obstructionist” if he fails to get any part of his agenda through a deadlocked Senate, which is a reversal of his previous comments, where he praised his experience in the Senate with negotiating skills.
“If necessary, if there is complete blockage and chaos as a result of the obstruction, we will have to go beyond what I am talking about,” said Biden.
Biden said the current obstruction is “being abused in a gigantic way”.
“In the past, you had to stay there and talk and talk and talk and talk until you passed out. And guess what? People got tired of talking and tired of collapsing. The obstructionists broke and we managed to break the obstruction, get a quorum and vote”, said Biden.
The GOP has already responded to Biden’s comments. Senator Ben Sasse, R-Neb., Released a statement minutes after Biden’s press conference.
“Senator Biden was a relentless advocate for obstruction – but now that President Biden looks in the mirror and sees FDR, he is keeping the door open for a complete 180 to blow up the institution he has spent four decades defending,” said Sasse in a statement. demonstration. “He was right when he summed it up this way over and over again: ‘The Senate should not act hastily, changing its rules to satisfy a stubborn majority.”
America in the world
Another issue that came up was foreign policy. In his first two months in office, Biden saw mounting tensions with Russia and China, new missile tests from North Korea and an approximate May 1 deadline for withdrawing US troops from Afghanistan.
Biden said he sees North Korea as his main foreign policy problem, reacting to Kim Jon Un’s provocative missile launch this week, saying he was working with allies in a response. He said he is open to diplomacy with Pyongyang, as long as it results in the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula.
On whether and when U.S. forces will leave Afghanistan, he said it would be difficult to withdraw them until the May 1 deadline agreed by President Trump, but noted that “it was not [his] intention to stay there for a long time. “
“The answer is that it will be difficult to meet the May 1 deadline, just in terms of tactical reasons, it is difficult to withdraw these troops,” said Biden, but adding that he does not expect them to remain there for the year.
Apply for another term?
Biden was also asked whether he would run for re-election in 2024.
“My plan is to run for re-election,” said Biden. “That is my expectation.”
He ignored questions about whether he thought he could be running against Trump again, saying “he doesn’t even think about it.” But he answered a question about whether Vice President Kamala Harris would be his running mate in 2024.
“I hoped that was the case,” said Biden. “She is doing a great job. She is a great partner.”