White House press briefing with Sarah Huckabee Sanders, May 5, 2017: transcript

Key points

• Sanders says Sean Spicer is on Navy reserve duty and will be back Monday.
• She calls the House health care vote a win and says the Senate should take it up, but the President wants to get it right, not get it fast, with no set deadline.
• She cites the jobs report showing unemployment at a 10-year low, with growth in construction, manufacturing and mining.
• She declines to comment on a draft budget report about the drug control office and says the opioid epidemic is a top priority.
• She says the President was complimenting the Australian Prime Minister and discusses a Navy SEAL killed in Somalia, the Maryland case, the Susan Rice testimony and the CBO score.

Chapters

1. 0:00Opening remarks on health care, jobs and Cinco de Mayo
2. 3:11Senate timeline for the health care bill
3. 7:05Preexisting conditions and premiums
4. 8:23Drug policy office, French election and Maryland case
5. 13:11Health bill principles, job growth and Australia remarks
6. 15:30Navy SEAL killed in Somalia and weekend travel costs
7. 18:15Tax plan, Apple, spending bill and airlines
8. 22:01Syria, staff meetings and Johnson Amendment
9. 26:38Venezuela, Susan Rice and the CBO score

Full transcript

0:00Good afternoon. As I mentioned yesterday, when we spoke, Sean is on reserve duty with the Navy, so you guys are stuck with me for one more day. Thankfully for each of you, he'll be back on Monday. Yesterday, we heard from the President, Vice President, and other administration officials and House Republicans about our historic first step to repealing and replacing Obamacare. As they said in the Rose Garden, this isn't a victory for any one politician or political party. it's a win for the American people.

0:32Democrats always claim that they're in favor of choice when it comes to health care, which is weird to me because Obamacare is the opposite of choice. Obamacare imposed the one-size-fits-all will of so-called policy experts in Washington, D.C. on states instead of allowing those closer to the communities to tailor their health care system to the unique needs of their people. The American Health Care Act returns flexibility and accountability back to the states where they can make informed decisions about their own populations.

1:04We look forward to seeing the Senate take up the bill in short order so that we can move even closer to giving the American people the healthcare system they deserve. We've got a few things going on, as usual, here in the White House and across the administration. This morning's jobs report showed that the President's economic agenda of serious tax reform, slashing burdensome regulations, rebuilding our infrastructure, and negotiating fairer trade deals is adding jobs across the country. We added over 2,000 new jobs in April, and unemployment fell to a 10-year low.

1:36We especially saw expansion in the sectors of the economy the President has had a particular focus on construction, manufacturing, and mining. We've made some very important progress over the last 10 days, realizing a bold plan for tax reform, moving the health care bill through the House, and funding our government. The President and his entire team will continue this laser focus on creating jobs for hardworking Americans and growing the U.S. economy. It's also Cinco de Mayo an opportunity for us all to celebrate the extraordinary contributions that Mexican Americans have made and continue to make in this country.

2:14Yesterday, at the President's personal request, the Vice President joined Labor Secretary Acosta, the Mexican ambassador to the United States, and many others for a celebration reception. The Vice President closed his remarks by echoing the President's promise to show great heart as we move forward with real and positive immigration reform, and sharing the story of his own grandparents, who themselves took a chance by leaving Ireland for the land of opportunity and freedom. Finally, on a much lighter note, I wanted to make sure to note that everyone at the Department of Interior is having their first-ever Bring Your Dog to Work Day. Becoming the first federal department to go dog-friendly, according to Secretary Zinke, having dogs in the workplace can help reduce stress. And so, if anyone is up for a field trip later, just let me know because I'm pretty sure that everybody here could use a little stress reliever. And with With that, I'll take your questions.

3:11John Roberts. The Press, Sarah, welcome to the podium, by the way, from all of us. On the process of getting the American Health Care Act through the Senate, there's some talk that they may have to go back to the drawing board. As you know, it was an awfully heavy lift getting the AHCA through the House. Does the President expect that the process in the Senate could be even more difficult? Ms. Look, I think that the one thing that you can be sure of is to never underestimate this President.

3:43I think he's shown time and time again when he's committed to something, it's going to get done. He's made no secret he's committed to reforming the health care system. You're going to see that process take place. We're not going to get ahead of the legislative process. We expect there to be some changes, but we expect the principles and the main pillars of The health care bill as it exists now to remain the same. The Press It sounds like there could almost be wholesale changes here. And could, is it possible for the, I know that this is a little bit hypothetical because you don't know where this is going, but if the Senate makes substantial changes to what passed the House, is it ever going to get out of the Congress Committee?

4:19Ms. Look, again, I think that we're focused on the big principles of the health care bill, lowering costs, creating a competitive environment, flexibility, giving states the ability to make decisions within the health care bill. system. We don't expect those things to change. Again, I feel like there will be some changes. That's part of the process, the legislative process. We fully anticipate that to play out. But we expect that the big piece of this is the fact that Obamacare is simply unsustainable.

4:51Democrats know that. Republicans know that. The American people know that. We have to have change. That's what we're going to get, and we fully anticipate that to take place. The Press. Sarah, the Senate tends to be a more deliberative body. How patient is the President on this health care bill? He obviously has other priorities that he's working on, tax reform, infrastructure. And does he feel like there needs to be sort of an artificial deadline, perhaps, on when this bill needs to go to conference, perhaps by the Fourth of July? Ms. Not necessarily.

5:21The President is focused on getting it right, not getting it fast. I think we saw the mistake that the Democrats made by trying to force and rush this through. We're taking the appropriate steps to make sure that the American people get the health care system they deserve. And that's the President's commitment, not an artificial timeline. The Press is fair to say that this should be called Trumpcare at this point? Ms. Again, I said this yesterday, but look, we're not focused on labels. What this President wants to be remembered for is not the name that's put on it, but the person that got rid of Obamacare and put a system in place that actually worked for the American people.

5:53That's the type of legacy he'd like to be focused on, is being the President that actually reformed healthcare to benefit Americans instead of to bankrupt them. And so, call it what you want, but we're calling it reform, and we're calling it a system that works. The Press. The Press. Just to follow up on the question about the timeline, John Cornyn said, Senator Cornyn said, we're not under any deadline. I heard you say in your opening remarks that you expect the Senate to take this up in short order. So, are you guys on the same page in terms of the timing? Ms. Absolutely.

6:23I said we expect them to take it up, meaning take up the conversation. Again, this is a process. We haven't put a timeline or a deadline. We want to get it right, not get it fast. And that's the focus. The Pressure to acknowledge it could take months. Is that okay with the President? Is he willing to wait that long? Look, again, we want to wait to get it right, not to put an artificial deadline. We haven't, the administration has not laid out a timeframe on when we want this to happen. We want to make sure it gets done correctly. The Press. And just ask you about some of the criticism. The AARP says this amounts to an age tax. Other medical organizations have expressed concerns that those living with pre-existing conditions will, in fact, see their premiums go up.

7:05So can you guarantee Americans, people living with preexisting conditions, seniors, that they won't see hikes in their premiums and what they pay for healthcare? Ms. One of the biggest priorities of this healthcare plan and this healthcare bill, particularly for the President, was ensuring that people with preexisting conditions were protected. The final bill added an additional $8 billion to go a step further to provide another layer of protection for- The Press. Why wouldn't call that a Band-Aid? They say it's just not enough money. Ms. Well, that's not the only piece of it that has coverage for preexisting conditions.

7:39Again, the President wanted to focus on those that were most vulnerable, whether it's people with preexisting conditions or the unborn. He was certainly focused on protecting the most vulnerable. The Press And can the President guarantee those Americans they won't like their premiums? The Press Just a follow-up. Just a follow-up. But can those with pre-existing conditions and older Americans be guaranteed that they won't see hikes in the prices they pay? Ms. That's the whole point of this bill, is to lower costs across the board, not just for those with pre-existing conditions, but to create competition so you have lower premiums, to give states flexibility. That's the entire purpose of reforming this system, is to have lower costs. So, yes, that would be the goal and certainly, again, the priority of the President. Margaret.

8:23Thank you, Sarah. Really interesting and I thought surprising story in Politico, saying that there's a plan by the Trump administration to gut the national — the Office of National Drug Control Policy. And I'm just wondering if you can tell us, is that report correct and why? Is it thinking to — I mean, obviously, he cares about the opioid addiction problem. We've talked about that, and brought Chris Christie in the mix. What would be the reason for gutting that office and is it to move it somewhere else? I've got a French election question also. Ms. Look, my first piece of advice would never be to use Politico for a source of your story.

8:59But in terms, when it comes to the opioid epidemic, I think the President has been extremely clear this is a top priority for him. I certainly wouldn't get ahead of conversations about the budget. We haven't had a final document, and I think it would be ridiculous to comment on a draft version of something at this point. Would you loosely address the idea that he's contemplating a substantial cut to that office and to move that sort of work outside of that office? I'm not going to comment on ongoing discussions. Again, there's not a final document. When there is, we'd certainly be happy to discuss that.

9:32I think the bigger point here is the President has made very clear that the opioid epidemic in this country is a huge priority for him, something he is certainly very focused on tackling, and something that I think was ignored by the previous administration that won't go ignored in this one. The Press, so I got France real quick. I can only make a second. Fresh elections, does, we know President Obama has a dog in the fight. Does President Trump have a dog in the fight? If so, who, and if not, does he at least have a prediction on who's going to take it and whether that matters?

10:04Ms. I haven't had the opportunity to have a conversation with him about whether or not he supports any particular candidate, but I can tell you that the President will work with whoever the people of France decide to elect. That's a decision that they need to make, but the President's committed to working with leaders across the globe to combat a whole host of issues and certainly would do that with whoever the people elect. The Press, could you just address what the President ... I have two parts, two questions I should say I want to preface this, not 12, though. The President's comments yesterday, does he really think that Australia's government-run universal healthcare system is better than ours?

10:38Ms. I think he was simply being complimentary of the Prime Minister, and I don't think it was much more than that. The Press, and then I want to ask you about this case out of Maryland. As you probably know, the prosecutors have dropped the rape charges against the two undocumented teens accused of attacking that 14-year-old classmate. This White House has been, was vocal on that case. From this podium, Sean Spicer said that a big part of the reason the President has made illegal immigration and crackdown such a big deal is because of tragedies like this.

11:10Did this White House unfairly jump to conclusions in this case? Ms. Look, I think that we're always looking to protect the American people. Sean was speaking about what he knew at the time. And certainly, I haven't had a chance to dive into the latest on that. But we will, and we'll get back to you. The Pressure Do you want to retract anything that the White House has said so far? Ms. I'm not going to retract anything without further information in front of me. But, sir, have you talked to Sean? And does he have any regrets about what he said? Ms. I have not talked to Sean. He is on Navy duty, where you don't get to carry your phone around very often, I don't think.

11:42So, I mean, I talk to him every day, but I haven't yet today. So, when I do, I'll certainly ask him. The Pressure On that question, is there a general danger that the White House, through its rhetoric is animating too many people. To jump to conclusions against immigrants and, in the process, diminishing the entire immigrant community, whether they're law-abiding or not. Ms. Not at all. The President has been incredibly outspoken against crime in any form, fashion, certainly from his joint address to his speech last week on the Holocaust Remembrance Day.

12:20say, look, this is a law-and-order president. He's focused on restoring law-and-order. We've seen a spike in crime and rates starting in 2015 across the board, not just in any particular sector. I think that's why he campaigned and talked so much about needing to restore law-and-order in this country. It's why he's focused on securing our border, stopping drug trafficking, human trafficking. Those are things that have been a priority for him, and I think that the reason is because he places such a high value on that and I think to call into question his rhetoric to be anything other than somebody who has condemned hate and violence in all of its forms is simply just a complete misrepresentation not only who the president is of but of what he's also what he said Matthew.

13:11The Press, back to healthcare, we've talked about how there will be changes in the Senate. You've said the White House is open to that as long as the principles remain the same. I was wondering if we could get a little more specificity on specifically what principles and how they're represented in the current House bill. So, for example, is a state's ability to waive essential health benefits and the preexisting conditions protections, you know, that the Freedom Caucus negotiated so hard for, does that have to stay in the bill for the President to support it? Ms. Look, again, I think that the biggest piece of that is to allow states that flexibility, that the people that are closest to the people getting care are the ones helping make that decision.

13:52The Pressure that has to stay. Ms. Look, I'm not going to litigate the details from here, but that's part of the legislative process and part of the ongoing discussions. But I know that it's a priority for the President, as well, to protect people with preexisting conditions. The Pressure that says, So, we heard a lot of the rhetoric about repealing the Affordable Care Act being about job creation, and you cited those jobs numbers at the beginning. I think we're in month 86 straight of job growth. And we're hearing less of the talking point about Obamacare killing jobs.

14:24Does the President still stand by that this was a job killer and that that's a reason to repeal it? Or has he moved on from that argument? Ms. I certainly think he stands by that comment. Absolutely. How do you explain the consistent growth? Ms. Well, I think other things have taken place, just because one thing may be killing jobs. That doesn't mean you can't have job growth in other sectors. Primarily, the places where we saw the most growth in this jobs report were in manufacturing, coal miners, other places. So I certainly think you can have job growth, even when there are job-killing regulations.

14:57The Press, to the comment the President made to the Australian Prime Minister, are you saying that he didn't mean what he was saying when he said that they have a better healthcare system? Ms. I'm saying that the President was complimenting a foreign leader on the operations of their health care system, and that it didn't mean anything more than that. The Press. But he doesn't believe they have a better health care system? Ms. I think he believes that they have a good health care system for Australia. Again, that's one of the biggest things that is wrong with Obamacare. It's tried to be a one-size-fits-all, and that's the opposite of what the plan is that we're putting in place right now.

15:30It allows for state flexibility. What works in Australia may not work in the United States. So, I think, again, he was complimenting the Prime Minister, and we're focused on putting a health care plan in place that works here. Carolee. The Pentagon said today that a Navy SEAL was killed in Somalia first in quite some time. Does Wayne House have a comment on that? As the President briefed on that, should we expect a statement from him? The President has been briefed on that. He spoke directly with General McMaster earlier today. Obviously, We, first and foremost, want to express our deepest condolences and our deepest appreciation for all of the men and women in the military and the ultimate sacrifice that they paid, particularly this soldier and all of the others. The President has made it certainly a major priority to protect the men and women who protect us. That's one of the reasons that he wanted to put so much emphasis on rebuilding the military, and that was a

16:31priority for him in the budget. And, again, our deepest sympathies and condolences go out to all of the men and women in uniform, and particularly this family. The Press. Ms. From the President? I don't know at this time if he'll ... I know he doesn't want to get ahead of the notification process, and that's still taking place at this point. The Press. Ms. Abby. The Press. payers' money by working from Bedminster over the weekend instead of New York City.

17:03But would he not save more money by simply working out of the White House? And why is he making that sort of comparison? Ms. Well, look, this is the President's first time to be back in the New York metro area, and he's staying at his private residence in New Jersey versus staying in Manhattan. Had he stayed in Manhattan, the disruption would have been far greater than being in New Jersey. The bottom line is the President is the President no matter where he goes, and he doesn't get to control the level of cost and security that may come along with that.

17:35But he does control where he works. Why doesn't he work more from the White House? He spent the last maybe 14 weekends. You guys complain we work too much around here and that you're too tired and now we don't work enough. What are the purposes of cost and savings to American taxpayers, which he raised this morning? Again, this is the President's first time to go back home to the New York metro area. And I think he's trying to save the taxpayers' money the best way he can, by taking his team and focused on being in New Jersey instead of in New York, where it would have caused a much greater disruption and a much greater cost to taxpayers.

18:15Amen. Thanks, Sarah. Earlier, you mentioned this morning's big jobs report, and you also cited the President's tax plan as one of the reasons for that job growth. Are you saying the tax plan that hasn't passed yet was responsible for creating jobs in the month of April? Ms. What I'm saying, I mean, I think we saw from the very beginning, the minute that the President was actually elected, even before he took office, you saw consumer confidence go up. We've had meetings with countless CEOs, small business owners, people that are involved in job creation come in and tell us that they are much more The President is confident in going out and hiring people, building their businesses, and growing the economy because they have a President who actually cares about it and is focused on it like this one is. So I certainly think that the environment that he is creating is much more friendly, not just through the tax reform system, but by laying out those priorities. They know what's coming down the line. They have confidence in this President like they didn't in the previous one. But it's not just that. It's getting rid of all the job-killing regulations that we've seen through

19:16through executive orders. And again, a focus on rhetoric of creating jobs. And that certainly has added to that. The Press And also on jobs, Apple announced this week that it's creating a $1 billion fund to spur manufacturing job growth inside the United States. Can you tell me what communications the White House has had with Apple, either before or after that announcement, if any? Ms. I'm not aware, so I'll have to check and get back to you on that. Dave. The Press Sarah, thanks. Does the President still intend to sign the spending bill today? Ms. Yes, I believe, actually, he signed it just within the last hour.

19:48The Press. Would he ever consider using the President Obama, for example, got some criticism over the years for adding signing statements to legislation to You know, indicate where he disagreed with the bill he was signing. President Bush did the same thing on a number of occasions. Does this president intend to ever use that option? I'm not aware of that. It's something I'd have to check on and get back to you. Sarah, thank you. You were talking a minute ago about states wanting flexibility. Do you know which states are likely to seek a waiver on pre-existing conditions? Not yet. That was something that probably HHS would have a better handle on, and I'd refer you to talk to them.

20:28The Press, I was going to ask you, before the summer travel season kicks off, we're seeing more of these airline incidents. We saw Delta apologizing for what happened from that Hawaii flight. We saw what happened with United. Earlier this week, the Senate and the House had some CEOs on the Hill. Does the President want DOT or FAA to work more closely with the airlines to maybe better establish what passengers can expect if they're going to get kicked off a flight or what the rule should be? Would this be something where maybe the government could clarify what the law should be? Ms. I haven't had that conversation, that's something we certainly would have to look at. But what I could tell you is that I don't think anybody in the administration thinks that the handling of some of these passengers is probably a good thing. And so we want all people across the board to be treated with the utmost respect, whether that's on an airline or anywhere else. I don't know that that's a government regulation that should weigh in to do that. Hopefully that's just common decency. But it's certainly something worth taking a look at.

21:26Thanks a lot, Sarah. Now that the House has a health care reform off its plate, they're likely to take up tax reform. Does the administration have a position as to whether or not the legislation that ultimately emerges from the House Ways and Means Committee should be deficit-neutral? Ms. That's something that we would probably have to look at, and I'm not ready to comment right now. The Press on the health care reform legislation that the Senate will soon take up, will the administration play a part in what that bill looks like, or are you just going to essentially be hands-off and let the Senate do its work?

22:01Ms. I think we've made very clear we're going to be hands-on in this process. It's a priority to fix a very broken system. Obamacare is a disaster, and this isn't a President who does things hands-off. He's fully engaged on the House side. I expect him to be fully engaged on the Senate side and make sure that we get the bill that the American people deserve. Francesca. The Press, thank you, Sarah. It's two-question Friday. Okay, I got two questions for you. All right, the first one on Syria, about the de-escalation zones that they're talking about establishing. The administration has said that there's reason to be cautious about those.

22:35Could you elaborate on that and explain maybe what some of the reservations are for those de-escalation zones, and also how that plays into the safe zones the President has endorsed? Look, the President has expressed a desire to achieve peace in Syria. I think that's the broader mission. And we're looking at all ways in order to achieve that. And we haven't laid out any specifics any further than that at this point. Okay, sorry. There was two questions on Friday. The other question. There was a report today that said that there is an effort at the White House to start limiting the number of people in the senior staff meetings, down from 15 to 8.

23:13And I was wondering, first, if there's any truth to that, and who are in these senior staff meetings these days, the 15 people, or the eight, for that matter, that are being left out? Sometimes you have big groups. Sometimes you have small groups. Look, meetings vary from day to day around here. I'm not going to comment on the hundreds of meetings that take place in the White House every day. There's no specific effort, though, to keep them down into a smaller group or to keep certain people out of those meetings at this point? Ms. I think it's ridiculous to think we're trying to keep certain people out of these meetings.

23:44I think one of the greatest assets of the President is his accessibility, and he talks with a number of people on his staff, day in, day out, and that's not changing. John Guizzi. The President, thank you, Sarah. Two-Question Friday again, but first, congratulations on your first on-camera appearance. Ms. Thanks. We'll see how it goes. Let's hold the champagne for a little while now. The Press now, I know you stated earlier that the President is neutral in the race for President of France.

24:16President Obama had a very gracious habit of calling the winner and the loser in internationally-watched elections. in Israel, in France, Egypt in its first election, and in Japan. Will the President do the same with the two candidates running in France? Ms. I would imagine that would be the case. He's made a practice of reaching out to foreign leaders across the globe, and I would imagine that he would do that once this election concludes. But I don't know that for certain, but I would imagine that takes place.

24:49The Press, two questions, guys. Yes. The other, going back to the President's executive order on the Johnson Amendment, nearly 20 years ago, Congressman Walter Jones of North Carolina introduced the first legislation to repeal the Johnson Amendment and said at the time that it would take an act of Congress. And while the president's executive order tells the IRS agents not to enforce it, the law is still on the books.

25:24Does the President support a repeal measure for the Johnson Amendment? Ms. He's committed, I think, to religious liberty and protecting it, whatever that requires. I think this is the first step in a process, and I don't think we're taking anything off the table when it comes to protecting the rights of all the citizens of this country. The Press, what happened to the White House Chief Usher? Ms. So, I know that question has come up. She is no longer employed here at the White House, but we left on very good terms and wish her the very best and certainly hope for great things for her in the future.

26:05However, it's not uncommon that you might have a transition of staff when a new administration comes in, and it's simply nothing more than that. And we certainly wish her again the very best. The Pressure Chief Usher? Ms. I believe that the Deputy Usher will be serving as the acting usher for right now. The Press, thanks so much. The White House, when the White House announced that the Colombian President was going to come here, mentioned Venezuela being a major topic. Venezuela has been a big topic with a visit by President Macri of Argentina.

26:38What is or what are the President's administration's major concerns about Venezuela and what does he hope out of Colombia in regards to assistance with this situation? Ms. I think the situation in Venezuela, some of the acts there have been deplorable and certainly something that we're monitoring very closely in terms of specific movement or engagement that we have at this point. I can't comment any further on that right now, but it's something we're certainly aware of, monitoring and keeping a very close eye on.

27:11The Press, thank you. The President said that it's, quote, not good that Susan Rice has declined an invitation to testify on the unmasking of U.S. citizens. Does the President think that Congress should subpoena her? Ms. I think that that's a question for Congress, but I do think that it's sad that she has chosen not to be transparent in this process. and frankly not to cooperate in this process. We feel very confident that as all of this plays out, it will land on the right side of where we are, but I think it's unfortunate for her and has.

27:48That's really no bearing for us. The Press, where in Israel? Will the President and if so, where? And also, is he planning to take that opportunity to deliver a more formal speech about how he sees a potential peace process? Ms. I don't know if any plans for that have been made, but we'll certainly keep you guys posted. I'll take one last question. The Press, thanks, Sarah. Let me just wrap it up then with health care. Yesterday, you had said that it was the House wasn't waiting on the CBO. You gave the reasons why. You said today that you would like to see the Senate move in short order.

28:18However, they are waiting for the CBO to score this. I'm just trying to figure out the timing of this. Is the White House okay with the Senate waiting for the CBO, even though it was justifying yesterday the House kind of recent past it? Ms. I think that's something for the Senate to decide if they want to wait for that. Look, that's not something that's held us back. I think I know the gospel pretty well, and I'd say the CBO is not the gospel. They've been wrong before. They can certainly be wrong again.

28:50And I think, again, we'll let the Senate make a decision on whether or not they want to wait for that. But we feel very confident in where the plan is in moving it forward. Ms. Thanks, guys, so much. See you on Monday.

Source and licence

Recording: File:5-5-17- White House Press Briefing.webm by The White House (2017-05-05), via Wikimedia Commons. Licence: Public domain.

The transcript is machine speech-to-text by the TidyTools Audio & video transcriber; the summary, key points and chapters were written by Claude from that transcript. Both may contain errors: check the recording before quoting it.