again, to ensure the stability of the financial markets but also make sure that somebody is looking out for middle-class families. steve. >> he just sort of threw these things out there. he's not looking for legislation or any executive action, regulations, nothing? >> i guess what i'm saying, there's no specific thing the president had in mind. he's not referring to some -- to some specific plan, but, again, this is something that the president and senior members of his economic team are talking about every day as they monitor the financial markets and assess the risk that's embedded there. there obviously is an important role to play -- let me say it this way. there is obviously an important role for those agencies to play as they continue to implement wall street reform legislation. there's also an important role to play for these independent regulatory agencies that the fed and others who are responsible

for monitoring this risk and putting in place rules that will ensure, again, that taxpayers aren't left holding the bag when it comes to bailing out a big business who's placed a bunch of risky bets. >> on the economy, what do you say to the individual who can't find a job and has stopped looking? >> well, i think -- i say a couple things. first thing, the president's fighting for you. what you have is a president who is fighting to make sure that we're expanding economic opportunity to those who are looking hard for a job, those who are trying to get the kind of job training that will ensure that they're competitive when they go out and look for a job. after all, having those kind of job training programs in place isn't just good for those trying to find a job, it's good for businesses who are looking for workers to fulfill certain functions na will ensure the success of their -- that will ensure the success of their business. those people should understand

there is a president here in washington, d.c., that despite all of the partisan sniping that gets filtered down to them that behind the scenes there is a president who wakes up every morning and at the top of his list is thinking about and implementing measures that will be in the best interest of middle class families who are trying to succeed, who are trying to live out the american dream. >> we are talking about recovery and possibly the first hurricane of the season. the effect that could have on all of these local economies up the coast, the most densely populated part of the country, as well as the pressure it could put on the insurance industry and infrastructure, could you speak to that? >> our primary concern right now, michelle, is making sure that citizens who are in the path of the storm are taking the necessary precautions to prepare for the storm before it hits. it is very important for

citizens to understand that they should be following closely the instructions that are given to them by local and state officials responsible for issuing evacuation orders and things of that kind. repairing for the storm in vance and listening to -- preparing for the storm in advance and listening to a weather report and following the instructions of state and local officials is what is most important. in terms of the broader impact, we also want to make sure that fema is doing everything they can to support state and local efforts, and that when it comes time to recover and if necessary, build again from the storm, that we can do so quickly and efficiently. i think that fema has a remarkably strong track record when it comes to assisting state in rebuilding after natural disasters. that is what we are working on right now. in terms of a longer economic consequences of a storm like this come i would hate to make any projections.

either meteorological or financial, as far as the impacts of the storm. but we will be watching very carefully. you've heard the president say many times that we know community's two are affected by destructive events like this, that the president will stand with and the american people will stand with these communities. >> down in texas with the immigration situation, and the president's visit to texas, there is a lot of anger down there. you hear a lot of anger growing in a lot of communities as well as congress. concerning the expense that it is costing the taxpayer, how does the white house address that anger with these events that are now happening? >> we addressed that in a couple of ways. the first is, the president is committed to enforcing the law.

and enforcing the law means that when there are apprehensions made at the border, particularly of children, or dolts traveling with children, they need to make sure that the basic humanitarian -- adults traveling with children, they need to make sure that the basic you mentoring needs are provided for. that is why the president has asked for resources from congress to open up tension facilities across the country -- detention facilities across the country where these individuals can be house inhumane conditions -- in humane conditions. we were also discussing infect ankle bracelets and things of that nature that would, again, in a humane way, allow enforcement of the law. one of the reasons we are asking for additional resources is we would like to process these immigration cases more efficiently through the legal system. certainly, those who are apprehended are entitled to due process, and it will be given by

the due process. we also want to make sure that the system is functioning efficiently. there have been those individuals apprehended at the border. we are looking for resources to bring to bear additional immigration judges, asylum officers, and ice lawyers to process these cases more quickly. and we are asking for congress to give the secretary of homeland security additional discretion as he enforces the law. and in some cases, that is likely to mean after this due process has run its course, that those who do not have a legal basis for staying in the country will be returned to their home country. >> does the administration agree with the fact that the law works differently depending on what country they are coming from? >> that is the law and there are interpretations elated to that. what this administration is seeking to do is to make sure we are rigorously following the

law, while also seeking greater authority for the secretary of homeland security to use his discretion. and in some cases, more quickly and efficiently removing people who have gone through the due process of the immigration system and returning them to their home country. let's move around just a little bit. >> the kurds in northern iraq, they were about to change their stats -- status from semi autonomous to fully autonomous. [indiscernible] what is wrong with letting the kurds breakaway and form their own nation? >> we have seen those reports that you're referring to. increased interest among the kurds for some autonomy, or at least a referendum that would allow them to vote for their art enemy. the fact -- for their autonomy. the fact is, we believe that

iraqis stronger if united. that is why we continue to support an iraq that is strong and unified. the best way for iraq to face the threat posed by isi i'll --isil is to come together and set aside sectarian divisions and focus on the best interest in the country. we are hopeful that kurdish leaders will play a similarly constructive role in making that happen. in the same way that we are appealing to the national interests of sunni and shia leaders to do the same thing. >> [indiscernible] militarily and economically far more stable than what we are seeing from the government in baghdad? >> it is difficult to say from

here. suffice it to say, it is in our best interest and for all of the citizens in iraq to come together to face the threat, and that includes kurds, sunni, and shia. i'm not surprised to hear that there is some speculation or analysis from different quarters that might suggest that one group might be better off standing on its own. but it is the policy of this administration and this country that, again, iraq will better whether the threat --weather the threat posed by isil if they stand together as a country. >> [indiscernible] pushing back against requests [indiscernible]

when will we have more information about the content? >> the president has directed his team to repair an executive order -- prepare an executive order that would allow him to prohibit federal contractors from discriminating based on sexual orientation or gender identity. that is an order that is still being drafted. i would not want to speculate on the contents of that order until it is finalized. >> [indiscernible] correct again, i'm not in position to indicate to you at this point -- >> again, i'm not in the position to indicate you at this point what will be included in the executive order. it has not been finalized yet. >> there are two executives orders [indiscernible] can we expect that both of them will be on the same track? >> i don't know whether or not they will be signed at the same time. i'm not in the position to offer you any updates in terms of the

timing of those executive orders that have been widely discussed now. but as soon as we have an update, we will a you know. mark. >> [indiscernible] naturalization. >> oftentimes on the fourth of july, the president has the opportunity -- had the opportunity to talk with us in the rose garden earlier this week where he talked about how appropriate it would be for there to be a commander in -- an opportunity for the commander-in-chief on independence day to naturalize those individuals who are in this country legally and have signed up to join the military to defend this country. that is a pretty strong testament to the values held by those immigrants. and giving them the opportunity to be naturalized and get their

official u.s. citizenship on independence day, i think, is a pretty compelling story. we will have more information about those individuals who would be naturalized tomorrow. i can tell you the president is genuinely looking forward to it. >> on the budget committees you said the president has no plans to look at the report next week. what message does the president send i stay away from what he is calling a humanitarian crisis on the border? >> the first and would say is that senior officials have spent a lot of time in the last week at the border to assess conditions there. the commandant of the coast guard and other senior officials of fema traveled to the border region on june 20 and they had the opportunity to visit facilities as well as lackland air force base, where some of those who had been the pain --

those who had been apprehended had been detained. senator novalis was there on june 25 where he reviewed customs and border facilities, again, to assess the situation on the ground. the ability of officials to process those who had been apprehended. this time secretary johnson and secretary burwell to south texas on jen -- on june 30 where they took a tour of the facilities and participated in discussion at the lackland shelter on lessons learned, challenges, best practices for detaining these individuals. the cep commissioner earlier this week traveled to mcallen, where he participated in a news conference and delivered a message to families in central america that are sending their children -- putting their children in the hands of some of the criminal networks that have sprouted up to transport children to the southwest border

is not a good idea. the point in reviewing all of that is to make clear to you and your readers that senior officials in the ministration have spent a lot of time at the border. because the president and others on his team are concerned about what is happening there, but also making sure they have clear, up-to-date assessment of what exactly is happening on a regular basis there. and how the additional resources that have an devoted to that region are dealing with this surge in illegal migration we have seen. in terms of the president's trip to texas, the president is going to as you know, spent some time raising money for democrats on the campaign. the president is also looking forward to the opportunity to spend some time in austin with a couple of folks that have written letters, similar to the event cheaper dissipated in last week in minnesota. the president spent some time in

minnesota with a woman who had written him about challenges her family faced. and the president is looking for a similar opportunity when he is in texas next week. >> and on the emergency governmental, you said he would have more details on the next week. >> yes. >> and on the approach that the new authorities that the president asked them to expedite for the removal of some of these kids, has that cause you all to reassess the approach their? >> it is my understanding we have the good sense -- a good sense of what kind of authorities we would seek. in terms of the greater discretion buy the department of homeland -- greater discussion by the department of homeland security to deal with what is happening there. the 2008 law requires unaccompanied children from

noncontiguous countries be treated if only then children from canada or mexico. -- than children from canada or mexico. what that authority would do is it would insure that as these cases are being processed through the regular due process channels that exist in the immigration courts, that they can be resolved more probably -- more promptly. and if it is determined that during the due process legal proceeding that the individual does not have a legitimate claim to remain in the country, then the secretary can exercise the discretion to probably repatriate that person. that is important for a couple of reasons. one is, it is a certain way to deal with people in the immigration system, rather than having them languish in the system for a long time. the second thing is, it sends a clear and unmistakable signal to parents who might be considering putting their children in the

hands of a stranger, in some cases a criminal, to transport them to the southwest border with the expectation that if they get to the border, they will be allowed to remain in the country. that is simply not the case. and it is further demonstrated by the exercise of the secretary's discretion to promptly deal with some of these cases. >> despite the fact that unaccompanied minors are coming across, and there are minors that are coming across with their mothers, are not eligible, there are those calling on the president to defend [indiscernible] would that work? >> i think it is far-fetched to

think the debt would be a a viable solution. there are criminal networks in south america and central america that are in a name -- a misinformation campaign. people pay them large amounts of money to transport them or their children to the southwest border with the expectation that they will be welcome in the united states, though they are not following immigration procedures. that is what we are up against right now. that is why you have heard the president, other senior administration officials, articulate very clearly what the law is and the fact that the law will continue to be rigorously enforced. but we will also enforce that law in line with our values and in line with the responsibility that is also mandated by the law to treat those who are apprehended in a humanitarian way.

we are balancing a lot of different imperatives here. but first and foremost, this it ministration is committed to enforcing the law. that is what we are going to do. >> governor perry said the homeland security committee which is meeting in texas today, he has criticized the president for that diplomacy -- bad policy, for speeches and a general outlook of the people down there in central america that just says, come. and he believes that if the president were to receive and -- to resend -- to rescind it, that it would not be the case. what does the president think about rescinding the dream act? x that is not going to happen. the truth is, it is hard to take seriously governor perry's

concerns when everyone who takes a look at this understands that if we were to send a clear signal about our seriousness of purpose when it comes to addressing some of the problems in our immigration system, then the easiest way to do that is to pass the commonsense immigration reform proposal that has already passed through the senate with bipartisan support. what i would observe is the most effective way for us to address this problem, and i think the most effective way to governor perry can help us if that is what he says he wants to do, would be to pick up the phone and call the republican members of the house of representatives, the ever present the state of texas, and tell them to support the bipartisan proposal to reform the immigration system that passed through the senate. that would have a tangible impact on so many of the problems that we see in our immigration system. not just the problems we are

seeing at the border, although it would address them, because it would include significant investment in border security, that compromise proposal, but it would also have economic benefits for communities all across the country. probably even a disproportionate benefit for some of those communities along the border, like those communities in texas. we would see significant expansion and economic opportunity. it would create jobs and lower the deficit. it would also ensure that companies are not punished for following migration law. right now, there are a lot of companies trying to do the right thing and follow the current guidelines when it comes to hiring workers. they are often undercut by unscrupulous companies that are willing to pay people under the table and not follow immigration laws. we need to take away that incentive, and one way to do that would be to pass the conference of immigration reforms. there is a host of reasons this

this should get done. and the only reason it has not is because senior republicans and of significant stature in a party and has made it a political effort to block that. and they do that without any particularly persuasive justification. >> why not send the message? republican said the dream act send a message to people in south america and central america, come, because eventually you can become citizens here. you don't believe that? >> i disagree with that. there may be some who think there is a coded message in all of that, but the president in the united states in interview last week sent a clear, unmistakable, transparent message that parents should not put their children in the hands of criminals to transport them to the southwest border with the expectation they will be welcomed into the country. they won't. setting aside the fact that

putting your children in the hands of a criminal for a dangerous journey like that can have tragic consequences. that is not something that a parent should even consider at this point. the president has been unmistakable about sending that signal. you have seen the vice president and the secretary of state travel to the region to deliver that message directly. it has been communicated to the leaders of those countries, who have also been communicated that message to their children. we have been transparent about how the law will be applied in these cases. it seems to me that those who might be complaining about the president's actions are more interested in landing political blows than they are in trying to solve this problem. chuck. >> [indiscernible] it sounded ambiguous and then eventually you said that the

homeland secretary is making a clear that these children will not be able to stay. they will be deported. it will take time. but they will be deported. obviously, this message needs to get to honduras, guatemala, and these places. why doesn't the president unequivocally sit in front of the camera and say, look, these kids are going to get deported. don't do this. this is dangerous. they will not be able to stay here. whatever anyone is telling you, it's not true. and maybe only the president can send that message. >> i think the president was pretty direct when he made comments to george stephanopoulos at abc when he was asked specifically about this. george asked him very directly about whether or not parents should send their children to the southwest border with the expectation that they will be welcome here. the president was clear in saying, do not send your children. the president delivered that

message unambiguously. that has been part of the law and it was echoed by the vice president when he traveled to the region, and by the leaders of the country. >> [indiscernible] >> all i can say about ambiguity is that the law will be applied and there will be due process. it would not be appropriate for me to say how those claims will be processed. but the law will be rigorously applied. and to ensure that it is rigorously applied, we have asked for more resources to have prosecutors and judges and other officials to more efficiently processed these cases within the confines of the law. and they will be vigorously following the law. and we have even thought additional authority that will be wielded by the secretary of homeland security so that when those cases have been processed, those who do not have a legal claim for remaining in this country can return to their own country.

>> you are spending some on this ad campaign. can you tell us more about it yeah, -- about it? >> i know that gil crilly caskey, the director of the cep, was just down in the region talking about this. he will have more details. >> are they using his image, his voice, his words? >> i don't know what kind of plans they have for the campaign, but you can check with them. >> [indiscernible] >> there are probably a lot of important things i don't know. >> neither party has gotten what they wanted him what they claim would jump start the economy in the last three or four years. does anybody deserve the credit? do you think the president feels vindicated that his economic philosophy is contributing to

this economic recovery? >> there is no doubt that the president believe some of the economic policies we have put in place in the last 5.5 years have been treated to some of the economic growth we have seen. there is no doubt about that. what we have said all along is that the goal of these policies was to support the private sector's recovery. this is not a situation where the government can go in and do it for the private sector. what we need is we need american entrepreneurs and is as owners and workers -- and business owners and workers to go in and do what they have done. it is only by the hard work and grit and determination of the american people that we have enjoyed the success and made the progress that we have made a stop what the president wants to do is capitalize on this progress and make sure that this recovery is not just flowing to those at the top, but the middle class. that is one of the reasons the president is very strongly supportive of risk -- raising the minimum wage.

if you're working full-time, you should not have to do that in poverty. the president wants to lower the cost of a college education to give more middle-class families the opportunity to send their kids to college and get the skills they will need to succeed in the 21st century global economy. >> this has been an uneven economic recovery. >> there's a lot more that we can do to make sure all of the benefits of our strengthening economy flow to the middle class. because the president believes if we are going to sustain this economic recovery over the long term, then we need to grow the economy from the middle out, and you cannot do that if all of the benefits of the -- of the recovery flow to the top. there are those in the middle-class are benefiting from this recovery. the president wants to make sure that we build on that progress. and that is by job training, raising the minimum wage, investments in infrastructure giving a short term benefit, but also investing for the long term economic straits -- strength. there's a lot that we can do. the president does not think we should miss this opportunity to

expand opportunity for the middle class. >> it comes at a time of the highest rate of washington dc -- dysfunction and gridlock. is this sending a message that the left washington does the better for the economy echo -- for the economy? >> i think the message it sends is that it is an indication that these crises are not created overnight and not solved overnight. there needs to be a long-term strategy, coordinated, to strengthen the economy. what the resin has been in the last 5.5 years is put in place the pillars -- what the president has been doing in the last 5.5 years is to put up late the pillars of that recovery. all of these are key components come a supporting the kind of foundation the private sector needs to lead the recovery. and we have seen our economy bounced back. the president is not surprised by that.

one of the reasons he has so much optimism about the american economy is that he knows that there are american entrepreneurs out there that have all kinds of great ideas that can lead to the creation of small businesses and eventually grow these businesses into large businesses. but there are a lot of american workers out there that are not fully utilizing the skills they have to benefit the economy. we want to capture the potential and doubled down on the progress regarding made. that is why the president is so determined to both try to work with congress where we can to implement other policies that will benefit the the class, but when necessary the president will not hesitate within the confines of the law to move unilaterally to get that done. >> on that point, if you still have more than 26 million people in part-time jobs, you talk to advocacy groups and they say the unemployment number for young people is about 15.2%. if the economy is strengthening summit and the recovery is getting stronger, as you say, why are there so many people

still looking for full-time work? >> it is due in no small part to republicans blocking economic ripple -- economic proposals that would expand economic opportunities for the middle-class. the president has put forward commonsense ideas that traditionally earn their support in the past and republicans now are blocking. these are things like raising the wage, making critical investments in infrastructure, closing loopholes that benefit only the wealthy and connected, and proving job programs that lead -- improving job programs that lead shortly to work, making education more affordable. these are all the things that would insure middle-class families are benefiting the economic recovery. those benefits would be magnified if we can put in place some of these commonsense policies. >> on immigration, when you said the president said the law would be rigorously followed, a couple of weeks ago there were numbers about who actually shows up at

the border and how many stay with relatives and stay in america. do you have a better sense of those numbers now? how do you know that the law will be followed when some of these folks may end up staying in america? >> each of these cases is unique and what we would like to do is make sure that we are surging resources, in terms of immigration judges, ice prosecutors, and asylum officials, to make sure we are processing these claims could clean and efficiently. when they are ultimately adjudicated, and if those individuals after going through due process are found not to have a legal basis for remaining in the country, then the secretary of homeland security can act using his discretion to send them back. that is a principle that applies to adults, but also a principle that we will apply to -- where

necessary -- >> do the numbers back up that is what is been happening in them -- in recent years? collects the laws are enforced under this president. what we are seeing is an increasing backlog in processing these claims. there are those who are detained and given notice to appear in court. in many cases, they are subjected to things like alternative detention where they wear an ankle bracelet. the backlog is too long. it is also not a good way to enforce the law. we want to do it quickly and efficiently and effectively, all within the confines of due process. by adding more judges and prosecutors and asylum officials to the case, we can make sure that we are following due process. but also enforcing the law. >> i want to go back to the texas trip on immigration. the president keeps saying publicly he wants to get out of the white house bubble. here is his chance.

as you said, he is going to meet with some real folks and talk to them about the economy. he has a chance to get out of the bubble and look at the the humanitarian crisis. how do you defend that? >> i defend that by saying there are many in the administration who have spent a lot of time on this. >> the president himself goes there and he needs of families, hold their hands, talks to them. why didn't he do this, this time? >> he gets a very good sense of what is happening in this region. and they are focused on the problem. he gets a good look at how resources are being used to effectively administer a judges -- justice. the president is well aware of how it's going.

and the trip and he's taking to texas is for a different purpose, both to conduct political activities that he does on occasion, but also spend some time talking to someone who wrote a letter about how the president's economic policies can benefit middle-class families across the country. leslie. >> [indiscernible] autonomy, how much does i can't locate -- how much does that complicate your message? [indiscernible] what is the message from the white house? >> there has been a lot of dialogue between senior administration officials and political leaders in iraq, including kurdish lyrical leaders. our message to -- kurdish

political leaders. our message to them is the same. we believe it is in the best interest of all the citizens in iraq for political leaders to come together and set aside sectarian divisions, set aside their own clinical ambitions, and focus on what is best for rock. and it is the effect -- best for iraq. and it is the opinion of this administration that they have an inclusive governing agenda and use all of that to oppose the threat by isil. >> on the border issue and the president not going, when the president is in the situation, is he getting live pictures of the border? is he getting visuals of the border? >> i know there have been media outlets who have been granted access to these detention facilities along the border. we have been pretty transparent. i think the american public can see firsthand both the challenges that are posed by this search, and the legal migration that we have seen, but they can also see what the federal government is doing to

try to address the challenges that are posed by the surge. we have also seen frequent visits by the administration officials. the president is getting a good sense of what is happening on the ground and how effectively resources are being deployed to confront the challenges. >> the reason why people are asking for them to go to the border is because it is tangible for him to see. is he at least getting visuals from these persons? >> at least in part with the premise of your question. i think some are suggesting that he go to the border when he is in texas because they would like to play politics and actually try to at -- rather than actually try to address some of these challenges. but those who have a purer motive, like you, -- [laughter] -- i would just tell you that the president is comfortable

with a very granular conditions that he has received about conditions on the border and what the federal government is doing to meet these challenges. he is also interested in finding out whether or not this surge in resources has been helpful, whether it has worked. and whether we are able to enforce the law more efficiently and at the same time meet the a sick humanitarian -- meet the basic humanitarian needs of those who appear at the southwest border. we have said many times that we are a nation of laws, but also a nation of immigrants. and there are values associated with that. we want to make sure that as we as -- as we enforce the law that we do so in line with our values. >> another issue. biden is in africa. could you talk to me about the africa visit and is that a lead up to what is happening here next month? >> a detailed readout of

activities, encourage you to check with vice president biden. i know that dr. biden has left a couple of days ago for her trip. she spent some time at local health clinics and spent some time talking about health education, particularly among women in africa. and this is an important part of communicating directly to the people of africa. the investment that the united states seeks to make in their countries, there is an opportunity for us to form an important partnership with them as they build the economy and build up and improve the living conditions in many of these countries. the united states wants to be a partner with them. that is an important message of dr. biden's trip and it will be discussed more when african leaders are here in washington next month. >> [indiscernible] the president not going to the border because it would be

political. since when is it not political when he goes and visits an average american? >> i was addressing those who are criticizing the president for not going to the border. many of them, if not all of them, are focused on politics and not solving the problem. if they were committed to solving the problem, in the case of the texas governor, he could probably be pretty useful. i hear he is a pretty persuasive fellow. he could probably pick up the phone and call some of the republican congress members from texas who are standing against immigration reform. if the governor were genuinely concerned about solving some of the problem is that exist on the border, the most impactful thing he could do right now is encourage those republican members of the house of representatives to stop blocking commonsense language -- commonsense legislation from coming to the floor. >> let's go back to your [indiscernible]

it has been the position of the administration since the conflict with isis began that there needs to be a unified government. but now it is not happening. he is going after the ice is fighters, as he says. what is the message of this government? what has the president said to him or others? >> it is the vice president that has been in regular touch with prime minister maliki and other political leaders in iraq. what we have encourage them to do is -- there is, as you point out, a process and the iraqi government -- constitution for the formation of the government. it is not moving as swiftly as we would like it too. there is no doubt about that. time is of the essence right now, because there is a serious threat to the -- the third purity -- a serious threat to

the security situation there right now. other world leaders have been pressing the iraqi leadership not just come -- to come together at the time and place of their choosing, but to come together quickly because it is important for the future of her back -- of iraq. and once that government is formed, it is important that the government pursue the kind of inclusive agenda that makes room for every citizen in iraq. that they have a stake in the future of the country. that will also be required for the security forces in iraq to be strengthened. the security forces need to reflect the diversity of the country. when you have a unified political leadership, you have unified security forces. we are confident that iraq can meet that threat, but they won't if they do not act quickly to form the government and pursue an inclusive in jeddah -- inclusive agenda.

>> it was said that they could work in cooperation with iran and that the u.s. would support that. general dempsey said today that it is not impossible in the future we would have reason to do so. is that something the it ministration supports? >> what we have said and what has already occurred is that there has been at least one conversation between senior american diplomats and senior iranian diplomats on the sidelines of the p5 plus one talks to talk about the situation in iraq. we have made clear this point that there is no contemplating military cooperation or coordination. we also will not been gauging a conversation with iranians -- be engaging in a conversation with iranians about the future of iraq over the heads of the iraqi people. the future of the root -- of iraq ultimately needs to be determined by the occupation, the citizens and their elected leaders. -- by the population, the citizens of iraq and their elected leaders.

but i have already been ready to admit that there is clearly overlapping interests here. it is not in the interests of iran to for their neighbor to be wracked by sectarian divisions. that kind of instability is not what you want to have on your border. and it is serving up economist italy that the united states would like to see in the region. -- it is certainly not the kind of instability that the united states would like to see in the region. i want to be clear that our ongoing diplomatic conversations with iran right now are focused on the nuclear issue that is hopefully going to be resolved by the p5 plus one. >> [indiscernible] >> i would not rule out additional conversations between american diplomats and iranian diplomats, but they would be separate from the ongoing p5 plus one talks that we are

focused on right now. >> listening to the present comments on the marketplace [indiscernible] his treasury department jointly with the fed and other regulatory agencies in 2011 issued a joint proposal under the dodd frank law to take action to restrict these. since then, it has been wishing on the back burner of the sec. is there an effort to group -- to push the sec to do something on this proposal? >> at think i mentioned earlier that the president did not have any specific regulation or law in mind when he made those comments. what he was referring to was the need for his administration an independent regulators to continue to be vigilant about threats that may emerge in our

financial system. we have a rapidly evolving financial system and we need to make sure we have a regulatory regime that can meet the risks and challenges that are posed by the dynamic system. >> is he satisfied with what has been done so far? >> actually, the president is proud of all the progress that we've made. but is he set us -- >> is he satisfied that it is enough? is he satisfied with the amount of progress that there has been so far? >> it is important -- and i don't think i understood it. it is important to recognize that the passage of wall street reform in this first couple of years of visit mistress will go down as one of the finest achievements of this administration. -- first couple of years of this administration will go down as one of the finest achievements of this administration. the president ran for office

because he wanted to make sure that middle class families had a voice in washington, d.c. and when it comes to things like financial regulations, too often, the voices of mainstream investors and middle-class families were drowned out by special like wall street firms and big bank. we are enormously proud of the progress we've made and we do now have a financial system that continues to thrive. i am certainly no expert on the stock market, but it has increased significantly since the president took office. >> but he sounded like he was saying that he clearly thinks more should be done. i don't think there is any more fair reading of his remarks. >> what the president was saying was that we need to be vigilant as our financial system evolves. in terms of guarding against risks that pop up, there is such a dynamic financial system out there that evolves quickly. we need to make sure we have a regulatory regime that gives that dynamism of our capital

markets the opportunity to thrive, while preventing bubbles and other risks from rapidly emerging in causing the whole system to tumble. let me give you a couple of examples of things the president believes should be part of the kind of things that should be addressed. one of those things is the role of shadow making and the role that they play in our financial markets. the president also believe that we need to protect the integrity of our financial markets from abuses in high-frequency trading. the president also believes we need to have a seamless application of regulations in our international markets. those of you who have traveled with us to g 20 meetings over the years have heard countless briefings with senior it ministration officials who say that the president and other senior policymakers in this administration have been in

regular communication with our counterparts in other markets about the importance of also raising standards for their financial markets. after all, we cannot just raise the financial standards in this market when you have such a globally connected financial system. we need to raise standards all across the globe. that has been the focal point of some of the ongoing policymaking efforts in this administration. again, we are constantly vigilant and on guard as we monitor the financial system and make sure that risks don't crop up that threaten the entire financial system. and that means hard work that is done on a daily basis by economic policymakers and the administration, but also work that is done on a daily basis at the independent financial regulators who have frontline responsibly for dealing with some of these issues.

>> according to the last meeting with secretary kerry and prime minister maliki, he was telling maliki that the united states does not believe that all of the fighters in iraq belong to isil or other it -- other extremist organizations. is this the reason why the united states is hesitant to strike? >> the president can make any decision about any sort of -- i'm sorry, i'm so focused on the last question. any decision that the president makes about military action 80 rack will be -- action in iraq will be focused on the coordination with the parties there. what you have seen in recent days, the announcement of deployment of additional troops to iraq with the sole purpose of advisory roles that is the

reason he has assessed thus far. the other thing that the president has said, and he has said this motto cleanly then i will, -- then i will -- he has said this more eloquently than i will, that he said it is incumbent upon the iraqi leadership to form a unified government. because that is what is necessary to address the security issue in iraq. any sort of military solution will only temporarily address the problems they face. the ultimate solution will require a governing agenda by a diverse political leadership in iraq that unites the country in this face of the threat posed by isil. >> [indiscernible] actual airstrikes against isil. [indiscernible]

>> i think the president was pretty clear. i would refer you back to his comments. they still apply, about how he receives and perceives the the -- how he perceives the situation. any sort of military action will need to be partnered with a commitment from iraq's political leaders to do exactly that. there is no political solution to this problem. there is a diplomatic and political solution to address the challenges they face right now. but when it comes to iraq, the president called -- >> when it comes to iraq, the president called the king of saudi arabia yesterday. the the president discussed the reports that the king might be funding isis? >> i cannot give you any details on that call other than what was

included in the readout. in terms of funding, one of the things that was mentioned in the readout is that there was a significant donation made by the kingdom in support of ongoing humanitarian efforts in iraq. that is something the president greatly appreciated, and it demonstrates the kind of regional approach that we think is going to be important. again, it is important to countries in the region that the kind of instability that started out in serious and has spilled over into iraq does not continue across the region. it is certainly one of the reasons why it is important to saudi arabia that stability be restored. but it also underscores the generosity of the kingdom in making destination. >> we are heading into a long weekend. we have on the house calendar, i think seven legislative weeks

for -- before election day. the president has been talking about how little he expects from congress or has gotten from congress. at this point from where you are standing, what does the president believe he's going to get in terms of bills passed by both houses of congress before election day? anything? >> there are a number of things to learn about in context of the job numbers today. the economic proposals that the president has put forward raising the minimum wage, improving job training, making college education more affordable, ensuring pay equity across the country -- there are a number of proposals that have traditionally earned bipartisan support that the president hopes they will act on. there are two others that come to mind that will be priorities when congress returns. the first is a supplemental funding request that julie talked about, in terms of making sure that the necessary resources are available to meet the needs, kospi the surge of illegal migration that we are seeing at the border. the second one -- caused by the surge of illegal migration that we are seeing at the border. the second one has to do with a

highway trust fund. this additionally has enjoyed bipartisan support and we hope will be the case this time. because congress has failed to act previously. i have a sneaking suspicion that many of you will be here tomorrow. there will be no briefing tomorrow in honor of the holiday. what better way to demonstrate my patriotism other than to not brief, reich echoed -- right? on monday, the -- the white house will host a group of teachers for lunch. the president will be joined by secretary of education arne duncan. on tuesday, the president will welcome nato secretary general anders fog rasmussen to the white house. the president looks forward to

discussing with the secretary-general the crisis in ukraine and reassurance measures for our nato allies, improving the allied defense assessment, and further work on bolstering nato's network of partners, and nato's post-2014 noncombat mission in afghanistan. the secretary-general's visit underscores the vital importance placed on nato as the cornerstone of europe. on wednesday in denver, the president will attend an sec fund raising event. on thursday, the president will travel to dallas for an evening event. and then he will travel to austin texas biplane -- by playing for a dnc event. the president will deliver remarks on the economy alongside the letter writers i mentioned earlier, before returning to the white house.

we will have additional details about the president travel in colorado and texas in the days ahead. and on friday, the president will attend meetings at the white house. i should point out that tomorrow the president has a couple of independence day activities. someone asked earlier about the naturalization event that will take place here. the president is looking forward to the opportunity to naturalizing a few immigrants to this country who have served in our armed forces. and tomorrow evening, the president will be hosting a barbecue and picnic for families on the south lawn of the white house. and later, they will enjoy spectacular fireworks display on the national mall. with that, a bid you a happy holiday. [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2014] [captioning performed by national captioning institute] >> daniel stein of the federation for american immigration reform and benjamin johnson of the american immigration counsel discuss whether immigration to the u.s. hurts or helps the country. after that, charles murray of

the american enterprise institute looks at american exceptionalism. leisure phone calls, facebook comments, and tweak. washington journal is live at 7 a.m. eastern on c-span. >> author alan hoffman shares a tale of two mississippi's as we visit prospect hill in jackson. >> prospect hill was founded by warc ross, a revolutionary veteran from south carolina. when he realized he was going to die and the slaves would end up being sold or were just become common slaves, he wrote in his will that at the time of his daughter's death, his plantation would be sold him and the money used to pay the way for those slaves to immigrate to liberia where a free slave colony had been established. they call it repatriation and talked about going back to africa.

you have to understand these people, most of them were americans. for 3, 4,een here five generations. it wasn't like they were just going home. they were going back to the continent that their ancestors originally inhabited, but it was risk.a so they took their culture, what they knew here, there. some of it was the bad aspects to, of slavery, but that was all they had ever known. like this one,es because after all, they are the ones who built this house. of basicallylot greek revival house is that the free slaves built in mississippi in africa, and across the river with louisiana, in liberia, which was settled by free slaves from louisiana. there was a georgia, virginia, kentucky, and maryland county.

all those people came from those states in the u.s. >> explore the history and literary life of jackson this weekend. sunday at 2 p.m. on american 3.story tv on c-span >> tonight, professor brian greene discusses physics and the origins of the universe. then a congressional hearing on the search for extreftial life. columbia professor brian greene is author of the book "fabric of the koss mows, hidden reality and universe." walter isaacson recently talked to him about the origins of the universe and latest breakthroughs in physics research. this is 25 minutes.