how to make things better? i appreciatema: the constructive conversation taking place between the nga and the energy producing states. number one, climate change is real. the science is clear. we can debate how we approach the problem, but we cannot debate the science. i just have to be very clear about that. is thatogy i have used if you went to a doctor and he said, you have got a disease and you said, you want a second opinion, and the second doctor said you have a disease. you went to 100 doctors and 99 of them said you had a disease, at a certain point, you would say, i have got to do something about this. that essentially is the situation with respect to climate change. are sayingntists

this is a really serious problem. not a sort of kind of may be, distant future problem, this is a problem that is going to get in the lifetime of our children and grandchildren, and there is such a thing as eating too late on this. if you start getting into a feedback loop where fundamental weather patterns and ocean temperatures are changing, we cannot reverse it. be the effects will profound. that is point number one. point number two is in order to grow the economy, we have got to have energy. economic growth remains a top priority for democrats and republicans alike. whoever takes my place, they are going to want to grow the economy. that is true internationally. there are countries like india where it is even more desperate.

they do not have electricity and they have got to visit in order to develop. if we are not giving them options, the only message we have for them is stay poor, we will not solve the problem. this is not an either/or issue. the economyto grow which means we have got to produce energy and deal with climate change. technologyws is that and research and development are accelerating rapidly and because of the paris agreement that we struck, you are going to see more investment from the private sector and not just governmental sectors, and that will accelerate projects even more. you take an example like solar. came to office, we set goals we thought were really ambitious. the amount of solar energy being produced now and the costs

dropping faster than any of us imagined means that we could be on a path where a huge portion of our energy needs can readily through renewable energy, clean energy, much faster than any of us would have earlier.ed a few years we expected though states that continue to have a significant traditional fossil fuel extracting set of industries, number one, we have not discharged -- discouraged but encouraged production. oil and gas production has gone up significantly. we have put ourselves in a because of new technologies, to produce more than ever before and that has

changed the geopolitical landscape. sally jewell i think has in prior -- and prior to her, tim, has tried to be very flexible in thinking about how we continue to meet our energy needs. we have not shut down energy production outside of very sensitive areas of significant concern. the main shift that has taken the u.s.because production has been so high, prices have plummeted, and that has changed the equation for private sector companies. a global price issue. the second thing that has changed is natural gas starts supplanting coal because it came so cheap and that hurt coal industries. having said that, i continue to believe there are areas of research and development that because we will

continue to use fossil fuels for our lifetime and those will not go a and they will be used in other countries. if we can figure out how to make those cleaner, it helps all of us. i want india and china to know how to use clean coal because they will be building coal plants anyway. if we have got the technology that can help them make sure it is not emitting huge amounts of carbon, all the better. historically since i have come into office, we have invested in technologies to capture carbon from coal-fired plants. the technologies are there. the problem is they are really expensive right now. given relative prices to natural gas and other options, they have not been deployed. we are going to continue to invest in trying to bring those costs down, but frankly, in this marketplace, it may be a while before it is economical for anyone to imagine they want to

use that. ironically, what would actually celebrate clean coal technology would be the work that we did in paris to restrict the amount of carbon being produced. that means it starts becoming more expensive and there is greater incentive for private publicdollars as well as to go into research and capture coal. similarly when it comes to oil and gas. a lot of methane is generated from the extraction of oil and gas and we want to invest in research that helps us your out how to reduce the methane that also causes climate change. increase, overall, research and development dollars in the energy sector. we under invest as a nation , for example, our expenditures on health care

research. i'm all for that. we are significantly increasing our investment in research. should be doing the exact same thing on energy. how it is allocated is something i will make sure that ernie meets with your governors to talk about. but i want to be honest with you. if those states are not the fact preparing for that the energy mix is going to continue to change over time, you are probably doing a disservice to your constituents and what we should be doing is yourng maximize production, minimizing your pollution, but also preparing or 30r the fact that 20

years from now, there is going to be a higher mix of clean energy at a lower mix of traditional fossil ills. that is almost inevitable. even if there is someone in this who disagrees with me on all of this stuff, it will still happen just because of trendlines internationally. we should prepare ourselves for that. >> ivories you the chance to speak with you about the fact that china is something on iron ore and thank you again for sending or chief of staff up to meet there. to governors this weekend, the impact of china's x words and dumping have been affecting a lot of other industries and i'm wondering given your emphasis on free trade and you are right about that, is there also a way you could be more aggressive

preventing china from doing what it is doing? the good newsa: is we have been more aggressive than previous administrations when it comes to bringing in enforcement actions. even then area where steelworkers, as much as they -- ttp makeo tpt knowledge, we have done a lot -- tpp may acknowledge, we have done a lot. our trade promotion authority that just passed the house and the senate, that i'm getting prepared to sign, that will give us additional tools for enforcement. more resources, more personnel. take moreus to aggressive actions. firm, toughg to see enforcement of our existing trade laws.

is that we doant not get confused by thinking we should close off trade as an enforcement tool, because that is not possible. what is possible is making sure that everyone is playing on a level playing field and people are operating fairly. not think it is a secret that china in the past has not always operate fairly. they are now in a process where they are trying to transition their economic model. they recognize they cannot forever sustain an export driven , but it will take some time and it is tempting for them to solve short-term problems by just dumping a bunch

of state subsidized goods into the u.s. market. we have been very clear with them about the fact that that inl not work and we will put place tools to make sure it does not work. this is similar to the issue of currency manipulation. there has been manipulation by the chinese. the interventions to prop up their currency rather than to devalue it, because a lot of people have been nervous about the chinese economy. we said to them, you have got to have an orderly, market-based currency system not designed to advantage your company over ours. we are consistently pushing them hard on that and we have got new tools to make progress on that thanks to the bill that was just passed.

governor hogan. governor hogan: thank you, mr. president. as your neighbor in maryland, thank you for the hospitality and on a personal note, i want to thank you for reaching out what i was going through my cancer treatment. it meant a lot to me. meeting onrrific saturday. i unfortunately, was not in attendance because we had a funeral for one of our fallen law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty. the governor from west virginia did a terrific job in the meeting. there was a lot of trivia discussion that came out of that it a lot of agreement between the governors, a lot of bipartisan corporation and people focused on a number of important issues. one of them was regulatory or, something we are doing in maryland, and finding a lot of i partisan support. i think the democratic and republican governors believe this is important to help us grow businesses, and grow jobs.

i believe it is something you feel is important. last year, you talked about that as well. my question for you is, would you be willing to commit to have the administration to work with the rga with a task wars taking a look at this regulatory review at the federal, state, and local level. president obama: you said rj and i should -- i seem you meant -- [laughter] you just cut out your democratic brethren here. but just a quick word about regulation. this reiterates something i said in the past. there is regulation we have put forward that some of you do not like. more commonly, there are regulations that we are obliged to enforce.

of your not pop out heads but we have to enforce them and you do not like them. there are regulations i do not like that i think are usually inefficient or are well intended but proves not to work well. or, just the economy is changed. my favorite example was there were a bunch of rules around where they did not account for the fact that there is gps now. so what i have done is omb to work not only to scrub new regulations we may be proposing but to look back and see what are the old ones on the books that do not make sense anymore. is we have made progress. we do not get a lot of credit for that because it is sort of

the dog that does not bark. if we get rid of wasteful regulations, we do not get a lot of applause for it. but we have eliminated tons of paperwork. -- tonseliminated tomes of forms that have to be filled out and streamlined a lot and we are interested in doing more. the nextn area during year where we have got room to do more because we do not need congress on a lot of this stuff to do it. of the nga, give regulatoryf those actions or constraints that you find most troublesome and most frustrating, and i cannot guarantee you we will be able to eliminate all of those regulations. some of those may be statutory

and we have got no choice even though we agree. some of them, we may just not agree with you. there are going to be some environmental regulations where some governors think this is inconvenient, it is impeding development, and we will say isl, you know, this protecting children's health, for example. there will be areas of disagreement. my suspicion is there will be areas where we welcome your advice and we will do everything we can to strike some of these ineffective regulations off the books before we get out. with you ono work this. if any of you doubt the claim that we have eliminated a bunch of regulations, we can give you a manual. shaun donovan knows because i charged him with this and prior silvio, before she was the secretary, they have all

worked on this and they know how important i think this is. regulationlieve in for regulation's sake, contrary to rumor. somehow, i get a kick out of big government, it is just not the case. the truth of the matter is, is something -- if something is working without us getting involved, we have more than enough to do without getting involved. we really do. it is not like i wake up every morning thinking, how can i add more work for me? [laughter] i do not think that way. if there is something we can stop doing, or do smarter and do .etter, we are happy to do it a lot of times when folks say this is a bad regulation that is earning -- burdening government and not helping anybody, they are just looking at one side of

the equation. -- toou subjected to able a cost-benefit analysis, it is saving a lot of lives and keeping a lot of people out of hospitals. making a big difference but i should mention when i was coming up back in the 1980's, when i was a law student, cost-benefit analysis was considered a radical and conservative idea. this administration has been more vigorous and applying cost-benefit analysis than any prior administration, including the one that just proceeded. we have been stringent and tight and the numbers all check out when it comes to the cost and the benefits that we apply, even on some of the big regulations you hear about that you do not like, they are not issued unless we think the benefits substantially outweigh the costs. we have the numbers to prove it.

for those of you who think i am just a big government crazy crunch, you know, we some numbers around here and we take it very seriously. >> imo is amazed to be in the sessions where you spend a lot of time with us and your next answer is more brilliant than the last. thank you so much. is adent obama: he democrat, isn't he? >> we spoke on friday about the opiate crisis. i want to ask you a question. i think we are probably united in making real progress across america. folks, certainly you and your administration, help us fight the battle. on the front lines of

this pretty early, you know, i think much like your frustration with the gun challenge, where you are constantly consoling moms and dads and parents, we had at our health and welfare committee, chaired by governor from another mom who lost her son. they had,ere told me in their state, a family lose their son and their daughter. trying what we are all to do, and frankly, the director of the fbi, loretta lynch is a huge partner with us in this, is blue criminal justice reform, start treating this as a disease and not a rhyme, get treatment so we fast as we can, stop losing lives unnecessarily. those are three things i think we are all doing in some way. i mentioned friday if one of my is you build out

treatment particularly in rural america, we cannot get enough to meet the able demand of our waiting list. if we could get assistance, nurse practitioners to be able recovery drugs, we would all be better off. they can now pass the stuff out and prescribe oxycontin. we do not let them prescribe the stuff that lets you get off the oxycontin. i want to get an update. our committee voted unanimously to adopt protocols on prescribing practices for oxycontin and other painkillers. i am curious. we can do that as governors. it takes time. all 50 not apply to states. when you look at the numbers on this stuff, it is staggering. prescribed enough oxycontin to keep every day at the high for one month. in 2012, we prescribed enough

oxycontin give a 250 million doses. give every american their own personal bottle. or ifsking you if by rule putting pressure on the fda, you might consider a national approach which simply says, you know, for minor procedures, we will limit this to 10 pills and after that, you have got to come back for more. there is a direct correlation between the lives where losing, the kids are the biggest victims. agency of human services struggling to come up with enough foster kids as we put more and more kids into custody because their parents do horrible things to them when they are under the influence of stuff. we are losing 130 people a day. imagine we were losing 130 people per day in america to terrorism. up with at to come more rational prescription drugs.

resistant to listening to politicians like us, talking about how many pills to prescribed. level, it would help us get out of this tragic mess. president obama: i appreciate the work governor baker and the governor are doing on this. as you all know, i went down to and the stories you hear are heartbreaking. was the numberng of high-ranking elected officials in the state whose own families had been directly affected by this. so, there is strong bipartisan support to address the issue. i would be remiss if i did not --o say the good news is

society is recognizing the importance of taking a public as well as ach criminalization approach when it comes to drug abuse generally. isolated to it was certain minority communities, gel was a sufficient deterrent or approach and as it has affected a broader -- people is a realizing this complicated problem. there has to be a law enforcement element but also -- -- sylvia hask been on the front lines.

she has seen her own community affected by this. lynch has been hugely how doesthinking about the criminal element of this fit with the process. , one ofo recognize tom your own as a former governor, outstanding in sharing our .ounsel just two lisa go, tom convened a meeting in which we say, how do we get all hands on deck and all of the agencies to focus on this , and my hope is they start to share with you and your committee what it is we're looking at. we will be seeing the same things. a couple of points i want to make quickly. number one, the most striking that in 85% of

rural counties in america, there is insufficient or no drug treatment or mental health treatment available. part of what happened here, you have got somebody who works on a farm, gets injured, and it takes them to ours and finally the pain gets so bad they had out there and they get to the doctor and do not necessarily have health insurance, depending on what state they are living in, just a small comment on the affordable and medicaid expansion area but if they do not have health insurance, they drive out and the doctor says, you need an operation, you need rotator cuff surgery, you need

this and that. and you say, can you just give me something to kill the pain. they get a bottle and they drive off and they get hooked on it. turns out it is a lot cheaper to refill the prescription with heroin on the street than it is to manage getting more of these pills. then folks are off to the races and what we have seen is those who are marketing heroin are now tracking where which communities are more invoke -- more vulnerable. do i think is to make a big push for additional treatment and mental health services in rural communities forrally, make a big push public health and prevention in communities generally, and then have a very specific approach to

working with the hospitals, the providers, so they are not overprescribing. can be done at a national level, but most profitably done if we have bipartisan support for the governors so by the time it gets to the national level, there is consensus and not a lot of politics involved. i guess the reason i raise general issues of public health if we go to doctors right now and say do not overprescribing, without providing some mechanisms for people in these communities to deal with the the issuesave, for they have, then we will not solve the problem. israel. the mental illness israel. in some cases, edition is already there.

in some cases, these are underserved communities when it comes to doctors and nurses and practitioners. i agree with you that we should be pushing the doctors. it is true for the health-care system generally. advanced practice nurses and physicians assistants can do more than they currently are allowed to do. that could save the whole system money but could also prevent some of the overprescribing that is currently taking place. we're looking at a comprehensive approach. i suggest, have you already met with the governor's task force on this? we are all over this and i appreciate your interest. this is an area where i can get agreement from bernie sanders and mitch mcconnell. that does not happen that often,

but this one indicates the severity of the >> is a non-democrat, i appreciate the graciousness of your time, mr. president. something that effects each of us individually is debt. it is crippling to some of us, less so to others. onious as to your thoughts the debt of this nation and the lack of any political discourse on either side of the aisle in any of the debates on this issue. monthst, in the next 10 your nutrition can do to draw ,ttention to this, to change it that is currently underway? bes. obama: we're going to

releasing a budget so that will be a significant topic of conversation. obviously the that our government, unlike state governments, does not have in the constitution that end of the year it must balance it budget. there would be some who would be for a federal government have a balanced budget. becausenot be for that -- in order to deal with recession, national emergencies and so on, is that the federal government keeps the books differently.

capital expenditures depreciate and you would have a whole another way of bookkeeping. the analogy is not the same as the federal government or state governments or damage. having said that, the good news is that we have produced the deficit by two thirds. that is a common nation of recovery which brought in more tax revenue. raising taxes on the top 2%, which everybody claimed would be

a job killer come but we've now had 14 million jobs created or more over the last six years. and we have made some cuts in spending. have -- has led to a two thirds reduction. the real problem that we have when it comes to debt is very simple. it is that our population is getting older and we use a lot ,f health care and health care we spend more for less, frankly, then most other advanced nations. partly because we do a lot other emergency room care. -- some ofbecause we

it is because we overprescribed, over test. drivef it is we innovation and technology and people want the best stuff, but it costs money. our health care system involved, we have a private sector that has to make a profit. essentially, we spend six-a percent -- 8%to a then our counterparts. that is the reason why, since i came into office, i was interested in reforming health care. it was not just the compassion i felt for people personally being impacted, getting sick and losing their home for not being able to get care for their kids

because of routine issues, it also had to do with the fact that this system is hugely inefficient and if we don't make it more efficient am a we are not going to solve our debt problem. what you will see reflected i think, in the budget i present, we have stabilized what we are adding to it each year in terms of discretionary spending. taxes, revenue, and come. what we are going to have to tackle long-term is health care spending. that, we can cut wic programs, education programs. you can cut out every

discretionary program the democrats and republican .overnment support it won't matter because the big-ticket item is medicare, medicaid, and in the private sector, it is on the health care side. hope is that we get into a serious conversation. maybe it will have to happen once i'm gone because the affordable care act and the debate has gotten so public so toxic weoliticized and can't have a conversation about it. we have embraced cost-saving measures that used to be

republicanby governors. maybe when i'm gone we can have havingrsation about higher quality for lower-cost heard if we do that, that is -- foro make the lower-cost overhead. for the last 3-4 years we have att health care inflation the lowest in 40 years. essentiallyhat, we save over $100 billion. about $160was billion and counting just by making health care more efficient.

and by the way, people got just as good or better care. it was not done through rationing or people being cut out of the program. it had to do with better delivery. i believert of why where medicaid expansion has been implemented, it has been smart. it is going to prevent you to have bigger problems down the road that your states are going to have to pay for. i don't expect you to agree with me right now, but if you look at where it has been implement effectively, it is going to save you money over the long term. it has been done really well in kentucky, but that is another question. i've got time for two more questions. jack? >> mr. president, thank you. on a topic that is of significant interest.

most of our conversation here is always about policy. i do have one specific thought regarding your convening power, which i have seen play out incredibly well when it comes to health care issues as well as college access issues. we all know one of the most important predictors regarding 97% of the people in our prison is whether or not they can get a job. there's a lot of great work going on around the country, both democratic and republican but in addition to all the great policy work is that is being done. one of the most important things i think is getting employers to the table. this is an issue as i was speaking with valerie last night.

never expected to be invited to something by the koch brothers. i think it is important to get employers across the table. i think if we can mood -- movie naval -- get employers to take a we can really make a difference. we can keep people out of prison and contributing. i think people recognize their is no way we can be successful when we have able-bodied and able minded people who are staying on the fringes. pres. obama: i appreciate that. some other from it

whornment that's governors presented their own -- flow --eep primary crime rates low, reduce long-term sentences for nonviolent offenders. this is an area where texas did some smart stuff. it has worked. i would urge all of you to take atook at what has been done the state level, as well as some of the data and reports we are generating as we push for federal criminal justice reform. to your specific point, i was up bestwark to highlight practices. there was a federal judge their

relatively a young woman there. she partnered with the local community, the u.s. attorney little bit ofen a money out of a tiny little program that we are trying to expand within the justice department. make reentry work. there was a young man who is there. he was 37 years old. has that 10 years in prison -- spent 10 years in prison. then got nabbed for a drug offense for 10 years. he decided he was going to turn his life around. buy lying on his job at burgers a king. at the sameped off

neighborhood he was from. his old friends are coming up and saying you are wearing the same shoes you went into jail with. he described the temptations that were involved. he did not have permanent housing. he did not have money for a car. he did not have new close. he had no idea how to write a resume. he wanted to do the right thing. and this program, the federal judge and probation officers were a great team. they were really caring folks. they helped him get into a community college. help him study to become an emt. by the time i met him, he is

working for the state as an emt. paying taxes, law-abiding, mentoring young people. the amount of money that was spent to say this man, was a fraction of what it would have cost to incarcerate him. the likelihood of recidivism has dropped precipitously as a consequence of him having a new identity. what that tells me is that we can be really smart about this and i'm very proud that there has been bipartisan support around this. i think there is a convergence of liberals, conservatives, evangelical's who believe in redemption, libertarians who are ofcerned about the growth prison populations, and the physical conservatives who are

concerned about how much this all cost. it is all coming together. the last point i will make is the role of employers. at this roundtable, this man who .ad a family business for years for years, they hired ex offenders very quietly. it was a produce and meat wholesaler. they would hire guys and this kid who is now running the company. this man who is running the economy, when he was growing up there was always some big guys around. he took for granted. turned out his dad had hired them as x offenders. describe how important it was to understand the mentality of somebody who has never had an opportunity to work before in a regular setting. simple things, like the employer

has to understand they might not smile right off of the bat. because where they come from, if you smile, you don't know what might happen to you. there is a whole adjustment process in terms of letting your guard down. also, you need the right kind of shoes and close -- clothes. just all of the steps that are taken. when an up lawyer ends up being committed like that, what they have discovered is they will not have a more loyal employee that will go to bat for them and work harder because they have been even a second chance. a nickel mass of

those who are willing to do that is important. last question. host, those who have not gone to alaska. it is gorgeous up there. >> i just want to thank you and your administration for what you have done for alaska. cabinet members here every time. a have been to alaska. lunchary many, we had last week. excited about your on president it trip -- on president it -- unprecedented trip. you brought a hope and excitement there.

i'm nonpartisan. i can do this. i'm the only nonpartisan governor in the nation. i don't have to worry about picking sides. i'm going tos continue to work with the ministration because the door is always open. we don't always agree. we have a problem. i have a deficit that is huge. a $4 billion deficit with a $5.6 billion budget. we have an oil pipeline that is empty. i need to fill it up. there is a lot of oil up there. we are going to get it safely, 1% access too get our national park to get that oil. 10,000 more people have health care and one law firm has more

work because they suited for that. but that's a story. ups. obama: the hospitality in alaska was extraordinary. it does up your soul. people could not have been more gracious. issue we back to the talked about earlier in terms of energy. we have encouraged exploration and some areas. ironies when i was here in alaska and i mean this that ily, it shows you had some people say in the same andth, protect this beauty scenic areas and make sure

nobody's polluting it. going the way, let's get on some oil drilling at the same time. our goal has been to try to .alance those equities i appreciate that's we are always want to work with all of you. arenstructions to my listen, if you can find a way to make something work, make it work. explainan't, at least why it is you can't. just --e that it is not

as a consequence, we have made progress on a number of issues. we can make even more next year. since this will be the last meeting in which i am addressing all of you. i just want to thank all of you or your service. part of the reason we invited the cameras here. usually when i have cute and a with anybody, we try to restrict the press just so the people feel open and don't feel like if they asked a question, that they have to be guarded about it. the truth is, after so many years interacting with you, every time we have had a conversation it has been instructive and useful. i think it would be useful for the american people to see that the folks in charge aren't always just posturing. they are also trying to get some work done. you guys are a good model of

that and my hope is that that sees into the broader clinical debates and conversations that we have. the benefit of being a governor is that you can make as many political arguments as you want, but if stuff doesn't work people are going to notice. all of you have taken that to heart so we appreciate your sacrifice, your families sacrifice and we look toward to making continued progress in the months to come. for those of you who are not term limited, good luck. [laughter] [applause]

>> president obama speaking to the governors as they wrap up their winter meeting. two of theseo see governors, utah's gary herbert, and terry from virginia. we will be taking you there live. scheduled foras about 20 months ago, but we will get to the briefing room as soon as if against. eveningre coverage this ahead of the republican nevada caucus. first, ted cruz owning a rally at 3:00. and we'll take your calls. and then donald trump who want

the south carolina primary on saturday. he is leading that. he will also hold a rally in las vegas tonight. that will be at 10:00 eastern. five days to go until saturday's south carolina primary. she has worked on three democratic presidential campaigns. what are some of the conversations that are taking place on this monday morning? >> i think nevada, will first of all this has been a crazy unpredictable cycle on both sides of the aisle. so, this saturday what happened in nevada was a huge important win for the hillary clinton campaign. they did really well.

it was 40% latino, but also a 9.1% african-american voters and she was able to get over 70% of them to vote for her. i think that is important as we head into south carolina. i think right now, it is definitely a get out to vote. it really focus on what is going --in super tuesday tape states. it was certainly a great win for theary clinton to slow down minimum for bernie sanders. unfortunately for him. he did better than she did with latinos. he just did not get the turnout. he needs a big turnout to do well against her. >> that something we want to talk about.

o'malley'ss martin field director. 2012, served as the battleground states director for president obama. say ground game, you say hillary did a good job with turnout. what is ground game? it is the team you have on the ground, working with volunteers and pushing people to get to the polls. it is simple as that. core ofe a really great field operators out there. that is essentially it. could you have on the ground, who are your demographics, who are the democrats that are the likely voters that are going to go out and vote? also getting a sense of the swing voters. who are undecided and working that verse.

-- first. this is why i'm running, you have to push out your message. >> what is the effect of wave doing that? commercials, phone calls, not some adore? -- knocks on the door. >> i think all of it. -- aave to have the most diverse field operation. clinton campaign and centers campaign have to try to figure out how do we get the core group of people to come out and vote on saturday. what are the programs that you can put in. to engage folks? one thing senator barack obama

andis they had a barbershop beauty salon program. you went out to talk to the people in the african-american community, which is a big deal. you just have to be really creative to how do you touch that base? it is building your ground game in a sense of finding out where your voters are, who are likely voters are, who you need to persuade. and finally, how you get out to vote. >> we talked about the role of minority voters. one caller said that bernie sanders needs to get on black radio and south carolina. that he did not do a good enough job. white -- how would you assess his campaign? spenty have definitely more money and south carolina -- in south carolina.

is reallyerican radio important. this is one source we get our information. i have no idea if he is doing african american radio or not, but that is an important tool if you are trying to connect with working day people in the community who are most likely going to vote. : for the want to segment she has worked with several campaigns. nevada.oking back at virginia.art in west caller: good morning. i have been a democrat for 55 years. i was starting out neutral when

we started this campaign for who is going to run for president. and not hillary talks really coming out and telling the truth about her money she's getting from everybody, she is turning me off. i'm really discouraged and the whole party -- in the whole party. even my state entegris. i don't -- even my state senators. i don't like them anymore. she is not for me. bigcan tell she is for the business. all these people get up. . they brag about these people online. i have spent 55 years being a democrat. candidate -- the last candidate that was for you? nobody -- no luck caller: nobody now. host: who in the past?

caller: he's gone because now we have republicans there. hillary clinton and her funny sources is his issue. how big is this for her? guest: i think it is an issue she needs to deal with. she is going to have to deal with it, especially going into election.l i think it will be an issue. she has a really smart team around her. they're going to have to work through that. as we have seen and polling, she loses out to bernie sanders all the time when it comes to trust. you have seen the field

strategies of martin rally -- martin o'malley's campaign. and him run aders difference as the or are they doing the same thing as far as how many phone calls or visits. , trying tog creative figure out how you're going to talk to voters and connect with them. clearly this year technology is playing a big role. 2016, the apps have been really important and imperative. ofo getting them the sense where they need to caucus and primary. just connecting with them and collecting their information. technology has been a really important tool and continues to be so. obama took i'm a -- the data tracking and revolutionize that. 2016 has been technology-based

as well. texas,epublican from jean good morning. ask what would like to is hillary going to do for the black voters that obama has not done because apparently obama has not done much. i think that hillary has a lot of trust in the african-american community. they had 25 years of being out there. all --the first lady of arkansas. she has a long track record that i think african-americans resonate with. i disagree that is obama has not done anything for the black

community. there is a repetition she has with the community. she is going to have to work for it most definitely. examplest are specific that she points to. guest: i think it is basically her work as a u.s. senator and focusing on what she did for the community in new york. her go out and getting endorsements from the -- g people who were killed

host: here are some of the headlines for the newspapers in south carolina. clinton aims to erase 2008 loss. taking your questions and .omments kathleen, good morning. kingr: martin luther talked about to america's heard black america and white america. the question is, black america has been boating democrat -- votingg --

democrat for the last 50 years. had to show for? millions want to make 4 -- why would it be african-americans best interest to have 12 billion -- gates got gay marriage -- gays got gay marriage. obama made an executive order to get 59 illegals -- do black americans get? what did we get?

before you jump in, you served as the regional clinical director for the white house. on the question of 11 million new americans that are here, i think it is important to bring them into the full. it is important to bring them out of the shadow. it does help the economy as a whole. not just us as african americans, but will help everyone. i think it is really important. this is why this election is tremendously important. when you have someone on the republican side who is talking othersuilding a wall and -- i think i can't convince you. it sounds like you have made

your choice. host: we are to take you live to the white house briefing room. all: it is nice to see you -- >> it is nice to see you all >> to my left, is governor is the, and to the right governor of utah. >> we went to a lot of events peopledid not find many who thought they met the governor of virginia. i'm going to turn it over to governor herbert first. herbet: thank you josh.

we are honored to be here today. our wehnerpleted conference as we call it here in .ashington d c cap the members had an opportunity to have dialogue this morning. i think that is important to helping move our state forward. we have had an opportunity through the national governors association as a bipartisan -- nization and governors the opportunity to discuss -- th care whether it is

we believe as states that we are the laboratories of the market. we are, in fact, having innovation and creativity is taking place in solving people's problems and improving their lives. we foster,make sure as a bipartisan organization, the opportunity to work in a couple memory passion -- fashion. as we are looking at states and sing the successes they are having, if you look at mrs. if the, they are leading the way and criminal justice reform. doing something to help with nonviolent offenders to address some of the underlying problems

with criminal offenders, which may be substance abuse. alabama has recently had remarkable progress on health -- healthealth core care reforms. new york has partnered to provide college courses. they have partnered with ibm where people go to school for five or six years and graduate not only with a high school diploma, but it associate -- an associate agree. the success rate is great.

governor mcauliffe is doing cyberful things on security. is any governor would, he is doing things that are important to his state. doors more cyber security than any place east of the rocky mountains. that legislation is how we protect individuals security, as well as protecting these security. that my ownmention -- ourf utah, we are economy is healthy. nine out of the last 12 months, our economy has led the nation as far as private growth. it is not lost on me why people

call. we share best practice is. we learn from each other. receivede calls i have is how are you able to thread the needle when it came to lgbt writes and religious freedom rights? and still be able to find resolutions with that issue? easy and we brought people together. success ine to find protecting lgbt writes and religious rights. if we can do that in utah, weekend do it across america. we will have a compilation of

our summer meetings in iowa where we highlight the great successes of all states and show to the american republic and show that the states are the laboratories of democracy and improving people's lives. we are honored to be here today and thank you very much for attending. >> thank you. it is been an honor to be with you today. as you know, we spent the last hour and a half speaking with the resident. tot unites us is we talked our president on national security, keeping our kennedy -- keepingdition to our communities they, --

the largestunced budget surplus in virginia. i do want to thank the ministration. we had four great meetings here. on behalf of all of the governors, thank the administration. gave us aministration briefing on cyber security yesterday. we talked with a lot of officials and spent a tremendous amount of time on trade and other issues. i do want to thank the we have one goal, how do we keep our communities safe and keep our economies growing. we don't have a luxury of taking a can down the road.

we have to make decisions every single day. havenment herbert and i two continuously conveyed to them. i want to commend the congress for getting a bipartisan transportation so we can make decisions going forward. we are on a global economy as i mentioned to the president's day. and we need to continue working to grow our -- omic sprint issue referee -- refugee was a big topic a few months ago. -- it improved question mark has it improved?

a lot of issues were raised. they promised they would get back to us with additional information as we go forward. gary and states and as i talk about, we have to talk -- take a better responsibility as well. we are very happy with how we are dealing with this issue. , we knowfugee arrives who is in our state. i think working with the demonstration, we can get everyone in place. gov. herbet: let me just echo of that if i could. part of the challenges making sure we have the appropriate policies in place. we understand that one of the first responsibilities is public safety.

i appreciate the fact that the ministration has provided opportunities for us to access better information and maybe find solutions. we still have work to do. we have an opportunity to build upon what we have learned this past weekend. on that same subject, the president mentioned gun control. how big of a topic is that in the discussions and the think there is some appetite growing expect -- and can we gov. mcauliffe: for the first time in 23 years, we passed significant gun safety legislation. it was done in a bipartisan way. wereills that we passed

-- nowhat i ran torybody will have access background checks at gun shows. under current law, if you are under protective order, you cannot purchase a gun or transport a gun. we had changed the law because it does not make sense. you could go out and possess a gun. you cannot buy one, why would you be able to possess one? passed.ow we are the home of the honore, out -- we areork

the home of the nra, but this with bipartisan support. mississippi was a great example. what is a common thread. listening to what the president said, it is a part issue. before thetes president leaves office? we should not be waiting for washington or the president. positionsr own unique

as states. in utah and i think other states, we mentioned mississippi, we are working on criminal justice reform. with the intent of finding out what is the underlying problem. what is causing the criminal limit to occur. we find that there are a lot of things. some of it is substance or alcohol abuse, mental health problems. we are trying to address that by creating mental health courts and drug courts. we have a significant campaign to illuminate underage drinking. we find that of people don't start drinking until they are adults, they will not be abusing a call when they are adults. we also have opportunities for about health condition. of this is awareness for

young people so they grow up with the principles that lead to productive lives and getting a good job. i think all states are addressing this in their own we see -- we can do better when it comes to criminal justice reform. good question. i also want to address juvenile -- juvenile justice reform. in virginia, we have to gigantic houseures that should mass murderers. i have toured both facilities. $186,000 on a juvenile who goes through the system. 80% of these juveniles are rearrested within three years. 80%. you cannot tell me that this

system is working so i have posed to shut those facilities places have smaller closer to the communities. clearly, as a governor, to spend that money and had 80% rearrested within three years, the system is not work. i've spoken to the attorney general. and i do want to thank the president who had the attorney general come in today. mentioned zika virus and fighting the disease heard are you concerned about funding? did you talk about plans to get that funding through? states shouldhe not be waiting for congress to act. sometimes that is a long wait.

winner sandy budget concerns. at least in utah, we understand the welfare of our population. so our health department is already addressing the zika concern. our own health department headed by dr. joe minor, will be making sure we have awareness and provide help as we of dumb for other issues. -- as we have done for other issues. we cannot wait for congress and hopes something happens there. heard today we have is that they are acutely aware of the problem and are trying to push information out to the state.

-- i expect we're going to be ready. again, the concern is this summer. it seems to be a certain type of visio. -- mosquito. governor herbert, i wanted to ask you. the president made a joke. be governor's might sympathetic to the imprint -- supreme court nomination. wondering what you think of nominating one? iv. herbet: i can tell you understand how significantly important that responsibility is. the state level is probably not

talked about as much i have -- three by members of out of the five members of our supreme court. we can relate to that. i think that is what he was saying. executive branches of the eighth the challenges of getting things done and having to balance the budget and prioritize-- correctly. that is something we can relate to. i expect that the process will go forward. >> governor mcauliffe, you have been supportive of the president's trade. singled -- what

changed in your thinking in the past year? have you expect the government some -- toernment to work with the president? gov. mcauliffe: within any proposed legislation, there is going to be issues that we may have. we did have an issue within a specific related company. we were not successful in negotiating what we wanted. i don't always get everything i want. i have been very supportive on the trade package. i'm a governor. i have the deepest core on the entire east coast. the panel come through, there is only one port they can come to. trade is very important. i was probably the most traveled governor last year. growth foreconomic

the next five years as a ticket to be outside of the country. we cannot grow our economy unless we do trade. twice,been to china japan, korea, seven european nations. projects thatt are happening in cuba. i have been very supportive of him. gov. herbet: states really are at the forefront when it comes to economic development. clearly, as we find ourselves in a global marketplace, international trade is important. i'm in a state that has taken advantage of that opportunity. --have had internet international trade growing utah

probably faster than any world. recognize that 95% of the customers live outside of the borders. the devil is in the details. i expect to work out those. clearly, we need to have international trade to have a healthy economy here at home. >> i wanted to hear your answer on the gun question. with the president who calls for more legislation russian mark -- legislation? gov. herbet: i agree with what governor mcauliffe said and that is it is a state issue. we have different cultures and politics for we see in the west than some see it in the east. with that said, i believe and

background checks. to carry those not fit a gun, should not be able to carry a weapon. we have a concealed weapon process in utah where background checks can be received. we have reciprocity with 31 other state. we want to make sure the bad guys do not have access to guns, but the good guys do. it will be different. it is something we have not addressed as an issue with the nga, and something we should but we are a strong second amendment supporter in utah. >> a question for both of the governors. we read an economic report today, and the advisers talked

about the necessity for expanding infrastructure to put people to work in broad terms, but in particular, man. the workforce participation for men has been in decline for decades. do you feel like you are getting support you need from the administration in terms of infrastructure, and are you doing all you can do expand your own infrastructure to put more people in utah and virginia to work? we are in auliffe: much better place in virginia today because we finally have a transportation the. bill.- transportation it was crippling to us at the state level -- you cannot build roads if you do not know if funding will be there for successive years. in virginia for those who live in northern virginia, we have had another historic agreement for the first time in 30 years.

we are widening lanes inside and outside the beltway. this has been a tough issue for 30 years. we have just announced 8 lanes on 95 to the district line. 64 alladding lanes on the way to hampton roads. it is a good question. nipping at what needs to be a broader -- and we need to do more and infrastructure, the electric grid, and we have thousands of bridges that are structurally deficient. we are making progress today, but we need to do a lot more, and congress needs to move swifter to give us the tools to regal the aging infrastructure if you want us to compete in a

global economy. governor herbert: let me add to what terry has said. a good republican, president eisenhower, had the wisdom of putting together an interstate program that allows us to connect states and increase commerce opportunities and have a better economy because of that vision. states should be doing the same thing at their local levels. whether the chicken comes before egg -- we build roads because that is what is is needed -- that commerce. we do not want to artificially stimulate to build a road for building a road's sake. ceo's everyur

corner, and what of the things that is clear in a fast state like utah, the fifth fastest the building these are becoming acute, and so maintaining everything we have on our roads and bridges. aridtah, we live in an state, so water infrastructure is a big need for us. states are unique. infrastructure needs we have and be proactive. i am reluctant to send the money to washington to have it sent back to me. sometimes we get too many strings attached to it as opposed to keeping the money at home and doing what we need to do at a local level. governor mcauliffe: let me mention sequestration. this was a piece of legislation that was so onerous that it would never pass. and ithat -- it passed has created such problems at the state level. recipient number of

of military funds, and indecision that went around that and congress' inability to figure out what they would do has been crippling to the northern virginia economy. the congress has pushed it off for two years, but you know the percent of debt to gdp in two years, we will be back in the situation. we have to begin to think long term. we need leadership decisions to grow the country. >> hopefully, governor, you will find this a timely question. our second governor, thomas

jefferson, and now terry mcauliffe. how could you honestly ever -- and i have two years ago. i am just warming up. we got our economy back. have two qualified united states senators who would be spectacular on the ticket. i have never worked for anyone in my life. i have been an entrepreneur all

my life. i love the governor. i can help people. governor herbert: let me add to that, if i could. [applause] governor herbert: you do not need my endorsement, i am sure. he is the governor of virginia, a great position, he is going to be the chairman of the national governors association. why would you want to take a step backward? good to see you again. on a related question, have you and your colleagues taken notice how poorly governors have done in the campaign so far this year? there is only one governor left in the race. and former governors and governors have dropped out. what do you make of that? governor herbert: governor mcauliffe and i were not running. everyor mcauliffe: presidential season is

different. this is unique on the republican side, as we have seen. you have very qualified people. i think reading a governor is a training ground to be president. executiveo make decisions every day. you cannot pass the buck. there are items on our desk. traininghat is a great ground. every election season has its own individual quirks, and this one is a unique one. governor herbert: let me say, on the republican side, it was going to be the year of the governors. we have so many that were running. it is a little bit of a surprise. they almost are all gone. governor kasich is hanging in there. we will see what happens. i think governor mcauliffe has said it right. every election cycle has its own flavor and uniqueness, and this has been unique on the republican side, what has taken place there. i support governors. i think governors have to rate

where theand that is american people have supported governors more often. statening ground as a executive how to transition to the oval office. my crystal ball is as foggy as anybody else's. >> you have any comments on the coal ash -- mr. earnest: all right. little excitement to kick off the briefing. [indiscernible] mr. earnest: i am sorry. he entered the questions pretty directly. you have your chance. you asked about criminal justice reform. i'm sure it will. i do not have anything at the top, so we can go to the questions. first?t to fire away >> i wonder if the president has

spoken with -- [indiscernible] mr. earnest: president obama had the opportunity to telephone president clinton today. that call was -- -- president putin today. it was to discuss the ongoing conversations about arriving at an understanding around a cessation of hostilities in syria. munich over an week ago, this cessation of hostilities will apply to all parties in syria except for terrorist groups that have been so designated by the un security council. in the coming days, the nine states and the partners on the cease-fire task force will undertake a series of steps to have the cessation take place five february 27. well thatze as you as

this will be difficult to implement. there are a lot of obstacles and there are sure to be setbacks. for years, we have been trying to reach a diplomatic resolution to the many problems that plague that nation that has broken apart. but this is a moment of opportunity. of it is the result tenacious diplomacy on the part of secretary kerry, and we are going to continue to try to capitalize on this moment of opportunity, and we are hopeful that all the other signatories to the document will do the same thing. we will proceed from there. secretary kerry has read a statement on this. we will have a formal readout on the phone call with president

putin later today. >> given how long have been working on this, that fact that the president is not coming out formally at announcing this, do you read that as a -- let me make a couple of observations. the first is that this is a moment of opportunity, and it will require all of the parties to sign on to this document to follow through on the commitments they have made. the whole world can see in writing what everyone has foritted to, and it is time the signatories to step up and for the bloodshed to come to an end. i would be quite surprised if this is -- if there are not some bumps along the road. there are going to be obstacles we will have to work through.

there will likely be setbacks. this is a moment of opportunity, and we are hopeful that all the parties will capitalize on it. the stakes here are high. there are millions of innocent lives in syria that have been negatively affected by the ongoing chaos inside of syria. and this cessation of hostilities could provide the opportunity for couple things. increasing the flow of badly needed humanitarian assistance in syria. the cessation of hostilities is envisioned as the first step in trying to -- the next step in trying to advance the political track of the ongoing diplomatic discussions about bringing the kind of political change that is long overdue inside of syria. step in whatext has been a long-running process. it is a moment of opportunity.

and it is a situation that the world will be watching, most directly to evaluate whether or not those who have signed the --eement live up to the those who have signed the understanding live up to the commitments they have made. >> change topics briefly. [indiscernible] do you have any update -- [indiscernible] reached out to any potential candidates -- mr. earnest: i am not aware of any conversation with potential candidate. the president completed congress, calls with immigrants and republicans in the senate, including some who serve on the judiciary committee . that is continued evidence that the president takes seriously the responsibility he has to consult with congress in this matter.

the president spent some time this weekend reviewing the materials that were compiled by his legal team. i do not have an update in terms of his initial impressions. but it is an indication that the process has begun. >> [indiscernible] mr. earnest: i do not have details about individual telephone calls, but i can describe to you that democrats and republicans on the senate that are on the committee. china and what it is doing in the south china sea is just what the military has done in -- what is the white house -- [indiscernible] mr. earnest: a responsive and direct. there's no other country that has a claim on hawaii, but when you consider the land features in the south china sea, there are a variety of outline claims that every the of countries have made on these features.

i recognize that the chinese government may have a disagreement about the claims made by other countries. that is all the more reason we believe all the parties should resolve their differences of opinion about this matter in a way that does not provoke a military confrontation. that is why we have urged all parties who are claimants to these features -- the united states is not among them -- to resolve them in a peaceful but legal manner and to avoid confrontation and to seek to avoid escalating tensions in that area of the world. the stakes for the united states are not insignificant. we do not make claims on the features, but we want to ensure that the freedom of navigation and the free flow of commerce in the south china sea is protected. there is a lot of commerce that flows through that part of the world at it has a significant impact on the united states if that commerce is somehow

disrupted. that is why we are seeking to reduce tensions and encouraging's all sides to come together to resolve their differences in a way that does not provoke a military confrontation. court, can youme give us a flavor of what that president will be doing this week about a nomination? i expect the president to continue to review material provided by his legal team. you got the opportunity to see how safe the binder was. i am not sure if he was able to get through all the material, but he was able to get through a good portion of it, and i expect he will continue to receive material this week. i understand the president will place an additional phone calls that will be consistent with his commitment to consult with members of the united states congress about the nomination. over the course of the week, hopefully we will be in a position to provide greater clarity about who exactly the

president has consulted with, but we will keep you posted on that. ok, sarah? >> a pentagon spokesman said [indiscernible] will be coming up tomorrow. i just wanted to see if there was more you can tell us about that, if you are confident in the political -- of it. mr. earnest: i am not confident in that. we have seen many members of congress express their opposition to considering the kind of necessary steps to close the prison at guantanamo bay. that opposition stands in contrast to the best advice the commander in chief receives from paramilitary. it stands in stark contrast to the view of the public democratic and republican national security experts, who servedfficials in senior positions in the bush administration.

have a promise about buttimeframe for the plan, the plan that is performed is what you will have the opportunity to review, and it will make a compelling case that closing the prison is clearly in our national security interests, and also will reflect the need with the united states government to be a good steward of taxpayer dollars. there is too much money that is spent operate that prison when there are more cost effective alternatives available. we would like to work with the congress to make those alternatives a reality because we know that those alternatives do not weaken our national security, in fact, they strengthen it, and it would take away by closing the prison at guantanamo a a chief recruiting tool that we know is used by terrorist organizations around

the world. >> about working -- about working with congress -- do you say the president will more likely take executive action to close it, and is the legal team looking for ways to do that? mr. earnest: my pessimism is rooted in the way that congress has handled this issue over the last seven years. if there is an opportunity for congress to take a look at the thinkith an open mind, i there's a compelling case to be made. it is an open question about whether or not members of congress are actually willing and able to do that. the president has said on a number of occasions that working with congress to succeed in closing the prison is a probable outcome here, something that we have been hard at work for seven years, and we are committed over the course of this year to continue to do that work. >> with the president walk out the door in 2017 with guantanamo closed? mr. earnest: there is an

opportunity for congress to step up. and to work with the administration to do the right thing for our national security, to do the right thing for u.s. taxpayers, and close the prison at guantanamo bay. >> is there a distinction between closing it and [indiscernible] administration's perspective? mr. earnest: the president does not believe it is in our national security interest to transfer new individuals to the present. there have not been any individuals that have been transferred to the prison since obama was elected. we have found effective ways to bring a significant number of terrorists to justice, and in many cases we have actually used article three courts in the united states to bring individuals to justice, and are convicted terrorist sitting in u.s. prisons right now, as we not pose andoes

undue threat to our national security. our security because it demonstrates the united states is serious about abiding by our values, but taking the steps to bring people to justice. that is what we done on any number of occasions under president obama's leadership, and it is that spirit that is guiding his effort to close the prison at one time of day. >> you are making the argument it is an economic argument? mr. earnest: a financial one, which is that -- i do not remember the number -- i think it is like $4 million a year per detainee that is spent to keep those individuals at the prison at guantanamo bay. we could house those detainees in other facilities, including in the united states, that could be more cost effective. there are a variety of consequences for continuing to keep this policy in place that also drive up the cost, and this

will be part of the case that we will be making to the congress about keeping the american people safe, but also more effectively using taxpayer dollars. latest number about detainees, and do you plan to announce this week another reduction? mr. earnest: the current detainee relation is 91. at the beginning of the administration, there were 242 detainees at guantanamo bay. we have made a lot of progress in reducing the prison appalachian, but there is -- population, but there is obviously more work to be done here. i do not have announcements to make about any upcoming transfers. >> a couple more. on the high court, is it possible that the president is in consultation with leaders on capitol hill because he is looking for a palatable potential nominee, someone that

would be acceptable to them at acceptable to him? is that the process? mr. earnest: we have heard a number of republicans that they were not considered anybody that the president puts forward. that makes it difficult to have a detailed conversation with someone that they would be going to except when they have said they will not accept anybody. that underscores the unreasonable position that at least some republicans in the senate have taken that is inconsistent with their constitutional responsibility and inconsistent with the people's conception about what it means to do your job. and so i would say that there has not been a lot of detailed discussion, at least with those members of congress who have ruled out a consideration of any nominee that the president puts forward, but we are interested in keeping the lines of to medication open. -- of communication open.

the president has been pretty direct about the fact that he does intend to fulfill its constitutional duty, that he intends to put someone forward, and he is urging members of congress to fulfill their duty to give that person a fair -- and an a timely timely play. the president has reiterated his commitment to nominating somebody who has indisputable credentials and qualifications, and he is confident the individual he puts forward is somebody who can conserve the united states of america -- who can serve united states of america in a lifetime appointment to the supreme court. the kinds of conversations at the president has had over the last in the two hours or so are the first conversations. i would not rule out additional conversations, and those conversations would probably be there areful if members of congress who would be willing to move off their position suggesting that they

were not considered anybody. -- ae economic report little glowing, and they seem rather pleased about where the economy is growing, but there seems to be a disconnect from a lot of voters who feel the economy is not working for them. can you explain that disconnect, and you accept the criticism that while there are a number of metrics that point to an improving economy, not exactly improving for everyone? mr. earnest: it is that the economic report of the president that indicate strength and a robust nature of the economy. you just heard from the governor of virginia and governor of utah who are pretty enthusiastic about the strength of the economy in their states. it is not just a matter of taking the white house' word for it. acrosss a story to tell the country. one of the reasons there is still some work to be done is in the area of trying to put upward pressure on wages.

wages have not been growing as quickly as our economists would have expected. they have not grown as quickly as the president would have hoped. we have seen over the last six months a noticeable increase in the case of wage growth, that the wage growth over the last six months is faster than in last seven or eight years. that is a positive sign that wage growth is increasing, and that would address many of the concerns that are out there. the other threat and this is detailed in the economic report some ofresident is that the economic weakness that we see with our trading partners overseas could have a longer-term impact on the u.s. economy. we're concerned about that. these are countries overseas with whom we do a lot of business, and if they are not buying as much in the united states, that will have an impact on our economy back home.

had is why the president eagerly advocated for a couple of things. one is a focus on those elements of our economy that we can control, doing things like investing in education and job ourning to make sure that workers have the skills they need to compete and win in the 21st century wil economy, and we need look for opportunities to deepen our economic relationships with those countries that are demonstrating's economic dynamism. that is one of the benefits associated with the transpacific partnership agreement, that many of that countries that are signatories to that agreement have some of the most dynamic economies in the world. if we can deepen our relationship and improve our ability to do business in those countries, we can compensate with how we do with other countries. this is something we will be watching closely in the months ahead. -- does theion on united states have a position -- and [indiscernible]

is there concern about the impact on american businesses? mr. earnest: we are aware that the prime minister of britain has indicated june 23 will be the day that the british people weigh inpportunity to on their continued membership in the eu. as the president has said, the united states benefits from having a strong u.k. in the european union. european union can continue to states,f the united on a variety of issues, economic, and national security. you recall the eu foreign minister was playing a critical important role in completing the international agreement to obtaining a from nuclear weapon. that cooperation is valuable and even more viable to us when we thatn outward looking eu

has the u.k. as a member. we have been clear about what the united states equities are, the british people will have an opportunity to weigh in there. >> the governors make reference earlier to meeting a couple of days ago, when they were going over the syrian refugee plan, and there were lingering concerns about the plan. can you describe in more detail what the administration's efforts are to reassure them? give moret: we will specific information. what i can tell you the administration is committed to doing is working closely with governors and the non- governmental organizations in their states who are chiefly responsible for resettling refugees that are experiencing