Monday, January 26th, 2009 at 6:30 pm Press Briefing Highlights

[obama democrat]

This afternoon, in his second press briefing, White House Press
Secretary Robert Gibbs fielded questions on energy independence, the
stimulus package, and the auto industry. Here are some selected
responses from the press conference.

On the remaining bailout funds:

"I do think what is incredibly important for you and for the American
people to understand is the President believes that -- and outlined
this to Congress before they voted -- we have to use the second $350
billion far differently than we used the first $350 billion to address
the foreclosure crisis, to do so in a way that's transparent, so the
American people will know where the money is going. There was a report
today in the Wall Street Journal that many of the banks that had
gotten money are actually lending less now that they have that money.
That clearly has to change. The point of that money was to go to banks
to free up lending, free up credit, capital…. We're going to change
the way that money works to ensure that money that is injected into
banks is used to provide small businesses with loans, to provide
families with college or auto loans. We have to do so in a way that's
transparent. And we have to make sure that there's some change in
executive compensation as it relates to entities that participate in
that program or get the money."
On how today's memoranda regarding environmental policy might impact
the nation's struggling auto industry:

"The particular action that the President took today was to take
legislation that Congress approved in December of 2007, and President
Bush signed, and in January of 2009 implement changed CAFE standards
for model year 2011. So I don't think it comes as any surprise to
automakers or consumers that a change in our fuel mileage standards
was on the horizon. In fact, between December of 2007 and October of
2010 -- which is when manufacturers begin the next model year -- we
believe, and I've seen testimony from the auto companies, that
changing those fuel mileage standards is certainly doable. The
President wants to work with the auto industry to ensure that the fuel-
efficient cars of tomorrow are produced and built here in America for
Americans to buy. And I think that government working with the auto
industry can ensure that we have a sustainable path toward the
production or more fuel-efficient autos, that those fuel-efficient
autos will be more appealing to American consumers, and that that can
be a win-win for both. The actions that the President took today put
us on the path when we realize a fuel efficiency standard of 35 miles
to the gallon -- it's 27.5 now -- 35 miles to the gallon will
constitute a savings of 2 million barrels of oil a day, which is
roughly comparable to the amount of oil that we import each day from
the Persian Gulf."
And later, in response to a similar question:

"I think what ultimately we'll come up with is something that moves
along the twin goals of ensuring a strong manufacturing sector while
at the same time ensuring that we take the necessary steps to reduce
our dependence on foreign oil."
In response to the question, What is a green job, anyway?, Gibbs
replied:

"Each year, at least at the end of last year, you had tax credits for
wind energy jobs -- there's a one-year tax credit, right. And so the
-- every year in August or September, there's a huge scurry to make
sure that next year's tax credit is available. Well, if you're going
to build a windmill [sector] the size of which is going to produce
energy to lower the power costs of millions of Americans, there's some
lead time that's involved. So in instituting a renewed tax credit in
this economic stimulus bill to give the producers of wind energy some
understanding of what's available for them to use in creating these
jobs and to give them some economic certainty is important. That's
just one example….You've got biofuel jobs. You've got solar
projects. I think there's any number of clean energy jobs that can
drive not only our path towards energy independence, but also a path
towards creating jobs."
There were also a lot of questions about the President's plans for
bipartisanship. Gibbs said that President Obama will hear out
Congressional Republicans in two meetings on Capitol Hill tomorrow --
first with the House GOP, then the Senate GOP.

"The President is very serious about this….[T]he job announcements
today underscore the necessity that Washington not respond to the
latest crisis simply by doing what Washington always does best and
does more frequently, and that is get into too much of a back and
forth and have important issues that the American people are concerned
about become a political football. That's why the President is willing
and eager to go first to have Republican leaders and Democratic
leaders here, and now to go talk only with Republican leaders tomorrow
to seek their input. And we hope that this is a process that will
continue until the bill goes through Congress and the President has
something that he can sign.

"The goal is to seek their input. He wants to hear their ideas. If
there are good ideas -- and I think he assumes there will be -- that
we will look at those ideas; that those ideas will go through a
process in Congress; they'll be debated and voted on….And I think
because of that bipartisan dialogue we'll create a better economic
plan for the American people when all is said and done."

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