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President Obama Holds Post-Election Press Conference

Aired November 05, 2014 - 15:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Today, I had a chance to speak with John Boehner and congratulated Mitch McConnell on becoming the next Senate majority leader. I told them both I look forward to finishing up this Congress' business and working together for the next two years to advance America's business. And I very much appreciated Leader McConnell's words last night about the prospect of working together to deliver for the American people.

On Friday, I look forward to hosting the entire Republican and Democratic leadership at the White House to chart a new course forward.

Obviously, Republicans had a good night and they deserve credit for running good campaigns. Beyond that, I'll leave it to all of you and professional pundits to pick through the results.

What stands out to me, though, is that the American people sent a message, one they've sent for several elections now. They expect the people they elect to work as hard as they do. They expect us to focus on their ambitions and not ours. They want us to get the job done. All of us in both parties have a responsibility to address that sentiment.

Still, as president, I have a unique responsibility to make this town work. To everyone that voted, I want you to know that I heard you. To the two-thirds of voters that chose not to participate in the process yesterday, I hear you, too. All of us have to give more Americans a reason to feel like the ground is stable beneath their feet, that the future is secure, that there's a path for young people to succeed and that folks in Washington are concerned about them. So I plan on spending every moment of the next two-plus years doing the my job the best I can to keep this country safe and make sure more Americans share in its prosperity.

This country has made real progress since the crisis six years ago. More Americans are working. Unemployment has come down. More Americans have health insurance. Manufacturing has grown. Our deficits have shrunk. Our dependence on foreign oil is down as are gas prices. Graduation rates are up. But businesses aren't just creating jobs at the fastest pace since the 1990s. Our economy is outpacing most of the world. But we have just got to keep at it until every American feels the gains of a growing economy where it matters most, and that's in their own lives.

Obviously, much of that will take action from Congress. And I'm eager to work with the next Congress to make the next two years as productive as possible. I'm committed to making sure that I measure ideas not by whether they are from Democrats or Republicans, but whether they work for the American people.

And that's not to say that we won't disagree over some issues that we're passionate about. We will. Congress will pass some bills I cannot sign. I'm pretty sure I will take some actions that some in Congress will not like. That's natural. That's how our democracy works.

But we can surely find ways to work together on issues where there's broad agreement among the American people. So, I look forward to Republicans putting forward their governing agenda. I will offer my ideas on areas where I think we can move together to respond to people's economic needs.

So, just take one example. We all agree on the need to create more jobs that pay well. Traditionally, both parties have been for creating jobs rebuilding our infrastructure, our roads, bridges, ports, waterways. I think we can hone in on a way to pay for it through tax reform that closes loopholes and makes it more attractive for companies to create jobs here in the United States.

We can also work together to grow our exports and open new markets for our manufacturers to sell more American-made goods to the rest of the world. And that's something I will be focused on when I travel to Asia next week.

We all share the same aspirations for our young people. And I was encouraged that this year Republicans agreed to investments that expanded early childhood education. I think we have got a chance to do more on that front. We have got some common ideas to help more young people afford college and graduate without crippling debt, so that they have the freedom to fill the good jobs of tomorrow, and buy their first homes and start a family.

And in the five states where a minimum wage increase was on the ballot last night, voters went five for five to increase it. And that will give about 325,000 Americans a raise in states where Republican candidates prevailed. So, that should give us new reason to get it done for everybody, with a national increase in the minimum wage.

So, those are some areas where I think we have got some real opportunities to cooperate. And I'm very eager to hear Republican ideas for what they think we can do together over the next couple of years. Of course, there's still business on the docket that needs attention this year.

And here are three places where I think we can work together over the next several weeks before this Congress wraps up for the holidays. First, I'm submitting a request to Congress for funding to ensure that our doctors, scientists and troops have the resources that they need to combat the spread of Ebola in Africa and to increase our preparedness for any future cases here at home.

Second, I'm going to begin engaging Congress over a new authorization to use military force against ISIL. The world needs to know we are united behind this effort, and the men and women of our military deserve our clear and unified support. Third, back in September, Congress passed short-term legislation to

keep the government open and operating into December. That gives Congress five weeks to pass a budget for the rest of the fiscal year. And I hope that they will do it in the same bipartisan, drama-free way that they did earlier this year.

When our companies are steadily creating jobs, which they are, we don't want to inject any new uncertainty into the world economy and into the American economy. The point is, it's time for us to take care of business. There are things this country has to do that can't wait another two years or another four years.

There are plans this country has to put in place for our future. And the truth is, I'm optimistic about our future. I have good reason to be. I meet Americans all across the country who are determined and big-hearted and ask what they can do and never give up and overcome obstacles. And they inspire me every single day.

So, the fact is, I still believe in what I said when I was first elected six years ago last night. For all the maps plastered across our TV screens today and for all the cynics who say otherwise, I continue to believe we are simply more than just a collection of red and blue states. We are the United States.

And whether it's immigration or climate change or making sure our kids are going to the best possible schools to making sure that our communities are creating jobs, whether it's stopping the spread of terror and disease, to opening up doors of opportunity to everybody who's willing to work hard and take responsibility, the United States has big things to do.

We can and we will make progress if we do it together. And I look forward to the work ahead.

So, with that, let me take some questions. I think that our team has got my list.

We're going to start with Julie Pace at Associated Press.

QUESTION: Thank you, Mr. President.

You said during this election that while your name wasn't on the ballot, your policies were. And despite the optimism that you're expressing here, last night was a devastating night for your party. Given that, do you feel any responsibility to recalibrate your agenda for the next two years?

And what changes do you need to make in your White House and in your dealings with Republicans in order to address the concerns that voters expressed with your administration?

OBAMA: Well, as I said in my opening remarks, the American people overwhelmingly believe that this town doesn't work well and that it is not attentive to their needs.

And, as president, they rightly hold me accountable to do more to make it work properly. I'm the guy who's elected by everybody, not just from a particular state or a particular district. And they want me to push hard to close some of these divisions, break through some of the gridlock and get stuff done.

So, the most important thing I can do is just get stuff done and help Congress get some things done. In terms of agenda items, though, Julie, if you look, as I just mentioned, to a minimum wage increase, for example, that's something I talked about a lot during the campaign. Where voters had a chance to vote directly on that agenda item, they voted for it.

And so I think it would be hard to suggest that people aren't supportive of it. We know that the surveys consistently say they want to see that happen. The key is to find areas where the agenda that I have put forward, one that I believe will help strengthen the middle class and create more ladders of opportunity into the middle class, and improve our schools, and make college more affordable to more young people, and make sure that we're growing faster as an economy and we stay competitive, the key is to make sure that those ideas that I have overlap somewhere with some of the ideas that Republicans have.

There's not going to be perfect overlap. I mean, there are going to be some -- some ideas that I have got that I think the evidence backs up would be good for the economy, and Republicans disagree. They're not going to support those ideas. But I'm going to keep on arguing for them because I think they're the right thing for the country to do.

They are going to be some ideas that they have got that they believe will improve the economy or create jobs that, from my perspective, isn't going to help middle-class families improve their economic situation. So, I probably won't support theirs.

But I do think there are going to be areas where we do agree, on infrastructure, on making sure that we're boosting American exports. And, you know, part of my task then is to reach out to Republicans, make sure that I'm listening to them.

I'm looking forward to them putting forward a very specific agenda in terms of what they would like to accomplish. Let's compare notes in terms of what I'm looking at and what they're looking at, and let's get started on those things where we agree.

Even if we don't agree 100 percent, let's get started on those things where we agree 70, 80, 90 percent. And if we can do that, and build up some trust and improve how processes work in Washington, then I think that's going to give the American people a little bit more confidence that, in fact, you know, their government is looking after them.

QUESTION: But is there anything specific that you feel you and your administration need to change, given this disastrous election for your party and the message that voters sent?

OBAMA: Julie, I think every single day I'm looking for, how can we do what we need to do better, whether that is delivering basic services the government provides to the American people, whether that is our capacity to work with Congress so that they're passing legislation, whether it's how we communicate with the American people about what our priorities and vision is.

You know, we are constantly asking ourselves questions about, you know, how do we make sure that we're doing a better job? And that's not going to stop. I think that every election is a moment for reflection. And, you know, I think that everybody in this White House is going to look and say, all right, what do we need to do differently?

But the principles that we're fighting for, the things that motivate me every single day and motivate my staff every day, those things aren't going to change. There's going to be a consistent focus on, how do we deliver more opportunity to more people in this country, how do we grow the economy faster, how do we put more people back to work?

And, you know, I maybe have a naive confidence that, if we continue to focus on the American people, and not on, you know, our own ambitions or image or various concerns like that, that, you know, at the end of the day, when I look back, I'm going to be able to say, the American people are better off than they were before I was president.

And that's my most important goal. So -- but the other thing I just want to emphasize is, I'm -- I have said this before, I want to reiterate it. If there are ideas that the Republicans have that I have confidence will make things better for ordinary Americans, the fact that the a Republican is suggesting it, as opposed to a Democrat, that will be irrelevant to me.

I want to just see what works. And there are some things, like rebuilding our infrastructure or early childhood education, that we know works. And I'm hoping that, you know, the kind of attitude and approach that Mitch McConnell and John Boehner have already expressed, their desire to get things done, allows us to find some common ground.

Jeff Mason.

QUESTION: Thank you, Mr. President.

In 2010, you called the results of the midterm election a shellacking. What do you call this? And can you give us an update on your feelings about the immigration executive order and the result in the aftermath of this election? Does the election affect your decision to release it? Will it still -- is it likely to come out before lame-duck session is over? And have you reduced its scope to just a couple million people?

OBAMA: Well, as I said in my opening statement, there's no doubt that the Republicans had a good night.

And what we're going to make sure that we do is to reach out to Mitch McConnell and John Boehner, who are now running both chambers in Congress, and find out what their agenda is. And my hope is, is that they have got some specific things they want to do that correspond with some things that we want to get done.

What's most important to the American people right now, the resounding message, not just of this election, but basically the last several, is, get stuff done. Don't worry about the next election. Don't worry about party affiliation. Do worry about our concerns.

Worry about the fact that I'm a single mom and, at the end of the month, it's really hard for me to pay the bills, in part because I have got these huge child care costs. Do worry about the fact that I'm a young person who's qualified to go to college, but I'm really worried about taking $50,000 a year out in debt, and I don't know how I would pay that back.

Do worry about the fact that I'm a construction worker who has been working all my life, and I know that there's construction work that should be done, but right now, for some reason, the projects are stalled.

If we're thinking about those folks, I think we're hopefully going to be able to get some stuff done. In terms of immigration, I have consistently said that it is my profound preference and interest to see Congress act on a comprehensive immigration reform bill that would strengthen our borders, would streamline our legal immigration system, so that it works better and we're attracting the best and the brightest from around the world, and that we give an opportunity for folks who have lived here, in many cases for a very long time, may have kids who are U.S. citizens, but aren't properly documented, give them a chance to pay their back taxes, get in the back of the line, but get through a process that allows them to get legal.

The Senate on a bipartisan basis passed a good bill. It wasn't perfect, it wasn't exactly what I wanted, but it was a sound, smart piece of legislation that really would greatly improve not just our immigration system, but our economy and would improve business conditions here in the United States, and make sure that American-born workers aren't undercut by workers who are undocumented and aren't always paid a fair wage. And, as a consequence, employers who are breaking the rules are able to undercut folks who are doing the right thing.

So, we got a bipartisan bill out of the Senate. I asked John Boehner at that point, can we pass this through the House? There's a majority of votes in the House to get this passed. And Speaker Boehner, I think, was sincere about wanting to pass it, but had difficulty over the last year trying to get it done.

So, when he finally told me he wasn't going to call it up this year, what I indicated to him is, I feel obliged to do everything I can lawfully with my executive authority to make sure that we don't keep on making the system worse, but that whatever executive actions that I take will be replaced and supplanted by action by Congress.

You send me a bill that I can sign, and those executive actions go away. That's a commitment I made not just to the American people and to businesses and the evangelical community and the law enforcement folks and everybody who's looked at this issue and thinks that we need immigration reform; that's a commitment that I also made to John Boehner, that I would act in the absence of action by Congress.

So, before the end of the year, we're going to take whatever lawful actions that I can take that I believe will improve the functioning of our immigration system, that will allow us to surge additional resources to the border, where I think the vast majority of Americans have the deepest concern.

And, at the same time, I will be reaching out to both Mitch McConnell, John Boehner and other Republican, as well as Democratic leaders to find out how it is that they want to proceed. And if they want to get a bill done, whether it's during the lame-duck or next year, I'm eager to see what they have to offer.

But what I'm not going to do is just wait. I think it's fair to say that I have shown a lot of patience and have tried to work on a bipartisan basis as much as possible. And I'm going to keep on doing so, but, in the meantime, let's figure out what we can do lawfully through executive actions to improve the functioning of the existing system.

QUESTION: How will you make sure that executive action (OFF-MIKE) and can you give us a sense of whether or not you're thinking about (OFF- MIKE)

OBAMA: Jeff, I -- you know, I think if you want to get into the details of it, I suspect that, when I announce that executive action, it will be rife with detail. And I'm sure there will be a lot of follow-up questions.

Chris Jansing.

QUESTION: Thank you, Mr. President.

I want to follow up on a couple of things that -- and start with immigration. And are you concerned that if you sign an executive order on immigration before the end of the year, it will scuttle whatever chances there may be for there to be some sort of compromise on the issues that you talked about? And I wonder that, given this unhappy electorate, clearly, and they seem to be disappointed with both sides pretty much, why they punished the Democrats more than the Republicans by far?

OBAMA: Well, as I said, when it comes to the political analysis, that's your job.

But what is also true is, I am the president of the United States. And I think, understandably, people are going to ask for greater accountability and more responsibility from me than from anybody else in this town, appropriately so. And I welcome that.

And the commitment that I will make to the American people and the way I have tried to conduct myself throughout this presidency is that I'm going to wake up every single day doing my absolute best to deliver for them.

And there are areas where we have made real progress. I think, economically, I can look back and there is no doubt that almost -- on almost every measure, we are better off economically than we were when I took office. But what is also true is, there are still lots of folks who are

anxious and are hurting and are having trouble making ends meet, or are worried about their children's future. And it's my job to give them some confidence that this town can work to respond to some of those worries that folks have.

And we haven't done a good enough job convincing them of that. And I understand that. If they have been watching Washington over the last two, four years, what they have seen is a lot of arguing and a lot of gridlock, but not a lot of concrete actions, at least legislatively, that have made a difference in their lives. And so we have got to make sure that we do a better job. And I'm committed to doing that.

On immigration, I know that concerns have been expressed that, well, if you do something through executive actions, even if it's within your own authorities, that that will make it harder to pass immigration reform.

I just have to remind everybody, I have heard that argument now for a couple of years. This is an issue I actually wanted to get done in my first term. And we didn't see legislative action. And, in my second term, I made it my top legislative priority. We got really good work done by a bipartisan group of senators, but it froze up in the House.

And, you know, I think that the best way, if folks are serious about getting immigration reform done, is going ahead and passing a bill and getting it to my desk. And then the executive actions that I take go away. They're superseded by the law that is passed.

And I will engage any member of Congress who's interested in this, in how we can shape legislation that will be a significant improvement over the existing system. But what we can't do is just keep on waiting. There's a cost to waiting. There's a cost to our economy.

It means that resources are misallocated. When the issue of unaccompanied children cropped up during this summer, there was a lot of folks who perceived this as a major crisis in our immigration system. Now, the fact is, is that those numbers have now come down and they're approximately where they were a year ago or two years ago or year before that.

But it did identify a real problem in a certain portion of the border, where we got to get more resources. But those resources may be misallocated, separating families right now, that most of us, most Americans would say probably we'd rather have them just pay their back taxes, pay a fine, learn English, get to the back of the line, but we will give you a pathway where you can be legal in this country.

So where I have got executive authorities to do that, we should get started on that. But I want to emphasize once again if in fact Republican leadership wants to see an immigration bill passed, they now have the capacity to pass it, and hopefully, engaging with me and Democrats in both the House and the Senate, it's a bill that I can sign because it addresses the real concerns that are out there. And the sooner they do it, from my perspective, the better.

Jonathan Karl.

QUESTION: Thank you, Mr. President.

Mitch McConnell has been the Republican leader for six years, as long as you have been president. But his office tells me that he's only met with you one-on-one once or twice during that entire six-year period.

So, I'm wondering, as somebody who came to Washington promising to end the hyperpartisanship that was here long before you became president, but has gotten worse since you got here, was it a mistake for you to do so little to develop relationships with the Republicans in Congress?

OBAMA: I think that, every day, I'm asking myself, are there some things I can do better? And I'm going to keep on asking that every single day.

The fact is that most of my interactions with members of Congress have been cordial and they have been constructive. Oftentimes, though, we just haven't been able to actually get what's discussed in a leadership meeting through caucuses in the House and the Senate to deliver a bill.

The good news is that now Mitch McConnell and John Boehner are from the same party. I think they can come together and decide what their agenda is. They have got sufficient majorities to make real progress on some of these issues.

And, you know, I'm certainly going to be spending a lot more time with them now, because that's the only way we're going to be able to get some stuff done. And I take them at their word that they want to produce. They're in the majority. They need to present their agenda. I need to put forward my best ideas.

I think the American people are going to be able to watch us. And they're paying attention to see whether or not we're serious about actually compromising and being constructive. And my commitment to them, and I have said this when I spoke to them, is, is that anywhere where we can find common ground, I'm eager to pursue it.

QUESTION: Are you going to have that drink with Mitch McConnell now you joked about at the White House Correspondents Dinner?

OBAMA: You know, actually, I would enjoy having some Kentucky bourbon with Mitch McConnell.

(LAUGHTER)

OBAMA: I don't know what his preferred drink is.

But, you know, my interactions with Mitch McConnell, he's always been very straightforward with me. To his credit, he has never made a promise that he couldn't deliver. And, you know, he knows the legislative process well. He obviously knows his caucus well. You know, he's always given me, I think, realistic assessments of what he can get through his caucus and what he can't. And so I think we can have a productive relationship.

Phil Mattingly.

QUESTION: Thank you, Mr. President.

Another deadline coming up is on your negotiators by November 24 have to figure out if they're going to reach a deal with Iran on a nuclear area, a nuclear agreement. I'm interested what your current perspective is on how those negotiations are going, also if it is your feeling that you have the power to implement any type of agreement that's reached without any action from Congress.

And also just wanted to quickly touch on the AUMF that you mentioned earlier. Is that going to be more of a codification of the limits that you have put in place for the mission up to this point, or what -- what should we be looking for on that when you send it to the Hill?

Thank you.

OBAMA: On the AUMF, the leaders are going to be coming here on Friday. It will be an expanded group, not just the four leaders, but a larger group who all have an interest in the issues we're discussing today.

And I'm actually going to invite Lloyd Austin, the CENTCOM commander, to make a presentation about how our fight against ISIL is proceeding, and I think to answer questions and assure that Congress is fully briefed on what we're doing there.

With respect to the AUMF, we have already had conversations with members of both parties in Congress. And the idea is to right-size and update whatever authorization Congress provides to suit the current fight, rather than previous fights.

In 2001, after the heartbreaking tragedy of 9/11, we had a very specific set of missions that we had to conduct. And the AUMF was designed to pursue those missions. With respect to Iraq, there was a very specific AUMF.

We now have a different type of enemy. The strategy is different. How we partner with Iraq and other Gulf countries and the international coalition, that has to be structured differently. So, it makes sense for us to make sure that the authorization from Congress reflects what we perceive to be not just our strategy over the next two or three months, but our strategy going forward.

And it will be a process of listening to members of Congress, as well as us presenting what we think needs to be the set of authorities that we have. And I'm confident we're going to be able to get that done. And that may just be a process of us getting it started now. It may carry over into the next -- into the next Congress.

On Iran, because of the unprecedented sanctions that we put in place that really did have a crippling effect on Iran's economy, they have come to the table and they have negotiated seriously around providing assurances that they're not developing a nuclear weapon for the first time. And they have abided by the interim rules.

We have been able to freeze their program, in some cases reduce the stockpile of nuclear material that they already had in hand. And the discussions, the negotiations have been constructive. The international community has been unified and cohesive. There haven't been a lot of cracks in our alliance.