BACKGROUND PRESS CALL BY SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIALS ON THE PRESIDENT'S EXECUTIVE ORDERS PROMOTING ENERGY INFRASTRUCTURE AND ECONOMIC GROWTH

Office of the Press Secretary FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 10, 2019 BACKGROUND PRESS CALL BY SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIALS ON THE PRESIDENT'S EXECUTIVE ORDERS PROMOTING ENERGY INFRASTRUCTURE AND ECONOMIC GROWTH Via Teleconference April 9, 2019   5:32 P.M. EDT      MR. DEERE:  Thank you, Operator.  And good evening, everyone.  Thank you for joining us for tonight's preview call to preview the President's executive orders promoting energy infrastructure and economic growth that he is scheduled to sign tomorrow afternoon in Texas.      This call is embargoed until 8:00 p.m. this evening.  You will be hearing from [senior administration official].  Do note that the call is considered on background, attributable to a senior administration official.  And again, I repeat, the call is embargoed until 8:00 p.m. this evening.      With that, I will turn it over to [senior administration official] for opening remarks before we take Q&A.      SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL:  Thank you, Judd.  And thank you, everyone, for joining us today.  Tomorrow, President Trump will be signing two executive orders to advance energy infrastructure development.  These executive orders were driven by the National Economic Council and Director Larry Kudlow.  The first executive order relates to energy infrastructure, generally, and the second relates to cross-border infrastructure.  Taken together, these two executive orders will promote the development of new energy infrastructure, create jobs, and provide affordable, reliable energy to consumers.      I'd like to take this opportunity to first highlight some provisions of the President's Promoting Energy Infrastructure and Economic Growth executive order. Section 401 of the Clean Water Act: The President's executive order will ensure Section 401 of the Clean Water Act is implemented consistent with statutory intent.  Outdated federal guidance and regulations issued by EPA have caused confusion and uncertainty, leading to project delays, lost jobs, and reduced economic performance. Many states implement Section 401 faithfully; however, the implementation of Section 401, on occasion, has caused delays in the permitting and development of energy infrastructure that would have broad, regional, and national benefits.  Interim guidance issued in 2010 should be updated to ensure consistency with the Clean Water Act, case law, and agency findings.      Existing enabling regulations predate the creation of the Clean Water Act Section 401 itself and need to be updated.  President Trump's executive order calls for a review and update of the EPA's 2010 Interim Guidance and its existing regulations, in consultation with states, tribes, and relevant agencies.      LNG exports: The President's executive order also recognizes that existing LNG standards have failed to adapt and recognize industry best practices and modern technologies.  LNG safety standards were originally drafted nearly 40 years ago.  Modern, large-scale liquefaction import/export facilities bear little resemblance to the small peak shaving facilities of 40 years ago.      President Trump's executive order calls on the Secretary of Transportation to review and update DOT's Part 193 safety regulations to reflect modern technologies and best industry practices.      Currently, DOT regulations do not authorize LNG transport in rail tank cars.  The executive order also directs the Secretary of Transportation to propose a rule to treat LNG the same as other cryogenic liquids and permit it to be shipped in approved rail tank cars.      Rights of way: President Trump's executive order facilitates coordination among the Secretaries of Interior, Commerce, and Agriculture to renew expired rights of way.  Numerous electric transmission and distribution lines operate in expired right of ways, complicating access for workers to conduct vegetation management and facility maintenance.  Vegetation management is critical to minimizing fire and other operational risks.      The President's executive order requires the development of a master agreement for energy infrastructure right-of-way renewals and reauthorizations to expedite the renewal process, promote vegetation management, and provide consistency.      Energy infrastructure financing: President Trump's executive order also recognizes that United States capital markets are the deepest and most liquid markets in the world, and it's thrived under the principle that companies owe a fiduciary duty to shareholders to strive to maximize shareholder return.  Many infrastructure projects rely on capital markets for financing.  The order seeks to address barriers to financing new energy infrastructure.      The executive order directs the Secretary of Labor to review data filed with the Department of Labor and inform the Assistant to the President for Economic Policy on relevant trends and energy investments.      The Secretary will also review existing guidance on fiduciary responsibilities for proxy voting and determine whether updates are needed.      Reports required under the executive order: Finally, the President's energy infrastructure executive order requires that Secretaries of Transportation and Energy submit a report to the President on the economic effects of the inability to transport domestic energy sources to (inaudible).      The first report will assess deliveries of natural gas and other domestic energy sources to New England, while the second report will assess the limitations on the export of natural gas, oil, and other domestic energy sources to the West Coast of the United States.      The order also requires a report to identify ways the federal government can be best positioned to provide intergovernmental assistance to state and local governments.      I'd now like to shift gears and walk through the President's second executive order on cross-border energy infrastructure.      Clarifying the permitting process: This executive order will streamline the process for considering applications for presidential permits for certain energy, transportation, water, and other infrastructure projects at the borders of the United States, while protecting the environment.      The President's executive order clarifies that any decision to issue or deny a cross-border permit shall be made solely by the President of the United States.      Under the order, the Secretary of State will continue to receive permit applications and provide advice to the President on whether a proposed permit serves the foreign policy interests of the United States.      The Secretary of State is directed to adopt procedures to complete the process of soliciting information from federal agencies and providing assistance to the President within 60 days of receiving an application.      The cross-border infrastructure covered by the executive order includes applications for issuance of presidential permits for the construction, connection, operation, or maintenance of the following: pipelines, conveyer belts, and similar facilities for exportation or importation of all products to or from a foreign country; facilities for the exportation or importation of water or sewage to or from a foreign country; facilities for the transportation of persons, things, or both to or from a foreign country; and finally, bridges to the extent that congressional authorization is not required.      FERC and DOE make permitting decisions in accordance with executive orders 10485 and 10530, which are exempt from this executive order.      FERC will continue to issue presidential permits for natural gas pipelines that cross U.S. borders, while the Department of Energy will continue to issue presidential permits for cross-border electric transmission lines.      Under the order, environmental reviews under the National Environmental Policy Act and other applicable laws for infrastructure within the United States will be conducted by the appropriate land management and permitting agency.  More efficient cross-border permitting process is good for the American economy, generating significant state and local tax revenues that can be invested in local communities.      Additionally, all presidential permits for cross-border infrastructure issued prior to this order shall remain in full force and effect.  Finally, the order revokes and replaces Executive Order 13337 of April 30th, 2004, and EO 11423 of August 16th, 1968.      Q    Hi, this is James Osborne with the Houston Chronicle.  Can you hear me?     SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL:  Yes, we can.      Q    Oh, good.  On the first part of the executive order on pipelines, it sounds like that’s going to sort of streamline the federal process.  Is it going to do anything -- would it do anything to get states like New York from blocking these pipeline projects?  I mean, does this address that part of the equation?      SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL:  So the executive order will direct EPA to evaluate and update the existing guidance that’s provided to states for how Section 401 of the Clean Water Act is implemented.  As you know, Section 401 (inaudible) delegated authority to the states; however, under this executive order, we'll be directing EPA to return the federal interpretation of the statue to statutory intent, which should alleviate some of these problems moving forward.      Q    Hello, this is David Schultz with Bloomberg Environment.  I just wanted to ask another question about the Clean Water Act section that you mentioned.  Will this require the EPA to go through the formal notice-and-comment process that it typically goes through for rulemaking?  Or is there something that can be done more quickly than that?      SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL:  So, both.  So EPA will be working with the draft interim guidance from 2010, and obviously guidance is something that doesn’t go through the formal notice-and-comment process.  They'll also be evaluating and updating the regulations, which does require the formal EPA notice-and-comment process.  So, both.      Q    Hey, yes.  Sorry, this is Tom DiChristopher from CNBC.  Yeah, there's been a number of commentaries that, essentially, an executive order can't override a federal law.  I'm just wondering -- to what extent do you think that this could actually change what's happening in New York or perhaps what's happening in Washington with coal exports?      SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL:  So, right now, there are a lot of problems with the way the Clean Water Act is being interpreted.  There are a lot of inconsistencies with the 2010 Interim Guidance.  For example, it provides that states may waiver certification, while federal agencies are the only entity that can waive. There's overreliance on a single case.  The Jefferson County PUD vs. Washington Department of Ecology from 1994 and the conclusions are (inaudible) it allows the certifying agency to determine what constitutes a complete application that starts the timeframe clock.  The guidance conflicts with the City of Fredericksburg vs. Burke from 1989, which is (inaudible) this notion.  It also conflicts with the FERC declaratory order and Millennium Pipeline, stating one-year clocks starts on the receipt of an application. With all these problems, it's imperative that the administration take action to provide clarification and certainty so that we can have a much more orderly and efficient permitting process going forward under this statute.      Q    Hi, it's Ariel Wittenberg with E&E News.  Just to clarify around the 401 issues -- does the executive order specifically tell EPA to look at the timeline issue for the certifications?  Or is this just telling them, generally, to look at guidance?  And I’m also curious why you need to include this in an executive order; I know some EPA officials have already said that they been kind of working on these issues for a few months.      SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL:  This is a very big priority for the White House and for the President, and we thought it is very important for us to provide direction to the agencies as they begin to work on this.  Obviously, as they go through the regulations, they have to go through the formal notice-and-comment rulemaking and to include all of that input going through the process.  But that is something that we’ve asked them to look at.      Q    Hi.  Good afternoon.  This is Toluse Olorunnipa with the Washington Post.  Thanks for doing the call.  Could you give us a sense of how quickly the impacts of this executive order might be felt and whether or not any of the projects that are currently delayed will be streamlined and there will actually be an on-the-ground impact -- in X-number of months, X-number of years?  Have you gamed that out yet to get a sense of how long this might take to work its way through the process?      SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL:  So this executive order touches on a range of issues.  So the impact of the actions will vary based on which section we’re talking about.  So, for certain ones, we think the effect is going to be pretty quick.  For other projects tied up in litigation, obviously, that’s a much longer-term issue.      The main thing we want to be doing here is to kind of reset and take a look at how the federal government impacts these investments and build out an energy infrastructure and make sure that we provide a good, consistent, viable path forward, in terms of a relationship between the private sector and the federal government going forward.      Q    Hi.  This is Chris Knight with Argus Media.  I wanted to ask about the second one -- the cross-border one.  Since Trump already signed the Keystone XL executive order, it’s a little strange that now you’re doing a second one after the fact.  Can you talk about why you’re rolling it out in that order?      SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL:  So the previous order was a presidential permit; it was not an executive order.  What we’re rolling out tomorrow will be an executive order to clarify how the process works for all future cross-border infrastructure permitting.  So obviously, the President took action on a specific project, issuing a presidential permit not too long ago.  But this is a recalibration of the entire process going forward -- not just for pipelines, but, as I stated earlier, for broader infrastructure and other cross-border infrastructure that faces a lot of uncertainty due to the current process.      Q    Hi.  This is Gabe Rubin from the Wall Street Journal.  Beyond reviewing how retirement funds may use (inaudible) strategies or vote on shareholder proposals, does the order direct the Department of Labor to do anything that would change funds’ investment strategies?  I mean, is that something that the Department of Labor can even do?      SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL:  As you’re probably aware, under ERISA, fund managers have fiduciary obligations to look out for the best interests of their beneficiaries.  And so, the directive under the EO is to study and make sure that these (inaudible) requirements -- that some fund managers are pursuing are being pursued consistent with that statutory obligations.  The fiduciary duty is the hallmark of ERISA and we believe it’s an essential protection for beneficiaries so that they do have adequate retirement savings, and that the focus of an ERISA plan is on retirement savings, and not other social and political goals.      Q    Hi.  This is Tom DiChristopher again.  So can you just clarify the second executive order?  Are you saying this essentially changes the system where the Secretary of State, usually approves the cross-border (inaudible) that now the President now does that, if I understand you correctly.  And what would be the purpose for that?      SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL:  So that's correct.  So this order revokes and replaces Executive Order 13337 of April 30th, 2004, and EO 11423 of August 16th, 1968, and clarifies that any decision to issue or deny a cross-border permit shall be made solely by the President.      Q    Hi, Tim Gardner at Reuters.  Just to -- I'd like to follow up on that last question there.  What -- how does that -- changing it from Secretary of State to President -- how does that improve the projects’ viability and how it's going to change energy markets?  Thanks.      SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL:  One of the goals is to -- so under the -- this isn't a power reserved for the President; it has been delegated to the Secretary of State in the past.  We've moved it back to the President.  This will ensure that our land management and environmental agencies will be doing environmental reviews within the United States.  We won't have the State Department doing NEPA.      This is also a clarification of the presidential's inherent authority over foreign affairs to grant (inaudible) cross-border permits for infrastructure.      Q    Hi, this is Tim Puko at the Wall Street Journal.  Thank again for doing this.  I have two quick questions.  One, just very quickly: I wanted to know if there is anything in here regarding streamlining how the Interior Department oversees permitting under the Endangered Species Act.  I don't -- I think I missed that.  I thought you might have said something, but I don't remember for sure.      And two, I wanted to clarify your answer to the first question about what is delegated to the states.  Could you explain a little bit more how extensively you expect this to withdraw the authority that is now delegated to the states and what's put back under direct federal oversight?      SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL:  The first answer would be no.      And then for your second question: The main goal here is to have EPA do a review of all of the 2010 draft guidance, as well as the existing regulations.  So we're not trying to take away power from the states, but we are trying to make sure that state actions comply with the statutory intent of the law.      So the actual regulations predate the existence of Section 401 of the Clean Water Act.  So it's pretty clear that these regulations need to be updated.      As I mentioned earlier, there are a lot of inconsistencies with (inaudible) as well as agency actions and precedents.  So we need to make sure we update this to provide certainty, provide scope, to provide timing so that states can implement this in a more consistent manner that allows projects to have more certainty going forward.      Q    Hi, this is (inaudible).  Quick question on the LNG-export element of the executive order.  I wasn't clear on its revising existing standards of DOT.  Is that related to safety and equipment and things?  A little more clarity on that one, hopefully.      SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL:  Sure, so you're correct.  So existing LNG standards have failed to adapt and recognize industry best practices and modern technologies.  As you might know, the safety standards were originally drafted nearly 40 years ago and were designed more for small peak-shaving facilities.  Obviously, now, with the energy renaissance that we've had in the United States, there a lot of LNG export facilities that are making their way through the permitting process (inaudible) and that are currently operating.      So the Department to Transportation will be directed to update their safety standards to track with modern technologies and best industry practices under Section 190 -- Part 193 of their regulations.      MR. JUDD:  Operator, with that we will conclude this call.  I do want to thank [senior administration officials] for briefing everyone.      Reminder that the call is embargoed until 8:00 p.m. this evening, and that, for the speakers, they were on background attributable to a senior administration official.      Thank you again to everyone for joining us.                                 END                 5:55 P.M. EDT

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The White House • April 9, 2019 The world’s worst immigration laws  Time and again, President Donald J. Trump has warned that America’s immigration and border security systems are outdated and at risk of being overwhelmed. Today, nearly 3 years after he first issued a call to action, that is exactly what is happening. The problem begins with a broken patchwork of immigration loopholes and opportunistic court rulings, which President Trump has asked Congress to help him fix for more than a year. The situation only grows worse by the day. “A liberal activist judge in San Francisco ruled the United States and Mexico can’t work together to address asylum issues at the border,” Press Secretary Sarah Sanders wrote this morning. Congress chose not to act. So President Trump alone must address the consequences. In March, U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents were involved in more than 100,000 border enforcement actions—the highest number for any single month in more than a decade. For context, that figure is up more than 500 percent since March 2017. Behind these numbers is a new story and a new problem. In the past, a large majority of illegal immigrants were single adult males from Mexico who could be returned across the border quickly. Today, the surge comes from “asylum seekers” from Central America, many of whom are coached by smugglers on how to exploit America’s generous system for refugees. The predictable result is a meltdown at our border, as law enforcement resources and personnel are diverted from core responsibilities and stretched far beyond capacity. On Friday, President Trump got a firsthand look at the emergency on our border. There’s no way to prepare for “the amount of people, ‘family units,’ and children, and now organized caravans that are coming across this border today,” Gloria Chavez, Chief Patrol Agent of the El Centro Sector, told him. “Our agents are being stretched in so many different directions.” All of this can be fixed by Congress committing to immigration principles that a large majority of Americans agree with. But for now, it is up to President Trump to enforce our laws and close the gaps in our porous border. “It’s sad that Mexico is now doing more to secure our border than Democrats,” Press Secretary Sanders writes. “President Trump will do whatever it takes to keep Americans safe.” Asylum “child cages”—Obama built them. The media just didn’t care.  Statement: Press Secretary Sarah Sanders on district court ruling  Real reform for American taxpayers When tax reform was being debated in Washington two years ago, President Trump had a non-negotiable priority: giving working families a fair shake. Because of this commitment, Americans are seeing welcome changes when filing their tax returns this year. One of those changes is a doubled child tax credit. When parents check that box this year, they’ll notice the credit has jumped from $1,000 to $2,000—per child.     Watch: Ivanka Trump on the new doubled child tax credit   Since its passage, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act has helped millions of Americans receive bonuses, wage increases, and other important benefits. With 2019 Tax Day almost here, Americans are beginning to see the full weight of the reform that’s been delivered. See how President Trump’s tax reform is benefitting every community.  Photo of the Day Official White House Photo by Shealah Craighead President Donald J. Trump meets with President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi of the Arab Republic of Egypt | April 9, 2019

REMARKS BY PRESIDENT TRUMP AND PRESIDENT ABDEL FATTAH AL SISI OF THE ARAB REPUBLIC OF EGYPT BEFORE BILATERAL MEETING

Office of the Press Secretary FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 9, 2019 REMARKS BY PRESIDENT TRUMP AND PRESIDENT ABDEL FATTAH AL SISI OF THE ARAB REPUBLIC OF EGYPT BEFORE BILATERAL MEETING Oval Office   12:17 P.M. EDT      PRESIDENT TRUMP:  Thank you very much.  It's a great honor to be with President Al Sisi of Egypt.  We have many things to discuss, as you can imagine: military, trade. And I have to say that a lot of progress has been made in a lot of different ways, in terms of terrorism and others things, with Egypt and within Egypt.  It's really incredible what's happened, especially in certain respects that we've already talked about.  But we will be meeting with representatives of the President and of Egypt in a little while.      Again, we have very, very important things, militarily, to talk about.  And also about trade.  A big trading partner.  We do a lot of work together.  We work together.  And I think we've never had a better relationship -- Egypt and the United States -- than we do right now.      So, I want to thank everybody for being here.  And, Mr. President, thank you very much.      PRESIDENT AL SISI:  Thank you, Mr. President.      PRESIDENT TRUMP:  My friend.      PRESIDENT AL SISI:  (As interpreted.)  Thank you, Mr. President.  Allow me to express my thanks for your kind invitation and for providing me this opportunity to meet and talk about making a quantum leap in the strategic relationship between Egypt and the United States.      Let me emphasize, Mr. President, that the relations have not been better over the years of our bilateral relationship, and that is why I'm extending, Mr. President, to you our thanks, appreciation, and greetings for (inaudible).      All the credit goes to you, Mr. President.  Thank you very much for your support on all fronts.  This is what we're seeking to promote our bilateral relations in various fields: political, economic, military, cultural, and others.      Thank you very much. PRESIDENT TRUMP:  Well, thank you.  And I just have to say, before we perhaps take a couple of questions, the First Lady was recently in Egypt.  She was treated beautifully. But maybe even more importantly, what she saw with the Pyramids was -- you could call it the seventh wonder or the eighth wonder of the world.  She thought it was incredible.  She thought it was one of the most incredible things she's seen.  And we have lots of pictures, and that was great day and a great moment to see the Pyramids -- the Great Pyramids. So hopefully a lot of people will be going and looking at them.  But she's not easily impressed; she was very impressed. So thank you very much. Q    Mr. President, you seem to be --      PRESIDENT TRUMP:  Go ahead, Jeff.      Q    You seem to be cleaning house at DHS.  What would you like to achieve with the new leadership there?      PRESIDENT TRUMP:  Well, I never said I’m “cleaning house.”  I don’t know who came up with that expression.  We have a lot of great people over there.  We have bad laws.  We have a judge that just ruled, incredibly, that he doesn’t want people staying in Mexico.  Figure that one out.  Nobody can believe these decisions we’re getting from the Ninth Circuit.  It’s a disgrace.      And so we’re fighting the bad laws, the bad -- the bad things that are coming out of Congress.  You have a Democrat Congress that’s obstructing.  You talk about obstruction -- the greatest obstruction anyone has ever seen.  All they have to do is spend 20 minutes and they can fix this whole problem. We have the worst laws of any country anywhere in the world, whether it’s catch and release or any one of them.  I mean, I could name -- I could sit here and name them, but if you got rid of catch and release, chain migration, visa lottery -- you have to fix the asylum situation; it’s ridiculous.  You have people coming in, claiming asylum.  They’re all reading exactly what the lawyer gives them.  They have a piece of paper.  “Read what that is.”  And all of the sudden, you’re entitled to asylum.  And some of these people are not people you want in our country. So we are building a lot of wall.  It’s getting built.  Some of you saw that last week, when we went -- we had a great presentation of a new stretch.  But we’re building a lot of wall and we’re being very strong on the border. But we’re bucking a court system that never, ever rules for us.  And we’re bucking really bad things with Congress -- with the Democrats in Congress not willing to act.  They want to have open borders, which means they want to have crime; they want to have drugs pouring into our country.  They don’t want to act.  We have to close up the borders.  We’re doing it, but we’re doing it -- I could do it much faster if they would act. So it’s a terrible thing.  The Democrats in Congress -- what they’re doing and the obstruction -- they don’t want to fix it.  And we have to fix it.  They want open borders.  They want to have millions of people pouring into our country.  They don’t even want to know who they are. These are people coming into our country with criminal records.  We have murderers coming in.  We have drug lords coming in.  We have gangs coming in.  And we're stopping them.  And if we don't stop them, ICE is throwing them the hell out.  We're getting them out.      But our job could be so much easier.  I think Kevin is going to do a fantastic job.  He's Acting, but I think he's going to do a fantastic job.  And we're not doing anything very big, as far as -- what we need: homeland security.  That’s exactly what we want.  There's no better term; there's no better name.  We want homeland security and that’s what we're going to get.  Thank you all very much.  Thank you. Thank you.  Thank you very much.  Thank you very much. Q    Egypt is ordering more fighter jets from Russia.  How do you feel about that? PRESIDENT TRUMP:  Thank you very much, everybody.      Q    Are you considering child separations, sir?  Can you rule that out, Mr. President?  You wouldn’t start separating the children again, would you, Mr. President? PRESIDENT TRUMP:  Obama separated the children, by the way.      Q    Would you consider doing it again?      PRESIDENT TRUMP:  Just so you understand, President Obama separated the children.  Those cages that were shown -- I think they were very inappropriate -- they were built by President Obama's administration, not by Trump.  President Obama had child separation.  Take a look.  The press knows it.  You know it.  We all know it.  I didn’t have -- I'm the one that stopped it.  President Obama had child separation.      Now, I'll tell you something: Once you don’t have it, that’s why you see many more people coming.  They're coming like it's a picnic because “let's go to Disneyland.”  President Obama separated children.  They had child separation.  I was the one that changed it. Okay.  Thank you very much. Q    But what’s President Trump going to do?  Are you going to bring it back is the question.  Would you bring it back? Q    Will you bring it back, though? PRESIDENT TRUMP:  We're not looking to do that.  No. Q    You're not going to bring it back? PRESIDENT TRUMP:  We're not looking to do that.  No. Thank you very much. Q    You're not looking to bring it back? PRESIDENT TRUMP:  But it -- it brings a lot more people to the border.  When you don’t do it, it brings a lot more people to the border.  We are not looking to do it. But President Obama had the law.  We changed the law.  And I think the press should accurately report it.  But, of course, they won't. Thank you all very much.  Thank you. Q    Should the Muslim Brotherhood be a terrorist organization?  Muslim Brotherhood? PRESIDENT TRUMP:  Thank you very much. Q    (Inaudible.) PRESIDENT TRUMP:  It's a great honor to be with the President.  It's a great honor to be with your President. Q    Do you support his efforts to stay in power longer? PRESIDENT TRUMP:  What? Q    (Inaudible) through 2034? PRESIDENT TRUMP:  I don’t hear you. Q    Do you support his efforts to stay in power through 2034? PRESIDENT TRUMP:  I think he's doing a great job.  I don’t know about the effort; I can just tell you he's doing a great job.  Great President. Thank you very much, everybody.  Thank you.                            END                 2:26 P.M. EDT

Office of the Press Secretary FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 9, 2019 PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP REMAINS COMMITTED TO EGYPT AND MIDDLE EAST STABILITY   “It’s a great honor to be with President El-Sisi, a friend—a great friend—of Egypt. And we have very special things happening. Our relationship has never been stronger. And we’re working with Egypt on many different fronts, including military and trade.” – President Donald J. Trump   A STRATEGIC AND POWERFUL PARTNERSHIP: The United States and Egypt have a strong relationship with many security and economic implications. Today marks the second visit of President El-Sisi to the White House since 2017. Egypt has long been an important strategic partner in the Middle East. United States assistance to Egypt has played a central role in the country’s economic and military development.   Since the 1979 Egypt–Israel Treaty of Peace, the United States has provided Egypt with more than $40 billion in military assistance and $30 billion in economic assistance. Egypt has become an anchor of stability in the Middle East, as exemplified by its enduring forty-year peace with Israel. The United States encourages the Egyptian government to preserve space for civil society and to protect human rights. PROMOTING REGIONAL STABILITY: President Trump is strengthening our partnership with Egypt and promoting regional stability across the Middle East. President Trump is working with Egypt on issues impacting regional stability including conflicts in Libya, Syria, and Yemen and progress on the Middle East Strategic Alliance. The Trump Administration is working with Egypt to combat terrorism and to stop the spread of radical Islamic terrorism. The United States is providing Egypt with military training and equipment to support counterterrorism efforts. We continue to strengthen our strategic relationship through security cooperation and broader security efforts. President Trump applauds Egypt’s efforts to advance female economic empowerment and promote religious freedom. The Trump Administration supports the Egyptian government’s bold program of economic reform, which will set Egypt on the course of long-term economic stability. Egypt hosted the inaugural meeting of the Eastern Mediterranean Gas Forum, which will enhance economic cooperation and shared prosperity among countries across the region. EXPANDING FAIR AND RECIPROCAL TRADE: President Trump is building on the strong and robust trade relationship between the United States and Egypt. The United States and Egypt have a robust bilateral trade relationship. President Trump hopes to build on this relationship through cooperation and mutual benefit. America is one of Egypt’s leading trade partners. In 2018, the United States goods trade surplus with Egypt was $2.6 billion, a 9.3 percent increase from 2017.  In 2018, United States goods exports to Egypt totaled $5.1 billion, up 26.7 percent from 2017. America and Egypt continue to work together to promote fair trade and increased investment by addressing market access, standards, labor, and intellectual property protection issues.   ###

A Proclamation By the President of the United States of America - National Former Prisoner of War Recognition Day, 2019

Office of the Press Secretary FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 8, 2019

National Former Prisoner of War Recognition Day, 2019 - - - - - - - By the President of the United States of America A Proclamation      On National Former Prisoner of War Recognition Day, we honor the Americans captured and imprisoned by foreign powers while carrying out their duties to defend this great Nation.  Throughout our history, hundreds of thousands of American service members have been held as prisoners of war (POWs), enduring harsh treatment, unforgiving conditions, and the anguish of being separated from their families.  These brave Americans are true patriots, and their inspiring legacy of selfless courage is a testament to their fierce spirit, unshakeable loyalty, and enduring resilience.      The life of World War II hero Lieutenant Louis Zamperini is a shining example of the extraordinary devotion that POWs maintain for their brothers in arms, to our country, and to the cause of freedom.  After surviving an airplane crash and 47 terrifying days adrift in the Pacific Ocean, through which he witnessed the deaths of 9 of his fellow crewmembers, Lieutenant Zamperini was captured by the Japanese and placed in a prison camp.  Even though he was imprisoned and subjected to daily torture for 2 painstaking years, Lieutenant Zamperini never let his oppressors destroy his identity or allegiance to America.  As much as they tried, he could not be broken.  Indeed, after he regained his freedom, he inspired the world with his authentic and powerful message of faith and forgiveness, shaking the hands of his ruthless camp guards while visiting them in a Japanese prison.      As a Nation, we must never forget or take for granted the traumatic ordeals of our former POWs.  With honor and valor, they served to keep our country safe, and they stayed the course -- despite conditions that were often harsh and agonizing.      We must also remember that freedom from captivity does not guarantee a smooth transition back into civilian life.  For example, upon returning home, Lieutenant Zamperini first struggled deeply with the aftereffects of his POW experience.  He was eventually able to find peace, however, through the care of his family, the support of community, and his faith.  Over time, he triumphed over his suffering and became a permanent example of forgiveness and hope.      The Nation has a solemn duty to ensure that all former POWs are able to flourish upon returning home.  We are grateful for the many Americans -- including many former POWs -- who have devoted their time, talent, and resources to fulfilling that obligation. Today, and every day, we renew our strong and abiding commitment to America's former POWs and honor the tremendous debt of gratitude we owe to them for their courageous service and incredible sacrifices.  We also remember all those POWs who died while in captivity, selflessly giving their very lives for the sacred cause of liberty.      NOW, THEREFORE, I, DONALD J. TRUMP, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim April 9, 2019, as National Former Prisoner of War Recognition Day.  I call upon Americans to observe this day by honoring the service and sacrifice of all our former prisoners of war and to express our Nation's eternal gratitude for their sacrifice.  I also call upon Federal, State, and local government officials and organizations to observe this day with appropriate ceremonies and activities.      IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this eighth day of April, in the year of our Lord two thousand nineteen, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-third.                              DONALD J. TRUMP    ###

1600 Daily The White House • April 8, 2019 President Trump tTkes Action Today on Iran

The White House • April 8, 2019 President Trump takes action today on Iran  The Iranian regime continues to lead a campaign of terrorism around the world. Today, President Donald J. Trump took historic action to confront the Iranian threat by designating the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a Foreign Terrorist Organization. The President explained in an official statement that this unprecedented step “recognizes the reality that Iran is not only a State Sponsor of Terrorism, but that the IRGC actively participates in, finances, and promotes terrorism as a tool of statecraft.” That designation marks the first time America has labeled part of another government a terrorist organization. “It underscores the fact that Iran’s actions are fundamentally different from those of other governments. This action will significantly expand the scope and scale of our maximum pressure on the Iranian regime,” President Trump says. For years, Iran has actively employed terrorism as a central tool in its foreign policy. The head of that snake has been the IRGC. Today, the regime in Tehran remains the world’s leading state sponsor of terror, funneling nearly a billion dollars each year toward radical groups such as Hezbollah, Hamas, and Palestinian Islamic Jihad. Since his earliest days in office, President Trump has worked to counter the regime’s malign activities and ensure that it never gets its hands on a nuclear weapon. Withdrawing from the Obama Administration’s unacceptable Iran deal was a key step toward that end. The Iran agreement represented a categorical failure in American diplomacy, lifting crucial sanctions on Iran and thus providing it with the revenue stream needed to fund even more terrorist activities. Now, those sanctions are back—coupled with even tougher ones. Today’s action ends the era of plausible deniability for Iran and sends a clear message that their support for terrorism has serious consequences. It also lets the rest of the world know where the United States stands in no uncertain terms. President Trump’s statement on designating the IRGC a Foreign Terrorist Organization Get the facts: President Trump is holding the Iranian regime accountable  Video of the day: President Trump visits the border wall On Friday, President Trump traveled to Calexico, California, to see the first completed section of the new wall along the U.S.–Mexico border. The newly-constructed 30-foot bollard wall replaces a barrier made of surplus corrugated steel landing mats from the Vietnam War. The visit also allowed the President to hear directly from individuals who work to keep America safe every day. They understand this growing border crisis better than any politician. And one thing that President Trump hears from border officials on the ground time and time again: The new barrier is exactly what they need. “We’re very appreciative of this wall,” Gloria Chavez, Chief Patrol Agent of the El Centro Sector, told President Trump. “These men and women, out here in this area of two miles, were experiencing a high number of assaults and use-of-force incidents.” Since the new border wall has gone up, those assault incidents have plunged by 65 percent, she added. “In these two miles, just illegal entries alone have dropped by 75 percent.” Photo of the Day Official White House Photo by Shealah Craighead U.S. Border Patrol officials listen to President Trump speak on Friday during his visit to Calexico, California | April 5, 2019

President Donald J. Trump Announces Judicial Nominations

Office of the Press Secretary FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 8, 2019 President Donald J. Trump Announces Judicial Nominations   Today, President Donald J. Trump announced his intent to re-nominate:   Gary R. Brown of New York, to serve as a District Judge on the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York.  Gary Brown serves as a U.S. Magistrate Judge for the Eastern District of New York, where he has served since his selection in 2011. Judge Brown also serves as an adjunct professor at St. John’s School of Law. In 2014, Judge Brown was selected by the Board of Judges to serve on the Committee of Magistrate Judges appointed to manage more than 1,400 Hurricane Sandy cases filed in the Eastern District of New York. Prior to his appointment to the bench, Judge Brown served as the Director of Litigation and Chief Compliance Officer of CA Technologies. Before entering private practice, Judge Brown served as an Assistant United States Attorney in the Eastern District of New York for more than 15 years, concluding his service as the Chief of the Long Island Criminal Division. Judge Brown is also a three-time recipient of the Director’s Award from the Executive Office for United States Attorneys and, in 2000, received the Federal Prosecutor’s Award from the National Law Enforcement Association. Upon graduation from law school, Judge Brown served as a law clerk to Judge Jacob Mishler of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York. Judge Brown earned his B.A. from Columbia College and his J.D. from Yale Law School. Stephanie A. Gallagher of Maryland, to serve as a District Judge on the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland.   Judge Stephanie Gallagher serves as a U.S. Magistrate Judge on the District of Maryland. Prior to her appointment to the bench in 2011, Judge Gallagher was a partner and co-founder of Levin & Gallagher, LLC, where she practiced white-collar defense and civil and employment litigation. Before founding Levin & Gallagher, Judge Gallagher served for six years as an Assistant United States Attorney for the District of Maryland, where she prosecuted a wide range of violent and white-collar criminal cases. Before joining the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Judge Gallagher practiced for two years as a litigation associate in the Washington office of Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld, LLP. Upon graduation from law school, Judge Gallagher served as a law clerk to Judge J. Frederick Motz of the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland. Judge Gallagher earned her B.S., magna cum laude, from Georgetown University, where she was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa, and her J.D., cum laude, from Harvard Law School. Diane Gujarati of New York, to serve as a District Judge on the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York.  Diane Gujarati serves as Deputy Chief of the Criminal Division of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, where she has served as an Assistant United States Attorney for the past 19 years. Ms. Gujarati also served as an Adjunct Professor of Clinical Law at New York University School of Law until earlier this year. Before joining the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Ms. Gujarati practiced for three years as a litigation associate in the New York City office of Davis Polk & Wardwell, LLP. Upon graduation from law school, Ms. Gujarati served as a law clerk to Judge John M. Walker, Jr., of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. Ms. Gujarati earned her B.A., summa cum laude, from Barnard College of Columbia University, where she was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa, and her J.D. from Yale Law School, where she served as an editor of both the Yale Law Journal and the Yale Journal on Regulation. Lewis J. Liman of New York, to serve as a District Judge on the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. Lewis Liman is a partner in the New York City office of Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton, LLP, where he has handled a wide range of civil, commercial, and white-collar criminal litigation since joining the firm in 2003. Before joining Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton, Mr. Liman was a partner at Wilmer, Cutler & Pickering. Prior to entering private practice, Mr. Liman served for five years as an Assistant United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, where he rose to serve as Deputy Chief of Appeals. Upon graduation from law school, Mr. Liman spent a brief period as an attorney at the N.A.A.C.P. Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc., before serving as a law clerk to Judge Pierre N. Leval of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit during his service as a U.S. District Judge on the Southern District of New York. Mr. Liman subsequently clerked for Justice John Paul Stevens of the Supreme Court of the United States. Mr. Liman earned his B.A., magna cum laude, from Harvard College, his M.Sc., with distinction, from the London School of Economics, and his J.D. from Yale Law School, where he served as an articles editor of the Yale Law Journal and as an editor of the Yale Journal of International Law. Eric R. Komitee of New York, to serve as a District Judge on the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York.  Eric Komitee is the General Counsel of Viking Global Investors LP in New York City. He previously served for eight years as an Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, rising to serve as Chief of the Business and Securities Fraud Section. Before entering public service, Mr. Komitee practiced as an associate in the Government Enforcement and White Collar Crime group of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher, & Flom, LLP, and as an associate in the corporate practice group of Cravath Swaine & Moore, LLP. Upon graduation from law school, Mr. Komitee served as a law clerk to Judge J.L. Edmondson of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit. Mr. Komitee earned his B.A., with high honors, from Emory University, where he was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa, and his J.D., cum laude, from the New York University School of Law, where he served as the senior notes and comments editor of the NYU Law Review. Rachel P. Kovner of New York, to serve as a District Judge on the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York.  Rachel Kovner serves as an Assistant to the Solicitor General in the Solicitor General’s Office within the Department of Justice, where she has represented the United States in litigation before the Supreme Court since 2013. Before joining the Solicitor General’s Office, Ms. Kovner served for four years as an Assistant United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, where she served as trial counsel in 10 felony trials and argued seven appeals in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. Upon graduation from law school, Ms. Kovner served as a law clerk to Judge J. Harvie Wilkinson III, of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, and then to the late Justice Antonin Scalia of the Supreme Court of the United States. Ms. Kovner earned her B.A., magna cum laude, from Harvard College, and her J.D. from Stanford Law School, where she graduated first in her class, was inducted into the Order of the Coif, and served as the senior articles editor of the Stanford Law Review. Mary E. McElroy of Rhode Island, to serve as a District Judge on the U.S. District Court for the District of Rhode Island. Mary McElroy serves as the Public Defender for the State of Rhode Island. Prior to assuming this post in 2012, she served for six years as an Assistant Federal Public Defender for the District of Rhode Island. Before joining the Rhode Island Federal Public Defender’s Office, Ms. McElroy served for 12 years as an Assistant Public Defender for the State of Rhode Island. Upon graduation from law school, Ms. McElroy served as a law clerk to Justice Donald F. Shea of the Rhode Island Supreme Court. Ms. McElroy earned her B.A. from Providence College and her J.D., cum laude, from the Suffolk University School of Law. Martha M. Pacold of Illinois, to serve as a District Judge on the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.  Martha Pacold serves as Deputy General Counsel of the Department of the Treasury. Prior to this appointment, she served as Executive Secretary at the agency. Before that, Ms. Pacold was an associate and then a partner in the Chicago office of Bartlit Beck Herman Palenchar & Scott, LLP. She also was a Lecturer in Law at the University of Chicago Law School. Earlier in her career, Ms. Pacold served as a Special Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia and as Counsel to the Attorney General at the U.S. Department of Justice. Ms. Pacold served as a law clerk to Justice Clarence Thomas of the Supreme Court of the United States, to Judge Jay S. Bybee of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, and to Judge A. Raymond Randolph of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. Ms. Pacold earned her B.A., with highest distinction, from Indiana University, where she was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa, and her J.D., with honors, from the University of Chicago Law School, where she was inducted into the Order of the Coif and served as Editor-in-Chief of the University of Chicago Law Review. Mary M. Rowland of Illinois, to serve as a District Judge on the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.   Mary Rowland has served as a U.S. Magistrate Judge for the Northern District of Illinois since 2012. Prior to her selection as a Federal magistrate judge, Judge Rowland spent 12 years as a partner in the Chicago firm of Hughes, Socol, Piers, Resnick & Dym, Ltd. Before entering private practice, Judge Rowland served for 10 years in the Chicago office of the Federal Defender Program; first as a staff attorney and later as the office’s chief appellate attorney. Upon graduation from law school, Judge Rowland served as a law clerk to Judge Julian Abele Cook, Jr., of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan. Judge Rowland earned her B.A. from the University of Michigan and her J.D. from the University of Chicago Law School. Judge Rowland is a member of the Gay and Lesbian Bar Association. Steven C. Seeger of Illinois, to serve as a District Judge on the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.  Steve Seeger serves as Senior Trial Counsel in the Chicago Regional Office of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), where he has litigated cases to enforce the Federal securities laws on behalf of the public since 2010. Before joining the SEC, Mr. Seeger practiced for 12 years in the Chicago, Illinois, office of Kirkland & Ellis, LLP, where he spent his last seven years as a partner. Before joining Kirkland, Mr. Seeger served as a law clerk to Judge David B. Sentelle of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. Mr. Seeger earned his B.A., summa cum laude, from Wheaton College and his J.D., magna cum laude, from the University of Michigan Law School, where he was inducted into the Order of the Coif and served as both an associate and articles editor of the University of Michigan Law Review. John L. Sinatra, Jr., of New York, to serve as a District Judge on the U.S. District Court for the Western District of New York.  John Sinatra is a partner in the Buffalo firm Hodgson Russ, LLP, where his practice has focused on complex civil and commercial litigation in Federal and State courts nationwide since 2008. Before joining the firm, Mr. Sinatra served as Senior Counsel in the Department of Commerce and as an associate in the commercial litigation practice group at Jones Day. Upon graduation from law school, Mr. Sinatra served as a law clerk to the judges of the New York Court of Appeals. Mr. Sinatra earned his B.A., magna cum laude, from the State University of New York at Buffalo, where he was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa, and his J.D., cum laude, from the State University of New York at Buffalo School of Law, where he served as the notes and comments editor of the Buffalo Law Review. Mary Kay Vyskocil of New York, to serve as a District Judge on the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.  Mary Kay Vyskocil serves as a U.S. Bankruptcy Judge for the Southern District of New York, where she has served since her selection in 2016. Prior to her appointment to the bench, Judge Vyskocil practiced general commercial litigation for almost 33 years at the New York City-based law firm of Simpson Thacher & Bartlett, LLP. During that period, Judge Vyskocil was ranked as one of the “Top Ten Women Litigators in the United States” by Benchmark Litigation and, in 2016, received a “Top Women in Law Award” from the New York Law Journal. During her time in practice, she was recognized as a litigation leader by Chambers, Legal 500, Who’s Who Legal and America’s Leading Business Lawyers, and Law360. She is also the co-author of Modern Reinsurance Law & Practice, 3d ed. (Thompson Reuters 2015). Judge Vyskocil earned her undergraduate degree from the Dominican College of Blauvelt in Rockland County, New York, where she was the class Valedictorian and Student Government President, and her J.D. from St. John’s University School of Law, where she served on the Moot Court Executive Board.