This is just under one hour. Mr. Spicer happy friday. Good to see you all. Good afternoon. Two more days until the workweek is over. Full attribution to rahm emanuel for that one. As many of you know, today is day 50 of President Trumps administration. A lot to talk about and a lot has gotten done. I want to acknowledge today is also brians birthday, so happy birthday to brian. Ill let you guys celebrate among yourselves. In these first 50 days, the president has taken many key steps toward delivering on the pledges he made to the American People as a candidate. Hes jumpstarted job creation, and not only because of his executive actions, but through the surge of Economic Confidence and optimism that has been inspired since his election. President trump knows exactly what businesses need to thrive and grow, and therefore adding well paying and steady jobs so the market. Obviously, were pleased to seat jobs report. It is great news you for american workers. Hes jumpstarted job creation, during the first full month of the trump presidency, the economy added 235,000 new jobs on the Unemployment Rate ticked down to 4. 7 . Notably, we also saw Significant Growth in the construction, manufacturing, and mining sectors. The Unemployment Rate ticked down and Labor Force Participation rate ticked up showing that even as more people are reentering the job market, businesses are continuing to grow and create new jobs. The president looks forward to continuing his work with the private sector to clear during the first full month of roadblocks, to key infrastructure projects, withdraw from job killing trade deals like the Transpacific Partnership and slash the bureaucratic red tape that makes additional hiring difficult for american businesses. Hes taken action to ensure the safety and security of the United States homeland, its borders, and its people. Hes proposed great rebuilding of our nations military, following a full review of the military readiness and supported by 54 billion budget increase. Hes implemented new protections to prevent people from coming into our country that seek to do us harm. As a result of the president ial memorandum that he signed on january 28, the president received a plan to defeat isis designed by the secretary of defense and the National Security team. Just as hes promised during the campaign, hes made enforcing our nations immigration laws a top priority, signing executive orders that start work on a southern border wall, that enhance the Public Safety of americans through ordering the strong enforcement of immigration laws that already on the books. Halting funding to jurisdictions in the United States that dont complain with federal immigration rules and directing the department of Homeland Security to hire a combined 15,000 new officers and agents to support the system and protect nation. Hes outlined an aggressive legislative agenda that includes tax reform, that bring relief to Small Business in the middle class, a massive commitment to infrastructure that will help jobs. He began working with congress directly on repealing the worst parts of obamacare and replacing it with the American Health care act. And this particular legislation is just one prong in the president s comprehensive approach to reforming our Health Care System. The administration is also taking additional steps to stabilize Health Insurance markets and start bringing down costs for the millions of americans that have been affected by obamacare such as stabilizing Insurance Markets through regulatory row formeform, purchasing insurance across state lines, providing individuals and families with lower access with with access to lower cost options by loosening the restrictions on the financial structure of plans offered through the obamacare exchanges. And finally, the president is committed to working with congress on additional legislation that wont be subject to the budget reconciliation process. That will allow the purchase of Health Insurance across state lines, that will streamline the process of the fda, to bring down the cost of critical medicine, to allow for the expansion of Health Savings accounts, to allow more americans to use their funds for more health care costs, Health Care Related costs and so much more. There is one page fact sheet that lays out the throw prongs to the president s plan to repeal and replace all americans can see that. One pager available at whitehouse. Gov repealandreplace. This administration is already looking forward to all that we have been planning to accomplish in the days and weeks ahead. You should have a document outlining each of the email boxes of the president s major actions during the 51st days. We made it available to the public as well at whitehouse. Gov. In terms of the schedule for the 50th day in office, the president will have a series of meetings and calls moving further along on some of the most significant Campaign Promises he made to the American People after receiving his daily intelligence briefing, he led a Health Care Discussion with Key House Committee chairs. The president thanked and congratulated the chairs on ushering the Health Care Act through the first phase of the legislative process. He noted he was pleased to seat bill pass through both the committees, the energy and Commerce Committee and ways and means committee. President and republicans in congress will act business. Today, the president and republican in congress will act decisively to keep their prommits to promise to the people. In attendance at the meeting including the Vice President were congresswoman black, chair of the house budget committee. Congressman brady, chair of ways and means. Congressmanual wallis from energy commerce. Congresswoman foxx. Lack. Hairman good and in addition to this hill outreach, senior officials at department of health and Human Services met to discuss the bill. And will be meeting with additional stakeholders in the. Oming days through th the president is committed to make the system better that is including hearing from all interested groups for a more affordable and Accessible Health care. The president had a call with the palestinian authority. We will have a readout of that call soon. The president had lunch with secretary of state tillerson and this afternoon the president will meet with secretary of housing and urban development dr. Ben carson. He looks forward to discussing the president had lunch withhue communities with quality affordable housing. Especially the ways in which we can partner with the private sector to come up with Innovative Solutions to turn our Public Housing system around and empower community. Looking ahead to the weekend, the president will spend the weekend here at the white house in a series of meetings with his team. The Vice President s office announced details of his trip to louisville, kentucky where he will participate in listening sessions with Small Businesses and job creators throughout the community and joined by Governor Bevin and hear from local Small Businesses. The Vice President will discuss the president s economic agenda, especially the repeal and replacement aspects of obamacare and how itll reduce the burden on Small Businesses. He will then conclude with formal remarks at the train parts and distribution center. Also coming up, judge gorsuchs confirmation hearings begin on march 20. Yesterday, the American Bar Association reported their committee determined that by unanimous vote, judge gorsuch was given a well qualified mark for the supreme court. The president looks forward to seeing judge gorsuch receive a speedy and fair hearing up and down the floor. The president s weekly address is out. It discusses womens History Month and has plans to repeal and replace obamacare. It aired this morning on Facebook Live and is available on youtube and whitehouse. Gov. I encourage everyone to check it out. With that, i will be glad to take your questions. Take your questions. Pin is upside down. Mr. Spicer always helping with the fashion tips. I appreciate that. No pin promo. John, onto your question. Thank you. Our involvement of setting rangers and marines into syria marks a dramatic change in our presence on the ground there. Im wondering how much autonomy is the president giving general james mattis to involve u. S. Forces on the ground in syria . Mr. Spicer a u. S. Marine artillery unit and team of rangers have recently been positioned in syria to provide a combined joint Task Force Operation inherent resolve. The commander of the agility to expedite the destruction of isis in raqqa in particular. The exact number and position of forces are still a sensitive order to protect the location of the forces. But approximately 400 enabling forces will be deployed for a temporary period to enable our syrian partnered forces to accelerate the defeat of isis specifically in raqqa. I think as ive mentioned before, one of the things that the president has ensured is that the commanders have the flexibility to do what they need to fulfill the mission. The president is obviously as commanderinchief made aware and signs off on all of those missions. But at the end of the day, it is up to the generals to execute their mission to make sure that we continue to defeat isis and protect the nation. Now our involvement there really sort of complicates the whole picture because we are aligned with the kurds, but at the same time, the nato ally turkey sees the kurds as the enemy. Then theres what happens with russia and its involvement with the syrian government. The big problem with iraq was we never planned for the day after. Mr. Spicer right. What are the plans for the day after here when raqqa falls . Who occupies it . Mr. Spicer one of the things that, you know, i mentioned in the script, that is part of what the president has done during his first 50 days, is issue an executive order on january 28 for the secretary of defense to submit a comprehensive plan in consultation with the joint chiefs and other members of the National Security team to defeat isis. That is part of that plan. I think you are seeing a comprehensive approach to not only how we engage in syria but the total defeat and elimination of isis. That is part of an ongoing process that secretary of defense, chairman of the joint chiefs and others have been involved in in briefing the president. Does the president have an idea of who should occupy raqqa . Should it be kurdish mr. Spicer as we default that plan, we will have more on that. You have already killed one question friday. We will get back to john carl. Chair Ranking Member of the House Intelligence Committee has asked the Justice Department to turn over any information he had, if there was any wiretapping of president elect trump, trump tower. If there is no evidence wiretapping to place, will the president apologized to president obama . Mr. Spicer lets not get ahead of ourselves. It is important to see where that goes and i dont want to prejudge their work at this time. Reporter but there is no evidence. Mr. Spicer again, youre asking what if there is evidence. Going to get into hypotheticals prejudging the outcome of a report on an investigation that hasnt occurred yet. Once that is done, we will respond appropriately. Gardner senator cory was reported by policito to have said he doesnt believe the 14 billion wall along the border is the best way to provide border security. Does the white house see support weakening in congress . Mr. Spicer the president was very clear and promised the American People to protect National Security and Economic Security and will fulfill that pledge. He has started to work with the department of Homeland Security on the bidding process. That is a pledge that he intends to maintain. April 28 is right around the corner, government funding expires. Given that during the transmission. Period, what is the white house doing right now to avoid a shutdown. I talked to said sources they couldnt point to specific talks. Mulvaney isdirector going to release his budget on the 16th. That is the first step in working them with them to get the budget under control. Approaching 20 trillion of our debt and we need to get spending under control, and so part of funding the government goes handinhand with keeping track of what we are spending and how we are spending and what our priorities are carried we have begun that process internally within the executive range. Director mulvaney has had several conversations with members on the hill on both sides. The Vice President has been engaged as well. To your eschew, that is part of the process. You need to release a budget first about our priorities for the fiscal year and make sure we do what we can going forward. This goes handinhand with that. Finish out the current i understand. Fiscal year 2017. But they go handinhand. 2017 andto close out once we have a handle on fy 18, we can backfill 17. Appreciate we are not having that discussion here. The president has said in the past that he welcomes compromise and is very open to compromise on the immigration legislation that is coming up. Morning, when she spoke at the Christian Science monitor press breakfast, Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi said that she would like to see comprehensive immigration package that passed the senate before stopped in the that was her version of a compromise on immigration. What is the administrations position on what former speaker and minority leader you are referring to the gang of eight . I think the president was clear on the campaign trail that that is not a bill he supports. He looks forward to engaging with members to find a way forward to fixing our broken immigration system. Is a nonstarter, it was when he came out the first time. It continues to be. Recognizes that the system is broken and he wants to work with congress to fix it. Reporter does the white house believe there is such a thing as the the state working to undermine the president . Mr. Spicer i think there is no question when you have eight years of oneparty in office, there are people who staying government affiliated and continue to a spouse the agenda of the previous administration. It shouldnt come as any surprise that there are people burrowed into government in eight years of the last administration, and may have believed in that agenda and want to continue to seek it. Reporter the director of the residential mandate to seek these people out and purge them from government . Mr. Spicer that is not part of the cias mandate under any circumstances. The dsa just put out a statement saying it is president obama who deserves the credit for the februarys job the february job number. How much do you feel President Trump should be credited with that and how would you characterize the economy President Trump was handed . Mr. Spicer look, numbers will go up and down. We recognize that. There is no question when you look at the ceos that hire people and the ceos that have been talking about the investment they want to make in america. You can look back over the last several administration. Administrations. I havent seen the number of ceos and businesses talk about the of investments and expansion of investment or hiring based on the vision and agenda of an administration the way they have in this one. It is not just a question of what we believe, i think if you look at the automakers, the other manufacturers, and frankly some of the serviced industries, that have talked about the investments they will make or the continuation of a project they had going or the movement plant a manufacturing or job investment. Those speak for themselves. It isnt a question of what we believe, but the commitment u. S. Manufacturers and businesses are making because they want to buy into the president s agenda and vision for creating more tax and regulatory business friendly environment to grow here. Those speak for themselves. Reporter do you believe the policies have already had an impact . Mr. Spicer absolutely. Look at the confidence indexes. The stock market has generated over 3 billion of additional wealth since he was elected. There are several Economic Indicators that show signs of strength because of the president s vision and agenda. That is a secret. You talk to economists and Business Leaders, a have confidence in the president s agenda that it will yield for a more favorable Business Climate to hire more americans, expand the manufacturing base, because more competitive aro