Psaki Won’t Pledge Future SCOTUS Pick by Race, Defends $1.3B Chinese Test Contract, Drops “Imminent” for Russia Invasion

On 2/2/2022, Press Secretary Psaki declined to commit to future Supreme Court picks by race when asked if Biden would pledge to nominate an Asian American or LGBTQ justice. She defended a $1.3 billion Pentagon contract with a Chinese company to supply COVID tests that would arrive at American homes marked “Made in China.” Psaki also acknowledged the White House had stopped using the word “imminent” for a Russian invasion of Ukraine because it “sent a message that we weren’t intending to send,” and mocked Florida Republicans for complaining about infrastructure funding after voting against the bill.

No Future Race Pledges

A reporter asked whether Biden would make similar race-based commitments for future Supreme Court vacancies. “There’s never been an Asian American justice or an LGBTQ justice. Will he make a similar pledge?” the reporter asked.

“I don’t have any new pledges to announce for you,” Psaki said, “but I think I would point you to his record, which speaks to his commitment to ensuring the court is more diverse.”

The question highlighted the logical endpoint of Biden’s approach: if selecting by race was appropriate for one vacancy, would it become expected for every vacancy?

$1.3 Billion for Chinese-Made Tests

A reporter raised concerns about a $1.3 billion Pentagon contract with iHealth, owned by Chinese company Andon Health, to supply COVID-19 rapid tests. “The administration concerned about the optics of sending something to Americans’ homes that says ‘Made in China’ at the same time that you consider this to be a positive good for Americans?” the reporter asked.

Psaki acknowledged the source but defended the decision on grounds of necessity. “We needed to meet a need that we had in this country for more tests and a shortage of tests and the understandable demand from people across this country,” she said. “That required us purchasing some of those tests from China in order to meet that demand.”

She added: “That doesn’t change our commitment to increasing our U.S. manufacturing to ensure that we will be able to meet that demand."

"Imminent” Walked Back

In a significant shift, Psaki acknowledged the White House had deliberately stopped describing a Russian invasion of Ukraine as “imminent.” A reporter noted the UN Ambassador had said she would not use the word.

“I used that once. I think others have used that once, and then we stopped using it because I think it sent a message that we weren’t intending to send, which was that we knew that President Putin had made a decision,” Psaki said.

“So you’re not using that word?” the reporter asked.

“I haven’t in over a week,” Psaki confirmed.

$30 Trillion in National Debt

A reporter noted the national debt had passed $30 trillion for the first time. “Does the administration see that as a problem, or do you share the view of some economists that debt doesn’t matter?”

Psaki said Biden was “committed to a sustainable and responsible policy in ensuring that our long-term investments are fully paid for, like Build Back Better.” She then pivoted to blame the Trump administration’s “$1.5 trillion tax cut for wealthy taxpayers.”

Afghanistan: “Still There Six Months Later”

A reporter pressed on Americans and allies still trapped in Afghanistan. “They can’t get to the U.S. because of issues with a special immigrant visa. Does the administration consider it a priority to get these people out? And if so, why are they still there six months later?”

Psaki cited the initial evacuation numbers. “From the beginning, we’ve been able to evacuate more than 120,000 people from Afghanistan — the largest evacuation since the Vietnam War,” she said. She did not directly address why people remained stranded.

Florida Republicans: “Pretty Rich”

Psaki mocked Florida Republicans — including Governor DeSantis and Senators Rubio and Scott — for complaining they were shortchanged on infrastructure funding. “Coming from senators who voted against the bill, does the White House have any response?” a reporter asked.

“It’s pretty rich, isn’t it?” Psaki said. “Even if you vote against it, you still want the money. That speaks to how political a lot of these votes were.”

Senator Lujan’s Stroke

The briefing addressed Senator Ben Ray Lujan’s hospitalization after a stroke, which raised concerns about the 50-50 Senate split. Psaki offered well wishes but noted that “the average age of senators” made health events a risk “on both sides of the aisle.”

Key Takeaways

Psaki declined to pledge future SCOTUS picks by race when asked about Asian American or LGBTQ nominees, saying she had “no new pledges.”
The Pentagon signed a $1.3 billion contract with a Chinese company for COVID tests; Psaki defended it as meeting “a need” despite the optics.
The White House stopped calling a Russian invasion “imminent” because “it sent a message we weren’t intending to send.”
The national debt passed $30 trillion for the first time; Psaki blamed Trump’s tax cuts rather than Biden’s spending.
Psaki called it “pretty rich” that Florida Republicans who voted against the infrastructure bill were complaining their share wasn’t large enough.

Transcript Highlights

The following is transcribed from the video audio (unverified — AI-generated from audio).

There’s never been an Asian American justice or an LGBTQ justice. Will he make a similar pledge? I don’t have any new pledges to announce.
They have signed a $1.3 billion contract with the Pentagon for these tests. We needed to meet a need. That required us purchasing some of those tests from China.
We stopped using “imminent” because it sent a message we weren’t intending to send, which was that we knew Putin had made a decision.
The national debt passed $30 trillion. He’s committed to ensuring our long-term investments are fully paid for, like Build Back Better.
Coming from senators who voted against the bill — it’s pretty rich, isn’t it? Even if you vote against it, you still want the money.
We’ve been able to evacuate more than 120,000 people — the largest evacuation since the Vietnam War.

Full transcript: 940 words transcribed via Whisper AI.