On 8/24/2022, during press conference, a reporter asked White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, “I would just — I’m not asking you to comment on the Justice Department’s investigation. I’m asking you whether there is an assessment going on to just understand just what’s — what, if any, damage has been done to protect American national security interests?”
Jean-Pierre: Yeah, I am answering your question. When it comes to any underlying materials or any conduct — contents of the ongoing investigation, we are just — the independent DOJ investigation — we’re just not going to comment on it.
Reporter: … real quick on the dam- — potential damage assessment related to the documents and ask you — I mean, it sounds like you’re not commenting, period. I mean, is that right? Or are — I’m trying to figure out, like, if there’s a possibility that there is an assessment going on and you’re just not willing to say it or is there no assessment going on.
JEAN-PIERRE: So I cannot comment on — on it at all. I — all I can say is: At this time, when it comes to these underlying materials, when it comes to the contents of the ongoing investigation, this is something that — it is an independent …
Reporter: But it would seem logical that the administration, for national security reasons, …
JEAN-PIERRE: No, I — I — no, I mean, Matt, I get your question. I — I hear it. I get your question. I hear … we just are not going to comment on the contents of the — of this ongoing, independent …
Reporter: My colleagues have made the point — and actually Democratic Congressman Chris Pappas issued a statement — to the effect that this plan regarding college debt doesn’t address the underlying cost of college. So, kind of honing in on a question that my colleagues have asked: Is the President ready to do more when it comes to addressing the underlying and ever-increasing cost of college? Is he willing to work with Congress? Is this something he’s going to address more in the future?
Jean-Pierre: Well, he’s talked about — he’s talked about that in the past, right? He’s talked about what he’s — he wants to make sure that we lower cost — right? — of college for students … Look, the President has done — has done — has taken multiple actions. We’re looking at today’s actions, but if you think about the $32 billion that he was able to do to give debt relief to more than 1.6 million borrowers, that is something that he has done in his — this administration. That is historic. That was a historic effort. This is part of it with the — if you think about the pause, how much that has saved Americans who have not been — who have not had to pay a dollar — you heard that from his speech today — of repayment since — since he’s got into office, which started before this President. This President just continued the efforts.
Reporter: … So why can’t the administration negotiate with banks, who makes billions of dollars in profit, to make sure that student loans are interest free or subsidized? I mean, most of us who are parents can barely send one or two kids to college in America.
Jean-Pierre: Look, the President himself put three kids through college — undergrad and graduate school. So he understands … We’ve taken — the President has taken other approach — historic approaches, when you look at, again, the $32 billion that he was able to cancel — that debt — for 1.6 million borrowers. That matters. We’ve not seen that. When you think about the historical Black colleges and universities, he has historically invested — provided $6 billion. No other President has done that amount before. So, look, the President is going to look — is going to continue to look for ways to help out …
Reporter: — which is: I do know that there have been concerns that that the plan could be struck down in court. This is even something that the centrist Democratic think tank Third Way came out saying. And my question is: For you all, what preparation is there into thinking people will apply for this program and they could be stuck in some legal limbo?
Jean-Pierre: Well, look — and Ambassador Rice talked about this — that this is what we — the legal authority that we took is pretty much consistent with the HEROES Act — right? — which is what she talked about, which authorizes the Secretary of Education to take certain actions … So that is the act — that is the legal authority that was given to the Secretary of Education to do this. We are confident in that legal authority.
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WH: No comment on DOJ docs assessment; cancel loan legal authority, already given $32B free money & more free in future