The president took questions from reporters for about an hour.
President Biden on Thursday revealed he plans to seek a second term in the White House in 2024 and he said he expects Vice President Kamala Harris would again be his running mate. Mr. Biden talked about his plans in 2024 in a roughly hourlong press conference, the first of his presidency, where he also announced he would doubling his vaccine goals to 200 million doses in his first 100 days and he will soon be detailing an infrastructure plan. Mr. Biden has not yet filed for reelection, while former President Trump had already done so at this point in his presidency. But the president told CBS News chief White House correspondent Nancy Cordes it is his « plan » to run again. « That is my expectation, » Mr. Biden said, although he added that he doesn’t normally plan that far in advance. The president fielded questions from reporters for roughly an hour on a range of topics, including the ongoing crisis at the U.S.-Mexico border, the legislative filibuster and foreign policy challenges his administration is confronting. At the start of his remarks, Mr. Biden said he is increasing his goal for vaccine doses administered in his first 100 days in office to 200 million. The nation surpassed his initial target of 100 million shot last week, on the 58th day of his presidency. With Mr. Biden’s sweeping $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief package passed by Congress and signed into law, the president revealed the details of his next major initiative, infrastructure, will be announced during a trip to Pittsburgh on March 31. The proposal will address both physical and technological infrastructure, the president said, « so that we can compete and create significant numbers of really good paying jobs. » Mr. Biden said « the future rests » on whether the U.S. has the best airports, ports, railroads and roadways to facilitate business. Mr. Biden was repeatedly pressed on his administration’s plan to address the flood of unaccompanied minors crossing the southern border into the U.S. and whether he favors changes to the legislative filibuster, a rule under which 60 votes are needed to end debate on a measure and move to a final vote. He was not, however, asked about the coronavirus pandemic or the economy. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy responded to Mr. Biden’s comments about migrants coming across the border more in winter by saying the border crisis is not just seasonal. « The border crisis is not just seasonal. CBP is tracking the largest surge in apprehensions in 20 years. Unaccompanied children are piling up in close quarters, » McConnell tweeted. « It turns out when politicians spend a two-year campaign advertising a porous border and amnesty, people listen. » McCarthy, too, criticized Mr. Biden’s remarks on the border. « ‘ It happens every single solitary year,' » McCarthy tweeted, channeling the president. « President Biden claimed the dramatic increase in migrants flooding our southern border is totally normal for this time of year. → FALSE.2015: 24k 2016: 26k 2017: 18k 2018: 26k 2019: 66k 2020: 30k 2021: More than 100k. » The president’s first press conference ended with no questions about COVID-19, the economy or jobs, even as many of those issues are top of mind for many Americans. The unemployment rate is still above 6%, which doesn’t account for those who have dropped out of the workforce because they can’t find work or to care for children. Still, no reporters asked about jobless claims, the struggling economy, and the health implications of the pandemic, even though Mr. Biden announced a new goal for COVID-19 vaccinations in his first 100 days. Mr. Biden said he will announce details of a major infrastructure initiative in Pittsburgh, saying a « majority of the American people » are disappointed with U.S. infrastructure now. The White House said he will be traveling to Pittsburgh on March 31. « The next major initiative is — and I’ll be announcing it Friday in Pittsburgh in detail — is to rebuild the infrastructure both physical and technological infrastructure of this country so that we can compete and create significant numbers of really good paying jobs, » the president said. President Biden says he will announce details of a major infrastructure initiative in Pittsburgh on Friday, believing « a majority of the American people » are disappointed with U.S. infrastructure now https://t.co/En0Jq7Xzd0 pic.twitter.com/pZeDsVDA7g It remains to be seen how large the president’s infrastructure proposal will be. White House press secretary Jen Psaki has thus far declined to reveal any details. An infrastructure proposal is one thing Republicans and Democrats might be able to work together on, although many Republicans are unlikely to be inclined to view a massive infrastructure package favorably. Mr. Biden, who said Chinese President Xi Jinping doesn’t have a democratic « bone in his body, » said future nations will be writing their thesis papers on who won — « autocracy or democracy. » The president said he won’t let China win the race with the U.S. on his watch, and noted that Russia isn’t trying communism any longer. But the future will tell the story of whether democratic nations win, or autocrats win. « That’s what’s at stake here. We’ve got to prove democracy works, » he said. Mr. Biden noted that China is investing three times as much in infrastructure as the U.S. is, noting the dilapidated state of much of the United States’ infrastructure — failing bridges and crumbling roads. « If you think about it, it’s the place where we will be able to significantly increase American productivity, at the same time, providing really good jobs for people. But we can’t build back to what they used to be, » he said, pointing to damage he said was caused by climate change. Mr. Biden slammed efforts by Republicans in state legislatures to pass new rules that will restrict access to voting, calling the initiative « un-American » and « sick. » More than 250 bills have been introduced in 43 states that would make it more difficult to vote, according to the Brennan Center for Justice. « This makes Jim Crow look like Jim Eagle, » Mr. Biden said in response to a question from CBS News’ chief White House correspondent Nancy Cordes. « This is gigantic, what they’re trying to do, and it cannot be sustained. » The president said even Republican voters find the efforts by GOP state lawmakers « despicable » and pledged to « do everything in my power to keep that from becoming law. » Pressed further on his views about the Senate filibuster, Mr. Biden said he agreed with former President Barack Obama, who said at the funeral of the late civil rights icon John Lewis the filibuster was a « relic of the Jim Crow-era.
