We have the support of all the republicans because well have no support from the democrats or almost no support because they have really become just obstructionists. They have no good policies. And frankly, they are not good politicians but they are very good obstructionists. And thats what they do well, obstruct. The number of nominees that i have approved by the democrats are about half of what president obama had. And when you look at that, and you can look at judicial appointments, look how slow thats going, ill have 145 ultimately, which is a tremendous number. Well have 17 court of appeals, but theyre not getting approved, theyre being slowwalked by schumer and the group of democrats that really, its really disgraceful. Even people that they know, theyre going to approve, they take it right out to the end. They use every single minute. And i think its a very disgraceful situation. But obamacare is everything but dead. The people arent going to take it. Theyre not going to take it, alaska, they had over 200 increases and in arizona they were 116 . And i hear going up even higher. And the people arent going to take that any longer. So we are in great shape. I think we have the votes. And well be doing that right after the largest tax cuts in the history of our country are approved. Hopefully sometime in the very near future. Reporter so is Graham Cassidy still the plan, anywhere. Essentially, yes, block grants. Reporter with respect to the president , you said the potential for a donald trump presidency, quote, i hope we will not face this evil. And im wondering if after spending time with the president you have changed your mind or if you are of the same mind . I wish i knew that before my speech. Translator the meeting i had with the president , his approach and the way he addresses the u. S. Is a very strong power. And their ability to intervene for good are very, very important. I want to confirm that the meeting that we had was very productive. Not a moment did i feel threatened at any time. I saw that there is a very fertile outlook here. In order to set aside any differences we may have to find the Common Ground, the Common Ground which is really important for the relationship between the two, our two peoples that are traditional and historical. And for our common objectives. We need common values. We have common values, excuse me, dont forget that. The value of democracy and freedom was born of increase. And thats one of the values that traverses American Culture and american tradition. The president today of the u. S. Is continues this tradition. And i think our collaboration will be very substantial. And im very optimistic after the meeting we had today. I might just add that a number of countries were a little bit nervous at the beginning, and i have very good relationships with the leaders of virtually every country i have dealt with, but the reason they were concerned is because i will not allow our country, the United States of america, to be taken advantage of by so many other countries all over the world f. You lo world. If you look at our trade deficits, our massive trait deficits with every country. And you look at the jobs going out to certain countries, and the companies are leaving and firing the people and the product is made elsewhere, and then it sold back to the United States, im not going to be allowing that. So i can understand how certain countries and the leaders of concern counted countries may feel. But we are not going to allow the United States to be taken advantage of by other countries. And theres nothing we can do about that. Thank you. Okay, you have a question. Reporter in meeting with the greek republic today, mr. Prime minister, how do you plan to provide for Foreign Investments in greece . And based on the tax that greece is making to bureaucracy and taxation in order to ensure investors around the world that greece is strengthen for business. And mr. President , why would you encourage the u. S. Companies to invest in greece . And how can the u. S. Support the greek efforts to fully turn the page, attract investments and manage it . Thank you. Translator first of all, this is one thing is to intervene legislatively to attract investment. And its different to work on a daily basis to implement these intentions in a stable environment. We opted to conflict with the basic illnesses of greek public administrati administration. And to create a friendly environment for foreign investment. Because our investment means jobs, and jobs means less unemployment and it means return of young people that have left greece, educated greeks that have left greece to go out of the country and to come back to greece. So what did we do . We passed a law in parliament that provides a stable tax environme environment, a fixed tax rate for 12 years for investments of high value. We simplified the procedures to provide licenses to investments. We introduced the fast track process for strategic investments. And we also made significant change to hit and combat bureaucracy through dangigitize procedures in Public Administration and our vision is to have a digital Public Administration that we really want to make practice. I personally have created a task force in the Prime Minister office for investments. So we can see whether laws are being implemented, whether there is effectiveness, and we are sending out a strong signal of political will to promote these projects. The president asked me earlier what is happening with the old airport. Where years ago he himself as a businessman in the past was interested in it. And he saw himself the weaknesses of dealing with greek Public Administration. I informed him it is moving on, it is moving along and very soon well see this area being formed to a very, very large real estate project in greece, which will be, we are hoping that it will be an attraction for other investments from abroad. I would like to also say that greece for the first time from the last country is the first country in absorbing european funds in Investment Capital from european structural funds. So we are finding ourselves at a turning point, a point where investments can provide the ability to exit finally the crisis and the message that i want to pass on to u. S. Investments is not that greece is just a tourist atrack in the world, but it is also an investment attraction and investment destination as well. I can say that we have a great confidence in greece. I think its a land of tremendous potential. I know many people are looking to invest in greece. A lot of the problems are behind it. They have had some very good leadership. They have really done a lot of, they have made a lot of difficult decisions. We are helping, as you know, with a massive renovation of their air force and also of airplanes generally going to greece. They are looking at buying additional planes from boeing. And we are helping, we are very much involved with greece and with helping greece get back on its feet. We have a tremendous greek population in this country. People whose heritage is greece. And we love that country, its a special country, one of the most beautiful countries in the world. So i think its got great potential. And we are helping it along. Okay, jennifer, you want to go . Reporter thank you, mr. President. Sure. Reporter i have a question for both of you, but let me start with you, mr. President. Let me give you a quick question about the federal reserve. Do you have any other candidates that youre looking at other than powell, yellen, the five that have already been named . Are you looking at anyone besides those folks . I would say within those five youll be getting the answer. And ill be making the decision over the next fairly short period of time. Reporter can you say who is your favorite at this time . Honestly, i like them all. I do, i have a Great Respect for all of them. But ill make a decision over the next very short period of time. Reporter can i ask you a quick obamacare question, even though john roberts did as well . Sure. Reporter apparently Lamar Alexander said he made a decision with patty murray to stabilize obamacare. Has the white house been involved in those negotiations . And will you support that deal . Yes, we have been involved. And this is a shortterm deal, because we think ultimately block grants going to the states is going to be the answer, thats a very good solution. We think its going to not only save money but give people much Better Health care with a very, very much smaller premium spike. And you look at whats gone on with that. Also, much lower deductible so they can use it. Lamar has been working very, very hard with the democratic, his colleagues on the other side. And patty murray is one of them, in particular. And theyre coming up and theyre fairly close to a shortterm solution. The solution will be about a year or two years. And it will get us over this intermediate hump. Because we have, as you probably know, we have the votes or are very close to getting the votes, and well get the votes for having the potential of having Great Health Care in our country. So they are indeed working, but it is a shortterm solution so that we dont have this very dangerous little period, including dangerous period for Insurance Companies, by the way, for a period of one year, two years, well have a very good solution. But were going to have a great solution ultimately for health care. Okay . And they are working together. And i know very much what theyre doing, okay . Thank you. Reporter thank you. And mr. Prime minister, on turkey, do you still regard turkey as a democracy . And should turkey remain a member of nato . Translator i have to say despite our concerns regarding turkey, despite the concerns that are also based on the daily interventi intervention, we continue to support the turkish course towards europe. We respect it as a Regional Power and believe it must stay oriented toward the european perspective, stay oriented to its collaboration with the west, and or stay oriented to nato. With ebelieve that the european outlook and perspective of turkey can also be a lever of pressure so that there is we can have those reforms toward the democratization of the domestic of the country. So my answer to your question is relatively easy. Yes, we do believe that turkey must remain within nato. And its european course. But on the other side, we have to ensure, and we want to make it clear to this ally of ours and to its government, that the road to europe and this day and the collaboration with the west, brings with it certain conditions and responsibilities. One of the most necessary conditions is to respect international law, to collaborate and not promote tension with allied countries such as greece. This is our basic direction. And i do believe, i had the opportunity to go in detail on this matter with President Trump, to explaining the need for the fulfillment of these conditions so there are clear messages. Also, toward the turkish administration. Reporter thank you. Mr. Prime minister, how do you us greeks like to hear about the deal striking the importance of greece in the region, what is your government planning to do to enhance this role and for the benefit of the bilateral relationship . And for specifically, are there any plans you have for it . And mr. President , you praised greeces role in nato with the contribution of the bay and within the eastern mediterranean, what is the potential of greece willing a pillar of stability in the region . And what will the u. S. Like to see happening in order for greece to achieve this potential . Thank you. Well, i will start by saying that i think it has a great role in stability in the area. We have a feeling that it will get stronger and strong er, a very stable people has the potential, once it gets over this tremendous financial hurdle that its in the process of working out, we think that there will be great stability in greece. And militarily and in every way we look at it as very important and very important to the United States. We have great confidence in greece as a nation. We have great confidence in what theyre doing relative to the military, because i know they have plans to do some terrific things. And we know they will be an ally for many, many years to come. You know, they have always been a very tree liabreliable ally. And we have always been reliable to them. So we look forward to that for many years. We are going to be friends for many, many years. And stability is very important. And we look upon that with respect to greece as being a key. Okay . Thank you. Translator in regards to the initiatives of growth to be taken and also regarding the initiatives that we have taken to broaden the strategic role of greece as reliable partner, both to the eu and nato, i would like to say that from the first mome moment, we took over the administration, we moved, we proceeded to a new dogma. But it was basically to enhance the role of greece as a country that is a pillar of safe security and stability in a very sensitive and unstable area of the region. We enhanced the collaboration with two significant partners in the area of egypt and israel. And with greece, cypress and israel and with other countries in the area such as jordan, lebanon. Our goal is that through these multilateral collaborations to ensure the collaboration, stability, peace and joint growth in this area. Of course, greece, for a number of years, has been playing as underlined earlier, it plays a very Important Role of reliable ally of the u. S. But it also has a unique different feature. Greece may be talking with the arab world with other countries in the east, so it is not just a nato member, its a useful ally for the United States of america. Now, in regards to crete and suda bay, we all know it is a special strategic importance, and we evaluated it, jointly evaluated it, and i think we are doing good work there. And it can and it must be upgraded, enhanced. Thank you to the Prime Minister. He said, this is so beautiful. And i said, this is the rose garden. And i think even the media likes the rose garden. Thats hard to believe, but even the media likes it. Mr. Prime minister, its been a great honor having you, and we look forward to many, many years of friendship, working together, and keep up the good work. Thank you very much. Thank you very much. [ applause ] the president of the United States and the Prime Minister of greece wrapping up a press conference at the rose garden at the white house. As they wrapped up, we just got word that there is a deal in principle that will allow the Obamacare Health care subsidize to Insurance Companies to continue. The chairman of the House CommitteeLamar Alexander, the ranking democrat, patty murray, their aides tell cnn theres an agreement in principle. And we just heard moments ago from President Trump say he would support this deal. He said, it would be a shortterm, for a short period of time, this deal would be for two years, but it in effect reverses the e tdecision he mad last friday to reverse subsidize to Insurance Companies because he said the companies were making too much money. Lots to assess as a result of this News Conference, but this is a Significant Development right now, gloria. Bipartisan cooperation, a republican and a democrat working together forging this tentative deal. But just step back for a moment, look at the larger picture. The president says hes going to end the subsidize. End the subsidize and gets a lot of blowblack on it. In fact, a lot of people who would be affected, if you end these subsidize, are people at the lower end of the economic scale, many of them trump voters, and he takes the political tax saying, it was just the Insurance Companies were getting too much money. Fast forward the republicans and democrats are trying to stop this from happening led by the two senators say they have come up with this in principle, now they still have to get cosponsors, but the president today says, okay, thats fine. After he said that the Insurance Companies profits were up too much, et cetera, etc. Then in the end, he said theyll have the votes for his version of health care reform, what is called Graham Cassidy. In fact, they dont have the votes for it yet. And we all know that. Jeff zeleny is our chief white house correspondent. Hes there for us. Jeff, the president keeps saying he has the votes for what he wants, he clearly doesnt have the votes. If he had the votes, they would have passed the legislation. Didnt have the votes, still doesnt have the votes, thats why presumably hes made this major decision to support at least for the next two years what this compromise Lamar Alexander and patty murray legislation is all about. Reporter thats right, they do not have the votes. The republicans do not have the votes on their side of the senate or they would have passed it and moved it through. We, of course, know the house supported this version of health care, the senate did not. But by the president saying that he supported this shortterm deal in principle between democrats and republicans, its certainly a sign that he wants to move forward with this. He wants to get something done in health care. But wolf, its so interesting here, he say os obamacare is dead, its not coming back. The reality and worry here among the president s advisers is he will own the collapse of health care. Thats something hes not eager to own in its entirety. Hes blaming it on the predecessor, the obamacare legislature, but the reality is he and the republicans contr