James S. Brady Press Briefing Room
ROBERT GIBBS: Let me -- before I take a few questions, obviously, let me just -- you all saw the President's statement on the tragedy in Buffalo. Secretary LaHood, obviously, has been involved in what's going on. I spoke about an hour ago with folks at NTSB and FAA. They have 18 people -- NTSB has 18 people on the ground investigating the situation. And as they told us on the call, that the flight data recorder and the cockpit voice recorder, as you know, have been recovered and are back in Washington.
The President learned of the accident last night after we returned from Springfield. So his thoughts and prayers are obviously with the families that have been affected by this. You saw the President's statement this morning about how fragile life is, based on one of the victims being at the White House just one week ago.
So with that, let me take a few questions. Yes, ma'am.
[REPORTER]: Thank you, Robert. I want to take just a quick look at the Gregg development yesterday. I understand that it was his decision, the position of the White House that he was not pushed from here to make a decision in any way --
GIBBS: I think that's Gregg's position, too, to be fair to him.
[REPORTER]: But just taking a look at all this broadly, obviously all the circumstances of these personnel problems have been different in each case. But is there a sense that the White House is not thinking hard enough about each person and what the potential problems might be and how big those problems might get? I mean, what is -- what is the thinking here about how you could do these things better, so that you don't have people drop out and cause embarrassment?
GIBBS: Well, I think -- well, I guess without generalizing, I think you'd have to look at many individual situations. Taking, for instance, Senator Gregg, I think you saw President Obama's comments last night on Air Force One. He continues to have great respect and admiration for Senator Gregg. Clearly, he -- and I think he said this himself yesterday -- had a change of heart, a change of mind, that he's always been somebody known for independence and probably would have a hard time serving on any Cabinet.
But I guess it's hard to generalize about individual circumstances that lead people to make a decision, but then ultimately change their mind.
[REPORTER]: Well, clearly, you guys don't want these developments to happen and to keep happening. What can you do to --
GIBBS: I mean, I think the President certainly was disappointed. But I think the President remains focused on the work that he has in front of him, which, as you guys know and as we discuss here each day, there's a lot on his plate. But I think the progress that we've shown on our agenda I think bodes well for getting our economy moving again and bodes well for the American people. I think ultimately the test of the American people is what are you doing to make our lives better.
I think we're on the cusp of some big developments as it relates to that -- a nearly $800 billion recovery plan that we think will save or create 3.5 million jobs and move the economy in the right direction; a tax cut for 95 percent of working families, which the President campaigned on; doubling our renewable energy generating capacity over the course of three years, doing it in a transparent way without pet projects. You can go on and on.
I think without sort of generalizing about individual cases, I think the -- I think people will take the long view and see that in a short period of time this administration has made great progress. Lots of work continues and lots of challenges are ahead, but that's what the President is focused on -- not looking backward, but looking forward.
Caren.
[REPORTER]: Robert, I have a question about the plan to stem mortgage foreclosures. There are reports that you're working on a plan that would involve subsidizing distressed borrowers. Can you comment on any of those details? Like can you say when that plan is going to be ready? And I also wanted to ask about the bank rescue plan. There seems to be a belief on Wall Street that you're going to go back to the drawing board and maybe offer some more of the details that people felt weren't there in the original Geithner announcement.
GIBBS: Well, let me take the first part. I should just start the week ahead, right, just at the beginning of these briefings, rather than --
[REPORTER]: Sure.
GIBBS: I can -- you all seem perched at the edge of your collective seats. The President --
[REPORTER]: It's Friday.
GIBBS: Do what?
[REPORTER]: It's Friday.