EXCERPT:
JEAN-PIERRE: “Today is the 537th briefing of the Biden-Harris Administration. This is my 306th briefing and the final briefing of the administration. Before I get to all your questions, I just want to say a few things and also just give out a few thank-yous, if that’s OK. So, we had the first briefing of this administration on Inauguration Day because President Joe Biden wanted to make clear the importance of daily press briefings and the vital role that the press plays in our democracy. President Biden believed in returning the norm of regular briefings and communicating to all of you and the American people about what we are doing and why it was important. The president and all of us in this administration understand that a free press is a cornerstone of our nation and that the job you do, questioning leaders and holding the powerful accountable, is important.”