Remarks by the President at Campaign Event

Private Residence
Seattle, Washington
 

2:41 P.M. PST

THE PRESIDENT:  That was a one-time affair.  The fewer the shows, the higher the admission.  (Laughter.)

But, first of all, I just want to thank Jeff and Susan for opening up their extraordinary home.  (Applause.)  We're thrilled to be here.  It is wonderful to be back in the Pacific Northwest. I was reminding some folks who may not know, I've got Seattle roots -- my mother went to Puget Sound High School --

AUDIENCE:  Mercer Island --

THE PRESIDENT:  They lived in Puget Sound and went to Mercer Island High School.  Some of you did not know this.  But that's why I love this place, every time I come up.

So many of you have been extraordinary friends in the past. More importantly, so many of you have done such important philanthropic work and charitable work -- that in some ways, you guys just feel like a bunch of old friends, and I don't want to spend too much time giving a long speech at the front end.  I want to spend more of our time in discussion.  But maybe what I can do is give you a sense of where I think the country is right and give you a sense of where we need to go over the next five years.  

We've obviously gone through the toughest three years in my lifetime -- the toughest three years economically since the Great Depression.  The month I was sworn in we were losing 750,000 jobs a month.  We had lost 4 million jobs in the six months before I was sworn into office.  We would lose another 4 million in the six months after I was sworn in, before our economic policies had a chance to take effect.  The housing market was decimated.  People lost jobs.  They saw their homes underwater, in some cases, hundreds of thousands of dollars where they would never probably recover all the equity in their homes. 

And so there has obviously been a lot of pain and a lot of hardship for a lot of families for a long time and that's not over.  There are people in this region of the country like communities all across America that are still hurting, folks who are still looking for work, still struggling to get by, still having a tough time paying the bills.

At the same time, though, what we're starting to see is the incredible resilience of the American people and the American economy.  So this month, we saw 250,000 jobs created.  I'm sure some of it had to do with Microsoft -- (laughter.) That's a million-job swing.  We've now had 23 consecutive months of job growth, about 3.7 million jobs being created, the highest manufacturing job growth since the 1990s.  And you get a sense as you talk to small businesses, large businesses, people across the country, there is a sense that we may have gotten through the heaviest storms.

But what is also true is that when I ran for office in 2008, my goal wasn’t simply to get us back to where we were -- we had decades of challenges that had been accumulating that nobody attended to.  And what I determined was in addition to righting the ship, in addition to making sure we didn’t tip into a Great Depression, that we stayed focused on those things that are going to ensure that this country is competitive, but that it is also a country where no matter what you look like, no matter where you come from, you can still make it if you try -- that that central American promise that’s based on everybody getting a fair shot, everybody doing their fair share, and all of us playing by the same set of rules -- that we had to rebuild that foundation for an economy that was built to last.

And so even as we were working to stem a crisis, we were still focused on some long-term issues.  Health care -- the fact that we spent 17 percent of our GDP on health care -- every other advanced industrial country spends 11 percent on average and gets better outcomes -- was unsustainable.  And so as difficult as it was, we pushed through reforms that not only are going to give 30 million people without health insurance health insurance; that not only are currently providing 2.6 million young people health insurance because they can stay on their parent’s plans, but that promises actually to start bending the cost curve because we’ve changed delivery systems and we changed incentives within this incredibly complicated piece of our economy in a way that will save businesses and families and ultimately both federal and state governments a whole lot of money, and make us better equipped to meet the challenges of the 21st century.

Education -- we said that we keep on issuing reports and talking about how important it is, and every President is the education President, but we don’t seem to make real progress, partly because there was an ideological division between Democrats and Republicans -- Republicans saying the public schools don’t work and teachers unions are the problem and let’s tear them down; and Democrats saying the only problem is not enough money, but we don’t want to initiate real changes. 

And what we were able to do was to break through that logjam.  Through programs like Race to the Top, we now have a situation where we’re putting more money into education, but we’re also asking for accountability.  We’re saying more resources and more reform; that we are going to respect, in fact elevate teachers, because the single-most important criteria for whether our kids succeed is that person standing in front of the classroom -- and we’re going to give them more flexibility, make sure they don’t teach to the test, so that they can teach with creativity and passion, but we’re also going to insist on greater accountability and high standards, because that’s the only way we’re going to succeed.

And then we said it’s not going to be enough if they just graduate from high school.  So even though we got 40 states to initiate K-12 reform, we said we've got to do more with community colleges and higher education.  And the biggest barrier, in addition to performance in K-12, is financial.  And so we took $60 billion that was being funneled to banks to manage to student loans programs, and we said, you know what, let’s cut out the middleman and take that $60 billion, and now millions of kids all across the country are able to afford college that they couldn’t afford before.

And we said, let’s stop -- let’s not stop there.  We need more scientists and mathematicians and engineers.  This group knows a little something about that.  And so working not only in the public sector but the private sector, we’ve initiated a whole range of programs to start elevating and lifting up the importance of STEM education, and redesigning how it’s taught so that my daughters are starting to get interested in math and science early.  We’re not waiting until it’s too late.

Well, we still had to do something about energy.  And although we were not able to get, at this stage, the kind of climate legislation that I think is ultimately going to be necessary, we were able, without a lot of fanfare, to initiate the most significant environmental legislation probably since the Clean Air Act by doubling fuel-efficiency standards on cars and trucks and heavy trucks, which is not only good for our environment, but good for our economy. 

And what we've also started to say is, is that we've got to have an even bolder program to get the low-hanging fruit when it comes to our energy challenges, and that’s making everything more energy efficient.  If we had the energy efficiency that exists in Japan right now, we would lower our energy consumption by 20 percent.  It's remarkable.  It's doable.  It doesn’t require new technologies. 

Ultimately, Bill Gates is right -- what we need to actually solve the problem is a massive technological breakthrough.  But for us to spend the next 10, 20 years focused on what we know we can do right now, even as we're investing in the basic research, is critical.

And then we said, on the international front, if we're going to adapt to a changing world, we're going to have to wind down one war that probably should not have been fought in the first place.  We've got to transition another war so that Afghans start taking more responsibility, and we have to stay focused on the folks who actually did us harm.  And as difficult as that’s been over the last three years, we were able to effectuate the plan and the promise that I made back in 2008.

Across the board, we have made tough decisions -- whether it's saving the auto industry, or making sure that we have a health care system that actually works for our economy.  And there have been times, let's face it, during the last three years, where some of you have said, hmm, I'm not sure it's working out.  But what we've always been convinced of, what I've always been convinced of, is that if we sustain this effort, even in the face of huge political obstacles, that, eventually, not only would the economy come back, but eventually our politics would align with common sense and our traditions of hard work and mutual responsibility -- the basic idea that, yes, we're rugged individualists and we're entrepreneurs, and we focus on what we can accomplish on our own, and we don’t ask for handouts or expect anybody to do anything for us, but we're also part of something bigger -- part of neighborhoods and communities, and a United States of America, and that if we keep that in mind, then there's nothing we can't accomplish.

Now, this election is not going to be as sexy as 2008.  (Laughter.)  You know, my hair is grayer.  I've got little dings and bruises -- although you're right, I can still sing.  (Laughter.)  It's not going to be as new as it was in 2008.  But I have to tell you, the stakes are so much higher, in some ways.

I think in 2008, everybody recognized, there was unanimity that change had to happen.  And frankly, I think that I had a very capable Democratic opponent who also could have won.  In this situation, we’ve got fundamentally different visions about the direction where our country is going -- fundamentally different visions between us and the [other] party's.  Never has it been as probably as stark, in my lifetime, as it is now.  Because on every single issue, you’ve got a party that says they are not willing to balance our budget, even if you’ve got a 10 to 1 deal, spending cuts to tax increases. 

We’ve got a party that denies climate change even exists rather than debates how do we best address it.  We’ve got a party that, when it comes to foreign policy, seems to only talk about military adventures and never seems to talk about how can we create a diplomatic climate that allows the world to organize itself to ensure mutual security and prosperity. 

Across the board, I have not seen in my lifetime as stark a choice as we’ve got in 2012.  And that means we’re going to have to work harder this time than we did last time.  If you agree with Mr. Gates here, who’s spoken so eloquently about the fact that we’ve got to have a balanced approach to how we reduce our deficits, well, this is for all the marbles right here.  Because the Bush tax cuts are going to expire at the end of this year and whoever is the President is going to shape what our tax policy is, and how we reduce our deficits and how we maintain fiscal stability for the next 20, 30 years. 

And unless you think that it makes sense for us to cut basic research by 35 percent, and education support from the federal government by 35 percent, and add about $6,000 of additional costs on every senior, whether they can afford it or not, for Medicare and Medicaid, then this election is going to require a lot of work.

I’m optimistic that the American people want common sense.  I’m optimistic that the American people want balance.  I’m optimistic the American people don’t want to just think about the next election -- they want us to think about the next generation. But we’re going to have to fight for that.  And I have to tell you that it is true I look a little older, but in some ways my determination is even greater now than it was in 2008. 

One of the great things about occupying this job is that every single day, you’re wrestling with these enormous, sometimes seemingly insoluble problems -- right?  Nothing hits my desk if it was easy to solve because then somebody else would have solved it.  (Laughter.)  But in addition to just being fascinating, what’s also amazing about this job is you’re able to see sort of the spectrum of American life. 

There’s not an inch of this country that I haven’t seen.  There’s not a group of people I haven’t talked to.  And that’s an enormous source of inspiration and optimism.  We’ve got really good people and we have to make sure that we’ve got a government that is reflective of their core decency.  That’s what we’re fighting for -- that’s what this is all about.  And the fact that you’re joining me here today is just one more reason why I feel encouraged.  So let me stop there. 

Thank you.  (Applause.)

END                                                     
2:57 P.M. PST

President Obama Announces More Key Administration Posts

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, President Barack Obama announced his intent to nominate the following individuals to key Administration posts:

• Makila James – Ambassador to the Kingdom of Swaziland, Department of State
• Richard Norland – Ambassador to Georgia, Department of State
• Carlos Pascual – Assistant Secretary for Energy Resources, Department of State
• Mark A. Pekala – Ambassador to the Republic of Latvia, Department of State

The President also announced his intent to appoint the following individuals to key Administration posts

• David C. Lizárraga – Member, Community Development Advisory Board
• Ron Phillips – Member, Community Development Advisory Board
• Charles Shively - United States Alternate Commissioner, Kansas-Oklahoma Arkansas River Commission
• Earnie Gilder – United States Commissioner, Kansas-Oklahoma Arkansas River Commission
• Gary W. Loveman – Member, President’s Export Council
• Denise Morrison – Member, President’s Export Council
• Amy Gutmann – Chair, Presidential Commission for the Study of Bioethical Issues
• James W. Wagner –Vice Chair, Presidential Commission for the Study of Bioethical Issues
• David Strauss –Chairman, Advisory Committee to the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation

President Obama said, “I am grateful that these impressive individuals have chosen to dedicate their talents to serving the American people at this important time for our country.  I look forward to working with them in the months and years ahead.”

President Obama announced his intent to nominate the following individuals to key Administration posts:

Makila James, Nominee for Ambassador to the Kingdom of Swaziland, Department of State
Makila James, a career member of the Senior Foreign Service, currently serves as the Director of the Office of Caribbean Affairs at the Department of State.  From 2007 to 2009, she was the Deputy Director of the Office of Southern African Affairs.  From 2006 to 2007, she was the Principal Officer of the Consulate General in Juba.  Previously, Ms. James was a member of the State Department’s Policy Planning Staff from 2003 to 2006.  Other positions in Washington include: Research Fellow at the Georgetown University Institute for the Study of Diplomacy; International Relations Officer in the Office of International Organization Affairs; Desk Officer in the Office of West African Affairs; and Watch Officer at the Operations Center. Overseas assignments include: Political Officer in Zimbabwe; Political/Economics Officer in Nigeria; and Consular Officer in Jamaica.  Ms. James received a B.A. from Cornell University, a Masters in National Security Studies from the National Defense University, and a J.D. from Columbia University Law School.

Ambassador Richard Norland, Nominee for Ambassador to Georgia, Department of State
Ambassador Richard Norland, a career member of the Senior Foreign Service, serves as the International Affairs Advisor and Deputy Commandant at the National War College.  From September 2007 to July 2010, he was U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Uzbekistan.  Prior to which, he served for two years as Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan.  Additional overseas assignments have included: Deputy Chief of Mission in Riga, Latvia; Diplomat with the U.S. Army Civil Affairs team in Mazar-e-Sharif, Afghanistan; Political Counselor at the U.S. Embassy in Dublin; and Political Officer at the U.S. Embassy in Moscow.  He was Director for European Affairs on the National Security Council for two years during the Clinton and Bush administrations.  Ambassador Norland has a B.S. from Georgetown University School of Foreign Service and master's degrees from Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies and National War College.

Ambassador Carlos Pascual, Nominee for Assistant Secretary for Energy Resources, Department of State
Ambassador Carlos Pascual has served as Special Envoy and Coordinator for International Energy Affairs since May 2011.  From 2009 to 2011, he was U.S. Ambassador to Mexico.  Previously, from 2006 to 2009, he was Vice President and Director of the Foreign Policy Studies Program at the Brookings Institution.  Prior to joining Brookings, Ambassador Pascual served as the Coordinator for Reconstruction and Stabilization at the Department of State from 2004 to 2006.  From 2003 to 2004, he was Coordinator for U.S. Assistance to Europe and Eurasia.  Ambassador Pascual served as the U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine from 2000 to 2003.  From 1998 to 2000, he was Special Assistant to the President and National Security Council (NSC) Senior Director for Russia, Ukraine, and Eurasia.  He previously served as the NSC Director for the same region from 1995 to 1998.  Before joining the NSC, Ambassador Pascual was the United States Aid for International Development (USAID) Deputy Assistant Administrator Europe and Eurasia.  He previously served with USAID in Sudan, South Africa and Mozambique.  Ambassador Pascual received his M.P.P. from the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University and his B.A. from Stanford University.

Mark A. Pekala, Nominee for Ambassador to the Republic of Latvia, Department of State
Mark A. Pekala, a career member of the Senior Foreign Service, is currently the Director of the Entry-Level Division in the Bureau of Human Resources.  Previously, he served as the Deputy Chief of Mission in France (2007-2010), Deputy Assistant Secretary of State in the Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs (2005-2007), and the Deputy Chief of Mission in Estonia (2002-2005).  In 2001, Mr. Pekala was Director for Russian Affairs for the National Security Council.  Mr. Pekala’s previous Washington posts have included: Senior Watch Officer in the Department of State Operations Center; Special Assistant to the Ambassador-at-Large for the New Independent States; and Russia Desk Officer.  Additional overseas assignments have included: First Secretary to the U.S. Mission to NATO in Belgium; Political Officer in Azerbaijan; and a Consular Officer in Poland.  Mr. Pekala received a B.A. from the University of Michigan, an M.I.A. from Columbia University, and an M.Phil. from Columbia University.

President Obama also announced his intent to appoint the following individuals to key Administration posts:

David C. Lizárraga, Appointee for Member, Community Development Advisory Board
David C. Lizárraga is the President and CEO of the community development corporation TELACU/Millenium. He also serves as Chairman of the Board at Community Commerce Bank and is a member of the Minority Business Roundtable. Mr. Lizárraga is the immediate past Chairman of the United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and has served on a number of other boards, including the Congressional Hispanic Caucus’ Corporate America Task Force, Wells Fargo’s Community Development Enterprise, and Bank of America’s National Community Advisory Council. Prior to joining TELACU in 1973, Mr. Lizárraga founded Casa Maravilla in Los Angeles, California where he worked as Executive Director, and before that, as Area Coordinator of the Teen Post Program, also in Los Angeles.  He is the recipient of numerous awards, including the California Hispanic Chambers of Commerce Chairwoman's Award, the U.S. Small Business Administration's Minority Small Business Advocate of the Year Award, and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People's Thurgood Marshall Award.  Mr. Lizárraga received an honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters degree from the California State University at Los Angeles.

Ron Phillips, Appointee for Member, Community Development Advisory Board
Ron Phillips is the President and CEO of Coastal Enterprises (CEI), a primarily rural nonprofit community development corporation and community development financial institution he founded in 1977. Prior to that, Mr. Phillips worked for the National Council of Churches’ Corporate Information Center and Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility, and the United Methodist Church’s Mission at the United Nations on economic development policy issues from 1969 to 1974.  Currently, he serves on the Board of Directors of the national Local Initiatives Support Corporation and its Rural Advisory Board.  He previously served on the Federal Reserve Board of Governors Consumer Advisory Council and was a member of the Opportunity Finance Network, The Coalition of Community Development Financial Institutions, the Association for Enterprise Opportunity, Keybank’s National Community Development Advisory Board, the Maine Small Business Advisory Council, and the National Congress for Community Economic Development.  Mr. Phillips was also a founding member in 1998 of the New Markets Tax Credit Coalition, where he is currently on the Executive Committee and served as President from 2008 to 2010.  He received his M.Div. from Union Theological Seminary and his B.A. from Boston University.

Charles Shively, Appointee for United States Alternate Commissioner, Kansas-Oklahoma Arkansas River Commission
Charles Shively is the Director of Public Works for the City of Coffeyville, Kansas, a position he has held since 2004.  During his thirty year tenure at the City of Coffeyville, Kansas, he has served as Director of Water & Wastewater Utilities; Assistant City Engineer; Superintendent of Engineering; and CAD Operator and Draftsman.  He is a member of the American Water Works Association, the Kansas Rural Water Association, and the Kansas Water Environment Association.  Mr. Shively received an A.A. and an A.A.S. degree from Coffeyville Community College, an A.A.S. in Environmental Water Technology from Fort Scott Community College, and a B.S. in Engineering Technology from Pittsburgh State University.

Earnie Gilder, Appointee for United States Commissioner, Kansas-Oklahoma Arkansas River Commission
Earnie Gilder is the President of Interstate Properties, Inc., a position he has held since 1978, and the United States Alternate Commissioner to the Kansas-Oklahoma Arkansas River Commission, having been appointed in 2003.  Mr. Gilder is a Certified International Property Specialist and has been a licensed real estate agent for more than 30 years. He previously served as an Oklahoma Commissioner on the Arkansas-Oklahoma Arkansas River Compact Commission from 1994 to 1998.  Mr. Gilder is currently a member of the Muskogee Chamber of Commerce, Muskogee City/County Port Authority; and the Muskogee Community Foundation.  Mr. Gilder received his B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy. 

Dr. Gary W. Loveman, Appointee for Member, President’s Export Council
Dr. Gary W. Loveman is President, Chief Executive Officer, and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Caesars Entertainment Corp.  Previously, he served as President and Chief Executive Officer from 2003 to 2005, President and Chief Operating Officer from 2001 until 2003, and Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer from 1998 to 2001.  Dr. Loveman was an associate professor at the Harvard University Graduate School of Business Administration from 1989 to 1998, and a research assistant at the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston from 1982 to 1984.   Dr. Loveman is on the Board of Directors of Coach, Inc., FedEx Corp., and the American Gaming Association, for which he served as Chairman from 2007 to 2009.  He also sits on the Board of Trustees at Children’s Hospital, on the Visiting Committee of the Department of Economics at M.I. T. and was a member of the Board of Trustees of Joslin Diabetes Center in Boston from 2005 to 2009.  Among other recognitions for his work, Institutional Investor magazine named Dr. Loveman the gaming and lodging industry’s best CEO for the four consecutive years from 2003 to 2007.  He holds a B.A. in Economics from Wesleyan University, and a Ph.D. in Economics from M.I.T., where he was an Alfred Sloan Doctoral Dissertation Fellow.

Denise Morrison, Appointee for Member, President’s Export Council
Denise Morrison is President and Chief Executive Officer of Campbell Soup Company.  Ms. Morrison joined Campbell in 2003 as President of Global Sales and Chief Customer Officer.  She became Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer in 2010; Senior Vice President and President of North America Soup, Sauces, and Beverages in 2007; and President of Campbell USA in 2005.  Ms. Morrison previously held general management, marketing and sales roles at Kraft, Nabisco, Nestle, Pepsi, and Procter & Gamble.  She serves on the board of the Grocery Manufacturers Association and is the chair of its Health & Wellness Committee. In addition, she is a founding member of the Healthy Weight Commitment Foundation and is also on the board of the Consumer Goods Forum.  Ms. Morrison formerly served on the boards of The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company and Ballard Power Systems.  She earned her B.S. in Economics and Psychology from Boston College.

Dr. Amy Gutmann, Appointee for Chair, Presidential Commission for the Study of Bioethical Issues
Dr. Amy Gutmann is the President of the University of Pennsylvania and the Christopher H. Browne Distinguished Professor of Political Science in the School of Arts and Sciences.  Dr. Gutmann currently serves as Chair of the Presidential Commission for the Study of Bioethical Issues, having been appointed by President Obama in 2009.  Prior to joining the University of Pennsylvania, Dr. Gutmann held a variety of positions at Princeton University, including Provost of the University (2001 – 2004); Founding Director of the University Center for Human Values (1990 – 1995 and 1998 – 2001); Director of the Program in Ethics and Public Affairs (1990 – 1995 and 1997 – 2000); and Dean of the Faculty (1995 – 1997).  Dr. Gutmann serves on several boards and commissions, including as a member of the Board of Directors for the Carnegie Corporation of New York and as a member of National Constitution Center Board of Trustees.  A recipient of numerous awards and honors, Dr. Gutmann received the Carnegie Corporation Academic Leadership Award, the Harvard University Centennial Medal, and, in 2011, was appointed to the Commission on the Humanities and Social Sciences established by the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.  Dr. Gutmann holds a B.A. from Harvard-Radcliffe College, an M.Sc. from the London School of Economics, and a Ph.D. from Harvard University.

Dr. James W. Wagner, Appointee for Vice Chair, Presidential Commission for the Study of Bioethical Issues
Dr. James W. Wagner is the President of Emory University and, since being appointed by President Obama in 2009, Vice Chair of the Presidential Commission for the Study of Bioethical Issues.  Prior to joining Emory University, Dr. Wagner served as Dean, Provost, University Vice President, and Interim President of Case Western Reserve University from 1998 to 2003.  Throughout his time at Case Western, Dr. Wagner was also a Professor of Materials Science and Engineering.  From 1984 to 1997, Dr. Wagner taught Materials Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University, where he served as Chair of the Department of Materials Science and Engineering from 1993 to 1997 and held a joint appointment in the Department of Biomedical Engineering.  Prior to joining academia, Dr. Wagner was an Electronics Engineer from 1975 to 1984 at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.  Dr. Wagner has chaired several conferences on nondestructive evaluation, and served on the National Research Council's National Materials Advisory Board.  Dr. Wagner received the Region III President’s Award from the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators in 2011, and was elected a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts & Sciences in 2009.  Dr. Wagner holds a B.S. from the University of Delaware, an M.S. from the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, and a Ph.D. from Johns Hopkins University.

David Strauss, Appointee for Chairman, Advisory Committee to the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation
David Strauss is the Chairman of the Advisory Committee to the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation, having been appointed by President Obama in 2009.  From 2005 to 2009, Mr. Strauss served as Chairman of the North Dakota Democratic-NPL Party.  Previously, Mr. Strauss was the Executive Director of the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation from 1997 to 2001, and Vice President Al Gore's Deputy Chief of Staff from 1994 to 1997.  From 1981 to 1994, Mr. Strauss was a senior staffer in the U.S. Senate where he served as staff director for the Senate Committee on Environmental and Public Works, and chief of staff for Senator John Breaux and the late Senator Quentin Burdick.  Strauss graduated magna cum laude from Minnesota State University Moorhead, with a B.A. and B.S, and was selected as an Eastman Kodak Congressional Fellow for the Senior Managers in Government Program at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.

Remarks by the President on American Manufacturing

Boeing Production Facility
Everett, Washington

11:47 A.M. PST

THE PRESIDENT:  Hello, Everett!  (Applause.)  It is great to be in Washington -- not Washington, D.C., in Washington State.  (Applause.)  And it is great to be here at Boeing.  (Applause.) 

I want to begin by first of all thanking Kathleen for that wonderful introduction.  We were up there talking a little bit, and she’s a pretty good representative of Boeing workers.  Kathleen told me, I have a motto:  Every day, nobody will outwork me.  And that’s a pretty good motto for Boeing, but it’s also a pretty good motto for America.  So give Kathleen a big round of applause.  (Applause.)

I’ve been told we’re standing in the biggest building in the world, so big you could fit Disneyland inside.  Your heating bills must be crazy.  (Laughter.) 

I want to thank Jim McNerney and Jim Albaugh for hosting us here today.  Give them a big round of applause.  (Applause.) Your Machinist’s leadership, Tom Buffenbarger, Rich Michalski, Tom Wroblewski and SPEEA President Tom McCarty are here.  (Applause.)  One of the finest governors in the country, Chris Gregoire is in the house.  (Applause.)  And I want to thank the mayor of Everett, Ray Stephanson for having us here today.  (Applause.)  

Now, I want to thank all of you for also giving me a pretty smooth ride.  (Laughter.)  As some of you may know, Air Force One was built right here in Everett 25 years ago.  In fact, I met -- one of my guys that I met during the tour worked on the plane.  (Applause.)  So I told him he did a pretty good job.  (Laughter.)  It’s flying smooth.  I get to see your handiwork in action every single day.  But as wonderful as it is to fly Air Force One -- and it is wonderful -- it’s hard not to be amazed by the Dreamliner.  (Applause.)  I notice this one is going to United -- one of our outstanding carriers.  And I have to mention that just because I’m from Chicago, so I’ve got to -- (laughter) -- give a few extra props there. 

But this is the first commercial airplane to be made with 50 percent composite materials.  It’s lighter, it’s faster, it’s more fuel-efficient than any airplane in its class.  And it looks cool.  (Laughter and applause.) 

The Dreamliner is the plane of the future.  And by building it here, Boeing is taking advantage of a huge opportunity that exists right now to bring more jobs and manufacturing back to the United States of America.  (Applause.)

We know that the last few decades haven’t been easy for manufacturing.  New technology has made businesses more efficient and more productive, and that’s a good thing.  That’s what raises our standards of living.  It means we can get better products for less.  But that also means that companies need fewer workers to make the same amount of product as they used to.  And technology makes it easier for companies to set up shop and hire workers anywhere where there’s an internet connection.  And so the result has been this -- this transition process that’s been incredibly painful for a lot of families and a lot of communities.  A lot of communities that used to rely on a lot of factory jobs, they saw those shrink.  They saw those get shipped off overseas.  Too many factories, where people thought they’d retire, left home.  Too many jobs that provided a steady, stable life, a middle-class life for people, got shipped overseas.

And look, the hard truth is, a lot of those jobs aren’t going to come back because of these increased efficiencies.  And in a global economy, some companies are always going to find it more profitable to pick up and do business in other parts of the world.  That’s just the nature of a global economy.  But that does not mean that we’ve got to just sit there and settle for a lesser future.  I don’t accept that idea.  You don’t accept that idea.  America is a place where we can always do something to create new jobs, and new opportunities, and new manufacturing, and new security for the middle class, and that’s why I’m here today.  That’s our job.  (Applause.)  That’s what we’re going to do together. (Applause.)

Now just today, we actually took an important short-term step to strengthen our economy.  Just before we got here, Congress did the right thing and voted to make sure that taxes would not go up on middle-class families at the end of this month.  (Applause.)  Congress also agreed to extend unemployment insurance for millions of Americans -- maybe some of your family members -- who are still out there looking for a job.  So I’m going to sign this bill right away when I get back home.  (Applause.) 

You guys may remember, this middle-class tax cut is something I proposed in my jobs bill back in September.  And because you kept the pressure on Congress, because you reminded people what it means to have 40 bucks taken out of your paycheck every week, it got done.  This is a big deal.  And I want to thank members of Congress for listening to the voices of the American people.  It is amazing what happens when Congress focuses on doing the right thing instead of just playing politics.  This was a good example, and Congress should take pride in it.  (Applause.) 

But the payroll tax cut is just a start.  If we want middle-class families to get ahead, we've got to deal with a set of economic challenges that existed even before this recession hit.     
 
And we've got a choice right now:  We can either settle for a country where a few people do really well, and everybody else is struggling, or we can restore an economy where everybody gets a fair shot, and everybody does their fair share, and everybody plays by the same set of rules, from Washington to Wall Street to Main Street.  Everybody is doing their part.  (Applause.)  

We’re still recovering from one of the worst economic crises in three generations -- the worst in our lifetimes, for most of us.  And we've still got a long way to go to make sure everybody who can -- everybody who wants a job can find one, and every family can regain that sense of security that was slipping away even before this recession hit.

But the tide is turning.  The tide is beginning to turn our way.  Over the last 23 months, businesses have created 3.7 million new jobs, and American manufacturers are hiring for the first time since 1990, and the American auto industry is back, and our economy is getting stronger.  And that’s why we can look towards a promising future.  (Applause.)  And Boeing is an example of that.  (Applause.)  But to keep it going, the last thing we can afford to do is to go back to the very same policies that got us into this mess in the first place.  (Applause.)  We can't go backwards, we got to go forwards.  We can't go back to an economy that was weakened by outsourcing and bad debt and phony financial profits. 

I want us to make stuff.  I want us to sell stuff.  So, in the State of the Union, I outlined a blueprint for an economy that's built to last, that has a strong foundation -- an economy based on American manufacturing and American know-how, American-made energy, skills for American workers, and the values that made America great, the values that Kathleen talked about:  hard work and fair play and shared responsibility.  That's what America is about. 

And that blueprint starts with American manufacturing.  It starts with companies like this one.  A lot of people say, well, there are going to be fewer manufacturing jobs than there were in the past.  I already said we're more efficient now.  What used to take a thousand people to make, you might only need a hundred now.  We understand that.  We understand that there are going to be more service jobs -- that's important.  We want to make sure that we're promoting service industries as well.  But manufacturing has a special place in America.  When we make stuff, and we're selling stuff, that creates jobs beyond just this plant.  It raises standards of living for everybody. 

And here at Boeing, business is booming.  Booming.  Last year, orders for commercial aircraft rose by more than 50 percent.  (Applause.)  And to meet that demand, Boeing hired 13,000 workers all across America, including 5,000 right here in Everett.  (Applause.)  Now the biggest challenge is how to turn out planes fast enough.  Jay, that’s a high-class problem to have.

So this company is a great example of what American manufacturing can do in a way that nobody else in the world can do it.  And the impact of your success, as I said, goes beyond the walls of this plant.  Every Dreamliner that rolls off the assembly line here in Everett supports thousands of jobs in different industries all across the country.  Parts of the fuselage are manufactured in South Carolina and Kansas.  Wing edges, they come from Oklahoma.  Engines assembled in Ohio.  The tail fin comes from right down the road in Frederickson.  And the people in every one of these communities, some of whom -- who are here today, they are benefitting from the work that you do.

All those workers, they spend money at the local store.  They go to restaurants.  So the service economy does better because you’re doing well.  And what’s happening here in Everett can happen in other industries.  It can happen not just here but it can happen in Cleveland, in Pittsburgh, in Raleigh.  We can’t bring every job back.  Anybody who says we can, they’re not telling you the truth.  But right now, it’s getting more expensive to do business in places like China.  Meanwhile, American workers have never been more productive.  And companies like Boeing are finding out that even when we can’t make things faster or cheaper than China, we can make them better.  Our quality can be higher.  And that’s what America is about.  That’s how we’re going to compete.  (Applause.)

Now, during the State of the Union, I issued a challenge to America’s business leaders.  I said, ask yourselves what you can do to bring and create jobs here in this country, and your country will do everything we can to help you succeed.  And I’m encouraged.  We’re actually seeing a number of companies –- large and small, domestic, but even some foreign companies –- recognizing, you know what, we’re going to open new facilities and create new jobs here in America. 

This is a good place to work.  This is a good place to be.  And our job as a nation is to make it easier for more of these companies to do the right thing. 

That starts with our tax code.  Right now, companies get tax breaks for moving jobs and profits overseas. 

AUDIENCE:  Booo --

THE PRESIDENT:  Meanwhile, companies that choose to stay in America get hit with one of the highest tax rates in the world.  That doesn’t make any sense.  So my message to Congress is, what are we waiting for?  Let’s get this done right now.  Let’s make some changes to the tax code.  (Applause.)

And let’s follow some simple principles.  First, if you’re a business that wants to outsource jobs, that’s your choice, but you shouldn’t get a tax deduction for doing it. 

AUDIENCE:  Nooo --

THE PRESIDENT:  That money should be used to cover moving expenses for companies that are deciding to bring jobs back home -- that’s who should be getting tax breaks.  (Applause.) 

Second, no American company should be able to avoid paying its fair share of taxes by moving jobs and profits overseas.  My attitude is every multinational company should have to pay a basic minimum tax.  You should not have an advantage by building a plant over there, over somebody who’s investing here and hiring American workers.  (Applause.)  And every penny of that minimum tax should go towards lowering taxes for companies like Boeing that choose to stay and hire here in the United States of America.  (Applause.)  

Number three, if you’re an American manufacturer, you should get a bigger tax cut.  And if you’re a high-tech manufacturer, we should double the tax deductions you get for making your products here. 

And finally, if you want to relocate in a community that’s been hard hit by factories leaving town, then you should get help financing that new plant or financing that equipment or training for new workers. 

Everett, it is time to stop rewarding companies that ship jobs overseas.  Reward companies that are creating jobs right here in the United States of America.  Congress should send me these tax reforms.  I’ll sign them right away.  (Applause.)

Now, another thing we’re doing to support American jobs is making it easier for businesses like Boeing to sell their products all over the world.  Two years ago, I set a goal of doubling U.S. exports in five years.  We’re on track to meet that goal.  We’re actually ahead of schedule.  So last November when I was in Indonesia, Boeing announced a deal with the help of the Export-Import Bank to sell more than 200 planes to one of the fastest-growing airlines in the world.  Boeing is one of the largest exporters in America; this was one of the biggest deals Boeing had ever done.  Over the years, it will help support thousands of American jobs, including jobs here in Everett.  So I tease Jay every time I see him -- I said, I deserve a gold watch because I’m selling your stuff all the time.  (Laughter.)

I will go anywhere in the world to open up new markets for American products.  And by the way, I will not stand by when our competitors don’t play by the rules.  (Applause.)  That’s why I directed my administration to create a Trade Enforcement Unit that just has one job:  investigating unfair trade practices in countries like China, or places like Europe. 

That’s why it’s so important for Congress to reauthorize the Export-Import Bank.  This Bank is led by -- (applause) -- this Bank is led by Fred Hochberg, who is right here.  He's out there working with Jay all the time, selling on behalf of Boeing.  And the Export-Import Bank helps companies like this one sell its products.  It also helps thousands of small businesses. 

And today, the Bank will be launching a new program to help small businesses get the financing they need to sell more products overseas.  I’m also instructing the Bank to give American companies a fair shot by matching the unfair export financing that their competitors receive from other countries.  (Applause.) 

American workers -- you guys, folks like Kathleen -- you're the most productive on Earth.  You can compete with anybody.  You will out-work anybody, as long as the level -- as long as the playing field is level.  You can compete with any worker, anywhere, any time -- in China, in Europe, it does not matter.  If we have a level playing field, America will always win because we've got the best workers.  (Applause.)

It's also because we've always believed in the power of innovation.  Innovation requires basic research.  Look at this plane.  This plane was first designed virtually using the same technology that was developed by NASA.  Government research helped to create this plane.  We got -- I was in there fooling around with those windows, where you press them and they dim on their own.  (Laughter.)  I kept on pressing the button, and -- dimmed and got light -- one touch with a finger.  And the display is in the cockpit.  They're projected on the windshield so pilots don’t have to look down at their instruments; they can maintain their line of sight, even as they're getting all these readings.

Now, some of the work -- the most advanced work -- was done by engineers down in Huntsville, Alabama, who used to work on the International Space Station.  Their expertise, a lot of those ideas, came out of government research.  We've got to support this kind of cutting-edge research.  (Applause.)  We need to maintain our innovative edge, so that jobs and industries take root right here in the United States, not someplace else.  (Applause.)

So, Everett, if we want to build an economy that lasts, that is strong, that has a strong foundation, that helps families get into the middle class and stay in the middle class, we've got to do everything we can to strengthen American manufacturing.  We've got to make sure we're making it easier for companies like Boeing to create jobs here at home, and sell our products abroad.  We've got to keep on investing in American-made energy, and we've got to keep training American workers.  And, above all, we've got to renew the values that have always made this country great:  hard work, fair play, and shared responsibility.

These are not Democratic values or Republican values.  These are American values.  (Applause.)  They’ve seen us through some tough challenges, but we've always emerged stronger than before because of these values.  And we’re going to come out stronger than before this time as well.  And I know it because of the people who are here.    

In December of 2009, the first Dreamliner took off on its maiden flight right here in Everett.  Some of you were probably out there seeing it.  It was a cold and windy day.  That didn’t stop 13,000 employees all from coming out and seeing what they had built, seeing the product of all their hard work suddenly filling the skies. 

And one of these people was Sharon O’Hara.  Is Sharon here?  Where is Sharon?  There’s Sharon right there.  (Applause.)  Sharon works as an executive office administrator for the leaders of the Dreamliner team.  Now, executive assistant means basically you’re doing all the work.  (Laughter.)  Now, some of you may know that Sharon has been undergoing some treatment for cancer recently, so she’s got her own battle.  But her doctors recently told her she’s healthy enough to come back to work.  That’s worth applauding.  (Applause.)  Sharon, there are a lot of people who are happy to see you back at work.  (Applause.) 

And I was hearing about this, and as Sharon tells the story about watching the first plane lift gently off the runway, just the way it was designed to do, she thought about everything that had gone into making this day possible -– all the challenges, all the setbacks; the thousands of hours of brainpower and manpower -- and womanpower.  (Applause.)  And what Sharon says is -- this is a quote -- “I had goose bumps and tears.  We said we would do it and we did.”  That’s a pretty good motto.  (Applause.)  You said you would do it, and you did. 

That’s what we do as Americans.  (Applause.)  That’s the spirit we need right now.  In this country, we don’t give up, even when times are tough.  We look out for one another.  We reach for new opportunities.  We pull each other up.  We stay focused on the horizon.  That’s who we are.  That’s who we’ve always been.  And if we work together right now, with common purpose and common effort, I have no doubt we will build an economy that lasts, and we will remind the world just why it is that the United States of America is the greatest country on Earth.  We said it, we will do it.

God bless you.  God bless the United States.  (Applause.)  Thank you.

END
12:13 P.M. PST

Statement by the Press Secretary on the First Anniversary of Libya’s Revolution

The United States congratulates Chairman Jalil, Prime Minister al-Keeb, and all the people of Libya on the first anniversary of their historic revolution.  Last February, few could imagine that the peaceful protesters  in cities from Benghazi to Tripoli would bring down a four-decade-old dictatorship.  Through their courage and great sacrifice, and with the support of the United States and an international coalition, the Libyan people defeated a brutal regime and won their freedom.

Today the Libyan people are enjoying new liberties, expressing themselves freely, debating new laws, joining civil society organizations,  and preparing for the first free and fair elections in the country’s history. Libya’s natural wealth can finally be invested in the people’s future.   Libya’s emerging democracy and its institutions will take time to build, and the United States stands ready to assist the Libyan people as they shape their future.  The Transitional National Council and government should take full advantage of this historic moment by making decisions openly and transparently.  The revolutionaries who fought so hard for liberty now have a responsibility to protect their freedoms by working with the government to establish stability, peace, and reconciliation.  Protecting the rights of all the Libyan people will help preserve the unity of purpose that defined the revolution. 

We will never forget the voices, images, and sacrifices that we have seen in Libya over the last year, and we are grateful to the American service-members and civilians who helped save lives and stand up to tyranny. The United States was proud to support the Libyan people in their revolution last year, and looks forward to building a close friendship with a free Libya in the years to come.