Remarks by the President in Welcoming the 2010 World Series Champion San Francisco Giants

East Room

4:15 P.M. EDT

    
THE PRESIDENT:  Well, hello, everybody.  Have a seat, have a seat.  This is a party.  Welcome to the White House, and congratulations to the Giants on winning your first World Series title in 56 years.  (Applause.)  

I want to start by recognizing some very proud Giants fans in the house.  We've got Mayor Ed Lee -- (applause) -- Lieutenant Governor Gavin Newsom.  (Applause.)  We have quite a few members of Congress -- I am going to announce one; the Democratic leader in the House, Nancy Pelosi is here.  (Applause.)  We've got Senator Dianne Feinstein who is here.  (Applause.)  And our newest Secretary of Defense and a big Giants fan, Leon Panetta is in the house.  (Applause.)  

I also want to congratulate Bill Neukom and Larry Baer for building such an extraordinary franchise. 

I want to welcome obviously our very special guest, the "Say Hey Kid" -- Mr. Willie Mays is in the house.  (Applause.)  Two years ago, I invited Willie to ride with me on Air Force One on the way to the All-Star Game in St. Louis.  It was an extraordinary trip.  Very rarely when I'm on Air Force One am I the second most important guy on there.  (Laughter.)  Everybody was just passing me by -- "Can I get you something, Mr. Mays?"  (Laughter.)  What's going on?

Willie was also a 23-year-old outfielder the last time the Giants won the World Series, back when the team was in New York. And even though there have been some great Giants teams since then, none of them had brought a championship back to the Bay Area.

And then this team came along.  Manager Bruce Bochy once called them a bunch of “misfits and castoffs.”  Let me take a look at these guys.  (Applause.)  Or as GM Brian Sabean put it, “We've got a lot of characters -- (applause) -- with a lot of character.” 

One of these characters is Tim Lincecum.  Where's Tim?  I see him back there.  (Applause.)  Recognize the hair.  (Laughter.)  When Tim entered the draft five years ago, nine teams passed him over before the Giants picked him up.  Nobody thought somebody that skinny -- (laughter) -- with that violent a delivery could survive without just flying apart.  But now, with two Cy Youngs under his belt, everybody understands why he’s called “The Freak.”  (Laughter.)  Before Game 5 last year, Tim was so relaxed he was singing in the clubhouse.  That’s how his teammates knew they were about to see something special.  And after watching him pitch eight incredible innings -- including a stretch of 11 strikes in a row -- America learned sometimes it’s a good idea to bet on the skinny guy.  (Laughter and applause.) So, you and me. 

And then there’s the guy with the beard.  Where's he?  (Laughter.)  I do fear it.  (Laughter.)  Have you guys seen the SportsCenter ad where it's -- ESPN -- where it starts doing a dance?  (Laughter.) 

Now, underneath Brian’s beard, and the spandex tuxedo -- (laughter) -- and the sea captain costume, and the cleats with his face on them -- is also one of the most dominant closers in baseball.  (Applause.)  And I do think, Brian, you should know that Michelle was very relieved that the press was going to be talking about what somebody else wears here in the White House –(laughter) -- so that it’s not just her making a fashion statement.

So even though this team is a little different -- even though these players haven’t always followed the traditional rules, one thing they know is how to win.  Maybe some of that wisdom comes from all the old-time greats who never won a Series, but know that being a Giant means being a Giant for life.  And that’s why greats like Willie McCovey can often be found hanging around the clubhouse, pulling young players aside and offering them hitting tips.  And the love goes both ways.  Brian said, "What those players went through when they played, to not bring one home like we did, this is for them."

So for this team, winning the World Series means remembering their roots -- especially when those roots run deep.  Last year, after all the confetti had been cleaned up and the players had gone home, Willie Mays took the trophy back to the site of the old Polo Grounds in New York.  And he visited students at P.S. 46, on the spot where the stadium once stood, and told them stories about playing stickball with the neighborhood kids all those years ago.

And the rest of this team has also made a point of giving back -- whether it’s supporting wounded warriors and their families, or becoming the first professional sports team to join the “It Gets Better” campaign against bullying.  (Applause.)
So that’s what this team is all about:  characters with character.  And so once again I want to congratulate this team and wish them all the best of luck in the rest of the season -- unless the White Sox are in the World Series -- (laughter) -- which right now is not a sure thing.

Congratulations, everybody.  (Applause.)

COACH BOCHY:  Thank you, Mr. President.  We have a few gifts here.  But first, we want to thank you very much for having us here.  We know you’re busy, and on behalf of the Giants family we’re honored and privileged for you to have us here.

THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you.

COACH BOCHY:  So a special day for us after having a special season.  Thank you.

(Baby crying.)

THE PRESIDENT:  He’s really upset that I quit talking.  (Laughter.) 

(A gift is presented.) 

Oh, that’s terrific.  Thank you -- 44.  Thank you.  Thank you, guys.  (Applause.)  What else do you got?

MR. CAIN:  We just wanted to present you with a team-signed bat. 

THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you so much.

MR. CAIN:  Your name -- special edition.  So it’s right there --

THE PRESIDENT:  That is beautiful.  Thank you so much.  Thank you.  Congratulations.  Thank you.  (Applause.)  This is beautiful. 

MR. NEUKOM:  Mr. President, on behalf of the entire Giants organization, our investors -- many of whom are here today -- the front office -- many of whom are also here today -- and of course this amazing ball club with the trainers and the coaches and the players and the broadcast folks, on behalf of all of us, we thank you for making time for us and for your kind words.  And we wish you well, and we’d like our general manager to make a presentation to you and the family, if he may.

THE PRESIDENT:  Oh, thank you.

MR. NEUKOM:  A custom glove.  Real deal.

THE PRESIDENT:  Oh, that’s what I need right there.  (Laughter.)

MR. NEUKOM:  White Sox colors. 

THE PRESIDENT:  I notice you put the silver and black on there.  I appreciate that.  That was good.  (Laughter.)  Thank you. 

We should do something like every day.  Look at all this loot.  (Laughter and applause.)  This is good.  All right, let’s strike the podium.  We’ll take a good picture. 

END  4:25 P.M. EDT

Remarks by the President to the National Council of La Raza

Marriott Wardman Park Hotel Washington, D.C.

12:50 P.M. EDT

        THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you!  Thank you so much.  (Applause.) What an extraordinary crowd.  Thank you.  Please have a seat.  
        It is good to be back with NCLR.  (Applause.)  It is good to see all of you.  

        Right off the bat, I should thank you because I have poached quite a few of your alumni to work in my administration.  (Laughter.)  They're all doing outstanding work.  Raul Yzaguirre, my ambassador to the Dominican Republic -- (applause) -- Latinos serving at every level of my administration.  We've got young people right out of college in the White House.  We've got the first Latina Cabinet Secretary in history, Hilda Solis.  (Applause.)  So we couldn't be prouder of the work that so many folks who've been engaged with La Raza before, the handiwork that they're doing with our administration.  And as Janet mentioned, obviously we're extraordinarily proud of someone who is doing outstanding work on the Supreme Court, Sonia Sotomayor.  (Applause.)

        Recently, 100 Latino officials from across the government met with Latino leaders from across the country at the White House.  I know some of you were there.  And I think all who attended would agree that we weren’t just paying lip service to the community.  Our work together, not just that day but every day, has been more than just talk.  

        What I told the gathering at the White House was we need your voice.  Your country needs you.  Our American family will only be as strong as our growing Latino community.  (Applause.)  And so we’re going to take these conversations on the road and keep working with you, because for more than four decades, NCLR has fought for opportunities for Latinos from city centers to farm fields.  And that fight for opportunity –- the opportunity to get a decent education, the opportunity to find a good job, the opportunity to make of our lives what we will -– has never been more important than it is today.

        And we’re still climbing out of a vicious recession, and that recession hit Latino families especially hard.  I don't need to tell you Latino unemployment is painfully high.  And there’s no doubt that this economy has not recovered as fast as it needs to.  The truth is it’s going to take more time.  And a lot of the problems we face right now, like slow job growth and stagnant wages, these were problems that were there even before the recession hit.  

        These challenges weren’t caused overnight; they’re not going to be solved overnight.  But that only makes our work more urgent -- to get this economy going and make sure that opportunity is spreading, to make sure everyone who wants a job can find one, and to make sure that paychecks can actually cover the bills; to make sure that families don’t have to choose between buying groceries or buying medicine; that they don't have to choose between sending their kids to college or being able to retire.

        My number-one priority, every single day, is to figure out how we can get businesses to hire and create jobs with decent wages.  And in the short-term, there are some things we can do right away.  I want to extend tax relief that we already put in place for middle-class families, to make sure that folks have more money in their paychecks.  And I want to cut red tape that keeps entrepreneurs from turning new ideas into thriving businesses.  I want to sign trade deals so our businesses can sell more goods made in America to the rest of the world, especially to the Americas.

        And the hundreds of thousands of construction workers -- many of them Latino -- who lost their jobs when the housing bubble burst, I want to put them back to work rebuilding our roads and our bridges and new schools and airports all across the country.  There is work to be done.  These workers are ready to do it.  (Applause.)

        So bipartisan proposals for all of these jobs measures would already be law if Congress would just send them to my desk, and I’d appreciate if you all would help me convince them to do it.  We need to get it done.  We need to get it done.  (Applause.)

        Now, obviously, the other debate in Washington that we’re having is one that’s going to have a direct impact on every American.  Every day, NCLR and your affiliates hear from families figuring out how to stretch every dollar a little bit further, what sacrifices they’ve got to make, how they're going to budget only what’s truly important.  So they should expect the same thing from Washington.  Neither party is blameless for the decisions that led to our debt, but both parties have a responsibility to come together and solve the problem and make sure that the American people aren’t hurt on this issue.  (Applause.)  

        I just want to talk about this for a second, because it has a potential impact on everybody here and all the communities you serve.  If we don’t address the debt that’s already on our national credit card, it will leave us unable to invest in things like education, to protect vital programs.  

        So I’ve already said I’m willing to cut spending that we don't need by historic amounts to reduce our long-term deficit and make sure that we can invest in our children’s future.  I’m willing to take on the rising costs of health care programs like Medicare and Medicaid to make sure they’re strong and secure for future generations.  

        But we can’t just close our deficits by cutting spending.  That’s the truth, and Americans understand that.  Because if all we all do is cut, then seniors will have to pay a lot more for their health care, and students will have to pay a lot more for college, and workers who get laid off might not have any temporary assistance or job training to get them back on their feet.  And with gas prices this high, we’d have to stop much of the clean energy research that will help us free ourselves from dependence on foreign oil.

        Not only is it not fair if all of this is done on the backs of middle-class families and poor families, it doesn’t make sense.  It may sound good to save a lot of money over the next five years, but not if we sacrifice our future for the next 50.

        And that’s why people from both parties have said that the best way to take on our deficit is with a balanced approach –- one where the wealthiest Americans and big corporations pay their fair share, too.  (Applause.)  Before we stop funding energy research, we should ask oil companies and corporate jet owners to give up special tax breaks that other folks don’t get.  (Applause.)  Before we ask college students to pay more to go to college, we should ask hedge fund managers to stop paying taxes that are lower in terms of rates than their secretaries.  Before we ask seniors to pay more for Medicare -- (applause) -- before we ask seniors to pay more for Medicare, we should ask people like me to give up tax breaks that we don’t need and weren’t even asking for.  (Applause.)

        So, NCLR, that’s at the heart of this debate.  Are we a nation that asks only the middle class and the poor to bear the burden?  After they’ve seen their jobs disappear and their incomes decline over a decade?  Are we a people who break the promises we’ve made to seniors, or the disabled, and leave them to fend for themselves?  

        That's not who we are.  We are better than that.  We’re a people who look out for one another.  We’re a people who believe in shared sacrifice, because we know that we rise or fall as one nation.  We’re a people who will do whatever it takes to make sure our children have the same chances and the same opportunities that our parents gave us -- not just the same chances, better chances, than our parents gave us.  That's the American way.  

        And that's what NCLR is all about.  That's what the Latino community is all about.  When I spoke to you as a candidate for this office, I said you and I share a belief that opportunity and prosperity aren’t just words to be said, they are promises to be kept.  Back then, we didn’t know the depths of the challenges that were going to lie ahead.  But thanks to you, we are keeping our promises.

        We’re keeping our promise to make sure that America remains a place where opportunity is open to all who work for it.  We’ve cut taxes for middle-class workers and small businesses and low-income families.  We won credit card reform and financial reform, and protections for consumers and folks who use payday lenders or send remittances home from being exploited and being ripped off. (Applause.)   

        We worked to secure health care for 4 million children, including the children of legal immigrants.  (Applause.)  And we are implementing health reform for all who've been abused by insurance companies, and all who fear about going broke if they get sick.  And these were huge victories for the Latino community that suffers from lack of health insurance more than any other group.

        We’re keeping our promise to give our young people every opportunity to succeed.  NCLR has always organized its work around the principle that the single most important investment we can make is in our children’s education -– and that if we let our Latino students fall behind, we will all fall behind.  I believe that.  (Applause.)  

        So we’ve tied giving more money to reform.  And we’re working with states to improve teacher recruitment and retraining and retention.  We’re making sure English Language Learners are a priority for educators across the country.  We’re holding schools with high dropout rates accountable so they start delivering for our kids.  We’re emphasizing math and science, and investing in community colleges so that all of our workers get the skills that today’s companies want.  And we’ve won new college grants for more than 100,000 Latino students.  And as long as I am President, this country will always invest in its young people.  (Applause.)

        These are victories for NCLR; they are victories for America.  And we did it with your help.  We're keeping our promises.  (Applause.)   

        Of course, that doesn’t mean we don’t have unfinished business.  I promised you I would work tirelessly to fix our broken immigration system and make the DREAM Act a reality.  (Applause.)  And two months ago -- two months ago, I went down to the border of El Paso to reiterate -- (applause.)  El Paso is in the house.  (Laughter and applause.)  To reiterate my vision for an immigration system that holds true to our values and our heritage, and meets our economic and security needs.  And I argued this wasn’t just the moral thing to do, it was an economic imperative.

        In recent years, one in four high-tech startups in America  –- companies like Google and Intel -– were founded on immigrants.  One in six new small business owners are immigrants.  These are job creators who came here to seek opportunity and now seek to share opportunity.  

        This country has always been made stronger by our immigrants.  That what makes America special.  We attract talented, dynamic, optimistic people who are continually refreshing our economy and our spirit.  And you can see that in urban areas all across the country where communities that may have been hollowed out when manufacturing left, or were having problems because of an aging population, suddenly you see an influx of immigration, and you see streets that were full of boarded-up buildings, suddenly they're vibrant with life once again.  And it’s immigrant populations who are providing that energy and that drive.

        And we have a system right now that allows the best and the brightest to come study in America and then tells them to leave, set up the next great company someplace else.  We have a system that tolerates immigrants and businesses that breaks the rules and punishes those that follow the rules.  We have a system that separates families, and punishes innocent young people for their parents’ actions by denying them the chance to earn an education or contribute to our economy or serve in our military.  These are the laws on the books.  

        Now, I swore an oath to uphold the laws on the books, but that doesn't mean I don't know very well the real pain and heartbreak that deportations cause.  I share your concerns and I understand them.  And I promise you, we are responding to your concerns and working every day to make sure we are enforcing flawed laws in the most humane and best possible way.  

        Now, I know some people want me to bypass Congress and change the laws on my own.  (Applause.)  And believe me, right now dealing with Congress --

        AUDIENCE:  Yes, you can!  Yes, you can!  Yes, you can!  Yes, you can!  Yes, you can!

        THE PRESIDENT:  Believe me -- believe me, the idea of doing things on my own is very tempting.  (Laughter.)  I promise you. Not just on immigration reform.  (Laughter.)  But that's not how -- that's not how our system works.

        AUDIENCE MEMBER:  Change it!

        THE PRESIDENT:  That’s not how our democracy functions.  That's not how our Constitution is written.

        So let’s be honest.  I need a dance partner here -- and the floor is empty.  (Laughter.)  

        Five years ago, 23 Republican senators supported comprehensive immigration reform because they knew it was the right thing to do for the economy and it was the right thing to do for America.  Today, they’ve walked away.  Republicans helped write the DREAM Act because they knew it was the right thing to do for the country.  Today, they’ve walked away.  Last year, we passed the DREAM Act through the House only to see it blocked by Senate Republicans.  It was heartbreaking to get so close and see politics get in the way, particularly because some of the folks who walked away had previously been sponsors of this.  

        Now, all that has to change.  And part of the problem is, is that the political winds have changed.  That’s left states to come up with patchwork versions of reform that don’t solve the problem.  You and I know that's not the right way to go.  We can’t have 50 immigration laws across the country.  

        So, yes, feel free to keep the heat on me and keep the heat on Democrats.  But here’s the only thing you should know.  The Democrats and your President are with you.  (Applause.)  Are with you.  Don't get confused about that.  (Applause.)  Remember who it is that we need to move in order to actually change the laws.  
        Now, usually, as soon as I come out in favor of something, about half of Congress is immediately against it even if it was originally their idea.  (Laughter.)  You noticed how that works? (Laughter.)  So I need you to keep building a movement for change outside of Washington, one that they can’t stop.  (Applause.)  One that's greater than this community.  (Applause.)  

        We need a movement that bridges party lines, that unites business and labor and faith communities and law enforcement communities, and all who know that America cannot continue operating with a broken immigration system.  And I will be there every step of the way.  I will keep up this fight, because Washington is way behind where the rest of the country knows we need to.

        And I know that can be frustrating.  This is a city where “compromise” is becoming a dirty word; where there’s more political upside in doing what’s easier for reelection, what’s easier for an attack ad, than what’s best for the country.  But, NCLR, I want you to know, when you feel frustration or you’re feeling cynical, and when you hear people say we can’t solve our problems or we can’t bring about the change that we’ve fought so hard for, I do want you to remember everything that we’ve already accomplished together just in two and a half years.  And I want you to remember why we do this in the first place.

        Recently, I heard the story of a participant at this gathering that we had at the White House that I was telling you about at the top of my speech.  So this participant’s name was Marie Lopez Rogers.  (Applause.)  And Marie was born to migrant farm workers in Avondale, Arizona.  As a young girl, she and her brother would help their parents in the cotton fields.  And I’m assuming the temperatures were sort of like they’ve been the last couple days here in D.C.  And it was in those cotton fields that Marie’s father would tell her, “if you don’t want to be working in this heat, you better stay in school.”  So that's what Marie did.  

        And because of that, because of the tireless, back-breaking work of her parents, because of their willingness to struggle and sacrifice so that one day their children wouldn’t have to –- Marie became the first in her family to go to college.  And, interestingly, she now works at the very site where she used to pick cotton -- except now city hall sits there and Marie is the town’s mayor.  (Applause.)

        So that’s the promise of America.  That is why we love this country so much.  That is why all of us are here.  That's why I am here.  Some of us had parents or grandparents who said, maybe I can’t go to college, but someday my child will go to college.  Maybe I can’t start my own business, but I promise you someday my child will start his or her own business.  I may have to rent today, but someday my child will have a home of her own.  My back may be tired, my hands may be cut, I may be working in a field, but someday –- someday -– my daughter will be mayor, or secretary of labor, or a Supreme Court justice.  (Applause.)

        Hermanos y hermanas, that promise is in our hands.  It’s up to us to continue that story.  It’s up to us to hand it down to all of our children –- Latino, black, white, Asian, Native American, gay, straight, disabled, not disabled.  (Applause.)  We’re one family, and we need each other.  And if we remember that and continue to focus on that, if we come together and work together as one people and summon the best in each other, I’m confident that promise will endure.

        Thank you very much.  God bless you.  God bless the United States of America.  (Applause.)

END 1:14 P.M. EDT

Background on President Obama’s Address at NCLR Annual Conference Luncheon

President Obama will address the largest nationalLatino civil rights and advocacy organization in America at their Annual Conference luncheon on Monday July 25th in Washington, DC. More than 25,000 participants are expected at NCLR’s Annual Conference and Latino Family Expo from July 23rd through 26th. In his remarks, the President will address what it will take to make sure that America remains a place where opportunity is open to all who work for it, and how the American family will only be as strong as our growing Hispanic community. The President’s keynote address comes just two weeks after the White House hosted a Hispanic Policy Conference that brought together 160 community leaders and local elected officials from 25 states, Puerto Rico, and the District of Columbia with more than 100 White House and Cabinet officials for an in-depth series of interactive workshops and substantive conversations on the Administration’s efforts as they relate to the Hispanic community.NCLR will stream the President’s remarks live at http://www.livestream.com/nclrannualconference at 12:30 PM ET.

Census numbers recently confirmed that the Hispanic population in America has reached 50 million. Additionally, 1 in 5 students in America’s K-12 schools are Hispanic, so the success of our nation and the success of the Hispanic community are one and the same. The White House recently issued a report, “Winning the Future: President Obama’s Agenda and the Hispanic Community,” which can be found on whitehouse.gov/hispanic.

Inaddition to the President’s speech, other Administration officials are also participating in the three day conference, including Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack who joined local, state and community partners at the National Council of La Raza Annual Conference on Sunday July 24^th to discuss federal efforts to combat hunger and poor nutrition in the Hispanic community through USDA’s nutrition assistance programs.  Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar addressed the opening dinner of the Annual Conference’s youth leaders summit.

Other Administration officials who participated in events, panels and workshops at NCLR’s Annual Conference included:

• Alejandro Mayorkas, Director, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, Department of Homeland Security
• Cecilia Munoz, Director, White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs
• Ana Harvey, Director, SBA Office of Women’s Business Ownership
• Bruce Friedman, Senior Policy Advisor, Office of Civil Rights and Civil Liberties, Department of Homeland Security
• Jennifer Sultan, Acting  Special Policy Counsel, Office of Special Counsel for Immigration related Unfair Employment Practices, Department of Justice
• Mariela Melero, Chief of the Office of Public Engagement, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, Department of Homeland Security
• Sharon Yandian, Early Language Specialist, Office of Head Start, Administration for Children and families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
• Tom Perez, Assistant Attorney General, Civil Rights Division, US Department of Justice
• Dr. Gabriela Lemus, Director, Office of Public Engagement, U.S. Department of Labor
• Francisco Sanchez, Undersecretary of Commerce, U.S. Department of Commerce
• Dr. Garth Graham, Deputy Assistant Secretary, Office of Minority Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
• Lisa Pino, Deputy Administrator, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, Food and Nutrition Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture
• Rebecca Cokley, White House Office of Presidential Personnel
• Richard Katskee, Deputy Director of the Program Legal Group, Office for Civil Rights, U.S. Department of Education
• Cindy Mann, Deputy Director and Administrator, Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
• Helen Morrison, Deputy Benefits Counsel, U.S. Department of the Treasury
• Joel Ario, Director, Office of Health Insurance Exchanges, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Other Conferences

Administration officials have also participated at other Hispanic conferences throughout the summer. Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar delivered a keynote speech at the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials’ (NALEO) 28th Annual Conference in June in San Antonio, Texas, and other officials participated in forums and panel discussions at the conference including Margo Schlanger, Director of the Office of Civil Rights and Civil Liberties at the Department of Homeland Security; Juan Sepulveda, Director of the White House Initiative for Educational Excellence for Hispanics; Stephanie Valencia, Associate Director of the White House Office of Public Engagement; and Elmy Bermejo, Director of Intergovernmental Affairs for the Department of Labor.

Also in June, Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis and Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius participated in the League of United Latin American Citizens’s (LULAC) annual National Convention and Exposition in Cincinnati.  Alejandro Mayorkas, Director of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, and Tom Perrelli, Associate Attorney General at the U.S. Department of Justice were among the speakers at roundtable discussions and seminars at that convention.

Commencement Addresses at Hispanic-Serving Institutions

The President and Administration officials also traveled across the country this year to speak at commencement ceremonies at Hispanic-Serving Institutions, colleges and universities that have at least a 25% Hispanic student enrollment. The President introduced the American Graduation Initiative, a historic initiative to strengthen our nation’s community colleges where many Hispanic students earn their first college degree or receive job training to increase their skills, and called for five million additional graduates by 2020. The President’s goal cannot be met without improving educational attainment among Hispanic students. The Health Care and Education Reconcilliation Act the President signed into law also invested more than $1 billion in Hispanic Serving Institutions over the next decade. More than half of America’s Hispanic undergraduates atted a Hispanic-Serving Institution. The commencement speeches included:

• President Obama at Miami Dade College, Miami, FL, March 13, 2011
• Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius at the University of Texas, San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, May 6, 2011
• U.S. Treasurer Rosie Rios at Bergen Community College, Paramus, NJ, May 19, 2011
• Assistant Secretary of the Navy Juan Garcia at Cal State Long Beach, Long Beach, CA, May 25, 2011
• Deputy Assistant Secretary Frank Chong at Morton College, Chicago, IL, May 20, 2011
• Stephanie Valencia, Associate Director of the White House Office of Public Engagement, at Merced College, Merced, CA, May 27, 2011
• Juan Sepulveda, Executive Director of the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanics, at St. Philip's College, San Antonio, TX, May 6, 2011
• Juan Sepulveda, Executive Director of the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanics, at the University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, July 9, 2011
• Ray Rivera, Director of External and Intergovernmental Affairs, U.S. Department of the Interior, at Dona Ana Community College, Las Cruces, NM, May 6, 2011
• Steve Robinson, Special Advisor to Secretary Duncan, U.S. Department of Education, University of Texas-Pan American, Edinburg, TX, May 14, 2011

For more infomation on these events and to learn more about the Administration’s engagement with the Hispanic community,  please visit www.whitehouse.gov/hispanic.

Executive Order 13581--Blocking Property of Transnational Criminal Organizations

EXECUTIVE ORDER

BLOCKING PROPERTY OF TRANSNATIONAL CRIMINAL ORGANIZATIONS

By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.) (IEEPA), the National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 1601 et seq.) (NEA), and section 301 of title 3, United States Code,

I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, find that the activities of significant transnational criminal organizations, such as those listed in the Annex to this order, have reached such scope and gravity that they threaten the stability of international political and economic systems.  Such organizations are becoming increasingly sophisticated and dangerous to the United States; they are increasingly entrenched in the operations of foreign governments and the international financial system, thereby weakening democratic institutions, degrading the rule of law, and undermining economic markets.  These organizations facilitate and aggravate violent civil conflicts and increasingly facilitate the activities of other dangerous persons.  I therefore determine that significant transnational criminal organizations constitute an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security, foreign policy, and economy of the United States, and hereby declare a national emergency to deal with that threat.

Accordingly, I hereby order:

Section 1.  (a)  All property and interests in property that are in the United States, that hereafter come within the United States, or that are or hereafter come within the possession or control of any United States person, including any overseas branch, of the following persons are blocked and may not be transferred, paid, exported, withdrawn, or otherwise dealt in:

(i)   the persons listed in the Annex to this order and

(ii)  any person determined by the Secretary of the Treasury, in consultation with the Attorney General and the Secretary of State:

(A)  to be a foreign person that constitutes a significant transnational criminal organization;

(B)  to have materially assisted, sponsored, or provided financial, material, or technological support for, or goods or services to or in support of, any person whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to this order; or

(C)  to be owned or controlled by, or to have acted or purported to act for or on behalf of, directly or indirectly, any person whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to this order.

(b)  I hereby determine that the making of donations of the types of articles specified in section 203(b)(2) of IEEPA (50 U.S.C. 1702(b)(2)) by, to, or for the benefit of any person whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to this order would seriously impair my ability to deal with the national emergency declared in this order, and I hereby prohibit such donations as provided by subsection (a) of this section.

(c)  The prohibitions in subsection (a) of this section include, but are not limited to:

(i)   the making of any contribution or provision of funds, goods, or services by, to, or for the benefit of any person whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to this order; and

(ii)  the receipt of any contribution or provision of funds, goods, or services from any such person.

(d)  The prohibitions in subsection (a) of this section apply except to the extent provided by statutes, or in regulations, orders, directives, or licenses that may be issued pursuant to this order, and notwithstanding any contract entered into or any license or permit granted prior to the effective date of this order.

Sec. 2.  (a)  Any transaction by a United States person or within the United States that evades or avoids, has the purpose of evading or avoiding, causes a violation of, or attempts to violate any of the prohibitions set forth in this order is prohibited.

(b)  Any conspiracy formed to violate any of the prohibitions set forth in this order is prohibited.

Sec. 3.  For the purposes of this order:

(a)  the term "person" means an individual or entity;

(b)  the term "entity" means a partnership, association, trust, joint venture, corporation, group, subgroup, or other organization;

(c)  the term "United States person" means any United States citizen, permanent resident alien, entity organized under the laws of the United States or any jurisdiction within the United States (including foreign branches), or any person in the United States;

(d)  the term "foreign person" means any citizen or national of a foreign state, or any entity organized under the laws of a foreign state or existing in a foreign state, including any such individual or entity who is also a United States person; and

(e)  the term "significant transnational criminal organization" means a group of persons, such as those listed in the Annex to this order, that includes one or more foreign persons; that engages in an ongoing pattern of serious criminal activity involving the jurisdictions of at least two foreign states; and that threatens the national security, foreign policy, or economy of the United States.

Sec. 4.  For those persons whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to this order who might have a constitutional presence in the United States, I find that because of the ability to transfer funds or other assets instantaneously, prior notice to such persons of measures to be taken pursuant to this order would render these measures ineffectual.  I therefore determine that for these measures to be effective in addressing the national emergency declared in this order, there need be no prior notice of a listing or determination made pursuant to section 1(a) of this order.

Sec. 5.  The Secretary of the Treasury, in consultation with the Attorney General and the Secretary of State, is hereby authorized to take such actions, including the promulgation of rules and regulations, and to employ all powers granted to the President by IEEPA, as may be necessary to carry out the purposes of this order.  The Secretary of the Treasury may redelegate any of these functions to other officers and agencies of the United States Government consistent with applicable law.  All agencies of the United States Government are hereby directed to take all appropriate measures within their authority to carry out the provisions of this order.

Sec. 6.  The Secretary of the Treasury, in consultation with the Attorney General and the Secretary of State, is hereby authorized to submit the recurring and final reports to the Congress on the national emergency declared in this order, consistent with section 401(c) of the NEA (50 U.S.C. 1641(c)) and section 204(c) of IEEPA (50 U.S.C. 1703(c)).

Sec. 7.  The Secretary of the Treasury, in consultation with the Attorney General and the Secretary of State, is hereby authorized to determine that circumstances no longer warrant the blocking of the property and interests in property of a person listed in the Annex to this order, and to take necessary action to give effect to that determination.

Sec. 8.  This order is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.

Sec. 9.  This order is effective at 12:01 a.m. eastern daylight time on July 25, 2011.

BARACK OBAMA

THE WHITE HOUSE,
July 24, 2011.

ANNEX

Entities

1. THE BROTHERS’ CIRCLE (f.k.a. FAMILY OF ELEVEN; f.k.a. THE TWENTY)
2. CAMORRA
3. YAKUZA (a.k.a. BORYOKUDAN; a.k.a. GOKUDO)
4. LOS ZETAS