The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
August 31, 2012

Executive Order -- Improving Access to Mental Health Services for Veterans, Service Members, and Military Families

 

EXECUTIVE ORDER
 
IMPROVING ACCESS TO MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES FOR VETERANS, SERVICE MEMBERS, AND MILITARY FAMILIES
 
By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, I hereby order as follows:
 
Section 1.  Policy.  Since September 11, 2001, more than two million service members have deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan.  Long deployments and intense combat conditions require optimal support for the emotional and mental health needs of our service members and their families.  The need for mental health services will only increase in the coming years as the Nation deals with the effects of more than a decade of conflict.  Reiterating and expanding upon the commitment outlined in my Administration's 2011 report, entitled "Strengthening Our Military Families," we have an obligation to evaluate our progress and continue to build an integrated network of support capable of providing effective mental health services for veterans, service members, and their families.  Our public health approach must encompass the practices of disease prevention and the promotion of good health for all military populations throughout their lifespans, both within the health care systems of the Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs and in local communities.  Our efforts also must focus on both outreach to veterans and their families and the provision of high quality mental health treatment to those in need.  Coordination between the Departments of Veterans Affairs and Defense during service members' transition to civilian life is essential to achieving these goals.
 
Ensuring that all veterans, service members (Active, Guard, and Reserve alike), and their families receive the support they deserve is a top priority for my Administration.  As part of our ongoing efforts to improve all facets of military mental health, this order directs the Secretaries of Defense, Health and Human Services, Education, Veterans Affairs, and Homeland Security to expand suicide prevention strategies and take steps to meet the current and future demand for mental health and substance abuse treatment services for veterans, service members, and their families.
 
Sec. 2.  Suicide Prevention.  (a)  By December 31, 2012, the Department of Veterans Affairs, in continued collaboration with the Department of Health and Human Services, shall expand the capacity of the Veterans Crisis Line by 50 percent to ensure that veterans have timely access, including by telephone, text, or online chat, to qualified, caring responders who can help address immediate crises and direct veterans to appropriate care.  Further, the Department of Veterans Affairs shall ensure that any veteran identifying him or herself as being in crisis connects with a mental health professional or trained mental health worker within 24 hours.  The Department of Veterans Affairs also shall expand the number of mental health professionals who are available to see veterans beyond traditional business hours.
 
(b)  The Departments of Veterans Affairs and Defense shall jointly develop and implement a national suicide prevention campaign focused on connecting veterans and service members to mental health services.  This 12 month campaign, which shall begin on September 1, 2012, will focus on the positive benefits of seeking care and encourage veterans and service members to proactively reach out to support services.
 
(c)  To provide the best mental health and substance abuse prevention, education, and outreach support to our military and their family members, the Department of Defense shall review all of its existing mental health and substance abuse prevention, education, and outreach programs across the military services and the Defense Health Program to identify the key program areas that produce the greatest impact on quality and outcomes, and rank programs within each of these program areas using metrics that assess their effectiveness.  By the end of Fiscal Year 2014, existing program resources shall be realigned to ensure that highly ranked programs are implemented across all of the military services and less effective programs are replaced.
 
Sec. 3.  Enhanced Partnerships Between the Department of Veterans Affairs and Community Providers.  (a)  Within 180 days of the date of this order, in those service areas where the Department of Veterans Affairs has faced challenges in hiring and placing mental health service providers and continues to have unfilled vacancies or long wait times, the Departments of Veterans Affairs and Health and Human Services shall establish pilot projects whereby the Department of Veterans Affairs contracts or develops formal arrangements with community based providers, such as community mental health clinics, community health centers, substance abuse treatment facilities, and rural health clinics, to test the effectiveness of community partnerships in helping to meet the mental health needs of veterans in a timely way.  Pilot sites shall ensure that consumers of community-based services continue to be integrated into the health care systems of the Department of Veterans Affairs.  No fewer than 15 pilot projects shall be established.
 
(b)  The Department of Veterans Affairs shall develop guidance for its medical centers and service networks that supports the use of community mental health services, including telehealth services and substance abuse services, where appropriate, to meet demand and facilitate access to care.  This guidance shall include recommendations that medical centers and service networks use community-based providers to help meet veterans' mental health needs where objective criteria, which the Department of Veterans Affairs shall define in the form of specific metrics, demonstrate such needs.  Such objective criteria should include estimates of wait-times for needed care that exceed established targets.
 
(c)  The Departments of Health and Human Services and Veterans Affairs shall develop a plan for a rural mental health recruitment initiative to promote opportunities for the Department of Veterans Affairs and rural communities to share mental health providers when demand is insufficient for either the Department of Veterans Affairs or the communities to independently support a full time provider.
 
Sec. 4.  Expanded Department of Veterans Affairs Mental Health Services Staffing.  The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall, by December 31, 2013, hire and train 800 peer to peer counselors to empower veterans to support other veterans and help meet mental health care needs.  In addition, the Secretary shall continue to use all appropriate tools, including collaborative arrangements with community based providers, pay setting authorities, loan repayment and scholarships, and partnerships with health care workforce training programs to accomplish the Department of Veterans Affairs' goal of recruiting, hiring, and placing 1,600 mental health professionals by June 30, 2013.  The Department of Veterans Affairs also shall evaluate the reporting requirements associated with providing mental health services and reduce paperwork requirements where appropriate.  In addition, the Department of Veterans Affairs shall update its management performance evaluation system to link performance to meeting mental health service demand.
 
Sec. 5.  Improved Research and Development.  (a)  The lack of full understanding of the underlying mechanisms of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), other mental health conditions, and Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) has hampered progress in prevention, diagnosis, and treatment.  In order to improve the coordination of agency research into these conditions and reduce the number of affected men and women through better prevention, diagnosis, and treatment, the Departments of Defense, Veterans Affairs, Health and Human Services, and Education, in coordination with the Office of Science and Technology Policy, shall establish a National Research Action Plan within 8 months of the date of this order.
 
(b)  The National Research Action Plan shall include strategies to establish surrogate and clinically actionable biomarkers for early diagnosis and treatment effectiveness; develop improved diagnostic criteria for TBI; enhance our understanding of the mechanisms responsible for PTSD, related injuries, and neurological disorders following TBI; foster development of new treatments for these conditions based on a better understanding of the underlying mechanisms; improve data sharing between agencies and academic and industry researchers to accelerate progress and reduce redundant efforts without compromising privacy; and make better use of electronic health records to gain insight into the risk and mitigation of PTSD, TBI, and related injuries.  In addition, the National Research Action Plan shall include strategies to support collaborative research to address suicide prevention.
 
(c)  The Departments of Defense and Health and Human Services shall engage in a comprehensive longitudinal mental health study with an emphasis on PTSD, TBI, and related injuries to develop better prevention, diagnosis, and treatment options.  Agencies shall continue ongoing collaborative research efforts, with an aim to enroll at least 100,000 service members by December 31, 2012, and include a plan for long term follow up with enrollees through a coordinated effort with the Department of Veterans Affairs.
 
Sec. 6.  Military and Veterans Mental Health Interagency Task Force.  There is established an Interagency Task Force on Military and Veterans Mental Health (Task Force), to be co chaired by the Secretaries of Defense, Veterans Affairs, and Health and Human Services, or their designated representatives.
 
(a)  Membership.  In addition to the Co-Chairs, the Task Force shall consist of representatives from:
 
(i)    the Department of Education;
 
(ii)   the Office of Management and Budget;
 
(iii)  the Domestic Policy Council;
 
(iv)   the National Security Staff;
 
(v)    the Office of Science and Technology Policy;
 
(vi)   the Office of National Drug Control Policy; and
 
(vii)  such other executive departments, agencies, or offices as the Co-Chairs may designate.
 
A member agency of the Task Force shall designate a full time officer or employee of the Federal Government to perform the Task Force functions.
 
(b)  Mission.  Member agencies shall review relevant statutes, policies, and agency training and guidance to identify reforms and take actions that facilitate implementation of the strategies outlined in this order.  Member agencies shall work collaboratively on these strategies and also create an inventory of mental health and substance abuse programs and activities to inform this work.
 
(c)  Functions.
 
(i)    Not later than 180 days after the date of this order, the Task Force shall submit recommendations to the President on strategies to improve mental health and substance abuse treatment services for veterans, service members, and their families.  Every year thereafter, the Task Force shall provide to the President a review of agency actions to enhance mental health and substance abuse treatment services for veterans, service members, and their families consistent with this order, as well as provide additional recommendations for action as appropriate.  The Task Force shall define specific goals and metrics that will aid in measuring progress in improving mental health strategies.  The Task Force will include cost analysis in the development of all recommendations, and will ensure any new requirements are supported within existing resources.
 
(ii)   In addition to coordinating and reviewing agency efforts to enhance veteran and military mental health services pursuant to this order, the Task Force shall evaluate:
 
(1)  agency efforts to improve care quality and ensure that the Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs and community based mental health providers are trained in the most current evidence based methodologies for treating PTSD, TBI, depression, related mental health conditions, and substance abuse;
 
(2)  agency efforts to improve awareness and reduce stigma for those needing to seek care; and
 
(3)  agency research efforts to improve the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of TBI, PTSD, and related injuries, and explore the need for an external research portfolio review.
 
(iii)  In performing its functions, the Task Force shall consult with relevant nongovernmental experts and organizations as necessary.
 
Sec. 7.  General Provisions.  (a)  This order shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations.
 
(b)  Nothing in this order shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:
 
(i)   the authority granted by law to an executive department or agency, or the head thereof; or
 
(ii)  the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.
 
(c)  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.
 
BARACK OBAMA
 
THE WHITE HOUSE,
August 31, 2012.

West Wing Week: 8/31/12 or, "It's Summer Mailbag Time!"

Adam Garber
Adam Garber
August 31, 2012
12:00 AM EDT

Welcome to the West Wing Week, your guide to everything that's happening at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. It's the summer's special Mailbag Edition of West Wing Week, featuring Elizabeth Olson, Director of Presidential Correspondence.  This week we're taking a moment to pick out a few of your letters from the thousands that arrive everyday here at the White House and answer some of your questions on immigration, healthcare, and the economy.  That's August 24th to August 30th or, "It's Summer Mailbag Time!"

First, we went over to the National Economic Council to see Deputy Director, Brian Deese, who answered some of your letters about the economy.

Then we went over to the Domestic Policy Council to talk with Cecilia Muñoz about some of the letters she'd read about healthcare reform and the new deferred action process.

Watch the West Wing Week here.

Tuesday, August 28th:

  • The President made a statement about preparedness for the arrival of Hurricane Isaac.

Thursday, August 30th:

  • We sat down with Deputy National Security Advisor Ben Rhodes, who spoke about the upcoming two year anniversary of the end of the war in Iraq for 'The Rhodes Ahead.'

Related Links:

 
Related Topics: Inside the White House, Pennsylvania

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
August 30, 2012

President Obama Announces Presidential Delegation to the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia to attend the State Funeral of Prime Minister Meles Zenawi

 

President Barack Obama today announced the designation of a Presidential Delegation to the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia to attend the State Funeral of His Excellency Meles Zenawi, Prime Minister of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia.   
 
The Honorable Susan E. Rice, United States Permanent Representative to the United Nations, will lead the delegation on September 2, 2012. 
 
Members of the Presidential Delegation:
 
The Honorable Donald Booth, United States Ambassador to the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia
 
The Honorable Johnnie Carson, Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs
 
Ms. Gayle Smith, Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director, National Security Staff

The Rhodes Ahead: Second Anniversary of the End of the Combat Mission in Iraq

Megan Slack
Megan Slack
August 30, 2012
03:06 PM EDT

On August 31, 2010, President Obama traveled to Fort Bliss to mark the end of the combat mission in Iraq. On Friday, two years later, President Obama will return to Fort Bliss.

Deputy National Security Advisor Ben Rhodes sat down to discuss what to expect from the speech the President will deliver to service members there about winding down the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, our nation’s obligation to stand by those who fought and their families, and the ways his administration is delivering on that obligation as troops transition back to civilian life.

Watch the Rhodes Ahead: Second Anniversary of the End of the Combat Mission in Iraq here.

Related Topics: Defense, Middle East and North Africa, Foreign Policy, Veterans

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
August 30, 2012

Executive Order -- Accelerating Investment in Industrial Energy Efficiency

 

EXECUTIVE ORDER
 
ACCELERATING INVESTMENT IN INDUSTRIAL ENERGY EFFICIENCY
 
By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, and in order to promote American manufacturing by helping to facilitate investments in energy efficiency at industrial facilities, it is hereby ordered as follows:
 
Section 1. Policy. The industrial sector accounts for over 30 percent of all energy consumed in the United States, and, for many manufacturers, energy costs affect overall competitiveness. While our manufacturing facilities have made progress in becoming more energy efficient over the past several decades, there is an opportunity to accelerate and expand these efforts with investments to reduce energy use through more efficient manufacturing processes and facilities and the expanded use of combined heat and power (CHP). Instead of burning fuel in an on site boiler to produce thermal energy and also purchasing electricity from the grid, a manufacturing facility can use a CHP system to provide both types of energy in one energy efficient step. Accelerating these investments in our Nation's factories can improve the competitiveness of United States manufacturing, lower energy costs, free up future capital for businesses to invest, reduce air pollution, and create jobs.
 
Despite these benefits, independent studies have pointed to under-investment in industrial energy efficiency and CHP as a result of numerous barriers. The Federal Government has limited but important authorities to overcome these barriers, and our efforts to support investment in industrial energy efficiency and CHP should involve coordinated engagement with a broad set of stakeholders, including States, manufacturers, utilities, and others. By working with all stakeholders to address these barriers, we have an opportunity to save industrial users tens of billions of dollars in energy costs over the next decade.
 
There is no one size fits all solution for our manufacturers, so it is imperative that we support these investments through a variety of approaches, including encouraging private sector investment by setting goals and highlighting the benefits of investment, improving coordination at the Federal level, partnering with and supporting States, and identifying investment models beneficial to the multiple stakeholders involved.
 
To formalize and support the close interagency coordination that is required to accelerate greater investment in industrial energy efficiency and CHP, this order directs certain executive departments and agencies to convene national and regional stakeholders to identify, develop, and encourage the adoption of investment models and State best practice policies for industrial energy efficiency and CHP; provide technical assistance to States and manufacturers to encourage investment in industrial energy efficiency and CHP; provide public information on the benefits of investment in industrial energy efficiency and CHP; and use existing Federal authorities, programs, and policies to support investment in industrial energy efficiency and CHP.
 
Sec. 2. Encouraging Investment in Industrial Efficiency. The Departments of Energy, Commerce, and Agriculture, and the Environmental Protection Agency, in coordination with the National Economic Council, the Domestic Policy Council, the Council on Environmental Quality, and the Office of Science and Technology Policy, shall coordinate policies to encourage investment in industrial efficiency in order to reduce costs for industrial users, improve U.S. competitiveness, create jobs, and reduce harmful air pollution. In doing so, they shall engage States, industrial companies, utility companies, and other stakeholders to accelerate this investment. Specifically, these agencies shall, as appropriate and consistent with applicable law:
 
(a) coordinate and strongly encourage efforts to achieve a national goal of deploying 40 gigawatts of new, cost effective industrial CHP in the United States by the end of 2020;
 
(b) convene stakeholders, through a series of public workshops, to develop and encourage the use of best practice State policies and investment models that address the multiple barriers to investment in industrial energy efficiency and CHP;
 
(c) utilize their respective relevant authorities and resources to encourage investment in industrial energy efficiency and CHP, such as by:
 
(i) providing assistance to States on accounting for the potential emission reduction benefits of CHP and other energy efficiency policies when developing State Implementation Plans (SIPs) to achieve national ambient air quality standards;
 
(ii) providing incentives for the deployment of CHP and other types of clean energy, such as set asides under emissions allowance trading program state implementation plans, grants, and loans;
 
(iii) employing output based approaches as compliance options in power and industrial sector regulations, as appropriate, to recognize the emissions benefits of highly efficient energy generation technologies like CHP; and
 
(iv) seeking to expand participation in and create additional tools to support the Better Buildings, Better Plants program at the Department of Energy, which is working with companies to help them achieve a goal of reducing energy intensity by 25 percent over 10 years, as well as utilizing existing partnership programs to support energy efficiency and CHP;
 
(d) support and encourage efforts to accelerate investment in industrial energy efficiency and CHP by:
 
(i) providing general guidance, technical analysis and information, and financial analysis on the value of investment in industrial energy efficiency and CHP to States, utilities, and owners and operators of industrial facilities;
 
(ii) improving the usefulness of Federal data collection and analysis; and
 
(iii) assisting States in developing and implementing State specific best practice policies that can accelerate investment in industrial energy efficiency and CHP.
 
In implementing this section, these agencies should consult with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, as appropriate.
 
Sec. 3. General Provisions. (a) Nothing in this order shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:
 
(i) the authority granted by law to an executive department, agency, or the head thereof; or
 
(ii) the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.
 
(b) This order shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations.
 
(c) 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.
 
BARACK OBAMA
 
THE WHITE HOUSE,
August 30, 2012.

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
August 30, 2012

President Obama Signs Executive Order Promoting Industrial Energy Efficiency

 

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, President Obama signed an Executive Order to facilitate investments in industrial energy efficiency that will strengthen American manufacturing and help create jobs.  These efforts to boost industrial energy efficiency, including combined heat and power systems, can save manufacturers as much as $100 billion in energy costs over the next decade, improving their bottom lines and strengthening U.S. manufacturing competitiveness.  These types of efficiency measures will reduce energy consumption and reduce harmful emissions.
 
“Today, we are taking another step to strengthen American manufacturing by boosting energy efficiency for businesses across the nation,” said President Obama. “This action will cut costs, increase efficiency, and help our businesses create strong, middle class jobs.  We’ll continue to do everything we can to put more people back to work and build an economy that lasts.”
 
While manufacturing facilities have become more energy efficient over time, there is an opportunity to accelerate and expand this trend with investments that reduce energy use through more efficient manufacturing technologies and processes, such as the expanded use of efficient, on-site heat and power generation, known as combined heat and power (CHP).  This Executive Order builds on important steps the Administration has taken to scale up private sector investments in energy efficiency in our homes, buildings, and factories with efforts like the Better Buildings Initiative and investments upgrading homes around the United States.
 
In addition, it directs the Departments of Energy, Commerce, and Agriculture, and the Environmental Protection Agency, to coordinate actions at the Federal level while providing policy and technical assistance to states to promote investments in industrial energy efficiency.  The Executive Order also directs agencies to foster a national dialogue through ongoing regional workshops to encourage the adoption of best practice policies and investment models that overcome barriers to investment, provide public information on the benefits of unlocking investment in industrial energy efficiency, and use existing Federal authorities that can support these investments.  
 
Today’s Order also establishes a new national goal of 40 gigawatts of new combined heat and power capacity by 2020, a 50% increase from today. Meeting this goal would save energy users $10 billion per year, result in $40 to $80 billion in new capital investment in manufacturing and other facilities that would create American jobs, and would reduce emissions equivalent to 25 million cars.

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
August 29, 2012

President Obama Signs Mississippi Disaster Declaration

 

The President today declared a major disaster exists in the State of Mississippi and ordered Federal aid to supplement state and local recovery efforts in the area affected by Hurricane Isaac beginning on August 26, 2012, and continuing.
 
Federal funding is available to state and eligible local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations on a cost-sharing basis for emergency work in the counties of Amite, Attala, Carroll, Clarke, Copiah, Covington, Forrest, George, Greene, Grenada, Hancock, Harrison, Hinds, Holmes, Jackson, Jasper, Jefferson Davis, Jones, Lamar, Lauderdale, Lawrence, Lincoln, Madison, Marion, Montgomery, Pearl River, Perry, Pike, Rankin, Stone, Walthall, Wayne, Wilkinson, and Yazoo.
 
Federal funding is also available on a cost-sharing basis for hazard mitigation measures statewide.
 
W. Craig Fugate, Administrator, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Department of Homeland Security, named Terry L. Quarles as the Federal Coordinating Officer for federal recovery operations in the affected area. 
 
Additional counties and forms of assistance may be added after the Preliminary Damage Assessments are fully completed.
 
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION MEDIA SHOULD CONTACT:  FEMA NEWS DESK AT (202) 646-3272 OR FEMA-NEWS-DESK@DHS.GOV 

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
August 29, 2012

President Obama Signs Louisiana Disaster Declaration

 

The President today declared a major disaster exists in the State of Louisiana and ordered Federal aid to supplement state and local recovery efforts in the area affected by Hurricane Isaac beginning on August 26, 2012, and continuing.
 
Federal funding is available to state and eligible local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations on a cost-sharing basis for emergency work in the parishes of Acadia, Allen, Ascension, Assumption, Avoyelles, Cameron, East Baton Rouge, East Feliciana, Franklin, Iberia, Iberville, Jefferson, Jefferson Davis, Lafourche, Livingston, Morehouse, Natchitoches, Orleans, Ouachita, Plaquemines, Pointe Coupee, Rapides, St. Bernard, St. Charles, St. Helena, St. James, St. John the Baptist, St. Martin, St. Mary, St. Tammany, Tangipahoa, Terrebonne, Vermilion, Washington, and West Baton Rouge.
 
Federal funding is also available on a cost-sharing basis for hazard mitigation measures statewide.
 
W. Craig Fugate, Administrator, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Department of Homeland Security, named Gerard M. Stolar as the Federal Coordinating Officer for federal recovery operations in the affected area. 
 
Additional parishes and forms of assistance may be added after the Preliminary Damage Assessments are fully completed.
 
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION MEDIA SHOULD CONTACT:  FEMA NEWS DESK AT (202) 646-3272 OR FEMA-NEWS-DESK@DHS.GOV 

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
August 29, 2012

Remarks by the President at Campaign Event -- Charlottesville, VA

 

University of Virginia
Charlottesville, Virginia
 
3:31 P.M. EDT
 
THE PRESIDENT:  Hello, Virginia!  (Applause.)  Go, Hoos!  (Applause.)  Wahoowah!  (Applause.)  I still don’t know what a Wahoo is.  (Laughter.)  But I know we’ve got some here today.  (Applause.)   
 
I want to thank Mathias for the great introduction.  Give him a big round of applause.  (Applause.)  I want to thank my great friends, Tom Perriello -- (applause) -- and your next United States senator, Tim Kaine.  (Applause.)  
 
It is good to be back in Charlottesville.
 
AUDIENCE MEMBER:  I love you, Obama!
 
THE PRESIDENT:  I love you back.  (Applause.)
 
Before I get started, let me just say that on the flight over here I was on the phone with our FEMA Director, Craig Fugate, and Janet Napolitano, who does our homeland security, as well as some of the governors and mayors who are now being affected and are having to deal with Hurricane Isaac.  And I think it's important for all of us -- because we know we've got some prayerful people here -- to just let people on the coast know our thoughts are with you, our prayers are with you. 
 
We are going to make sure that we are doing every single thing that we need to do to ensure that the folks down there are taken care of and have the support and the love of the rest of this country.  Because when things like this happen, there are no Democrats or Republicans.  (Applause.)  There are just Americans.  And we stand by Americans in their hour of need.  (Applause.) 
 
Now, I know for me, it's great to be back in Charlottesville.  And this is an exciting time of year.  Class is back in session.  Come on, we need a little more enthusiasm, students.  (Applause.)  The football team has got a home game on Saturday.  (Applause.)  And in just over two months -- just over two months from now, for the first time in many of your lives, you're going to get to pick the next President of the United States.  (Applause.)   
 
Now, I know that there's some young at heart here who are not so young, like me.  (Laughter.)  But let me just take a moment to speak to the young people here.  You guys have more at stake in this election than anybody.  When you step into that voting booth, the choice that you make in that one instant is going to shape your country, it's going to shape the world for decades to come.  
 
I know that’s a pretty heavy idea to lay on you on just the second day of class, but -- (laughter) -- but it’s true.  The decisions that we make as a country right now on everything from the economy and jobs and taxes, to education and energy, and war and climate change -– all these decisions -- (audience interruption) -- all these decisions are going to be affecting your lives in very personal way.
 
AUDIENCE:  Four more years!  Four more years!  Four more years!  Four more years!  (Applause.)   
 
THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you.  Listen, I couldn't really hear what those young people were saying, but that's good that they're getting involved.  (Applause.)  But what I'm trying to tell you here is, don't just chant.  You've got to vote.  (Applause.)  You’ve got to vote.     
 
The decisions we make -- war, peace, the economy, the environment -- all those things are going to be decided.  And they're not just going to affect you; they're going to affect Malia and Sasha, too, my daughters.  (Applause.)  
 
This is how our democracy works.  Your generation is going to have to push the generations in front of you to make sure that they're making the right decisions.  Your generation will choose not just between two candidates or two political parties, but will choose the path that we take as a country.  And it will affect your lives in very personal, profound ways.
 
So you think about the questions that are at stake here.  Are we going to make sure that good jobs and opportunities take root in China or Germany, or are we going to make sure they take root in Charlottesville and Richmond -- (applause) -- right here in Virginia, and all across America?  (Applause.) 
 
Are we going to make sure that an honest day’s work is rewarded, so that somebody who really works hard, they can afford to have their own home, and they'll have health care when they get sick -- (applause) -- and they'll be able to retire with dignity and respect.  And most of all, they'll be able to make sure their kids are doing better and dreaming bigger than they did.  (Applause.) 
 
Are we going to make sure that not just you but folks who follow you can afford to get a college degree and are able to pay off their student loan debt?  (Applause.)  Are we going to build more good schools and hire more good teachers, and make sure that our young people are prepared to attend colleges like UVA?  (Applause.) 
 
Will this be a country that keeps moving away from foreign oil and invests in renewable sources of energy like wind and solar and biofuels -- (applause) -- that help our economy and make our planet more secure?  (Applause.) 
 
Will this be a nation that leads not just with the strength of our military, but with the power of our example and fidelity to our values?  Is that the kind of country we will continue to be?  (Applause.) 
 
And most of all, will this continue to be an America where no matter who you are, no matter what you look like, no matter where you come from, no matter what your last name is, no matter who you love, you can pursue your own happiness and make it if you try?  (Applause.) 
 
That’s what my presidency has been about.  That's what this campaign is about.  And that’s why I’m running for a second term as President of the United States of America.  (Applause.) 
 
That's what Tim Kaine stands for.  That's what Tom Perriello stands for.  (Applause.) 
 
And I know that right around this time, before football season has started, there are some folks who get sick of politics.  I understand that.  Sometimes the campaigns seem meaner and smaller, and Washington seems more gridlocked all the time.  And you’ve got a steady stream of cynics who are telling you change isn’t possible; you can’t make a difference; you won’t be able to close that gap between how things are and how they should be; you were naïve last time when you had all the hope and change stuff.  (Laughter.) 
 
And frankly, the other side, they’ve made this a strategy.  They will tell you how bad things are over and over again, and they’ll helpfully add that it’s all Obama’s fault.  (Laughter.)  
And what they're hoping is that even if you don't vote for them because you know that what they're peddling doesn't work, what they do hope is, is that you get so discouraged that you just stay home.
 
AUDIENCE:  No!
 
THE PRESIDENT:  That's what they're banking on.  But I don't believe that.  I don't think you believe that.   We knew that solving our biggest challenges would take more than one year, or one term, or one President.  We know we’ve still got a lot of work to do, but we are determined to get it done.  We are determined to finish the job.  (Applause.)  We’re determined to finish the race, and that's why I’m running for a second term.  (Applause.) 
 
And you know what makes me -- what makes me confident is you.  (Applause.)  The American people have gone through some tough times, but the American people are always tougher.  And this generation of young Americans, I’ve seen your passion.  I have seen your service.  I’ve seen you eager to make a difference.  You’re already proved that you can make a difference.  
 
Think about it.  Some of you did vote four years ago, and some of you, even if you were too young to vote, worked on the campaign.  And you believed four years ago that we could put a college education within reach of everybody who is willing to work for it.  That's what you believed.  (Applause.) 
 
So we created a college tax credit that’s saving middle-class families up to $10,000 on college tuition.  We fixed the student loan system that was giving billions of dollars to banks as middlemen.  We said let’s use that money to double grant aid for millions of students.  (Applause.)  We won the fight to prevent student loan rates from doubling for more than 7 million students.  
 
None of this would have happened if it hadn’t been for you, if it hadn’t been for the work that you did, if it hadn’t been the faith that you had in your ability to make a difference.  You helped millions of young people, maybe including yourself, to earn a college education.  You made that happen.  And that makes me believe, that gives me confidence.  It gives me confidence about the future.  (Applause.) 
 
Four years ago, we talked about how we could use less foreign oil, reduce the carbon footprint that threatens our planet.  And in just four years, we have doubled the generation of clean, renewable energy like wind and solar.  (Applause.)  We’ve created thousands of good American jobs because of it.  Today, we’re less dependent on foreign oil than at any time in nearly 20 years.  We’re on track to emit fewer greenhouse gases this year than we have in nearly 20 years.  We can keep those trends going.  And that is all happening because of you.  (Applause.) 
 
Four years ago, you believed that nobody in America should go broke because they get sick.  Today, because of the new health care law, affectionately known as Obamacare -- (applause) -- because of that law, nearly 7 million young people are able to stay on their parent’s health insurance plans.  (Applause.)  Your grandparents are saving money on their prescription drugs.  Women have gained access to free preventive care like mammograms and contraception.  (Applause.)  Thirty million Americans will be able to finally have the security of health care coverage.  (Applause.)  You can't be barred because of a preexisting condition.  You made that happen.  That's because of you.  (Applause.) 
 
Four years ago, we said we’d end the war in Iraq -- we did.  (Applause.)  More troops are home with their families.  They're earning their education, in some cases, with the Post-9/11 GI Bill.  They're out there starting new businesses.  But that's not the only change we made -- because no one ever again will have to hide who they love in order to serve the country they love.  We ended "don't ask, don't tell."  You made that happen.  (Applause.)  
 
The point is, Virginia, your vote mattered.  Your voice made a difference.  Change was possible because you made it possible.  So you can't get tired now.  (Laughter.)  Because we’ve got more work to do.  (Applause.)  We’ve got more work to do to grow this economy.  We’ve got more work to do to create more good jobs and strengthen the middle class.  And in November, your voice will matter more than ever.  (Applause.) 
 
And listen, if you doubt that, then pay a little attention to what’s happening in Tampa this week.  
 
AUDIENCE:  Booo --
 
THE PRESIDENT:  Don't boo -- vote.  Vote.  (Applause.) 
 
I mean, my opponents are down there, they're offering their agenda.  And it’s a pretty entertaining show.  (Laughter.)  They’ve got wonderful things to say about me.  (Laughter.)    But you know what’s interesting is you can listen very carefully, very hard, and you won’t hear them offer a clear, serious path forward.  You won’t.  I mean, they’ve got an economic plan that can be summed up very simply.  They say that if we give a $5 trillion tax cut -- which includes giving an extra $250,000 tax cut to people making $3 million a year or more -- then somehow, prosperity is going to rain down on the rest of us.  (Laughter.) 
 
Now, many of you were too young to remember, but we tried this for about a decade before I came into office.  It didn't work then; it's not going to work now.  (Applause.) 
 
I don’t want to pay for another millionaire’s tax cut by raising taxes on the middle class.  I don’t want to pay for that by cutting financial aid for tens of millions of students.  Our economic strength does not come from the top down.  It comes from students and workers and small business owners and a growing, thriving middle class.  (Applause.)  
 
That's who we're fighting for.  (Applause.)  And in just over two months, you can make a decision about which path we take.  (Applause.)  You can decide whether we give a massive new tax cut to folks like me and Mr. Romney, who don't need it -- he doesn't even need -- he needs it even less than I do -- (laughter) -- or whether we work to keep taxes low for Americans who are still trying to make it.  
 
I've cut taxes for middle-class families.  And I want to make sure that taxes aren’t raised a dime on your income tax for families' first $250,000 worth of income.  That means, by the way, 98 percent of Americans would not see any increase in their income taxes.  (Applause.)  But that depends on how you vote in November.  
 
You can choose whether we cede new jobs and new industries to countries like China, or whether we fight for those jobs here in Virginia, here in the United States -- by investing in the research of our scientists, investing in the drive of our students, and investing in the innovation that harnesses new sources of energy and brings new generations of manufacturing to places like Charlottesville and Richmond.  (Applause.) 
 
AUDIENCE:  USA!  USA!
 
THE PRESIDENT:  USA!  That's what we need -- but, again, you can't just chant, you got to vote.  (Laughter.)  
 
You will decide whether we can keep making college more affordable, or whether we take my opponent's advice and just have your parents lend you money.  (Laughter.)  See, I think that we should help more Americans earn the kind of education you receive here at UVA.  We've also got to help more Americans go to community colleges to get the skills and the training that employers are looking for right now.  (Applause.) 
 
And I'll say this again, just so you know I mean it. Michelle and I, we've been there.  We know what it's like.  We just finished paying off our student loans eight years ago.  Think about that.  We shouldn’t be making it harder for young people.  We should be making it easier for young people.  (Applause.)  We shouldn’t end the college tax credit we created.  We should be expanding it.  Higher education isn't a luxury.  It is an economic necessity for every single American.  (Applause.) 
 
You can decide that an energy plan written by and for the big oil companies will be best for America -- that's an option.  But I think that the kind of all-of-the above strategy that we're talking about -- a strategy that includes more American oil and gas, but also more wind and solar, and sets new goals for efficiency and makes sure that we're getting energy and using energy in smarter ways -- that's the key to the future.  
 
One of the things that we’ve done is develop new fuel standards so that by the middle of the next decade, your cars will get nearly 55 miles per gallon.  (Applause.)  That’s double what they are now.  That means you’ve only got to dig into your pocket to fill up your tank half as often.  But not only does it save you money at the pump, it moves us closer to energy independence.  It reduces greenhouse gas emissions by as much as all the cars in the world emit each year combined.  This is a smart thing to do.  It’s the right thing to do.  (Applause.)
 
And by the way, my opponent is against that.  So you’re going to have to make a decision.  Just yesterday, my opponent called my position on fuel-efficiency standards "extreme."  (Laughter.)  I don’t know.  (Laughter.)  It doesn’t seem extreme to me to want to have more fuel-efficient cars.  Maybe the steam engine is more his speed.  (Laughter.)  But I think that we set goals and we meet them -- that’s what we do as Americans.  (Applause.)
 
Listen, what’s extreme about the idea that instead of giving $4 billion a year in tax subsidies to oil companies that are making a profit every time you pump gas -- it makes more sense to keep investing, using that money to invest in homegrown energy sources that have never been more promising.  That’s not extreme.  That’s good for jobs.  That’s good for our economy. It’s good for our planet.  It’s good for our future.  (Applause.)  
 
That’s what’s at stake.  That’s what you’ll decide.  That’s why I’m running for President.  (Applause.)
 
We could go back to a health care system that lets insurance companies decide who and when and what to cover.  But I think we’ve got to move forward with Obamacare.  (Applause.)  It’s already cutting costs.  It’s covering more people.  It’s saving lives.  
 
Governor Romney has promised that sometime on his first day, he is going to kill Obamacare.  He’s going to sit down, grab a pen -- now, this would mean that he -- by a stroke of a pen, apparently he thinks that he can kick 7 million young people off their parent’s plan.  He can make prescription drugs higher for seniors.
 
AUDIENCE:  No!
 
THE PRESIDENT:  Suddenly folks with preexisting conditions are out of luck.
 
AUDIENCE:  Booo -- 
 
THE PRESIDENT:  He calls my health care law Obamacare; I call his plan "Romney Doesn’t Care."  (Applause.)  He’s running on the "Romney Doesn’t Care" platform.  (Applause.)  
 
This law is here to stay.  The Supreme Court has spoken.  We’re not going to refight the battles of the last four years.  We’re moving forward.  That’s what’s at stake in this election.  (Applause.)
 
I’m telling you, on almost every issue he wants to go backwards, sometimes all the way to the last century.  (Laughter.)  In November, you can say that in this century, women should be trusted to make their own health care choices.  (Applause.)  You can say that in this century we don’t think young immigrants who were brought here when they were children and understand themselves as Americans and have pledged allegiance to the flag should suddenly be deported to countries where they’ve never been.  (Applause.) 
 
You can say we shouldn’t rewrite the Constitution to prevent gay Americans who love each other from being able to marry the people they love.  (Applause.)  
 
You can reaffirm the strength of the American character.  It doesn’t come from shoving anybody to the sidelines.  It doesn’t come from kicking folks to the curb.  It comes from hearing everybody’s voices, harnessing everybody’s talents, realizing that here in the United States of America we are greater together than we are on our own.  (Applause.)  That’s what I believe.  That’s what I believe.  That’s what you believe.  That’s what’s at stake in this election.  (Applause.)
 
This November, you get to decide about the future of the war in Afghanistan.  Governor Romney said that me ending the war in Iraq was "tragic."  He doesn’t have a plan to bring home the 33,000 troops who will be coming home from Afghanistan next month.  (Applause.)  He likes to talk tough, but he doesn’t have a lot of details when it comes to these critical issues.  
 
And so what I have said not just to you but, most importantly, to those young men and women in uniform who are serving us every single day is that -- (applause) -- you will know where I stand.  When I say I will end the war in Iraq, I will end it.  When I say that we will go after bin Laden, we’ll go after him.  (Applause.)  And when I said that as we bring our troops home, first from Iraq, now from Afghanistan, that as long as I am Commander-in-Chief, we will serve our veterans as well as they’ve served us -- I mean it.  (Applause.)  Because nobody should have to fight for a job or a roof over their heads when they come home after they’ve been fighting for our freedom.  (Applause.) 
 
So here’s the bottom line.  Passing a new $5 trillion tax cut targeted at wealthiest Americans, it won’t create jobs.  It sure won’t bring down the debt -- it will increase it.  Ignoring inequalities don’t make them go away.  Denying climate change doesn’t make it stop.  (Applause.)  Looking backwards doesn’t make our future brighter.  It doesn't make your future stronger.
 
In the next two months, you get to choose.  And we've got a plan that will actually lead to a better future.  And you can prove the cynics wrong one more time.  
 
But the other side will spend the next two months, spending more money than we have ever seen in our lives -- an avalanche of attack ads and insults and distractions and sometimes they just make things up.  But they've got a bunch of folks who can write $10 million checks, and they'll just keep on running them.  
 
I mean, somebody was challenging one of their ads -- they made it up -- about work and welfare.  And every outlet said, this is just not true.  And they were asked about it and they said -- one of their campaign people said, we won't have the fact-checkers dictate our campaign.  (Laughter.)  We will not let the truth get in the way.  (Laughter.)  
 
Think about that.  They're counting on young people to just accept their version of the way things ought to be.  They expect that you will not be paying attention enough, or you will be distracted enough, or you will be discouraged enough that you walk away, and that means big oil writes the energy bills, and the insurance companies write the health care bills, and politicians in Washington decide what a woman can or can't do when it comes to her own health.  
 
And you know what, I think they're wrong.  I am counting on you.  (Applause.)  I'm counting on you because those who oppose change have always bet on your cynicism; they've always bet on a lack of hope -- and throughout American history, they have lost that bet.  And they're going to lose that bet this time too, as long as you register to vote -- (applause) -- as long as you're going out there to vote, as long as you're getting your friends to go out there and vote.  (Applause.)   
 
I need you.  America needs you to close the gap between what is and what might be.  We've got more jobs to create and more good schools to build.  We’ve got more homegrown energy to generate.  We’ve got more troops to bring home.  We've got more young people to send to college.  We've got more doors of opportunity to open to everybody who is willing to work hard and walk through them.  And it all depends on you.  (Applause.) 
 
So don't worry about letting me down -- don't let America down.  Don't let yourselves down.  (Applause.)  Go out there.  Register.  Stand up.  And if you do, we will win Virginia.  (Applause.)  And if we win Virginia, we will win this election. And we will finish what we started.  (Applause.)  And you and I together, we'll remind the world just why it is the United States of America is the greatest nation on Earth.  (Applause.) 
 
God bless you.  And God bless the United States of America.  (Applause.) 
 
END
4:05 P.M. EDT

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
August 29, 2012

President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama to Honor 2012 U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Teams at the White House

On Friday, September 14th, the President and First Lady will welcome the 2012 U.S. Olympic and Paralympic teams to the White House to honor their participation and success in this year’s Olympic and Paralympic Games in London.