The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
August 23, 2012

Press Briefing by Press Secretary Jay Carney, 8/23/2012

James S. Brady Press Briefing Room

12:12 P.M. EDT

MR. CARNEY:  Good day, ladies and gentlemen.  Thanks for being here.  I have no announcements, so let's get started.

Associated Press -- Ken.

Q    Thanks, Jay.  Governor Romney's campaign is promoting a number of steps on energy today.  Some of the goals that they're laying out are creating more than 3 million jobs through increased energy production, energy independence by 2020.  Does the President think that some of these goals are feasible?

MR. CARNEY:  Well, what the President believes is that we need to pursue a policy that embraces a bold and robust all-of-the-above approach to energy.  And what we know is that the policy the President has pursued has led already to the doubling of production of renewable energy from sources like wind and solar since the President took office.  We know that under his leadership and during his presidency domestic production of oil and gas -- natural gas -- has increased, and our reliance on imports of foreign oil has decreased to its lowest level in I think something like 16 years.

And I think what distinguishes the President's approach, all-of-the-above approach to our energy future from the Republican approach is that the Republican approach is essentially one that is written by or dictated by big oil and focuses almost entirely on oil and fossil fuels.

This President believes we need to embrace all forms of domestic energy production, including oil, including natural gas, including nuclear energy -- which, as you know, this administration has invested in for the first time in 30 years -- including renewables like wind and solar.  And while the Republican approach denigrates forms of energy like wind, this President believes that investing in renewable energy is essential to enhancing our energy independence.

And I would note, as the President did last week, that I think Congressman Ryan has called wind energy a fad, and I think maybe Mitt Romney -- Governor Romney called it imaginary.  This is a narrow view and a dangerous view if you think about how important energy security is and domestic production of energy is to our national security interests.

So this President will continue to push for an all-of-the-above energy approach that ensures that we aggressively pursue domestic oil and gas production, that we aggressively pursue renewable energy production and make the investments necessary to secure our future.

Q    Some of the components include increased drilling off the coast of Virginia or Florida, increased energy production on federal lands.  Is there -- does the President think there’s a place in an American energy policy for some of these ideas that Governor Romney is proposing today?

MR. CARNEY:  Well, I can tell you that, as you know, Ken, under the President, we have increased production on federal waters and lands.  The administration just finalized a plan that will build on the millions of acres we have made available for production offshore in the last year alone by making 75 percent  -- 75 percent of offshore resources available for production.

I think, again, if you look at the President’s record, he has been very aggressive in pursuing ways to increase domestic production of energy.  He has done it also in a way that is mindful of the need to produce in a safe and reliable fashion. 

One other point that I would note is that, again, representative of the President’s approach, all-of-the-above approach on energy is that we have now more coal miners employed in this country than we have had in the past 15 years. 

So this President believes that America’s national security and energy independence depends on a complete all-of-the-above approach.  And it depends not on focusing solely on domestic oil and gas production and big oil, and insisting on continuing oil and gas subsidies while ending, for example, the production tax credit -- the wind energy tax credit that is so important to the development of the wind energy industry in this country, as the President talked about last week and which, as you know, his opponents in this election oppose, despite the fact that Republicans in key states where wind energy is important support extending that wind energy tax credit.

Laura.

Q    Thanks.  So I wanted to ask you about the report yesterday from the CBO about the fiscal cliff,  which said that Americans should expect a significant recession and 2 million job losses if the spending cuts and tax hikes go through.  We’ve heard you say that the President believes in a need for a balanced approach to resolving this question and that Congress needs to act because it’s an important one.  What I wanted to ask was whether you anticipate any kind of formal process to get that rolling ahead of the election, maybe similar to what the Vice President led on the Hill last year, or if the President is comfortable or thinks it’s more practical to wait until after the election to do so.

MR. CARNEY:  I think the President has been ready and remains ready to come to an agreement on a balanced approach to our fiscal challenges at any time that Republicans demonstrate a willingness to accept the simple proposition that, in addition to spending cuts and in addition to entitlement reforms, revenue has to be part of it, as the Simpson-Bowles commission made clear, as the Domenici-Rivlin commission made clear, the Gang of Six and every other bipartisan group that has looked at this has made clear.  Unfortunately, Republican intransigence, their insistence that millionaires and billionaires get tax cuts, has prevented the completion of an agreement on a balanced plan. 

What we do know, however, going to the CBO report, is that the single biggest component of the so-called fiscal cliff is the middle-class tax cuts that Republicans and Democrats all agree ought to be extended.  The Senate passed a bill that extends these middle-class tax cuts -- tax cuts for 98 percent of the American people.  The House ought to do the same.  And just by doing that, we could alleviate some of the concern about the so-called fiscal cliff -- which should not, regardless, take any pressure off Congress from the absolute need to act, but it should demonstrate to the American people the ability of Congress to come together and pass something that everyone says they agree on and the President agrees on.

So, again, that would -- that is the single biggest component that makes up the so-called fiscal cliff.  If they pass that tax cut tomorrow, that would go a significant way towards alleviating concerns about the fiscal cliff.

Q    But I think given everyone is very busy campaigning and so on, and the absence of a formal setting to discuss it --

MR. CARNEY:  Well, I think the President told you earlier this week when he stood right here that it is -- he recognizes the fact that because Congress I believe will be in town for less than two weeks between now and the election, that significant progress with Congress may not be all that likely.

There are things, however, that Congress absolutely must do -- steps to ensure that we pass a continuing resolution that the government continues to function, there are no threats of shutdowns, and other things they can do.  But they could also -- because so much work has been done on it already and the Senate has already passed it -- they could pass this tax cut in a moment’s notice.  The House could do it when they come back and demonstrate to the American people that there is a seriousness of purpose here when it comes to recognizing the need to address some of the issues that were presented by the CBO report yesterday.

Q    And so just a final thing, just to clarify -- so then the idea is then after the election will be the time to address the rest of the fiscal cliff?

MR. CARNEY:  I think the President is open to -- and has said so -- any indication from Republicans that they are willing to drop their intransigence on this fundamental issue of whether or not we will move forward with a balanced plan.  Because it’s not just a point of argument and it’s not just well, the President believes we have to have a balanced plan and these bipartisan commissions all believe we have to have a balanced plan, every expert out there who’s independent believes that that’s the right approach.

The reason why everyone agrees on this is because the consequences of not having a balanced plan are embodied in the Republican budget proposal, which in order to achieve the kind of deficit savings that are needed, would unfairly burden America’s seniors by voucherizing Medicare, and cause huge reductions and investments in education and innovation, research and development -- the kinds of things that are fundamentally important to our further economic growth in this century.

So we don’t need to pursue that.  We don’t need to ask seniors to pay $6,400 a year -- per annum -- unless we believe that the right approach is to adopt a Republican plan that asks seniors to pay $6,400 a year, on average, extra to cover their health care costs because we’re voucherizing Medicare so that we can pay for tax cuts for the wealthiest among us.  That’s not sound economic policy.  We can’t afford it.  We don’t need to do it.  We need a balanced plan.

Adam.

Q    Thanks, Jay.  It was announced this week that Cardinal Timothy Dolan will be delivering a prayer at the RNC, and I know that he’s someone that the White House has reached out to on various issues.  Do you feel it’s appropriate that he be speaking at the Republican Convention, or do you have any feelings on how it might affect the working relationship with the Cardinal or the association he represents moving forward?

MR. CARNEY:  I think there’s a tradition of religious leaders giving prayers or invocations at conventions.  I don’t see a problem with that.

Q    I also had a question -- there’s some article circulating around DHS and the FBI about some possible anarchist activity at both the RNC and the DNC.  I know this is probably something that should be handled by the law enforcement community, but is there advice that the White House is giving to members who live -- residents who live in the area or anything that -- in relation to activities who aren’t attending the convention?

MR. CARNEY:  I’m not aware of the reports that you mentioned, and certainly it wouldn’t be for the White House to issue law enforcement guidance.  I would point you to local law enforcement officials as well as federal law enforcement.

Q    And finally, I know that this is -- I think you were asked about this earlier in the week, but there’s been a push from the online Homebrewers Association for the White House to release its beer recipes.  I believe there are three, at least, White House beers brewed here.  Does the White House have any plans to release its beer recipes?  (Laughter.)

MR. CARNEY:  Not that I’m aware of.  It’s true that -- (laughter) -- it’s true I don’t always bring water out here.  (Laughter.) 

Q    The paper cup.

MR. CARNEY:  Yes.  Not that I’m aware.  I think the President and First Lady were asked about this a little bit in an interview last week, which I believe is published or broadcast, about how the White House beer came about.  But I don’t -- I’m not aware of any plans at this time to --

Q    What about transparency?  (Laughter.)

MR. CARNEY:  -- divulge the secret recipes.

Q    I believe there have been Freedom of Information Act filed on this issue.  (Laughter.) 

MR. CARNEY:  I’ll have to take the question -- examine it, taste it.  (Laughter.)

Jake.

Q    The Congressional Budget Office report is a pretty dire warning about what this nation faces, and yet I didn’t hear the President mention it yesterday.  Is there a reason why?

MR. CARNEY:  Well, I think I put out a statement, which is the White House’s view and the President’s view.  The President talks every day that he’s out there, as he was yesterday, about what we need to do to help build our economy, help it to continue to grow, help it to continue to create jobs.  And yesterday and the day before, he was focusing on the need to continue investments in education because he firmly believes that education is a matter of our economy, that it is an economic issue, and --

Q    I understand, but that’s not really what the Congressional Budget Office was addressing.  They were talking about --

MR. CARNEY:  No, no, sure, about the --

Q    But I heard the President -- yes, the President talked about education, he talked about Todd Akin, he talked about Michael Jordan, he talked about a lot --

MR. CARNEY:  Well, and he talks, as you know, all the time about what we need to do specifically to help the economy grow and create jobs, and his belief that we need to take a balanced approach to address the kinds of fiscal challenges that are necessary.  I mean, the so-called fiscal cliff that the CBO report addressed, as you know, is being brought about by a vote of Congress, with bipartisan majorities in each house, to enact the Budget Control Act, which the President signed into law, which is --

Q    Sure, but he’s not an innocent bystander here.  He’s the President of the United States.

MR. CARNEY:  No, I’m not suggesting he is.

Q    I guess here’s the question:  Do you think the President is showing as much economic leadership on this issue as he could be?

MR. CARNEY:  Yes.  And I think that what I talked about in answer to an earlier question is that, look, we recognize that there is an enormous debate, a big conflict between the President and the Republican leadership in particular over whether or not we need to extend and, in some plans, give even greater tax cuts to the top 2 percent of American earners, the most well-to-do Americans.  That debate is unlikely to be resolved between now and the election.  The President talks about how in many ways the voters will help resolve it by the election.

But what we can agree on -- and this goes right to the issue of the fiscal cliff -- is that we should absolutely extend tax cuts for 98 percent of Americans and 97 of American small businesses tomorrow, or the day that Congress gets back.  And that would demonstrate to the American people and to people around the world that despite our differences on some very important issues, we can come together and do the practical thing and the sensible thing to help our economy grow, to avert some of the concern over the so-called fiscal cliff. 

And I think that would give people a lot of reassurance about the capacity of their leaders in Washington, after the election, to continue to address the challenges and to ensure that we don’t have to -- that the sequester does not come about  -- because it was never designed to take effect.  It was designed to be so onerous that it would force action, and hopefully that will take place. 

But what we do know is that we agree on this:  The middle-class tax cuts -- which I think this is a little-known fact -- are the single biggest component of the so-called fiscal cliff.  If we pass that, that would have a very positive impact on both  -- in the raw number sense, but also I think psychologically, because it would demonstrate that Washington is willing, despite the partisan differences here, to do the right thing by the American people and by the American economy.

Q    So why isn’t the President on Capitol Hill telling --

THE PRESIDENT:  Well, I’m not aware that anybody is up on Capitol Hill, but the President’s position --

Q    Why isn’t the President talking -- even talking about this?

THE PRESIDENT:  He has -- he talks about this frequently.  He talks about it all the time.  I mean, he was focusing on education the last couple of days, but numerous speeches in the last several weeks he talks very much about -- I mean, you saw him repeatedly talk about the need to extend middle-class tax cuts.  And he’ll continue to do that.  I’m standing here today speaking for him and for the White House and the administration, talking about the need to do that.  And we would welcome in a heartbeat a willingness by Republican leaders in the House to schedule and pass -- schedule a vote on and pass an extension of the middle-class tax cuts. 

And then we could all agree that our differences on the remaining 2 percent remain, that we don’t agree on that issue, and that that might have to be dealt with after the election.  But if we took that action on the 98 percent, it would demonstrate a seriousness of purpose, and it would be very helpful to both the American people who would have that assurance and certainty about their tax cuts -- 98 percent of the American people -- and to the economy writ large.

Q    I wanted to follow up on the energy question.  Why do you and the President continue to refer to it as an all-of-the-above energy approach when there are certainly components that Republicans are pushing for that you reject, such as the Keystone pipeline or other things?

MR. CARNEY:  Well, first of all, the Keystone pipeline is a -- we haven’t rejected anything.  It’s a process that’s underway at the State Department that was delayed for two reasons:  one, because of concern by folks in Nebraska, including a Republican governor, about the original proposed route; and then because of Congress’s -- the House Republicans’ insistence on including it as part of the payroll tax cut extension.  That is a specific issue.

The all-of-the-above approach is -- as you know, this administration has approved other pipelines, including transnational pipelines.  It has approved expanded drilling, both on water and on land, federal and public.  It has approved --

Q    But you mean types of energy, you don’t mean --

MR. CARNEY:  Well, I don’t mean that every single project imaginable that would require some sort of federal approval has necessarily.  But every form of energy has enjoyed the very aggressive support of this administration, and that includes nuclear, wind, solar, and biodiesel and, as you know, oil and gas.

Ed.

Q    Can I just follow up on Jake’s question on CBO saying we might be on the verge of another recession?  To his point, with nothing on the President’s public schedule today, why no meetings at all with congressional leaders?  He hasn’t had meetings with them in weeks if not months.

MR. CARNEY:  Ed, I think you know that congressional leaders have been -- Republican leaders have been very clear that they will hold hostage tax cuts for 98 percent of the American people to their insistence that millionaires and billionaires get tax cuts, too.  They could change their mind about that, agree with not just the President and not just Democrats, but the vast majority of people -- and my guess is 98 percent would like to have their tax cut next year -- if they simply said, okay, let’s agree to disagree on the 2 percent, let’s pass the 98 percent -- let’s get it done.  And that would, in a single stroke, address a significant portion of the concern about the so-called fiscal cliff.  It would not entirely deal with it, but it would have a significant impact. 

And the President was out there and will continue to be out there calling on Congress to take action on the middle-class tax cut, extending it for 98 percent of American taxpayers.  And I think that, hopefully, Republicans will, for two reasons -- one, because it’s the right thing to do for the economy and for the American people, and two, because of political pressure -- reevaluate their position, take advantage of the few days that they’re actually back in Washington, when they are back, to pass this bill that we all agree should be passed and made law.

Q    The President himself has previously said, why raise taxes on people during an economic slowdown?  And so, while you’re talking about the ones for the middle class and the 98 percent there, there is still -- the Republican view has been again and again that you say they’re hardened on is that if you raise taxes on the wealthy then you’re going to add to the economic slowdown.  So we know what their view is, we know what your view is.  My question is, why are they not in a room trying to negotiate, which is what Presidents and leaders normally do?

MR. CARNEY:  Well, look, I think what -- again, we are clearly at loggerheads when it comes to the top 2 percent.  We are in total agreement when it comes to the 98 percent.  It stands to reason that we should be able to agree on what we agree on and then continue to debate on what we disagree on.  And it is I think unhelpful to the economy and certainly not useful for the American people to insist that 98 percent of you won’t get a tax cut unless the top 2 percent of the well-to-do Americans get a tax cut.

And in terms of the President’s position on this, you know his position.  It’s been his position for a long time.  The fact of the matter is -- and economists will tell you this -- that a tax cut for middle-class Americans has far greater positive economic impact than a tax cut to people in the top 2 percent.  They don’t necessarily spend it and inject it back into the economy.  It just does not have the same macroeconomic impact.

And when you’re weighing what we need to do to help the economy grow as we deal with our deficits, we simply can’t afford to spend that extra trillion dollars over what would be 10 years, potentially, on another tax cut for the wealthiest 2 percent of the American people.

I mean, here’s the thing.  Some of the very leaders in Congress today, Republican leaders in the House, stood before us -- I was a reporter then -- and declared on the eve of the vote for the Clinton budget, the Bill Clinton budget in 1993 that raised marginal tax rates on wealthier Americans, that it would cause a recession if they passed that bill and signed it into law, that it would cause economic decline, it would cause job loss.
 
I think we can all agree that they were wrong -- because what we got instead was sustained economic growth, significant job creation -- 23 million, 24 million jobs, and the only time in our lifetimes when the budget has been balanced.  And millionaires and billionaires coined at a rapid pace.

So the President’s position is you have to have a balanced approach.  We need tax cuts for the middle class.  We can’t afford tax cuts for the wealthiest.

Q    Last thing.  Does the White House have a view on this book by a Navy SEAL who is going to come out and talk about the bin Laden raid?  The book is going to be published I believe on the 9/11 anniversary.  There seems to be some concern at the Pentagon and the CIA that somebody who’s got that kind of intimate knowledge is going to put it into a book.  Does the White House share that concern?

MR. CARNEY:  Well, as I think one of my colleagues here noted yesterday, we were unaware of this book until yesterday and the press reports about it.  So I don’t know what’s in it, and would refer you to the Defense Department, since it’s apparently or supposedly written by someone in the military or retired.  But I just don’t know anything else about it.

Kristen.

Q    Jay, thanks.  The New York Times is reporting today that this administration has close ties to Exelon, which may have helped foster greater access to the upper reaches of this administration, may have been proven helpful in terms of securing some grants and loans.  Do you have a reaction to this report?  Is it a fair report?

MR. CARNEY:  Well, I would say a couple of things.  The truth is that Exelon has a long history of supporting politicians of both sides of the aisle.  And as you -- most of your who have covered the rule-making process, you know that these decisions on grants are made on the merits.  And as Cass Sunstein said in the story, it would be a huge mistake to draw any link between the number of meetings that OIRA, the agency that he headed until recently, holds with outsiders and the outcome of any rule.  In fact, OIRA meets with any entity that asks for a meeting.  That is there policy.  And for the standards listed, OIRA also met four times with the Sierra Club, three times with the American Lung Association, and three times with the American Academy of Pediatrics.

So, again, it is standard policy at OIRA to meet with anyone who asks for a meeting who has an interest in any of these issues that come before OIRA.

Q    Does the assertion, though, create a negative optic for the President as he heads into kind of the final stretch --

MR. CARNEY:  I think the President's support for an all-of-the-above approach to energy and to renewable energy is an issue in this campaign.  It's one that he's proud to have be an issue, as you noted when he was out in Iowa last week and has spoken about elsewhere.  He firmly believes that our energy future in this country will be more secure, and therefore our national security will be enhanced if we pursue policies that expand domestic oil and gas production, that aggressively invest in and expand renewable energy sources, that make investments, as this administration has, in nuclear energy -- that this is the way -- this is an approach that we have to take.

And obviously Republicans have made an issue of this and it is one that he is very happy to debate.

Q    But this story doesn’t necessarily call into question his views on an all-of-the-above approach, but more so his ties to --

MR. CARNEY:  My reading of the story, the story simply said -- the big assertion in the story is that people from this company had meetings at OIRA.  And what I'm telling you is that any entity that asks for a meeting with OIRA, that has an interest in or is a stakeholder in any of these standards or rules, gets a meeting.  So I'm not sure what the issue is, frankly.

Q    And, Jay, I just want to ask you -- yesterday, Josh Earnest said of Ban Ki-moon's visit to Iran to attend the meetings there, that he hopes that he will encourage the Iranian regime to live up to their international obligations.  Has the White House encouraged the Secretary General to directly voice this concern with the Iranian regime?

MR. CARNEY:  Well, I don't know if that conversation has taken place.  I think that what Josh said yesterday -- and I'll reiterate today -- is certainly our position, and it is well known, which is that we believe that the Iranians use this kind of forum for propaganda purposes and we would ask participants to take advantage of that forum to press upon Iran the need to abide by its international obligations or face further isolation and further sanctions for refusing to abide by their international obligations.

Scott -- and then, Roger.

Q    Two things, Jay -- one, do the differences between the administration and the GOP on energy also extend to the demand side?

MR. CARNEY:  Well, I don't know about demand, per se.  But one thing I did not bring up -- one step this President took, standing with the CEOs of more than a dozen automobile companies, was to raise fuel-efficiency standards, double them over the course of a number of years. 

Now, that will have a tremendous impact not just on Americans and their pocketbooks and wallets in terms of the cost of fuel and how much they spend on it, and that will be significant savings for the American people -- it will also enhance our energy independence by reducing our demand on oil and, therefore, demands for foreign oil imports. 

And I think leading Republicans, let's say, have been very critical of this decision, despite the fact that it was reached in agreement with -- voluntarily by more than a dozen automobile manufacturers. 

Q    And also, did the CBO report yesterday tell us anything about the fiscal situation that we haven't known really since the super committee failed?

MR. CARNEY:  Well, I think it -- they make periodic revisions.  And I think that they have now taken into account since the last time they looked at this all the economic data that has been provided and what's happened in the economy since. But I don't think that it tells us anything surprising in the sense that we know we have to take action to address our fiscal challenges in a balanced way. 

We know we need to take action to ensure that the so-called sequester doesn't take effect.  And it requires a little will and backbone by Congress to agree to the fundamental premise that is widely supported around the country that we need to tackle these issues in a balanced way.  And at least prior to that, even as we acknowledge that we will debate some of these issues beyond the election, we can take action immediately to pass the tax cuts for 98 percent of the American people that would go a significant distance down the road towards addressing the fiscal cliff.

Roger.

Q    Ken mentioned this at the top, but I wanted to get a little further.  One of Romney's energy plans today has to do with giving states control of oil and gas on federal lands.  What does the President think of that?

MR. CARNEY:  Well, I'm not aware of that specific proposal and I'm not, frankly, as steeped in the details in terms of how these processes work.  I know that this President has aggressively expanded oil and gas production in this country, but in a way that he believes protects the health and safety of our lands and waters and, of course, of the American people.  And he'll continue to do that.

Q    I guess I was getting at the state --

MR. CARNEY:  I'm not aware of that particular provision in the Governor's proposal. 

April.

Q    Jay, I want to ask you some questions about Isaac as it relates to Haiti and as it relates to the United States.  The United States, along with the world body, are working to try to fortify, rebuild Haiti, and Haiti is right in the path of Isaac. What is this administration doing as it relates to preparing for Haiti with Isaac's approach upon the country?

MR. CARNEY:  Well, right now the administration through FEMA has been in close contact with local officials and emergency managers in Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, as well as the Florida Emergency Management Agency.  And, obviously, that's because these are American lands and territories.

We are monitoring the storm -- FEMA is and NOAA -- and are very mindful of the suffering that Haiti has endured because of the earthquake, and will I'm sure be prepared to assist Haiti if it does suffer under this hurricane.  But I think we need to step back and acknowledge that we don't know what direction the hurricane -- or the tropical storm, if it becomes a hurricane, will take. 

And I think I saw Administrator Fugate on television discuss this and say we need to make sure that everyone who could potentially be affected by the storm, whether it's in Puerto Rico or the Florida Keys or anywhere on other U.S. coastland, be prepared and make sure they're paying attention to updates on where the storm is and how strong it is and where it's headed.  And FEMA is working very closely with all the appropriate agencies to do that.  

Q    But you understand why I ask about Haiti, because Haiti is still trying to come back just to the basic piece of where they were before they had that massive earthquake.  And you still have people living in camps.  I mean, Haiti is still --

MR. CARNEY:  I completely appreciate the question and agree with the assessment of Haiti -- what it has endured and what its vulnerabilities are.  Perhaps the State Department can help you with more on what Haiti might be doing to prepare for a potential storm.  And, again, I'm not briefed well enough to know what the odds are that Haiti would be affected.

Q    But does the President still get updates on Haiti, even though I mean we're several years out now from the earthquake?  Does he get regular updates on Haiti?
 
MR. CARNEY:  I would have to take the question.  I know that he does periodically from the NSC and the director within the NSC that has that -- has Haiti within its area of responsibility.  But I couldn't tell you when the last time he got an update on it was or the situation there. 

Let's see, all the way -- yes, in the back.  Sorry, almost in the back, three from the back.

Q    Thank you, Jay.  The President has understandably been talking a whole lot about education and the economy.  But we haven’t heard much about the plan for the next four years for the war in Afghanistan.  And so I guess I wanted to ask a two-part question.  First of all, what is the plan for the next four years?  And, second of all, there's some chatter that the reason it hasn't been discussed is because Governor Romney and the President essentially agree.

MR. CARNEY:  Well, I can't speak for Governor Romney.  I think that he has been critical of what the President has made very explicit is his strategy and his policy in Afghanistan, which is, having kept his promise to end the war in Iraq and bring our troops home, he has refocused -- he refocused attention on the effort in Afghanistan, which, after all, we entered -- U.S. troops entered because of the attacks on the United States on September 11, 2001.  He refocused attention.  He plussed-up our forces there.  He developed a strategy that made clear that our number-one priority, the reason why we are in Afghanistan, is because of al Qaeda, and that our number-one objective for our mission in Afghanistan is to disrupt, dismantle, and ultimately defeat al Qaeda, and that all other objectives that are secondary to that help support the primary objective. 

As part of the very detailed proposal that he's put forward and that has been endorsed by our ISAF partners, we are now beginning to draw down U.S. forces from Afghanistan.  And that process continues.  And as you know, by 2014, we will have fully transferred security lead to Afghan security forces.  And this President believes that's the right policy.  It's his policy.   And I would refer you to Governor Romney for Governor Romney's policy, if he has one.

MR. CARNEY:  Dick.

Q    Jay, does the White House have any comment about the lawsuit filed today by immigration agents in federal court in Texas, trying to stop the President's non-deportation policy?

MR. CARNEY:  I'm not aware of it.  I'd have to take the question.  And it's probably one that the Department of Justice would take. 

Chris.

Q    Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin is going to be the Democratic nominee running for U.S. Senate in Wisconsin.  It will be historic if she wins because she will be the first openly gay person elected to the U.S. Senate.  It looks like she is facing an uphill battle against Tommy Thompson.  Will the President campaign with Tammy Baldwin in her state?

MR. CARNEY:  I have no campaign announcements, scheduling announcements to make on behalf of the President.  The President himself has an election, as you know, in a few short months.  But I have no campaign announcements to make.

Q    Do you have anything to say about the significance of Tammy Baldwin's candidacy, though?

MR. CARNEY:  Well, I think it is very significant.  I think that what is most significant is that someone qualified, like Ms. Baldwin, is running for that office and would make an excellent senator if elected.

Thank you all very much.

END
12:55 P.M. EDT

President Obama Engages with Youth with Disabilities

August 23, 2012 | 4:17 | Public Domain

Recently, President Obama met with some youth with disabilities. He wanted to hear their thoughts about the future of disability policy. So, he sat down with participants from the American Association of People with Disabilities internship program. These young people are passionate and strong representatives for millions of people with disabilities across the country. They represent a brighter future for America. President Obama is ready to stand with them each and every day.

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The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
August 23, 2012

Readout of the President’s Discussion with Acting Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn

The President and Acting Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn spoke today.  President Obama conveyed his condolences on behalf of the American people to the people of Ethiopia for the country’s loss.  President Obama also noted that Prime Minister Meles made significant contributions to Ethiopia’s development and to peace and security in the region.  President Obama underscored the commitment of the United States to continuing in our partnership with Ethiopia, and urged Acting Prime Minister Hailemariam to use his leadership to enhance the Ethiopian government’s support for development, democracy, human rights and regional security.

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
August 23, 2012

White House Launches Presidential Innovation Fellows Program

WASHINGTON, DC – US Chief Technology Officer Todd Park announced the first class of “Presidential Innovation Fellows” today. Selected from an applicant pool of nearly 700 innovators from across the country, the 18  “Fellows” have agreed to spend six months in Washington to work on five high-impact projects aimed at supporting entrepreneurs, small businesses and the economy, while significantly improving how the Federal Government serves the American people.

“The Presidential Innovation Fellows program leverages the ingenuity of leading problem solvers from across America together with federal innovators to tackle projects that aim to fuel job creation, save taxpayers money and improve the lives of Americans in tangible ways,” Park said. “These private sector innovators bring their entrepreneurial expertise to the table that has helped jump-start high-tech companies, increase efficiency and public engagement, and redefine how technology is used in business."

The five projects were selected because they are tough but tractable challenges whose solutions could provide immediate benefits and cost-savings to American citizens, entrepreneurs and businesses. The first class of 18 Presidential Innovation Fellows were chosen on the basis of individuals’ skill sets and their relevance to the chosen challenges, as well as using cross-sector teams of innovators who can rapidly prototype and test solutions in an iterative way until success is achieved.

The five projects, and the Fellows who will be working on each, are:

Blue Button for America will spread the ability for millions of Americans to easily and securely download their own health information electronically, all while fueling the emergence of time and money saving products and businesses.

• Henry Wei, MD – Practicing doctor and informatics expert, New York, NY
• Ryan Panchadsaram – Founder of Pipette, San Francisco, CA
• Matt McCall – Information systems expert, Baltimore, MD

RFP-EZ aims to develop an online marketplace that will make it easier for the government to do business with small high-growth tech companies, and enabling the government to buy better, lower-cost tech solutions from the full range of American businesses. 

• Clay Johnson – Best-selling author, open government technologist and entrepreneur, Washington, DC
• Jed Wood – Interaction designer, web developer, and entrepreneur, Chicago, IL
• Adam Becker – Web developer and co-founder of civic engagement startup GovHub, Oakland, CA

MyGov will create a prototype of a streamlined online system enabling citizens to easily access the information and services from across the Federal Government.

• Kara DeFrias – User experience writer from TurboTax San Diego, CA
• Phil Ashlock – Open government program manager and co-founder of Civic Commons, Brooklyn, NY
• Danny Chapman – Award-winning website designer, Riverside, RI
• Greg Gershman – Software engineer and serial entrepreneur Baltimore, MD
• Ben Balter – Software engineer, Washington, DC

The 20% Initiative will work to transition “the last mile” of international development assistance payments from cash to electronic methods – lowering administrative costs, promoting financial inclusion, and reducing theft, fraud, and violence.

• Karl Mehta – Serial entrepreneur and founder of PlaySpan, Fremont, CA

Open Data Initiatives will accelerate and expand Administration efforts to make government data more publicly accessible in “computer-readable” form and spur the use of those data by entrepreneurs as fuel for the creation of new products, services, and jobs.

• Ian Kalin – Navy veteran and managing director of an energy sector startup, San Francisco, CA
• Marina Martin – Web developer and business efficiency expert, Seattle, WA
• Raphael Majma – Open data researcher, Brooklyn, NY
• Nick Bramble – Director, Law & Media Program, Information Society Project at Yale Law School, New Haven, CT
• Dmitry Kachaev – Software engineer, Arlington, VA
• Nathaniel Manning – Robotics entrepreneur and member of the World Economic Forum’s Personal Data team and Google’s Data Colloquium team, San Francisco, CA

To learn more about the Presidential Innovation Fellows program, please visit: www.WhiteHouse.gov/InnovationFellows

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
August 22, 2012

Remarks by the President at a Campaign Event -- New York, NY

Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center
New York, New York

7:25 P.M. EDT

THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you!  (Applause.)  Thank you, everybody.  It’s good to see you guys.  Thank you.  (Applause.)  Everybody, please have a seat.  Now, let me first of all thank Michael and David Stern, who are both here, as well as all the NBA players who are here.  We are so grateful to them.  (Applause.) 

To all my outstanding supporters who are here, thank you.  I want to acknowledge an outstanding basketball player in his own right -- the Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan.  (Applause.)  Some of you have had a chance to see his game. 

We’ve got some legendary Knicks in the house.  (Applause.)  Clyde Walt Frazier is here.  (Applause.)  And in addition to being one of the best basketball players of all time, also one of the finest public servants we’ve ever had, Bill Bradley is here.  (Applause.) 

So this is my Dream Team.  I have to say, first of all, it is very rare that I come to an event where I’m like the fifth or sixth most interesting person.  (Laughter.)  Usually, the folks want to take a picture with or sit next to me, or talk to me -- that has not been the case at this event, and I completely understand it. 

Secondly, I want all of you to know that although Michael looked very elegant in his suit, he has North Carolina shorts underneath there.  (Laughter.)  I think that’s important to note.  Right, Vince?  You’ve got some, too, don’t you?  There he is.  We got some Tar Heels in the house.

To all of you, I just want to say thank you.  And I’m not going to speak long because I’m going to have a chance to take some pictures with everybody and say thank you personally. 

The country has obviously gone through one of the toughest times that we’ve seen in our lifetimes.  In fact, as I look around the room, I don’t see anybody who was around during the Great Depression.  And -- (laughter) -- no, I don’t believe it.  You look too good.  (Laughter.)  You look too good.  (Applause.)

And so a lot of folks have been hurting.  We have seen people lose their homes, lose their jobs, lose their savings.  And for the last three and a half years, as President, my job has been to right the ship, and not only try to bring about an economic recovery, but also to start dealing with some of the challenges that got us into this mess in the first place -- because we had been going for a decade in which people’s incomes and wages had flat-lined; in which folks like those of us in this room had done very well, but the vast majority of folks were working harder for less at the same time as their cost for health care and the cost for sending their kids to college kept on going up.  We had run two wars on a credit card and, as a consequence, had gone from surplus to deficit.  And then it all culminated in this massive financial crisis that left enormous destruction in its wake.  

And so, for the last three and a half years, every morning I wake up and I say to myself, what is it that we can do to make sure that we’re building a strong middle class and we’re creating ladders of opportunity for folks who are willing to work hard to get into that middle class.  The basic security that says if you’re willing to work hard, you can get a job that pays a living wage; that you can own a home that you call your own; that you won’t go bankrupt when you get sick; that you can save and retire with some dignity and some respect; and most importantly, that you’re going to be able to ensure that even if your kids don't have a 44-inch vertical, that they can aspire to do things that you didn't even dream of, that they can go further than you did.

And we’ve started making progress down that front.  Over the last three and a half years, we’ve created 4.5 million new jobs.  We saved an auto industry that was on the brink of destruction.  We’ve been able to provide health insurance for 30 million Americans who didn't have it before, even though they were working really hard, and lower prescription drug costs for seniors who oftentimes have to choose between whether they're going to eat or whether they buy the medicines they need to stay well.

We’ve been able to provide millions of young people additional grants and loans so that they can go to college.  And we’ve been able to end a war and start transitioning out of another one, and at the same time, provide our men and women in uniform the kind of support that they have earned, because somebody who has fought for us and risked their lives for us shouldn’t have to fight for a job or a roof over their heads when they come home.  (Applause.)

So the good news is we’ve made progress.  The challenge is that we’ve got a lot more work to do, and we’re now in the middle of a campaign that will determine not just our futures but the futures of our kids and our grandkids.  This is probably the most consequential election of my lifetime, and in a lot of ways, it’s more consequential than the one in 2008.

Back in 2008, there was a lot at stake, and obviously there was huge excitement around the election, and it was kind of trendy to be a supporter of Obama.  People didn't -- folks who hadn’t followed politics before, they started getting involved, just like non-basketball fans started watching the Chicago Bulls back in the ‘90s.  (Laughter.) 

But back in 2008, we were running against a Republican candidate who believed in some basic things that I believe in -- believed that money shouldn’t dominate politics; believed in immigration reform, that we should give every young person who’s here a chance to become an American and contribute to this country; somebody who believed in climate change and believed in science. 

Now we’ve got a Republican Party that has gone so far to the extreme that it becomes very hard for us to see Washington get anything done. 

So, Mr. Romney, my opponent, his main economic plan is to give everybody in this room a tax cut.  Now, some of you may find that appealing, but the fact of the matter is, is that we can't afford it.  We can't afford $5 trillion, much of which would go to folks like us, and to pay for it we would end up gutting our investments in education, gutting our investments in health care for people who really need it, gutting our investments in science and technology that have always made us an economic superpower, gutting our investments in infrastructure -- roads, bridges, airports -- the things that help businesses succeed in this country, and impose additional costs on middle-class families that can barely afford it right now.  That's his essential plan. 
I was just in Las Vegas talking to a group of teachers -- and before a big rally I met with three teachers, and they explained to me that right now they have an average of 38 kids in their classroom.  Some classes end up having 45 kids.  They don't have enough desks, so kids are sitting on the floor at the beginning of the school year.  The books they use date back to 2003.  So I was talking to a civics teacher who was explaining, I'm having to explain to kids that some of the countries in the books don't exist anymore. 

And that's not unusual in big chunks of the country.  And this is at a time when our economic success entirely depends on how well we educate our kids, how well we prepare our workforce -- because companies can locate anywhere.  And if they don't have a place where they can count on people having the skills they need, they’ll go to China, they’ll go to India, they’ll go to Eastern Europe.  And that can't be the kind of future that we want for America.

So we’ve got major economic debates -- that's not the only place where we've got debates.  Recently, some of you have been paying attention to the commentary of the Senator of Missouri, Mr. Akin, who -- the interesting thing here is that this is an individual who sits on the House Committee on Science and Technology, but somehow missed science class.  (Laughter.)  But it’s representative of a desire to go backwards instead of forwards, and to fight fights that we thought were settled 20, 30 years ago.

When it comes to how we deal with other countries, I’m very proud that America is stronger and more respected around the world.  And we saw -- some of you were at the London Olympics -- Carmelo and some other folks were there and -- (applause) -- way to bring home the gold.  We appreciate that.  (Applause.)

But our alliances are stronger now because people around the world feel that America doesn’t just lead with our military, although we take great pride in the strength and power of our military, but we also lead with our ideas.  And we also lead in our diplomacy, and we try to bring people together, to collaborate to solve major problems around the world.  And the other side has a different idea when it comes to how we’re going to approach those issues.

On energy, one of the things I’m most proud of is the fact that we’ve actually reduced our dependence on foreign oil below 50 percent for the first time in 13 years.  And we keep on going down.  Oil production is up.  Natural gas is up.  But we’re also doubling the energy that we get from wind and solar -- that is clean, it’s renewable, it's homegrown, it's creating jobs all across America.

Mr. Romney, he wants to eliminate the key support that is going to allow us to grab our energy future.  That is not the kind of future that we want for our kids.

So there is a lot at stake in this election.  And perhaps, most importantly, what’s at stake is whether or not America continues to be a place where if you work hard, no matter what you look like, no matter where you come from, no matter what your last name is, you can succeed.  You can make it.  That's what makes America special.  That's the reason why people continue to want to come here from all around the world -- because they have this sense of America as an example for the rest of the world of freedom and opportunity and democracy -- not something that's bought by a bunch of wealthy individuals just writing $10 million checks; not opportunity that's just restricted to the few, but opportunity to the many.

And a lot of people in this room come from humble beginnings.  Many of you guys have achieved pinnacles of success that your parents, your grandparents, your great-grandparents could have never imagined.  But the reason you had that chance was because here in this country, they could project -- even in the midst of hardship, even in the midst of hard times, they could say to themselves, you know what, maybe I can’t own a business, but my son or daughter, they can own a business.  Maybe I never went to college and I’m sweeping floors, but some day I can imagine my grandchild teaching at that university where I sweep floors.  Maybe I can't afford a lawyer, but maybe some day my son or daughter might be a Supreme Court justice. 

That idea is what America has always been about.  And that's what's at stake in this election.  Because if we continue down a path where only a few of us are doing very well, our kids will be fine in the short term, our grandkids will be all right, but over time, the essence of what has made this country great erodes.  And that's not something I'm willing to accept.  That's something we have to fight for.

So I'm going to need all of you on this team and working hard for the next 11 weeks.  I can't resist a basketball analogy -- (laughter) -- we are in the 4th quarter -- (laughter) -- we're up by a few points, but the other side is coming strong and they play a little dirty.  (Laughter.)  We've got a few folks on our team in foul trouble.  (Laughter.)  We've got a couple of injuries.  (Laughter.)  And I believe that they've got one last run in them, and I'd say there's about seven minutes to go in the game. 

And Michael's competitiveness is legendary, and nobody knows better than Michael that if you've got a little bit of lead and there's about seven minutes to go, that's when you put them away. (Applause.)  That's when you stop any momentum they have.  You don't let them up from the mat.  You don't give them any hope that they might pull this out.  You don't leave it to a lucky shot they might make from half-court at the end.  (Applause.)  You go ahead and you pour it on.  (Applause.)  You might press them a little bit.  You might put Pippen and Jordan on the front court, trap them a little bit; have Horace come in.  (Applause.) You don't let up.  That's how the Bulls won six.  That's how we're going to win this election.  (Applause.)

Thank you very much, everybody.  (Applause.)  Appreciate you guys. 

God bless you and God bless America.

END 
7:43 P.M. EDT

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
August 22, 2012

President Obama Signs Oklahoma Disaster Declaration 

The President today declared a major disaster exists in the State of Oklahoma and ordered Federal aid to supplement state and local recovery efforts in the area affected by the Freedom Wildfire during the period of August 3-14, 2012.

The President's action makes federal funding available to affected individuals in Creek County.
 
Assistance can include grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses, and other programs to help individuals and business owners recover from the effects of the disaster.
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 William J. Doran III as the Federal Coordinating Officer for federal recovery operations in the affected area.
 
FEMA said additional designations may be made at a later date if requested by the state and warranted by the results of further damage assessments.
 
FEMA said that residents and business owners who sustained losses in the designated counties can begin applying for assistance tomorrow by registering online at http://www.DisasterAssistance.gov or by calling 1-800-621-FEMA(3362) or 1-800-462-7585 (TTY) for the hearing and speech impaired. The toll-free telephone numbers will operate from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. (local time) seven days a week until further notice.
 
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 22, 2012

Readout of the President’s Call with Prime Minister Cameron

The President and Prime Minister Cameron spoke today by telephone to continue their close consultations on a wide array of global issues.  President Obama reiterated his strong support for decisive action to address the economic crisis in Europe.  The President also conveyed his concerns about the increasingly dire humanitarian situation in Syria, and the need for more countries to contribute to the United Nations Syria humanitarian appeals.  The two leaders exchanged views on ways the international community can assist those displaced by the conflict, apply pressure on the Assad regime, and support the opposition so that the legitimate aspirations of the Syrian people can be realized.

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
August 22, 2012

Remarks by the President in Roundtable with Teachers

Canyon Springs High School
North Las Vegas, Nevada

9:36 A.M. PDT
 
MR. BARRON:  I just want to convey the genuine appreciation and sincere thank you on behalf of not only my school but my community, and now generations of the DREAM Act kids -- we really appreciate your sincerity and, more than anything, the courage that you've had to come out and help us with the --

THE PRESIDENT:  Well, when we spoke, Isaac was passionate about it, and I told you I share that passion in making sure every kid is getting a fair shot.  All these pieces fit together -- good teachers, college access, making sure that every one of our kids, if they're willing to work hard, then they've got a shot. 

Now, we can't do everything for them, and in the end -- my sister is a teacher, and she now is out of the classroom.  She's actually at the college -- at the University of Hawaii.  So she teaches teachers and sort of advises them, and works with them on a curriculum.  But I see how hard you guys work and I know that you don't do it for the money.  (Laughter.)  You're doing it because you really, deeply care about these kids.

You guys, I'm sure, recognize that you have them for a limited part of the day, and if they're not getting reinforced at home, that's a problem.  So my message is always, parents, you guys have to be part of this team.  You can't just drop your kid off and expect --

MS. HENRICKSON:  The triangle -- my friend says it's a triangle between the teacher, the parent, and the student.  If you don't have all three, it's not there. 

THE PRESIDENT:  That's exactly right.  But you guys need to make -- you guys need to have the support and the resources in order to be successful as well.  And one of the things that I know that a lot of you guys are concerned about is class size, which is something that's subject to periodic debate.  But I don't know too many teachers who don't think that having smaller class size allows you to do a better job.  And, Lori, you --

MS. HENRICKSON:  Well, I teach science, and it's such a hands-on activity.  If I want to do a hands-on activity, it's so hard when there's -- if I have 40 kids in that class.  Like I have it set up now -- I have six groups of six.  And I'm thinking, what if I had 38 students?  What am I going to do with those kids?  Am I going to have enough supplies?  That's one thing.  If I have big class sizes, am I going to have enough supplies to make those groups work?

And I think in science -- I know it's probably in every subject, but it's the meaningful experience, the hands-on, meaningful experiences that those kids need to call upon when they're tested or in life -- that if they don't have those hands-on experiences, it's just -- it's so hard for them to -- and, yes, but 40 12-year-olds, like holy cow, that's -- your daughter is 13, yes?  Your oldest?

THE PRESIDENT:  She's 14.

MS. HENRICKSON:  Oh, 14 -- okay.  But imagine 40 --

THE PRESIDENT:  Forty of them.

MS. HENRICKSON:  -- yes, in one room for 50 minutes and I need to teach them --

THE PRESIDENT:  It's frightening.  (Laughter.) 

MS. HENRICKSON:  Yes.  And it's so -- or I do Earth Science, and so we get to do space, and space is so exciting, with the Mars Curiosity -- 

THE PRESIDENT:  Right.

MS. HENRICKSON:  -- and so many things.  And I'm about to do technology and I do -- I've been following the Mars Curiosity on Twitter, and it's hilarious.  And I want to incorporate those things, and it's just -- when there's so many kids in that classroom, it's how do I touch them, how do I get those students to be excited about -- as excited as I am?  How do I give that to them?

THE PRESIDENT:  And then if one of them is stuck, you need to --

Q    Have that one-on-one time.

THE PRESIDENT:  -- have the one-on-one time. 

In terms of that, I was talking to a math teacher in Pennsylvania, in Scranton, and -- I think he was middle school -- no, it was probably high school, because he was teaching geometry so I suspect it was probably 9th grade or 10th grade.  But he was saying his traditional pattern has been that after people do the overall assignment as a group, then he’d give everybody problem sets.  And he’d go around the room and when he had 28 kids or 25 kids, then he’d go around three times.  And you add an extra five, six, seven kids in the class and then he could only go around twice. 

So he was explaining how each class for the entire year he’s touching each one of those kids one less time per class in individualized instruction, which meant that if they got stuck or they got lost it was going to make a difference. 

And you’ve seen this, right, Claritssa?  Your classes actually have increased since you started teaching.

(Travel pool exits.)

END 
9:41 A.M. PDT

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
August 22, 2012

Remarks by the President at a Campaign Event

Canyon Springs High School
Las Vegas, Nevada

10:10 A.M. PDT

THE PRESIDENT:  Hello Nevada!  (Applause.)  Hello, Las Vegas!  (Applause.)  Oh, it is good to be back in Nevada!  (Applause.) 

AUDIENCE:  Four more years!  Four more years!

THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you!  And I want to thank our host, Canyon Springs High School -- go Pioneers!  (Applause.)  Go Pioneers!

A couple of people I want to acknowledge -- first of all, can everybody please give a big round of applause to Claritssa for the great introduction and the great job she’s doing.  (Applause.)  I want to acknowledge U.S. Senate candidate, your current Congresswoman Shelley Berkley in the house.  (Applause.)  We also have congressional candidates, Steven Horsford -- (applause) -- and John Oceguera.  (Applause.)  And all of you are here, and I’m really excited.  (Applause.) 

Now, first of all, if you’ve got a seat, feel free to take a seat.  If you don’t have a seat, make sure you bend your knees while you’re standing there.  We don’t want you fainting.  Usually, in these rallies, one or two people kind of drop off right in the middle.  (Laughter.)  So I want to make sure everybody --

AUDIENCE MEMBER:  We love you!

THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you, I love you back.  (Applause.) 

Now, the first thing I want to say is, I didn’t know it rains in Las Vegas.  (Laughter and applause.)  I have never seen it raining here, and we got a nice little rain out there.  So that’s good.  That kind of keeps the plants alive and cools things off a little bit.

This is a busy time of year.  Sports teams are already practicing, teachers are finishing up and fine-tuning their lesson plans, and next week, here in Clark County, classes begin.  (Applause.)  And -- good.  This young lady is very excited about going to school.  (Laughter.)  And I want all the young people to feel that same kind of excitement.  And although, I have to say, as a father, I know that not every student is always as excited as this young lady about school starting back up again -- even though their parents are always very excited.  (Laughter.)  Get them back in school.

But I’ve come to Canyon Springs High School today because we all understand there is nothing more important to our country’s future than the education we give our children.  (Applause.)  Nothing more important.  It is central to the very idea of America, that if you’re willing to study hard and you’re willing to work hard, no matter who you are, no matter what you look like, no matter where you came from, no matter what your last name is, here in America you can make it if you try.  (Applause.)

Now, I’m a big believer that education starts at home.  It starts with parents who are reading to their kids and turning off the TV sometimes -- (applause) -- instilling a lifelong love of learning.  You can’t replace that kind of attitude that you get at home, and so parents have to make sure that they’re staying on top of their kids’ educations.  (Applause.)

It also means, students, you’ve got to have a lifelong love of learning.  Sometimes when I’m talking to young people, I try to explain to them, you know what, an education is not something you receive passively.  We don’t just tip your head over and pour education in your ear.  (Laughter.)  You’ve got to want it.  You’ve got to be engaged and curious and interested and be willing to ask questions and push yourself.  And especially when subjects are hard, you’ve got to be willing to work at it.  It doesn’t come easy.  That’s the nature of a good education, and that will last you your whole life.  That will last you your whole life.  (Applause.)

But as important as parents are, as important as the attitudes of students are, what happens at schools like this will shape the future of the vast majority of our kids.  What happens in the classroom matters.  (Applause.)  And that begins with the person at the front of the classroom.  For weeks now, teachers like Claritssa across the country have been working behind the scenes.  They’ve been preparing their classrooms.  They’ve been decorating bulletin boards.  They’ve been digging into their own pockets all too often to pay for school supplies.

I know because my sister is a teacher and I know how much effort they put into this.  They don’t ask for a lot of recognition.  They’re certainly not going into teaching for the money.  (Laughter.)  They do it because they care about children.  They care about their future.  (Applause.)  I was just meeting with another teacher backstage who said, teaching is the closest you can get to immortality. 

And, in fact, in a meeting that I had with teachers, I had a chance to meet with one teacher who was an advisor to Claritssa when she was a student, so he’s had the opportunity to see his own student now doing what he’s been doing for 18 years. (Applause.)  That's -- what satisfaction that must give you. 

The right teacher can change a child’s life forever.  (Applause.)  And, look, I know this from personal experience.  When I was in fifth grade, I had a teacher named Mabel Hefty.  That was her name, and she was a great teacher.  She was full of curiosity and she was full of enthusiasm.  And most importantly, she went that extra mile.  Fifth grade can be a tough time for a kid.  And I was different and had a funny name, and I had just come back from living a few years overseas with my mom and wasn’t sure how I’d fit in.  And she noticed that, Ms. Hefty.  And she took me under her wing, and she made me feel like I had something to say and that I had some talent.  And she wasn’t too obvious about it, but she made sure that during this transition year, I was able to steady myself and start focusing on my work.  I still remember her -- all these years later.  She’s passed away now, but I still remember her.

I’m only standing here as President because I had a bunch of great teachers like Ms. Hefty.  (Applause.)  Teachers matter.  A good teacher can increase the lifetime income of a classroom by more than a quarter million dollars.  A great teacher can change the trajectory of a child’s life.  They can offer an escape from poverty to a child who dreams beyond his or her circumstances.  Sometimes a teacher can fill in where the parent isn’t always there.  So they’re on the front lines of our country’s future.  (Applause.)

But here’s the thing -- this year, fewer teachers are going back to school.  Since June of 2009, even as we’ve created millions of new jobs in the private sector, we’ve lost more than 300,000 teachers, aides and staff in our schools, largely because of budget cuts at the state and local levels.  Think about what that means for our kids.  Claritssa mentioned it -- crowded classrooms, canceled programs for preschoolers, less learning time.  Here in Clark County, the average class size was already the largest in the country last year -– this year, it’s getting even bigger.  Cutting back on teachers is the last thing we should be doing as a country.  (Applause.)

AUDIENCE:  Four more years!  Four more years!

THE PRESIDENT:  We should be hiring more teachers -- (applause) -- especially in areas like math and science where we need to be at the cutting edge.  If we want America to lead in the 21st century, we’ve got to give all our children the best education possible -- from the day they start in preschool to the day they start their career -- because other countries are racing, they are doing everything they can to out-educate us because they know that means they’ll be able to out-compete us.  They know the new businesses and new industries will take root and create jobs wherever the best-educated, most highly skilled workers are.  (Applause.)

AUDIENCE:  Four more years!  Four more years! 

THE PRESIDENT:  So that young man probably needed a good teacher.  (Applause.)  We all need it. 

So businesses are going to locate where they’ve got the best workers -- the best-educated, the most highly skilled workers.  And I want that place to be Nevada.  I want that place to be Clark County.  I want that place to be the United States of America.  (Applause.) 

And that’s why even as we face the worst economic crisis of our lifetimes, I’ve fought to keep teachers in the classroom.  The actions that we took during the first two years of my administration helped save the jobs of 400,000 educators.  (Applause.)  That made a difference for our kids; it made a difference in our communities. 

Part of the jobs bill that I sent to the new Congress last September would have helped states like Nevada prevent further layoffs, would allow them to rehire teachers who have lost their jobs.  But Republicans in Congress let --

AUDIENCE:  Booo --

THE PRESIDENT:  No, no, no, no, no, don’t “booo” -- vote.  (Applause.)  That’s right.  Vote.

The Republicans in Congress, led by Congressman Ryan, joined together to block the bill that would have helped states hire and retain more teachers.  And, as a result, tens of thousands of teachers are not coming back to school this fall.  Now, not only is that unfair to our kids, it’s foolish for our future. 

Now, my opponent in this election doesn’t seem to understand this.  Governor Romney says we’ve got enough teachers, we don’t need anymore.  The way he talks about them, it seems as if he thinks these are a bunch of nameless government bureaucrats that we need to cut back on -- those are his words.  And his economic plan certainly would do that.  The plan Governor Romney has put forward would cut America’s investment in education by nearly 20 percent. 

AUDIENCE:  Booo --

THE PRESIDENT:  And here’s the thing -- he’s not making these cuts because he wants to create jobs or pay down the deficit.  He’s doing it to pay for a new $5 trillion tax cut that’s weighted towards the wealthiest Americans.

AUDIENCE:  Booo --

THE PRESIDENT:  So I’ve got a question for Governor Romney:  How many teachers’ jobs are worth another tax cut for millionaires and billionaires?  How many kids in Head Start are worth a tax cut for somebody like me who doesn’t need it?  How many grants and loans for college students are worth a tax cut for Governor Romney who certainly doesn’t need it?  (Applause.) 

We are a better country than one that short-changes the next generation just so we can shower tax cuts on folks who are already doing really well.  (Applause.)  We’re a better country than one that pulls the rug out from under young people working so hard to make it, just to give more to folks who’ve already got a lot.  That’s not who we are.  That’s not how we built the greatest economy and the strongest middle class in the world.  (Applause.)  That’s not a plan for our future.  That’s not where I want to take this country.  That’s why I’m running for reelection as President of the United States of America.  (Applause.) 

AUDIENCE:  Four more years!  Four more years! 

THE PRESIDENT:  Governor Romney has made his time as an investor the basis for his candidacy.  And his economic plan makes clear he doesn’t think our children’s education is worth investing in.  I do.  And that’s the choice this November.  (Applause.) 

When a teacher in West Philadelphia, somebody on the front lines of our education system, told Governor Romney that having too many kids in his class made it harder for him to do his job, Governor Romney told him that class sizes don’t matter.  Now, there are a lot of studies that say that class sizes do matter, especially in the early grades.  But, more importantly, why wouldn’t we be listening to the teachers who are actually in the classroom?  (Applause.)  Have you ever met a teacher who said, you know what, I have too few kids in my class, I want a lot more kids?  (Laughter.)  Would any parent want their kids to go to a school with much bigger class sizes? 

Claritssa was telling me that in the first couple of weeks of school, she might have 45 students in a class.  They don’t have enough desks, so they’ve got some kids sitting on the floor getting assignments.  Now, eventually the school district tries to work to level things out, but she says even at that point she may have 38.  Anybody ever try to be with thirty-eight 13- or 14-year-olds?  (Laughter.)  And some of them may not be reading at grade level; some of them, English may be a second language.  Imagine how difficult that is.

So instead of listening to teachers or working with teachers, Governor Romney said the only reason he would keep the Department of Education around is to push back against teachers.  He thinks that teachers need to have somebody policing them and checking them, and that’s the main purpose of the Department of Education.  That’s like saying you keep the Department of Agriculture around so you can push around farmers.  (Laughter.)  And the sad thing is, education should not be a Democratic or a Republican issue.  It’s an American issue.  (Applause.)  It’s about what’s best for our kids. 

And I haven’t just talked the talk, I’ve walked the walk on this.  Over the past four years, we’ve broken through the traditional stalemate that used to exist between the left and the right, between conservatives and liberals.  We launched a national competition to improve all our schools.  We put more money into it, but we also demanded reform.  We want teachers to be paid better and treated like the professionals that they are.  (Applause.)  But we’re also demanding more accountability, including the ability of school districts to replace teachers that aren’t cutting it.  (Applause.)  For less than 1 percent of what our nation spends on education each year, almost every state has now agreed to raise standards for teaching and learning -- and that’s the first time it’s happened in a generation.  (Applause.)  And then, we’ve worked with Democrats and Republicans to fix No Child Left Behind. 

So here in Nevada, a waiver has been granted because we want high standards but we don’t want teachers teaching to the test.  (Applause.)  We told governors and their states that if you’re willing to set higher, more honest standards for our kids, we’re going to give you more flexibility to meet them -- because what works best in New York might not work as well in Nevada, and vice versa. 

We know that when students aren’t allowed to walk away from their education, more of them walk on that stage to get their diplomas.  And that’s why I’ve called on every state to require that their students stay in high school until they graduate or turn 18.  (Applause.)

And when kids do graduate, the most daunting challenge can be the cost of college.  And that’s why we’ve helped over 3 million more students afford a college education with grants that go farther than before.  (Applause.)  We fought to make sure the interest rate on federal student loans didn’t go up over the summer.  We won that fight.  (Applause.)  We stood up to special interests and fixed a student loan system that gave tens of billions of taxpayer dollars to big banks, and we used that money to double grant aid to students.  (Applause.)

Governor Romney is on the wrong side of each of these issues.  His plan would cut aid to 10 million students, turn student loans back over to big banks, wasting billions of dollars of taxpayer money.  When he was asked, well, what are you going to do about the rising cost of tuition -- he was asked this by a student -- he just said, well, you need to go borrow money from your parents.

AUDIENCE:  Booo --

THE PRESIDENT:  That’s not a plan.  That’s the choice in this election.  So let me just say this.  Over the next three months -- it’s actually less than three months, it’s less than 11 weeks, not that I’m counting, but -- (laughter) -- we will see the other side spend more money than we’ve ever seen on ads.  And these aren’t like positive ads where they’re putting out their plan -- because they don’t really have a plan.  (Applause.)  And the plan they’ve got won’t work.  (Laughter.)  So what they’ll do is they will run these ads over and over again just saying, the economy is not where it should be and it’s all Obama’s fault. 

And that’s the only argument they have because they know their economic plan is not popular.  They know that gutting education to pay for massive new tax cuts for millionaires and billionaires, that’s not going to be popular among voters.  So they’re counting on the fact that, after watching so many of these ads every day, you will get so discouraged that you’ll decide your vote doesn’t matter.  You’ll decide you can’t compete with some rich guy writing a $10 million check. 

But Vegas, I’m counting on something different.  Claritssa is counting on something different.  The students at this school are counting on something different.  (Applause.)  We need your help.  We need you.  We need you -- we need you to register to vote.  We’ve got staff and volunteers who can help you do that on your way out today.  They’ll grab you if you’re not registered. 

Here in Nevada you can register online.  You can go to the website GottaRegister.com.  Now, that's gotta -- g-o-t-t-a -- (Laughter.)   For the teachers in the audience, I know that's not how you’re supposed to spell it, but that's how it is: Gotta.  (Laughter.) 

So that means you can grab your friends, grab your neighbors, grab your aunt, grab your uncle, cousins, and you can register -- you can help them get registered online. 

But here’s the thing, we’ve come too far to turn back now.  (Applause.)  We’ve been through a tough three and a half years, and Nevada has been through tougher times than most states.  But the fact is that everything I’ve done has been focused on how we rebuild that strong middle class, how we make sure everybody is getting a fair shot, everybody is doing their fair share, everybody is playing by the same set of rules.  That's how we saved an auto industry.  That's how we’ve seen 4.5 million jobs created.  That's how we ended the war in Iraq.  (Applause.)  That's how we are creating jobs in clean energy. 

We’ve got more work to do.  We’ve got more good teachers to hire.  We’ve got more good schools to build.  We’ve got more young people to send to college.  We’ve got more good jobs to create.  We’ve got more solar panels we’ve got to create.  We’ve got more troops we’ve got to bring home.  We’ve got more veterans we’ve got to help.  We’ve got more doors of opportunity we’ve got to open up to every single American.  (Applause.) 

That's why I’m asking for a second term.  And if you’re willing to stand with me and knock on some doors with me, and make some phone calls with me, this November, we will win Nevada.  We will win this election.  And we’ll remind the world why the United States of America is the greatest nation on Earth.  (Applause.)

God bless you and God bless the United States.  

END   
10:36 A.M. PDT

Joining Forces: Providing Jobs for Military Families

August 22, 2012 | 4:56 | Public Domain

In August 2011, President Obama challenged America to increase hiring for Veterans and military families. In just one year, the administration's Joining Forces initiative, championed by First Lady Michelle Obama and Second Lady Dr. Jill Biden, has answered the call and create job opportunities for more than 125,000 Veterans and military spouses. http://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov

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