The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release

April 29, 2012

Remarks by the President at the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner

Washington Hilton Hotel

THE PRESIDENT: Thank you. (Applause.) Good evening, everybody. Good evening. I could not be more thrilled to be here tonight -- (laughter) -- at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner. This is great crowd. They’re already laughing. It’s terrific.

Chuck Todd -- love you, brother. (Laughter.) I’m delighted to see some of the cast members of Glee are here. (Laughter.) And Jimmy Kimmel, it’s an honor, man. (Laughter.) What’s so funny?

My fellow Americans, we gather during a historic anniversary. Last year at this time -- in fact, on this very weekend -- we finally delivered justice to one of the world’s most notorious individuals. (Applause.) Now, this year, we gather in the midst of a heated election season. And Axelrod tells me I should never miss a chance to reintroduce myself to the American people. So tonight, this is how I’d like to begin: My name is Barack Obama. My mother was born in Kansas. My father was born in Kenya. And I was born, of course, in Hawaii. (Laughter and applause.)

In 2009, I took office in the face of some enormous challenges. Now, some have said I blame too many problems on my predecessor, but let’s not forget that’s a practice that was initiated by George W. Bush. (Laughter.) Since then, Congress and I have certainly had our differences; yet, I’ve tried to be civil, to not take any cheap shots. And that’s why I want to especially thank all the members who took a break from their exhausting schedule of not passing any laws to be here tonight. (Laughter.) Let’s give them a big round of applause. (Applause.)

Despite many obstacles, much has changed during my time in office. Four years ago, I was locked in a brutal primary battle with Hillary Clinton. Four years later, she won’t stop drunk-texting me from Cartagena. (Laughter.)

Four years ago, I was a Washington outsider. Four years later, I’m at this dinner. Four years ago, I looked like this. Today, I look like this. (Laughter.) And four years from now, I will look like this. (Laughter and applause.) That’s not even funny. (Laughter.)

Anyway, it’s great to be here this evening in the vast, magnificent Hilton ballroom -- or what Mitt Romney would call a little fixer-upper. (Laughter and applause.) I mean, look at this party. We’ve got men in tuxes, women in gowns, fine wine, first-class entertainment. I was just relieved to learn this was not a GSA conference. (Laughter.) Unbelievable. Not even the mind reader knew what they were thinking. (Laughter.)

Of course, the White House Correspondents’ Dinner is known as the prom of Washington D.C. -- a term coined by political reporters who clearly never had the chance to go to an actual prom. (Laughter.)

Our chaperone for the evening is Jimmy Kimmel -- (applause) -- who is perfect for the job since most of tonight’s audience is in his key demographic -- people who fall asleep during Nightline. (Laughter.) Jimmy got his start years ago on The Man Show. In Washington, that’s what we call a congressional hearing on contraception. (Laughter and applause.)

And plenty of journalists are here tonight. I'd be remiss if I didn’t congratulate the Huffington Post on their Pulitzer Prize. (Applause.) You deserve it, Arianna. There's no one else out there linking to the kinds of hard-hitting journalism that HuffPo is linking to every single day. (Laughter and applause.) Give them a round of applause. And you don’t pay them -- it's a great business model. (Laughter.)

Even Sarah Palin is getting back into the game, guest hosting on The Today Show -- which reminds me of an old saying: What's the difference between a hockey mom and a pit bull? A pit bull is delicious. (Laughter and applause.) A little soy sauce. (Laughter.)

Now, I know at this point many of you are expecting me to go after my likely opponent, Newt Gingrich. (Laughter.) Newt, there's still time, man. (Laughter.) But I'm not going to do that -- I'm not going to attack any of the Republican candidates. Take Mitt Romney -- he and I actually have a lot in common. We both think of our wives as our better halves, and polls show, to a alarmingly insulting extent, the American people agree. (Laughter.) We also both have degrees from Harvard; I have one, he has two. What a snob. (Laughter and applause.)

Of course, we've also had our differences. Recently, his campaign criticized me for slow jamming the news with Jimmy Fallon. In fact, I understand Governor Romney was so incensed he asked his staff if he could get some equal time on The Merv Griffin Show. (Laughter.) Still, I guess Governor Romney is feeling pretty good about things because he took a few hours off the other day to see The Hunger Games -- some of you have seen it. It's a movie about people who court wealthy sponsors and then brutally savage each other until only one contestant is left standing. I'm sure this was a really good change of pace for him. (Laughter.) I have not seen The Hunger Games; not enough class warfare for me. (Laughter.)

Of course, I know everybody is predicting a nasty election, and thankfully, we've all agreed that families are off limits. Dogs, however, are apparently fair game. (Laughter.) And while both campaigns have had some fun with this, the other day I saw a new ad from one of these outside groups that, frankly, I think crossed the line. I know Governor Romney says he has no control over what his super PACs do, but can we show the ad real quick? (Video is played.) (Applause.)

That’s pretty rough -- (laughter) -- but I can take it, because my stepfather always told me, it's a boy-eat-dog world out there. (Laughter.)

Now, if I do win a second term as President, let me just say something to all the -- (applause) -- let me just say something to all my conspiracy-oriented friends on the right who think I'm planning to unleash some secret agenda: You're absolutely right. (Laughter.) So allow me to close with a quick preview of the secret agenda you can expect in a second Obama administration.

In my first term, I sang Al Green; in my second term, I'm going with Young Jeezy. (Laughter.)

MRS. OBAMA: Yeah.

THE PRESIDENT: Michelle said, yeah. (Laughter.) I sing that to her sometimes. (Laughter.)

In my first term, we ended the war in Iraq; in my second term, I will win the war on Christmas. (Laughter.) In my first term, we repealed the policy known as "don't ask, don't tell" -- (applause) -- wait, though; in my second term, we will replace it with a policy known as, it's raining men. (Laughter.) In my first term, we passed health care reform; in my second term, I guess I'll pass it again. (Applause.)

I do want to end tonight on a slightly more serious note -- whoever takes the oath of office next January will face some great challenges, but he will also inherit traditions that make us greater than the challenges we face. And one of those traditions is represented here tonight: a free press that isn't afraid to ask questions, to examine and to criticize. And in service of that mission, all of you make sacrifices.

Tonight, we remember journalists such as Anthony Shadid and Marie Colvin -- (applause) -- who made the ultimate sacrifice as they sought to shine a light on some of the most important stories of our time. So whether you are a blogger or a broadcaster, whether you take on powerful interests here at home or put yourself in harm's way overseas, I have the greatest respect and admiration for what you do. I know sometimes you like to give me a hard time -- and I certainly like to return the favor -- (laughter) -- but I never forget that our country depends on you. You help protect our freedom, our democracy, and our way of life.

And just to set the record straight, I really do enjoy attending these dinners. In fact, I had a lot more material prepared, but I have to get the Secret Service home in time for their new curfew. (Laughter.)

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

END 10:13 P.M. EDT

Watch: President Obama at the 2012 White House Correspondents’ Dinner

Colleen Curtis

April 29, 2012
08:46 AM EDT

President Barack Obama attends the 2012 White House Correspondents' Dinner

President Barack Obama attends the White House Correspondents' Association Dinner at the Washington Hilton Hotel in Washington, D.C., April 28, 2012. (Official White House Photo by Lawrence Jackson)

On Saturday night, President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama attended the White House Correspondent's Dinner, which was hosted by Jimmy Kimmel. The annual event, which has been held since 1920, honors the work of the journalists who report on the Administration and the dinner raises money that is used to grant scholarships to journalism students. The dinner is one of Washington, DC's most anticipated social events of the year, and the President's speech, which pokes fun at himself and the coverage he has received from the reporters in attendance, is the evening's highlight. You can watch President Obama's full speech below:

President Obama at White House Correspondents' Dinner

April 29, 2012 | 16:02 | Public Domain

President Obama at the 2012 White House Correspondents' Association Dinner in Washington, D.C.

Download mp4 (566MB) | mp3 (37MB)

Weekly Address: Helping our Veterans and Servicemembers Make Informed Decisions about Higher Education

Matt Compton

April 28, 2012
05:30 AM EDT

President Obama discusses a new Executive Order designed to crack down on the bad actors who prey on our veterans and service members considering higher education.

Transcript | Download mp4 | Download mp3

Weekly Address: Helping our Veterans Make Informed Decisions about Higher Education

April 28, 2012 | 2:53

President Obama discusses a new Executive Order designed to crack down on the bad actors who prey on our veterans and service members considering higher education.

Download mp4 (102MB) | mp3 (6MB)

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release

April 27, 2012

Remarks by the President at a Campaign Event

Private Residence
Washington, D.C.

6:19 P.M. EDT

THE PRESIDENT: Thank you, everybody. (Applause.) Thank you. Everybody, please have a seat. It is wonderful to see you here -- to be here. And I want to thank Debra for opening up this beautiful home on a lovely day, and to then invite some of my best friends over to hang out. (Laughter.)

A couple of other people I just want to mention very briefly. First of all, as somebody who is working tirelessly on our behalf each and every day, and we’re so proud of her -- our DNC Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz is here. (Applause.) Accompanied by the adorable Shelby. (Applause.) Yay! And I want to say thank you to Jane Stetson, who has been such a dear friend -- (applause) -- and is now chairing -- co-chairing our finance committee and doing just extraordinary work each and every day.

Typically, in these more intimate gatherings, what I like to do is to just make a few comments at the top and then make this a conversation. So we’ll open it up and you guys can ask questions, make comments, give me advice. I always get advice. (Laughter.)

But obviously, we’ve gone through three and a half of the toughest years that this country has seen in my lifetime and most of yours. The worst financial crisis since the Great Depression. The worst economic crisis worldwide since the 1930s. The month I took office we lost 750,000 jobs. The U.S. auto industry, the iconic industry that had helped to create our middle class, was on the verge of liquidation -- at least two of the three of the Big Three auto firms.

We were in the midst of two wars. And I think there had been decades of issues that had been put off and put off -- whether it was health care or energy or education -- and a sense that somehow we could not get done what needed to get done to ensure that middle-class families regained a sense of security, so that if they worked hard and they acted responsibly that they’d be able to afford a home and send their kids to college, and retire with dignity and respect. That sense that we would be passing on a future for our children that was greater than ours.

That’s what propelled me to run. And after three and a half years we’re nowhere near where we need to be yet. But think about the extraordinary progress that we’ve been able to make.

Over the last three months alone, 600,000 jobs created; 4 million jobs created over the last two years. We’ve been able to save an auto industry where GM is now the number-one automaker again in the world; saved probably a million jobs throughout the Midwest. Chrysler is back. And our auto industry is actually making better cars -- cars that are being sold all around the world. Doubled fuel-efficiency standards on cars so that not only are we helping to save the planet, but we’re saving people at the pump and helping to reduce our dependence on foreign oil so that it’s below 50 percent for the first time in 13 years.

Passing health care reform that provides 30 million people, for the first time, the opportunity to get health insurance that didn’t have it before. And it makes young people -- it makes it possible for young people to stay on their parents’ health insurance -- 2.5 million young people already taking advantage of that. Preventive care, including mammograms and cervical cancer screenings for women, contraceptive care.

And not only is it helping families, but it’s also help the country as a whole, because over time what we’re building into is a health care system that’s going to be more efficient and provide better quality. And by the way, just yesterday or today, Kaiser released a study showing that there’s going to be over a billion dollars of rebates going out to millions of families all across America because of this law. (Applause.)

So whether it’s what we’ve done on education with “Race to the Top” and helping to initiate school reform in more than 40 states, whether it’s what we’ve done on clean energy -- doubling the amount of energy that’s coming from wind and solar, and helping to build from scratch, essentially, an advanced-battery industry that will be the future of automation -- or the automotive industry for the future; whether it’s the work that we’ve done not just to end the war in Iraq, but also to start transitioning our troops out of Afghanistan so that they can take greater responsibility in restoring that sense of respect for America around the world -- on all these fronts, we’ve made enormous progress.

But we’ve got a lot more to do. I won’t be satisfied until everybody can find a job that pays a living wage and allows them either to stay in the middle class, but also creates those ladders of opportunity into the middle class.

I’m not going to be satisfied until we once again have the best education system in the world, and college is affordable for young people all across the country.

I’m not going to be satisfied not just with getting our troops home from Afghanistan, but making sure -- as we talked about today down in Fort Stewart -- that every single one of our veterans have the capacity to rebuild this country the same way my grandfather had and his generation had the capacity to rebuild the country when they came back from World War II.

So we've got a lot more work to do. And here's the good news: I think that when you look at the issues, when you look at where people stand in terms of making sure that everybody is getting a fair shot, everybody is doing their fair share, and everybody is playing by the same set of rules; when you look at how they feel about Wall Street reform or health care reform, and break it down specifically -- not sort of just the rhetoric that goes on out there -- but do you believe that young people should be able to stay on their parents’ health care plans; do you believe that seniors should be able to afford prescription drugs and get bigger discounts; do you believe that we should prevent reckless behavior on Wall Street; do you believe that we should have an all-of-the-above energy strategy -- when you break down the issues, then people are on our side. They believe what we believe.

But understandably, things are tough, and they've grown cynical, and they see the mess that goes on in Washington and there's a temptation at a certain point to just say, oh, a plague on both their houses; nothing is getting done.

And so we're going to have to work harder this time than we did in '08. I always say, back in '08 I wasn't as gray, and it was kind of cool being an Obama supporter. (Laughter.) And now, I'm the President. (Laughter.) I'm just saying -- (laughter) -- now, we see the guy all the time, and he's kind of dinged up.

But I want you to know, my commitment, my sense of determination is undiminished. My confidence in the American people is undiminished. My hunger, my desire to help every one of those folks out there that is trying hard to carve out a life for themselves and their families, that hunger is undiminished.

So I'm going to work harder than I did I 2008, and if you guys are willing to join me, then we're going to have four more years to be able to finish what we started. All right?

Thank you. Thank you. (Applause.)

END
6:28 P.M. EDT

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release

April 27, 2012

Remarks by the President at a Campaign Event

Walter E. Washington Convention Center
Washington, D.C.

5:12 P.M. EDT

THE PRESIDENT: Hello, everybody! (Applause.) Thank you! How’s everybody doing? Good. Good afternoon. I want to thank my point guard, Barbara, for that wonderful introduction, and for all the battles you have waged on behalf of America’s women and America’s families. And I want to thank all of you for being here today –- for all the time and energy that you’ve been giving to our campaign. Everybody, feel free to sit. Just relax. I’ve got a few things to say. (Laughter.)

It is always a pleasure to be surrounded by so many talented, accomplished women. It makes me feel right at home. (Laughter.) Although, at least here I get a microphone -- (laughter) -- which levels the playing field a little bit. Bo and I, we try at dinner to try to get a word in.

Now, whether you have joined this cause in its earliest days or in recent months, I know you didn’t join just because of me. You did it because of the vision that we share for this country. (Applause.) It’s not a vision of a country where a shrinking number of people do really well while a growing number barely get by. It’s a vision for an America where everybody who works hard has the chance to get ahead -– where everybody has a fair shot, and everybody is doing their fair share, and everybody plays by the same set of rules. That’s the America we know and love. That’s the America within our reach.

And right now, no issue is more important than restoring economic security for all of our families. Today, our economy is recovering, but not yet recovered, from the worst crisis since the Great Depression. Our businesses have added more than 4 million jobs over the past two years. But too many Americans are still looking for a job that pays enough to cover the bills or the mortgage. Too many families are still searching for the middle-class security that started slipping away years before the recession hit.

So we’ve got a lot of work to do. We’ve got to finish what we started. And I’m so grateful to have all of you in the Women’s Leadership Forum on our team.

It’s fair to say there’s been a bit of talk about women and women’s issues so far this year. And I’ve said before, I want to repeat, I think it’s been oversimplified. Women are not an interest group. (Applause.) Women shouldn’t be treated that way. Women are half this country and half of its workforce. You’re 80 percent of my household, if you count my mother-in-law -– and I always count my mother-in-law. (Laughter and applause.)

So I’ve got a vested interest in making sure women do well. And I’m proud of what we’ve done on behalf of women across this country. I know you’ve heard a lot about that today. But I want you to know why we’ve done what we’ve done -- because there are values behind the policies.

And it begins -- for me, at least -- with the women that have shaped my life. As some of you know, I grew up the son of a single mom who struggled to put herself through school and make ends meet, even relying on food stamps at one point to help us get by. But she earned her education, earned her PhD, started traveling around the world, helping women enter into the economy and make a little bit of money and gain a little bit of independence.

Through scholarships and hard work, she had the opportunity to give back. And she made sure that my sister and I were able to have those same opportunities. She used to wake me up before dawn to study, because we were living overseas for a time, and she wanted to make sure I stayed up with my American schooling. I’d complain, and she’d let loose with “this is no picnic for me either, buster.” (Laughter.) Because she had to go to work after she taught me lessons, and that’s part of the reason why my sister, Maya, chose to become a teacher, seeing that example.

And when my mom needed help with us, my grandparents stepped up. And my grandmother, in particular, who had a high school education, worked during World War II on a bomber assembly line like Rosie the Riveter. And she didn't get a GI Bill -- unlike today’s Post-9/11 GI Bill, it couldn’t be transferred to family members. So she got jobs, and eventually she got a job at a local bank.

And she worked hard and eventually made vice president, starting off as a secretary. And I’m convinced she could have been the best president that bank had ever seen, if she had gotten that chance. But she hit the glass ceiling like too many women in that generation did, and for the rest of her career, she’d watch men that she had once trained pass her by up that ladder. I think about her.

And then there’s Michelle. Earlier this week, I visited a few colleges across the country as part of a battle to keep student loan rates from going up. And I spent some time on our own story –- about how when Michelle and I got married, we both had loads of student debt from college and law school. So when we teamed up together, we got poorer together. (Laughter.)

We only finished paying off those loans about eight years ago. And I bring this up because what I really want to point out is that every time I mentioned Michelle, the students cheered more loudly than they did for me. (Laughter and applause.) This is what happens.

But once Michelle and I had our girls, we gave it our all to balance raising a family and chasing a career. And it was tough on me, but let’s face it, it was tougher on her. I was gone a lot. I know that when she was with the girls, she’d feel guilty that she wasn’t giving enough time to work. And when she was at work, she’d feel guilty about not having enough time for the girls. And like many of you, I’m sure we both wished there was -- there were a machine that would let us be in two places at once.

And then today, I think about these issues as a father, because the highlight every day for me is asking my daughters about theirs. Their hopes and their futures -- that’s what drives me every single day when I step into the White House. Every decision I make is all about ensuring that all of our daughters and all of our sons grow up in a country that gives them the equal chance to be anything they set their minds to; a country where more doors are open to them than were open to us.

Those stories are what inform my work. Those women are what inspire me to do what I do. That’s at the heart of everything that we’ve done. That’s the lens through which I view all of this. And that’s what we mean when we say that these issues are more than just a matter of policy; they’re personal. They're not just women's issues; they're economic issues, they're family issues. They're America's issues. They impact all of us.

When women make less than men for the same work, that hurts families who have to get by with less and businesses who have fewer customers who can spend money there. When a job doesn’t offer family leave to care for a new baby or sick leave to care for an ailing parent, that burdens all of us. It's not just a women's issue. When an insurance plan denies women coverage because of a preexisting condition, that puts a strain on emergency rooms and drives up the cost of care for everybody; it strains family budgets across America. When any of our citizens can’t fulfill their potential because of factors that had nothing to do with talent or character or work ethic, that diminishes us as a country. It says something about who we are as Americans.

So when we started off with this administration, we were under no illusions that changing these things would be easy. We knew it wouldn’t come quickly. But think about what's happened in three years –- in large part because of you and the support that you've provided. We've started to see what change looks like.

It's been mentioned -- change is the first bill I signed into law, a law that says women deserve an equal day’s pay for an equal day’s work. (Applause.) A law that says our daughters should have the same opportunities as our sons. A law named for a courageous woman, Lilly Ledbetter, my dear friend, is right here today. (Applause.) That’s what change is, and it happened because of you.

Change is extending more than 16,000 new loans to women-owned businesses, cutting small business taxes more than 18 -- 17 times, so that more women have the power to create new jobs and opportunity.

Change is education reform that does more to encourage young women to join fields like science and technology and engineering and math, and increasing grants that have helped about 2.3 million more young women afford to go to college.

And yes, Barbara is absolutely right -- change is the health care reform we passed after a century of trying that finally gives women more power to make their own choices about their health care. (Applause.)

Last year, more than 20 million women received expanded access to preventive services like mammograms and cervical cancer screening at no additional cost. Nearly 2 million women enrolled in Medicare received a 50 percent discount on the medicine that they needed. Over one million more young women are insured because they can now stay on their parent’s plan.

Soon, insurance companies will no longer be able to deny coverage based on preexisting conditions like breast cancer, or charge women more just because they’re women. And this year, women will receive new access to recommended preventive care like domestic violence screening and contraception at no additional cost. That’s going to be happening. (Applause.)

This contraception fight in particular was illuminating. It was like being in a time machine. (Laughter.) Republicans in Congress were going so far as to say an employer should be able to have a say in the health care decisions of its female employees. And I’m always puzzled by this. This is a party that says it prides itself on being rabidly anti-regulation. These are folks who claim to believe in freedom from government interference and meddling. But it doesn’t seem to bother them when it comes to women’s health.

Now we’ve got governors and legislatures across the river in Virginia, up the road in Pennsylvania, all across the country saying that women can’t be trusted to make your own decisions. They’re pushing and passing bills forcing women to get ultrasounds, even if they don’t want one. If you don’t like it, the governor of Pennsylvania said you can “close your eyes.” It’s a quote.

It’s appalling. It’s offensive. It’s out of touch. And when it comes to what’s going on out there, you’re not going to close your eyes. Women across America aren’t closing their eyes. As long as I’m President, I won’t either. (Applause.) The days of male politicians controlling the health care decisions of our wives and our mothers, and our daughters and our sisters, that needs to come to an end.

And none of these fights have been easy. We’ve got to wage more fights and win them on these issues and many more. We’ve got more jobs to create. More students to educate. More clean energy to generate. More troops to bring home. More doors of opportunity to open for all our kids. The one thing we can’t do –- the one thing we can’t afford to do right now is to go back to the very same policies that got us into this mess.

Of course, that’s exactly what the other side has planned. And they make no secret about it. They want to go back to the days when Wall Street played by its own rules. They want to go back to the days when insurance companies could deny coverage or jack up premiums without reason. A lot of them seem like they just want to turn back the clock to the ‘50s, or the ‘40s, or the ‘30s, or maybe further back than that, and close doors of opportunity that we thought we kicked open a long time ago -- doors of opportunity to people who haven’t made it quite yet.

Just look at some of the debates that we’ve already had this year. Instead of putting forward serious plans to help more Americans back to work, a lot of those folks in the other party have chosen to refight battles we settled long ago.

And I’ve heard some of them say, look, this is all just a big misunderstanding; they need to get their message out better when it comes to women. I don’t think that’s the problem. I think they're getting their message out just fine. (Applause.) We don’t need to read between the lines in terms of what they're saying.

When folks talk about “killing” the health care reform that we passed, part of what they’re saying is, is that women should pay more than men for the same health care coverage. They’re saying we should stop protecting women with preexisting conditions. They’re saying we should no longer let that 25-year-old daughter and more than a million other young women stay on their parents’ health care plans.

When you talk about how “marvelous” your party’s economic plan is, when you break down the numbers, what you’re really saying is you want to pass massive new tax cuts for millionaires and billionaires, pay for them by gutting programs that, among other things, support low-income women, and children, and pregnant mothers, and student aid for -- that disproportionately helps young women.

When you say we should “get rid of” Planned Parenthood, you’re not just talking about restricting a woman’s ability to make her own health care decisions; you’re talking about denying the preventive care like cancer screenings that millions of women rely on.

And when something like the Violence Against Women Act is actually up for debate, then we know something has gone haywire. That’s something that should be beyond politics. This is a bill that my Vice President co-authored when he was in the Senate. It’s a bill that once passed by wide bipartisan margins. And it is a bill that we are going to renew. It is the right thing to do. (Applause.)

So the choice between going backward and moving forward has never been so clear. And as long as I’m President, we’re going to keep moving forward. You can count on that. (Applause.) You don’t have to take my word for it –- you’ve got my signature on it. Because something like standing up for equal pay for equal work isn’t something I’ve got to “get back to you on” –- it’s the first law that I signed. (Applause.)

Progress is hard. Change can be slow. Opportunity, equality of opportunity, they don’t come without a fight. And sometimes you got to fight to keep what you got.

But we know these things are possible. We know that because for the first time in history, young girls across the country can see three women sitting on the bench of the highest court in the land. (Applause.)

We know change is possible because they can read about the incredible leadership of a woman who went by the title Madam Speaker. They can turn on the news and see that one of the most formidable presidential candidates ever is now doing as much as anyone to improve America’s standing abroad as one of the best Secretaries of State we’ve ever known. (Applause.)

These things are possible because earlier generations of Americans did their part to open up new doors of opportunity. And now it’s our turn to open up these doors even wider. And what I want to say to all of you is if you’re willing to keep pushing through all those obstacles with me, if you're willing to keep reaching for that vision of America that you hold in your hearts -- that we hold in our hearts -- change will come.

If you’re willing to work even harder in this election than in the last one, I promise you we’ll finish what we started in 2008. (Applause.) If you’re willing to stick with me, and fight with me, and press on with me, I promise you we will remind everybody just why it is that America is still the greatest nation on Earth.

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

END
5:31 P.M. EDT

Improving Educational Opportunities for Service Members, Veterans and Their Families

April 27, 2012 | 23:13 | Public Domain

First Lady Michelle Obama and President Obama speak at Fort Stewart about a new executive order that will help ensure all of America’s service members, veterans, spouses, and other family members have the information they need to make informed educational decisions and are protected from aggressive and deceptive targeting by educational institutions.

Download mp4 (222MB) | mp3 (53MB)

Read the Transcript

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release

April 27, 2012

Presidential Proclamation -- Workers Memorial Day, 2012

WORKERS MEMORIAL DAY, 2012
- - - - - - -
BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
A PROCLAMATION

For centuries, American workers have called upon boundless drive and initiative to raise our cities, manufacture our goods, and build an economy that remains the engine and the envy of the world. Generations put their lives on the line to pursue prosperity, braving the hazards of the factory floor and the heat of the fields without protective equipment or the right to a safe workplace. Through the unbending conviction of workers, labor unions, and public health advocates, we secured that basic right over 40 years ago, helping protect Americans from death or injury. Yet, despite the progress we have made, it remains a deplorable fact that an average of 12 individuals die on the job every day. On Workers Memorial Day, we honor all who have perished, and we recommit to ensuring no worker ever has to choose between life and a paycheck.

Every year, more than 3 million Americans are injured on the job. Some will never fully recover; some will never come home at all. Tragically, many incidents occur due to preventable hazards that cast our Nation's most vulnerable workers into harm's way -- in the mine shaft, on the construction site, or at the factory. This is unacceptable, and as we reflect on the terrible burden these workers and their families have borne, we must do more to fulfill the promise of a safe workplace for all.

My Administration remains committed to realizing that vision. The Department of Labor and agencies across the Federal Government are striving to defend workers' rights, hold employers accountable, and empower Americans across our country with the tools they need to stay safe on the job. We are pursuing enhanced whistleblower protections that will reinforce every worker's right to raise their voice without fear of retaliation. Over 2 years after the explosion at Upper Big Branch Mine in West Virginia, we continue to advance and enforce new standards and programs that will help ensure that tragedy was the last of its kind. And, through a variety of public-private partnerships, we are collaborating with businesses, employees, trade associations, and labor organizations to eliminate workplace hazards and strengthen our competitiveness in the global economy.

When the Congress passed the Federal Coal Mine Health and Safety Act of 1969 and the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, our Nation took great strides toward safe and healthful working conditions for all. Yet, when millions of Americans suffer workplace-related injury or illness every year, and thousands lose their lives, we know we cannot give up the fight.

Today, we reflect on their sacrifice, and we rededicate ourselves to protecting the health, safety, and dignity of every worker.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim April 28, 2012, as Workers Memorial Day. I call upon all Americans to participate in ceremonies and activities in memory of those killed or injured due to unsafe working conditions.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-seventh day of April, in the year of our Lord two thousand twelve, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-sixth.

BARACK OBAMA

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release

April 27, 2012

Remarks by the President and First Lady at Fort Stewart, Georgia

Fort Stewart
Hinesville, Georgia

12:45 P.M. EDT

MRS. OBAMA: Hello, Fort Stewart! (Applause.) We are beyond thrilled -- beyond thrilled -- to be with all of you today. And before I get started, there's just one thing I want to say, and that is, hooah!

AUDIENCE: Hooah!

MRS. OBAMA: Did I do that right?

AUDIENCE: Hooah!

MRS. OBAMA: All right, good. (Laughter.) Phew.

I want to start by thanking Sergeant Marshall for that very kind introduction and for sharing his story with us today. And I want to thank all of you -- our men and women in uniform, our veterans and your extraordinary families. (Applause.) Absolutely. For the families, yes! (Applause.)

One of my greatest privileges as First Lady has been meeting folks like you on bases and communities all across this country. And I always say this, but I can never say it enough: I am in awe of you. I'm in awe of how many of you signed up to defend our country in a time of war, serving heroically through deployment after deployment. I'm in awe of your families -- the spouses who run their households all alone, the kids who step up at home and succeed at school and stay strong through all the challenges they face. With their service, they make your service possible.

And I'm also in awe of our veterans -- (applause) -- because I know that your service doesn’t end when you hang up your uniform. For so many of you, your whole life is a tour of duty, and as you become leaders in our communities and continue to give back to our country, you keep serving. And like so many Americans, the more I've learned about the sacrifices you all make, the more I wanted to find a way to express my gratitude, and that’s -- not just with words, but with action.

And that’s why last year Jill Biden and I started Joining Forces. It's a nationwide campaign to recognize, honor and support our veterans, our troops and our military families. And I have to tell you, we had barely even finished announcing this campaign when we were inundated with offers to help. I mean, so many people wanted to step up and show their appreciation that we hardly knew where to begin.

In our first year alone, more than 1,600 businesses hired more than 60,000 veterans, and they pledged to hire at least 170,000 more in the coming years. (Applause.) National associations of doctors and nurses representing millions of health professionals are working to improve treatment for post-traumatic stress and traumatic brain injuries. We've had TV shows like Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, Sesame Street; organizations like NASCAR and Disney -- they're working to share the stories of our military families with the rest of the country. And these are just a few examples out of thousands all across the country.

So if I can leave you with just one message today, I want you all to know that America does have your backs. And we are just getting started. We are going to keep at this. We're going to keep on working every day to serve all of you as well as you have served this country.

And the man who has been leading the way is standing right next to me. (Applause.) And ladies, I think he's kind of cute. (Laughter and applause.) He was fighting for all of you long before he ever became President.

He's made veteran's employment a national priority, with tax breaks for businesses that hire veterans and wounded warriors. He's working to end the outrage of veteran's homelessness once and for all. (Applause.) He championed the Post-9/11 GI Bill, which has helped more than half a million veterans and military families go to college. (Applause.) And today, with this new effort to ensure that you all get the education you've earned, that story continues.

So please join me in welcoming your strongest advocate -- your Commander-In-Chief and our President, my husband, Barack Obama. (Applause.)

THE PRESIDENT: Thank you. Hello, Fort Stewart! (Applause.) It is good to be here at Fort Stewart. First of all, how about the First Lady, Michelle Obama? (Applause.) Hooah! She is a tough act to follow. For the gentlemen out there who are not yet married, let me just explain to you, your goal is to improve your gene pool by marrying somebody who is superior to you. (Applause.) Isn’t that right, General? (Laughter.)

Listen, and as you just heard, when it comes to all of you -- when it comes to our military, our veterans, your families –- Michelle Obama and Jill Biden have your back. They are working tirelessly to make sure that our military families are treated with the honor and respect and support that they deserve. And I could not be prouder of all the efforts that they’ve been making on their behalf. (Applause.)
It’s a privilege to hang out with some of America’s finest.

AUDIENCE: Hooah!

THE PRESIDENT: The ‘Dog Face Soldiers’ of the Third Infantry Division! (Applause.) Rock of the Marne! We’ve got a lot of folks in the house. We’ve got the Raider Brigade! (Hooah!) We’ve got the Spartan Brigade! (Hooah!) We’ve got the Vanguard Brigade! (Hooah!) We’ve got the Provider Brigade! (Hooah!) And we’ve got the Falcon Brigade! (Hooah!)

Let me thank Major General Abrams and his beautiful wife, Connie, for welcoming us. Abe is doing an incredible job carrying on his family’s incredible tradition of service to our country. So we are grateful for him. Give him a big round of applause. (Applause.)

I want to thank Command Sergeant Major Edd Watson and his beautiful wife, Sharon. (Applause.) I want to thank someone who’s made it her life’s mission to stand up for the financial security of you and your families, somebody who knows a little bit about military families and military service. And actually, this is a homecoming for her because she spent over three years when they were posted down here -- Holly Petraeus is in the house. I want you guys to give her a big round of applause. (Applause.)

But most importantly, I want to thank all of you. I want to thank you for your service. I want to thank you for your sacrifice. I want to thank you for your unshakeable commitment to our country. You have worn the uniform with honor. You’ve performed heroically in some of the most dangerous places on Earth. You have done everything that has been asked of you, and more. And you have earned a special place in our nation’s history.

Future generations will speak of your achievements. They’ll speak of how the Third Infantry Division’s ‘thunder run’ into Baghdad signaled the end of a dictatorship, and how you brought Iraq back from the brink of civil war. They’ll speak of you and your service in Afghanistan and in the fight against al Qaeda, which you have put on the path to defeat.

And to the members of the Special Operations Forces community, while the American people may never know the full extent of your service, they will surely speak of how you kept our country safe and strong, and how you delivered justice to our enemies.

So history will remember what you did, and so will we. We will remember the profound sacrifices that you’ve made in these wars. Michelle and I just had a few moments at the Warriors Walk, paying tribute to 441 of your fallen comrades -- men and women who gave their last full measure of devotion to keep our nation safe. And we will remember them. We will honor them -- always. And our thoughts and prayers also go out to the troops from Fort Stewart who are serving so bravely right now as we speak in Afghanistan. (Applause.) And I know many of you will be deploying there, too, so you know you’re going to be in our thoughts and prayers.
Your generation -- the 9/11 Generation -- has written one of the greatest chapters of military service that America has ever seen. But I know that for many of you, a new chapter is unfolding. The war in Iraq is over. The transition in Afghanistan is underway. Many of our troops are coming home, back to civilian life. And as you return, I know that you’re looking for new jobs and new opportunities and new ways to serve this great country of ours.

And three years ago, I made your generation a promise: I said that when your tour comes to an end -- when you see our flag, when you touch down on our soil -- you’ll be coming home to an America that will forever fight for you, just as you fought for us.

For me, as President, it’s been a top priority. It’s something I worked on as a senator when I served on the Veterans Affairs Committee. It’s something I continue to this day. Since I took office, we’ve hired over 200,000 veterans to serve in the federal government. (Applause.)

We’ve made it easier for veterans to access all sorts of employment services. You just heard how Michelle and Jill have worked with businesses to secure tens of thousands of jobs for veterans and their families. And with support from Democrats and Republicans, we’ve put in place new tax credits for companies that hire veterans. We want every veteran who wants a job to get a job. That’s the goal. (Applause.)

And those of you who want to pursue a higher education and earn new skills, you deserve that opportunity as well.

Like General Abrams’ dad, my grandfather -- the man who helped raise me -— served in Patton’s Army. And when he came home, he went to school on the GI Bill, because America decided that every returning veteran of World War II should be able to afford it. And we owe that same commitment to all of you.

So as President, I’ve made sure to champion the Post-9/11 GI Bill. And with that bill -- and the Tuition Assistance program -- last year we supported more than 550,000 veterans and 325,000 servicemembers who are pursuing a higher education. (Applause.) Because a higher education is the clearest path to the middle class. That’s progress. But we’ve got more to do. We can’t be satisfied with what we’ve already done, we’ve got more to do. We’ve got to make sure you’ve got every tool you need to make an informed decision when it comes to picking a school. And that’s why Michelle and I are here today.

Right now, it’s not that easy. I’ve heard the stories. Some of you guys can relate; you may have experienced it yourselves. You go online to try and find the best school for military members, or your spouses, or other family members. You end up on a website that looks official. They ask you for your email, they ask you for your phone number. They promise to link you up with a program that fits your goals. Almost immediately after you’ve typed in all that information, your phone starts ringing. Your inbox starts filling up. You’ve never been more popular in your life. All of these schools want you to enroll with them.

And it sounds good. Every school and every business should be out there competing for your skills and your talent and your leadership -- everything that you’ve shown in uniform. But as some of your comrades have discovered, sometimes you’re dealing with folks who aren’t interested in helping you. They’re not interested in helping you find the best program. They are interested in getting the money. They don’t care about you; they care about the cash.

So they harass you into making a quick decision with all those calls and emails. And if they can’t get you online, they show up on post. One of the worst examples of this is a college recruiter who had the nerve to visit a barracks at Camp Lejeune and enroll Marines with brain injuries -- just for the money. These Marines had injuries so severe some of them couldn’t recall what courses the recruiter had signed them up for. That’s appalling. That’s disgraceful. It should never happen in America.

I’m not talking about all schools. Many of them -- for-profit and non-profit -- provide quality education to our servicemembers and our veterans and their families. But there are some bad actors out there. They’ll say you don’t have to pay a dime for your degree but once you register, they’ll suddenly make you sign up for a high interest student loan. They’ll say that if you transfer schools, you can transfer credits. But when you try to actually do that, you suddenly find out that you can’t. They’ll say they’ve got a job placement program when, in fact, they don’t. It’s not right. They’re trying to swindle and hoodwink you. And today, here at Fort Stewart, we’re going to put an end to it. (Applause.) We’re putting an end to it.

The executive order I’m about to sign will make life a whole lot more secure for you and your families and our veterans -- and a whole lot tougher for those who try to prey on you. Here’s what we’re going to do.

First, we’re going to require colleges that want to enroll members of our military or veterans or your families to provide clear information about their qualifications and available financial aid. You’ll be able to get a simple fact sheet called “Know Before You Owe.” Know before you owe. (Applause.) And it will lay out all the information that you need to make your own choices about how best to pay for college.

Second, we’re going to require those schools to step up their support for our students. They need to provide a lot more counseling. If you’ve got to move because of a deployment or a reassignment, they’ve got to help you come up with a plan so that you can still get your degree. (Applause.)

Number three, we’re going to bring an end to the aggressive -- and sometimes dishonest -- recruiting that takes place. We’re going to up our oversight of improper recruitment practices. We’re going to strengthen the rules about who can come on post and talk to servicemembers. (Applause.) And we’re going to make it a lot easier for all of you to file complaints and for us to take action when somebody is not acting right.

This is about making sure you succeed -- because when you succeed, our country succeeds. It’s that simple. After all, at the end of World War II, so many Americans like my grandfather came home to new opportunities. Because of the original GI Bill, by 1947, half of all Americans who enrolled in college were veterans. And you know what, they did pretty well.

They rose to become Presidents and Supreme Court Justices and Nobel Prize winners. They went on to become scientists and engineers, and doctors and nurses. Eight million Americans were educated under the original GI Bill. And together, they forged the backbone of what would become the largest middle class that the world had ever seen. They built this country. They turned us into that economic superpower.

And we can do it again. We face some tough times. We’ve gone through the worst recession since the Great Depression, two wars. But you know what, we’ve faced tough times before. And all of you know something that America should never forget: Just as you rise or fall as one unit, we rise or fall as one nation. Just as you have each other’s backs, what has always made America great is that we have each other’s backs. Each of us is only here because somebody looked out for us. Not just our parents, but our neighbors and our communities and our houses of worship and our VFW halls. (Applause.) Each of us is here because we had a country that was willing to invest in things like community colleges and universities, and scientific research and medicine, and caring for our veterans. Each of us is only here because somebody, somewhere, had our backs.

This country exists because generations of Americans worked together and looked out for one other. Out of many, we are one. Those are the values we’ve got to return to. If we do, there’s nothing this country cannot achieve. There’s no challenge that's too great for us. There’s no destiny beyond our reach. As long as we’re joined in common purpose and common resolve, better days will always lie ahead, and we will remind everybody why the United States of America is the greatest country on Earth.

And as I look out at this sea of incredible men and women -- (applause) -- it gives me confidence that our best days are still ahead.

God bless you. God bless our armed services. God bless the Third Division. God bless the United States of America. Thank you very much. (Applause.)

And now I’m going to sign this executive order.

(The executive order is signed.)

END
1:09 P.M. EDT