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The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release

October 29, 2011

Remarks by the President at National Italian American Foundation Gala

Washington Hilton and Towers
Washington, D.C.

8:28 P.M. EDT

THE PRESIDENT: Hello, hello, hello! (Applause.) Thank you so much. (Applause.) Viva Italia! (Applause.) Thank you very much, everybody. Thank you. Thank you so much. (Applause.) Thank you, Nancy, for that generous introduction. I am biased, but I think Nancy was one of the best Speakers of the House this country ever had. (Applause.) She was no doubt the best Italian American Speaker of the House we ever had. (Applause.) And I believe that she will be the best Speaker of the House again in 2013. (Applause.)

Now, I was just out passing out Halloween candy -- (laughter) -- for the kids who were coming to the White House, but now that Malia and Sasha are with their friends, they do not notice that I’m gone. (Laughter.) They’re now getting to that age where they don’t care. (Laughter.) They’re pleased that I didn’t embarrass them too much during the brief time I was with them.

So I am honored to be here to celebrate National Italian American Heritage Month and to commemorate the 150th anniversary of Italian unification. (Applause.) And I want to congratulate the President, the Chairman, all of you who are doing so much work to keep that heritage alive for the next generation. And I’m grateful for your generous welcome. (Applause.)

Now, I want to make a confession right off the bat. I do not, in fact, have any Italian ancestry. (Laughter.) Not all of us are that lucky. (Laughter.) I can’t sing like Frankie Avalon. (Laughter.) Where’s Frankie? I can’t -- he looks the same! Unbelievable. (Laughter and applause.) I can’t cook as well as any of your grandmothers. (Laughter.) Michelle won’t let me have seconds or thirds anymore. (Laughter.) So all I’ve got to offer is a last name that ends in a vowel. (Laughter and applause.) That’s all I’ve got. (Applause.)

Nevertheless, it is good to see so many amici. (Laughter.) I see many proud sons and daughters of the old country. I see a couple dozen proud Italian American members of Congress here tonight. Let me offer a special welcome to the guests who join us from Italy this evening, including Italy’s ambassador to the United States, Ambassador Terzi. Thank you so much for your outstanding work. (Applause.) His counterpart -- here, as well, and he is doing an outstanding job representing us, our ambassador to Italy, David Thorne. (Applause.) Italy is one of our strongest allies, a fellow founding member of NATO. We look forward to our work together with them, and we’re going to be joining them next week at the G20 to make a series of decisions that are going to be very important for the world economy.

I’ve also made sure to keep close the advice of Italian Americans by asking some of them to serve in my Cabinet. And as Nancy mentioned, we could not be prouder of Janet Napolitano, who is keeping us safe every single day. (Applause.) And my outstanding Secretary of Defense, Leon Panetta. (Applause.) And, as was mentioned, even though she’s not here these evening, Jill Biden is proud to come from a long line of Giacoppas. And so she sends her regards. (Applause.)

Tonight, I think it’s also important for us to honor the proud service of the countless Italian Americans who have fought for this country since our founding, and who wear the uniform today -- (applause) -- from the Chief of Staff of the Army, General Ray Odierno, -- (applause) -- to a hero whom I was proud to bestow our nation’s highest military decoration, and was the first one in a very long time to personally receive the Medal of Honor, staff sergeant Salvatore Giunta. (Applause.)

So in a sense, every American joins us in celebrating this anniversary of Italian unification. What would America be without the contributions of Italy and Italian Americans? (Applause.) What would we be without the daring voyages of Columbus, and Verrazano, and Vespucci? What would our science and technology be without not just DaVinci and Galileo, but Fermi? What would movies and music be without the magic of Capra, or Sinatra, or Sophia Loren, my favorite. (Laughter.) I’m just saying. (Laughter.)

What would sports be without the guts and the grit of DiMaggio and Lombardi –- and LaRussa? (Applause.)

AUDIENCE MEMBER: Piazza!

THE PRESIDENT: Piazza! (Laughter and applause.) The White Sox could still use you. (Laughter.) What would this city be without the influence of Roman thought and architecture, the Piccirilli Brothers who -- their work on the Lincoln Memorial; Brumidi’s magnificent touch on the Capitol?

Although, I must say, it might be nice to know what our politics would -- like without the contribution of Machiavelli. (Laughter.) That’s been internalized a little too much here in Washington. (Laughter.)

America would not be what it is today without the unique contributions and the uncommon pride of Italian Americans. (Applause.) And like so many other groups -- as Nancy said, like so many other groups, the Italians came to America in search of opportunity. They came with little. Very few were wealthy. But they came with an unwavering faith in God, an unfailing commitment to family, and an unlikely hope in the possibilities of America –- the belief that in this country, you could be prosperous, you could be free, you could think and talk and worship as you pleased. It was a place where you could make it if you try.

And it wasn’t always easy. Italians weren’t always welcome. And when we think about today’s immigrants, we have to remind ourselves that those of us who now feel comfortable in our American identity, that that wasn’t always the case in the past. (Applause.) The opportunities our forbears hoped for wasn’t always within reach right away. But they did not wait for anybody to hand it to them. They built new lives for themselves, and at the same time they ended up building an entire nation. They enriched our heritage and our culture with their own. They helped forge the very promise of this country -- that success is possible if you’re willing to work for it. And those efforts built a better America for all of us.

Everybody in this room just about, everybody, has an ancestor or lots of ancestors who fit that story of transplanted roots that somehow grew in American soil; of families that struggled and sacrificed so that our families might know something better. Of parents who said, maybe I can’t speak English, but I'll make sure my child can speak English; they might teach English someday. (Applause.) I might not have an education, but I’m going to make sure my child has an education. (Applause.) I might perform backbreaking labor today, but someday my child can be a Senator, or a Supreme Court Justice, or Speaker of the House, or a Secretary in the Cabinet, or President of the United States. (Applause.)

So that’s what binds us together. That is what has always made our country unique. We’ve always been and we will always be a nation of immigrants from all over the world. And out of many, somehow we’re able to forge ourselves into one people; and this is the place where the highest hopes can be reached, and the deepest and most sincere dreams can be made real.

And that’s the legacy our forebears left for us, and that’s what we now have to leave to our children. These are tough times right now, and millions of Americans are hurting. Millions are without work, and those who have work are still all too often struggling to get by. And for many, the dream that brought so many Italian Americans to these shores feels like it’s slipping away.

So we’ve got work to do. But while these times are hard, we have to remind ourselves they’re not as hard as those that earlier generations faced. And the legacy of their courage and their commitment and their determination and their generosity and their willingness to think about the next generation -- we have to be just as passionate and just as selfless as they were to keep that dream alive, and make sure our children inherit futures that are big and bright, and that this country is as generous as it’s always been.

And that’s what we have to commit to ourselves tonight. So on behalf of all Americans, I want to thank you for everything that the Italian American community has done; everything that you’ve done to contribute to the chronicles and the character of the greatest nation on Earth.

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

END
8:40 P.M. EDT

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release

October 29, 2011

WEEKLY ADDRESS: "We Can't Wait" to Strengthen the Economy and Create Jobs

WASHINGTON—In this week’s address, President Obama told the American people that we can’t wait for Congress to take action to grow the economy and create jobs, and highlighted the executive actions he took this week to help families save thousands of dollars by refinancing their mortgages, put veterans to work, and lower the cost of student loans. The President continued to urge Congress to do its part and pass the American Jobs Act now, which will put more money in the pockets of middle class families, create jobs and strengthen our economy right away.

Remarks of President Barack Obama
Weekly Address
The White House
Saturday, October 29, 2011

This week, a new economic report confirmed what most Americans already believe to be true: over the past three decades, the middle class has lost ground while the wealthiest few have become even wealthier. In fact, the average income for the top one percent of Americans has risen almost seven times faster than the income of the average middle class family. And this has happened during a period where the cost of everything from health care to college has skyrocketed.

Now, in this country, we don’t begrudge anyone wealth or success – we encourage it. We celebrate it. But America is better off when everyone has had the chance to get ahead – not just those at the top of the income scale. The more Americans who prosper, the more America prospers.

Rebuilding an economy where everyone has the chance to succeed will take time. Our economic problems were decades in the making, and they won’t be solved overnight. But there are steps we can take right now to put people back to work and restore some of the security that middle-class Americans have lost over the last few decades.

Right now, Congress can pass a set of common-sense jobs proposals that independent economists tell us will boost the economy right away. Proposals that will put more teachers, veterans, construction workers and first responders back on the job. Proposals that will cut taxes for virtually every middle class family and small business in America. These are the same kinds of proposals that both Democrats and Republicans have supported in the past. And they should stop playing politics and act on them now.

These jobs proposals are also paid for by asking folks who are making more than a million dollars a year to contribute a little more in taxes. These are the same folks who have seen their incomes go up so much, and I believe this is a contribution they’re willing to make. One survey found that nearly 7 in 10 millionaires are willing to step up and pay a little more in order to help the economy.

Unfortunately, Republicans in Congress aren’t paying attention. They’re not getting the message. Over and over, they have refused to even debate the same kind of jobs proposals that Republicans have supported in the past – proposals that today are supported, not just by Democrats, but by Independents and Republicans all across America. And yet, somehow, they found time this week to debate things like whether or not we should mint coins to celebrate the Baseball Hall of Fame. Meanwhile, they’re only scheduled to work three more weeks between now and the end of the year.

The truth is, we can no longer wait for Congress to do its job. The middle-class families who’ve been struggling for years are tired of waiting. They need help now. So where Congress won’t act, I will.

This week, we announced a new policy that will help families whose home values have fallen refinance their mortgages and save thousands of dollars. We’re making it easier for veterans to get jobs putting their skills to work in hospitals and community health centers. We reformed the student loan process so more young people can get out of debt faster. And we’re going to keep announcing more changes like these on a regular basis.

These steps will make a difference. But they won’t take the place of the bold action we need from Congress to get this economy moving again. That’s why I need all of you to make your voices heard. Tell Congress to stop playing politics and start taking action on jobs. If we want to rebuild an economy where every American has the chance to get ahead, we need every American to get involved. That’s how real change has always happened, and that’s how it’ll happen today.

Thank you.

We Can’t Wait to Create Jobs

October 29, 2011 | 3:48 | Public Domain

President Obama says that we can’t wait for Congress to take action to grow the economy and create jobs and highlights actions he took to help families refinance their mortgages, put veterans to work, and lower the cost of student loans.

Download mp4 (134MB) | mp3 (4MB)

Read the Transcript

Weekly Address: We Can’t Wait to Create Jobs

Matt Compton

October 29, 2011
05:30 AM EDT

President Obama says that we can’t wait for Congress to take action to grow the economy and create jobs -- and highlights actions he took to help families refinance their mortgages, put veterans to work, and lower the cost of student loans.

Transcript | Download mp4 | Download mp3

Watch President Obama's full remarks here.

Halloween at the White House

October 28, 2011 | 2:08 | Public Domain

The White House gets a Halloween makeover in anticipation of trick-or-treaters to arrive at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. and the White House pastry kitchen prepares 4000 gift bags to be handed out by The President and The First Lady for Halloween.

Download m4v (50MB)

Over 1.7 Million White House Visitor Records Released

Nikki Sutton

October 28, 2011
04:29 PM EDT

In September 2009, the President announced that – for the first time in history – White House visitor records would be made available to the public on an ongoing basis. Today, the White House releases visitor records that were generated in July 2011. This release brings the total number of records made public by this White House to nearly 1.8 million records—all of which can be viewed in our Disclosures section

Ed. Note: For more information, check out Ethics.gov.

President Obama Announces More Key Administration Posts

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

Joseph D. Gutman – Member, United States Holocaust Memorial Council
Roman Kent – Member, United States Holocaust Memorial Council
Howard D. Unger – Member, United States Holocaust Memorial Council
Clemantine Wamariya – Member, United States Holocaust Memorial Council
Elie Wiesel – Member, United States Holocaust Memorial Council

President Obama said, “These fine public servants both bring a depth of experience and tremendous dedication to their new roles. Our nation will be well-served by these men and women, and I look forward to working with them in the months and years to come.”

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

Joseph D. Gutman, Appointee for Member, United States Holocaust Memorial Council
Joseph D. Gutman is the Managing Director of Grosvenor Capital Management. Before that, he was at Goldman Sachs, where he was Co-Head of the Chicago office at the time of his departure. Mr. Gutman is the son of a Holocaust survivor, and is an active member of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum’s Chicago office and the Birthright Israel executive committee. He is a member of the Board of Overseers at the College of Business at the University of Illinois. Mr. Gutman has also held leadership roles with the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago and the American Israel Public Affairs Committee. He is a member of the Children's Memorial Hospital of Chicago Board of Directors as well as the board of the Make a Better Place Foundation. Mr. Gutman earned a B.S in accounting from the University of Illinois and an M.B.A. from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management.

Roman Kent, Appointee for Member, United States Holocaust Memorial Council
Roman Kent is President of Namor International Corporation. Mr. Kent was born in Lodz, Poland and is a Holocaust survivor. He arrived in the United States in 1946 under the auspices of the children’s quota of the United States Government’s “Displaced Persons Act.” He worked in the field of international trade for 45 years focusing on textiles and dinnerware. Mr. Kent has produced a documentary called “Children in the Holocaust,” and authored two books, including an autobiography titled “Courage Was My Only Option.” Mr. Kent was a member of the Presidential delegation to Poland in January 2010 to attend the commemoration of the 65th Anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz. He is Chairman of the American Gathering of Jewish Holocaust Survivors and their Descendants, President of Jewish Foundation for the Righteous, Treasurer of the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany, and President of the International Auschwitz Committee. Mr. Kent attended Emory University.

Howard D. Unger, Appointee for Member, United States Holocaust Memorial Council
Howard D. Unger is the founder of the investment firm Saw Mill Capital, a private equity firm that acquires middle-market manufacturing and service companies. Prior to forming Saw Mill Capital, Mr. Unger was a partner at Chase Capital, Chase Manhattan Bank’s private equity investment group. Mr. Unger is the son of a Holocaust survivor. He is a member of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum’s Committee on Conscience, the arm of the Council tasked with stimulating worldwide action against genocide and other crimes against humanity. Mr. Unger also serves on the board of The Holocaust & Human Rights Education Center and is a member of the Investment Committee for The Binghamton University Foundation Endowment. He received a B.S. from Binghamton University and an M.B.A. from the University of Chicago.

Clemantine Wamariya, Appointee for Member, United States Holocaust Memorial Council
Clemantine Wamariya is a survivor of the Rwandan genocide. During the six years following the genocide, Ms. Wamariya lived in numerous refugee camps in seven different African countries before coming to Chicago in 2000. Since first discussing her experiences as both a survivor of genocide and her life as a refugee on the Oprah Winfrey Show in 2005, Ms. Wamariya has traveled the country, speaking at numerous universities, high schools, and other organizations. During this time, she has spoken at the Annual U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum Luncheon, the United Nations Annual Commemoration of the Rwandan Genocide, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Human Rights Law Conference, and the National Tribute Dinner of the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum. At Yale, she is involved in several human rights and genocide intervention activities. She is a part of the Yale Refugee Project which works closely with New Haven’s Integrated Refugee & Immigrant Services, and she also serves on the board of Reach Out, a Yale University partnership for international service. Ms. Wamariya is currently an undergraduate at Yale University.

Elie Wiesel, Appointee for Member, United States Holocaust Memorial Council
Elie Wiesel is University Professor and the Andrew W. Mellon Professor in the Humanities at Boston University. Mr. Wiesel is a prolific writer, political activist, and a Holocaust survivor. Mr. Wiesel is the author of 57 books of fiction and non-fiction. Night, his memoir based on his experiences in the Auschwitz and Buchenwald concentration camps is considered among the most important works in Holocaust literature. Mr. Wiesel was the Founding Chairman of the United States Holocaust Memorial Council and was instrumental in the development of the Museum. He has served continuously on the Council since its creation. Mr. Wiesel has been awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the United States Congressional Gold Medal, the rank of Grand Officer in the French Legion of Honor, and, in 1986, he received the Nobel Peace Prize.

We Can't Wait to Help Businesses Grow

Matt Compton

October 28, 2011
03:02 PM EDT

While Republicans in Congress continue to block the American Jobs Act, President Obama is still finding new ways to boost the economy and put people back to work.

This morning, the President signed two executive memorandums: one that would shorten the time it takes for companies to commercialize federal research, and another to launch BusinessUSA -- a website that will make it easier for companies to learn about federal resources for business and exports -- in early 2012.

"With too many families struggling and too many businesses fighting to keep their doors open, we can't wait for Congress to take action," President Obama said in a statement.

The first order will help speed up the time it takes for government research facilities to issue grants to start ups and give federal agencies more flexibility to partner with businesses.

Every year, the government spends approximately $147 billion on research and development. This order from the President will help to ensure that money gets used even more efficiently.

And by the way, we know the federal research grant process helps to spark entrepreneurship. Qualcomm, the communications giant; Symantech, the software security firm; and iRobot, maker of the Roomba and Packbot, all received federal agency support before becoming an industry leader.

BusinessUSA will help companies of all sizes access the full range of government programs and services they need to compete, grow, and hire.

Right now, a range of government websites offer resources and programs to support businesses, but navigating those sites and finding the information you need isn't easy.

BusinessUSA will change that and offer a centralized location where an entrepreneur can come to access programs to grow their exports, for instance.

Agencies across the federal government will also find ways to integrate BusinessUSA deeply into their websites, call centers, and field offices -- so that this new service becomes the primary way that companies get the information and support they need to grow and hire.

The President is moving forward with BusinessUSA after calls for this type of reform from the President’s Jobs Council, the President’s Export Council, and businesses across the country.

It will launch early next year.

President Obama also can't wait for Congress to:

President Obama Signs Louisiana Disaster Declaration

The President today declared a major disaster exists in the State of Louisiana and ordered Federal aid to supplement state and local recovery efforts in the area affected by Tropical Storm Lee during the period of September 1-5, 2011.

Federal funding is available to state and eligible local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations on a cost-sharing basis for emergency work and the repair or replacement of facilities damaged by Tropical Storm Lee in the parishes of East Feliciana, Jefferson, Lafourche, Plaquemines, St. Bernard, St. Charles, Terrebonne, and West Feliciana.

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.

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

October 28, 2011

Statement by the President on the Court Approval of the Settlement of the Black Farmers Lawsuit

The U.S. District Court’s approval of the settlement between the Department of Agriculture (USDA) and plaintiffs in the Pigford II class action lawsuit is another important step forward in addressing an unfortunate chapter in USDA’s civil rights history. This agreement will provide overdue relief and justice to African American farmers, and bring us closer to the ideals of freedom and equality that this country was founded on. I especially want to recognize the efforts of Secretary Vilsack and Attorney General Holder, without whom this settlement would not have been reached.