Home • Remarks by President Obama and President Varela of Panama After Bilateral Meeting

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release

April 10, 2015

Presidential Proclamation -- Pan American Day and Pan American Week, 2015

PAN AMERICAN DAY AND PAN AMERICAN WEEK, 2015

- - - - - - -

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

A PROCLAMATION

One hundred and twenty-five years ago, delegates from countries throughout the Western Hemisphere came together to establish the International Union of American Republics, the forerunner to what is today the oldest regional international organization in the world: the Organization of American States. In the years since, our nations have collaborated to address regional challenges and improve the lives of people across the Americas. On Pan American Day and during Pan American Week, we reaffirm our hemisphere's enduring friendship, and we recommit to working as equal partners to support robust civil societies and expand opportunity.

The United States and our regional neighbors are bound by our mutual desire for peace and stability, and the common yearning of all our peoples -- to build a better life for themselves and their families. We share vibrant people-topeople connections and extensive economic links. These ties are vital to our security and prosperity, and when we work together to strengthen them, we help ensure a brighter future for the next generation.

My Administration is dedicated to joining with our Pan American partners to promote and protect human rights, open markets, expand fair trade, and advance the values of democracy and freedom. Last December, we began a new chapter in this commitment. In the most significant changes to our policy in more than 50 years, the United States is beginning to normalize our relations with Cuba. As we extend a hand of friendship to the Cuban people, we have the potential to lift up a nation and end a legacy of mistrust in our hemisphere.

We continue to expand trade among the nations of the Americas because we know when we allow businesses to grow their markets it extends opportunity to a wider circle of people. We are fostering small business connections throughout the Americas and bolstering women-owned and managed enterprises. Through the 100,000 Strong in the Americas initiative, the United States is striving to increase educational exchanges that open doors to new markets, innovative research, and region-wide prosperity. And as our nations face common energy and environmental concerns, my Administration is working with leaders and experts from the region to ensure every person in the Western Hemisphere will have access to the electricity they need at a price they can afford -- in a manner that is socially responsible and environmentally beneficial.

As we head into this week, I will attend the Summit of the Americas in Panama. As leaders from across the Pan American community come together, we will continue our work to address the shared challenges our countries face today. When our people -- our leaders, our civil society members, and all the sons and daughters of the Americas -- join in a spirit of mutual interest and mutual respect, we can build a future of greater peace, security, and possibility for every person who calls the
Americas home.

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 14, 2015, as Pan American Day and April 12 through April 18, 2015, as Pan American Week. I urge the Governors of the 50 States, the Governor of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and the officials of the other areas under the flag of the United States of America to honor these observances with appropriate ceremonies and activities.

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

BARACK OBAMA

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release

April 10, 2015

Presidential Determination -- Proposed Agreement for Cooperation Between the Government of the United States of America and the Government of the People's Republic of China Concerning Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy

SUBJECT: Presidential Determination on the Proposed

Agreement for Cooperation Between the Government

of the United States of America and the

Government of the People's Republic of China

Concerning Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy

I have considered the proposed Agreement for Cooperation Between the Government of the United States of America and the Government of the People's Republic of China Concerning Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy (the "Agreement"), along with the views, recommendations, and statements of the interested departments and agencies.

I have determined that the performance of the Agreement will promote, and will not constitute an unreasonable risk to, the common defense and security. Pursuant to section 123 b. of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended (42 U.S.C. 2153(b)), I hereby approve the proposed Agreement and authorize the Secretary of State to arrange for its execution.

The Secretary of State is authorized to publish this determination in the Federal Register.

BARACK OBAMA

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release

April 10, 2015

Remarks by the President in Meeting with SICA Presidents

Hotel RIU
Panama City, Panama

11:17 P.M. EST

PRESIDENT OBAMA: Well, thank you, President Molina. Let me, first of all, thank our friend, the President of Panama, and the people of Panama, Vice President of Panama, for the incredible hospitality and the outstanding arrangements for this summit.

It is good to see all of you again. The last time we met was in Costa Rica, and we, I thought, had a very productive discussion. And rather than just talk, I think our goal was to make sure that we had concrete actions that we could take that would improve our economies, the opportunities for our people, security in the region.

And this is very important to the United States, not just because of proximity, not just because our neighbors who are represented here are very close by, but because we have incredible bonds as people. There are Americans who make enormous contributions to our society every single day who come from Nicaragua and El Salvador and Belize, and all the countries that are represented here today.

And so we have ties of family. We have ties of commerce. We share incredible heritage and incredible history. And so it is very important for us to make sure that the United States stands in solidarity and has a partnership with each of the countries that are represented around this table.

I will not be long. As President Molina indicated, since the last time we’ve met, it has been the determination of my administration that we find ways that we can more concretely assist many of the countries in Central America so that people in those countries feel that they have opportunity and development. That is in our interest, and that is in your interest, as well.

We know, for example, that criminal elements and narco- trafficking thrives where people feel that they have no other pathways to success. If we can make sure that they feel that their efforts are rewarded in their own countries, then we’re going to be much more successful with the security arrangements and coordination that we are involved in.

We know that the issue of migration does not just affect the United States, it also affects the countries in the region themselves. And the more that people, where they live, feel that they can find opportunity and raise families and be successful, the less disruptions there are and the less tensions there are at our borders.

As a consequence, in my budget I’ve requested $1 billion to support U.S. engagement across Central America. Some of these dollars would be designed to strengthen regional cooperation on security, but some of it, as President Varela and I spoke about during our earlier bilateral, is really focused on human development -- education, providing young people pathways to success, focusing on what’s happening at the community level. And we are very excited to work with you to find what you think will be most effective in your countries, and then to have a coordinated process moving forward in order for us to succeed.

We do believe that regional integration on issues like energy, electricity, improving trade flows all can be incredibly valuable for the region as a whole, and ultimately will be valuable for the United States as well.

We continue to believe that part of that regional agenda should focus on governance issues and transparency. And we’re in a city right now and a country that I think has done an excellent job on many of those fronts and, as a consequence, the high growth rates in Panama I think should serve as a useful model for so many countries not just in this region but around the world that business will be attracted where there are skilled workers and where there’s rules that people understand and can follow, and there's accountability and transparency.

So the bottom line is I think we have a strong, common agenda. This is something that we do because what’s good for this region will ultimately be good for the United States, as well.

Before I came in, I signed -- me and President Varela witnessed the signing of a deal between Boeing and Copa Airlines. It is going to create 12,000 jobs in the United States and 6,000 in Panama. And that’s an example of what happens when we work together. So we want to seize this opportunity.

I’m very grateful for the opportunities to dialogue with you. I want to spend most of my time listening and not just talking. And we are very, very grateful to all of you for the cooperation and partnership that we already have. We think we can make it even stronger and even better.

Thank you.

END
1:23 P.M. EST

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release

April 10, 2015

FACT SHEET: U.S. Cooperation with Central America; Meeting with Members of the Central America Integration System (SICA)

At the 2015 Summit of the Americas in Panama, President Obama met with the leaders of Central America Integration System (SICA) member states and the SICA Secretary General on April 10 to underscore the strong U.S. commitment to, and partnership with, Central America. The U.S. Strategy for Engagement in Central America promotes the goal of an economically integrated region that provides economic opportunities to its people, enjoys more accountable, transparent, and effective public institutions, and ensures a safe environment for its citizens.

President Obama requested $1 billion from the U.S. Congress for Fiscal Year 2016 in support of the U.S. Strategy for Engagement in Central America in all seven Central American nations. While the United States will prioritize assistance to the Northern Triangle – El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras – our strategy is region-wide. Central America’s prosperity and security, its opportunities and challenges, are inextricably linked and have a direct impact on the rest of the hemisphere.

Eleven years have passed since the August 2004 signing of the Dominican Republic-Central America - United States Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA-DR), when our countries committed to promote economic growth, expand trade and investment opportunities, and strengthen both regional integration and competitiveness of the parties, yielding positive results for the seven partners of this trading bloc.

Higher and sustained growth is required to create opportunity and reduce poverty. Despite the economic challenges faced by the world economy in recent years, the intra-regional trade among Central American countries and the Dominican Republic increased from US$6.3 billion in 2010 to more than US$8 billion by 2014. U.S goods exports to Central America and the Dominican Republic in 2014 were $31.3 billion, up 99 percent from 2004; U.S. good imports from Central America and the Dominican Republic totaled $28.4 billion in 2014, up 60 percent over that same period. These increased trade flows are promising, and stronger economic growth is possible with greater economic integration.

At the meeting with SICA Heads of State, President Obama encouraged his counterparts to pursue regional integration, promote trade facilitation, and approach security as a region. He also noted that sustainable economic growth is more likely when a country enjoys transparent, accountable democratic institutions and a strong commitment to citizen security.

Promoting Regional Economic Integration and Growth

Central America’s place at the geographic crossroads of this hemisphere is a tremendous economic asset. In order to make the most of this advantage, Central American nations should continue to work together to integrate and grow their economies by reducing tariffs, investing in infrastructure and border facilities, streamlining customs procedures, and partnering with each other on issues such as energy. The region is the focal point of the Connecting the Americas 2022 initiative, which will help attract investment in clean energy and reduce energy costs by interconnecting the region’s electricity markets. The United States has just launched a $20 million facility to drive private sector investment into clean energy projects in the Caribbean and Central America. The Facility will provide early-stage funding to catalyze larger private sector investment in clean energy projects. The United States will also partner with Central American and Caribbean countries in a task force to evaluate our progress on energy cooperation and identify concrete steps to advance energy sector reform, regional integration, and clean energy development.

Countries should accelerate actions such as improved access to and quality of education, vocational training opportunities, and small business development models to encourage entrepreneurship and ensure growth that is broad-based and equitable. By improving public financial management, governments also will be better equipped to make key public investments, provide critical public services, improve fiscal transparency and over time decrease the need for international donor support. Deeper regional integration can also help build resilience against destabilizing events such as natural disasters, for example through pooled efforts to insure against risk.

Cooperating on Violence Prevention and Combating Crime

U.S. engagement on security complements the efforts of host nations and like-minded donors to reduce levels of crime and violence, strengthen rule of law institutions, and help address the root causes of insecurity that impede broader economic development and social inclusion. Our programs in Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala amplify local government efforts to promote crime prevention and police capacity-building in the most adversely affected communities. We are similarly united in our efforts to combat transnational organized, crime, including by providing support to improve land border and maritime interdiction throughout the region, and cooperating with partner nations to investigate and prosecute those who conduct human smuggling operations exploiting the desperation of parents and children making the dangerous journey north. In Panama, the Regional Border Management Academy conducts training of border officials, while in Costa Rica, our assistance to prisons, border police training, and support for nationwide use of data-driven policing is positioning them as a regional model.

In November 2014, the U.S. Department of State announced its in-country refugee processing program in El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras. The program is part of the Obama Administration’s response to last summer’s influx of unaccompanied children and families fleeing to the United States from Central America and will work to provide a safe, legal, and orderly alternative to the dangerous journey that some children are currently undertaking to the United States. The new program allows parents from those nations, who are lawfully present in the United States, to submit an application to have their children join them in the United States if they qualify for refugee status or humanitarian parole.

Sustaining Economic and Security Gains through Accountable Governance

The enabling environment for sustained growth, stability and prosperity for the region will require good governance, including support for democratic values, strengthening of criminal justice and other legal institutions to combat impunity and promote the rule of law, and advancing rights and protections for civil society and the media. The private sector, small business owners, and international investors want confidence in the security of their investment and assurances that business dealings are fair and legal. Institutions must establish a pattern of transparency, accountability, effectiveness, and independence.

President Obama and Vice President Biden’s 2014 Tax Returns

Josh Earnest

April 10, 2015
03:00 PM EDT

Today, the President released his 2014 federal income tax returns. He and the First Lady filed their income tax returns jointly and reported adjusted gross income of $477,383. The Obamas paid $93,362 in total tax.

The President and First Lady also reported donating $70,712 – or about 14.8 percent of their adjusted gross income – to 33 different charities. The largest reported gift to charity was $22,012 to the Fisher House Foundation. The President’s effective federal income tax rate is 19.6 percent.

In January 2013, the President signed into law legislation that extended tax cuts to middle-class and working families and helped improve the country’s fiscal health by asking the wealthiest Americans to pay their fair share. In 2014, as a result of his policies, the President was subject to limitations in tax preferences for high-income earners, as well as additional Medicare and investment income taxes.

While we’ve made progress in ensuring that the wealthiest Americans pay their fair share by raising their tax rate to the level it was under President Clinton, there is more work to do. We need to close special tax loopholes for millionaires and billionaires, and invest in the middle class. The tax policies proposed in the President’s Budget would make paychecks go further in covering the cost of child care, college, and a secure retirement, and would create and expand tax credits that support and reward work.

The President and First Lady also released their Illinois income tax return and reported paying $22,640 in state income tax.

Download the Obamas' tax returns here.

The Vice President and Dr. Jill Biden also released their 2014 federal income tax returns, as well as state income tax returns for both Delaware and Virginia. The Bidens filed joint federal and combined Delaware income tax returns. Dr. Biden filed a separate non-resident Virginia tax return. Together, they reported adjusted gross income of $388,844. The Bidens paid $90,506 in total federal tax for 2014, amounting to an effective tax rate of 23.3%. They also paid $13,661 in Delaware income tax and Dr. Biden paid $3,777 in Virginia income tax. The Bidens contributed $7,380 to charity in 2014, including contributing the royalties received from Dr. Biden’s children’s book, net of taxes, to the United Service Organizations, Inc. (USO).

Download the Bidens' tax returns here.

Related Topics: Taxes, Delaware, Illinois, Virginia

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The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release

April 10, 2015

Statement by NSC Spokesperson Bernadette Meehan on the Situation in Yarmouk Refugee Camp

We welcome UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon’s statement on the situation in Yarmouk refugee camp, and join him in calling for an end to hostilities, access for humanitarian assistance, and safe passage for civilians who wish to escape safely.

The Yarmouk camp has been besieged by the Syrian regime for nearly two years, and its residents have been denied access to food, potable water, and medical supplies. Those Palestinian refugees living inside the camp are now caught between ISIL and the Syrian regime, which continues to indiscriminately attack civilians, including with artillery and barrel bombs, in violation of UN Security Council Resolution 2139.

All parties must comply with their obligations under international humanitarian law. The siege of Yarmouk must be lifted and the safe evacuation of civilians must be allowed. Civilians who manage to leave Yarmouk must be granted immediate and safe passage; families must not be separated; and departing civilians must not be detained. We further call on the Syrian regime to halt aerial bombardment in order to allow civilians to leave the camp.

We applaud the efforts of the UN Relief and Works Agency to help protect civilians in Yarmouk. Across Syria, more than 440,000 people are trapped in communities besieged by the Syrian Regime, ISIL and other armed groups. The terrible toll the war has taken on Syria’s civilians underscores the urgent need for a political solution to end the fighting. It also highlights the profound need for the perpetrators of sieges and atrocities against the civilian population to be held accountable.

Barack in Jamrock: The Young Leaders of the Americas Meet with the President in Jamaica

Tanya Somanader

April 10, 2015
02:02 PM EDT

"Wah Gwan, Jamaica?"

President Obama headed to Kingston, Jamaica yesterday, meeting with Prime Minister Portia Simpson-Miller, as well as other Caribbean leaders on the importance of improving energy security and fighting climate change. He later held a town hall with the Young Leaders of the Americas.

“It is your generation who will shape the future of our countries and our region and this planet that we share long after those of us who are currently in public service are gone from the stage.” – President Obama, April 9

White House Timelapse: The 2015 Easter Egg Roll in 70 Seconds

April 10, 2015 | 1:18 | Public Domain

Tour the 2015 White House Easter Egg Roll in record speed. Throughout the day, more than 35,000 visitors attended the event on the South Lawn.

Download mp4 (40MB)

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release

April 10, 2015

Remarks by President Obama and President Varela of Panama After Bilateral Meeting

Hotel RIU
Panama City, Panama

11:23 A.M. EST

PRESIDENT VARELA: We are very happy to have President Obama in our country. We congratulate him on all the effort he’s doing to unite our continent. I think it’s a historic meeting. It's going to be a very successful Summit of the Americas.

I think President Obama is going to leave a legacy the way he is supporting Hispanics in the United States, and also his new policy for Cuba for us is very important. And I thank him also for the cooperation that the U.S. government has given us in these past seven years of the administration in different regions like security, education, health. And we look forward to work with him as a regional partner -- not just a bilateral relationship, but a regional partner to make America a strong place and continued peace.

PRESIDENT OBAMA: Well, I just want to thank President Varela and the entire team, and the people of Panama, for the incredible hospitality. I had a chance earlier to visit the Panama Canal for the first time and saw the extraordinary progress that's being made in the new development that will be completed next year. It's really a symbol of human ingenuity, but also Panama’s central role in bridging the two continents and bringing the hemisphere together.

And I congratulated the President not only on what I'm certain will be a successful summit, but also the extraordinary progress that Panama has made economically, the transparency and accountability that his government has shown. Panama is a proud democracy, and its ability to engage in elections and peaceful transfers of power I think is a symbol of the progress that's been made throughout the hemisphere over the last several decades.

And as President Varela noted, we are great partners on a whole range of issues -- security, the economy, education -- and we had an excellent discussion about how we can further deepen those ties.

So we are very appreciative of the great friends that we have in the Panamanian people. We want to thank you for hosting us. I know these summits are a lot of work. I want to thank the team. I want to thank the people of Panama, especially because I'm sure they’re having to put up with some traffic -- (laughter) -- while all these leaders are here. And we look forward to excellent discussions during the course of the next two days.

PRESIDENT VARELA: Thank you, Mr. President. It's an honor.

PRESIDENT OBAMA: Thank you.

END
11:27 A.M. EST

Keeping Up with the Cabinet: Engaging the Next Generation to Play, Learn, Serve, and Work in the Great Outdoors

Secretary Sally Jewell

April 10, 2015
01:11 PM EDT

The creative energy of youth, the serenity of nature, and the lessons of history are a winning combination for me. All three were present in this video from the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historic Site in Atlanta, where I enjoyed an opportunity to roll up my sleeves alongside volunteers, young and old, to help plant rose bushes named for Coretta Scott King in the peace garden.

This visit helped launch our 50 Cities Initiative — an ambitious effort by the Department of the Interior's bureaus to work alongside cities, public land managers, and non-profit organizations like the YMCA, the National League of Cities, and local youth conservation corps, to engage young people in nature from city parks to national parks and all points in between.