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 August 2014. This release brings the total number of records made public by this White House to more than 4.12 million—all of which can be viewed in our Disclosures section.
The White House
Office of the Press Secretary
The President today spoke by telephone with deployed members of the U.S. Armed Forces to offer his profound gratitude for their service. Specifically, the President convened phone calls with representitives of each of the five service branches: the Army, Air Force, Marines, Navy and Coast Guard. The President underscored to each U.S. service member that he was expressing his appreciation on Thanksgiving Day on behalf of a grateful nation. He further noted that while we were engaged in distinct missions --- from the effort to stamp out Ebola on the frontlines to helping to prosecute the campaign against ISIL --- their objective was singular: the saftey and security of the American people.
In this week's address, the President wished everyone a happy Thanksgiving and reflected on the history of our country and its celebration of diversity. He gave thanks for the many Americans who sacrifice every day, from volunteer workers who serve their communities, to men and women in uniform who serve us all.
On Thanksgiving, a holiday that is uniquely American, he reminded us to focus on what unites -- our commitment to American ideals like justice and equality and our gratitude and love for our country.
Transcript | mp4 | mp3
The White House
Office of the Press Secretary
Washington, DC -- In this week's address, the President wished everyone a happy Thanksgiving and reflected on the history of our country and its celebration of diversity. He gave thanks for the many Americans who sacrifice every day, from volunteer workers who serve their communities, to men and women in uniform who serve us all. On Thanksgiving, a holiday that is uniquely American, he reminded us to focus on what unites -- our commitment to American ideals like justice and equality and our gratitude and love for our country.
The audio of the address and video of the address will be available online at www.whitehouse.gov at 6:00 a.m. ET, November 27, 2014.
Remarks of President Barack Obama
Weekly Address
The White House
November 27, 2014
On behalf of the Obama family -- Michelle, Malia, Sasha, Bo, and Sunny -- I want to wish you a very happy Thanksgiving. Like many of you, we'll spend the day with family and friends, catching up, eating some good food and watching a little football. Before we lift a fork, we lend a hand by going out in the community to serve some of our neighbors in need. And we give thanks for each other, and for all of God's blessings.
Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday because, more than any other, it is uniquely American. Each of us brings our own traditions and cultures and recipes to the table -- but we all share this day, united by the gratitude for the bounty of this nation. And we welcome the contributions of all people -- no matter their origin or color or beliefs -- who call America home, and who enrich the life of our nation. It is a creed as old as our founding: "E pluribus unum" -- that our of many, we are one.
We are reminded that this creed, and America itself, was never an inevitability, but the result of ordinary people in every generation doing their part to uphold our founding ideals -- by taking the blessings of freedom, and multiplying them for those who would follow. As President Kennedy once wrote, even as we give thanks for all that we've inherited from those who came before us -- "the decency of purpose, steadfastness of resolve and strength of will, for the courage and the humility, which they posessed," we must also remember that "the highest appreciation is not to utter words but to live by them."
Today, we are grateful to all Americans who do their part to live by those ideals, including our brave men and women in uniform overseas and their families, who sacrifice so much to keep America safe. To our service members who are away from home, we say an extra prayer for you and your loved ones, and we renew our commitment to take care of you as well as you've taken care of us.
We are grateful to the countless Americans who serve their communities in soup kitchens and shelters, looking out for those who are less fortunate, and lifting up those who have fallen on hard times. This generosity, this compassion, this belief that we are each other's keepers, is essential to who we are, not just on this day, but every day.
It's easy to focus on what separates us. But as we gather with loved ones on this Thanksgiving, let's remember and be grateful for what binds us together. Our love of country. Our commitment to justice and equality. Our belief that America's best days are ahead, and that her destiny is ours to shape -- and that our inherited ideals must be the birthright of all of our children.
That's what today is all about: that out of many, we are one. Thank you, God bless you, and from my family to yours, Happy Thanksgiving.
November 26, 2014 | 1:04 | Public Domain
Ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday, the First Family continued their annual tradition by participating in a service project. This year's project was at Bread for the City — a Southeast Washington, D.C. charity dedicated to providing Washington's most vulnerable residents with food, clothing, and other services.
Since 1947, the chairman of the National Turkey Federation has presented a turkey to the President. Each Thanksgiving, the President “pardons” that turkey, ensuring that the bird gets to spend the rest of its days living on a farm in Virginia. Today, President Obama celebrated the 67th anniversary of the National Thanksgiving Turkey presentation by pardoning two 20-week old, 48-pound turkeys. And just like last year, the American public decided which of the two turkeys – Mac or Cheese – would become the National Thanksgiving Turkey by casting a vote for #TeamMac or #TeamCheese online.
November 26, 2014 | Public Domain
Welcome to this Turkey Day edition of West Wing Week, your guide to everything that's happening at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, and beyond.
This week, the President traveled to Las Vegas and Chicago to highlight the steps he is taking to reform our broken immigration system, awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, and delivered a statement on the Grand Jury's decision in Ferguson, while the Vice President and Dr. Biden visited Ukraine and Turkey. That's November 21st to November 27th or, "We Need Turkey."
