The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
July 09, 2014

Remarks by the President at DCCC Dinner

Dallas, Texas

7:40 P.M. CDT
 
THE PRESIDENT:  Well, to the whole Stanley family, because we’ve got a whole crew here, I want to say thank you.  Marc and Wendy have just been great friends for such a long time and great supporters not just to me but of good causes here in Texas and all across the country, and we couldn’t ask for better friends.  And we’re really thankful to all of them.  (Applause.)
 
And Marc is entirely right to say that my greatest accomplishments as President had to do with having a great Speaker of the House and I want her back with her hand on the gavel.  She is tough, she is smart, and she has a heart as big as Texas -- even though she’s from California.  (Laughter.)  Nancy Pelosi.  (Applause.)
 
I want to spend most of the time in conversation so I’m not going to make a long speech at the front end.  Let me offer just a simple proposition.  I’m not running for reelection.  (Laughter.)  Not just because of the Constitution but also because of my wife.  (Laughter.)  And so I think I can say this not because I’m trying to get votes but simply to state the facts. 
 
There’s almost no economic measure by which we are not better off now than we were when I took office.  (Applause.)  And let me -- just in case folks are wondering, let me just make sure everybody is clear.  When I came into office, Nancy was Speaker and we were facing the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression -- actually, the contraction was larger, we now know, than during the initial stages of the Great Depression. 
 
And because of the incredible resilience of the American people but because we made some smart decisions very early on, tough decisions, what we have now seen is 52 straight months of job growth, 10 million jobs created; unemployment rate is the lowest it has been since September of 2008 -- before I was elected.  This first six months of the year we’ve seen the fastest job growth since 1999.  Manufacturing job growth, highest since the ‘90s.  Deficit, been cut by more than half.  The uninsurance -- the number of uninsured has dropped because of the Affordable Care Act.  Health care inflation is the slowest it’s been in 50 years.  Energy production has gone off the charts.  We are now producing more oil than we import for the first time in a very long time.  Solar power we’ve increased by 10 times; wind power by three times.  We’ve reduced our carbon footprint faster than just about any industrialized country in the world.  Our dropout rate has gone down, Latino dropout rate has been cut by more than half.  College attendance rates are the highest they’ve ever been. 
 
So on measure after measure -- the auto industry comes surging back we passed legislation that firms up the financial system but also makes sure that if companies take excessive bets now, they’re the ones left holding the tab instead of taxpayers.  So by all outward appearances, we are indisputably better off than when I was elected -- in part because we took some really tough decisions early.
 
But what’s also true is, is that people are anxious out there.  Part of it is still feeling traumatized by the crisis and the scale of it, and people seeing their housing values plummet and the stock market taking a hit.  And even though the stock market is at record highs now and housing has recovered, people still feel things are a little more fragile.  And they had to go through a lot of deleveraging, getting rid of excess debt.
 
But a lot of it also just has to do with the fact that as things improve, a basic trend that’s been going on for quite some time continues, which is wages, incomes of ordinary folks not going up even though productivity is going up, corporate profits are going up.  The average person still feels, no matter how hard I work, I don’t feel like I’m getting ahead the way I should and I’m worried about the next generation and whether my child or grandchild is going to have the same opportunities that I have.
 
The good news is we actually know what to do about it.  We know that if we increase the minimum wage, millions of people would benefit.  We know that if we pass equal pay for equal work legislation, that that’s going to help not just women, it’s going to help families because when women succeed, America succeeds.  (Applause.)  We know that we’ve got $2 trillion worth of deferred maintenance to our infrastructure -- we could put people back to work all across the country and those jobs can’t be exported -- rebuilding our roads and our bridges and our ports, our airports.
 
If we implemented a plan that’s been sitting on the shelf for lack of funding but is technically feasible right now to redo our whole air traffic control system, we would reduce the fuel that airlines need by 30 percent which, with corresponding benefits to the environment, those savings could then be passed on to customers -- delays at airports would be drastically reduced. 
 
We know that early childhood education gives you a $7 benefit for every dollar you invest and would also help alleviate the challenges of child care.  I was in Minnesota with a young woman who had written me a letter, just a wonderful woman.  Her husband had lost a job in construction, he’s a carpenter, worked for a railway at drastically reduced pay.  She went back to school even though she had a small child, became an accountant.  Together, they dug themselves out of debt.  She’s doing pretty well now, but she says, you know, I’m paying $2,000 for my two little boys a month in child care costs -- there’s no way we can get ahead.  We could help her.  We could help all these young people. 
 
Yesterday, in Denver, a young person -- a young woman, math major, what you want to see, excelling in school but she’s worried about the kind of debt she is accruing.  There is legislation right now in the Senate and the House that would allow young people to be able to consolidate and refinance their debt, save themselves thousands of dollars.  We know things that would work. 
 
And there’s one reason they’re not happening.  And that is, is that you’ve got a Republican Party right now, particularly House Republicans, whose only agenda seems to be to say no.  They say no to minimum wage, they say no to fair pay, no to extending unemployment benefits and, so far, no to just renewing the Highway Trust Fund so people don’t get laid off of the projects that are already going on.  And, of course, no to immigration reform. 
 
So I enjoyed meeting with Governor Perry.  And, by the way, he had some suggestions that I said I actually agree with -- which is why they’re in the supplemental bill that I just sent to Congress.  (Laughter.)  Why don’t you get the Texas Republican Delegation to pass it.  Because the question is are we interested in political gamesmanship or are we actually trying to solve a problem.  And the problem we have right now is, is that there’s just a lot of political positioning but there’s a big, fat zero when it comes to action on the part of these folks to try to solve the problems that are on the minds of the American people right now.
 
Now, I always say, Democrats are not perfect.  There are times where we’ve got our own ideological blind spots.  There are times where we don’t act as boldly as we should on issues that are important but tough politically.  Everybody in Washington, they have to be reelected and sometimes it takes the public a while to get to places even when it’s the right thing to do.  And so Democrats aren’t perfect.  And, by the way, my favorite President happened to be the first Republican President -- a guy named Abraham Lincoln.  (Laughter.)
 
But right now, at this moment in our history, the reason we’re not making progress is because you’ve got a party on the other side that has become so ideologically rigid, so invested in an economic theory that says if folks at the top do well and there are no regulations on banks or insurance companies or credit card companies or polluters, that somehow everybody does well.  You’ve got a party that is so invested in obstruction than compromise and producing on behalf of the American people that truthfully this is not an issue of “a plague on both your houses.” 
 
Democrats are prepared to act on behalf of middle-class families and their concerns.  We’re prepared to do hard things on behalf of that young woman who needs help on child care and on behalf of that young woman who needs help on her college education.  And we’re willing to do some tough things on behalf of making sure that we have secure borders as well as making sure that we’ve got a smarter system of legal immigration and that we lift people out of the shadows who have lived here, oftentimes, for a very long time.
 
We’re prepared to do tough things.  And we’d love to have a partner on the other side.  But we don’t right now.  And that means that the American people are going to have to call to question, and they’re going to have to say to the other side, you know what, if you guys don’t have a single idea to help us on anything and you can’t compromise on anything, and the only thing you’ve produced during the four years that you’ve been in power is a government shutdown and us coming to the brink of defaulting for the first time in 200 years and affecting the full faith and credit of the American people -- if that’s all you’ve got to offer, well, maybe you need to reflect for a while on why it is that you’re in politics and what public service means.
 
So we’ve got one problem, and the problem is cynicism.  The problem is Democrats congenitally vote at lower rates during midterms because of gerrymandering -- you know something about that here in Texas -- and population distribution.  Even though on every issue we enjoy a majority position, the House Republicans don’t have to respond to that -- they’re responding to their primary tea party voters.  Nothing happens, that makes our folks even more cynical, we’re less likely to vote, and you get this vicious spiral where there’s a lot of cynicism and a lot of unhappiness but nothing changes.
 
And the reason I hope everybody is here today is because we actually can change that, but we can only change it if we feel some urgency about this midterm election.  I want an effective, successful Republican Party.  I want a loyal opposition.  But the only way that the message is sent that you’ve got to do some common-sense things and act based on facts and reason as opposed to politics and ideology is if they have a sense that people are paying attention and that voters vote.  And that’s where the DCCC, it’s got its work cut out for it but it can do it because we’re on the right side of this. 
 
We’ve got to work hard.  You’ve got to work not just -- we don’t have to just work as hard as we did during the presidential election; we’ve got to work harder.  And I know nobody is working harder than Nancy Pelosi.  And I’m working hard.  I need you all to work hard.  And if you do, then we can deliver on behalf of all those folks who write me letters every single day, because they’re good people and they feel hopeful.  But they need a little help and I want to give it to them, and Nancy wants to give it to them, and I know you do, too.
 
Thanks.  Thank you.  (Applause.)
 
END  
7:54 P.M. CDT
 

The President Speaks on the Economy

July 09, 2014 | 31:03 | Public Domain

During a visit to Denver, Colorado, President Obama speaks on the economy.

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Remarks by the President on the Economy, Denver, CO

Cheesman Park
Denver, Colorado 

10:27 A.M. MDT

THE PRESIDENT:  Hello, everybody!  (Applause.)  Hello, Denver!

AUDIENCE:  Hello!

THE PRESIDENT:  Everybody have a seat.  So I think we should just stay here all afternoon and have a picnic.  (Applause.)  This is really nice around here.  Wow!  What a gorgeous day. 

Can everybody please give Alex a big round of applause for that great introduction?  (Applause.)  It is so good to be back in Denver.  It is great to be back in Colorado.  As all of you know, I spent a lot of time here in my last campaign.  I have been itching to get back. 

I got to have dinner last night with Alex and four other Coloradans -- Elizabeth Cooper, Leslie Gresham, Carolyn Reed and her husband David -- at the Wazee Supper Club.  (Applause.)  It was tasty.  That was some good pizza.  (Laughter.)  And then I walked down the block to shoot some pool with Governor Hickenlooper at his old bar, the Wynkoop Brewing Company.  You should not ask him who won.  (Laughter.)  No, no, really, don't ask Governor Hickenlooper who won at pool.  (Laughter.)  And it’s a great time to be in this beautiful park with my friend, Ken Salazar -- (applause) -- who I love and I haven't seen in a while.  There he is right there.  (Applause.)  As well as your Congressman, Ed Perlmutter.  Yay, Ed.  (Applause.) 

So let me tell you why I'm here.  Every day, we get thousands of letters and emails at the White House.  I think it's something like 40,000 a day of some sort of correspondence.  And every night, our Correspondence Office selects 10 letters for me to read.  And I've been doing that since I first came into office.  And it's one of the most important things I do -- it's right there next to my national security briefing and whatever policy issues that we're supposed to be working on -- because it reminds me of why I ran for office. 

And so I have a chance just to hear from people as they tell their stories.  They talk about the hardships that they’re going through; sometimes they talk about a success that they’ve had.  Kids write to me, asking questions about what I'm doing about climate change, or how old is Bo.  (Laughter.)  So people describe to me their fears and their hopes not just for themselves, but also for their children and their grandchildren and for the country.  And sometimes they thank me for taking a position on an issue.  And sometimes they say, how dare you take that position on an issue.  And sometimes people say they’re proud of the work that I've done, and sometimes people call me an idiot -- or worse than an idiot -- which is how I know that I’m getting a good sample.  (Laughter.)   

So Alex wrote to tell me that the day after my State of the Union address, her boss gave her a raise to $10.10 an hour.   Alex actually, last night, confessed she actually didn’t watch my State of the Union address.  (Laughter.)  Which, hey, I understand.  (Laughter.)  When I was her age, I'm sure I missed a whole bunch of State of the Union addresses.  But her boss caught it, and he decided, let me make sure I’m paying my employees a fair wage.

Carolyn, from up in Wellington, wrote to say she and David used an SBA loan from the Recovery Act to open the third of their six Silver Mine Subs shops.  (Applause.)  Oh, you know Silver Mine?  All right.  Everybody is happy about that.  It was a wonderful story because both her and her husband were Teamsters.  See, she worked at UPS, and he worked for Bud.  And they just knew that they wanted to start something of their own.  And she described to us last night what it was like to take the risk to mortgage the house and make a business for herself, and then now to have a hundred employees and to be giving those folks an opportunity.  They’re hiring, by the way -- (laughter) -- in case people are interested.

Leslie, from Parker, wrote to say she’d been teaching preschool for 26 years and was an Early Childhood education -- Educator of the Year, just a wonderful teacher.  But she described the difference she could see in children who had that early exposure to the kind of classroom education that she’s providing.

And Elizabeth, who’s going to be a junior this fall at the University of Northern Colorado, wrote to tell me how hard it is for middle-class families like hers to afford college.  And she shared something I know many of you feel when you wonder what the heck is going on in Washington.  She wrote she feels “not significant enough to be addressed, not poor enough for people to worry about, and not rich enough to be cared about.”  That's what she wrote.

So part of the reason I wanted to have dinner with these folks is because they reminded me of why I ran for office and what I’m supposed to be doing every single day.  And the reason I’m here today is very simple:  I’m here because of Elizabeth, and Alex, and Carolyn, and Leslie.  And I’m here for every American who works their tail off and does everything right and who believes in the American Dream -- (applause) -- and asks for nothing but a chance at a decent life for themselves and their families.  That's why I’m here.  (Applause.)  And to tell all of you that I hear you. 

I mean, sometimes it’s as simple as that -- that I am listening and paying attention, partly because when I listen to Alex or I listen to Carolyn or I listen to any of the folks that I met with, I see myself in them.  Because I remember my first minimum wage job -- at Baskin Robbins, by the way -- (laughter) -- I had to wear a cap and an apron -- and how like a little raise would have really helped.  I think about what it was like for me to finance college.  I think about childcare costs when Michelle and I were first starting out with Malia and Sasha.  Your stories are ours.  You’re why I ran.

And so what I want to make sure of is, is that as screwed up sometimes as Washington gets, that everybody here understands that there’s progress to be made, and that there’s somebody out there who’s fighting for them, even if it sometimes feels like the system is rigged against them.

The other thing I want to make sure people understand is, is that we are making progress, as bad as the news looks, if all you were doing was watching cable TV all day long.  Yes, the crisis that hit towards the end of my first campaign hit us all really badly; 2007, 2008, that was rough.  But today, our businesses have added nearly 10 million new jobs over the past 52 months.  (Applause.)  Construction and housing are rebounding.  Our auto industry is booming.  Manufacturing is adding jobs for the first time since the ‘90s.  The unemployment rate has fallen to its lowest point since September of 2008 -- the fastest one-year drop in nearly 30 years.  (Applause.) 

And, look, most of this is attributable to you, the American people -- starting businesses, and paying down debt, and tightening belts, and doing all kinds of stuff just to make sure that you kept on and were able to look after your families.  But the decisions we made early on not only stopped the slide, but also built a new foundation for our economy, and they’re paying off now.

We’re more energy independent.  We’ve tripled the electricity we generate from the wind, ten times from the sun, creating jobs across the country -- (applause) -- while producing more oil at home than we buy abroad for the first time in nearly 20 years.  Our energy sector is booming.  (Applause.)  And, by the way, we’re doing that while reducing our carbon emissions more than any other country over the last five years.  So we’re making progress on climate change as well.  (Applause.) 

In education -- our high school graduation rate is at a record high.  (Applause.)  The Latino dropout rate has dropped in half.  More young people are graduating from college than ever before.  (Applause.)  We’ve made our tax code fairer.  We cut our deficits by more than half.  We’ve given millions more Americans the security of health care that means you won’t go broke just because you get sick.  (Applause.) 

So thanks to the hard work of you -- and some actually pretty smart policies by us -- (laughter) -- we have come farther and recovered faster than almost any other advanced nation on Earth.  More companies are choosing to bring back jobs from overseas.  Thanks to our leadership in technology and innovation, for the first time in more than a decade, business leaders around the world have declared China is not number one when it comes to the place to invest, the United States is.  And our lead is growing.  (Applause.) 

So despite what you may hear, there is no doubt we are making progress.  By almost every measure, we are better off than when I took office -- by almost every measure.  (Applause.)  But here’s the thing -- and this is why I’ve got to get out more and have lunch with -- and pizza with my friends -- because the fact is, we know we’ve still got a long way to go. 

Here’s the challenge:  We’ve created more jobs at this point of the year than any year since 1999.  More jobs have been created in the first half of this year than we have since the ‘90s.  But many families barely earn what they did in the ‘90s.  Corporate profits are higher than ever.  CEOs make more than ever.  But most people are working harder than ever just to get by.  Wages, incomes have flat-lined.  They have not gone up. 

So as a whole, the country is doing better, but too much improvement goes to the folks at the top and not enough of it is making a difference in the lives of ordinary Americans.  (Applause.)  And that’s what we should be spending all our time talking about, how do we reverse some of those trends.  That’s what I came to Denver to talk about, that issue -- how do we make sure if you work hard, do the right thing you can get ahead.  Washington may chase whatever political story they think will get attention, but to me the only story that matters is your story.  And I am here to say that this country does not succeed when just a few at the top do well and everybody else is treading water.  America does better when the middle class does better, when folks who work hard can afford to buy what they make and provide for our families and leave something better for our kids.  (Applause.)   

So this is what I’m spending time on.  This is what I’m fighting for.  This is my opportunity agenda.  I’m focused on how do we create good jobs that pay good wages -- jobs in American manufacturing and construction, in American energy and innovation. 

I’m fighting for an opportunity agenda that trains more workers with the skills to fill those jobs at community colleges and in apprenticeships and internships that give young people a solid start. 

We’re fighting for an opportunity agenda that guarantees every child a world-class education, from high-quality pre-K, to a redesigned high school, to colleges and a rewarding career that’s affordable and you’re not loaded up with debt.  (Applause.)

We’re fighting to make sure your hard work pays off with higher wages that you can live on and savings you can retire on -- workplace flexibility, so if your kids get sick or you’ve got an ailing parent you’re not looking at losing your job; overtime pay that you’ve earned; affordable health care that’s there when you get sick and you need it most.

We’re fighting for the idea that everybody gets opportunity -- no matter what you look like, or where you come from, or who you love, or how you grew up, or what your last name is.  America is a place where you should be able to make it if you try.  (Applause.)  

And the good news is we actually know how to do some of these things.  If we make just some modest changes -- we don’t need revolutionary changes.  If we made some modest changes, made some sensible decisions we’d create more jobs, we’d lift more income, we’d strengthen the middle class.  We wouldn’t solve every problem overnight, but we’d be making more progress even than we’re already making.  That’s what we should be doing.  And of course, that’s what drives you nuts about Washington, because that’s not what it’s doing.  (Laughter.)

After everything we’ve been through together, you’d think that these challenges would absorb the attention of folks in Washington.  But these days, basic common-sense ideas cannot get through Congress.  Basic stuff -- stuff that used to be uncontroversial.  It used to be that Republicans, Democrats, everybody said, you know what, America, it’s a good thing when we build roads and bridges and a smart grid to transmit energy -- all those things are good for business, they’re good for workers, it helps -- now they can’t seem to pass a bill, just to fund basic projects that we know are good for our economy.

We have evidence that early childhood education, every dollar we spend there, you get seven bucks back -- (applause) -- because kids to better in school, they don’t drop out, they’re less likely to get in trouble.  They’re less likely to go to jail.  They’re more likely to be taxpayers later on.  But you look at Congress -- they can’t do it. 

Think about it.  So far this year, Republicans in Congress have blocked or voted down every serious idea to strengthen the middle class.  They’ve said no to raising the minimum wage.  They said no to fair pay legislation so that women are getting paid the same as men for doing the same work.  They said no to unemployment insurance for Americans who are out there looking for a new job.  I know, because I get letters from them every day -- folks who have worked all their lives, paid taxes all their lives.  And now, right when they’re having a tough time because of an unprecedented recession that we just went through, and they need a little help so they don’t lose their house or they don’t lose their car, suddenly Congress can’t do it. 

Congress just said no to fixing our broken immigration system in a way that strengthens our borders and our businesses -- despite the fact that everybody from law enforcement to corporations to evangelicals -- there’s a coalition around immigration reform that’s unprecedented.  These guys still can’t get their act together.

Rather than invest in education that lets working families get ahead, they voted to give another massive tax cut to the wealthiest Americans.  Rather than invest in roads and bridges to create construction jobs and help our businesses succeed, they’ve chosen to preserve and protect tax loopholes for companies that shift their profits overseas that don’t do anybody any good. 

Republicans in Congress right now have shown over and over they’ll do anything to rig the system for those at the top or to try to score political points on me, even if the obstruction keeps the system rigged against the middle class.  The best thing you can say for them this year is they haven’t yet shut down the government or threatened to go deadbeat on America’s obligations.  But it is still early, so -- (applause.)

Now, I always have to say this:  I don’t think that they’re all terrible people.  I think they love their families.  They love the country.  They’ve got a different economic theory.  Maybe they don’t know what ordinary folks are going through.  But maybe it’s not that they don’t get it.  Maybe it’s just because the theory they have is, is that if the economy is doing good for folks at the very top, then it’s going to help everybody else -- despite the fact that we have evidence over and over again that those theories have failed the middle class.

More tax breaks to those at the top.  Fewer investments in things like education.  Looser rules for big banks, or credit card companies, or polluters, or insurers -- they believe all that stuff really makes the economy hum and prosperity trickles down.

Just because they believe it doesn’t mean the rest of us believe it -- because we know from our history it doesn't work.  Our economy grows best from the middle out, when everybody has a shot, everybody is doing well.   (Applause.)  And with a slight change of priorities, we could do it.  We could help a lot more Americans get ahead.  And folks at the top will do well too.  (Applause.)  Everybody will do better.  (Applause.)

And, by the way, Republicans used to understand this.  This is not like a crazy Democratic, socialist idea.  (Laughter.)  My favorite President is a Republican:  Abraham Lincoln, who helped build a Transcontinental Railroad and invested in the Homestead Act that helped people get land; and invested in our first major federal scientific research; understood that you make these common investments -- land-lease colleges -- or land-grant colleges, that all these things would end up giving people tools to improve themselves and thereby improve the country.  And we couldn’t all do it alone.  We had to do it with each other.

This wasn’t just a Democratic idea.  Eisenhower built the Interstate Highway System.  Teddy Roosevelt started our national parks.  These are basic ideas that made America work.  They're not partisan.  So I’m going to keep on working with Republicans and Democrats to try to get things moving over there.

In the meantime, I’m not going to stand by while partisan gridlock or political games threaten the hard work of millions of Americans.  (Applause.)  So wherever and whenever I can go ahead and help families like yours, I’ve got the legal authority to do it, I’m going to do it.  (Applause.)  I’m not going to wait.  Not going to wait.  (Applause.)

That’s why I’ve taken a bunch of actions this year just to help working Americans while still reaching out to Congress.  What I’ve said to them is, if you’re not acting, I’m going to go ahead and do what I can.

So if Congress won’t act to make sure women have the ability to get equal pay for equal work, I made sure that women had the protections they need to fight for fair pay in the workplace.  (Applause.)  I think when women succeed, America succeeds.  We’re going to keep on investing in that.  (Applause.)
If Congress won’t act to create jobs in construction or manufacturing, we're going to go ahead and speed up permits for big projects that are already funded, and launch new hubs to attract more high-tech manufacturing jobs -- because I want to make sure the next revolution in manufacturing and technology is an American revolution, right here in the United States.  I don't want it going to France or Germany or China.  I want it to happen here.  (Applause.) 
  
If Congress won’t act to help more young people manage their student loan debt -- and Republicans voted against a bill that would have allowed young people to refinance at lower rates -- I went ahead and gave nearly 5 million Americans the opportunity to cap their student loan payments at 10 percent of their income.  (Applause.)  I don’t want them saddled with debt before they start out in life.  I want to make sure that they’re able to pursue a career in teaching or social work, or work in a non-for- profit, and they can still afford it.  (Applause.) 

Republicans so far refuse to raise workers’ wages.  I did what I could -- it turns out I'm a pretty big employer.  (Laughter.)  So I said any federal worker -- anybody who works for federal contractors, they’re going to have to pay their employees a fair wage of at least $10.10 an hour.  (Applause.)   And I asked business owners and governors and mayors and state legislators to do what they could on their own.  (Applause.) 

And, by at way, since I first asked Congress to raise the minimum wage, 13 states have gone ahead and raised theirs -- and those states have seen higher job growth than the states that haven’t raised their minimum wage.  (Applause.)  And more and more business owners are choosing to lift wages for workers like Alex.  America needs a raise.  And, by the way, when America needs a raise -- I was telling Carolyn, our sub owner, last night, and she made the simple point, look, I want tax cuts and raises for my workers and for others who don't have a lot because that means they’re going to buy more sandwiches.  I can already afford a sub sandwich.  If you give me a tax cut I'm not going to spend -- I'm not going to buy more sub sandwiches; I can only eat so many.  (Laughter.)  But that's true about the economy generally.  When you give tax breaks and you give raises, you raise the minimum wage, you give a bigger chance to folks who are climbing the ladder, working hard, don't have a lot at the end of the month, that money gets churned back into the economy.  And the whole economy does better, including the businesses.

Now, I gather that some of the Republicans in Congress are mad at me for going ahead and doing things.  (Laughter.)  And I don't know which things they find most offensive, whether it's creating jobs, or easing student loan burdens, or raising wages, but it's really bothering them.  They have a plan to sue me.  They have plans to sue me for taking executive actions that are within my authority -- while they do nothing.

I have a better idea.  They should do something.  (Applause.)  I will work with them.  Rather than engage in political stunts that waste time and taxpayer money, join me.  Let’s do some things together.  Let’s build some roads.  Let’s give America a raise.  Let’s help families with childcare costs. There are all kinds of things we can do.  Don't be mad at me for doing something.  How about teaming up with me.  Let’s all do something.  (Applause.)  Let’s all get America working. 

We are better than this.  Gosh, doesn’t it get you just frustrated?  (Laughter.)  We could do so much more if Republicans in Congress focused less on protecting the folks who’ve got the lobbyists and all that soft money out there.  Stop worrying about the folks who already got -- are doing just fine.  Focus more on stoking opportunity for all people.  Work with me.  That’s the American way.  That’s what makes this country great -- a sense of common purpose and patriotism, an economic patriotism that says we fall and we rise as one nation, as one people.

So we can rally America around an economic patriotism that says, don’t give tax breaks to millionaires and billionaires, let’s give more tax breaks to help working families pay for childcare or college.  (Applause.)  

Let’s rally around a patriotism that says, don’t give tax loopholes to corporations shifting jobs overseas, let’s put people back to work here rebuilding our roads, our bridges, our airports, making sure the next generation of manufacturing is made in America.  That’s patriotism.  (Applause.)  That’s patriotism. 

Don’t stack the deck in favor of those who’ve already succeeded.  We’re stronger when we’re helping everybody succeed, cultivating every talent of every child -- every 4-year-old in America, give them high-quality preschool so they’re safe and taught well while we go to work and redesign our high schools to better prepare our kids for the 21st century.  And tell every American, you know, if your job was stamped “obsolete,” if it was shipped overseas, we’re going to train you for an even better one.

We need an economic patriotism that says it’s a good thing that everybody gets health insurance.  That’s not a bad thing.  (Applause.)  That’s a good thing.  It’s a good thing when women are paid the same as men for doing the same work.  (Applause.)  That’s not un-American.  It’s a good thing when parents have some flexibility when their kids are sick.  It will make the employees more loyal; they’re more productive.  It’s a good thing when nobody who works full-time is living in poverty.  That’s not un-American.  (Applause.)  That’s not radical.  It’s right.  It’s what built this country.

I know that sometimes it must be frustrating watching what’s going on.  I guarantee I get frustrated.  There are some things that I have to mutter under my breath sometimes.  (Laughter.)  And the hardest thing to change in politics is a stubborn status quo.  And it’s harder when Washington seems distracted by everything except the things you care about.  And there’s a cottage industry in Washington that counts on you just being cynical about stuff, so that you don’t vote, you don’t get involved, you get discouraged, you say a plague on both your houses.  But you can’t give into that cynicism.  Do not let them win by you being cynical, because despite everything that’s happened, despite all the obstruction, America is making progress.  (Applause.) 

We’re better off now than we were five years ago.  We’re going to be better off five years from now than we are right now.  Despite the unyielding opposition of a few, there are workers who have jobs who didn’t have them before.  There are families who have health insurance who didn’t have it before.  There are students who can afford to go to college who couldn’t afford to go before.  There are troops who are home with their families after serving tour after tour of war.  (Applause.)  Don’t get cynical.  (Applause.)  Don’t do it. 

Cynicism is a popular choice these days.  It’s what passes off for wisdom.  (Laughter.)  But cynicism isn’t wise.  And remember that it is a choice.  Cynicism is a choice, and hope is a better choice.  And it’s a choice that I make every time I sit down with these incredible people that I had dinner with last night.  They make me hopeful.

It’s the hope that Alex has when she sits down and she picks up a pen and she writes to the President hoping that the system still works; hoping maybe the letter gets there; hoping that I’ll listen; hoping that even when Washington seems tone deaf, your voice might reach a President, your voice might reach a crowd in a park, your voice might move fellow citizens to change what needs changing. 

Every day I receive these thousands of acts of hope from you.  I’m listening.  It’s why I ran for office.  It’s why I’m fighting for you.  I will keep treating your cares and concerns as my own.  I will keep trying to restore the American Dream for everybody who is willing to work for it.

Thank you, Denver.  God bless you.  God bless America.  (Applause.)

END
10:57 A.M. MDT

Close Transcript

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
July 09, 2014

Statement by the President on Immigration

Dallas Love Field
Dallas, Texas

6:00 P.M. CDT

THE PRESIDENT:  Hello, everybody.  I just had a good meeting with Governor Perry, local officials, and faith leaders to talk about the steps that we have taken and that we need to take to address the humanitarian situation on the border.  And I want to thank everybody who’s been involved for taking the time to talk to me.

It’s important to recognize two things.  First, the surge of unaccompanied children, and adults with children, are arriving at one sector of the border, and that's the Rio Grande Valley.  Second, the issue is not that people are evading our enforcement officials.  The issue is that we’re apprehending them in large numbers.  And we’re working to make sure that we have sufficient facilities to detain, house, and process them appropriately, while attending to unaccompanied children with the care and compassion that they deserve while they’re in our custody.

While we intend to do the right thing by these children, their parents need to know that this is an incredibly dangerous situation and it is unlikely that their children will be able to stay.  And I’ve asked parents across Central America not to put their children in harm’s way in this fashion.

Right now, there are more Border Patrol agents and surveillance resources on the ground than at any time in our history.  And we deport almost 400,000 migrants each year.  But as soon as it became clear that this year’s migration to the border was different than in past years, I directed FEMA to coordinate our response at the border.  Members of my Cabinet and my staff have made multiple trips to facilities there.  And we’re also addressing the root of the problem.  I sent Vice President Biden and Secretary Kerry and Secretary Johnson to meet with Central American leaders, as well as working with our international partners to go after smugglers who are putting their kids’ lives at risk. 

And earlier this week, Mexico announced a series of steps that they’re going to take on their southern border to help stem the tide of these unaccompanied children.

Last week, I sent a letter to Congress asking them to increase penalties on smugglers and to give us flexibility to move migrants through the system faster.

Yesterday, I asked Congress to fund these efforts.  About half of the resources would go to border security, enforcement, and expedited removal of people who don’t qualify for a humanitarian claim.  About half would go to make sure we’re treating children humanely.  We’d also make investments to further tackle the root problems in Central America.

So right now, Congress has the capacity to work with us, work with state officials, local officials, and faith-based groups and non-for-profits who are helping to care for these kids -- Congress has the capacity to work with all parties concerned to directly address the situation.  They’ve said they want to see a solution.  The supplemental offers them the capacity to vote immediately to get it done.

Of course, in the long run, the best way to truly address this problem is for the House of Representatives to pass legislation fixing our broken immigration system, which, by the way, would include funding for additional thousands of Border Patrol agents -- something that everybody down here that I've talked to indicates is a priority. 

The Senate passed a common-sense, bipartisan bill more than a year ago.  It would have strengthened the border, added an additional 20,000 Border Patrol agents.  It would have strengthened our backlogged immigration courts.  It would have put us in a stronger position to deal with this surge and, in fact, prevent it.

So let me just close by indicating the nature of the conversation that I had with Governor Perry, which I thought was constructive.  Governor Perry suggested four specific areas of concern.  He was concerned about how many patrol agents were directly at the border.  He was concerned that some of the positioning of Border Patrol agents is too far from the border to be effective in deterring folks from coming in as opposed to simply apprehending them.  I indicated to him that what he said sounded like it made sense and that, in fact, if we pass the supplemental we would then have the resources to carry out some of the very things that he’s requesting. 

On a broader policy level, he indicated concern that right now kids who come to the border from Mexico are immediately deported, but because it's non-contiguous, folks who are coming from Central America have to go through a much lengthier process. I indicated to him that part of what we're looking in the supplemental is some flexibility in terms of being able to preserve the due process rights of individuals who come in, but also to make sure that we’re sending a strong signal that they can’t simply show up at the border and automatically assume that they’re going to be absorbed.

He also expressed concerns about how the immigration judicial system works, how the administrative processing works, how long it takes and the fact that oftentimes people appear, are then essentially released with a court date that might be six months out or nine months, and a sizable number, not surprisingly, don’t show up. 

I indicated to him that if we had more administrative judges, more administrative capacity, we can shrink those wait times.  This administrative practice predates my administration and, in fact, has been going on for quite some time, and a lot of it has to do with the fact that there’s not enough capacity, both in terms of detention facilities, but also in terms of judges, attorneys, space in order to process these things more quickly and expeditiously.

So the bottom line is, actually, that there’s nothing that the Governor indicated he’d like to see that I have a philosophical objection to.  I’ve asked Jeh Johnson to contact his head of Health and Human Services when he comes down for the sixth time at the end of this week to coordinate and make sure that some of the suggestions that the Governor has are technically feasible and what kind of resources might be needed. But what I emphasized to the Governor was the problem here is not a major disagreement around the actions that could be helpful in dealing with the problem.  The challenge is, is Congress prepared to act to put the resources in place to get this done.

Another way of putting it -- and I said this directly to the Governor -- is are folks more interested in politics, or are they more interested in solving the problem?  If they’re interested in solving the problem, then this can be solved.  If the preference is for politics, then it won’t be solved. 

And I urged the Governor to talk to the Texas delegation, which is obviously at the heart of the Republican caucus both in the House and has great influence in the caucus in the Senate.  If the Texas delegation is in favor of this supplemental -- which, by the way, does not include some things that I know many of them object to around dealing with undocumented workers who have been in this country for quite some time -- this is just a very narrow issue, this supplemental, in terms of dealing with the particular problem we have right now -- if the Texas delegation is prepared to move, this thing can get done next week.  And we can have more Border Patrol agents on the border, as the Governor has requested; we can shorten the timetables for processing these children or adults with children, as the Governor thinks is important; we can make sure that some of the public health issues that were raised in the meeting that I just had are addressed so that we’ve got enough folks vaccinating and checking on the health status of these children to make sure that not only are they safe, but also our communities are safe. 

The things that the Governor thinks are important to do would be a lot easier to do if we had this supplemental.  It gives us the resources to do them.  And so, the only question at this point is why wouldn’t the Texas delegation or any of the other Republicans who are concerned about this not want to put this on a fast track and get this on my desk so I can sign it and we can start getting to work? 

I suggested to the Governor he has, I suspect, some influence over the Texas delegation, and that might be helpful to call on them to pass this supplemental right away.

The final point I’ll make is I just want to thank some of the faith-based groups that I just met with, as well as mayors, commissioners, local officials.  Dallas has been incredibly compassionate in looking at some sights, some facilities in which they can accommodate some of these children.  And I indicated in hearing the stories of churches that are prepared to not just make donations but send volunteers to help construct some of these facilities or fix them up, and their willingness to volunteer in providing care and assistance to these children -- I told them thank you, because it confirmed what I think we all know, which is the American people are an incredibly compassionate people and when we see a child in need we want to care for them. 

But what I think we all agreed on is, is that the best thing that we can do is to make sure that the children are able to live in their own countries safely.  And that’s why it’s going to be important, even as we solve the short-term problem here, for us to be able to direct attention and resources and assistance -- as we’re doing, but not at a sustained and high enough level -- back in Honduras and Guatemala and El Salvador and other places, so that parents don’t think that somehow it’s safer for their children to send them thousands of miles just so that they don’t get harmed. 

With that, I’ll take a couple of questions.  Yes, go ahead.

Q    There are increasing calls not just from Republicans, but also from some Democrats for you to visit the border during this trip.  Can you explain why you didn’t do that?  And do you see any legitimate reason for you to actually do that at some point, or do you think those calls are more about politics than anything else?

THE PRESIDENT:  Jeh Johnson has now visited, at my direction, the border five times.  He’s going for a sixth this week.  He then comes back and reports to me extensively on everything that's taking place.  So there’s nothing that is taking place down there that I am not intimately aware of and briefed on.

This isn’t theater.  This is a problem.  I’m not interested in photo ops; I’m interested in solving a problem.  And those who say I should visit the border, when you ask them what should we be doing, they're giving us suggestions that are embodied in legislation that I’ve already sent to Congress.  So it’s not as if they're making suggestions that we’re not listening to.  In fact, the suggestions of those who work at the border, who visited the border, are incorporated in legislation that we’re already prepared to sign the minute it hits my desk.

There’s a very simple question here, and that is Congress just needs to pass the supplemental.  There is a larger issue that I recognize involves a lot of politics, which is why aren’t we passing comprehensive immigration reform, which would put an additional 20,000 Border Patrol agents and give us a lot of additional authorities to deal with some of these problems.  That should have been done a year ago; should have been done two years ago.  It’s gotten caught up in politics.  And I understand that.

One of the suggestions I had for Governor Perry was that it would be useful for my Republican friends to rediscover the concept of negotiation and compromise.  The Governor’s one concern that he mentioned to me was, is that setting aside the supplemental, I should go ahead and authorize having National Guard troops surge at the border right away.  And what I told him is we’re happy to consider how we could deploy National Guard down there, but that's a temporary solution, that's not a permanent solution.  And so why wouldn’t we go ahead and pass the permanent solution, or at least a longer-term solution?  And if the Texas delegation said, for us to pass the supplemental we want to include a commitment that you’re going to send some National Guard early, we’d be happy to consider it. 

So this should not be hard to at least get the supplemental done.  The question is are we more interested in politics, or are we more interested in solving the problem?  If we’re interested in solving the problem, then there’s actually some broad consensus around a number of the issues.  There may be some controversies and differences between Democrats and Republicans on some of the policy issues, but on a whole bunch of this stuff, there’s some pretty broad consensus.  Let’s just get that done.  Let’s do the work.

Q    Mr. President, did the Governor give any indication that he would ask the Texas delegation to get behind the supplemental?  And it sounds like you are concerned that this supplemental will fall victim to partisan politics.

THE PRESIDENT:  Well, I think it’s fair to say that these days in Washington, everybody is always concerned about everything falling victim to partisan politics.  If I sponsored a bill declaring apple pie American, it might fall victim to partisan politics.  I get that. 

On the other hand, this is an issue in which my Republican friends have said it’s urgent and we need to fix it.  And if that's the case, then let’s go ahead and fix it. 

As I indicated to Governor Perry -- he suggested, well, maybe you just need to go ahead and act, and that might convince Republicans that they should go ahead and pass the supplemental. And I had to remind him I’m getting sued right now by Mr. Boehner, apparently, for going ahead and acting instead of going through Congress.  Well, here’s a good test case.

This is something you say is important, as I do.  This is an area that you have prioritized, as I have.  Don't wait for me to take executive actions when you have the capacity right now to go ahead and get something done.  I will sign that bill tomorrow.  We’re going to go ahead and do what we can administratively, but this gives us the tools to do many of the very things that Republicans are seeking.

At the same time, I will just repeat that if we got a comprehensive bill done, it doesn't just solve this problem for a year; it solves it potentially for 20 years.  And I would urge those who so far at least have failed to act on the comprehensive bill to take another look at it.

Q    It didn't sound like he made any promises, though.

THE PRESIDENT:  I didn't get any promises, but it was a constructive conversation.  And I just want to emphasize that I think that it was a good exchange of ideas.  And he did have some specific suggestions in terms of how we align border agents that I’ve asked Jeh Johnson to take a look at, because I think there may be ways in which we can use the resources that we already have more effectively than we’re currently doing.  And I think it is important that we make sure we’ve got a strong federal-state collaboration on the issue.

I’m going to take just two more questions, then I got to go. Go head.

Q    Mr. President, Governor Perry put out a statement shortly before you spoke, saying that he “pressed” -- his verb -- for you to secure the border. 

THE PRESIDENT:  Yes.

Q    Does that statement in any way indicate that he’s interested in compromise?

THE PRESIDENT:  I’m interested in securing the border.  So as I explained, as far as I could tell, the only disagreement I had with Governor Perry was, is that he wanted me to go ahead and do it without Congress having to do anything. 

We’ll do what we can administratively.  I think the useful question not simply for the Governor, but for John Boehner and Mitch McConnell, and the other members of the Texas delegation is why wouldn’t you go ahead and pass a bill to give us additional resources to solve the very problem that you say is urgent?

Jackie.

Q    Mr. President, there’s been a number of Republicans who have said that DACA, the deferred action executive order from 2012 that you signed, is to blame, that it was an invitation -- 

THE PRESIDENT:  Right.

Q    -- that other children are now taking up on.  What do you say to that?

THE PRESIDENT:  If you look at the pattern of immigration into our country, we are at actually a significantly lower level in terms of overall immigration flow -- illegal immigration flow than we were when I took office. 

I think that the challenge we have that has really caused a spike is the significant security challenges in these Central American countries themselves and the fact that you’ve got smugglers who are increasingly recognizing that they can make money by transporting these folks, often in very dangerous circumstances, to the border, and taking advantage of the compassion of the American people -- recognizing that we’re not going to simply leave abandoned children who are left at our doorstep, but that we’ve got to care for them and provide them some basic safety and security while we determine where we can send them.

But I think one of the most important things that we’re going to have to recognize -- this is not going to be a short-term problem.  This is a long-term problem.  We have countries that are pretty close to us in which the life chances of children are just far, far worse than they are here.  And parents who are frightened or are misinformed about what’s possible are willing to take extraordinary risks on behalf of their kids.  The more that we can do to help these countries get their acts together, then the less likely we are to have a problem at the borders.

And the fact of the matter is, is that DACA and comprehensive immigration reform generally would allow us to reallocate resources precisely because all the budget of DHS -- instead of us chasing after families that may have been living here for five or 10 years and have kids who are U.S. citizens and are law-abiding, save for the fact that they didn't come here legally -- if they have to earn citizenship, paying taxes, learning English, paying a fine, going to the back of the line, but they are no longer a enforcement priority, that suddenly frees up a huge amount of resources to do exactly the kinds of things that many Republicans have been calling for us to do and that we’ve tried to within the resource limitations that we have.

All right?  Thank you, everybody.  Appreciate it.

END  
6:24 P.M. CDT

President Obama Speaks on the Economy in Denver

David Hudson
David Hudson
July 09, 2014
07:30 PM EDT

Watch on YouTube

On a beautiful Wednesday afternoon in Denver's Cheesman Park, President Obama delivered remarks about the economy, the progress that his Administration has made, and how Republican obstructionism is making it more difficult for Americans achieve their full potential.

The President opened his remarks poking fun at Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper over their pool game from last night at the Wynkoop Brewing Company.

"You should not ask him who won," the President joked. "No, no, really, don't ask Governor Hickenlooper who won at pool."

The President then quickly got down to business, telling the audience exactly what he was there to talk about:

Every day, we get thousands of letters and emails at the White House. I think it's something like 40,000 a day of some sort of correspondence. And every night, our Correspondence Office selects 10 letters for me to read. And I've been doing that since I first came into office. And it's one of the most important things I do -- it's right there next to my national security briefing and whatever policy issues that we're supposed to be working on -- because it reminds me of why I ran for office.

Related Topics: Jobs, Economy, Colorado

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
July 09, 2014

Statement by the President on the Passage of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act of 2014

I applaud the overwhelming majority of lawmakers from both parties who came together on behalf of America’s workers to pass the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act of 2014. This bipartisan compromise will help workers, including workers with disabilities, access employment, education, job-driven training, and support services that give them the chance to advance their careers and secure the good jobs of the future. Today’s vote helps ensure that our workers can earn the skills employers are looking for right now and that American businesses have the talent pool it takes to compete and win in our global economy.  I look forward to signing it into law and hope Congress will continue to come together to make progress for America’s working families.

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
July 09, 2014

Gaggle by Press Secretary Josh Earnest en route Dallas, TX, 07/09/14

Aboard Air Force One
En Route Dallas, Texas 

2:10 P.M. MDT

MR. EARNEST:  Good afternoon, everybody.  I just wanted to note a couple of things before I get to your questions. 

In advance of the President’s meeting with state and local officials in Dallas to discuss the urgent humanitarian situation on the southwest border, I wanted to highlight three recent developments for you.  The first is that Deputy Attorney General Jim Cole is on the southwest border today, specifically in McAllen, Texas, to tour the Customs and Border Patrol facility that is literally on the front lines of this situation.  He'll also be discussing today’s announcement from the Department of Justice that they are, at the President’s direction, shifting additional resources from the interior of the country to the border.  These resources will be refocused on prioritizing the cases of recent migrants that DHS has placed in removal proceedings.  Making this process more efficient is an important part of solving this problem, so we're asking Congress for additional resources to do more of the same.

Importantly, the Department of Justice is also adding resources and assets that can be deployed to investigate and disrupt criminal networks that are trafficking people to the border.

Second, I want to give credit where it is due to the government of Mexico that earlier this week announced five new border control centers along its southern border with Guatemala. This will allow the Mexicans to ramp up their effort to tighten security and more effectively monitor border activity.  This announcement is the result of a longstanding effort on their part to improve their border security and to crack down on human trafficking and other criminal networks.  We've been working with the Mexicans on this issue and will continue to support their efforts moving forward.

Third, and finally, the Vice President today, following up on his June 20th meeting to Central America, telephoned Guatemalan President Otto Perez Molina, Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez, and Salvadoran President Salvador Sanchez Ceren.  This is part of our ongoing collaboration to stem the flow of illegal migration at the source.

So as you can see, this administration, at the specific direction of the President, is moving forward with a sense of urgency on multiple fronts to address the situation at the border.  We're calling on Congress to act with a similar sense of urgency to make sure we have the additional resources to ramp up these efforts.

So, with that, I'll get to your questions.

Q    -- give us a little more detail on what the President is planning to do in Dallas as it relates to immigration, who is going to be in this meeting, and whether we should plan to hear from him after the meeting?

MR. EARNEST:  Yes, let me give you a sense of what our tick-tock is looking like here.  At this point, we anticipate that Governor Perry will meet the President at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport when we land there in a couple of hours.  From there, the President and Governor Perry will board Marine One and they will fly to Dallas Love Field. 

When they arrive at Love Field, there is a building onsite where the President will convene a roundtable meeting with some local elected officials in Dallas, including the county judge and the mayor.  Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson will also participate in that meeting in addition to the Dallas County judge and the mayor of Dallas. 

Q    Is Perry on the chopper with the President?

MR. EARNEST:  Yes.

Q    Okay.  So he is at both meetings, at the airport and over at Love Field?

MR. EARNEST:  Why don’t I start over.  The President will arrive at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport.  When he arrives, the President will be greeted by Governor Perry at the steps of the airplane.  The two men, along with some members of the President’s staff, will board Marine One and they’ll helicopter over to Dallas Love Field.  It’s about a 15-minute ride.  I anticipate that the President and the Governor will have the opportunity to visit while they’re onboard the helicopter.

Q    -- one-on-one meeting on the helicopter?

MR. EARNEST:  I do anticipate they’ll have a chance to have a conversation there, yes. 

Q    Is that a separate one-on-one meeting --

MR. EARNEST:  If there’s a need after they arrive at Dallas Love Field for them to continue their conversation, then we'll give them the opportunity to do that before they start the roundtable discussion.

Q    What does he want to hear from Governor Perry?

MR. EARNEST:  Why don't I finish the tick-tock, and then I'll get into that.

So then the President will convene this roundtable meeting
-- it's something that's been in the works for a couple of days. So there will be a range of local elected officials -- the Dallas mayor, the Dallas County judge; Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson will also attend.  We’ll get you a full list of the participants of the meeting when we arrive.

In addition, there are some faith leaders from the Dallas area that have been active in mobilizing some resources to meet some of the humanitarian need of those who’ve been apprehended along the southwest border.  So this is an opportunity to sort of bring people together who’ve been actively engaged in trying to address this problem at the local level. 

At the conclusion of that meeting -- and I should say that as I’ve discussed with some of you, we’ll have a photojournalist spray at this roundtable meeting.  So there won’t be any statements from any of the participants, but there will be an opportunity for photographers and at least a television cameraman from the network pool to lay eyes on the meeting briefly at the top.  Just cameras. 

At the conclusion of the meeting, we’ll move to the lobby of the building where a podium will be set up and you’ll have an opportunity to hear from the President directly about what he heard in meeting.  And that’s what we’re looking at.

Q    He'll speak to us, or do we get to ask questions?

Q    What does he want to hear from Governor Perry?

MR. EARNEST:  Well, I think what you -- the fact that the President invited Governor Perry to participate in this meeting is an indication of this President’s determination to put aside partisan politics and focus on solutions.  I mean, after all, Governor Perry is a Republican; Governor Perry ran for President with the aspiration to take on the President in the 2012 election, so they disagree on many issues.  But if there is an opportunity for us to set aside partisan labels and focus on solutions, then that’s what the President is going to do. 

The focus here is going to be on what common ground can we find to address this difficult challenge.  So that’s why he’s going to be meeting with local elected officials, with some faith leaders.  The other thing that I would note is I read the comments today of the Republican Attorney General of the state of Texas, who -- and I’m paraphrasing here, but I think I’m being faithful to his intent -- who said that the resources that the President has requested in the supplemental appropriations request is exactly what Texas needs. 

So there should be an opportunity for Congress to act with some dispatch to make progress on that supplemental appropriations request.  It would be a real shame if that priority request were to get bogged down in ideological amendments that are completely unrelated to the situation at the southwest border.

We need Congress to do something that they don't often do, which is to act quickly to meet this urgent need.  After all, if they take these steps, they would be acting in what the President believes is the best interest of the country, and what the Republican Attorney General of Texas believes would be in the best interest of the Lone Star State.

Q    -- distinguish between the kind of enforcement resources that you’re asking for and the kind of enforcement resources that Governor Perry has talked about, which I think are sort of more traditional Border Patrol officers, which Jeh Johnson and others have said that's not really what’s needed because the kids are turning themselves in to the first officer they see -- is there a difference between the kind of enforcement you’re talking about and the kind of enforcement that the Secretary has said isn’t really what’s needed?

MR. EARNEST:  I’m not intimately familiar with the details of the kinds of resources that Governor Perry suggests should be added to the border.  Let me just start by reminding everybody that the compromise immigration proposal that passed the Senate includes an historic investment in resources to continue to secure our border.  So it’s important for us to start from the baseline that right now Republicans are blocking what would be an historic investment in the border.

Now, separately from that, there are some resources included in our supplemental appropriations request that I think are the kinds of things that Governor Perry believes would be a good idea.  There are some additional surveillance resources that we deploy to the border.  I think that this is something that Governor Perry has talked about in the past.  That's included in our supplemental appropriations request.

So I can get you some more details about our request in the fact sheet.  And you can sort of see for yourself whether or not -- how that aligns with Governor Perry’s recommendations.

That said, the problem that we -- that is most acute right now as it relates to this spike that we’ve seen from Central America is less about the number of Border Patrol officers and more about the kinds of immigration judges and ICE prosecutors and others who can process the cases of those who have been referred by those CBP officers to DHS for removal proceedings.  That's where the backlog exists.

And we've, again, devoted some additional resources, including from the Department of Justice, to try to address that backlog.  We’re going to prioritize the cases of those who’ve recently been apprehended at the border to try to whittle this down.  But a large percentage of the resources that we're requesting in this supplemental appropriations request would allow us to hire additional judges, hire additional asylum officials, and hire additional prosecutors to more efficiently and effectively process those who have been apprehended along the southwest border.

Q    There’s been a lot of talk about his not visiting the border today.  A number of Democrats today saying -- Joaquin Castro, one of them; Henry Cuellar -- saying they wished the President would visit at some point.  Maybe it didn’t fit in this schedule on this trip.  Are you guys considering that?  And why not, given that this is a humanitarian crisis and the other humanitarian tragedies, human crises he’s visited in the past, wouldn’t he go?

MR. EARNEST:  Well, as you know, the President has traveled to the border a couple of times, both as a candidate for President and as President of the United States.  You’d also note that the Secretary of Homeland Security who’s responsible for the border has traveled to the border region four or five times in just in the last couple of weeks.  Senior White House officials have traveled to the border.  The Secretary of HHS has traveled in the last couple of weeks to the border.  And I’d point out, as I mentioned at the top, that the Deputy Attorney General is on the border today, as we speak, touring the CBP station and talking about how additional Department of Justice resources can be deployed to assist the ongoing effort there.

So the President’s team is very focused on what’s going on the southwest border.  They're very interested in continuing to have a detailed understanding of the flow of illegal migration that we’re seeing.  They also are seeking to understand exactly how the federal government response is meeting the need that's evident there. 

So the President is well aware of exactly what’s happening. What the President is most focused on is providing the leadership that's necessary to address this problem quickly and give it the urgent attention that it requires.

Q    -- seeing firsthand in any way for him, or is that something that's still on the table?

MR. EARNEST:  I think the way I would describe it is the President has sufficient visibility to the problems there to understand what kinds of solutions are going to work best, and the kinds of solutions that are going to work best are the same kinds of solutions that are supported by the Republican Attorney General; these are the same kinds of solutions that include -- that are similar to the recommendations that Governor Perry himself has made. 

So what the President is hopeful [for] is that we will find partners in Congress who, like the President, are willing to set aside political party identification and focus on common ground and focus on the kinds of solutions that are in the best interests of the country and what many Republican officials [say] are in the best interests of the state of Texas

Q    There’s been a report out of Germany about a second person there who may have been spying for the U.S.  Can you fill in any details about the U.S. side?  And now that there’s a second report of this, does the President have any plans to discuss this with Angela Merkel?

MR. EARNEST:  Julie, as you’ve heard me say in recent days, I'm not in a position to confirm or deny or even comment on reports related to reported intelligence activities.  It is a longstanding tradition of White House press secretaries when asked about intelligence matters to decline to comment on them.  That's true of my predecessors in this administration; it's also true of my predecessors in previous administrations.  The reason for that is there’s an important principle at stake, which is declining to comment on them publicly allows for the sufficient protection of our national interests, in some cases the intelligence assets, and more generally, American national security.

So I'm not in a position to comment on those specific reports.   I'll repeat what I did say earlier, though, which is that this administration and this country values the important partnership that we have with German national security officials. That working partnership enhances the national security of Germany; it also enhances the national security of the United States of America.

So that relationship continues to be strong and that cooperation is ongoing.  As I mentioned earlier, there are a couple of conversations between German and American diplomats and law enforcement/intel officials to try to appropriately resolve some of the circumstances that you’ve seen in these recent news reports.  But in terms of this case, specifically, I'm not in a position to comment on them.

Q    -- Obama and Merkel at this point?

MR. EARNEST:  I don't have any -- I don't know of any calls with the Chancellor that are on the President’s schedule at this point.

Q    -- situation might affect the relationship between these two leaders who have worked very closely together in recent months?

MR. EARNEST:  Well, as you point out, there is a very strong working relationship, not just between the President and Chancellor Merkel, but between the broader United States government and the German government, on a variety of issues.  Certainly as it relates to the situation in Ukraine, U.S. officials have been in regular touch with their German counterparts as we seek to take coordinated efforts to impose economic costs on the Russian regime for their actions in Ukraine.

There are a whole host of intelligence-sharing and national security relationships that exist between the U.S. national security infrastructure and the German infrastructure.  Those relationships are very strong, they’re sound, and they continue.
And the reason for that is those relationships are critical to American national security and they’re critical to German national security.

And it's also why we'll take the necessary steps to resolve this situation appropriately.

Q    Does it feel like you're getting traction with the supplemental request?  What’s been the reaction so far?

MR. EARNEST:  Well, I think we're reading the reaction the same way that you are.  There have been some conversations between White House officials and officials on Capitol Hill about this.  I think the request the President has put forward is very specific, it's common sense, and as Scott pointed out, I think it overlaps at least a little bit with the suggestions made by knowledgeable leaders in the other party.

So the other thing that we've heard from Democrats and Republicans on Capitol Hill over the last several weeks is widespread acknowledgement that this is a pretty serious problem that needs urgent attention.  The President has already used his executive authority to devote additional resources to this situation and we're hopeful that Congress can play a constructive role in ensuring the administration has all the resources that are necessary to deal with the situation.

Let me just reiterate that it would be a real shame if Republicans were to use or try to capitalize on this urgent situation to add the kind of ideological amendments that have nothing to do with immigration reform or meeting this urgent need along the southwest border that would cause this request to be delayed or even derailed.

Q    Is that happening?

MR. EARNEST:  I think that we're legitimately concerned that that could happen.  It's happened in the past, and like I said, given the seriousness of this situation, it would be a real shame if it happened as it relates to this piece of legislation.

Q    --on the most recent arrivals, is the hope that you get to a point where you could hold a hearing and deport young people before they’re actually released to the custody of family members, that they might just stay in a detention facility throughout that process?

MR. EARNEST:  Well, some of the supplemental appropriations request that we've made has been to open up additional detention facilities.  These are the detention facilities that would be used to house not just unaccompanied minors who arrived at the southwest border, but also adults who have arrived at the border with children.

The other thing that the Department of Justice is considering is implementing a range of alternatives to detention, things like ankle bracelets that would allow law enforcement officials to monitor the whereabouts of these individuals as their claims are processed through the immigration system. 

So there are a wide range of things that we can do to more efficiently and effectively enforce the law.  That, after all, is what this administration is determined to do.  It’s very important to respect the basic due process rights to which these individuals are entitled.  It’s important to meet the basic humanitarian needs of these individuals.  That’s not just in line with the law, it’s also in line with our values as a country. 

But the bottom line is those individuals who were apprehended at the border, if they’ve gone through a due process system that determines they don’t have a legal basis for remaining in this country, they’ll be removed.  And what we are seeking is additional authority that can be exercised by the Secretary of Homeland Security to conduct that removal more efficiently.  And we’re also seeking the necessary resources to process these claims through the immigration system more quickly, so that when it’s determined that an individual doesn’t have a legal basis for remaining here, they’ll be sent home. 

Other questions?

Q    One other thing.  When you hear these comments from like Henry Cuellar, is the President frustrated by that sort of criticism, insisting that he go to the border?  And what -- I mean, what do you say to that?  What motivates -- what do you think is motivating these criticisms?

MR. EARNEST:  Honestly, I don’t know what is motivating the public comments we’ve seen from some members of Congress.  I can certainly tell you what’s motivating this President.  And this President is motivated by the need to find some solutions to this urgent humanitarian situation. 

We’re focused on solving problems.  That’s been a hallmark of this President’s leadership, his willingness to work with Democrats and Republicans who share his interests in addressing some of these urgent matters.  It’s clear that there are consequences for the state of Texas, for example, for not giving the administration and the federal government all the necessary resources to deal with this problem.

So we certainly welcome the comments from the Republican Attorney General, and we’d welcome the support of people like Governor Perry.  As I mentioned I think in a briefing earlier this week, Governor Perry has a reputation for being a pretty persuasive fellow.  And if he wants to use the power of persuasion to encourage House Republicans to support the supplemental appropriations request, that would be welcomed.  After all, Governor Perry considers himself to be a leader of the National Republican Party, and we’d certainly welcome him putting that leadership to work and joining the President in encouraging members of both parties to support the supplemental appropriations request.  The President is going to make that case, both privately and publicly.  And we’d welcome others who are willing to make that case, as well.

Again, this is the kind of situation that I think transcends party politics.  The need to meet the basic humanitarian needs of someone who is seeking to enter this country I think is the kind of thing that transcends party lines.  The need to follow the law and enforce the law and to allow our removal proceedings to operate more efficiently, that's the kind of thing that Democrats and Republicans should be able to agree on.  Ensuring that the federal government has the resources to confront a humanitarian situation that's having a negative impact on communities along the southwest border, that's something that Democrats and Republicans should be concerned about.  And if you listen to their public comments, Democrats and Republicans are concerned about it.

What we need is we need members of Congress to pay more than just lip service to solving these problems.  We need to actually see them take action.  The President has taken a wide range of actions.  We’ve adopted a whole-of-government approach to dealing with this situation, everything from cracking down on human trafficking networks to opening up additional facilities for detaining these individuals.  So the President has certainly been leaning forward in confronting this problem, and we’d like to see Congress take the simple, common-sense steps that are required to making sure that the federal government has the resources it needs to do this job.

Q    Thanks, Josh.

MR. EARNEST:  Okay, thanks, guys. 

END
2:35 P.M. MDT

The President Talks About Immigration Reform

July 09, 2014 | 22:04 | Public Domain

Following a meeting with Texas Gov. Rick Perry and others, President Obama makes a statement on immigration reform in Dallas, Texas.

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The President Discusses the Humanitarian Situation at the Southwest Border

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After meeting with local officials, faith leaders, and Texas Gov. Rick Perry, President Obama delivered a statement yesterday evening on the humanitarian situation at the border.

He first described two of the crucial components of this ongoing crisis. First, the surge of unaccompanied children, and children with adults, is occurring in one concentrated sector at the border -- the Rio Grande Valley. Second, many of these children and their parents are not looking to evade law enforcement; rather, they are being apprehended in large numbers.

In his remarks, the President reiterated the steps that his Administration is taking to ensure that sufficient resources are being provided to this region of the border:

Right now, there are more Border Patrol agents and surveillance resources on the ground than at any time in our history. And we deport almost 400,000 migrants each year. But as soon as it became clear that this year’s migration to the border was different than in past years, I directed FEMA to coordinate our response at the border. Members of my Cabinet and my staff have made multiple trips to facilities there. And we’re also addressing the root of the problem. I sent Vice President Biden and Secretary Kerry and Secretary Johnson to meet with Central American leaders, as well as working with our international partners to go after smugglers who are putting their kids’ lives at risk.

On Tuesday, the President sent a letter to Congress asking them to commit $3.7 billion to "comprehensively address this urgent humanitarian situation."

"About half of the resources would go to border security, enforcement, and expedited removal of people who don’t qualify for a humanitarian claim," the President said. "About half would go to make sure we’re treating children humanely. We’d also make investments to further tackle the root problems in Central America."

President Obama reminded the audience that the Senate passed a bipartisan immigration bill over a year ago that could have prevented this situation:

"It would have put us in a stronger position to deal with this surge and, in fact, prevent it."

The President also addressed his meeting with Governor Perry and other local officials, calling the meeting "constructive" and detailing the governor's ongoing concerns.

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In the meeting, Governor Perry expressed four areas of concern: the number of Border Patrol agents directly on the border; positioning some agents too far from the border to be effective; the lengthy process for children coming from countries other than Mexico; and the length of administrative processing within the immigration judicial system.

The President emphasized that many of these concerns could be dealt with if Congress passed the supplemental in an expeditious manner -- and he urged Governor Perry to talk with the Texas delegation to vote in favor of the supplemental to give the federal government the resources to deal with this problem.

"Another way of putting it -- and I said this directly to the Governor -- is are folks more interested in politics, or are they more interested in solving the problem?"

President Obama closed his remarks by thanking local officials and faith-based groups that he met with, who have been incredibly compassionate in looking at facilities that could accommodate some of these children. Other organizations have provided care and assistance to children in need.

"I told them thank you, because it confirmed what I think we all know, which is the American people are an incredibly compassionate people and when we see a child in need we want to care for them."

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The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
July 09, 2014

Statement by the President on the Resignation of Matt Olsen

Most Americans may not know Matt Olsen’s name, but every American is safer because of his service.  As Director of the National Counterterrorism Center for the past three years, Matt and the dedicated professionals he has led at the NCTC have been absolutely critical to our success in disrupting terrorist cells, thwarting attacks and protecting the American people from evolving threats at home and abroad.  I’ve relied on Matt’s wise judgment and counsel, and I am especially grateful for his work to ensure that our counterterrorism efforts remain consistent with the rule of law and our values as a nation.  As he concludes 24 years of federal service, I thank Matt for a distinguished career that has left our nation more secure and even better prepared to meet the threats of our time.

What You Wrote the President

Fiona Reeves
July 09, 2014
04:32 PM EDT

Ed. note: Earlier today, the Director of Presidential Correspondence, Fiona Reeves, sent an email to the White House list. Didn't get it? Make sure you sign up for updates.

Two weeks ago, President Obama asked you to write and tell him how you're doing. And I can tell you, as one of the people who helps sort through the mail here at the White House, that a lot of you answered.

You told us how you're feeling about your family, your community, and our country. You shared stories about what's been going well, and what you wish was better.

So if you were wondering if those letters actually get read, the answer is yes.

Your stories paint a broader picture of how things have changed these past few years, and I wanted to share a few of them. Here's what folks had to say:

Desirae, Anacortes, WA:

"I guess I can tell you about myself now. I am a 26 year old single mother. My son is the light of my life. We live in a small city called Anacortes, located in Skagit County, Washington. It's beautiful here. A lot of the people that live here were raised here, and they have family and friends all around town. For me, it's just my son and I. His father was born and raised here, and the majority of his family is located here, too. We separated shortly after my son's first birthday, though. … I've had to do a lot of fighting to get where I am now, and I feel like I have so much more to do. I think you know what that feels like."

Fiona Reeves is the Director of Presidential Correspondence.
Related Topics: Economy, Louisiana, North Carolina, Washington

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
July 09, 2014

Remarks by the President at DSCC Lunch -- Denver, CO

Westin Denver Downtown
Denver, Colorado

12:02 P.M. MDT
 
THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you, everybody.  Thank you.  (Applause.)  Thank you so much.  Everybody have a seat, have a seat.  It is good to be back here.  (Laughter.)  I love Colorado, love Denver.  Everybody looks good in Denver, too.  (Laughter.)  I don't know what it is -- the hair or sun, altitude?  I don't know.  (Laughter.)  It's just a bunch of good-looking people in Denver, Colorado.  (Laughter.) 
 
We've got some great friends here and I just want to mention some of them.  First of all, nobody has a bigger heart, nobody did better work on behalf of the natural resources of this amazing country of ours, nobody has been a better friend to me than the person who just introduced me.  Love him dearly.  We came into the Senate together and our lives have crossed paths ever since and I'm so very, very proud of him and Hope.  So please give Ken Salazar a big round of applause.  (Applause.)
 
To Maggie Fox and Tess Udall, thank you for putting up with somebody in politics.  (Laughter.)  That's always rough, but you do it with grace, and we're so grateful to you.
 
To your wonderful former governor, Bill Ritter, who continues to do great work on behalf of the environment.  (Applause.)  My dear friend, who was actually on the steering committee for my first race in ’08, one of our national board members -- Federico Peña, your former mayor.  (Applause.)  Somebody who helped begin the tradition of great Democratic senators from Colorado -- Gary Hart is here.  There he is.  (Applause.)  Former mayor, Wellington Webb is here in the house. (Applause.)  Andrew Romanoff, who is running for Congress, is here.  (Applause.)  My good friend, Betsy Markey, who is running for treasurer, is here.  There’s Betsy.  (Applause.)
 
And all of you are here.  (Laughter.)  And I'm happy about that.  This is actually the hotel that I stayed in for the convention in 2008.  So as I walked in, the manager says, “Hey, it's great to see you.  Do you remember me?  How are those wonderful girls?  I’ll bet they changed a lot.”  (Laughter.)  And when we were here, Sasha was I think about this big.  (Laughter.) And I had to break the news to the manager that, yes, Sasha is taller than you now.  (Laughter.)  So, yes, things have changed. (Laughter.)
 
But what hasn’t changed is my incredible faith in the American people.  I just came from that gorgeous park of yours, and after having had dinner with some letter writers, people who wrote me letters just telling me about their hopes, their dreams, the challenges that they were facing -- we had pizza.  Somebody bought me a beer.  I walked over -- blocked traffic, but I walked over to Hickenlooper’s old joint.  (Laughter.)  Hickenlooper was there.  He challenged me to pool.  (Laughter.)  You can ask him how that went.  (Laughter.)  I took his lunch money.  (Laughter and applause.)
 
But in each of these conversations, what I'm always inspired by is the fundamental decency and goodness of the American people -- how they work hard, how they care for their families; they’re resilient and buoyant; how they’re inventive and entrepreneurial. And it's because of all that the country has changed in many ways as much as Sasha has changed since I was last here.  When we were here for the convention we were in a free fall.  The economy was actually contracting faster, we now know, in ’08 than it did at the outset of the Great Depression.  We were losing 800,000 jobs a month. 
 
What we've now seen is 52 straight months of job growth, 10 million jobs created.  We've seen the unemployment rate drop faster than any time in the last 30 years.  Employment growth actually in this first six months has been the fastest since 1999.  Housing market has steadily improved, and the stock market and people’s 401(k)s restored.  Financial system stabilized. 
 
On energy, we produce three times as much wind energy as we did when I came into office, ten times as much solar energy as when I came into office.  We have reduced our carbon emissions faster than any other developed country in the world; make greater investments in green energy than any administration in history.  We're actually now producing more than we import for the first time in over a couple of decades.
 
The high school dropout rate gone down; Latino dropout rate actually has been cut in half.  College attendance rate at an all-time high.  Uninsured keeps going down because of the Affordable Care Act and health care inflation is actually going up slower than any time in the last 50 years. 
 
We've been able to bring troops home and make sure that our veterans are able to get the kind of education they need to succeed in this new marketplace.  Exports are up, farm incomes are up.  Things have changed over these last five years.  There are very few measures by which we are not fundamentally better off than we were when I took office.
 
But the reason we're here, the reason every race across the country is going to be challenging, including this one, and the reason that your support is going to be so important is that despite the decency of the American people, despite the fact that we have made progress, everybody senses, everybody understands that we've still got some fundamental challenges that have not yet been addressed, and Washington is not addressing them.  And it makes people cynical and it makes people frustrated.
 
And when I talked to folks last night eating pizza, or see them and have a chat with them shooting pool, they all tell me the same thing:  We're doing okay, we're making it, but it feels like at the end of every month, no matter how hard we work, it's still kind of a struggle.  And when you look at it from a macroeconomic perspective, it's true.  The economy is growing, corporate profits soaring, productivity up, but wages and incomes have flat-lined.  So although our job growth is as good as anything we've seen since 1999, a lot of people’s incomes are the same as they were in 1999, at the same time as costs for college or other necessities have gone up.
 
So everything I do, everything Mark does, everything that Michael Bennet does, our agenda is how do we make sure that we are providing ladders of opportunity to people who are willing to work hard, and for folks who are in the middle class, how are we making sure that they can have some basic security and get ahead if they’re working hard, if they’re doing the right thing.
 
That’s why we’re fighting for raising the minimum wage.  That’s why we think that equal pay for equal work is fundamental. That’s why we think that creating workplace flexibility is so critical.  That’s why trying to make sure that we’ve got high-quality, accessible, quality pre-K is so critical.  That’s why making sure that families are getting help when it comes to child care or a college education is so important.  That’s why redesigning our high schools to give young people more opportunity in this 21st century economy and making sure we’ve got outstanding job training for people who have to start second careers are in place.
 
Everything we do, our entire agenda is designed around a very simple premise, which is if you are willing to work hard it shouldn’t matter what you look like, where you come from, who you love -- you can succeed, you can make it.  That’s what Mark is fighting for every single day. 
 
And the challenge we have is that the other side is -- the only thing they seem to be fighting for is for power, or their patrons, or on behalf of an economic idea, an economic theory that has been proven wrong time and time and time again.  This has been, since the Republicans took over the House, the least productive Congress I don’t know when, perhaps in history.  Their single accomplishment was shutting down the government and threatening the full faith and credit of the United States of America. 
 
They’ve said no to minimum wage.  They’ve said no to fair pay legislation.  They’ve said no to unemployment insurance extensions.  They’ve said no to basic things like infrastructure, rebuilding our roads and our bridges and our airports, things that used to be bipartisan. 
 
And so, understandably, people get frustrated and they get cynical.  They should be frustrated, but they shouldn’t be cynical.  If nothing else, the main message I want to leave you today is the same one that I said in the park.  Cynicism passes for wisdom these days.  I think it’s a sorry kind of wisdom.  It’s easy being cynical and doesn’t get you anything.  Cynicism doesn’t get a man to the moon.  Cynicism didn’t expand civil rights to people.  Cynicism didn’t make us an economic superpower.  Hope is a better choice.  But it’s got to be a hope that is backed by action and hope that is backed by organizing and hope that’s backed by effort.  And it’s got to be hope that is supported by outstanding members of Congress who are there for the right reasons and who are serious.
 
And Mark Udall is a serious person who is trying to do the right thing and who has the values that we share.  He is not an ideologue.  He doesn’t agree with me on everything.  But he believes in the core idea that I think should be what Democrats are all about, this idea that if you work hard you should be able to make it.  And he’s there on behalf of working families all across Colorado.  And that’s worth supporting.
 
I’ll just close by saying 2008 was sort of lightning in a bottle.  The convention was pretty fun.  (Laughter.)  It was exciting and the weather was good.  But one challenge that I always offered to Democrats is we do have one congenital disease, which is we’re not very good during off-year elections.  We don’t think it’s flashy enough -- I don’t know.  There aren’t enough celebrities involved?  I mean, I don’t know what’s going on, but a lot of times we don’t vote at the same rates.  We don’t pay attention.
 
Our positions on every major issue enjoys majority support across the country:  Immigration reform, supported by a majority of Americans.  Minimum wage, supported by a majority of Americans.  Equal pay for equal work, supported by the majority of Americans.  Being good stewards of the environment and dealing with climate change in a serious way, supported by the majority of Americans.  We have the support of the majority.  It’s just the majority doesn’t always vote.
 
So the one thing I want to urge everybody here is to feel the same urgency about this race -- about Mark’s race, about all the Senate races, about the state treasurer’s race, about the Romanoff race -- feel that same urgency as you feel about my race back in 2008.  Because, ultimately, this is not about one person, it’s not about a handful of people; it’s about all of us.  And we’ve got to be invested in this.  And I know all of you are, and I appreciate you very, very much for that.
 
All right, let me take a couple of questions.  We’re going to get the press out of here.  (Laughter.)
 
END
12:20 P.M. MDT