President Obama on Student Loan Debt: "No Hardworking Young Person Should Be Priced Out of a Higher Education"

David Hudson
David Hudson
June 09, 2014
06:59 PM EDT

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More students than ever before are relying on student loans to pay for their college education. 71 percent of students earning a bachelor's degree graduate with debt, averaging $29,400. While most students are able to repay their loans, many feel burdened by debt, especially as they seek to start a family, buy a home, launch a business, or save for retirement.

That's why, as part of his year of action to expand opportunity for all Americans, President Obama is taking steps to make student loan debt more affordable and manageable to repay.

Earlier this afternoon, the President signed a memorandum directing the Secretary of Education to propose regulations that would allow nearly 5 million federal direct student loan borrowers the opportunity to cap their student loan payments at 10 percent of their income. The memorandum also outlines new executive actions to support federal student loan borrowers, especially vulnerable borrowers who may be at greater risk of defaulting on their loans.

Related Topics: Higher Education, College Affordability, Education

The NCAA Champion UConn Huskies Visit the White House

David Hudson
David Hudson
June 09, 2014
06:22 PM EDT

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This afternoon, President Obama welcomed the NCAA Champion UConn Huskies to the White House. UConn's men's and women's basketball teams both won the 2014 NCAA Championships — so in an effort to "eliminate waste and cut out duplicative programs to make things more efficient," the President concurrently congratulated both of them. But "this may be carrying things a little too far," he joked.

In the President's remarks, he highlighted the well-known legacy of UConn basketball. This is the ninth national title for the women, while it's the men's fourth title in the last 16 years. And only once before, in 2004, has one school won both the men's and women's Division I titles. That team was — you guessed it — UConn.

Related Topics: Inside the White House, Connecticut

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
June 09, 2014

Statement by the Press Secretary on H.R. 724, H.R. 1036, H.R. 1228, H.R. 1451, H.R. 2391, H.R. 2939, H.R. 3060, H.R. 3658, H.R. 4032, H.R. 4488, S. 611

On Monday, June 9, 2014, the President signed into law:

H.R. 724, which removes the requirement that auto dealers provide a purchaser of a new light-duty motor vehicle a written certification that the vehicle meets Clean Air Act emission standards;

H.R. 1036, which designates the facility of the United States Postal Service in Eatonville, Washington, as the National Park Ranger Margaret Anderson Post Office;

H.R. 1228, which designates the facility of the United States Postal Service in De Pere, Wisconsin, as the Corporal Justin D. Ross Post Office Building;

H.R. 1451, which designates the facility of the United States Postal Service in Brockport, New York, as the Staff Sergeant Nicholas J. Reid Post Office Building;

H.R. 2391, which designates the facility of the United States Postal Service in Cottleville, Missouri, as the Lance Corporal Phillip Vinnedge Post Office;

H.R. 2939, which provides for the award of a congressional gold medal to Israeli President Shimon Peres;

H.R. 3060, which designates the facility of the United States Postal Service in Burleson, Texas, as the Sergeant William Moody Post Office Building;

H.R. 3658, the "Monuments Men Recognition Act of 2014," which provides for the award of a single congressional gold medal collectively, to the Monuments Men, in recognition of their heroic role in the preservation, protection, and restitution of monuments, works of art, and artifacts of cultural importance during and following World War II;

H.R. 4032, the "North Texas Invasive Species Barrier Act of 2014," which exempts from the Lacey Act Amendments of 1981 certain water transfers by the North Texas Municipal Water District and the Greater Texoma Utility Authority;

H.R. 4488, the "Gold Medal Technical Corrections Act of 2014," which gives to the Smithsonian Institution for appropriate display congressional gold medals struck under previously enacted laws in honor of:  Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and Coretta Scott King; and the Montford Point Marines; and

S. 611, the "Sandia Pueblo Settlement Technical Amendment Act," which amends the T'uf Shur Bien Preservation Trust Area Act to resolve the land exchange related to the Sandia Pueblo Tribe of New Mexico Settlement.

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
June 09, 2014

Remarks by the President on Opportunity for All: Making College More Affordable

1:51 P.M. EDT

THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you.  Everybody have a seat.  Welcome to the White House.  And I want to thank Andy for the terrific introduction.  And this is commencement season, and it’s always a hopeful and exciting time, and I’ll bet we might have some folks who just graduated here today.  Raise your hands.  Let’s see -- yes, we’ve got a couple of folks who are feeling pretty good.  (Laughter.) 

Of course, once the glow wears off, this can be a stressful time for millions of students.  And they’re asking themselves, how on Earth am I going to pay off all these student loans?  And that’s what we’re here to talk about.  And Andy I think gave a vivid example of what’s going through the minds of so many young people who have the drive and the energy and have succeeded in everything that they do but because of family circumstances have found themselves in a situation where they’ve got significant debt.

Now, we know, all of you know, that in a 21st century economy, a higher education is the single best investment that you can make in yourselves and your future, and we’ve got to make sure that investment pays off.

And here’s why:  For 51 months in a row, our businesses have created new jobs -- 9.4 million new jobs in total.  And over the last year, we’ve averaged around 200,000 new jobs every month.  That’s the good news.  But while those at the top are doing better than ever, average wages have barely budged.  And there are too many Americans out there that are working harder and harder just to get by.

Everything I do is aimed towards reversing those trends that put a greater burden on the middle class and are diminishing the number of ladders to get into the middle class, because the central tenet of my presidency, partly because of the story of my life and Michelle’s life, is this is a country where opportunity should be available for anybody -- the idea that no matter who you are, what you look like, where you come from, how you were raised, who you love, if you’re willing to work hard, if you’re willing to live up to your responsibilities, you can make it here in America.

And in America, higher education opens the doors of opportunity for all.  And it doesn’t have to be a four-year college education.  We’ve got community colleges, we’ve got technical schools, but we know that some higher education, some additional skills is going to be your surest path to the middle class.  The typical American with a bachelor’s degree or higher earns over $28,000 more per year than somebody with just a high school education -- 28 grand a year.  And right now, the unemployment rate for workers with a bachelor’s degree is about half of what it is for folks with just a high school education.

So you know that this is a smart investment.  Your parents know this is a smart investment.  That’s why so many of them made such big sacrifices to make sure that you could get into college, and nagged you throughout your high school years.  (Laughter.) 

Here’s the problem:  At a time when higher education has never been more important, it’s also never been more expensive.  Over the last three decades, the average tuition at a public university has more than tripled.  At the same time, the typical family’s income has gone up just 16 percent. 

Michelle and I both went to college because of loans and grants and the work that we did.   But I’ll be honest with you -- now, I’m old, I’ve got to admit -- (laughter) -- but when I got out of school, it took me about a year to pay off my entire undergraduate education.  That was it.  And I went to a private school; I didn’t even go to a public school.  So as recently as the ‘70s, the ‘80s, when you made a commitment to college, you weren’t anticipating that you’d have this massive debt on the back end. 

Now, when I went to law school it was a different story.  But that made sense because the idea was if you got a professional degree like a law degree, you would probably be able to pay it off.  And so I didn’t feel sorry for myself or any lawyers who took on law school debt. 

But compare that experience just half a generation, a generation ago to what kids are going through now.  These rising costs have left middle-class families feeling trapped.  Let’s be honest:  Families at the top, they can easily save more than enough money to pay for school out of pocket.  Families at the bottom face a lot of obstacles, but they can turn to federal programs designed to help them handle costs.  But you’ve got a lot of middle-class families who can’t build up enough savings, don’t qualify for support, feel like nobody is looking out for them.  And as Andy just described vividly, heaven forbid that the equity in their home gets used up for some other family emergency, or, as we saw in 2008, suddenly home values sink, and then people feel like they’re left in the lurch. 

So I’m only here because this country gave me a chance through education.  We are here today because we believe that in America, no hardworking young person should be priced out of a higher education. 

This country has always made a commitment to put a good education within the reach of young people willing to work for it.  I mentioned my generation, but think about my grandfather’s generation.  I just came back from Normandy, where we celebrated D-Day.  When that generation of young people came back from World War II, at least the men, my grandfather was able to go to college on the GI Bill.  And that helped build the greatest middle class the world has ever known. 

Grants helped my mother raise two kids by herself while she got through school.  And she didn’t have $75,000 worth of debt, and she was raising two kids at the same time.  Neither Michelle or I came from a lot of money, but with hard work, and help from scholarships and student loans, we got to go to great schools.  We did not have this kind of burden that we’re seeing, at least at the undergraduate stages.  As I said, because of law school, we only finished paying off our own student loans just 10 years ago.  So we know what many of you are going through or look forward -- or don’t look forward to.  (Laughter.)  And we were doing it at the same time -- we already had to start saving for Malia and Sasha’s education. 

But this is why I feel so strongly about this.  This is why I’m passionate about it.  That’s why we took on a student loan system that basically gave away tens of billions of taxpayer dollars to big banks.  We said, let’s cut out the middle man.  Banks should be making a profit on what they do, but not off the backs of students.  We reformed it; more money went directly to students.  We expanded grants for low-income students through the Pell grant program.  We created a new tuition tax credit for middle-class families.  We offered millions of young people the chance to cap their student loan payments at 10 percent of their income -- that’s what Andy was referring to.  Michelle right now is working with students to help them “Reach Higher,” and overcome the obstacles that stand between them and graduation.  This is something we are deeply invested in.

But as long as college costs keep soaring, we can’t just keep throwing money at the problem.  We’re going to have to initiate reforms from the colleges themselves.  States have to invest more in higher education.  Historically, the reason we had such a great public education system, public higher education system was states understood we will benefit if we invest in higher education.  And somewhere along the line, they started thinking, we’ve got to invest more in prisons than we do in higher education.  And part of the reason that tuition has been jacked up year after year after year is state legislators are not prioritizing this.  They’re passing the costs onto taxpayers.  It’s not sustainable.

So that’s why I laid out a plan to shake up our higher education system and encourage colleges to finally bring down college costs.  And I proposed new rules to make sure for-profit colleges keep their promises and train students with the skills for today’s jobs without saddling them with debt.  Too many of these for-profit colleges -- some do a fine job, but many of them recruit kids in, the kids don’t graduate, but they’re left with the debt.  And if they do graduate, too often they don’t have the marketable skills they need to get the job that allows them to service the debt.     

None of these fights have been easy.  All of them have been worth it.  You’ve got some outstanding members of Congress right here who have been fighting right alongside us to make sure that we are giving you a fair shake.  And the good news is, more young people are earning college degrees than ever before.  And that’s something we should be proud of, and that’s something we should celebrate. 

But more of them are graduating with debt.  Despite everything we’re doing, we’re still seeing too big a debt load on too many young people.  A large majority of today’s college seniors have taken out loans to pay for school.  The average borrower at a four-year college owes nearly $30,000 by graduation day.  Americans now owe more on student loans than they do on credit cards.  And the outrage here is that they’re just doing what they’ve been told they’re supposed to do.  I can’t tell you how many letters I get from people who say I did everything I was supposed to and now I’m finding myself in a situation where I’ve got debts I can’t pay off, and I want to pay them off, and I’m working really hard, but I just can’t make ends meet.

If somebody plays by the rules, they shouldn’t be punished for it.  A young woman named Ashley, in Santa Fe, wrote me a letter a few months ago.  And Ashley wanted me to know that she’s young, she’s ambitious, she’s proud of the degree she earned.  And she said, “I am the future” -- she put “am” in capital letters so that I’d know she means business.  (Laughter.)  And she told me that because of her student loan debt, she’s worried she’ll never be able to buy a car or a house.  She wrote, “I’m not even 30, and I’ve given up on my future because I can’t afford to have one.”  I wrote her back and said it’s a little early in your 20s to give up.  (Laughter.)  So I’m sure Ashley was trying to make a point, but it’s a point that all of us need to pay attention to.  In America, no young person who works hard and plays by the rules should feel that way. 

Now, I’ve made it clear that I want to work with Congress on this issue.  Unfortunately, a generation of young people can’t afford to wait for Congress to get going.  The members of Congress who are here are working very hard and putting forward legislation to try to make this stuff happen, but they have not gotten some of the support that they need.  In this year of action, wherever I’ve seen ways I can act on my own to expand opportunity to more Americans, I have.  And today, I’m going to take three actions to help more young people pay off their student loan debt.

Number one, I’m directing our Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan, to give more Americans who are already making their loan payments a chance to cap those payments at 10 percent of their income.  We call it “Pay As You Earn.”  We know it works, because we’ve already offered it to millions of young people.  It’s saving folks like Andy hundreds of dollars potentially every month. It’s giving graduates the opportunity to pursue the dreams that inspired them to go to school in the first place, and that’s good for everybody.  And we want more young people to start their own businesses.  We want more young people becoming teachers and nurses and social workers.  We want young people to be in a position to pursue their dreams.  And we want more young people who act responsibly to be able to manage their debt over time.  So we’re announcing steps that will open up “Pay As You Earn” to nearly 5 million more Americans.  That’s the first action we’re taking today.

The second action is to renegotiate contracts with private companies like Sallie Mae that service our student loans.  And we’re going to make it clear that these companies are in the business of helping students, not just collecting payments, and they owe young people the customer service, and support, and financial flexibility that they deserve.  That’s number two.

Number three -- we’re doing more to help every borrower know all the options that are out there, so that they can pick the one that’s right for them.  So we’re going to work with the teachers’ associations, and the nurses’ associations, with business groups; with the YMCA, and non-profits and companies like TurboTax and H&R Block.  And tomorrow, I’m going to do a student loan Q&A with Tumblr to help spread the word -- you’re laughing because you think, what does he know about Tumblr?  (Laughter.)  But you will recall that I have two teenage daughters so that I am hip to all these things.  (Laughter.)  Plus I have all these twenty-somethings who are working for me all the time.  (Laughter.)

But to give even more student borrowers the chance to save money requires action from Congress.  I’m going to be signing this executive order.  It’s going to make progress, but not enough.  We need more.  We’ve got to have Congress to make some progress.  Now, the good news is, as I said, there are some folks in Congress who want to do it.  There are folks here like Jim Clyburn, John Tierney, who are helping lead this fight in the House.  We’ve got Elizabeth Warren, who’s leading this fight in the Senate.  Elizabeth has written a bill that would let students refinance their loans at today’s lower interest rates, just like their parents can refinance a mortgage.  It pays for itself by closing loopholes that allow some millionaires to pay a lower tax rate than middle-class families. 

I don’t know, by the way, why folks aren’t more outraged about this.  I’m going to take a pause out of my prepared text.  You would think that if somebody like me has done really well in part because the country has invested in them, that they wouldn’t mind at least paying the same rate as a teacher or a nurse.  There’s not a good economic argument for it, that they should pay a lower rate.  It’s just clout, that’s all.  So it’s bad enough that that’s already happening.  It would be scandalous if we allowed those kinds of tax loopholes for the very, very fortunate to survive while students are having trouble just getting started in their lives. 

So you’ve got a pretty straightforward bill here.  And this week, Congress will vote on that bill.  And I want Americans to pay attention to see where their lawmakers’ priorities lie here:  lower tax bills for millionaires, or lower student loan bills for the middle class.

This should be a no-brainer.  You’ve got a group of far-right Republicans in Congress who push this trickle-down economic plan, telling hard-working students and families, “You’re on your own.”  Two years ago, Republicans in Congress nearly let student loan interest rates double for 7 million young people.  Last year, they tried to strip protections from lower-income students.  This year, House Republicans voted overwhelmingly to slash Pell grants and make it harder for thousands of families to afford college.  If you’re a big oil company, they’ll go to bat for you.  If you’re a student, good luck. 

Some of these Republicans in Congress seem to believe that it’s just because -- that just because some of the young people behind me need some help, that they’re not trying hard enough.  They don’t get it.  Maybe they need to talk to Andy.  These students worked hard to get where they are today. 

Shanelle Roberson -- where is Shanelle?  Shanelle is the first in her family to graduate from a four-year college.  (Applause.)  Shanelle is not asking for a handout, none of these folks are.  They’re working hard.  They’re working while they’re going to school.  They’re doing exactly what we told them they should do.  But they want a chance.  If they do exactly what they’re told they should do, that they’re not suddenly loaded up where they’ve got so much debt that they can’t buy a house, they can’t think about starting a family, they can’t imagine starting a business on their own. 

I’ve been in politics long enough to hear plenty of people, from both parties, pay lip service to the next generation, and then they abandon them when it counts.  And we, the voters, let it happen.  This is something that should be really straightforward, just like the minimum wage should be straightforward, just like equal pay for equal work should be straightforward.  And one of the things I want all the voters out there to consider, particularly parents who are struggling trying to figure out how am I going to pay my kid’s college education, take a look and see who is that’s fighting for you and your kids, and who is it that’s not.  Because if there are no consequences, then this kind of irresponsible behavior continues on the part of members of Congress.

So I ran for this office to help more young people go to college, graduate, and pay off their debt.  And we’ve made some really good progress despite the best efforts of some in Congress to block that progress.  Think about how much more we could do if they were not standing in the way. 

This week, they have a chance to help millions of young people.  I hope they do.  You should let them know you are watching and paying attention to what they do.  If they do not look out for you, and then throw up a whole bunch of arguments that are meant to obfuscate -- meaning confuse, rather than to clarify and illuminate -- (laughter) -- then you should call them to account.  And in the meantime, I’m going to take these actions today on behalf of all these young people here, and every striving young American who shares my belief that this is a place where you can still make it if you try. 

Thank you, everybody.  God bless you.  God bless America. 

END                                                                     
2:12 P.M. EDT

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
June 09, 2014

FACT SHEET: Supporting Western Governors As They Deal with Wildfire, Drought, and Other Climate Impacts

President Obama is committed to ensuring that his Administration is doing everything it can to help the farmers, ranchers, small businesses, and communities being impacted by wildfires, droughts, and other impacts of our changing climate. Today, President Obama participated in a briefing on wildfire preparedness with the governors attending the Western Governors Association Meeting in Colorado Springs, Colorado, via video teleconference. The recently-released National Climate Assessment confirms that climate change is already affecting every region of the country, and that in the West, rising temperatures, drought, earlier snowmelt, and increased evaporation are leading to increasing demands for increasingly scarce water resources. This results in an extended summer dry season, more severe drought, longer fire seasons, and greater rates of fire spread. Compared to three decades ago, the western wildfire season is 60-80 days longer and more than twice as many acres are burning.

The President’s Budget this year proposed a new approach to addressing wildfire suppression costs – modeled on bipartisan proposals introduced in both houses of Congress – which would budget for extreme fires like other natural disasters, treating them as the catastrophic disasters they are. This new approach provides certainty in addressing growing fire suppression needs while better safeguarding prevention and other non-suppression programs from transfers that have diminished their effectiveness.

State by State Impacts of Insufficient Wildfire Funding

Today, the U.S. Department of Agriculture released an analysis showing the impacts that limited funding had on local land management and wildfire mitigation in nearly every state across the country. This year’s fire season has already been so severe that the U.S. Forest Service and Department of the Interior announced last month that they currently estimate exceeding their firefighting budget by as much as $1 billion, with a median estimate of $470 million in 2014.

In response to the wildfire, drought and other climate change impacts affecting the West, the Administration is announcing a series of actions at the Western Governors Association Meeting, including using Federal agencies’ existing authorities and working closely with state and local partners as they respond to wildfire season and continued drought. 

New Actions to Prepare for Wildfire, Drought, and Other Climate Impacts

  • Additional firefighting resources. Since last fall, the Forest Service has brought 8 additional next-generation large airtankers into service, including two planes within the last week.  This brings the number of large airtankers under exclusive use contracts with the Forest Service to 15.  The Forest Service expects to add at least two more in the coming weeks.  In addition to these planes, the Department of Defense is able to supply 8 C-130 aircraft as large airtankers.  Further, early next year, we expect to bring on the first of seven C-130H aircraft transferred from Department of Defense to the Forest Service.  Finally, federal agencies can also bring on additional large airtankers from Canada and Alaska on a call when needed basis. 

  • Increased efforts to fight insects and disease in nation’s forests. Approximately 81 million acres of the nation’s forests are at risk of insects and diseases based on the 2012 National Insect and Disease Risk Map. To help combat this problem, USDA recently announced action to help 94 national forest areas in 35 states to address insect and disease threats that weaken forests and increase the risk of forest fire. These areas are receiving an official designation that will provide the Forest Service, working collaboratively with stakeholders, additional tools and flexibility to more efficiently plan and accomplish restoration treatments in those areas. USDA also recently announced an initiative to help remove insect infected trees from National Forest Service lands. USDA announced today that the Biomass Crop Assistance Program has been reauthorized for $25 million annually with funding becoming available this week. This program supports the harvesting and transporting of forest residue to an energy facility for energy generation while reducing fire, insect and disease threats on public lands managed by the U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management. 

  • Increasing availability of drought and extreme weather information for Western Governors. Today, the Western Governors Association and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration signed a new Memorandum of Understanding to improve the drought and extreme weather information, analysis, and tools to support the resources management decisions of Western states. This partnership will support and strengthen the Western states' preparedness and response to significant weather and climate variability, including multi-year droughts, prolonged fire seasons, and devastating floods. 

  • Improving water and energy efficiency. Today, the Bureau of Reclamation will make $17.8 million in water and energy efficiency grants available to 36 projects in the Western United States to use water more efficiently, increase the use of renewable energy, and facilitate water markets. For example, the Duchesne County Water Conservancy District in Roosevelt, Utah, will receive a grant to install equipment to address water seepage and evaporation losses in the Colorado River, and the Natomas Central Mutual Water Company near Sacramento, Calif., will receive a grant to install an automated control gate in a local canal to save additional 3,800 acre-feet of water a year. View a complete description and learn more about the projects selected for water and energy efficiency grants here. 

  • Meeting future water demands in Western river basins. The Bureau of Reclamation today announced funding for three new comprehensive Basin Studies, which are cost-shared with non-Federal partners, to address how climate change may affect water supply, demand, and operations in the future, and to identify adaptation strategies to address imbalances in water supply and demand. The Bureau of Reclamation will make $1.8 million available for the Upper Red River Basin in Oklahoma, Upper Deschutes Basin in Oregon, and Missouri River Headwaters Basin in Montana to conduct comprehensive water studies. Like many river basins throughout the West, all three of these basins are facing current or projected imbalances in water supply and demand.

  • Additional support to California as it responds to and recovers from its historic drought. Last week, the Bureau of Reclamation announced the selection of projects for its Agricultural Water Conservation and Efficiency grants and CALFED Water Use Efficiency grants. The Bureau awarded $6.3 million in grants, which, with local cost-share contributions, will provide more than $36 million in water management improvement projects will be implemented during the next 24 months. When completed, these projects will yield over 35,000 acre feet of water savings annually. Through its CALFED Water Use Efficiency grants, $1.8 million was awarded to six projects across California. Combined with local cost-share contributions, more than $11.7 million in water management improvement projects will be implemented during the next 24 months under this program. The selected projects will conserve an estimated 3,600 acre-feet per year of water, contributing to the CALFED Bay-Delta Program objectives of improving ecosystem health, water supply reliability and water quality. California and federal agencies are partners in the 30-year program (2000-2030).

These actions join a variety of other Administration-led efforts to prepare states and localities. Through the President’s State, Local, and Tribal Leaders Task Force on Climate Preparedness and Resilience, the Administration is working with proven leaders in helping their communities adapt to the impacts of climate change to figure out how the Federal Government can best support their efforts. The National Drought Resilience Partnership is coordinating Federal efforts broadly across the country, and working closely with State, local government, agriculture and other partners to improve community preparedness and resilience to drought. For example, the White House, the Governor’s Office, Federal agencies, and California State agencies are coordinating in real time, with weekly meetings on water operations and economic impacts of the drought. Learn more about these efforts here.

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
June 09, 2014

Readout of the President’s Meeting with Western Governors on Wildfire Preparedness

Today, as part of the Western Governors Association annual meeting, President Obama met with a bipartisan group of western Governors via video-teleconference to discuss wildfire season and associated preparedness efforts. The conversation was a continuation of the dialogue the President began in February when he met with a group of western governors to discuss the complex challenges presented by an increasingly dry future for the West. Due to the drought affecting the western part of the country, the wildfire season in some parts of the West has begun earlier and is expected to last longer than usual. The President expressed his commitment to working closely with the governors as they deal with fires and their devastating impacts. He also reiterated the Administration’s commitment to fund wildfire suppression in a more responsible and effective way, a commitment that was included in his Fiscal Year 2015 budget request.

The President and his advisors discussed the outlook for the existing drought and the current fire season, as well as for long-term wildfire trends. They also highlighted progress in providing the best-available science to aid in preparedness and response operations, modernizing wildland firefighting resources like airtankers, and efforts to build resilience to fires by restoring landscapes and forests. The President stated that the Federal Government will continue to look for ways to effectively partner with state and local governments, and that he looked forward to continuing to engage with the governors as they prepare their states for the impacts of a changing climate.

The following governors participated in the meeting:

  • Governor Brewer of Arizona
  • Governor Bullock of Montana
  • Governor Dalrymple of North Dakota
  • Governor Daugaard of South Dakota
  • Governor Herbert of Utah
  • Governor Hickenlooper of Colorado
  • Governor Mead of Wyoming
  • Governor Otter of Idaho

The following Administration Officials participated in the meeting:

  • Secretary Vilsack, U.S. Department of Agriculture
  • Secretary Jewell, U.S. Department of the Interior
  • Kathryn Sullivan, Acting Administrator of NOAA
  • Robert Bonnie, Under Secretary of the U.S. Department of Agriculture
  • Rhea Suh, Assistant Secretary of Policy, Management and Budget, U.S. Department of the Interior
  • Dr. John Holdren, Assistant to the President for Science and Technology
  • Michael Boots, Acting Chair of the Council on Environmental Quality
  • John Podesta, Counselor to the President
  • David Agnew, Director of Intergovernmental Affairs
  • Brian Deese, Acting Director of the Office of Management and Budget
  • Lisa Monaco, Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism
  • Todd Rosenblum, Assistant Secretary for Homeland Defense and America’s Security Affairs, U.S. Department of Defense
  • Craig Fugate, Administrator of FEMA
  • Tom Tidwell, Chief, U.S. Forest Service
  • Louis Uccellini, Assistant Administrator for Weather Services and National Weather Service Director, NOAA
  • Bob Perciasepe, Deputy Administrator, Environmental Protection Agencyn

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
June 09, 2014

Remarks by the President Honoring NCAA Champions the University of Connecticut Huskies

East Room

4:24 P.M. EDT

THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you, everybody.  (Applause.)  Everybody, have a seat, have a seat.  I’ve just got a few things to say here.  Welcome to the White House, first of all. 

AUDIENCE:  Thank you.  (Laughter.)   

THE PRESIDENT:  You’re pleased to be here, aren’t you?  (Laughter.)  I think we should give it up for the men’s and women’s national college basketball champions, the Connecticut Huskies!  (Applause.)  Now, I have to say that, as President, one of my goals has been to eliminate waste and cut out duplicative programs to make things a little more efficient, but this might be carrying things a little too far.  (Laughter.) 

We have, as you might expect, some big Huskies fans here today, including some outstanding members of Congress.  I also want to recognize your university president, Susan Herbst -- (applause) -- your athletic director, Warde Manuel, and Larry McHugh, the chairman of your board of trustees.  Give them a big round of applause.  (Applause.)  And of course, you’ve got a couple of great coaches in what I called when we were meeting back there the grizzled veteran, Geno Auriemma -- (laughter) -- and the new blood, Kevin Ollie, both in the house.  (Applause.)  I can make that joke now that I’ve got gray hair.  (Laughter.)  

Only once before, in 2004, has one school won both the men’s and women’s Division I titles.  And of course, that was who? 

AUDIENCE:  UConn.

THE PRESIDENT:  It was UConn.  This is the women’s 9th national title, more than any other women’s basketball team in history.  (Applause.)  For the men, it is their fourth title in the last 16 years, which is twice as many as anybody else during that same span of time.  (Applause.)  Which makes me think, what’s up with you guys?  Why aren’t you sharing?  It is just a remarkable thing what these two programs have accomplished. 

Of course, this season the women went a perfect 40-0, won their games by an average of 34 points -- so there was not a lot of suspense during their season.  (Laughter.)  In a championship game billed as one of the biggest in women’s basketball history, the Huskies routed the previously unbeaten Notre Dame -- and gave me bragging rights -- it gave me bragging rights to pick them in my bracket.  This was not hard.  (Laughter.)  I mean, me and 95 percent of the country.  And this marked the 5th time that UConn has finished a season as undefeated national champion. 

Of course, a lot of this success belongs to Coach Geno, who has cemented his place as not only a legend in women’s basketball, but one of the best coaches that we’ve ever seen at any level and any sport, period.  (Applause.)  So we are grateful to have you.  Congratulations.  (Applause.) 

But I think Coach Auriemma would be the first to tell you that the credit goes to the players.  And these were just some outstanding young ladies.  You’ve got Breanna Stewart named the Final Four’s Most Outstanding Player two years in a row.  You’ve got Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis, who overcame injury and illness during the season, and came up big -- as she is prone to do -- during the tournament.  You’ve got Stefanie Dolson and Bria Hartley, who went on to become top-10 picks in the WNBA draft. 

And Stefanie, I did not forget that you challenged me to a dance-off last year.  It is going to happen.  It is going to happen.  (Laughter and applause.)  Don’t think that I -- don’t think that you’re going to beat me on that.  (Laughter.)  I also appreciate that you told the world about it after the title game.  I have daughters in junior high and high school, and for their sake, I will not be dancing too much while the cameras are around.  (Laughter.) 

Now, I also have to confess, I did not pick the men to win in my bracket.  (Laughter.)  Of course, neither did anybody else unless you went to UConn.  (Laughter.)  Look at these guys, they’re all raising their hand.  (Laughter.)  Come on now, tell the truth.  We were not counting on Shabazz Napier leading the way as the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player, and hitting big shot after big shot and locking down the perimeter defensively.  The Huskies also had huge contributions from guys like Ryan Boatright, DeAndre Daniels, and Neils Giffey, who’s not here because he’s playing overseas. 

After the tournament wins over Villanova, Iowa State, Michigan State, Florida, and Kentucky, UConn became the first seven-seed ever to win the title.  (Applause.)   And afterwards, Coach Ollie said, “Somebody told me we were Cinderellas” and I said, “no, we’re UConn” -- that’s “what we do, bred to cut down nets.”  That’s Coach Ollie.  He’s always confident and calm and collected.  In fact, a sportswriter once referred to him as “our future President.”  (Laughter.)  I don’t know with a name like “Kevin” whether that’s possible.  (Laughter and applause.)  But who knows, anything could happen. 

Now, Coach Ollie is doing one other important thing -- he’s making sure his team hits the books as hard as they hit the boards.  And this season, both the men and the women ranked among the nation’s best academically and that’s worth applauding. (Applause.)

Both teams have also done tremendous work in the community.  They’ve raised awareness for cancer and autism.  They’ve volunteered at senior centers, spent time with underprivileged youth.  Coach Ollie and Coach Auriemma spoke at the Pentagon last month as part of our Hoops for Troops program.  And last year, after the tragedy in Newtown, the men put on a clinic for kids at a local rec center -- and they asked the media to keep it under wraps so the kids could just have a good time. 

Finally, I want to take a moment to single out the women here, because I could not be more proud of the example that they present for my daughters.  They’re showing that just like the boys, girls can be tough, athletic, beautiful, successful, competitive and make fun of me, which is what my daughters do all the time.  (Laughter.)  So thank you guys for the outstanding example.  (Applause.) 

Congratulations to your championship Huskies.  (Applause.)  And this really isn’t goodbye probably, because I suspect I’ll see some of these folks again before I leave office.  So let’s strike the podium.  We’ll take some good pictures.  Come on.  And I know we’ve got some jersey presentations here.  Where’s my jersey?  (Laughter.)  

END
4:30 P.M. EDT

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
June 09, 2014

Presidential Nominations and Withdrawal sent to the Senate

NOMINATIONS SENT TO THE SENATE:

Jane D. Hartley, of New York, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the French Republic.

Cary Douglas Pugh, of Virginia, to be a Judge of the United States Tax Court for a term of fifteen years, vice Robert Allen Wherry, Jr., retired.

WITHDRAWAL SENT TO THE SENATE:

Jeffrey A. Murawsky, of Illinois, to be Under Secretary for Health of the Department of Veterans Affairs, vice Robert A. Petzel, which was sent to the Senate on May 5, 2014.

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
June 09, 2014

Readout of the President’s Meeting with Nurses on Commonsense Immigration Reform

This morning in the Oval Office, the President met with nurses from across the country to discuss commonsense immigration reform. The President underscored his commitment to passing commonsense immigration reform and highlighted the importance of this issue to nurses and medical professionals. The first line of defense between the suffering of an injured laborer and proper medical treatment is a nurse. By reforming our legal immigration system we can bolster public health by providing immigrant nurses an opportunity to stay in the United States legally and grow their skills, while also attracting the best and brightest immigrants from around the globe to help meet the needs of our growing health care industry.

The President reaffirmed he will continue to do what he can to rally supporters because he wants to see immigration reform become a reality. He emphasized that Congress must act to pass commonsense immigration reform and that there is no excuse for House Republicans to continue delaying action. Both the President and the nurses agreed that commonsense immigration reform would benefit communities across the country and boost our economy. The President thanked the nurses for their leadership and for all that they do in their communities. 

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
June 09, 2014

Presidential Memorandum -- Federal Student Loan Repayments

June 9, 2014

MEMORANDUM FOR THE SECRETARY OF THE TREASURY
THE SECRETARY OF EDUCATION

SUBJECT: Helping Struggling Federal Student Loan Borrowers Manage Their Debt

A college education is the single most important investment that Americans can make in their futures. College remains a good investment, resulting in higher earnings and a lower risk of unemployment. Unfortunately, for many low- and middle-income families, college is slipping out of reach. Over the past three decades, the average tuition at a public four-year college has more than tripled, while a typical family's income has increased only modestly. More students than ever are relying on loans to pay for college. Today, 71 percent of those earning a bachelor's degree graduate with debt, which averages $29,400. While most students are able to repay their loans, many feel burdened by debt, especially as they seek to start a family, buy a home, launch a business, or save for retirement.

Over the past several years, my Administration has worked to ensure that college remains affordable and student debt is manageable, including through raising the maximum Pell Grant award by nearly $1,000, creating the American Opportunity Tax Credit, and expanding access to student loan repayment plans, where monthly obligations are calibrated to a borrower's income and debt. These income-driven repayment plans, like my Pay As You Earn plan, which caps a Federal student loan borrower's payments at 10 percent of income, can be an effective tool to help individuals manage their debt, and pursue their careers while avoiding consequences of defaulting on a Federal student loan, such as a damaged credit rating, a tax refund offset, or garnished wages.

While my Administration has made significant strides in expanding repayment options available to borrowers and building awareness of income-driven repayment plans, more needs to be done. Currently, not all student borrowers of Federal Direct Loans can cap their monthly loan payments at 10 percent of income, and too many struggling borrowers are still unaware of the options available to them to help responsibly manage their debt.

Therefore, by the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, I hereby direct the following:

Section 1. Expanding the President's Pay As You Earn Plan to More Federal Direct Loan Borrowers. Within 1 year after the date of this memorandum, the Secretary of Education shall propose regulations that will allow additional students who borrowed Federal Direct Loans to cap their Federal student loan payments at 10 percent of their income. The Secretary shall seek to target this option to those borrowers who would otherwise struggle to repay their loans. The Secretary shall issue final regulations in a timely fashion after considering all public comments, as appropriate, with the goal of making the repayment option available to borrowers by December 31, 2015.

Sec. 2. Improving Communication Strategies to Help Vulnerable Borrowers. By December 31, 2014, the Secretary of Education shall develop, evaluate, and implement new targeted strategies to reach borrowers who may be struggling to repay their Federal student loans to ensure that they have the information they need to select the best repayment option and avoid future default. In addition to focusing on borrowers who have fallen behind on their loan payments, the Secretary's effort shall focus on borrowers who have left college without completing their education, borrowers who have missed their first loan payment, and borrowers (especially those with low balances) who have defaulted on their loans to help them rehabilitate their loans with income-based monthly payments. The Secretary of Education shall incorporate data analytics into the communications efforts and evaluate these new strategies to identify areas for improvement and build on successful practices.

Sec. 3. Encouraging Support and Awareness of Repayment Options for Borrowers During Tax Filing Season. By September 30, 2014, the Secretary of the Treasury and the Secretary of Education shall invite private-sector entities to enter into partnerships to better educate borrowers about income-based repayment plans during the tax filing season in 2015. Building off of prior work, the Secretaries shall further develop effective ways to inform borrowers about their repayment options during the tax filing season in 2015, as well as through personalized financial management tools.

Sec. 4. Promoting Stronger Collaboration to Ensure That Students and Their Families Have the Information They Need to Make Informed Borrowing Decisions. By September 30, 2014, the Secretary of Education, in consultation with the Secretary of the Treasury, shall develop a pilot project to test the effectiveness of loan counseling resources, including the Department of Education's Financial Awareness Counseling Tool. The Secretary of Education shall convene higher education experts and student-debt researchers to identify ways to evaluate and strengthen loan counseling for Federal student loan borrowers. Additionally, the Secretaries shall collaborate with organizations representing students, teachers, nurses, social workers, entrepreneurs, and business owners, among others, to help borrowers represented by these organizations learn more about the repayment options that are available to them in financing their investment in higher education and managing their debt, and to provide more comparative, customized resources to those borrowers when possible.

Sec. 5. General Provisions. (a) Nothing in this memorandum shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:

(i) the authority granted by law to an agency, or the head thereof; or

(ii) the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.

(b) This memorandum shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations.

(c) This memorandum is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.

(d) The Secretary of Education is hereby authorized and directed to publish this memorandum in the Federal Register.

BARACK OBAMA