Home • Remarks by the President at a DNC Event -- San Francisco, CA

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release

November 26, 2013

Statement by the President on the Passing of Civil Rights Leader Rev. T.J. Jemison

Michelle and I were saddened to hear about the passing of Reverend T. J. Jemison. With visionary spirit and charisma, he led the country’s first boycott of segregated seating on public buses 60 years ago, and he went on to help eradicate legal segregation and improve voting rights laws for disenfranchised Americans. As a founding member of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and former president of the National Baptist Convention, he inspired Americans across our country with the courage of his convictions and the depth of his faith.

As we mark the 50^th anniversary of the March on Washington for Jobs and Justice, we remember the legacy of trailblazers like T.J. Jemison, and commit ourselves to carrying that legacy forward in the years to come. Our nation is a better place because of Reverend Jemison’s struggle and sacrifice, and our thoughts and prayers are with his family, friends, and loved ones.

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release

November 26, 2013

Press Gaggle by Principal Deputy Press Secretary Josh Earnest -- Los Angeles, CA

Private Residence
Los Angeles, California

9:10 A.M. PST

MR. EARNEST: Good morning, everybody. We’ll try and go quickly today. I do want to do a couple of quick things at the top. These are both announcements that were made by the administration today, and I wanted to flag them for you.

The first was an announcement from CMS that had some updated numbers about seniors who benefitted from prescription drug assistance in the Affordable Care Act. According to the latest statistics, 7.3 million seniors have gotten assistance purchasing their prescription drugs through the Affordable Care Act. That’s a total of $8.9 billion. And that means the average person who has received assistance in purchasing their prescription drugs has received just over $1,200 in assistance. So a key benefit of the Affordable Care Act and, again, an example of one of the important things that would be repealed if Republicans in Congress had their way.

The second -- and there will be a conference call on this a little later today on the East Coast, but I wanted to make sure that all of you were aware of it, because logistically it may be difficult for you to participate in the conference call -- we’re going to be talking about food stamps and the Republican proposal to cut food stamps. If the Republican bill -- if the bill is passed with party-line Republican support in the House -- were to pass, 4 million Americans would lose access to SNAP benefits.

Now, it’s important for people to understand that SNAP benefits primarily benefit children, the elderly and the disabled. Ninety-one percent of those who receive SNAP benefits have incomes below the poverty line. In 2012, 5 million people were kept out of poverty because of food stamps, including 2.2 million children. I’ll also point out that 1 million veterans receive food stamps.

The SNAP program, also known as food stamps, is incredibly efficient. Ninety-five percent of the money spent on the SNAP program goes directly to assist in the purchase of food stamps for people who quality for the program. In part because of the efficiency of the program and in part because of the way that the money is used, the CBO has calculated that SNAP benefits are one of the two most cost-effective programs to boost jobs and economic growth -- that for every dollar spent on SNAP benefits, it generates $1.80 in economic activity.

So even if Republicans are not interested in trying to provide assistance to those Americans who so clearly need it, there’s a very good economic rationale for not cutting food stamps. And as we all get ready for Thanksgiving in the next couple of days and we’re thinking about those Americans who are less fortunate, hopefully Republicans in the House will also think of those Americans and not continue advocating a proposal that would have such a terrible impact on their livelihoods.

So with that, why don’t we do a few questions.

Q Josh, the Supreme Court today agreed to take up the religious objection provision or question on the Affordable Care Act. I wonder what the White House reaction is to that.

MR. EARNEST: I saw that that news was announced right as we were pulling up here. We are going to have a written statement from the White House on this later today. So check your inboxes shortly and we’ll have a statement on that.

Q How confident are you guys that Congress is not going to try for or succeed with additional sanctions on Iran at this kind of crucial time here?

MR. EARNEST: Well, we’ve been pretty clear about what our view is of this. Because of the actions that Congress has taken working in concert with this administration, there are -- some of the toughest sanctions in history have been put in place against Iran. It’s had a terrible impact on their economy. It’s had a debilitating impact on the value of their currency. Because of those sanctions and the enforcement of those sanctions, and because of the nearly seamless cooperation with our partners and allies around the globe, the Iranian regime came to the negotiating table.

Many observers of the Iranian regime speculate that President Rouhani’s promises to the strengthen the economy in Iran were critical to his successful election and give him a mandate to work with the international community to peacefully resolve the international community’s differences with Iran as it relates to their nuclear program.

So the use of sanctions in this case has been really important to creating an opportunity for a peaceful, diplomatic resolution of this situation.

It is our view that there are a couple of reasons why it would be unwise for additional sanctions to be put in place. The first is the success of the sanctions regime that I referred to has relied upon the cooperation of the international community. And for Congress to add additional sanctions before this diplomatic window can be pursued would undermine our credibility about the goal of these sanctions.

We’re not sanctioning just for the sake of sanctions, and we’re not sanctioning the Iranians specifically to punish them. We have these sanctions in place to pressure Iran to pursue -- to consider and pursue a diplomatic option. That diplomatic opportunity has presented itself, and we should pursue it.

Now, I want to be really clear about one thing, which is if Iran does not pursue or capitalize on this diplomatic opportunity that has arisen, then the administration in working with our allies and partners and working with Congress would be ready to place additional pressure on Iran, possibly in the form of additional even tougher sanctions.

So what we have suggested is that it is not necessary for Congress to take action on additional sanctions now, but that Congress should do what they have done up to this point, which is to act strategically and keep additional sanctions as a live option, but not as -- but not move forward with it at this point.

Q Charles Schumer has really been taking the lead among Democrats in pushing for new sanctions, and he’s normally an ally of the President. Has the President reached out directly to Senator Schumer on Iran?

MR. EARNEST: I don't have any specific calls to read out. But the President has been -- over the weekend, on Saturday, the President was in touch with congressional leaders to keep them updated on the negotiations that were ongoing in Geneva. There have been -- while we have been traveling over the course of Sunday, Monday, now Tuesday, senior members of the President’s national security team at the White House have been in touch with many members of Congress to describe to them our position as it relates to these talks and how we see -- and what we see as the best path for moving forward.

As I mentioned when it comes to sanctions, Congress has been a very important partner in all of this. And so we’ll continue to consult closely with them as we move forward.

Q Josh, would the White House object to conditional -- Congress passing conditional sanctions? In other words, it would have a trigger after six months if the diplomatic track doesn't work; that those sanctions would kick in, that Congress could act on those quite soon?

MR. EARNEST: It’s our view that Congress should not pass additional legislation right now as it relates to additional sanctions both because, as I mentioned, it would undermine the cooperation that we have enjoyed with allies and partners all around the globe when it comes to sanctions, but also, Jim, sanctions legislation has already passed the House. We know, and the Iranians know, frankly, that there is strong support in the Senate for additional sanctions should Iran fail to pursue this diplomatic opportunity.

So there's no reason that additional sanctions legislation needs to be passed now. What the Senate should do in the view of this administration is, as I mentioned, to keep the sanctions option open, because if Iran does not capitalize on this diplomatic opportunity, the administration would certainly want to work with our allies and partners and with Congress to consider additional measures that would put additional pressure on the Iranian regime and further isolate them from the global -- from the international community.

Again, we're not sanctioning just for the sake of sanctions. We have used -- again, in consultation with -- in cooperation with Congress and in cooperation with the international community, we have used sanctions to pressure the Iranians to come to the negotiating table. The Iranians are now at the negotiating table. Because of the phased agreement that we've struck with them, the Iranians will not use additional talks as cover to make progress on their nuclear program.

So we have before us a really important if not historic opportunity to resolve this situation peacefully. So we've got a very important six months ahead of us here, and this diplomatic opportunity should not be complicated by additional sanctions legislation at this point. Though, as I mentioned, if Iran fails to capitalize on this opportunity, the United States and the administration would certainly want to work with Congress and our international partners for additional measures that would further isolate and pressure the Iranian regime.

Q Just to be clear, in consultation on Saturday with congressional leaders, Schumer talked to the President? They talked?

MR. EARNEST: I'm not in a position to read out specific calls. But the President himself made a number of calls on Saturday to update senior members of Congress on the talks. And since then, senior members of the President's national security team, over the course of Sunday and Monday and even today, have been in touch with senior members of the relevant committees on Capitol Hill to brief them on the situation.

Q Did the President talk to Harry Reid at all about this? I think he was in town last night, or yesterday, at the fundraiser. Did they chat about it?

MR. EARNEST: I don’t know that the President saw him yesterday. I don’t think the President saw him yesterday. But even if he did, I'm not in a position to read out specific conversations that the President's had about this.

Q And just generally, I mean, without reading out a conversation, what does he want the Leader to do? What role should Harry Reid be playing on this?

MR. EARNEST: Well, the President and Harry -- and Majority Leader Reid have a long history of cooperating pretty effectively on a whole range of very complicated issues, including some of these foreign policy issues.

So the White House will continue to be in touch with Majority Leader Reid's office and continue to advocate for what we think is the best course of action moving forward here; that there is an important role for Congress to play that builds, frankly, on the important role that they've already played here. But again, it's our view that it's not necessary for Congress -- or in this case, the Senate -- to act on additional sanctions legislation at this point.

Q Is he saying -- would he veto if that were to come? I mean, there's such an appetite on the Hill to do something now, that the six-month trigger might be something that actually passes. So would the President veto that?

MR. EARNEST: Well, look, we're in a place right now where our views on this are really clear. What I'm conveying to you right now in terms of our view on additional sanctions legislation has been conveyed in the context of these private conversations to leaders in Congress. So there's no doubt about what we view as the proper path forward.

Fortunately, we have seen some constructive statements from members of Congress about a willingness to work with the administration on this. Senator Corker, after meeting with the President last week at the White House, acknowledged that coming out of the conversation with the President, that it was his view that the Senate should provide the administration the opportunity and a little space to pursue a diplomatic resolution here.

So this is something that we'll continue to work through with members of Congress. And there are, as I guess Sarah pointed out, that there are some people who we work very closely with and agree with on just about every issue that there might be some differences of opinion here. But they are -- those differences are easily reconciled because the goal that everybody has here is the same, which is a diplomatic resolution of the international community's differences with Iran as it relates to their nuclear program that results in an agreement that prevents Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.

There may be some minor differences about tactics here, but our ultimate goal here is the same. And the international community should not mistake some of these differences in tactics for the firm resolve of the bipartisan leadership of this country for resolving this situation diplomatically and in a way that, again, confirms that Iran does not obtain a nuclear weapon.

Q Josh, in one of the fundraisers yesterday, the President was asked about executive orders as it relates to immigration, and he said that’s not how the system works, we need Congress to act. Does that mean that the White House would rule out taking executive action on any aspect of the immigration issue? I mean, are you going to kind of only look for a legislative solution here and not do anything through executive action?

MR. EARNEST: Well, I think the way that this typically comes up is in two ways. The first is, whether there is an opportunity to use executive action as a substitute for comprehensive immigration reform that’s moving through -- that has passed the Senate and would pass the House if a vote were allowed on it. But right now, it's stalled in the Senate because there is one faction of the Republican Party in the House that is blocking it.

The President is often asked whether or not there is an executive action that would substitute for that comprehensive immigration reform legislation -- there is not. The other way in which the President gets asked about this is whether or not there is an executive action that he could take that would end all deportations. That is what the young man at the event in San Francisco yesterday seemed to be advocating for. And as I think the President said rather definitively, there is also not an executive action that would address all of the concerns that that young man had raised.

So when it comes to those two specific questions, we've been pretty definitive about there not being an executive action that would address both of those concerns.

Q More broadly, are there other executive steps that the White House would consider taking? Or should we take the President's comments yesterday to mean he's not going to do anything through executive action on immigration at all?

MR. EARNEST: Well, I wouldn’t -- I don’t want to speculate about what sort of actions the President might or might not take. But we have been very clear that the problem that the President is trying to solve here is one that can only be solved by Congress, and that that problem is an immigration system that everybody acknowledges is broken.

And the President's proposals for solving that problem relate to tougher border security; they relate to a reform of the legal immigration system. They include some changes to the immigration enforcement system that would ensure that all companies are playing on a level playing field, and that companies who do play by the rules are not penalized for doing so. And finally, that there should be a path to citizenship for those who are already here. That includes paying a fine, paying back taxes, learning English, going to the back of the line, but nonetheless results in a clear path to citizenship.

Those are four principles that cannot be achieved unilaterally through executive action. They require congressional action. And that’s why the President has spent so many years and a lot of time over the last several months publicly advocating for congressional action on this issue. This is a top priority of the President's.

There are also -- in addition to sort of all of the moral arguments that are in play here, there's an important economic argument, and the President touched on this a little bit yesterday -- that there is significant growth potential for the economy in the next couple of decades if we pass immigration reform, and it actually would do something to address some of our budget challenges, too, in the form of reducing the deficit.

Q And one more question about yesterday's event in San Francisco. He did a fundraiser -- the one that was closed to the press with a lot of tech executives, I believe. Did he either solicit advice from them on the healthcare.gov website? Or did any of them volunteer advice to the President on how to fix the website, or get different people in there to kind of use their mastery of technology in Silicon Valley to help the website?

MR. EARNEST: Well, as the President has done in both public settings and private settings, the President has talked about the challenges that the implementation of the Affordable Care Act has endured the last several weeks. But he also talked about the important benefits that are now available to the American public because of the Affordable Care Act.

So they talked about those issues generally, and that's something that he does at both at the public fundraisers that you guys listened in on yesterday, but also some of the public events. The President had some comments about health care reform and the experience that many Californians are having at his event in San Francisco yesterday, as well. But --

Q I just mean specifically the tactics that --

MR. EARNEST: Yes, I guess what I’m trying to say is I think that the exchange in conversation that they had about health care in yesterday’s fundraiser is quite similar to the kinds of conversations that he’s been having publicly about this.

Q Back on Iran -- you guys put out a statement on Levinson this morning. Is that situation at all playing into the negotiations, and in what context, and how?

MR. EARNEST: That's a good question. The negotiations that we’re having through the P5-plus-1 with Iran are related strictly to Iran’s nuclear program and the importance of Iran bringing that nuclear program into compliance with their international obligations.

However, as we mentioned at the time, the President when he telephoned President Rouhani earlier this fall specifically raised the case of Mr. Levinson who was last seen in Iran. The President asked President Rouhani for his assistance in locating Mr. Levinson and determining his wellbeing.

The President also raised the case of Mr. Abedini and Mr. Hekmati, who are currently detained in Iran. It’s our view that all of these Americans should have the opportunity to come home. And as the statement pointed out, the United States government has made a respectful request of the Iranian regime during this holiday season to consider on humanitarian grounds releasing these three Americans -- or at least releasing the two Americans that we know are detained, and locating the whereabouts of the third, Mr. Levinson, who as of this week is one of the longest-held American captives in history.

Q Is there any progress in locating him that you’re aware of?

MR. EARNEST: Nothing that I’m able to report at this point.

Q Josh, we talked a little bit yesterday about the dispute over the islands in the East China Sea. Since then, two U.S. military craft have flown into that area without informing China, which seems like a very direct way of saying to China, this is not what we want airlines to do, to have to tell you this. What was the message intended from that? And what is the current thinking about that dispute?

MR. EARNEST: Well, Jeff, I’d refer you to the Department of Defense for questions about military flights.

Q They confirmed --

MR. EARNEST: Well, if you have specific questions about whether -- about the purpose of their flights or why they had the aircraft in the region, I would refer you to them to talk about that.

But it continues to be our view that the policy announced by the Chinese over the weekend is unnecessarily inflammatory and has a destabilizing impact on the region, when the fact of the matter is these are the kinds of differences that should not be addressed with threats or inflammatory language, but rather can and should be resolved diplomatically.

Q Is the U.S. possibly increasing that tension by sending aircraft into the disputed area?

MR. EARNEST: Well, again, if you have questions about the specific purpose of those flights, I would refer you to the Department of Defense. But suffice it to say that we believe that these are -- that the differences, as it relates to the territorial claims of countries in the region, can be resolved diplomatically. And if there’s a role for the United States to play in resolving those disputes --

Q I understand that you have to refer that to the Pentagon. But this is not just about the planes. This is about the strategy, and that didn't just come from the Pentagon.

MR. EARNEST: I understand that. But in terms of those flights, I’d refer you to the Department of Defense. In terms of our policy for resolving what are a variety of territorial complaints -- I don't want to keep saying complaints -- territorial claims and disputes, I can tell you what our policy is, which is that we believe that inflammatory rhetoric and inflammatory policy pronouncements like those made by the Chinese over the weekend are counterproductive, and we believe that those differences of opinion can and should be resolved diplomatically. It’s in the interest of all of the parties in the region to do that.

As it relates to some of these territorial disputes, there are important economic priorities that are involved, that this affects the ability to ship products through international waters. So there’s a whole host of reasons for all of the countries in the region and the United States for these territorial disputes to be resolved diplomatically.

Anybody else? Jeff? (Laughter.) All right, guys, I’ll let you file.

Q Thank you.

END
9:36 A.M. PST

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release

November 26, 2013

President Obama Signs Illinois Disaster Declaration

The President today declared a major disaster exists in the State of Illinois and ordered federal aid to supplement state and local recovery efforts in the area affected by severe storms, straight-line winds, and tornadoes on November 17, 2013.

The President's action makes federal funding available to affected individuals in the counties of Champaign, Douglas, Fayette, Grundy, Jasper, La Salle, Massac, Pope, Tazewell, Vermilion, Wabash, Washington, Wayne, Will, and Woodford.

Assistance can include grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses, and other programs to help individuals and business owners recover from the effects of the disaster.

Federal funding is also available on a cost-sharing basis for hazard mitigation measures statewide.

W. Craig Fugate, Administrator, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Department of Homeland Security, named Donald L. Keldsen as the Federal Coordinating Officer for federal recovery operations in the affected area.

FEMA said that damage surveys are continuing in other areas, and additional counties may be designated for assistance after the assessments are fully completed.

FEMA said that residents and business owners who sustained losses in the designated counties can begin applying for assistance tomorrow by registering online at http://www.DisasterAssistance.gov or by calling 1-800-621-FEMA(3362) or 1-800-462-7585 (TTY) for the hearing and speech impaired. The toll-free telephone numbers will operate from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. (local time) seven days a week until further notice.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION MEDIA SHOULD CONTACT: FEMA NEWS DESK AT (202) 646-3272 OR FEMA-NEWS-DESK@DHS.GOV

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release

November 26, 2013

Presidential Proclamation -- Thanksgiving Day, 2013

THANKSGIVING DAY, 2013

- - - - - - -

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

A PROCLAMATION

Thanksgiving offers each of us the chance to count our many blessings -- the freedoms we enjoy, the time we spend with loved ones, the brave men and women who defend our Nation at home and abroad. This tradition reminds us that no matter what our background or beliefs, no matter who we are or who we love, at our core we are first and foremost Americans.

Our annual celebration has roots in centuries-old colonial customs. When we gather around the table, we follow the example of the Pilgrims and Wampanoags, who shared the fruits of a successful harvest nearly 400 years ago. When we offer our thanks, we mirror those who set aside a day of prayer. And when we join with friends and neighbors to alleviate suffering and make our communities whole, we honor the spirit of President Abraham Lincoln, who called on his fellow citizens to "fervently implore the interposition of the Almighty hand to heal the wounds of the nation, and to restore it, as soon as may be consistent with the Divine purposes, to the full enjoyment of peace, harmony, tranquility, and union."

Our country has always been home to Americans who recognize the importance of giving back. Today, we honor all those serving our Nation far from home. We also thank the first responders and medical professionals who work through the holiday to keep us safe, and we acknowledge the volunteers who dedicate this day to those less fortunate.

This Thanksgiving Day, let us forge deeper connections with our loved ones. Let us extend our gratitude and our compassion. And let us lift each other up and recognize, in the oldest spirit of this tradition, that we rise or fall as one Nation, under God.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim Thursday, November 28, 2013, as a National Day of Thanksgiving. I encourage the people of the United States to join together -- whether in our homes, places of worship, community centers, or any place of fellowship for friends and neighbors -- and give thanks for all we have received in the past year, express appreciation to those whose lives enrich our own, and share our bounty with others.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-sixth day of November, in the year of our Lord two thousand thirteen, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-eighth.

BARACK OBAMA

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release

November 26, 2013

President Obama Signs Nebraska Disaster Declaration

The President today declared a major disaster exists in the State of Nebraska and ordered federal aid to supplement state and local recovery efforts in the area affected by severe storms, winter storms, tornadoes, and flooding during the period of October 2-6, 2013.

Federal funding is available to state and eligible local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations on a cost-sharing basis for emergency work and the repair or replacement of facilities damaged by the severe storms, winter storms, tornadoes, and flooding in the counties of Adams, Dawes, Dixon, Howard, Sheridan, Sherman, Sioux, Thurston, and Wayne.

Federal funding is also available on a cost-sharing basis for hazard mitigation measures statewide.

W. Craig Fugate, Administrator, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Department of Homeland Security, named Elizabeth Turner as the Federal Coordinating Officer for federal recovery operations in the affected area.

FEMA said additional designations may be made at a later date if requested by the state and warranted by the results of further damage assessments.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION MEDIA SHOULD CONTACT: FEMA NEWS DESK AT (202) 646-3272 OR FEMA-NEWS-DESK@DHS.GOV

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release

November 26, 2013

Remarks by the President at Second Joint DCCC/DSCC Event -- Beverly Hills, CA

Private Residence
Beverly Hills, California

9:16 P.M. PST

THE PRESIDENT: Thank you. (Applause.) All right, everybody. Have a seat. That’s enough. That’s enough. (Laughter.)

Now, let me clarify something. First of all, there was valet parking -- (laughter) -- for Cheryl. We thought it was appropriate for Haim to get some exercise. (Laughter.) Cheryl, being the wonderful person that she is, declined the valet parking and so she might have joined him. But I would have been happy to have her drive right up into the South Lawn. (Laughter.)

We are so grateful for Haim and Cheryl not just for this event, but for the extraordinary friendship and their persistent advocacy on behalf of so many issues that we all care about. And not only to Cheryl and Haim, but Tiffany and Heidi and Ness and Tanya -- and Cheryl’s parents and her aunt who are here, we want to say thank you for your generosity and thank you for your friendship. We are thankful. (Applause.)

Now, I understand Harry Reid was here, but Harry left. But I’ll tell you what, although Harry may not win sort of any contest for best sound bite on CNN -- (laughter) -- if you’re in a fight, you want Harry Reid in your corner. And nobody has fought harder for the American people and for working families in this country than Harry -- (applause) -- with the possible exception of the person who has been one of the finest Speakers that we’ve ever had and who I intend to see Speaker once again, Nancy Pelosi. (Applause.)

Harry and Nancy could not do the great work that they were doing unless they had an incredible team around them. Two of the people who have, let’s face it, fairly thankless jobs, but also happen to be some of the finest public servants that we have in the country -- Michael Bennet, the head of the DSCC; Steve Israel leading the charge at the DCCC. We want to thank them for the great work that they are doing. (Applause.)

And one of my favorite people who has just been an incredible source of laughter and support for many years, including when I was in the Senate -- your own Senator Barbara Boxer is here. (Applause.) Three outstanding members of Congress -- four, five -- five outstanding members of Congress here. Karen Bass is here. Where is Karen? Judy Chu is here. Anna Eshoo is here. Brad Sherman is here. And Adam Schiff is here. (Applause.) And, of course, you are all here. So I want to thank you for your support.

Now, I have been working on behalf of Steve Israel and Michael Bennet for quite some time now -- (laughter) -- including today. So rather than give a stock speech, what I want to do is spend most of our time in a conversation. And this is a small enough group that I’ll have a chance to answer some questions and take some comments. But let me just say two things, one about domestic policy, one about foreign policy.

Over the last five years, thanks to the leadership of Nancy and Harry and legislators who are here, we have accomplished as much, if not more, than any time in our history -- saving an economy from a Great Depression; revitalizing an auto industry that is producing better cars and has come roaring back like nobody believed; doubling our exports; drastically reducing our dependence on foreign oil; doubling fuel efficiency standards; doubling our production of clean energy; reducing the pace of our carbon emissions; ending the war in Iraq; about to end the war in Afghanistan -- (applause) -- re-centering our fight against terrorism in a way that respects our values and our ideals; expanding access to college for children all across this country; ending “don’t ask, don’t tell” -- (applause) -- making sure that we are vindicating the notion that everybody should have a fair shot regardless of their sexual orientation, as well as their race and their gender; pushing for equal pay for women; reinstituting research for stem cells.

Across the board, we’ve made changes that will be lasting, some of which aren’t noticed, don’t get a lot of headlines, but make a meaningful difference in people’s lives every single day.
But I will tell you, of all those things, I am as proud as I’ve ever been by the work we did to make sure that in this country, if you get sick you don’t go bankrupt and that you can get the health care that you need. (Applause.) And I think it’s fair to say I’m not happy about the fact that we didn’t have a website that worked on the day it was supposed to work -- athough it’s actually starting to work pretty well now and it’s going to be working even better in the coming weeks.

Here in California, though, you’re seeing, despite all the glitches, thousands of people every day who are signing up, getting health care, in some cases for the very first time.

And the difference it makes in their lives is immeasurable. And the reason I wanted to make that point is that so much of what we do is measured through the prism of politics, and on any given day the notion is that who is up and who is down and what’s on cable television should drive and determine our sense of direction and sometimes even our sense of what’s right and what’s wrong. But when you meet a family who tells you that their kid is alive today because they got an early diagnosis because they could finally go to a doctor where they couldn’t before -- I don't need a poll to tell me that's the right thing to do. (Applause.) I don't need a headline to tell me that that vindicates a core value that I believe in and that we, as Americans, should believe in. That's a fight worth fighting.
I'm proud that we fought it. And we're going to keep on fighting it.

And on foreign policy, obviously the headlines of late have been about Iran. And let me say that when I came into office there was a lot of bluster about Iran, but what was needed was a plan -- because the fact of the matter is that Iran was moving rapidly in building its nuclear capacity. And so, with the help of members of Congress, including the members who are here today, we constructed the toughest set of sanctions ever. And we organized laboriously over the course of two years around the world cooperation not just from allies, but also in some cases from folks who were very reluctant to apply sanctions -- Russia and China. And we mobilized international unity around saying Iran had to meet its international responsibilities.

And as a consequence of the strength of those sanctions and the painstaking diplomacy that we engaged in, Iran ultimately came to the table and said, we are prepared in a serious way to negotiate around our nuclear program -- for the first time in over a decade.

And as a consequence of the agreement that John Kerry, who is doing a great job as Secretary of State, was able to construct, we've seen the first halt in the Iranian nuclear program in a decade, the reduction to zero of the 20 percent enriched uranium that was the biggest threat to immediate breakout capacity, unprecedented inspections -- in some cases, daily inspections -- into what they're doing throughout the country with their nuclear program, and the prospect that we may be able through peaceful, diplomatic means remove this cloud that has hovered over the Middle East and had the potential and continues to have the potential of triggering a nuclear arms race in the most volatile region of the world.

Now, that's the right thing to do. That's good for the United States. It's good for our allies. It's good for Israel. Because I've said, and I will repeat, that I don't take any options off the table as Commander-in-Chief when it comes to the security of the United States or our allies. And I've also said we cannot accept Iran having a nuclear weapon. But I spend too much time at Walter Reed, looking at kids, 22, 23, 24, 25 years old, who've paid the kind of price that very few of us in this room can imagine on behalf of our freedom not to say I'm going to do every single thing that I can to try to resolve these issues without resorting to military conflict.

And that's what you should expect from me as President of the United States. That's what the times demand. This is not politics; these are not games. And the stakes are extraordinarily high. And we make decisions like the one we made, we don't make them based on political expedience; we don't make them on the basis of what might make a good headline today or tomorrow. But we make them on the basis of our judgment -- my judgment -- about what we need to do to keep America safe. It is the single, most solemn responsibility I have as President of the United States.

I make those two points simply to say this: We are at an event here because we understand that part of our democracy, part of this amazing experiment we're engaged in is we've got to run around and we've got to raise money and we've got to make speeches and we've got to go to rallies and we've got to get folks fired up, and we've got to engage in the process. And that's a good thing. That's a healthy thing. That's what our democracy is about. But I also want everybody to remember the stakes involved in these things -- that family and that kid who's sick; the people who we need to protect; the troops and their families back home.

Ultimately, this translates into real-life consequences. And I say that so that all of you recognize you are involved in a very important enterprise, one that is passed on from generation to generation, where we have an obligation to do the same thing that our parents and our grandparents and our great-grandparents did, which is to chip away at what sometimes seem like intractable problems, but because of that persistence and that effort and that seriousness of purpose and a willingness to stay true to our values, no matter how tough the problem is we usually come out better on the other side. And I expect no less of this generation.

But sometimes it's bumpy and sometimes it's hard and sometimes there are setbacks. And that's okay because it's worth it. And I hope that's why you're here today, because I know that I can't do it without all of you.

All right. Thank you. (Applause.)

END
9:31 P.M. PST

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release

November 26, 2013

Remarks by the President at First Joint DCCC/DSCC Event -- Beverly Hills, CA

Private Residence
Beverly Hills, California

7:47 P.M. PST

THE PRESIDENT: Hello, everybody. (Applause.) Well, I am just thrilled to be back in California, thrilled to be back in LA, and thrilled to be with my great friend, Magic Johnson -- (applause) -- and Cookie. We thank them so much for their hospitality. This is just an extraordinary place. But more importantly, they've just got an extraordinary spirit, and to accommodate us for this cause means a lot to us.

There are a couple other people I want to acknowledge. First of all, Andre and Lisa and Elisa, thank you so much for letting us crash here also. (Laughter.)

We've got some wonderful members of Congress who are here today, and I just want you all to give them a big round of applause -- Janice Hahn is here. Mark Takano is here. Scott Peters is here. Linda Sanchez is here and Alan Lowenthal is here. And they all do a great job on behalf of the people of California. (Applause.)

AUDIENCE MEMBER: I love you.

THE PRESIDENT: I love you back. (Laughter.)

Now, a couple of things I just want to say before I start talking issues and politics. On the ride over, I've got a wonderful writer, David Remnick, who's following me around right now, and he actually started as a sports reporter before he became the editor of the New Yorker, so not surprisingly, even though he was supposed to be asking me about Iran, as we were driving over here he starts saying, "So what about Magic?" (Laughter.) And "What does this mean to you?"

And I said, first of all, understand I was a 76ers fan. (Laughter.)

AUDIENCE: Nooo --

THE PRESIDENT: No, look, I'm not one of these people -- hold on -- I do not go to different cities and tell them, man, I love the Lakers, I love the Celtics. (Laughter.) I'm not one of those people who just says what you want to hear. I was a 76ers fan because Dr. J, when I was 12, 13, 14 years old, that was my guy. And so when he went to the 76ers, I became a fan of his. Now, I became a fan of Magic's when he was in college at Michigan State, but I couldn't just suddenly shift and be a fair-weather friend to the Dr. (Laughter.)

So when Magic, in game 6, scores 42, playing center because Kareem was hurt -- (applause) --

MAGIC JOHNSON: -- rebounds.

THE PRESIDENT: I remember the stats. You don't need to remind me of that. (Laughter.) And if I didn’t, then down in Magic's trophy room, I promise, it's all printed out. (Laughter.)

So you watch this career unfold and it's a magical career. And the championships and Showtime and for anybody who loves basketball as much as me, there's nobody who is a bigger icon than Magic Johnson. But this is all by way of saying when David asked me, what does this mean being with Magic, what I said is as much as I admired his basketball career, what I think about Magic, what I actually think about are two things. One is when the incredibly difficult circumstances of his HIV diagnosis comes up, the way he handles that doesn’t just empower folks who are dealing with that illness, doesn’t just help put research dollars in there, doesn’t just educate the public, it moves the country and the world to think in an entirely new way that ends up changing the face of this country and our attitudes with the kind of grace and courage that only true leaders can display.

That's number one. And number two, Magic has become our prime example of somebody who was blessed with incredible fame and fortune from a sports career and understood his next step is to build institutions and businesses, and employ people, and go into communities that folks said weren’t worth anything and suddenly find that they're worth a whole lot if somebody is willing to invest in them. (Applause.)

And so it's for those two reasons that I'm proud to call Magic Johnson a friend. (Applause.) Also keep in mind, the last time Magic played basketball was with me at my 49th birthday party -- (laughter) -- and I just want to tell you it wasn’t pretty. (Laughter.) But we all love him, and obviously this city loves him. And now the Dodgers love him. (Laughter.) And he just continues to be the Prince of the City.

Now, the reason we're here tonight, though, is because this country has gone through some very difficult times over the last five years, as tough a stretch as we've seen in my lifetime -- a Great Recession that almost tipped into depression; a financial crisis that led to people losing homes and jobs, and made them less certain about the future. We've gone through two wars; terrorist attacks. We've got concerns about climate change. We have worries about whether or not our politics and our country can work in a way that is up to all these challenges.

But I'm here to tell you I'm optimistic about the future. And the reason I'm optimistic is, when you look at American history, some way, somehow, we always are able to confront our challenges -- sometimes not right away, sometimes we take a couple steps back before we move forward, but eventually we come together to reaffirm the ideals that helped build this country in the first place. The idea that in this country, it doesn’t matter what you look like, where you come from, what your last name is, who you love, if you're willing to work hard, if you embrace the values that are at the heart of the American experience, then you can succeed. You can make it if you try in this country.

And all of us are invested in making sure that everybody gets a fair shot. And whether it's been the struggle for civil rights or women's rights or workers' rights, whether it's been us moving West and moving from an agricultural society to an industrial society, now an information society, we embrace change and we don't shy away from it, and we just keep on going until eventually we find ourselves on the other side more prosperous, more peaceful, more diverse, more fair, more just than we were before.

And I have no doubt that that's going to be true for this generation and for the next generation, because that's in our DNA. That's who we are. But that success, that achievement, what makes us exceptional doesn’t happen on its own. It happens because, collectively, we come together and we're willing to work for it.

And more than anything, that's what's needed right now -- that sense that we're in this together, and that each of us can achieve incredible individual success, but we have some obligations to each other. And most of the arguments that are taking place in Washington right now have to do with whether or not we are going to continue to vindicate those values and those ideals that built this country.

When I talk about providing early childhood education to every child in America, that's not just an education issue; that is an economic issue and it is a moral issue. Are we willing to invest to make sure every child, whether that kid's name is Earvin, or that kid’s name is Barack, or Jose -- it doesn’t matter -- will that child, if they’re willing to work hard, be able to succeed?

When I talk about rebuilding our infrastructure in this country -- our roads, our bridges, our ports, our broadband lines, our smart grid -- it’s not just a issue of what’s good for our economy and the fact that it would put people back to work right now and lay the foundation for future economic growth. It’s also a recognition that this generation has to invest so that future generations can succeed.

I just came from San Francisco, and you fly over the Golden Gate Bridge. That didn’t just happen. There was a generation that said we can imagine doing great things together not just for ourselves but for future generations. When I talk about the Affordable Care Act, all the fighting that we’ve been having to do, it’s not just a matter of dollars and cents and why it’s good for the economy to make sure that people aren’t going to emergency rooms, because that’s the most expensive care, and why the only way we’re going to lower health care costs over the long term is if we start delivering health care smarter. It’s also a values question. Do we want to live in a country as wealthy as we are where if somebody gets sick, they lose their home, they go bankrupt? They have to weigh, can I go right now to the emergency room, knowing that that may mean I can’t pay for my child’s school tuition?

That’s not the country I want to live in. And that’s not the country that you want to live in, which means that we’ve got to fight for it. And when we end “don’t ask, don’t tell” it’s not just because we won’t have an effective military unless we field the very best people regardless of sexual orientation. It’s also a larger question of whether or not in this country you can serve the country you love regardless of who you love. It’s a values question.

So most of the debates that we’re having right now on budgets, on whether we’re investing in research and science, whether we are going to pass immigration reform so that we continue to be a land that welcomes strivers from all around the world and continually replenishing the vibrancy of this country, whether we’re talking about making sure that our civil rights laws are enforced, and making sure that we’re protecting our planet from the potential ravages of climate change -- these aren’t just technical questions. They’re values questions. It has to do with what do we stand for, who are we as a people, and what are we going to leave for the next generation.

Because it turns out that, look, there are some very hard, tough policy questions, but most of the time, we’ve got good answers. We know what works. And what’s stopping us is a failure of our politics and a lack of ambition. And we shy away from what might be hard. And our politics all too often encourages people to think selfishly or short term. And that’s what the debate in Washington is about and that’s what the debate in this country generally is about right now.

Now, what makes me optimistic is every time we come to these crossroads where we’ve got to move forward, we eventually do. Sometimes, we try everything else until we do, but we eventually do. And I have no doubt that we’re going to do so this time as well. I’m confident we’re going to get immigration reform passed sooner or later, because it’s the right thing to do. And I expect it to be soon. (Applause.)

I am confident that we are going to continue to improve our education system and make sure that every young person in America can succeed in this 21st century economy. I am confident that all of us who have kids or nieces or nephews, that we’re going to say to ourselves that we don’t want a planet that is destroyed because we haven’t been willing to increase fuel efficiency standards, or double down on clean energy, or invest in the research necessary to keep carbon out of the atmosphere.

I’m absolutely sure we’re going to make sure this country provides affordable health care for every single American. And if I have to fight for another three years to make sure that happens, I will do so. (Applause.)

And we’re going to make sure that we’ve got an economy that doesn’t just benefit the few at the top, but an economy that provides growth and broad-based prosperity. Magic has become a great businessman and some of his partners are here, but one thing they all understand is that if your customers are doing well, then you’ll do well. If workers are getting paid a decent wage with decent benefits and have some sense of security, then that money comes back to business.

And there are certain things we can do to promote a growth agenda generally, because it really is true that a rising tide can lift a lot of boats -- it makes it a lot easier to lift all those boats. But it’s also true that we’ve got to make sure we’ve got an economy in which everybody from the boardroom down to the factory floor -- the folks in the corner office, but also the folks cleaning the corner office -- that they have a chance to make it.

And that’s what we’re fighting for. So, ultimately, the only way this happens, though, is with the support and faith and effort of all of you. Every politician uses sports analogies, even if they didn’t play sports. My basketball career ended in high school. (Laughter.) I probably could have finagled my way onto a Division III team, but that was about as far as I could have gone. But when I watch Malia and Sasha play sports -- and I’ve encouraged them and occasionally coached them -- one of the things I tell them is even if you’re not talented like Magic Johnson, what sports will teach you is the concept of team, the idea of a group of individuals molding themselves into a unit to achieve a goal, to pursue something that is important and that individually we can’t achieve.

And part of what made Magic Johnson one of the greatest of all time -- there were folks who scored more than he did and there were folks who were faster than he was -- but nobody played a team game better than he did. And that’s, more than anything, what we need right now in this country, is a sense that we are in this together and we are pursuing this thing, this objective -- an America that is more prosperous and more peaceful and is growing together. That’s what we’re fighting for. And that’s not a Democratic thing or a Republican thing. That’s an American thing.

But I am very proud of the fact that those values are at the heart of the Democratic Party and all the Democrats who are here as Congress -- as members of Congress. (Applause.) And so, when you support them, you are part of the team.

We’re going to need you, because this is going to be a big fight. And it’s not one that’s going to be finished -- there’s no shot clock on this. You’ve just got to keep on going. (Laughter.) And it requires endurance and it requires persistence. But at the end of the day, I’m confident we’re going to be victorious. And the reason I’m confident is because of all of you.

So thank you for your support tonight. Don’t let up. God bless you. (Applause.)

END
8:07 P.M. PST

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release

November 26, 2013

Statement by the Press Secretary Regarding Robert Levinson

On March 9, 2007, American citizen and retired FBI Agent Robert Levinson went missing during a business trip to Kish Island, Iran. Today, Mr. Levinson becomes one of the longest held Americans in history.

As we approach the upcoming holiday season, we reiterate the commitment of the United States Government to locate Mr. Levinson and bring him home safely to his family, friends, and loved ones. We welcome the assistance of our international partners in this investigation, and we respectfully ask the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran to assist us in securing Mr. Levinson’s health, welfare, and safe return.

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release

November 25, 2013

Remarks by the President at a DNC Event -- San Francisco, CA

San Francisco Jazz Center
San Francisco, California

1:35 P.M. PST

THE PRESIDENT: Hello, hello, hello! (Applause.) Thank you. Everybody, have a seat. Have a seat. Have a seat. It is good to be back in San Francisco. (Applause.) Love this place.

AUDIENCE MEMBER: I love you!

THE PRESIDENT: I love you back. (Applause.) I love you back.

I always have fun in San Francisco. (Applause.) There’s always something going on. Even in the ropeline -- (laughter) -- I had some folks sing to me; had a guy who took a photo with me with the shoes with the little toes in them. (Laughter.) I am sure that's the first time that's ever happened to a President. (Laughter.) And they looked very comfortable. But that doesn’t happen in Chicago. (Laughter.) There have been at least five protests that I don't know what they’re protesting, but they’re yelling something. (Laughter.) That's sort of par for the course in San Francisco. I knew it was something.

Part of the reason, though, that I love coming here is because I've got such great friends. And I just want to acknowledge them -- although I'm sure they’ve already been acknowledged. First of all, your outstanding Mayor, Ed Lee, is here. Give Mayor Lee a big round of applause. (Applause.) We've got your wonderful AG, your Attorney General, Kamala Harris is here. (Applause.) Outstanding members of Congress -- Mike Honda is here. (Applause.) Eric Swalwell is here. (Applause.) Barbara Lee is here. (Applause.) Barbara Lee!

I want to thank our cohosts -- Nicola Milner and Robert Mailer Anderson. Give them a big round of applause. (Applause.) And their fabulous children who are here -- and I think didn’t go to school today. But that's okay. (Laughter.)

The new person who is leading the University of California system -- and we miss her in Washington, but she’s going to do a great job here -- Janet Napolitano is here. (Applause.)

And one thing I did not like about today is that I did not have a chance to hear some friends of mine play, who I've had them at the White House and I try never to miss a performance when I get a chance because they are just fabulous -- give it up for Herbie Hancock, Alyssa Moran, Jason Moran, Joshua Redman, Esperanza Spalding. (Applause.)

And all of you are here, and I'm grateful for that. I know you came basically for the music, so I'm not going to speak long. (Laughter.) But I so appreciate you being here in support of the Democratic Party and the Democrat National Committee, because we've got a lot of work to do.

Sometimes people ask me, how do you keep up with everything involved in this job of yours, which is kind of a crazy job? There’s a lot of stuff. (Laughter.) And it’s all pretty complicated, and nobody is ever entirely happy with any decision that you make, and your hair is a lot grayer than it used to be. (Laughter.) And what I tell them is that every morning I try to think back to how I got involved in public service in the first place, and I think back to my own family’s story. I think about my grandparents, and my grandfather fighting in World War II in Patton’s Army, and coming back and benefiting from the G.I. Bill.
And I think about my grandmother, who, partly because of how women were treated when she was growing up, wasn’t able to go to college herself, but worked her way up from being a secretary to being the vice president of a bank -- and then hit the glass ceiling, and probably could have gone a little further if it hadn’t been for some of the bias that existed at the time.

I think about my mom, single mom raising two kids, and the help that scholarships provided her so that she could end up getting her education, and then work around the world, helping folks in need.

I think about Michelle and her family -- Michelle’s dad, a blue-collar worker all his life, never went to college; Michelle’s mom worked as a secretary for most of her life, when she wasn’t looking after the kids.

And then I look at my daughters, and I think about that progression, that trajectory, and what this country has done for my family. And then I travel around the country and I see that same story repeated over and over again -- of people who came here from different places without a lot except hopes and dreams, and this belief in an America, where if you worked hard, you could make it; that if you tried hard, regardless of what you looked like, where you came from, what your last name was, who you loved, that you had a chance to succeed -- you could pursue your own portion of the American Dream.

And why I feel so privileged in this job is because in some small measure, every single day I have an opportunity to advance that story and to make sure that it’s there for not just Malia and Sasha, but for the next generation -- for your kids, your grandkids, and the kids and grandkids of folks who can’t afford a fundraiser like this.

And we’ve made enormous progress over the last five years on a whole variety of issues, most fundamentally, making sure that we didn’t slip into a Great Depression; making sure that we’re able to expand financial assistance to young people who wanted to go to college; making sure that, yes, in this country, if you get sick, you won’t go bankrupt, because you have the possibility of getting affordable health care -- (applause) -- making sure that we ended two -- ended one war, we’ll end another war next year; that we realign our security with our values and our ideals.

We’ve made sure that we ended “don’t ask, don’t tell,” (applause) -- and we made sure that we stood on the right side of history when it came to making everybody subject to the same rights and responsibilities as American citizens. (Applause.) And saving an auto industry. You go down the list and it’s been pretty productive. (Applause.)

But I tell you -- so that’s what I think about when I get up in the morning. (Laughter.) This is all while I’m just brushing my teeth. (Laughter.) But what I think about at the end of the day is how much more has to be done. What I think about at the end of the day is the story that I hear in a letter, or from somebody in a ropeline, who lost their job, and no matter how hard they try, haven’t been able to get one again, and are worried now about losing their home.

Or I think about somebody who is fortunate enough to have a job but hasn’t seen a raise in five years, and are trying to figure out whether they’re going to be able to retire. Or I think about the young person who says, “I started school, but I had to drop out because I just couldn’t sustain the debt.” Or I think about the young person who comes up to me and says, “Mr. President, thank you for deferred action. I was brought here when I was five years old and I consider myself as American as anybody else, but I don’t have papers, and you helped me, but I'm worried about my mom and my dad and what might happen to them if we don’t get immigration passed.”

I think about the military families that I meet, and the young men and women that I meet at Walter Reed who have sacrificed so much -- in some cases, unimaginable sacrifice -- for our security and our liberty. And I think about the work that we still have to do to make sure that our veterans are treated with the honor and the respect and the support that they have earned. (Applause.)

And I think about all these young kids running around, three-year-olds and four-year-olds, and how much promise they've got and potential and energy. And if we could just make sure that they're getting high-quality early childhood education when they're young, it doesn’t matter how poor they may be right now, there's nothing they can't achieve. (Applause.) But I also think about the fact that we're nowhere close to providing the kind of support that is required to make sure every child in America actually has opportunity.

I think about the amazing young scientists and researchers who are coming up with cures for Alzheimer's or cancer or HIV, but who tell me, you know what, we're running out of research money, and it seems like each year fewer and fewer research grants are available and we're not sure how much longer we can keep going despite all these promising avenues that we have.

And I think about the small business people who are doing great work but still feel as if the tax code is tilted in favor of folks who can hire big-shot attorneys and big-shot accountants, and somehow they don’t feel like they're getting a fair shake. And they can't hire lobbyists to set up a bunch of loopholes for them.

And I think about the incredible beauty of a state like California, and I wonder whether or not we're moving fast enough to deal with climate change so that that same beauty will be available for our kids and our grandkids and the generations to come. (Applause.)

And so my day starts off with great promise. (Laughter.) And my day ends, and I look at my checklist of stuff I got to do, and I'm thinking, man, we've still got a long way to go. And three years will go by like that. It will go by like that. And those of us who have kids know how fast it goes, because Malia and Sasha, they're like weeds. (Laughter.)

So the question then becomes, understanding that we're never going to be able to get everything done that needs to get done right now, right away, that we live in a democracy in a big, complex country and there's a lot of disagreement and there's a lot of ideas being contested and regional differences and cultural differences that we experience; understanding that it's not all going to happen overnight, the question becomes what during this moment, this week, this month, this year, next year, the next three years -- what can we do to continue to advance this core idea that here in this country it doesn't matter what you look like, where you come from, who you love, what your last name is, if you work hard you can make it, and by you making it individually, somehow, all of us are a little bit better off. How do we vindicate that idea? How do we keep on pressing it forward?

Now, what's hampering us right now is not that we don't have good policy ideas. We know what works. We know right now that if we had a budget that invested in rebuilding our infrastructure -- our roads, our bridges, our ports, smart grids, broadband lines -- we know that would create jobs right now, and improve the economy right now, and grow it faster right now. And it would be laying the groundwork for growth for decades to come. We know that. We know it's true. We've done it before. It's part of how America became an economic superpower.

We know that if we invest in basic research, incredible companies like those in this region are going to be created faster. We're going to be creating products and services that none of us even imagine. We know that. We know if we invest in early childhood education -- a bigger bang for the buck than just about anything we could do -- every dollar we invest, we'd save seven bucks on the other end, because young people would have done better, less likely to get into trouble, less likely to go to prison, less likely to be dependent on the state. We know it.
These things shouldn't be controversial. We know we can actually pay for it while bringing down our deficit. The deficit has been cut by more than half since I came into office. (Applause.) Coming down faster than any time since World War II.
So we know that we can bring down our deficits. But we could still invest in the things I just talked about: closing a few tax loopholes, making some modest reforms to make sure that our social safety net is there for the long term. And by the way, the things I’m talking about, they're not even particularly ideological. They're just common sense.

So what’s stopping us from doing it? Well, it’s politics. What we know is the fact that right now in this country, there’s at least one faction of one party that has decided they're more interested in stopping progress than advancing it, and aren’t interested in compromise or engaging in solving problems; they're more interested in scoring points for the next election.

Now, look, I’m in public office. I know a lot of politicians. (Laughter.) It’s not as if Democrats have no blemishes. Everybody who is in public office is mindful of polls and mindful of how things play. That's the nature of the job. And some of it’s legitimate -- you’re trying to pay attention to what the people who sent you there are saying. You want to try to pay attention to their concerns.

But part of public service is also leadership. It’s also saying there are certain things that are right; there are certain things that have to be done even when they're hard; there are certain things where we actively seek to govern and to work with the other side, even if we don't agree with them on 100 percent of things. There’s 60 percent or 70 percent or 80 percent of the things that we do agree on; let’s go ahead and get those done. And then we can argue about the other stuff. (Applause.)

And somebody keeps on yelling, “Executive order.” (Laughter.) Well, I’m going to actually pause on this issue because a lot of people have been saying this lately on every problem -- (laughter) -- which is -- just sign an executive order, and we can pretty much do anything and basically nullify Congress. And unfortunately --

AUDIENCE MEMBER: Yes!

THE PRESIDENT: Wait, wait, wait, before everybody starts clapping -- (laughter) -- that's not how it works. We got this Constitution. We got this whole thing about separation of powers and branches. (Applause.) So we got to -- there is no shortcut to politics. And there’s no shortcut to democracy. And we have to win on the merits of the argument with the American people. As laborious as it seems sometimes, as much misinformation as there is out there sometimes, as frustrating as it may be sometimes, what we have to do is just keep on going, keep on pushing. (Applause.) And eventually, we move in a better direction.

That's been true for the first five years of my administration. When folks said we couldn’t end “don't ask, don't tell” -- in fact, somebody -- a bunch of people yelled, “Executive order.” (Laughter.) I decided, well, let’s try to actually pass a law. And we did.

It’s been true, obviously, with health care. Folks have fought us every step of the way, but we have kept on going. And this website is going to get fixed. (Applause.) And we are going to be signing people up, and we’re going to make sure that everybody in California and everybody in America who needs health care is going to get it. (Applause.) We just kept on going. We don't stop. (Applause.) We don't stop. We don't stop.

It’s true domestically, and it’s true on foreign policy. The Middle East is enormously challenging. We got a deal signed this weekend on Iran -- (applause) -- and for the first time halting the advancement of their nuclear program. But there's still enormous challenges ahead. We haven't solved this problem. We haven't solved the mistrust and the enmity and the fundamental challenges of Iran's nuclear capacity. But we're testing diplomacy. We're not resorting immediately to military conflict. (Applause.) And we create a space where there's a possibility of resolving problems that have lingered for decades.

It's not easy. I can't just sign an executive order. (Laughter.) But it's possible, and it's worth the effort.

And so let me just close by saying this: What's true today, what's been true over the last five years has been true throughout our history: It was because we kept going that emancipation happened. It was because we kept on going that women won the right to vote. It's because we kept on going, despite every trial and tribulation, that workers got their rights. (Applause.) It's because we kept on going that the environment was cleaned up.

It's because people were marching and organizing, and pushing and prodding, and suffering defeats and not being defeated by those defeats, and just kept on going, that, slowly but surely, America has become a more fair place; a more just place; our environment is cleaner; a less violent place; a land of opportunity; a place where, despite everything that’s happened, we continue to be a beacon for people all around the world.

So that’s what gives me comfort before I go to bed. (Laughter.) After I've got all those worries in my head about all the stuff that remains undone, at the end of the day when I rest my head on that pillow, I think, this country, we found a way. We've always found a way. Because we don’t stop. We persevere; we keep on going and we keep in mind that North Start, that focus, that direction, that we care so deeply about. Because that’s what the American story is all about.

And for all our flaws, that’s what the Democratic Party is all about. And that’s what you're fighting for alongside us. (Applause.) That’s what your contributions are about. That’s what our members of Congress are fighting for. That’s what the DNC is about.

That’s why we need you. We need you so we can keep on going -- because we've got a lot of work to do, and I want to do it with you. And I'm not going to get all of it done in the next three years, but I'm going to get an awful lot of it done in the next three years because of folks like you. (Applause.)

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

END
1:59 P.M. PST

No Matter Where You Come From, America Is a Place Where You Can Make It If You Try

Megan Slack

November 25, 2013
05:44 PM EDT

President Barack Obama delivers remarks on immigration, at the Betty Ann Ong Chinese Recreation Center in San Francisco, Calif., Nov. 25, 2013. (Official White House Photo by Chuck Kennedy)

In the early 1900s, more than 300,000 people passed through California’s Angel Island on their way to a new life in America, many drawn by the belief that here, anything was possible.

Today, just a few miles away at the Betty Ong Recreation Center in San Francisco’s Chinatown, President Obama said he is committed to fixing our broken immigration system to make sure we continue welcoming striving, hardworking immigrants who see America the same way many of our ancestors did when they came here generations ago -- as a country where no matter who you are or what you look like or where you come from, you can make it if you try.

“Too often when we talk about immigration, the debate focuses on our southern border,” President Obama said. But immigrants from all over the world have put down roots in every corner of the country. In San Francisco, where the economy is one of the fastest growing in the country, 35 percent of business owners are immigrants.

“That’s the impact that our talented, hardworking immigrants can have," he said. “That’s the difference they can make. And that’s why it’s long past time to reform an immigration system that doesn’t serve America as well as it should – because we should be doing more to unleash that potential.”

President Obama shared the story of Andrew Ly and his brothers, who emigrated from Vietnam by way of Malaysia. Once they arrived in San Francisco, they learned English and worked as handymen and seamstresses.

Eventually, Andrew and his brothers earned enough money to buy a small bakery. And they started making donuts, and they started selling them to Chinese restaurants. And with a lot of hard work and a little luck, the Sugar Bowl Bakery today is a $60 million business. So these humble and striving immigrants from Vietnam now employ more than 300 Americans. They’re supplying pastries to Costco and Safeway, and almost every hotel and hospital in San Francisco.