Remarks by the President at a Campaign Event

Capital Hilton
Washington, D.C. 

4:00 P.M. EDT

THE PRESIDENT:  Hello, everybody!  (Applause.)  How's everybody doing?  You still fired up?  (Applause.)  You still ready to go? 
AUDIENCE:  Ready to go!

THE PRESIDENT:  Well, I am, too.  (Applause.)

I gather I don't have to tell you guys there's an election going on.  (Applause.)  There are so many political ads out these days.  I was with Jim Messina, my campaign manager, and he told me a story about meeting with this young couple, really nice people and they're big supporters.  And they had their four-year-old son named Sammy with them.  And so during the meeting -- there's a picture of me on the wall, and the parents, proud as they are of their son, they say, "Sammy, who’s that?"  And he said, "That’s Barack Obama."  (Laughter.)  And they say, "What does Barack Obama do?"  He thought for a second, and he said, "He approves this message."  (Laughter and applause.)  That's what he said.  True story.  That's a true story.   

So there are a lot of ads out there.  And I do approve this message.  First of all, I approve the message of Chris Van Hollen, one of the finest Congressmen that we have.  (Applause.) I'm so grateful to him. 

And I approve this message because, in the coming weeks, we, as Americans, have a really big choice to make -- not just between two candidates or two political parties, but between two different visions of where we need to take this country.

I believe that as a nation we're moving forward again.  We’re not where we need to be -- not yet.  We’ve got a lot more work to do -- a lot of folks unemployed, housing market is still weak in some places -- a lot of work to do to make the middle class more secure.  But the question right now is, whose plan is going to keep us moving forward?

AUDIENCE:  Your plan!  (Applause.)

THE PRESIDENT:  That's the right answer.  You guys are a little biased.  (Laughter.) 

My opponent’s plan basically reflects his belief in top-down economics.  He thinks that if we just spend another $5 trillion on tax cuts that favor the wealthiest Americans, we get rid of Wall Street regulations, all problems will be solved, and jobs and prosperity will rain down on everybody's head and we'll all live happily ever after.  (Laughter.)  

Now, the problem, as you are aware, is that we tried that.  We tried that in the last decade.  It did not work then; it will not work now.  Top-down economics does not work.  Instead of doubling down on the same trickle-down economics that got us into this mess in the first place, we need to keep moving forward with an economy in which the middle class is getting more secure, the middle class is growing.  We succeed when the middle class sees greater opportunity and everybody who wants to work their way into the middle class see ladders of opportunity; where everybody can live up to their God-given potential.  (Applause.)  We certainly can’t go very far with a leader who writes off half the nation as a bunch of victims.  (Applause.)

When I travel this country, I don’t meet victims.  I meet students who are trying to work their way through college.  (Applause.)  Case in point.  (Laughter.)  I meet single moms, like my mom, who are putting in overtime to raise their kids right.  (Applause.)  I meet senior citizens who worked all their lives and have been saving for retirement.  (Applause.)  I meet veterans who served this country bravely.  (Applause.)  I meet soldiers who are defending our freedom every single day.  They don’t think and I don’t think that anybody is entitled to success in this country.

We don’t believe that government should be helping people who refuse to help themselves.  But we do believe in opportunity.  We do believe that hard work should pay off.  We do believe everyone should get a fair shot, and everybody does their fair share, and everybody plays by the same rules. 

We believe in an America where no matter what you look like, or where you come from, or who you love, you can make it if you try.  (Applause.)  That’s the country we believe in.  That’s what we’re fighting for.  That’s why I’m running for a second term as President of the United States.  (Applause.)

I believe in what we’re calling a new economic patriotism, rooted in that belief that a strong economy starts with a strong middle class.  And I don’t pretend that the path that we need to be on is going to be quick or easy.  It took more than a few years to get to where we are, and it’s going to take more time to get us out of this mess that was created by some of the same policies that my opponent is now proposing. 

But our problems can be solved.  Our challenges can be met.  We’ve still got the best workers in the world, the best universities, the best scientists, the best -- we’ve got the best stuff -- (applause) -- we’ve just got to bring it together.  And listen, if you doubt it, just understand there’s not a country on Earth that wouldn’t trade places with us right now.  That’s why people from all around the world want to come here.

So the path I’m offering may be harder, but it leads to a better place.  And some of you have seen we’ve been putting forward a longer ad explaining exactly how we’re going to grow the middle class, create jobs, rebuild an economy on a stronger foundation.  It starts with exporting more products, outsourcing fewer jobs. 

I don’t think we should have let Detroit go bankrupt.  (Applause.)  We reinvented an auto industry that’s back on top of the world.  We’re creating more manufacturing jobs than at any time since the 1990s, and so now people have a choice:  Should we give more tax breaks to companies that are shipping jobs overseas, or do we start rewarding companies that are opening new plants and creating jobs right here in the United States of America.  (Applause.)

I want to help businesses double their exports in this country.  I want to create a million new manufacturing jobs over the next four years, and you can make that happen by the choice we make in this election. 

I want greater control of our own energy.  After 30 years of doing nothing, we raised fuel efficiency standards on cars so by the middle of the next decade, your car or truck will go twice as far on a gallon of gas.  (Applause.)  We have doubled the amount of renewable energy from wind and solar; we’re creating thousands of jobs all across the country as a result.  And today, the United States of America is less dependent on foreign oil than at any time in nearly two decades.

So the choice is do we build on this progress, or do we go with a plan that would reverse it, like my opponent is proposing.  I do not believe in letting oil companies write this country’s energy plan.  (Applause.)  I don’t believe in endangering our coastlines, or having them continue to collect another $4 billion in corporate welfare from our taxpayers. 

So we’ve got a better plan that keeps investing in wind and solar and clean coal technology, and allows farmers and scientists to harness new biofuels that power our cars and trucks.  And we’re putting construction workers back to work retrofitting buildings so they use less energy; and developing 100-year supply of natural gas.  If we do all that, we can cut our oil imports in half by 2020.  It’s good for the environment, it’s good for the economy, it’s good for our national security.  That’s what I mean when I say we need to go forward.  (Applause.)  That’s what we’re going to need to do. 

We need to give every American the chance to compete by making sure we’ve got the best education system in the world.  (Applause.)  That’s the reason I’m standing here today.  That’s the gateway of opportunity and the gateway into the middle class.  And because of the work we’ve already done, millions of young people are better able to afford college already.  And now we’ve got to do more by hiring 100,000 new math and science teachers; by making sure that we’re providing millions of new slots for folks to retrain at community colleges for the jobs that exist right now.  (Applause.)  Continue to lower tuition costs for students so they’re not loaded up with debt once they graduate.  (Applause.)  

My opponent thinks that it makes sense for us to gut our investment in education in order to give a tax break to the wealthy.  I disagree.  I think what the United States of America means is that no child should be deprived of a good education.  (Applause.)  It means that no family should have to set aside a college acceptance letter just because they don’t have the money.  And no employer should have to look for workers with the right skills in China instead of the United States of America.  (Applause.)  I want us to focus on education.  That’s what we’ve been doing.  That’s what we’re going to keep on doing in a second term when I’m President of the United States.  (Applause.) 

I want to make sure that we’re lowering our deficit in a way that doesn’t stick it to the middle class.  Now, I put forward a $4 trillion deficit reduction package -- a trillion dollars of cuts we’ve already made working with this Congress.  We can do more, but we’re not going to just cut our way to prosperity.  We’ve got to reform our tax code so it’s simple and it’s fair, and so that the wealthiest are doing a little bit more -- going back to the same rates we had when Bill Clinton was President, and our economy created nearly 23 million new jobs, the biggest surplus in history, and a whole lot of millionaires to boot.  (Applause.)

So, in fairness, my opponent has a plan, too.  But as Bill Clinton pointed out, it’s missing arithmetic.  (Laughter.)  You’ve got a $5 trillion tax cut skewed towards the wealthy; $2 trillion in additional defense spending that our military says we don’t need, and no identifiable way to pay for it.  Either that blows up our deficit or, as independent analysts have said, that’s going to end up meaning middle-class families end up paying higher taxes.  That’s not the way to grow an economy.

We cut taxes for middle-class families because what do you do when you’ve got a little extra money?  You spend it.  Which means business has more customers.  They make higher profits; they, in turn, hire more workers.  That’s how you grow an economy.

My opponent thinks it’s fair that somebody who makes $20 million a year like he does pays a lower tax rate than a cop or a teacher who makes $50,000.  I don’t think that’s fair.  I don’t think that helps grow our economy.

AUDIENCE:  No!

THE PRESIDENT:  I refuse to ask middle-class families to give up their deductions for owning a home or raising kids just to pay for another millionaire’s tax cut.  (Applause.)  We’re not going to do that.  We’re not going to ask students to pay more for college, or kick kids off of Head Start, or eliminate health insurance for millions of Americans who are elderly or disabled or poor -- just to pay for a tax cut for me or my opponent. 

And we will not turn Medicare into a voucher program.  (Applause.)  Because that’s something seniors, after a lifetime of labor, have earned.  And we don’t want them spending their golden years at the mercy of insurance companies.  They should retire with the dignity and the care that they have earned.  (Applause.) 

And, by the way, just like we're not turning Medicare into a voucher, we're not going to turn over Social Security to Wall Street.  (Applause.)  We'll strengthen those systems, but we'll do it in a responsible way to make sure it's there for future generations. 

Now, that’s not all that’s at stake in this election.  Obviously, our prosperity at home is linked to what we do abroad. Four years ago, I promised we'd end the war in Iraq, and I did. (Applause.)  I said we'd wind down the war in Afghanistan in a responsible way, and we are.  (Applause.)  We've got a new tower rising above the New York skyline, al Qaeda is on the run, and bin Laden is dead.  (Applause.)  We have delivered on our promise.  (Applause.) 

But as we've seen just in the last few weeks, we still face serious threats in the world.  That’s why as long as I'm Commander-In-Chief, we'll continue to have the strongest military the world has ever known.  That’s why when our young -- when our men and women come home after serving us, we're going to make sure that we serve them just as good.  (Applause.)  Because nobody should have to fight for a job or a roof over their heads when they have fought on behalf of this country.  That’s a solemn pledge that I make.  (Applause.) 

Now, my opponent, he thought ending the war in Iraq was “tragic.”  He doesn’t have a plan to wind down the war in Afghanistan.  I have, and I will.  And I'm also going to use the money that we're saving, as we wind down these wars, to do some nation-building here at home -- (applause) -- put people back to work rebuilding our roads and our bridges and our runways.  After a decade of war, it's time to do some nation-building here.  (Applause.)  It really is.  So that’s the choice we face.  That’s what's at stake.  It's about how we think about this country. 

The other side keeps telling us through all these advertising -- and they're going to be running a lot more over the next five, six weeks -- that bigger tax cuts, fewer regulations, that’s the only way to go; that because government can't do everything it should do almost nothing.  Their basic philosophy is, if you don’t have health insurance, hope you don’t get sick.  (Laughter.)  If you can't afford college, borrow money from your parents.  (Laughter.) 

That’s not who we are.  We don’t think government can solve all our problems, but we also don’t think it's the source of all our problems.  We actually think that, just as we all have to take individual initiative, all have to take personal responsibility, we also think that as citizens, we've got obligations to each other and to future generations.  (Applause.) 
We understand America is not about what can be done for us, but what can be done by us together, as one nation and as one people.  (Applause.)  And that’s why I've said before and I will say again, the election four years ago wasn't about me -- it was about you.  You're the reason there's a little girl with a heart disorder who is going to be able to get the surgery she needs because insurance companies can't discriminate against kids with preexisting conditions.  (Applause.)  You're the reason why some single mom in Ohio is able to help her son go to college now.  You did that.

You're the reason why we're able to make sure that somebody who grew up here, pledged allegiance to their flag, that they're not going to be suddenly deported from the only nation that they’ve ever called home.  (Applause.) 

You’re the reason why we ended “don’t ask, don’t tell.”  (Applause.)  You’re the reason why our troops are coming home.  You did that.  (Applause.)

So we can take confidence in the fact that we can make change, but it’s going to take you guys continuing to step up.  Change is going to take more than one term or one President or one party.  It’s not going to happen if you write off half the nation.  (Applause.)

Election day, 47 percent of the people did not vote for me. But I said, I may not have your vote, but I hear your voices, I need your help, and I will be your President, too.  (Applause.)  And I don’t know how many folks will vote for me this time around, but I say the same two things to them.  I will be your President, too.  (Applause.) 

I’m not fighting to create Democrat or Republican jobs, I’m fighting to create American jobs.  I’m not fighting to improve schools in blue states or red states, I’m fighting to improve schools in the United States of America.  (Applause.)  I’m not fighting on behalf of rich values or poor values, or 47 percent values or 53 percent values, I’m fighting for American values.  (Applause.)

I still believe in you.  I still believe we’re not as divided as the pundits make it seem.  And if you are willing to work with me, and knock on some doors, and make some phone calls, and go out there and get busy over the next six weeks, we will win this election, finish what we started, and remind the world why the United States is the greatest nation on Earth.  (Applause.)

Thank you, everybody.  (Applause.)

END 
4:20 P.M. EDT

Presidential Proclamation -- National Public Lands Day, 2012

NATIONAL PUBLIC LANDS DAY, 2012

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BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

A PROCLAMATION

When Thomas Jefferson described the view from Monticello in 1786, he wrote, "How sublime to look down into the workhouse of nature, to see her clouds, hail, snow, rain, thunder, all fabricated at our feet!" Though much has changed in the years since our third President put those words to paper, the sense of awe and reverence he expressed still courses through the American spirit. Our expansive landscapes remain an inspiration for all to behold, and as an essential piece of our heritage, it is incumbent upon us to protect them not only in our time, but for all time.

Today, thousands of Americans will take up that task by volunteering to care for our public lands. Cities and communities across our country will join together to restore the lands and waters we share, and families nationwide will explore the natural splendor that stretches from our Atlantic shores to the Pacific's rocky coasts. As we take time to connect with America's great outdoors in urban and rural areas alike, we are reminded of the varied roles our public lands play in our national life. These areas boost tourism and contribute to public health; they power local economies, fuel tomorrow's energy solutions, and serve as critical havens of biodiversity; and just as they always have, our public lands remain places of irreplaceable beauty. Through the America's Great Outdoors initiative, my Administration has worked to expand access to these important spaces while ensuring they are protected for future generations, and moving forward, we will continue to advance that vital mission.

The rugged grandeur of the American landscape has helped shape our character and our soul as a Nation. As we celebrate this National Public Lands Day, let us reflect on the lands and waters that so deeply enrich our experience, and let us renew our commitment to protecting them in the years to come.

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 September 29, 2012, as National Public Lands Day. I encourage all Americans to participate in a day of public service for our lands.

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

BARACK OBAMA

Statement by the Press Secretary on S. 3625

On Friday, September 28, 2012, the President signed into law:

S. 3625, which delays requirement, with certain exceptions, that financial disclosure forms of employees of the Executive and Legislative Branches be made available on official websites until December 8, 2012; and specifies that, beginning January 1, 2013, periodic transaction reports of Legislative and Executive Branch employees must include transactions of their spouses or dependent children. 

Order Signed by the President regarding the Acquisition of Four U.S. Wind Farm Project Companies by Ralls Corporation

ORDER

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REGARDING THE ACQUISITION OF FOUR U.S. WIND FARM PROJECT COMPANIES BY RALLS CORPORATION

By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including section 721 of the Defense Production Act of 1950, as amended (section 721), 50 U.S.C. App. 2170,

Section 1. Findings. I hereby make the following findings:

(a) There is credible evidence that leads me to believe that Ralls Corporation (Ralls), a corporation organized under the laws of Delaware, and its subsidiaries, and the Sany Group (which includes Sany Electric and Sany Heavy Industries), a Chinese company affiliated with Ralls (together, the Companies); and, Mr. Dawei Duan (Mr. Duan) and Mr. Jialing Wu (Mr. Wu), citizens of the People's Republic of China and senior executives of the Sany Group, who together own Ralls; through exercising control of Lower Ridge Windfarm, LLC, High Plateau Windfarm, LLC, Mule Hollow Windfarm, LLC, and Pine City Windfarm, LLC (collectively, the Project Companies), all limited liability companies organized under the laws of Oregon, might take action that threatens to impair the national security of the United States; and

(b) Provisions of law, other than section 721 and the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.), do not, in my judgment, provide adequate and appropriate authority for me to protect the national security in this matter.

Sec. 2. Actions Ordered and Authorized. On the basis of the findings set forth in section 1 of this order, considering the factors described in subsection 721(f), as appropriate, and pursuant to my authority under applicable law, including section 721, I hereby order that:

(a) The transaction resulting in the acquisition of the Project Companies and their assets by the Companies or Mr. Wu or Mr. Duan is hereby prohibited, and ownership by the Companies or Mr. Wu or Mr. Duan of any interest in the Project Companies and their assets, whether directly or indirectly through owners, subsidiaries, or affiliates, is prohibited.

(b) In order to effectuate this order, Ralls shall divest all interests in:

(i) the Project Companies;

(ii) the Project Companies' assets, intellectual property, technology, personnel, and customer contracts; and

(iii) any operations developed, held, or controlled, whether directly or indirectly, by the Project Companies at the time of, or since, their acquisition

not later than 90 days after the date of this order, unless such date is extended for a period not to exceed three (3) months, on such written conditions as the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) may require. Immediately upon divestment, Ralls shall certify in writing to CFIUS that such divestment has been effected in accordance with this order.

(c) No later than 14 calendar days from the date of this order, the Companies shall:

(i) remove from the properties on which the Companies have proposed to construct wind farms (including alternate sites) that are identified in the notice filed with CFIUS (Properties) all items, structures, or other physical objects or installations of any kind (including concrete foundations) that the Companies or persons on behalf of the Companies have stockpiled, stored, deposited, installed, or affixed thereon; and

(ii) provide CFIUS with a statement signed by Mr. Duan and Mr. Wu certifying that the Companies have completed such removal.

(d) The Companies, and any persons acting for or on behalf of the Companies, including officers, employees, and owners, shall cease all access, and will not have any access, to the Properties. Notwithstanding the foregoing, individuals that are U.S. citizens contracted by the Companies and approved by CFIUS may access the Properties solely for purposes of fulfilling the requirements of subsection (c) of this section.

(e) The Companies, Mr. Duan, and Mr. Wu shall not sell or otherwise transfer, or propose to sell or otherwise transfer, or otherwise facilitate the sale or transfer of, any items made or otherwise produced by the Sany Group to any third party for use or installation at the Properties.

(f) Ralls shall not complete a sale or transfer of the Project Companies or their assets to any third party until:

(i) all items, structures, or other physical objects or installations of any kind (including concrete foundations) that the Companies or persons on behalf of the Companies have stockpiled, stored, deposited, installed, or affixed on the Properties have been removed from the Properties and the Department of Defense has notified the Companies that it has verified the Companies' certification of such removal provided pursuant to subsection (c) of this section;

(ii) Ralls notifies CFIUS in writing of the intended recipient or buyer; and

(iii) Ralls has not received a provisional or final objection from CFIUS to the intended recipient or buyer within 10 business days of the notification in subsection f(ii) of this section. Among the factors CFIUS may consider in reviewing the proposed sale or transfer are whether the buyer or transferee: is a U.S. citizen or is owned by U.S. citizens; has or has had a direct or indirect contractual, financial, familial, employment, or other close and continuous relationship with the Companies or Project Companies, or their officers, employees, or owners; and can demonstrate a willingness and ability to support compliance with this order.

(g) From the date of this order until Ralls provides a certification of divestment to CFIUS pursuant to subsection (b) of this section, the Companies shall certify to CFIUS on a monthly basis that they are in compliance with this order.

(h) Without limitation on the exercise of authority by any agency under other provisions of law, and until such time as the divestment is completed and verified to the satisfaction of CFIUS, CFIUS is authorized to implement measures it deems necessary and appropriate to verify that operations of the Project Companies are carried out in such a manner as to ensure protection of the national security interests of the United States. Such measures may include but are not limited to the following: on reasonable notice to the Project Companies and the Companies, employees of the United States Government, as designated by CFIUS, shall be permitted access, for purposes of verifying compliance with this order, to all premises and facilities of the Project Companies and the Companies located in the United States:

(i) to inspect and copy any books, ledgers, accounts, correspondence, memoranda, and other records and documents in the possession or under the control of the Companies or the Project Companies that concern any matter relating to this order;

(ii) to inspect any equipment and technical data (including software) in the possession or under the control of the Companies or the Project Companies; and

(iii) to interview officers, employees, or agents of the Companies or the Project Companies concerning any matter relating to this order.

CFIUS shall conclude its verification procedures within 90 days after the divestment is completed.

(i) The Attorney General is authorized to take any steps necessary to enforce this order.

Sec. 3. Revocation of Prior Orders. CFIUS's Order Establishing Interim Mitigation Measures of July 25, 2012, and Amended Order Establishing Interim Mitigation Measures of August 2, 2012, are hereby revoked.

Sec. 4. Reservation. I hereby reserve my authority to issue further orders with respect to the Companies or the Project Companies as shall in my judgment be necessary to protect the national security.

Sec. 5. Publication and Transmittal.

(a) This order shall be published in the Federal Register.

(b) I hereby direct the Secretary of the Treasury to transmit a copy of this order to the appropriate parties named in section 1 of this order.

BARACK OBAMA