The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
April 14, 2012

Remarks by President Obama at CEO Summit of the Americas

Gran Salon Bolivar
Hilton Hotel
Cartagena, Colombia

10:43 A.M. COT

PRESIDENT OBAMA:  Well, first of all, I want to thank President Santos and the people of Colombia for the extraordinary hospitality in the beautiful city of Cartagena.  We're having a wonderful time.  And usually when I take these summit trips, part of my job is to scout out where I may want to bring Michelle back later for vacation.  So we'll make sure to come back sometime in the near future.  (Applause.)

I want to acknowledge Luis Moreno of IDB, as well as Luis Villegas of the National Business Association of Colombia, for helping to set this up, and everybody who's participating.

As President Rousseff indicated, obviously we've gone through some very challenging times.  These last three years have been as difficult for the world economy as anything that we've seen in our lifetimes.  And it is both a result of globalization and it is also a result of shifts in technology.  The days when we could think of each of our economies in isolation, those days are long gone.  What happens in Wall Street has an impact in Rio. What happens in Bogota has an impact in Beijing.

And so I think the challenge for all of our countries, and certainly the challenge for this hemisphere, is how do we make sure that that globalization and that integration is benefiting a broad base of people, that economic growth is sustainable and robust, and that it is also giving opportunity to a growing, wider circle of people, and giving businesses opportunities to thrive and create new products and new services and enjoy this global marketplace.

Now, I think the good news is this hemisphere is very well positioned in this global economy.  It is remarkable to see the changes that have been taking place in a relatively short period of time in Latin and Central America and in the Caribbean.  When you look at the extraordinary growth that's taken place in Brazil, first under President Lula and now under President Rousseff, when you think about the enormous progress that's been made here in Colombia under President Santos and his predecessor, what you see is that a lot of the old arguments on the left and the right no longer apply.

And what people are asking is, what works?  How do we think in practical terms about delivering prosperity, training our people so that they can compete in the global economy?  How do we create rule of law that allows businesses to invest with some sense of security and transparency?  How do we invest in science and technology?  How do we make sure that we have open and free trade at the same time as we're making sure that the benefits of free trade are distributed both between nations but also within nations?

And the good news is I think that, through various international organizations and organizations here within the hemisphere, we've seen enormous progress.  Trade between the United States and Latin, Central -- South America, Central America and the Caribbean has expanded 46 percent since I came into office -- 46 percent.

Before I came to Cartagena, I stopped in Tampa, Florida, which is the largest port in Florida.  And they are booming and expanding.  And the reason is, is because of the enormous expansion of trade and commerce with this region.  It's creating jobs in Florida, and it's creating jobs in Colombia, and it's creating jobs in Brazil and throughout the region.  Businesses are seeing that if they have an outstanding product or an outstanding service, they don’t have to restrict themselves to one market, they now have a regional market and ultimately a global market in which they can sell their goods and succeed.

A couple of things that I think will help further facilitate this productive integration:  Number one, the free trade agreement that we've negotiated between Colombia and the United States is an example of a free trade agreement that benefits both sides.  It's a win-win.  It has high standards -- (applause) -- it's a high-standards agreement.  It's not a race to the bottom, but rather it says each country is abiding by everything from strong rules around labor and the environment to intellectual property protection.  And so I have confidence that as we implement this plan, what we're going to see is extraordinary opportunities for both U.S. and Colombian businesses.

So trade agreements of the sort that we have negotiated, thanks to the leadership of President Santos and his administration, I think point the way to the future.

In addition, I think there is the capacity for us to cooperate on problems that all countries face, and I'll take just one example -- the issue of energy.  All of us recognize that if we're going to continue to grow our economies effectively, then we're going to have to adapt to the fact that fossil fuels are a finite resource and demand is going up much faster than supply.  There are also, obviously, significant environmental concerns that we have to deal with.  So for us to cooperate on something like joint electrification and electric grid integration, so that a country like Brazil, that is doing outstanding work in biofuels or hydro-energy, has the ability to export that energy but also teach best practices to countries within the region, create new markets for clean energy throughout the region -- which benefits those customers who need electricity but also benefit those countries that are top producers of energy -- that's another example of the kind of progress that we can make together.

On the education front, every country in the region recognizes that if we're going to compete with Asia, if we're going to compete with Europe, we've got to up our game.  We have to make sure that we've got the best-trained workers in the world, we've got the best education system in the world.  And so the work that President Rousseff and I are doing together to try to significantly expand educational exchanges and send young people who are studying science and engineering and computer science to the United States to study if they're Brazilian, down to Brazil to study best practices in clean energy in Brazil -- there's enormous opportunity for us to work together to train our young people so that this hemisphere is filled with outstanding entrepreneurs and workers, and allows us to compete more effectively.

So there are a number of areas where I think cooperation is proceeding.  Sometimes it's not flashy.  I think that oftentimes in the press the attention in summits like this ends up focusing on where are the controversies.  Sometimes those controversies date back to before I was born.  (Laughter.)  And sometimes I feel as if in some of these discussions or at least the press reports we're caught in a time warp, going back to the 1950s and gunboat diplomacy and Yanquis and the Cold War, and this and that and the other.  That's not the world we live in today.

And my hope is, is that we all recognize this enormous opportunity that we've got.  And I know the business leaders who are here today, they understand it; they understand that we're in a new world, and we have to think in new ways.

Last point I want to make -- I think when you think about the extraordinary success in Brazil, the success in Colombia, a big piece of that is governance.  You can't, I believe, have, over the long term, successful economies if you don't have some basic principles that are being followed:  democracy and rule of law, human rights being observed, freedom of expression.  And I think -- and also personal security, the capacity for people to feel as if they work hard then they're able to achieve, and they have motivation to start a business and to know that their own work will pay off.

And I just want to compliment both Brazil and Colombia, coming from different political traditions, but part of the reason why you've seen sustained growth is governments have worked effectively in each country.  And I think that when we look at how we're going to integrate further and take advantage of increased opportunity in the future, it's very important for us not to ignore how important it is to have a clean, transparent, open government that is working on behalf of its people.

And that's important to business as well.  The days when a business feels good working in a place where people are being oppressed -- ultimately that's an unstable environment for you to do business.  You do business well when you know that it's a well-functioning society and that there's a legitimate government in place that is going to be looking out for its people.

So I just want to thank both of my outstanding partners here.  They're true leaders in the region.  And I can speak, I think, for the United States to say that we've never been more excited about the prospects of working as equal partners with our brothers and sisters in Latin America and the Caribbean, because that's going to be the key to our success.  (Applause.)

* * * *

MR. MATTHEWS:  President Santos, I guess there are some issues in America -- we have a very large Hispanic population.  Ten percent of our electorate is going to be Hispanic in background.  We are the second-largest Spanish-speaking country in the world after Mexico.  People have dual languages in the United States, of course, but there is so much Spanish speaking. You have the chance to sit next to President Obama now.  Do you want to ask him about the ways you think the United States could help your country in the drug war?

* * * *

PRESIDENT OBAMA:  Do you want me to respond?

MR. MATTHEWS:  Yes, sir.

PRESIDENT OBAMA:  Well, this is a conversation that I've had with President Santos and others.  Just as the world economy is integrated, so, unfortunately, the drug trade is integrated.  And we can't look at the issue of supply in Latin America without also looking at the issue of demand in the United States.  (Applause.)

And so whether it's working with President Santos or supporting the courageous work that President Calderón is doing in Mexico, I, personally, and my administration and I think the American people understand that the toll of narco-trafficking on the societies of Central America, Caribbean, and parts of South America are brutal, and undermining the capacity of those countries to protect their citizens, and eroding institutions and corrupting institutions in ways that are ultimately bad for everybody.

So this is part of the reason why we've invested, Chris, about $30 billion in prevention programs, drug treatment programs looking at the drug issue not just from a law enforcement and interdiction issue, but also from a public health perspective. This is why we've worked in unprecedented fashion in cooperation with countries like Mexico on not just drugs coming north, but also guns and cash going south.

This is one of the reasons why we have continued to invest in programs like Plan Colombia, but also now are working with Colombia, given their best practices around issues of citizen security, to have not just the United States but Colombia provide technical assistance and training to countries in Central America and the Caribbean in finding ways that they can duplicate some of the success that we've seen in Colombia.

So we're mindful of our responsibilities on this issue.  And I think it is entirely legitimate to have a conversation about whether the laws in place are ones that are doing more harm than good in certain places.

I personally, and my administration's position, is that legalization is not the answer; that, in fact, if you think about how it would end up operating, that the capacity of a large-scale drug trade to dominate certain countries if they were allowed to operate legally without any constraint could be just as corrupting if not more corrupting then the status quo.

Nevertheless, I'm a big believer in looking at the evidence, having a debate.  I think ultimately what we're going to find is, is that the way to solve this problem is both in the United States, us dealing with demand in a more effective way, but it's also going to be strengthening institutions at home.

You mentioned earlier, the biggest thing that's on everybody's minds -- whether it's the United States, Canada, Brazil, Colombia, Jamaica -- is, can I find a job that allows me to support my family and allows my children to advance and feel secure.  And in those societies where you've got strong institutions, you've got strong business investment, you've got rule of law, you have a law enforcement infrastructure that is sound, and an economy that's growing -- that country is going to be like a healthy body that is more immune than countries that have weak institutions and high unemployment, in which kids see their only future as participating in the drug trade because nobody has actually trained them to get a job with Google, or Pepsi, or start their own small business.

And so I think that it's important for us not to think that if somehow we look at the drug issue in isolation, in the absence of dealing with some of these other challenges -- institutional challenges and barriers to growth and opportunity and the capacity for people to climb their way out of poverty, that we're going to be able to solve this problem.  The drug issue in this region is, in some ways, a cause, but it's also, in some ways, an effect of some broader and underlying problems.  And we as the United States have an obligation not only to get our own house in order but also to help countries in a partnership to try to see if we can move in a better direction.  (Applause.)

* * * *

MR. MATTHEWS: Mr. President, do you want to respond?  I think the question that seems to be apparent here in the last couple of days is, first of all, tremendous enthusiasm, a zeitgeist here that's almost unusual in the world for positive optimism about the development in this part of the world.  It's not like it was -- just isn't the way it was we grew up with.

The challenge I think you just heard from the President of Brazil was the notion that Latin America is not interested in being our complementary economy anymore -- the agricultural end while we do the industrial end; they do the provision of raw materials and we do the finest and highest-level high-tech work. How do we either respond to Brazil's demand, really, to be partners and rivals -- they want to use our educational resources, they want to come north to learn how to compete with us -- right, Madam President?  You want to be equals.  You want to learn everything we know, and then take it back and shove it at us, right?  (Laughter.)  Isn't that it?

Well, anyway, that's the response -- I'd ask you for your response.  (Laughter.)

PRESIDENT OBAMA:  Chris, I'm not sure you're characterizing what President Rousseff said -- (laughter) -- but this is what happens when you get some of our U.S. political commentators moderating a panel.  (Laughter.)  They try to stir up things that may not always be there.  (Applause.)  And Chris is good at it.  He's one of the best.  (Laughter.)

But, look, this is already happening.  This is already happening.  Brazil has changed, Colombia has changed -- and we welcome the change.  The notion somehow that we see this as a problem is just not the case, because if we've got a strong, growing, prosperous middle class in Latin America, those are new customers for our businesses.  (Applause.)

Brazil is growing and that opportunity is broad-based, then suddenly they're interested in buying iPads, and they're interested in buying Boeing airplanes and -- (laughter.)

PRESIDENT ROUSSEFF:  Boeing -- Embraer.  (Laughter and applause.)

PRESIDENT OBAMA:  I was just trying to see how she'd respond to that.  (Laughter.)  But the point is, is that that's a market for us.  So we in the United States should welcome not just growth, but broad-based growth, of the sort that President Rousseff described.

I'll give you just -- I said I was in Tampa.  All those containers that are coming in, they have, in some cases, commodities coming from Latin America, but they also have finished products that are coming in from Latin America.  We have commodities that are going into Latin America that we're sending back on those containers, as well as finished products.  And so this is a two-way street.

When I came into office, one of my first decisions was to say that the G20 was not a temporary thing to respond to the world economic crisis; this should be the permanent forum for determining and coordinating direction in the world economy.  And frankly, there were some folks who were members of the G8 who were upset with me about that determination, but realistically you can't coordinate world economic issues if you don't have China and Brazil and India and South Africa at the table -- and Mexico.  That's not possible.

So the world has changed.  I think the United States and U.S. businesses stand to benefit from those changes.  But it does mean that we have to adapt to that competitive environment.  And all the advantages that President Rousseff mentioned we have as the United States -- its flexibility, our scientific edge, our well-educated workforce, our top universities -- those are the things that we continue to have to build and get better at.  And that's true for every country here.

Every one of the businesses here are going to be making determinations about where you locate based on the quality of the workforce, how much investment you have to make in training somebody to handle a million-dollar piece of equipment.  Do you feel as if your intellectual property is going to be protected?  Do you feel as if there's a good infrastructure to be able to get your products to market?  And so I think this is a healthy competition that we should be encouraging.

And what I've said at the first summit that I came to, Summit of the Americas that I came to, was we do not believe there are junior partners and senior partners in this situation. We believe there are partners.  And Brazil is in many ways ahead of us on something like biofuels; we should learn from them.  And if we're going to be trying to mount a regional initiative, let's make sure that Brazil is taking the lead.  It doesn’t have to be us in every situation.

Now, the flip side is -- and I'll close with this -- I think in Latin America, part of the change in mentality is also not always looking to the United States as the reason for everything that happens that goes wrong.  (Applause.)

I was in an interview -- several interviews yesterday.  These were actually with Spanish-speaking television stations that have broadcast back in the United States.  And the first interviewer said, why hasn't the United States done more to promote democracy in the region, because you've done a lot in the Arab Spring but it seems as if you're not dealing with some of the problems here in Latin America.  The next questioner said, why are you being so hard on Cuba and promoting democracy all the time?  (Laughter and applause.)  That’s an example, I think, of some of the challenges we face that are rooted in legitimate historical grievances.  But it gets -- it becomes a habit.

When it comes to economic integration and exchanges, I am completely sympathetic to the fact that there are challenges around monetary policy in developed and less-developed countries. And Brazil, for example, has seen the Real appreciate in ways that had been hurtful.  I would argue a lot of that has to do with the failure of some other countries to engage in rebalancing, not the United States.  But having said that, I think there's not a country in Latin America who doesn’t want to see the United States grow rapidly because we're your major export market.

And so most of these issues end up being complicated issues. Typically, they involve both actions in the United States as well as actions in the other countries if we're going to optimize the kind of growth and prosperity and broad-based opportunity that both President Santos and President Rousseff have spoken about.

And the United States comes here and says:  We're ready to do business.  We are open to a partnership.  We don’t expect to be able to dictate the terms of that partnership, we expect it to be a negotiation based on mutual interest and mutual respect.  And I think we're all going to benefit as a consequence of that. (Applause.)

MR. MATTHEWS:  Thank you very much, President Rousseff, President Santos, and my President, President Obama.  Thank you. It's been an honor.

END
11:40 A.M. COT

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
April 14, 2012

WEEKLY ADDRESS: It’s Time for Congress to Pass the Buffett Rule

WASHINGTON, DC— In this week’s address, President Obama urged Congress to pass the Buffett Rule, a principle of fairness that says if you make more than $1 million a year, you should pay at least the same percentage of your income in taxes as middle class families.  Meanwhile, if you make under $250,000 a year – like 98 percent of American families do – your taxes shouldn’t go up.  The President has been pushing Congress to pass the Buffett rule to help ensure we have a system that’s fair, where everyone plays by the same set of rules and we can continue to make the investments we need to grow our economy and help the middle class and those trying to get in it.

Remarks of President Obama
Weekly Address
The White House
April 14, 2012

One of the fundamental challenges of our time is building an economy where everyone gets a fair shot, everyone does their fair share, and everyone plays by the same rules.

And as many Americans rush to file their taxes this weekend, it’s worth pointing out that we’ve got a tax system that doesn’t always uphold the principle of everyone doing their part. 

Now, this is not just about fairness.  This is also about growth.  It’s about being able to make the investments we need to strengthen our economy and create jobs.  And it’s about whether we as a country are willing to pay for those investments. 

In a perfect world, of course, none of us would have to pay any taxes. We’d have no deficits to pay down.  And we’d have all the resources we needed to invest in things like schools and roads and a strong military and new sources of energy – investments that have always bolstered our economy and strengthened the middle class.

But we live in the real world, with real choices and real consequences. Right now, we’ve got significant deficits to close.  We’ve got serious investments to make to keep our economy growing.  And we can’t afford to keep spending more money on tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans who don’t need them and didn’t even ask for them.

Warren Buffett is one of the wealthiest men in the world.  But he pays a lower tax rate than his secretary.  That’s just the way the system is set up.  In fact, one in four millionaires pays a lower tax rate than millions of hardworking middle-class households.

As Warren points out, that’s not fair and it doesn’t make sense.  It’s wrong that middle-class Americans pay a higher share of their income in taxes than some millionaires and billionaires.

This week, Members of Congress are going to have a chance to set things right.  They get to vote on what we call the Buffett Rule. 

It’s simple:  If you make more than $1 million every year, you should pay at least the same percentage of your income in taxes as middle-class families do.  On the other hand, if you make less than $250,000 a year -- like 98 percent of American families do -- your taxes shouldn’t go up. 

That’s all there is to it.  It’s pretty sensible.  Most Americans support this idea. One survey found that two-thirds of millionaires do, too.  So do nearly half of all Republicans.

We just need some Republican politicians to get on board with where the country is. 

I know they’ll say that this is all about wanting to raise people’s taxes.  They probably won’t tell you that if you belong to a middle-class family, then I’ve cut your taxes each year that I’ve been in office, and I’ve cut taxes for small business owners 17 times.

But the thing is, for most Americans like me, tax rates are near their lowest point in 50 years. In 2001 and 2003, the wealthiest Americans received two huge new tax cuts.  We were told these tax cuts would lead to faster job growth. Instead, we got the slowest job growth in half a century, and the typical American family actually saw its income fall.

On the flip side, when the most well-off Americans were asked to pay a little more in the 1990s, we were warned that it would kill jobs. Instead, tens of millions of jobs followed.

So we’ve tried this trickle-down experiment before. It doesn’t work. And middle class families have seen too much of their security erode over the past few decades for us to tell them they’re going to have to do more because the wealthiest Americans are going to do less.  We can’t stop investing in the things that will help grow our economy and create jobs – things like education, research, new sources of energy – just so folks like me can get another tax cut. 

So I hope you’ll ask your Member of Congress to step up and echo that call this week by voting for the Buffett Rule. Remind them that in America, prosperity has never just trickled down from a wealthy few.  Prosperity has always been built by a strong, thriving middle class.  That’s a principle worth reaffirming right now.

Thank you, God bless you, and have a great weekend.

Weekly Address: It’s Time for Congress to Pass the Buffett Rule

Matt Compton
Matt Compton
April 14, 2012
05:30 AM EDT

President Obama urges Congress to pass the Buffett Rule -- which asks those who make more than $1 million a year to pay at least the same percentage of their income in taxes as middle class families -- as a principle of fairness.

Transcript | Download mp4 | Download mp3

 

For more information:

 

Related Topics: Buffett Rule, Taxes

Weekly Address: It’s Time for Congress to Pass the Buffett Rule

April 14, 2012 | 4:15 | Public Domain

President Obama urges Congress to pass the Buffett Rule -- which asks those who make more than $1 million a year to pay at least the same percentage of their income in taxes as middle class families -- as a principle of fairness.

Download mp4 (150MB) | mp3 (9MB)

Read the Transcript

WEEKLY ADDRESS: It’s Time for Congress to Pass the Buffett Rule

WASHINGTON, DC— In this week’s address, President Obama urged Congress to pass the Buffett Rule, a principle of fairness that says if you make more than $1 million a year, you should pay at least the same percentage of your income in taxes as middle class families.  Meanwhile, if you make under $250,000 a year – like 98 percent of American families do – your taxes shouldn’t go up.  The President has been pushing Congress to pass the Buffett rule to help ensure we have a system that’s fair, where everyone plays by the same set of rules and we can continue to make the investments we need to grow our economy and help the middle class and those trying to get in it.

Remarks of President Obama
Weekly Address
The White House
April 14, 2012

One of the fundamental challenges of our time is building an economy where everyone gets a fair shot, everyone does their fair share, and everyone plays by the same rules.

And as many Americans rush to file their taxes this weekend, it’s worth pointing out that we’ve got a tax system that doesn’t always uphold the principle of everyone doing their part. 

Now, this is not just about fairness.  This is also about growth.  It’s about being able to make the investments we need to strengthen our economy and create jobs.  And it’s about whether we as a country are willing to pay for those investments. 

In a perfect world, of course, none of us would have to pay any taxes. We’d have no deficits to pay down.  And we’d have all the resources we needed to invest in things like schools and roads and a strong military and new sources of energy – investments that have always bolstered our economy and strengthened the middle class.

But we live in the real world, with real choices and real consequences. Right now, we’ve got significant deficits to close.  We’ve got serious investments to make to keep our economy growing.  And we can’t afford to keep spending more money on tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans who don’t need them and didn’t even ask for them.

Warren Buffett is one of the wealthiest men in the world.  But he pays a lower tax rate than his secretary.  That’s just the way the system is set up.  In fact, one in four millionaires pays a lower tax rate than millions of hardworking middle-class households.

As Warren points out, that’s not fair and it doesn’t make sense.  It’s wrong that middle-class Americans pay a higher share of their income in taxes than some millionaires and billionaires.

This week, Members of Congress are going to have a chance to set things right.  They get to vote on what we call the Buffett Rule. 

It’s simple:  If you make more than $1 million every year, you should pay at least the same percentage of your income in taxes as middle-class families do.  On the other hand, if you make less than $250,000 a year -- like 98 percent of American families do -- your taxes shouldn’t go up. 

That’s all there is to it.  It’s pretty sensible.  Most Americans support this idea. One survey found that two-thirds of millionaires do, too.  So do nearly half of all Republicans.

We just need some Republican politicians to get on board with where the country is. 

I know they’ll say that this is all about wanting to raise people’s taxes.  They probably won’t tell you that if you belong to a middle-class family, then I’ve cut your taxes each year that I’ve been in office, and I’ve cut taxes for small business owners 17 times.

But the thing is, for most Americans like me, tax rates are near their lowest point in 50 years. In 2001 and 2003, the wealthiest Americans received two huge new tax cuts.  We were told these tax cuts would lead to faster job growth. Instead, we got the slowest job growth in half a century, and the typical American family actually saw its income fall.

On the flip side, when the most well-off Americans were asked to pay a little more in the 1990s, we were warned that it would kill jobs. Instead, tens of millions of jobs followed.

So we’ve tried this trickle-down experiment before. It doesn’t work. And middle class families have seen too much of their security erode over the past few decades for us to tell them they’re going to have to do more because the wealthiest Americans are going to do less.  We can’t stop investing in the things that will help grow our economy and create jobs – things like education, research, new sources of energy – just so folks like me can get another tax cut. 

So I hope you’ll ask your Member of Congress to step up and echo that call this week by voting for the Buffett Rule. Remind them that in America, prosperity has never just trickled down from a wealthy few.  Prosperity has always been built by a strong, thriving middle class.  That’s a principle worth reaffirming right now.

Thank you, God bless you, and have a great weekend.

Close Transcript

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
April 13, 2012

President Obama to Honor BCS National Champion University of Alabama Crimson Tide at the White House

WASHINGTON, DC -- On Thursday, April 19, President Obama will welcome the BCS National Champion University of Alabama Crimson Tide to the White House to honor their 14th championship and their exceptional 2011-2012 season.  The President will also continue his tradition of honoring sports teams for their efforts both on and off the field by recognizing the efforts by the Crimson Tide to give back to their community.

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
April 13, 2012

Remarks by the President at the Port of Tampa

Port of Tampa-Ports America
Tampa, Florida

1:12 P.M. EDT

THE PRESIDENT:  Hello, Tampa!  (Applause.)

Well, it is great to be here in Tampa.  Good to be in Florida.  I just got a tour of this magnificent port.  I was hoping to try out one the cranes -- (laughter) -- Secret Service wouldn’t let me.  They don’t let me have fun.  They were more concerned about your safety than mine, though -- (laughter) -- they didn’t want me messing anything up.

I want to thank David for that introduction.  I want to thank Mayor Buckhorn for welcoming us to Tampa.  I want to thank an outstanding member of Congress, Kathy Castor, for joining us here  today.  (Applause.)

Now, if you guys have chairs, feel free to sit down -- some of you do.  I don’t want you to feel -- it’s warm in here, we want you to -- I don’t want anybody dropping off.  (Laughter.)  I’ve been talking a lot lately about the fundamental choice that we face as a country.  We can either settle for a country where a shrinking number of people do really, really well, while a growing number are struggling to get by, or we can build an economy where everybody gets a fair shot, and everybody is doing their fair share, and everybody is playing by the same set of rules. 

Now, part of building that economy is making sure that we’re not a country that’s known just for what we buy and what we consume.  After all, our middle class was built by workers who invented products and made products and sold products -- the best in the world -- all around the world.  Our economy was thriving when shipping containers left ports like this packed with goods that were stamped with three proud words:  Made in America.  And those exports supported a lot of good-paying jobs in America, including right here in Florida. 

That’s the country I want us to be again.  And that’s why, two years ago, I set the goal of doubling American exports by the end of 2014.  Today, with the trade agreements that I’ve signed into law, we’re on track to meet that goal.  Soon, there are going to be millions of new customers for American goods in South Korea, in Colombia, in Panama.  Soon there will be new cars on the streets of Seoul that are imported from Detroit and Toledo and Chicago.     

And that’s progress.  And I want to thank two key members of my Cabinet who are here today –- Labor Secretary Hilda Solis is in the house -- (applause) -- and U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk --(applause) -- because they worked really hard to make this happen.

Now, one of the ways that we’ve helped American businesses sell their products around the world is by calling out our competitors, making sure they’re playing by the same rules.  For example, we’ve brought trade cases against China at nearly twice the rate as the last administration.  We just brought a new case last month.  And we’ve set up a trade enforcement unit that’s designed to investigate any questionable trade practices taking place anywhere in the world.  See, we’re going to take action whenever other countries are skirting the rules, breaking the rules, and putting our workers and our businesses at an unfair position.

We’re also going to make sure that you’ve got access to more customers.  Ninety-five percent of the world’s consumers live outside our borders.  We want them buying our products.  And I’m willing to go anywhere in the world to open up new markets for American businesses.  In fact, that’s what I’m going to be doing right after this visit to Tampa.  I’m heading to Colombia to take part in the Summit of the Americas, which brings together leaders from the Caribbean, and from North, South and Central America. 

Everybody here knows how critical this part of the world is to our economy and to creating jobs.  A lot of the countries in the region are on the rise.  In Latin America alone, over the past decade, tens of millions of people have stepped out of poverty and into the middle class.  So they’re now in a position to start buying American products.  That means they’ve got more money to spend.  We want them spending money on American-made goods, that American businesses can put more Americans back to work. 

Now the good news is already our exports to the Western Hemisphere are up by 46 percent since 2009.  I want to repeat that because that’s obviously important to Tampa.  (Applause.)  Tampa is one of the biggest ports in the country and a lot of the business being done here has to do with trade between us and Latin America.  So the fact that it has gone up 46 percent since 2009 is a big deal for Tampa.  In Florida, exports to this region are up nearly 30 percent.  We now export more to the Western Hemisphere than to any other region in the world.  And those exports support nearly 4 million U.S. jobs.

This is one of the most active trading relationships in the world and you see it up close here at the Port of Tampa.  Every year, more than 2.5 million tons of fertilizer head out from here to farmers in the Caribbean and Central and South America.  Engine oils that are produced not far from this port get shipped to countries throughout the hemisphere.  Everything from recycled steel to animal feed gets sent from here to customers all across Latin America.      

So while I’m in Colombia talking with other leaders, I’m going to be thinking about you.  I’m going to be thinking about how we can get more businesses like David’s access to more markets and more customers in the region because I want us selling stuff and I want to put more Americans back to work.  (Applause.) 

One of the new things that we’re doing is launching something called the Small Business Network of the Americas.  Obviously, a lot of the exports that leave from America to other places are big business and that’s great -- we want our big corporations successful, selling products all around the world because we’ve got a lot of small businesses that are suppliers to those big business.  But we also want our small and medium-sized businesses to have access to these markets.  So this initiative is going to help our small businesses –- Latino-owned businesses, women-owned businesses, African American-owned businesses.  We want every business to be able to access these new markets, start exporting to these countries.  So it’ll make -- this initiative will make it easier for them to get financing, it will link them up with foreign buyers who are interested in their products. 

I’ve always said that the true engine of job creation in this country is the private sector, not Washington.  Our job in government is to help businesses grow and to hire -- to create platforms for their success.  That’s one of the reasons I’ve cut taxes 17 times for small businesses.  (Applause.)  That’s why I’ve fought to tear down barriers that were preventing entrepreneurs from getting funding.  And that’s why, yes, I’ve traveled around the world, opening new markets, so that American businesses can better compete in the global marketplace.  (Applause.)

See -- (applause) -- ultimately, this is what America is about.  We’re a nation of doers and a nation of builders.  And we’ve never shied away from competition.  We thrive on competition.   If the global playing field is level, then America is going to win.  So as long as I’m President, I’m going to keep on doing everything I can to give our workers and our businesses the opportunity to succeed.  (Applause.)

That’s how we’re going to make this recovery felt by all people.  It’s how we’re going to make sure that we build not just from the top down, but from the bottom up and from the middle out.  It’s how we’re going to make sure that everybody has a fair shot.  It’s how we’re going to make sure that anybody who wants a job can find one.  And anybody who wants to succeed and live out that American Dream has the opportunity to do so.  (Applause.)
 
We’ve gone through three very tough years with this global financial crisis -- worst crisis we’ve seen in a generation.  And as I travel around the country and I talk to our workers and I talk to our businesses, you can’t help but have confidence.  We don’t quit.  We are resilient.  We stay with it.  We are the most inventive country in the world.  We’ve got the best entrepreneurs in the world.  We’ve got the best universities in the world.  We’ve got the best research in the world.  We’ve got the best infrastructure in the world, and we’re going to keep on at it and make sure that the 21st century is the American century, just like the 20th century.
    
Thank you, everybody.  God Bless you.

END
1:23 P.M. EDT

President Obama Speaks on Trade and the Economy

April 13, 2012 | 10:11 | Public Domain

President Obama speaks about the benefits of trade with Latin America.

Download mp4 (360MB) | mp3 (23MB)

Read the Transcript

Remarks by the President at the Port of Tampa

Port of Tampa-Ports America
Tampa, Florida

1:12 P.M. EDT

THE PRESIDENT:  Hello, Tampa!  (Applause.)

Well, it is great to be here in Tampa.  Good to be in Florida.  I just got a tour of this magnificent port.  I was hoping to try out one the cranes -- (laughter) -- Secret Service wouldn’t let me.  They don’t let me have fun.  They were more concerned about your safety than mine, though -- (laughter) -- they didn’t want me messing anything up.

I want to thank David for that introduction.  I want to thank Mayor Buckhorn for welcoming us to Tampa.  I want to thank an outstanding member of Congress, Kathy Castor, for joining us here  today.  (Applause.)

Now, if you guys have chairs, feel free to sit down -- some of you do.  I don’t want you to feel -- it’s warm in here, we want you to -- I don’t want anybody dropping off.  (Laughter.)  I’ve been talking a lot lately about the fundamental choice that we face as a country.  We can either settle for a country where a shrinking number of people do really, really well, while a growing number are struggling to get by, or we can build an economy where everybody gets a fair shot, and everybody is doing their fair share, and everybody is playing by the same set of rules. 

Now, part of building that economy is making sure that we’re not a country that’s known just for what we buy and what we consume.  After all, our middle class was built by workers who invented products and made products and sold products -- the best in the world -- all around the world.  Our economy was thriving when shipping containers left ports like this packed with goods that were stamped with three proud words:  Made in America.  And those exports supported a lot of good-paying jobs in America, including right here in Florida. 

That’s the country I want us to be again.  And that’s why, two years ago, I set the goal of doubling American exports by the end of 2014.  Today, with the trade agreements that I’ve signed into law, we’re on track to meet that goal.  Soon, there are going to be millions of new customers for American goods in South Korea, in Colombia, in Panama.  Soon there will be new cars on the streets of Seoul that are imported from Detroit and Toledo and Chicago.     

And that’s progress.  And I want to thank two key members of my Cabinet who are here today –- Labor Secretary Hilda Solis is in the house -- (applause) -- and U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk --(applause) -- because they worked really hard to make this happen.

Now, one of the ways that we’ve helped American businesses sell their products around the world is by calling out our competitors, making sure they’re playing by the same rules.  For example, we’ve brought trade cases against China at nearly twice the rate as the last administration.  We just brought a new case last month.  And we’ve set up a trade enforcement unit that’s designed to investigate any questionable trade practices taking place anywhere in the world.  See, we’re going to take action whenever other countries are skirting the rules, breaking the rules, and putting our workers and our businesses at an unfair position.

We’re also going to make sure that you’ve got access to more customers.  Ninety-five percent of the world’s consumers live outside our borders.  We want them buying our products.  And I’m willing to go anywhere in the world to open up new markets for American businesses.  In fact, that’s what I’m going to be doing right after this visit to Tampa.  I’m heading to Colombia to take part in the Summit of the Americas, which brings together leaders from the Caribbean, and from North, South and Central America. 

Everybody here knows how critical this part of the world is to our economy and to creating jobs.  A lot of the countries in the region are on the rise.  In Latin America alone, over the past decade, tens of millions of people have stepped out of poverty and into the middle class.  So they’re now in a position to start buying American products.  That means they’ve got more money to spend.  We want them spending money on American-made goods, that American businesses can put more Americans back to work. 

Now the good news is already our exports to the Western Hemisphere are up by 46 percent since 2009.  I want to repeat that because that’s obviously important to Tampa.  (Applause.)  Tampa is one of the biggest ports in the country and a lot of the business being done here has to do with trade between us and Latin America.  So the fact that it has gone up 46 percent since 2009 is a big deal for Tampa.  In Florida, exports to this region are up nearly 30 percent.  We now export more to the Western Hemisphere than to any other region in the world.  And those exports support nearly 4 million U.S. jobs.

This is one of the most active trading relationships in the world and you see it up close here at the Port of Tampa.  Every year, more than 2.5 million tons of fertilizer head out from here to farmers in the Caribbean and Central and South America.  Engine oils that are produced not far from this port get shipped to countries throughout the hemisphere.  Everything from recycled steel to animal feed gets sent from here to customers all across Latin America.      

So while I’m in Colombia talking with other leaders, I’m going to be thinking about you.  I’m going to be thinking about how we can get more businesses like David’s access to more markets and more customers in the region because I want us selling stuff and I want to put more Americans back to work.  (Applause.) 

One of the new things that we’re doing is launching something called the Small Business Network of the Americas.  Obviously, a lot of the exports that leave from America to other places are big business and that’s great -- we want our big corporations successful, selling products all around the world because we’ve got a lot of small businesses that are suppliers to those big business.  But we also want our small and medium-sized businesses to have access to these markets.  So this initiative is going to help our small businesses –- Latino-owned businesses, women-owned businesses, African American-owned businesses.  We want every business to be able to access these new markets, start exporting to these countries.  So it’ll make -- this initiative will make it easier for them to get financing, it will link them up with foreign buyers who are interested in their products. 

I’ve always said that the true engine of job creation in this country is the private sector, not Washington.  Our job in government is to help businesses grow and to hire -- to create platforms for their success.  That’s one of the reasons I’ve cut taxes 17 times for small businesses.  (Applause.)  That’s why I’ve fought to tear down barriers that were preventing entrepreneurs from getting funding.  And that’s why, yes, I’ve traveled around the world, opening new markets, so that American businesses can better compete in the global marketplace.  (Applause.)

See -- (applause) -- ultimately, this is what America is about.  We’re a nation of doers and a nation of builders.  And we’ve never shied away from competition.  We thrive on competition.   If the global playing field is level, then America is going to win.  So as long as I’m President, I’m going to keep on doing everything I can to give our workers and our businesses the opportunity to succeed.  (Applause.)

That’s how we’re going to make this recovery felt by all people.  It’s how we’re going to make sure that we build not just from the top down, but from the bottom up and from the middle out.  It’s how we’re going to make sure that everybody has a fair shot.  It’s how we’re going to make sure that anybody who wants a job can find one.  And anybody who wants to succeed and live out that American Dream has the opportunity to do so.  (Applause.)
 
We’ve gone through three very tough years with this global financial crisis -- worst crisis we’ve seen in a generation.  And as I travel around the country and I talk to our workers and I talk to our businesses, you can’t help but have confidence.  We don’t quit.  We are resilient.  We stay with it.  We are the most inventive country in the world.  We’ve got the best entrepreneurs in the world.  We’ve got the best universities in the world.  We’ve got the best research in the world.  We’ve got the best infrastructure in the world, and we’re going to keep on at it and make sure that the 21st century is the American century, just like the 20th century.
    
Thank you, everybody.  God Bless you.

END
1:23 P.M. EDT

Close Transcript

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
April 13, 2012

Executive Order -- Supporting Safe and Responsible Development of Unconventional Domestic Natural Gas Resources

EXECUTIVE ORDER

SUPPORTING SAFE AND RESPONSIBLE DEVELOPMENT OF UNCONVENTIONAL DOMESTIC NATURAL GAS RESOURCES

By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, and in order to coordinate the efforts of Federal agencies responsible for overseeing the safe and responsible development of unconventional domestic natural gas resources and associated infrastructure and to help reduce our dependence on oil, it is hereby ordered as follows:

Section 1.  Policy.  In 2011, natural gas provided 25 percent of the energy consumed in the United States.  Its production creates jobs and provides economic benefits to the entire domestic production supply chain, as well as to chemical and other manufacturers, who benefit from lower feedstock and energy costs.  By helping to power our transportation system, greater use of natural gas can also reduce our dependence on oil.  And with appropriate safeguards, natural gas can provide a cleaner source of energy than other fossil fuels.

For these reasons, it is vital that we take full advantage of our natural gas resources, while giving American families and communities confidence that natural and cultural resources, air and water quality, and public health and safety will not be compromised.

While natural gas production is carried out by private firms, and States are the primary regulators of onshore oil and gas activities, the Federal Government has an important role to play by regulating oil and gas activities on public and Indian trust lands, encouraging greater use of natural gas in transportation, supporting research and development aimed at improving the safety of natural gas development and transportation activities, and setting sensible, cost-effective public health and environmental standards to implement Federal law and augment State safeguards.

Because efforts to promote safe, responsible, and efficient development of unconventional domestic natural gas resources are underway at a number of executive departments and agencies (agencies), close interagency coordination is important for effective implementation of these programs and activities.  To formalize and promote ongoing interagency coordination, this order establishes a high-level, interagency working group that will facilitate coordinated Administration policy efforts to support safe and responsible unconventional domestic natural gas development.

Sec. 2.  Interagency Working Group to Support Safe and Responsible Development of Unconventional Domestic Natural Gas Resources.  There is established an Interagency Working Group to Support Safe and Responsible Development of Unconventional Domestic Natural Gas Resources (Working Group), to be chaired by the Director of the Domestic Policy Council, or a designated representative.

(a)  Membership.  In addition to the Chair, the Working Group shall include deputy-level representatives or equivalent officials, designated by the head of the respective agency or office, from:

(i) the Department of Defense;

(ii) the Department of the Interior;

(iii) the Department of Agriculture;

(iv) the Department of Commerce;

(v) the Department of Health and Human Services;

(vi) the Department of Transportation;

(vii) the Department of Energy;

(viii) the Department of Homeland Security;

(ix) the Environmental Protection Agency;

(x) the Council on Environmental Quality;

(xi) the Office of Science and Technology Policy;

(xii) the Office of Management and Budget;

(xiii) the National Economic Council; and

(xiv) such other agencies or offices as the Chair may invite to participate.

(b)  Functions.  Consistent with the authorities and responsibilities of participating agencies and offices, the Working Group shall support the safe and responsible production of domestic unconventional natural gas by performing the following functions:

(i) coordinate agency policy activities, ensuring their efficient and effective operation and facilitating cooperation among agencies, as appropriate;

(ii) coordinate among agencies the sharing of scientific, environmental, and related technical and economic information;

(iii) engage in long-term planning and ensure coordination among the appropriate Federal entities with respect to such issues as research, natural resource assessment, and the development of infrastructure; 
(iv) promote interagency communication with stakeholders; and

(v) consult with other agencies and offices as appropriate.

Sec. 3.  General Provisions.  (a)  This order shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations.

(b)  Nothing in this order shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:

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

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

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

BARACK OBAMA

THE WHITE HOUSE,
          April 13, 2012.

President Obama and Vice President Biden’s 2011 Tax Returns

Jay Carney
April 13, 2012
10:30 AM EDT

Today, the President released his 2011 federal income and gift tax returns. He and the First Lady filed their income tax returns jointly and reported adjusted gross income of $789,674. About half of the first family’s income is the President’s salary; the other half is from sales proceeds of the President’s books. The Obamas paid $162,074 in total tax.

The President and First Lady also reported donating $172,130 – or about 22% of their adjusted gross income – to 39 different charities. The largest reported gift to charity was a $117,130 contribution to the Fisher House Foundation. The President is donating the after-tax proceeds from his children’s book to Fisher House, a scholarship fund for children of fallen and disabled soldiers. 

The President’s effective federal income tax rate is 20.5%. The President believes we must reform our tax system which is why he has proposed policies like the Buffett Rule that would ask the wealthiest Americans to pay their fair share while protecting families making under $250,000 from seeing their taxes go up. Under the President’s own tax proposals, including the expiration of the high-income tax cuts and limitations on the value of tax preferences for high-income households, he would pay more in taxes while ensuring we cut taxes for the middle class and those trying to get in it. 

The President and First Lady also released their Illinois income tax return and reported paying $31,941 in state income tax.

Download the Obamas’ tax returns

The Vice President and Dr. Jill Biden also released their 2011 federal income tax returns, as well as state income tax returns for both Delaware and Virginia. The Bidens filed joint federal and combined Delaware income tax returns. Dr. Biden filed a separate non-resident tax return for the state of Virginia. Together, they reported adjusted gross income of $379,035. The Bidens paid $87,900 in total federal tax for 2011. They paid $13,843 in Delaware income tax and $3,614 in Virginia income tax. The Bidens contributed $5,540 to charity in 2011.

Download the Bidens’ tax returns

American taxpayers are able to go online and see exactly how their federal tax dollars are spent.  You can visit the taxpayer receipt and after entering a few pieces of information about your taxes, the taxpayer receipt will give you a breakdown of how your tax dollars are spent on priorities like education, veterans benefits, or health care. 

View the President and First Lady’s tax receipt

View the Vice President and Dr. Biden’s tax receipt

Jay Carney is the White House Press Secretary
Related Topics: Economy, Fiscal Responsibility, Taxes, Delaware, Illinois, Virginia

West Wing Week: 4/13/12 or "You're Proof of Change"

Matt Compton
Matt Compton
April 13, 2012
12:00 AM EDT

This week, the President hosted a forum on Women and the Economy, welcomed the President of Brazil, traveled to Florida to urge the Senate to pass the Buffett Rule, and took part in the great annual White House tradition -- the Easter Egg Roll.

Related Topics: Inside the White House, Florida, Pennsylvania