Home • Remarks by Vice President Biden in a Joint Statement with Prime Minister Fischer

Streaming at 3:30pm EST: Your GreenGov Ideas

Posted by ccroft on November 05, 2009 at 03:22 PM EST

More than 14,000 federal and military personnel participated in the GreenGov Challenge - submitting over 5,300 ideas and casting more than 165,000 votes. Today at 3:30pm EST, some of the top ideas are being presented to the Steering Meeting on Federal Sustainability, a group comprised of a senior official from each agency who is responsible for delivering their agency’s sustainability plan.

Tune-in at Whitehouse.gov/GreenGov to learn how we’re turning your GreenGov ideas into action.

[UPDATE: This event has now concluded. You can watch the video below.]

Turning your GreenGov Ideas into Action

Posted by ccroft on November 04, 2009 at 03:29 PM EST

This past Saturday, the GreenGov Challenge came to a close – with over 14,000 federal and military personnel submitting over 5,300 ideas and casting more than 165,000 votes. When we first launched this program, we weren’t sure what kind of response we’d receive. But it’s safe to say that this outpouring of participation by the federal community has shattered our expectations.

We’d like to give a shout out to all those across government who helped promote this initiative – from EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson to the U.S. Coast Guard -- and of course, a special thanks to the thousands who shared their brightest ideas and voted for the best ones.

Even though voting has ended, the GreenGov Challenge isn’t over. Tomorrow, some of the top ideas will be presented to the Steering Committee on Federal Sustainability, a group comprised of a senior official from each agency who is responsible for delivering each agency’s sustainability plan. The meeting will be streamed live on Whitehouse.gov/GreenGov starting at 3:30pm EST.

Be sure to tune-in to learn how we’re taking this bottom-up approach to greening government to the next level.

See more about Economy, Energy and Environment

Vice President Biden Brings the MCTF Back to DC

Posted by Elizabeth Alexander on November 03, 2009 at 06:48 PM EST

Vice President Joe Biden and the Middle Class Task Force have traveled all across the country to highlight and seek input on key initiatives aimed at restoring middle class prosperity. We’ve been to in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and Denver, Colorado, talking about jobs in the green economy; Perrysburg, Ohio, discussing the future of manufacturing; and St. Louis, Missouri and Syracuse, New York, meeting with students and educators about college access and affordability. Now, the Vice President is bringing the conversation back to our nation’s capital.

On Thursday, November 5th, Vice President Biden will bring together a panel of experts to talk about the unique challenges facing middle class Americans in the 21st century economy. The panel will discuss how those challenges relate to changes to the overall labor market in recent decades; shifting gender roles and the need for work-life balance in today’s economy; economic inequality and mobility; the increased gap between productivity and wages; and much more.

Check back later this week to see how the discussion goes and for more information on the White House’s Middle Class Task Force, visit www.whitehouse.gov/StrongMiddleClass.

Elizabeth Alexander is Press Secretary to the Vice President

See more about Economy

THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Vice President
________________________________________________________________________________

FOR PLANNING PURPOSES
November 2, 2009

**MEDIA ADVISORY**

Vice President Biden to Host Leading Scholars for a Discussion about the Challenges Facing
America’s Middle Class in the 21^st Century Economy

WASHINGTON – On Thursday, November 5, at 10:30 AM EDT, Chair of the White House Task Force on Middle Class Families, Vice President Joe Biden, will host a panel of leading scholars for a discussion about the unique challenges facing America’s middle class in the 21^st century economy. Co-hosted by the Center for American Progress (CAP) and the Economic Policy Institute (EPI), the Vice President and the expert panel will discuss the many economic developments and trends affecting middle class families, including: changes to the overall labor market in recent decades; shifting gender roles and the need for work-life balance in today’s economy; economic inequality and mobility, and the increased gap between productivity and wages.

The event will be POOLED FOR TV; open to print, radio and still photographers. Additional media details will be released at a later date.

WHAT: Vice President Biden to Host Leading Scholars for a Discussion about the Challenges
Facing America’s Middle Class in the 21^st Century Economy

WHO:                         Vice President Joe Biden, Chair of the White House Task Force on Middle Class Families
                                    Melody Barnes, Director of the White House Domestic Policy Council
                                    Lawrence Mishel, President, Economic Policy Institute
                                    Heather Boushey, Senior Economist, Center for American Progress
                                    Jim Kessler, Vice President for Policy, Third Way
                                    Isabel Sawhill, Senior Fellow on Economic Studies, Brookings Institution
                                    Ralph Whitehead, Professor of Journalism, University of Massachusetts at Amherst

WHEN: Thursday, November 5, 2009 at 10:30 AM EDT (Press Access Times/Camera
Pre-set Times to be released at a later date)

WHERE:                    Center for American Progress
                                    1333 H Street NW, 10^th Floor
                                    Washington, DC

RSVP:                         This event will be POOLED for TV cameras; open to print,
                                     on-line, radio and still photographers.
                                     Media must RSVP by filling out the online form contained
                                     here: http://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/mediarsvp/vp-washington-11-05-09
                                     by Wednesday, November 4^th at 6 PM EDT. At the event, you will be
                                     required to wear a media credential at all times,
                                     either around the neck or pinned to clothing.

###

Background on the White House Task Force on Middle Class Families:

The Obama-Biden administration has made lifting the economic prosperity of the American middle class is a central goal of its economic policy. The rationale for this benchmark was born of the historically unique difficulties experienced by middle-class households in recent years: for example, despite the fact that the productivity of the labor force grew at a solid pace during our last economic expansion, the real median income of working-age households fell between 2000 and 2007. Beyond that, there was a 3.4% drop in median household income in 2008, the largest one-year decline since the U.S. began keeping track in the 1960s. Meanwhile, the decline in both home prices and the value of retirement plans has taken a large bite out of the wealth of middle-income families. As such, in January 2009 President Obama established the Middle Class Task Force and named Vice President Biden as Chairman - to ensure that as our economy recovers, this Administration’s policies are aimed at lifting the living standards of middle class families and those aspiring to be in the middle class.

GreenGov Challenge: A Special Message from the Vice President

Posted by rroberts on October 29, 2009 at 10:10 AM EST

In less than 72 hours, the GreenGov Challenge will come to a close – so if you’re a federal employee or one of our brave men and women in uniform, you don’t have much time left to share your clean energy ideas and vote for your favorites. To lead the Challenge out with a bang, Vice President Joe Biden recorded this special message just for you. Take a look:

Download Video: mp4 (40MB)

As the Vice President says, “We’re counting on you to help us meet our goals, to help us set the right example, and to help us make our government as clean and green as possible.“ Take the GreenGov Challenge today and help green our government!

See more about Economy, Energy and Environment

"You've Got to Believe" - Building the Cars of the Future in America

Posted by Elizabeth Alexander on October 27, 2009 at 06:01 PM EST

(Vice President Joe Biden announces that Fisker Automotive of Irvine, California will build plug-in electric sports cars at the shuttered GM plant in Wilmington, Delaware, Tuesday, October 27, 2009. Official White House Photo by David Lienemann) October 27, 2009. (Official White House Photo by David Lienemann)

The cars of the future are coming, and they will be built right here in the United States. Vice President Joe Biden echoed that sentiment today as he announced that the former GM Boxwood Manufacturing Plant in Wilmington, Delaware was reopening for business. With the help of the Administration, loans from the Department of Energy, commitment from the state of Delaware, and the dedication of the American workforce, Fisker Automotive will soon begin manufacturing long-range, plug-in, electric hybrid vehicles at the Boxwood Plant. By 2014, the company plans to roll 75,000 to 100,000 plug-in, hybrid sedans off the assembly line each year.

The excitement in the crowd today reminded us that American innovation and manufacturing built the automotive industry in the 20^th century – now, we will rebuild and retool it during the 21^st century in a more efficient, inventive, and environmentally friendly way. As the Vice President said today: “American innovators, American business, American labor has never let this country down when we've been given a fighting chance. And today, this factory in Delaware, and the industry, are going to get back up off the mat.”

The future is now and Americans are investing in the new automobile. Not just the manufacturing, but all aspects of the supply chain—from engineering the battery to powering the cars, from building the materials needed for assembly to shipping the finished product all over the world. As the Vice President said: “Imagine an America that has freed itself from the grip of the oligarchs of oil by plugging their cars into a new electric grid of renewable energy based on wind and solar and geothermal. Imagine a world where people pop the hood of their cars and they see stamped on the battery ‘Made in America.’"

Soon, we won’t have to imagine.

Vice President Joe Biden announces that Fisker Automotive of Irvine, California will build plug-in electric sports cars at the shuttered GM plant in Wilmington, Delaware, Tuesday, October 27, 2009. Official White House Photo by David Lienemann October 27, 2009. (Official White House Photo by David Lienemann)

Elizabeth Alexander is Press Secretary to the Vice President

See more about Innovations, Energy and Environment,

The White House

Office of the Vice President

For Immediate Release

October 27, 2009

Vice President Biden Hosts Conference Calls with Governors, Mayors, and County Officials to Discuss Recovery Act Implementation

Earlier today, the Vice President hosted two conference calls with Governors, Mayors, and county officials from across the country to discuss implementation of the Recovery Act.

The following elected officials participated:

GOVERNORS:
• Governor Haley Barbour (R-MS)
• Governor Chris Gregoire (D-WA)
• Governor Mark Parkinson (D-KS)
• Governor Tim Pawlenty (R-MN)

MAYORS & COUNTY OFFICIALS:
• Mayor Bob Diebold (R-Newark, OH)
• Mayor Patrick Henry Hays (D-North Little Rock, AR)
• Mayor Charles Meeker (D-Raleigh, NC)
• Mayor Chuck Reed (D-San Jose, CA)
• Mayor Elaine Walker (D-Bowling Green, KY)
• County Commissioner Tim Josi (D-Tillamook County, OR)

The White House

Office of the Vice President

For Immediate Release

October 27, 2009

Vice President Biden Announces Reopening of Former GM Boxwood Plant

Wilmington, DE -- As part of the of the Administration’s commitment to jumpstarting the production of fuel efficient vehicles in America, Vice President Joe Biden today announced Fisker Automotive is re-opening a shuttered former GM factory in Wilmington, Delaware, to produce long-range, plug-in, electric hybrid vehicles. The Wilmington assembly plant was selected by Fisker Automotive for its primary global production facility based on its size, production capacity; and access to shipping ports, rail lines and skilled workforce.

“While some wanted to write off America’s auto industry, we said no. We knew that we needed to do something different – in Delaware and all across the nation,” said Vice President Biden. “We understood a new chapter had to be written, a new chapter in which we strengthen American manufacturing by investing in innovation. Thanks to a real commitment by this Administration, loans from the Department of Energy, the creativity of U.S. companies and the tenacity of great state partners like Delaware – we’re on our way to helping America’s auto industry reclaim its top position in the global market.”

In September, Secretary Chu announced a $528.7 million conditional loan for Fisker Automotive for the development of two lines of plug-in hybrids, which will save hundreds of millions gallons of gasoline and offset millions of tons of carbon pollution by 2016. Of the total loan, $359 million is going to revive manufacturing at the Boxwood Plant. The Boxwood Plant will support Fisker Automotive’s Project NINA, the development and build of a mass-market plug-in hybrid sedan. The company estimates it will build 75,000-100,000 of these highly efficient vehicles every year by 2014. Also of the total loan, $169.3 million is helping support engineering integration in Michigan and California as Fisker works with U.S. suppliers to complete the company's first vehicle, design tools and equipment for mass manufacturing, and develop manufacturing processes for the new Wilmington, Delaware, facility.

“This is proof positive that our efforts to create new jobs, invest in a clean energy economy and reduce carbon pollution are working,” said Energy Secretary Steven Chu. “We are putting Americans back to work and reigniting a new Industrial Revolution that is paramount for the economic success of this country.”

“The rebirth of the Boxwood Road plant is good for Delaware’s workers,” said Ed Montgomery, the Executive Director of the White House Council for Automotive Communities and Workers. “The cars that will be produced here are the result of a Federal and state partnership with the private sector to make the energy efficient vehicles of tomorrow. The reopening of this facility serves as another reminder of the resiliency of the American worker and the continuing transformation of our national economy. “

Fisker automobiles are driven by electric motors powered by a lithium-ion battery, or, when that is depleted, a generator driven by an efficient gasoline engine. The electric-only range will be more than most people drive in a day. The battery can be charged at home overnight. Using gas and electric power, Fisker plug-in hybrids will have a cruising range of about 300 miles.

The Fisker loan is the fourth conditional loan commitment the Department of Energy has entered into under the Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing (ATVM) loan program. The Department plans to make additional loans under this program over the coming months to large and small auto manufacturers and parts suppliers up and down the production supply chain.

In addition, plug-in hybrids and other electric vehicles will also become an important part of the smart grid infrastructure being created in the United States. With smart metering infrastructure, consumers and utilities will be able to charge these vehicles when electricity demand and prices are lowest and also when power from intermittent renewable resources like wind and solar are more available. Ultimately, consumers might be able to sell an unneeded portion of the battery's charge back to the grid, creating a system of distributed energy storage that will help make the grid more reliable, save money, and allow us to rely on renewable technologies for a greater percentage of our energy.

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release

October 27, 2009

Background on the Partnership Between Delaware and the White House Council on Automotive Communities and Workers

Today’s announcement that auto production will be returning to the old GM’s assembly facility in Wilmington, DE, is an example of how successful partnerships can help transform the American auto industry of the future. The White House Council on Automotive Communities and Workers has worked closely with the state of Delaware, federal agencies and the old GM to help support this successful announcement, and will continue working with states and agencies across the country to support positive economic transitions in auto communities.

Mission of the White House Council on Automotive Communities and Workers

On June 23, 2009, President Obama signed an Executive Order creating the White House Council on Automotive Communities and Workers, an administration-wide commitment to provide support to auto communities and workers as they deal with the current crisis in the auto industry and work towards recovery. The Council is chaired by National Economic Council Director Larry Summers and Department of Labor Secretary Hilda Solis. It has as its members the head of every domestic Cabinet agency and the leadership from key White House offices.

White House Council Partnership with Delaware

As with states across the country, the White House Auto Council has been working closely with the state of Delaware for several months.

• Shortly after the closure of the Wilmington facility was announced, the Council’s Director, Ed Montgomery, brought a team of federal agency representatives to Delaware to meet with Governor Markell and Lieutenant Governor Denn to discuss the closure of the GM plant in Wilmington and Chrysler plant in Newark. Representatives from the Department of Labor, Environmental Protection Agency and Department of Commerce’s Manufacturing Extension Partnership and Economic Development Administration talked about how their agencies could help provide support for workers laid off at the facility and lay the groundwork for redevelopment. The Governor’s team emphasized the importance of maintaining an auto industry in the state and building the state’s green industry.

• In response to the needs identified in that meeting, Council staff worked with the State to apply for a Department of Labor National Emergency Grant (NEG) to provide benefits and services to workers laid off at the plants. On July 24th, Vice President Biden announced a $3.8 million dollar NEG to the state that would help provide laid off workers with retraining, job search assistance, career planning and other employment services. Commerce’s Manufacturing Extension Partnership worked with DOL and the state to design some of the training displaced workers have accessed. In coordination with the Council, the Department of Labor continues to work with the state to find ways to provide additional benefits to workers who are ineligible for Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA).

• In September 2009, the Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) followed up on the state’s concerns by awarding two grants to the state worth a combined $1.2 million. EDA awarded $800,000 American Recovery and Investment Act funds to Delaware Technical and Community College, Owens Campus in Georgetown to construct a Green Building Technology and Alternative Energy Training Center. The Center will be a training center for workers entering energy-related industries, especially those affected by the recession and automotive industry downturn. A strategic planning grant of $400,000 was also provided to help the state develop an economic adjustment strategy for the reuse of automotive assembly plants and closed manufacturing sites in the state.

• While coordinating with federal agencies, the Council also worked with Motors Liquidation Company (MLC), the owner of the former GM site, to ensure that the company was working with states and local communities to identify the best reuse for closed plants as well as doing whatever MLC could to make sites more marketable for those purposes. As part of these efforts, vital equipment remained in the Wilmington plant, allowing Fisker Automotive to see the plant as a viable option for its use. The Department of Energy’s $528.7 million dollar loan to Fisker Automotive Company through its Advanced Vehicle Technology Manufacturing Loan Program provided Fisker with the resources needed to launch its project. Many of the jobs created will likely go to former GM or Chrysler auto workers.

Background on White House Council Partnerships with Auto Communities across the Country

The Council’s work in Delaware is reflective of work going on in auto communities across the country. Since its creation, Ed Montgomery and Council staff have worked in partnership with local communities to identify the most challenging issues facing each community and with federal agencies to identify resources that can address these needs.

Dr. Montgomery and his team have met with community leaders in Flint, Detroit, Grand Rapids, Lansing, Romulus, Pontiac and Warren, Michigan; Cleveland, Toledo, Dayton, Akron, Warren and Twinsburg, Ohio; Kokomo, Indiana; Wilmington, Delaware; and the St. Louis area, Missouri. They have had meetings with leaders from Tennessee, California, Louisiana, Kentucky, New York, Connecticut, Montana, Nebraska and Wisconsin.

In addition to working with Council staff to address needs in local communities, Council member agencies have started programs and distributed a broad range of resources that have provided vital support to auto communities.

Access to Financing and Support for Companies

$3 Billion Cash for Clunkers Program: This DOT program funded through the Recovery Act resulted in the exchange of nearly 700,000 cars for more fuel-efficient vehicles. The Council on Economic Advisors estimates that the program will create or save 75,000 jobs in the second half of 2009.

SBA Pilot Program for Auto and Other Vehicle Dealers: On May 28, Administrator Mills and Dr. Montgomery announced a new SBA pilot program to offer government guaranteed loans to finance inventory for eligible auto, recreational vehicle, boat and other dealerships. This floor plan financing support is a line of credit that allows dealers to borrow against their inventory to get funds for working capital or add new inventory.

Purchase of Fuel-Efficient Vehicles: On April 9, the Obama Administration announced the GSA purchase of 17,600 fuel-efficient vehicles from GM, Chrysler and Ford. This is the largest one-time purchase of hybrid vehicles for the federal government fleet in history.

Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing (ATVM) Loans: The Department of Energy has announced the awarding of ATVM loans for four auto companies. Under this non-Recovery Act program, automobile, and automobile part manufacturers receive loan commitments for the cost of re-equipping, expanding, or establishing manufacturing facilities in the United States to produce advanced technology vehicles or qualified components, and for associated engineering integration costs. Recipients to date are:
• Ford: $5.9 Billion
• Nissan: $1.6 Billion
• Fisker: $528.7 Million
• Tesla: $465 Million

The Recovery Act and Investing in New Battery Technology:

Grants from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act are also building a domestic battery industry, making the United States a world leader in advanced vehicle production after years of dominance by Asia. In total, the Department of Energy has awarded $2.4 billion in Recovery Act grants to 48 companies across 25 states to produce and evaluate the next generation of hybrid and electric vehicles and the advanced batteries needed. More specifically, the funding includes:

• $1.5 billion in Recovery Act funding to help establish a manufacturing base to build the batteries of the future
• $500 million in Recovery Act grants to support electric drive component factories which build the unique parts needed for an electric car
• $400 million in Recovery Act funding to support deployment of electric vehicles including evaluation, education and testing

Dislocated Worker Support and Training

National Emergency Grants (NEG): The Department of Labor’s National Emergency Grants (NEGs) are a critical tool in the Secretary of Labor’s response to plant closures and mass layoffs such as those occurring in the auto industry. NEG funds can be used for a broad range of services for laid off workers, including information about the availability of jobs, assistance in finding jobs, training to qualify for jobs, and supportive services such as transportation and child care. In addition to Delaware, DOL has provided NEGs to support dislocated auto workers in Michigan, Ohio, Minnesota and Wisconsin.

$50 Million Green Jobs Training Program for Auto Communities: The Recovery Act provides the Department of Labor with $500 million in new funding to prepare workers for careers in the energy efficiency and renewable energy sectors. Secretary Solis has set aside $50 million in funding specifically for auto communities. These funds will be critical in transforming our nation’s auto communities into international hubs of green technology and innovation.
$25 Million Health Care Jobs Training Initiative for Auto Communities: The Recovery Act provides the Department of Labor with $220 million in new funding to support job training in health care and other emerging industries. Secretary Solis has reserved $25 million of this funding specifically for auto communities.

American Graduation Initiative: This proposed initiative will dedicate nearly $12 billion over 10 years to enhance work force training at community colleges, including money for curriculum development, expansion of online courses, and much needed funding for facilities improvement. As part of his speech in Michigan announcing the program, President Obama called for an additional 5 million community college graduates by 2020 to help the nation compete in the global economy.

Support for Communities

US Treasury Recovery Zone Bonds: Created by the Recovery Act and announced by Treasury Secretary Geithner, the $25 Billion Recovery Zone (RZ) Bond program targets funds to areas affected by job loss and will help counties and targeted municipalities obtain financing for much needed economic development projects, such as public infrastructure development.

Transitioning Properties: EPA, DOJ, the White House Council and the Auto Task Force are currently working with the bankruptcy estates of GM and Chrysler and state and local officials to identify and deal with environmental issues so that properties can be returned to productive economic use as quickly as possible. Integral to this process is the Council's work with the bankruptcy estates to ensure that communities have a voice in determining how properties are ultimately used.

The White House

Office of the Vice President

For Immediate Release

October 23, 2009

Remarks by Vice President Biden in a Joint Statement with Prime Minister Fischer

Prime Minister's Office, Prague, Czech Republic

VICE PRESIDENT BIDEN: It's an honor to be with you, and an honor to be in this magnificent city of Prague. It's been a while since I've been here, and I'm delighted to be back, particularly on what is essentially a historic anniversary. It's been five years since the Czech Republic joined the European Union, 10 years since its association with NATO, and 20 years since the Velvet Revolution, which literally -- literally inspired the world.

As Prime Minister Fischer indicated -- and as we were walking down, I think he agrees we had a very good -- we had a very good meeting, and a very good discussion. And while we paid tribute to the past, we spent the bulk of our time talking about the present, and about the future.

One of the high points of my career as a United States Senator, where I served for over 36 years, was being the leader in the Senate on the expansion of NATO to include Central Europe, particularly the Czech Republic. I told the Prime Minister that the Czech Republic has validated every argument I was making back then. You've made me look very, very good in retrospect, Mr. Prime Minister, your country has. There were skeptics then. I know of none now. We see that every day in our relationships. We see that every day in Afghanistan, where our troops are serving side by side, where you are running a provincial reconstruction team in the Logar province, where you are training Afghani police, and where you will soon send back a special operations unit.

And as a parent of one who has served in Iraq and overseas for a year, let me say on behalf of the President of the United States, and me, personally -- to the parents, the husbands, the wives, the children of those deployed Czech forces -- we appreciate the sacrifice that you are making -- not just the troops, but the families. A famous Englishman once said, they who serve -- "also serve who stand and wait." So our appreciation goes out to the parents, the husbands, the wives, and the children of those deployed forces. We want you to know how grateful we are for the service and sacrifice of your troops -- your children, your husbands, your fathers -- and the burdens that that deployment places upon them.

I'm also pleased to return to the site where President Obama made his first trip to Europe, where he demonstrated again America's commitment to the transatlantic relationship and alliance and to a strong Europe, by attending the special summit with a -- with 27 E.U. leaders, and where he laid out America's vision for the world without nuclear weapons. The Prime Minister and I talked about NATO’s commitment to produce a new strategic concept, which will adapt our alliance to the threats of the 21st century, to the 21st century.

Ladies and gentlemen, I urged the Prime Minister to make sure that the final product has a distinctly Czech accent. I know it will, by the way, because one of our great former Secretaries of State, Madeleine Albright, is chairing the experts' committee that will advise NATO on this critical strategy, and she always speaks from her heart with a Czech accent.

One of the new threats to our common security comes from the spread of ballistic missiles, a growing number of which now can reach Europe. The Czech Republic stepped up and did their part in the previous missile defense plan, and today we discussed the potential role the Czech Republic could play in a new architecture, a better architecture -- an architecture that has the capacity to actually protect Europe and is not just focused on the United States of America.

And I'm very appreciative of the Prime Minister's statement to me that the Czech Republic is ready to be a part of that new architecture, and discuss the terms of this -- that this participation will take. He affirmed to me that this is a very important project for Europe, and we appreciate that, and are looking forward to working with him and the government.

A high-level defense team will come to Prague in early November to discuss this as well as defense cooperation in a range of areas. The new missile defense program is designed to meet existing threats in Europe with proven technology that will cover more of Europe, including the Czech Republic, more effectively than the previous system could have done. It also strengthens NATO's defenses against future, more advanced missile threats.

We also discussed energy security, where the Czech Republic has been a leader in Europe. And we appreciate Prague's efforts to promote greater interconnectivity for the E.U.'s gas and electric networks, greater diversification of supply and routes, including the pipeline -- the Nabucco pipeline project -- and we discussed the venture, the effort for you to diversify in the nuclear area as well.

I told the Prime Minister how much we appreciate -- and I mean it sincerely -- the Czech Republic’s leadership, which goes to the heart of our future security and our prosperity.

As you celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Velvet Revolution, Mr. Prime Minister, I think it's important for you to understand, because you were in the middle of it, all of you, and I don't think you can fully appreciate how much you inspired the world at the moment. And I hope you appreciate and understand that there are -- you are the model. You are the model as I travel through Eastern Europe -- as I travel to Ukraine and Georgia and other places, you are the model for democracy that they look to. And I am confident with your leadership you will help them on that journey as they make their journey toward a full democracy.

And I thank the Prime Minister for hosting our delegation, for the quality of our conversation, and for the great weather he arranged today. (Laughter.) I appreciate it very, very much.

So I genuinely appreciate it, Mr. Prime Minister, and I look forward to continue to work with you.

Thank you.

END