Remarks by the First Lady and Dr. Jill Biden to National Governors Association

State Dining Room

10:40 A.M. EST

DR. BIDEN:  Thank you very much.  (Applause.)  Thank you, David, for that kind introduction.  And thank you all for coming this morning.  It was great to see you all last night.  And wasn’t Audra McDonald incredible?  (Applause.)  

So we’re delighted to have you here at the White House again this morning.  And the last time we were together, Michelle and I talked to you about one of our top priorities of our initiative Joining Forces, which I’m sure you all know about, which is our way to honor and support our troops, veterans and military families.

And we talked about one of the top concerns that we hear about from military spouses wherever we go, and that's professional licensing.  So I’m sure you remember this from last year, many of you do who were here.  

And our nation’s military spouses move 10 times more than their civilian counterparts, and 35 percent of those spouses have jobs that require a professional license.  So they're our teachers, our nurses, our social workers.  And we heard from a teacher -- this is just one of the instances -- who had 10 years' experience in her specialty in one state, and then when she moved to another state, she had to wait because the exam only took place twice a year.  So she lost a lot of time and actually a lot of income because she had to wait.  And then we met a nurse who moved 10 times during her husband’s service and needed to go through a different and complicated process every time she moved.  

So these are just a few of the countless stories we’ve heard that illustrate what a challenge license portability really is for our military spouses.

Back in February of last year when we met with you, only 11 states had pro-spouse legislation.  So the First Lady and I asked you for your help, and you’ve stepped up.  Yes.  (Applause.)  And you stepped up because you appreciate how much our military families do for our country every single day.  And just last month, Arkansas became the 28th state to pass legislation.  

In just one year we’ve made tremendous progress, and the First Lady and I are really appreciative of your efforts.  But there’s still more to do.  Right now we’re thankful that we have 13 more states that already have introduced legislation and are headed in the right direction.  So if your state has a small active-duty population, you might think that this issue may not impact you, but every state has a National Guard or Reserve.  And with so many families -- military families transitioning out of the military now and in the next few years, they’ll be focused on finding good jobs, good schools and good communities, whether there is a military base nearby or not.

So for the sake of our military families, it’s important that all 50 states get this done.  And passing these laws is just the first step.  We hope all of you will reach out to your bases and your National Guard and Reserve communities, talk with the military spouses -- I’m sure many of you already do this already -- and make sure that these laws are working for our military families.

So thank you for helping ease the burden for our military spouses and you’ve all done so much in all of your states.  So again, thank you for all that you’ve done already.

And now I’d like to introduce someone who has been working tirelessly for military families, someone who would like to tell you about our next effort.  You didn't think you were coming here without an ask, right?  (Laughter.)  So to make sure that all of our military families have good family -- good family-supporting jobs, so I’d like to introduce our First Lady, Michelle Obama.  (Applause.)

MRS. OBAMA:  Thanks so much.  (Applause.)  Thank you all.  Good morning.  Thank you.  I hope you all got some rest after last night.  We had a good time -- little tired.  (Laughter.)  If you noticed, I stayed up a little bit later -- (laughter) -- a little bit longer than I had anticipated, but it was well worth it.  But it's good to have you back this morning.

I want to thank Jill, once again, for that introduction, but more importantly for being such a tremendous partner on our Joining Forces initiative.  She's brought her level of passion and focus to this.  We could not be where we are without somebody like Jill who knows these issues, who lives them as a Blue Star mom every day.  So I want to thank her.  But I also want to echo -- absolutely.  (Applause.)  

And to echo Jill, I want to start by thanking all of you for the incredible work that you have done on the effort of spousal licensing.  I mean, it's truly a tremendous effort to go from 11 states to all but 13 states having gotten that done.  And as I was talking to Governor Christie and others, this isn't an issue that people don’t want to work on, it's just a matter of governors being aware of what's going on in their states.  And the truth is, is that once you know, so many of you have stepped up because we all want the best for our troops, our veterans, and for their families.

Your leadership has been truly phenomenal, and it just goes to show the power that states and governors have to make a difference for our troops, veterans and our families.  But, like Jill said, our work here is far from finished.  And I'm not just talking about licensing for our military spouses, I'm also talking about supporting our men and women in uniform as more and more of them make that transition back to civilian life.  

And as my husband announced during the State of the Union address, 34,000 troops are going to be coming home from Afghanistan in the next year.  And that -- yes, that’s a good thing.  (Applause.)  And that war will be over by the end of 2014.  So in the coming years, more than 1 million servicemembers -- 1 million of them -- will make the transition to civilian life.  I mean, just think about that impact -- a million men and women hanging up their uniform, trying to figure out what's next, and doing everything they can to make that change as seamless as possible for all of their families.

So the fact is that while this time of war may be ending, the truth is that our responsibilities to our troops and their families will really just be ramping up.  And that’s what I want to talk with you all about today -- how we can fulfill what is perhaps our most pressing responsibility to our troops.  And that is to make sure that when they come home after serving and stepping up on our behalf, that they can find a job -- and not just any job, but a good job, the kind of job that they can raise their families on.  Now, some of this work has already begun.  Last summer, my husband created a taskforce to help our servicemembers obtain the national certification that they need to help fill high-demand civilian jobs starting with the manufacturing industry.  

And today, we are excited to announce that we’re expanding this effort to the state level to focus on the health care and transportation industries.  So the idea is simple.  Many of you are working on these issues already.  If a servicemember has spent years treating wounded troops in a military hospital, they shouldn’t have to then spend thousands of dollars to get back into the classroom and study things that they've already learned just to get the same kind of job in the civilian world.  We want to make it easier for those who served as medics or drivers in the military to get new jobs as paramedics and nurses and physician assistants or truck drivers.

And since the credentials and licenses for those jobs are issued through the states, that means that all of you as America's governors have a very unique responsibility and opportunity to address this issue.  We know that right now our men and women in uniform face all kinds of obstacles before they can put their skills to use at home.  These men and women have spent thousands of hours in combat zones, saving lives amid explosions and gunfire.  They've driven armored vehicles thousands of miles on dangerous roads lined with IEDs.  Yet, back here at home they can't get hired to drive a semi or serve as an EMT.

So take the example of Maria Aliftiras.  She spent eight years as a medic in the Army Reserves -- eight years.  But when she left the Reserves, she had to take 1,200 hours of courses and clinical work to get her civilian paramedics license.  And she said that hundreds of those hours, about half of the coursework she had to take, was spent reviewing skills she had already mastered.  

And then there is former Navy Corpsman Eric Smith, who was once in charge of a 20-bed intensive care unit in San Diego.  After that, he served two tours in Iraq as a combat medic for a Marine infantry unit.  But when he came home, he couldn't get hired in a medical clinic.  So he had to take up odd jobs.  He had to serve as a bartender, do some day work.  And at one point, he even had to sign up to be a test patient for a drug study just to make enough money to get by.  And as he put it -- and these are his words -- he said, "In the civilian world, my military education and training did not translate because I didn't have a piece of paper saying that it did."  So we all have to think about that.  Because of a piece of paper, because our credentialing processes don't adequately reflect the skills and expertise our troops have gained serving this country, putting their lives on the line -- troops like Petty Officer Smith end up tending bar instead of saving lives.

But, fortunately, again, all of you have the power to make this right.  As we have seen on the spousal licensing issue, there are a number of ways that you as governors can help put our troops back to work without lowering a single professional standard in your states, because that's something we talked about.  This is not about lowering standards.  We've done this for our troops with manufacturing skills, and hundreds of them have earned advanced certifications already.  So now it’s time to get them back to work in the medical and transportation fields as well, and to do it right away.

So our goal is that by the end of 2015 -- we’ve got another goal, 2015 -- we want all 50 states to have taken legislative or executive action to help our troops get the credentials they need.  And that means that our troops will be taken care of no matter what state they decide to call home, which is why on the spousal licensing issue it is so important to get the rest of those 13.  We don’t want our men and women -- and their families -- in uniforms and veterans to be limited to where they can live because not all states are onboard.

Now, we know that every state is different and that what works beautifully in one state might not work as easily in another, so we’ve given you all packets like we did a year ago that lay out, step by step, all kinds of options for what each of your states could do on this issue.  And in your packet you’ll also get some tips and also some success stories from states like Oklahoma, Colorado, where Governors Fallin and Hickenlooper have taken important steps to ease the credentialing burden on their veterans in their states.  So we have some wonderful models already out there.  

And I want to emphasize that today will not be the last time that you hear from Jill and me on this issue, because with everything that involves our troops, veterans, and families, we will be working to help support you in whatever way we can along the way.  And we have a couple of folks here today who can help with whatever you need.  We have Todd Veazie, who is here, who’s the new Executive Director for Joining Forces.  Todd is right there.  We have Frank DiGiovanni, who is with the DOD.  Frank, would you stand so that they can see you as well?  

They are here and ready to answer any questions, to provide any follow-up that you may need.  Put them in contact with whoever they should be talking to in your states.  And, more importantly, we’re also going to be talking to your spouses about this, which is really the key -- (laughter) -- because we’re going to make sure they nag you until this happens in your state.  It’s what we’re doing at lunch.

DR. BIDEN:  Yes, that’s right.

MRS. OBAMA:  We also have members of the American Legion here today as well, because they’re behind this effort 100 percent.  And we are so grateful that they’ll be spreading the word about all of this throughout their state and local chapters across the country.  

But in the end, all of you are the ones who can make the biggest difference for our troops on this issue.  So we need you.  We need you to champion these credentialing issues right from the governor’s mansion.  We need you to find allies and supporters in your state legislators.  We need you to galvanize and involve the media in this effort in every way that you can as well.  

Because what we do know is that when you do all that -- what you know as well as Jill and I have seen that people step up.  You see that this is one of those issues, as we talked about at dinner, that everyone can get behind.  That’s the beauty of it.  You’re not going to have to twist many arms to make this happen.  People on both sides of the aisle will start lining up to help on this issue because they know like you and I know that if we do this, we’re not just upholding our values and honoring our troops -- we’ll also be lowering the unemployment rate.  We’ll be improving our health care system.  We’re going to be boosting economic growth in this country through these efforts.

And most importantly, we’re going to be strengthening our country not just for now but for the years ahead.  And in the end, that’s really what Joining Forces is all about.  It’s not just about supporting our heroes while they’re on the battlefield.  It’s about standing with them in these times; standing with them and their families when they come home.  When they come, it’s a forever commitment, because we know that they don’t stop serving this country when their military service ends.  That is the beauty of our servicemembers.  They keep on going.  

We know that they are the next generation of leaders all over the place -- in our businesses, in our hospitals, in our schools.  They are the key resources that will put this country on the track and keep it on the track of greatness.  So we don’t just owe it to them to get issues like this right.  We owe it to our communities and we owe it to our country.  That’s how we will continue to grow our economy, lift up our families, and create even greater opportunities for generations to come.

So today, I want to once again thank you all.  Thank you for everything you do as leaders in your states.  Thank you for the sacrifices that you and your families make to do these jobs.  And thank you for everything that you have done and will continue to do for our men and women in uniform and their families.  And Jill and I look forward to working with you all in the years to come.

So again, thank you.  God bless.  I hope you have a productive day.  And we’ll be following up.  (Laughter.)  Take care.  (Applause.)  

END
11:08 A.M. EST

Renewing the National Commitment to Putting America’s Heroes Back to Work

Washington, D.C. – As part of their Joining Forces initiative, First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden addressed the National Governors Association and renewed their call on governors to do their part putting America’s heroes back to work, and to serve our military veterans and spouses as well as they’ve served us.  The First Lady’s remarks are a call to action – building on President Obama’s June 2012 announcement of the Military Credentialing and Licensing Task Force – setting a goal that by the end of 2015, all 50 states will have taken legislative or executive action to help our troops get the credentials they need to successfully transition to the civilian labor market.

The remarks by Mrs. Obama and Dr. Biden coincide with a new report by the Executive Office of the President that details the barriers veterans and their families face as they seek employment, the Administration’s commitment to help them leverage their skills to good, meaningful jobs and the progress that has already been made.

FACT SHEET: The Fast Track to Civilian Employment

The United States has the most highly trained military in the world, sustained by individuals who have skill sets with enormous breadth and depth because of their military education and experience.  The members of our Armed Forces and their families make great sacrifices, and when their service is concluded, we owe it to our veterans and their families to help them accomplish a successful transition to the civilian labor market. That is why over the past year and a half, the President has taken significant action to create a “career-ready military” and streamline the transition process.
 
Too often the talented men and women who have served our country face barriers that make it difficult to find jobs that capitalize on their skills. Many service members and veterans are required to repeat education or training in order to receive industry certifications and state occupational licenses, even though much, and in some cases, all, of their military training and experience overlaps with credential requirements.
 
Additionally, frequent moves, and the resulting need to search for new employment, can be a significant problem for military spouses, especially when getting a job in a new state requires obtaining an occupational license. Leveraging the skills of our military veterans and their families will build a stronger workforce and a more competitive economy.
 
The Fast Track to Civilian Employment
 
In the coming years, America will see a continued demand for skilled workers in high-growth industries from healthcare and information technology to clean energy and advanced manufacturing.
 
Studies generally find that both occupational licenses and government certifications are associated with higher wages, with substantial wage premiums—on the order of 15 to 18 percent—for individuals who hold an occupational license.  Those without licenses often have to take jobs in different, lower-paying occupations.
 
Helping Servicemembers Gain Industry Recognized Licenses and Credentials
Despite having valuable military experience which in many cases is applicable to well-paying civilian jobs, veterans frequently find it difficult to obtain formal private sector recognition of their military experiences and skill sets through civilian certification and licensure.
 
o As of January 2013, roughly 844,000 veterans were unemployed and looking for work, including 252,000 post-9/11 veterans.  As we drawdown from the war in Afghanistan, one million service members are expected to leave the armed forces over the next several years. 
 
o To ensure service members leave the military with the ability to transfer their education and training to the civilian job market, President Obama created the Defense Department Military Credentialing and Licensing Task Force in June of 2012.
 
o As its initial action, the Task Force forged partnerships with the five largest manufacturing credentialing bodies to provide opportunities for service members to gain industry-recognized, nationally-portable certifications for high-demand manufacturing jobs -- including welding, machining, maintenance, and logistics -- almost all of which have median   hourly wages above the national average. These partnerships are currently being implemented at military bases across the country.

o Administration is now expanding its efforts to assist states in translating military training and experience into credit towards professional licensure. The objectives of this initiative  will be to accelerate states’ occupational licensing processes and to streamline approaches for assessing the equivalency of military training and experience in specific occupations, including:
 Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) and Paramedics
 Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs)
 Physician Assistants (PAs)
 Commercial Drivers Licenses for Bus and Truck Drivers (CDLs)
 
Expanding Licensing Portability for Military Spouses
Frequent moves resulting in the need to search for new employment, can inhibit or delay military spouses from continuing employment, especially when getting a job in a new state requires obtaining an occupational license.
 
o There are currently more than 860,000 military spouses, about 95 percent of whom are female.  Over the past six years, the labor force participation rate for military spouses has been approximately 55 percent, with an unemployment rate of 9.7 percent.

o Military spouses experience a number of unique employment challenges. According to analysis from the Treasury Department, military spouses are ten times more likely to have moved across state lines in the last year compared to their civilian counterparts.
 
o In February of 2012, only 11 states had legislation in place to assist military spouses seeking licenses or certifications.  One year later, an additional 17 states have passed spousal licensing legislation, bringing the overall total to 28 states with military spouse measures in place.  Another 15 states have introduced spouse licensure bills. 
 
o Through collaboration with state legislators and regulators, the Department of Defense has worked to develop best practices with regards to military spouse licensure. These include: licensure through endorsement, temporary licensure, and expedited processes for issuing licenses.