The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
June 04, 2013

Remarks by President Obama and President Piñera of Chile After Bilateral Meeting

Oval Office

12:05 P.M. EDT
 
PRESIDENT OBAMA:  I want to welcome President Piñera and his delegation to the Oval Office.  It gives me an opportunity to return the extraordinary hospitality that they showed during my visit to Santiago and the wonderful warmth that the Chilean people extended to me and my delegation during my visit.
 
Obviously, we’ve got strong relationships throughout the hemisphere, but the relationship between the United States and Chile is as strong and as important as any of the relationships that we have.  Chile has been on a remarkable growth trajectory over several decades, and the progress that it’s made in terms of strengthening its economy, pulling people out of poverty, establishing a strong manufacturing and industrial and service base, its strong exports sector are all proof of the talents of the Chilean people but also Chile’s embrace of democracy and human rights and a market economy.  And as a consequence, Chile has become not only a leader in the hemisphere but also a leader in the world.
 
President Piñera’s outstanding leadership has continued and enhanced this process, and he and I have had an excellent relationship in a number of multilateral settings.
 
Today we had a wide-ranging discussion.  Some of the topics were very specific.  For example, the process whereby we anticipate Chile being able to achieve membership in the Visa Waiver Program that will facilitate the freer flow of people between our two countries.  And I know it’s one of President Piñera’s highest priorities. 
 
We discussed the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a high-standard, high-level trade agreement with the countries of the Asia Pacific region, which is the most dynamic and fastest-growing region of the world.  And Chile has been an excellent partner with us in trying to bring this multilateral trade agreement to a close.
 
I congratulated President Piñera on the work that Chile is doing in the Pacific Partnership, in which Chile, Colombia, México and Peru are joining together to create not only economic integration, but also educational and scientific exchanges that will not only enhance each member country but also are pointing the way for a model of economic development and growth throughout the region that I think a lot of people are paying attention to.
 
And we also discussed the ways in which the United States and Chile can continue to strengthen its people-to-people exchanges and continue to deepen our cooperation on areas like energy that are so important to the continued prosperity of our people.
 
So, overall, I think that the relationship between the United States and Chile is extraordinarily strong.  I want to thank President Piñera for his friendship and his leadership.  I'm confident that during the remaining year in which he's in office he's going to accomplish even more for the Chilean people, and continue to project Chile on the world stage as a very positive force for good.  And I hope that he has found this visit here to the United States useful.
 
I look forward to an opportunity at some point to returning to Chile -- one of my favorite visits during the course of my travels.  And I look forward to a lot of good work in the years ahead. 
 
So thank you very much, Mr. President. 
 
PRESIDENT PIÑERA:  Well, thank you very much, President Obama.  You know that you are always welcome in Chile.  Your visit was a very important one, not only for Chile but for the whole hemisphere. 
 
We have confirmed once again that the United States and Chile, we share the same values -- our commitment with democracy, human rights, rule of law, our market-oriented economy, our commitment with world peace.  And therefore, we keep collaborating with the U.S. in strengthening and promoting these values all over the world.
 
Of course, we discussed many different aspects; one of them was the Trans-Pacific Partnership.  And Chile is fully committed, not only with a Chilean agreement and create the largest free trade -- in the world, which would be the case if the Trans-Pacific Partnership is approved, but also, we want to approve it within the timeframe that we have set.
 
So we hope that in the near future we will be able to make the progress necessary to get that Trans-Pacific Partnership deal done. 
 
On the other hand, we have a free trade agreement with the U.S.; it was signed in 2004.  Since then, we have more than tripled our trade with the U.S.  The U.S. has a very significant surplus in its trade particularly.  We are very happy with that.  But it's not only in trade.  We're interested in many other things.  That's why this conversation has been extremely helpful, because we have discussed other issues like the education, clean renewal energies, science, technology.  In all those areas we have a lot to learn from the U.S. and we have a lot to collaborate with the U.S.
 
We are very happy that we have signed special agreements with two states -- with California and with Massachusetts.  And therefore, I would like to emphasize, President Obama, that we are following what you are doing in the U.S.  Of course, it has been a difficult task, because the world is going through difficult times.  But we are very optimistic that the U.S. economy is picking up.  It's growing.  It's creating jobs.  And that's good for the U.S. people, but also for the whole world. 
 
A little bit in Spanish.  (Speaks in Spanish.)
 
PRESIDENT OBAMA:  Thank you very much. 
 
END
12:14 P.M. EDT
 

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
June 04, 2013

Remarks by the President on the Nominations to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit

Rose Garden

10:28 A.M. EDT

THE PRESIDENT:  Good morning, everybody.  Please have a seat.   

So one of the most important responsibilities of a President is to nominate qualified men and women to serve as judges on the federal bench. 

And Congress has a responsibility, as well.  The Senate is tasked with providing advice and consent.  They can approve a President’s nominee or they can reject a President’s nominee.  But they have a constitutional duty to promptly consider judicial nominees for confirmation.
Now, throughout my first term as President, the Senate too often failed to do that.  Time and again, congressional Republicans cynically used Senate rules and procedures to delay and even block qualified nominees from coming to a full vote. 

As a result, my judicial nominees have waited three times longer to receive confirmation votes than those of my Republican predecessor.  Let me repeat that:  My nominees have taken three times longer to receive confirmation votes than those of my Republican predecessor.  These individuals that I nominate are qualified.  When they were given an up or down vote in the Senate -- when they were finally given an up or down vote in the Senate, every one of them was confirmed.  So this is not about principled opposition.  This is about political obstruction. 

I recognize that neither party has a perfect track record here.  Democrats weren’t completely blameless when I was in the Senate.  But what’s happening now is unprecedented.  For the good of the American people, it has to stop.  Too much of the people’s business is at stake.  Our legal framework depends on timely confirmations of judicial nominees.  And nowhere is this more apparent than with the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals. 

The D.C. Circuit is known as the second highest court in the country, and there’s a good reason for that.  The judges on the D.C. Circuit routinely have the final say on a broad range of cases involving everything from national security to environmental policy; from questions of campaign finance to workers’ rights.  In other words, the court’s decisions impact almost every aspect of our lives. 

There are 11 seats on the D.C. Circuit Court.  When I first took office, there were two vacancies.  Since then, two more judges have retired.  That means there are four vacancies that needed to be filled.  And by February of this year, more than one-third of the seats on the nation’s second highest court were empty.  I mean, imagine if a third of the seats on the highest court -- the Supreme Court -- were empty.  We would rightly consider that a judicial crisis.  If we want to ensure a fair and functioning judiciary, our courts cannot be short-staffed.

In 2010, I put forward a highly qualified nominee for the D.C. Circuit -- Caitlin Halligan.  Caitlin’s credentials were beyond question.  She had bipartisan support from the legal and law enforcement communities.  She had the support of a majority of senators.  Nobody suggested she was not qualified to serve on the court.  If Caitlin had gotten a simple up or down vote before the full Senate, I am confident she would have been easily confirmed.  But instead, for two and a half years, Senate Republicans blocked her nominations.  It had nothing to do with Caitlin’s qualifications.  It was all about politics.  And after two and a half years of languishing in limbo, this brilliant and principled lawyer asked me to withdraw her nomination.

Now, the good news is last year I put forward another highly qualified nominee -- Sri Srinivasan.  And Sri’s credentials were also beyond question.  And no doubt due to some mounting public pressure, along with the vocal bipartisan support that he received, Sri was unanimously confirmed a few weeks ago, becoming the first South Asian American to serve as a circuit court judge in our nation’s history. 

So I’m pleased that the Senate acted.  I’m glad Republicans chose not to play politics and obstruct Sri’s nomination the way they did with Caitlin’s.  And I’m hopeful that we can now build on that progress, because Sri’s confirmation was the first to the D.C. Circuit in seven years.  So out of the four vacancies that existed, one has now been filled.  There are three seats still vacant on the D.C. Circuit Court -- one of them, by the way -- one of them has been vacant since Chief Justice Roberts was elevated to the Supreme Court in 2005.  Anybody who values the role of our courts should find that unacceptable regardless of your party.  Which brings me to today.  That's why today I’m nominating three outstanding, highly qualified individuals to fill those remaining seats. 

Now Patricia Millett is one of our nation’s finest appellate attorneys and, until recently, held the record for the most Supreme Court arguments by a female lawyer.  She served in the Solicitor General’s Office for 11 years, for both Democratic and Republican Presidents.  Since then, in private practice, she’s represented everyone from large businesses to individual pro bono plaintiffs.  And, by the way, as the wife of a retired Navy officer, Patricia has served our nation outside the courtroom as well, as a member of a military family.

Nina Pillard’s career has been defined by an unshakeable commitment to the public good.  She twice served in the Department of Justice and was an attorney for the NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund.  Her landmark successes before the Supreme Court include defending the constitutionality of the Family and Medical Leave Act and opening the doors of the Virginia Military Institute to female students.  And, today, Nina is a professor at Georgetown and, if confirmed, would continue the D.C. Circuit’s strong tradition of distinguished scholars going on to serve as judges -- from Antonin Scalia to Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

And finally, this is the second time I’ve called on Judge Robert Wilkins to serve -- because in 2010, I nominated Robert to the D.C. District Court, and the Senate confirmed him without opposition.  Before serving with distinction as a federal judge, Robert spent eight years in private practice and a decade as a public defender here in Washington, D.C., providing legal representation to defendants who could not afford an attorney.  And throughout his career, Robert has distinguished himself as a principled attorney of the utmost integrity. 

So these three individuals are highly qualified to serve on the D.C. Circuit.  They have broad bipartisan support from across the legal community.  The non-partisan American Bar Association have given them -- each of them -- its highest rating.  These are no slouches.  (Laughter.)  These are no hacks.  There are incredibly accomplished lawyers by all accounts.  And there are members of Congress here today who are ready to move forward with these nominations, including the Chairman, Patrick Leahy.  So there’s no reason -- aside from politics -- for Republicans to block these individuals from getting an up or down vote. 

Despite that, some Republicans recently have suggested that by nominating these three individuals, I’m somehow engaging in -- and I’m quoting here -- in “court-packing.”  (Laughter.)  No -- people laugh, but this is an argument I’ve made.  For those of you who are familiar with the history of court-packing, that involved Franklin Delano Roosevelt trying to add additional seats to the Supreme Court in order to water down and get more support for his political agenda.  We’re not adding seats here.  We’re trying to fill seats that are already existing.  Each of the past five Presidents has seen at least three of their nominees confirmed to the D.C. Circuit.  Since I’ve been President, obstruction has slowed that down to one. 

Right now, there are three open seats on a critical court.  I didn’t create these seats.  I didn’t just wake up one day and say, let’s add three seats to the District Court of Appeals.  These are open seats.  And the Constitution demands that I nominate qualified individuals to fill those seats.  What I am doing today is my job.  I need the Senate to do its job.

The fact that Republican senators are now pushing a proposal to reduce the number of judges on this independent federal court also makes no sense.  When a Republican was President, 11 judges on the D.C. Circuit Court made complete sense.  Now that a Democrat is President, it apparently doesn’t.  Eight is suddenly enough.  (Laughter.)  People are laughing because it's obviously a blatant political move. 

We know that because some of the same Republicans behind this current proposal to reduce the number of seats on the D.C. Circuit Court voted in 2007 to keep 11 judges on the D.C. Circuit -- same folks.  They say the workload has decreased since then, but in April, the judicial conference of the United States -- which, by the way, is led by Chief Justice John Roberts and includes judges from various levels of the federal court system -- told the Senate that the current workload before the D.C. Circuit requires 11 judges.  So they should know.  That was just two months ago.

Chief Justice John Roberts, the Chief Justice of the highest court in the land, and former member of the D.C. Circuit Court says they need 11 judges.  So it's important we don’t play games here, and it's important that we cut through the verbiage. 

An essential part of our democracy is the separation of powers.  The executive, the legislative, and the judiciary each have a role to play.  And when it comes to judicial nominees, my responsibility is to put forward qualified individuals.  These are three of the most qualified individuals you'll ever meet.  The Senate's responsibility, in turn, is to promptly give them an up or down vote. 

So today, I'm doing my part.  I hope in the coming months that the Senate does its part, because I assure you, when these three outstanding individuals are on the bench, they will do their part.  That’s what the Constitution demands.  It's what the American people expect.  And I look forward to years of outstanding service by these outstanding lawyers of incredible integrity. 

And I promised that I would mention this before all of you -- they also have really good-looking families.  (Laughter.)  Because I just saw their kids, and -- (applause).  All right.  Thank you very much, everybody.  (Applause.)

END
10:43 A.M. EDT

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
June 03, 2013

Remarks by the President at National Conference on Mental Health

East Room

10:00 A.M. EDT

THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you so much.  Welcome to the White House.  And thank you, Janelle, for that introduction and sharing your story, and making such a difference through your organization.  We’re really proud to have you here.

I want to thank Secretary Sebelius, Secretary Arne Duncan, Secretary Ric Shinseki for their leadership and helping to organize this event.  And I also want to acknowledge some outstanding members of Congress who are here and who care deeply about this issue. 

And finally, I want to thank all of you for participating in this national conference on mental health.  We wanted to bring together folks who’ve suffered from mental illness and families who’ve supported them.  We wanted to bring together advocates and educators, faith leaders, veterans, local officials. 

All of you have shown an extraordinary commitment to what is a critical goal, and that is to make sure that people aren’t suffering in silence and that we have the capacity to pull together all the resources and support and love that’s out there to go after an extraordinary challenge in our society.

The main goal of this conference is not to start a conversation -- so many of you have spent decades waging long and lonely battles to be heard.  Instead, it’s about elevating that conversation to a national level and bringing mental illness out of the shadows. 

We want to let people living with mental health challenges know that they are not alone, and we’ve got to be making sure that we’re committed to support those fellow Americans, because struggling with a mental illness or caring for someone who does can be isolating.  And I think everybody here who’s experienced the issue in one way or another understands that.  It begins to feel as if not only are you alone, but that you shouldn’t burden others with the challenge and the darkness, day in, day out -- what some call a cloud that you just can't seem to escape -- begins to close in.

The truth is, in any given year, one in five adults experience a mental illness -- one in five.  Forty-five million Americans suffer from things like depression or anxiety, schizophrenia or PTSD.  Young people are affected at a similar rate.  So we all know somebody -- a family member, a friend, a neighbor -- who has struggled or will struggle with mental health issues at some point in their lives.  Michelle and I have both known people who have battled severe depression over the years, people we love.  And oftentimes, those who seek treatment go on to lead happy, healthy, productive lives.

So we know that recovery is possible, we know help is available, and yet, as a society, we often think about mental health differently than other forms of health.  You see commercials on TV about a whole array of physical health issues, some of them very personal.  (Laughter.)  And yet, we whisper about mental health issues and avoid asking too many questions. 

The brain is a body part too; we just know less about it.  And there should be no shame in discussing or seeking help for treatable illnesses that affect too many people that we love.  We've got to get rid of that embarrassment; we've got to get rid of that stigma.  Too many Americans who struggle with mental health illnesses are still suffering in silence rather than seeking help, and we need to see it that men and women who would never hesitate to go see a doctor if they had a broken arm or came down with the flu, that they have that same attitude when it comes to their mental health. 

We see it in veterans who come home from the battlefield with the invisible wounds of war, but who feel somehow that seeking treatment is a sign of weakness when in fact it's a sign of strength.  We see it in parents who would do anything for their kids, but who often fight their mental health battle alone -– afraid that reaching out would somehow reflect badly on them. 

We see it in the tragedies that we have the power to prevent.  And I want to be absolutely clear:  The overwhelming majority of people who suffer from mental illnesses are not violent.  They will never pose a threat to themselves or others.  And there are a whole lot of violent people with no diagnosable mental health issues.  But we also know that most suicides each year involve someone with a mental health or substance abuse disorder.  And in some cases, when a condition goes untreated, it can lead to tragedy on a larger scale. 

We can do something about stories like these.  In many cases, treatment is available and effective.  We can help people who suffer from a mental illness continue to be great colleagues, great friends, the people we love.  We can take out some pain and give them a new sense of hope.  But it requires all of us to act.  And there are a few ways we can do our part.

First, we’ve got to do a better job recognizing mental health issues in our children, and making it easier for Americans of all ages to seek help.  Today, less than 40 percent of people with mental illness receive treatment -- less than 40 percent.  Even though three-quarters of mental illnesses emerge by the end of -- by the age of 24, only about half of children with mental health problems receive treatment.  Now think about it:  We wouldn’t accept it if only 40 percent of Americans with cancers got treatment.  We wouldn’t accept it if only half of young people with diabetes got help.  Why should we accept it when it comes to mental health?  It doesn't make any sense.

The good news is, there are plenty of groups that are stepping up to change that.  So a former colleague of mine, Gordon Smith, a former Republican Senator, lost his son to suicide 10 years ago.  And I remember him speaking so eloquently about it.  Gordon is now the head of the National Association of Broadcasters, and today, the National Association of Broadcasters is announcing a new campaign designed to change attitudes about mental illness through TV ads and social media,   because Gordon doesn’t want other parents to go through the agonizing loss that he’s endured.  So we thank you, Gordon, for that great work.  (Applause.)

You’ve got secondary school principals who are holding assemblies on mental health.  You’ve got organizations like the YMCA who are volunteering to train staff to recognize the signs of depression and other mental illnesses in our young people.  You got leaders from different faith communities who are getting their congregations involved.  And dozens of other organizations have today made similar commitments, so we’ve very thankful to all of you.

There are other people who are leading by example.  My great friend, Patrick Kennedy, when he was running for reelection back in 2006, he could have avoided talking about his struggles with bipolar disorder and addiction.  Let’s face it, he’s a Kennedy.  (Laughter.)   He was -- his seat was pretty safe.  Everybody loved him.  And yet, Patrick used his experience as a way to connect and to lift up these issues, not hide from them. 

And one day, a woman came up to Patrick at a senior center and told him she was afraid to tell her friends she was taking medication for a mental illness because she was worried they might treat her differently.  She told Patrick, “You’re the only one who knows aside from my son.”  And so Patrick started realizing how much power there could be for people to speak out on these issues.  And Patrick carried these stories back with him to Washington, where he worked with a bipartisan group of lawmakers, including his dad, to make sure the mental health services you get through your insurance plan at work are covered the same way that physical health services are -- a huge victory.  (Applause.) 

So because of Patrick's efforts and the colleagues who worked with him, it's easier for millions of people to join him on the road to recovery, which brings me to a second point.  It’s not enough to help more Americans seek treatment -– we also have to make sure that the treatment is there when they're ready to seek it. 

For years now, our mental health system has struggled to serve people who depend on it.  That’s why, under the Affordable Care Act, we’re expanding mental health and substance abuse benefits for more than 60 million Americans.  (Applause.)  New health insurance plans are required to cover things like depression screenings for adults and behavioral assessments for children.  And beginning next year, insurance companies will no longer be able to deny anybody coverage because of a pre-existing mental health condition.  (Applause.) 

We’re also investing in science and basic research to make it easier to diagnose and treat disease early.  And earlier this year, I announced an ambitious initiative to develop tools for mapping the human brain, which could help scientists and researchers unlock the answers to conditions that affect mental health.

We’re also doing more to support our troops and our veterans who are suffering from things like traumatic brain disorder -- or traumatic brain injury or PTSD, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.  Today, we lose 22 veterans a day to suicide -- 22.  We've got to do a better job than that of preventing these all too often silent tragedies.  That’s why we’ve poured an enormous amount of resources into high-quality care and better treatment for our troops. 

And today, under Ric Shinseki's leadership, the VA is going even further.  They’re partnering with 24 communities in nine states to help reduce wait times for veterans seeking mental health care.  And they're -- they’ve met their goal of hiring 1,600 new mental health providers, which means this summer they're going to hold more than 150 summits like this one in communities all across the country so that every one of our servicemembers and veterans understand -- just like you take care of yourself and each other on the battlefield, you’ve got to do the same thing off the battlefield.  That’s part of being strong.

For many people who suffer from a mental illness, recovery can be challenging.  But what helps more than anything, what gives so many of our friends and loved ones strength, is the knowledge that you are not alone.  You’re not alone.  You’re surrounded by people who care about you and who will support you on the journey to get well.  We're here for you.

And that’s what this conference is about.  That’s why these issues are so important.  So if there's anybody out there who's listening, if you’re struggling, seek help. 

AUDIENCE MEMBER:  Thank you, Mr. President. 

THE PRESIDENT:  You're welcome.  (Applause.)  If you know somebody who is struggling, help them reach out.  Remember the family members who shoulder their own burdens and need our support as well.  And more than anything, let people who are suffering in silence know that recovery is possible.  They’re not alone.  There's hope.  There's possibility.  And that’s what all of you represent with the extraordinary advocacy and work that you've already done.

So thank you all for being here.  Let’s do everything we can to help our fellow Americans heal and thrive.  And now I’d like to turn it over to Secretary Sebelius who will be leading our opening panel. 

Thank you very much, everybody.  (Applause.) 

END
10:15 A.M. EDT

The White House

Office of the Vice President

For Immediate Release
May 31, 2013

Remarks to the Press by Vice President Biden and Brazilian Vice President Temer

Diplomatic Center
Brasilia, Brazil

1:08 P.M. (Local)

VICE PRESIDENT TEMER: (As interpreted) It’s my pleasure to welcome Vice President Joe Biden.

And on a more personal note, I’d like to say that some time ago as a representative of Brazil at taking office of the President of Mexico, I was happy to sit next to Vice President Biden.  And there we had the opportunity to have a long conversation at the time, at a Latin America dinner there, for a very long dinner.  So we had the opportunity to talk about many issues that are of interest to Brazil and the U.S.

And particularly at the personal level, both of us were from the legal field, and we had the opportunity to exchange a lot of ideas on that occasion.  And I think that has strengthened our ties of friendship I believe between myself and Vice President Biden.

And it is precisely within the context of growing and closer ties between Brazil and the U.S., and that's the setting for the visit of Vice President Biden, following the visit paid by President Obama, and followed by a trip of President Dilma to the United States.  And now in July, President Dilma will pay a state visit. 

And as you may know, a state visit is a very special visit to the United States.  And that is done only once a year.  That's the information I have received.  And that reveals --  that shows the importance of the relationship between Brazil and the U.S. and also the closer relationship between the U.S. and Brazil.

And I say so to you, the members of the press, that it’s very often said that we in Brazil have had -- have kept a very close relationship with African and South American and the Arabian countries.  And that is true because we did build those closer ties.  But we have not withdrawn from a very close relationship with the United States of America.  We also -- because the bilateral trade between Brazil and the U.S. is a very close one after our -- second only to China -- and the relationship -- trade relationship between Brazil and the U.S.  And so we are both sides very much interested in strengthening these ties, the commercial ties, which are being strengthened by these visits I have just mentioned.

And talking to Vice President Biden we have addressed topics that he had already addressed with President Wilma, especially in the field of energy, of technological innovation regarding a program we are very proud of here in Brazil, which is the Science Without Frontiers.  And I have underscored to Vice President Biden that the U.S. is the country that is most sought after by those who receive the scholarships from the Science Without Borders program.

And as a sign of this we have over 5,000 students -- graduate and undergrad students -- who have gone to the U.S. so as to add to their own education the technological knowledge they receive in the U.S. and bring it to our country.

And I also comment on a statement he did in Rio de Janeiro saying that it is not -- democracy and social development are not incompatible.  And as a rule I highlighted to Vice President Biden that in our country, we adopted in our country since in our institution we have been able to bring together the concepts of liberalism with those of the welfare state.  And liberalism is perceived as the wider freedom, the freedom of expression, freedom of speech, and also -- and specifically the freedom of press -- with a high degree of preservation of individual rights. 

And on the other hand, we have been able to adopt the rules of the welfare state as we ensure the right to housing, which have generated programs such as the family grant program, the housing program Minha Casa, Minha Vida, which has allowed millions of people to graduate from extreme poverty and move up to the middle classes in our country.  And this has promoted an international insertion over our country and international scenario and -- within the international scene.

So we have -- as I said, we have addressed topics such as energy, technological innovation.  We also have referred to several international issues, and I wish -- I’m very pleased to share some opinions with Vice President Biden regarding international conflicts -- as example, the issues in Syria and the Palestine-Israel conflict.  And we have both highlighted that there is a strong coincidence in the stands taken by both governments of Brazil and the U.S.

And I have not left -- I did not forget to mention and I was well received by Vice President Biden, we have been reinforced of the interest of Brazil to have a seat at the U.N. Security Council as we have also received the support for application of Sao Paulo in Brazil for the 2020 Expo.  So next week in Paris, there will be another event which will be defining the city to host the Expo 2020.  And Brazil and Sao Paulo are applicants, and so we are advocating this possibility.

And as final remarks, I wish to highlight how honored we feel with your visit.  And as you will see in the words to be followed by Vice President Biden, he is much more communicative than myself, and he will speak very properly about the reasons that have brought him to Brazil and the enthusiasm he takes home after his contact with Brazil. 

And as you see, Vice President Biden, the press will pay keen attention to your words.  Thank you.

VICE PRESIDENT BIDEN:  Thank you very much, Mr. Vice President.  Let me begin by saying I don't want to go home.  I wish we were able to stay and take advantage of the hospitality longer.  My wife and my granddaughters are with me as well, and they are now looking at that beautiful lake and the gigantic swimming pool in the hotel we’re staying in.  I think I’m going to have trouble getting them on the plane.

If you wonder about -- and I joked earlier in my visit in Rio de Janeiro where some Brazilians refer to Brazil as a developing country, you are no longer a developing -- you are a developed country.  And if you need any evidence of that is the World Cup, Pope Francis coming here first, the Olympics.  And now my friend is lobbying me on 2020.  I tell you it’s amazing.

We have become friends.  We got a chance to not only learn about each of our countries a little more when we were at the inauguration of the President of Mexico, but we learned we have some deep and common interest, particularly constitutional law which we both taught, as well as my passion and his for equality for women worldwide.  And it’s been a common bond beyond what -- I guess you didn't like what I said, huh?  You turned the lights out.

But let me say that earlier today I had a wide-ranging discussion with your President.  She’s a leader who is literally laser focused on addressing the issues that matter most to the people of Brazil.  And the good news is the issues that matter most to the people of Brazil are the issues that matter most to the people of the United States.

And I didn't have to spend long -- although we had a long conversation that went well beyond what either of us had anticipated -- I now understand why President Obama considers her such a good partner.  And that's why we both -- the President and I -- are anxious, truly anxious for her to visit in October. 

We occasionally have -- in the past have had more than one state visit in a year, but the President wanted to make a statement that the first state visit of this year is extended to your President as an evidence of our respect and our desire to further deepen the relationship.

And we’re extremely pleased that the President actually accepted the invitation.  And this is the first state visit in the second term.  And as I said a reflection -- a reflection of our great respect for your country.

As I said on Wednesday, I believe that 2013 can and should mark the beginning of a new era in U.S.-Brazil relations.  But words will not get us there.  We have a good deal of work that we have to get done between now and the end of the year to make that promise a reality.  But we’re on our way.

Over the past four years, the President of the United States has been here.  I have been here.  Ten of our Cabinet members have been here.  That has never happened before in the history of the relationship to the best of my knowledge between our country and yours.   And it is a clear reflection of how important we believe this relationship to be. 

We both acknowledge that there are gaps between what we have accomplished together and what we are capable of together.  And I discussed with your President and Vice President the ambitious agenda that I think we should be focusing on to bridge that gap.

We spoke about how to deepen trade and investment in both our nations.  Our annual trading relationship has now surpassed $100 billion a year, but there is literally no reason -- no reason why the world’s largest and seventh largest economies can’t increase that fivefold over time.  That would generate so many jobs in both our countries and further tighten the relationships between our countries.

We spoke about how to remove barriers to trade and also how to achieve greater certainty for investors in both our countries.  You have significantly increased direct foreign investment in the United States, and we welcome it, and we seek more.

On energy, we discussed how we can build a partnership that reflects the ambition of both our countries in this area.  As some of you know, two days ago, I spent time at your state-owned and actually now private and state enterprise going through a deep briefing on the promise of pre-salt oil that is immense.  The find is immense.

We also talked about how we could work together on areas that you have far surpassed us.  You produce 50 percent of your energy with renewable energy.  Our goal is to get to 20 percent by the middle of the next decade.  We have a lot to learn from you -- a lot to learn from you.

We also think -- and it’s been discussed you may be able to learn something from us in being able to access shale gas.  The access of shale gas in an environmentally sound way has radically altered America’s energy prospects -- radically altered those prospects.

Energy now, natural gas is less than $2 in the United States.  It’s $17 or more in Europe and other places.  It has great potential for your country, as well as for ours.

We discussed the growing place and presence on the world stage that Brazil has, and we made plans to do more to fight hunger in Haiti and promote development in Africa.  And I want to applaud Brazil’s $900 million write-off of African debt.  You are not only a serious player in the international community, you are an incredibly responsible player.
And as I said on Wednesday, and I said to you earlier, Brazil is no longer an emerging nation.  Its actions like the one that I’ve just mentioned show -- show -- how Brazil has emerged.  That doesn't mean there isn’t more work to do.  Both Brazil and the United States have to keep working at the persistent challenges we face:  delivering jobs to our constituencies, growth, tackling inequity, promoting opportunity and security for all.

But the world has much to learn from Brazil’s success.  You’ve shown that nation’s need not choose between democracy and development, between market-based economies and smart social policy.  I think that is -- I think you underestimate what a profound impact the last 15 years and the way you’ve arrived at your success has had on the rest of the world.  There are scores of nations today, from the Arab Spring, across all continents trying to determine is it possible -- is it possible -- to have development and democracy.  Brazil has demonstrated that it is possible.  Not only possible, but it’s the best path to development.

We talked about the critical importance of tapping our people’s shared passion for innovation in education.  My wife, who is with me today, is a full-time professor at a community college.  She teaches a full load.  She has an expression she’s used for the last 10 years:  Any country that out-educates us will out-compete us.  Any country that out-educates us will out-compete us.

You not only have great raw materials and great resources, you have human resources that are tremendous, and we are anxious to work with you.  When President Obama announced his 100,000 Strong initiative, and your President announced your Science Without Borders -- I believe that's the name of -- Science Without Borders or Without Frontiers, we embraced it.  And the fact of the matter is 5,000 Brazilian students seeking undergraduate and graduate degrees are in a total of 46 states within the United States of America attending what we respectfully would suggested are the finest research universities in the world.

It is good for us, and it is good for you.  We always learn -- we learn from that.  The reason we have been successful is because we’ve invited the world in, because we’ve expanded immigration, and we expand invitations to come and see us.

But there’s a secondary reason I might say, Mr. Vice President, we think this is so important.  You and I were talking about this very briefly on the way down. 

Ladies and gentlemen, those nations that are the closest, cooperate the most, and even when they have differences, negotiate those differences are those nations where each other’s nation understands, has a feeling for, has a taste for, has a sense of the people in the other nation.  There’s only way to do that:  Be there.  Be there.

That's why through our ambassador, we have gone from 12 weeks I believe it is to two days or three days to get a visa.  That's why we’re doubling the consulates we have here available.  We want Brazilians coming to the United States -- not merely for commerce, but to see us, to begin to understand us with our faults and all -- our faults and our strengths -- because we’re convinced that if our people see firsthand what’s happening here in Brazil, meet firsthand your people and the same occurs, this relationship will become tighter and tighter.

Ladies and gentlemen, finally I want to raise an issue that the Vice President and I have pursued in our public life, the scourge of violence against women.  Your administration, Mr. Vice President, your leadership has taken on domestic violence, and you’ve pulled it out of the shadows.  I’m the author of the Violence Against Women Act in my country, the first fundamental change we’ve had in terms of how we legislatively view the role of the government in accommodating the end of domestic violence.

You’ve set up domestic violence hotlines that have significantly increased reporting of abuse and opened new shelters for victims, exactly what we did.  There was a famous Justice of one -- of our Supreme Court.  He said, the best disinfectant is sunlight.  Sunlight is the best disinfectant.  And shining a bright light on the abuse of women, shining a light on the abuse that takes place is the one certain way to end the abuse.

I leave Brazil full of optimism -- optimism -- about what we can accomplish together.  This is a moment of -- for relationships to begin to take on a different texture, a greater depth.

Ladies and gentlemen, we are the first, you are the seventh largest economy in the world.  We are both great democracies.  We both are inclusive peoples.  It is hard to imagine how this hemisphere can meet its potential without the relationship between the two largest nations in the hemisphere working together, and the international implications of that are profound.

So I look forward, as the President does, to your President’s visit.  I look forward to coming back many times, and I look forward to the great good we can do for both our people by working together.

And, Mr. Vice President, thank you for your hospitality, and I want to thank the press for paying attention in my visit to what I’ve had to say.  I appreciate it very much.  (Applause.)

END
1:29 P.M. (Local)

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
May 31, 2013

Remarks by President Obama and NATO Secretary General Anders Rasmussen After Bilateral Meeting

Oval Office

11:45 A.M. EDT

PRESIDENT OBAMA:  It’s a great pleasure once again to welcome our Secretary of NATO, Anders Rasmussen.  He has been an extraordinary partner for us and, I believe, a great leader for NATO. 

Over the last several years, he has helped to orchestrate a very successful Lisbon summit, a very successful Chicago summit.  And, in between, he has been able to mobilize and activate NATO members to take a whole host of actions that have resulted in a more secure world and has helped to underscore the importance of this alliance in the 21st century as a baseline whereby the United States and other member nations achieve security for their people.  So I’m very grateful for his extraordinary service.

We had an excellent discussion today focused on a number of issues that are of concern to all NATO members and are of great concern to the United States.  Obviously, at the top of our list was Afghanistan, where the international coalition that has worked alongside our U.S. troops has achieved significant progress.  And we are now looking over the next several weeks to a new milestone, one that was set in Chicago, where we are transitioning to Afghan lead for combat operations in Afghanistan and NATO members and ISAF members will be shifting into a train, assist, and advise mode.

We’ve seen great progress in the Afghan National Security Forces.  We want to continue that progress.  And central to that will be those NATO members, who are contributing, continuing to work effectively with their Afghan counterparts so that moving into next year we have a successful Afghan election and we continue transition until the end of 2014 whereby our combat roles will be completed. 

We had an opportunity to discuss not only the planning for the next year and a half, but also what kinds of steps we could take post-2014 to continue to ensure that Afghan security forces are effective and can control their own borders, and that NATO members can be assured that Afghanistan will not be used as a base for terrorism in the future.

And what we’ve agreed to is that in order for us facilitate this entire process, that it would be appropriate for us to have another NATO summit next year.  And so Secretary Rasmussen will be working diligently, as he always does, to identify a host country and to plan for a 2014 NATO summit, at which time not only will we be able to underscore this final chapter in our Afghan operations, but also to paint a picture of a future whereby we’re partnering with the Afghan government on behalf of the Afghan people and on behalf of world security.

In addition to talking about Afghanistan, we also discussed the importance of continuing to improve NATO defense capabilities in a new world with new threats.  And Anders has taken the lead talking with all the NATO members about how we start building up greater and greater capacity and integration that requires burden-sharing on the part of all NATO members.  It means that, even during times of austerity, that we work smarter together to ensure that we can meet and are prepared for any threats that may arise, whether it is improving our joint surveillance capabilities or addressing new threats like cybersecurity. 

And because of Anders’s leadership, I think we’ve made real progress on this front.  One of the goals of a 2014 NATO summit would be to lock in some of the progress that’s already been made into a set of commitments that are clearly understood by all the NATO members, and I very much appreciate the work that Anders has done on that front.

We had a chance to talk about Libya, where we obviously had a very successful NATO operation to liberate Libya from a decades-long dictatorship.  We now have a Libyan government that is in a transition process.  And part of where we think we can be helpful is to ensure that a democratically elected Libyan government has the capacity to control its borders to ensure that it does not become a safe haven for terrorism.  And I think NATO has an important role to play on that front, and I know that Secretary Rasmussen recently met with the Prime Minister of Libya and had discussions about how we could provide assistance.

We are very supportive of those efforts because we think it’s critical that we have strong partners in places like North Africa that are able to meet the security needs of their own people but are also working with the international community to meet the security needs of all of us. 

And finally, I congratulated Anders on the excellent work that was done to achieve an agreement with respect to the Kosovo situation that has the potential to be historic and indicates the degree to which NATO forces in that region continue to play a very important role in underwriting the security of people who historically, obviously, have been racked by all sorts of conflict and violence.  And we’re very supportive of those efforts. 

It’s one more example of the kind of leadership that Secretary Rasmussen has shown during the course of his tenure.  We appreciate the fact that he has extended that tenure longer than he and his family originally anticipated, but we’re all very fortunate that he’s taken on this assignment.  And I look forward to continuing productive work with him and his entire team at NATO over the next year of his service.

Thank you very much.

SECRETARY RASMUSSEN:  Thank you very much, Mr. President for your kind words.  Thank you for the support.  Thank you for your strong commitment to a strong NATO.

NATO brings together 28 nations that share the same values -- freedom, democracy, the rule of law.  And those 28 nations offer a pool of forces and capabilities that is second to none.  After almost two decades of operations, our forces are stronger and more experienced than ever.  And in these tough economic times, NATO's collective and multilateral defense is far more effective and far more efficient than any individual national capability.  Through NATO, you get more value for money -- you get more security for money.

Now, our main operation is our ISAF mission in Afghanistan.  Our goal is in sight.  Soon, we will reach an important milestone.  The Afghans will take the lead for security across the country.  Our troops will move into a support role.  By the end of 2014, our combat mission will be completed, our combat troops will return home, the Afghan security forces will take full responsibility for the security -- but we will still be there to train, advise, and assist. 

And to that end, we are now preparing a training mission to be established from 2015.  It will be a very different mission -- a non-combat mission with a significantly lower number of troops and trainers.  So we are determinedly moving towards our goal:  an Afghanistan that can stand on its own feet.  But the Afghans will not stand alone.  We are prepared for an enduring partnership with the Afghan people.

As we draw down our operations, we will enhance the modernization of our defense to ensure effective protection of our populations against new and emerging security threats and challenges.  That's why we are building a NATO missile defense, strengthening cybersecurity, and we will step up joint military exercises, training, and education to maintain and further develop our ability to work and operate together.

Today, the President and I have discussed this vision of change from a deployed NATO to a prepared NATO.  And we look very much forward to further outlining and discussing this shared mission with NATO allies at the summit in 2014. 

PRESIDENT OBAMA:  Thank you, Secretary.

SECRETARY RASMUSSEN:  Thank you.

PRESIDENT OBAMA:  Thank you, everybody. 

END
11:57 A.M. EDT

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
May 31, 2013

Remarks by the President on College Affordability

Rose Garden

10:26 A.M. EDT
 
THE PRESIDENT:  Good morning, everybody.  Have a seat.  Have a seat.  Welcome to the White House.  I know it’s a little warm.  (Laughter.) 
 
One of my favorite things about this job is that I get to spend some time with remarkable young people from all across the country.  It inspires me.  It makes me feel good.  Those of you who have had to put on suits and ties and show up at the White House first thing on a Friday morning may not feel the same way I do -- (laughter) -- but I appreciate all of you being here.  You cleaned up very well. 
 
And these students and graduates are here to talk about something that matters to millions of young people and their families, and that’s the cost of a college education.  Because this isn’t just critical for their futures, but it’s also critical for America’s future.
 
Over the past four and a half years, we’ve been fighting our way back from a financial crisis and an incredibly punishing recession -- the worst since the Great Depression -- and it cost millions of Americans their jobs and their homes, the sense of security that they’d spent their lives building up. 
 
The good news is, today, our businesses have created nearly 7 million new jobs over the past 38 months.  500,000 of those jobs are in manufacturing.  We’re producing more of our own energy, we’re consuming less energy, and we’re importing less from other countries.  The housing market is coming back.  The stock market has rebounded.  Our deficits are shrinking at the fastest pace in 50 years.  People’s retirement savings are growing again.  The rise of health care costs are slowing.  The American auto industry is back.
 
So we’re seeing progress, and the economy is starting to pick up steam.  The gears are starting to turn again, and we’re getting some traction.  But the thing is, the way we measure our progress as a country is not just where the stock market is; it’s not just to how well the folks at the top are doing; it’s not just about the aggregate economic numbers.  It’s about how much progress ordinary families are making.  Are we creating ladders of opportunity for everybody who’s willing to work hard?  Are we creating not only a growing economy, but also the engine that is critical to long-lasting, sustained economic growth -- and that is a rising, thriving middle class.  That’s our focus.  That’s what we’ve got to be concerned about every single day.  That’s our North Star.
 
And that means there are three questions we have to ask ourselves as a nation.  Number one:  How do we make America a magnet for good jobs in this competitive 21st century economy?  Number two:  How do we make sure that our workers earn the skills and education they need to do those jobs?  And number three:  How do we make sure those jobs actually pay a decent wage or salary, so that people can save for retirement, send their kids to college?
 
Those are the questions we’ve got to be asking ourselves every single day.  So we’re here today to talk about that second question.  How do we make sure our workers earn the skills and education they need to do the jobs that companies are hiring for right now, and are going to keep hiring for in the future?  We know that the surest path to the middle class is some form of higher education -- a four-year degree, a community college degree, an advanced degree.  You’re going to need more than just a high school education to succeed in this economy. 
 
And the young people here today, they get that.  They’re working through college; maybe just graduated.  And earning their degree isn’t just the best investment that they can make for their future -- it’s the best investment that they can make in America’s future. 
 
But like a lot of young people all across the country, these students have had to take on more and more and more debt to pay for this investment.  Since most of today’s college students were born, tuition and fees at public universities have more than doubled.  And these days, the average student who takes out loans to pay for four years of college graduates owing more than $26,000.  How many people are on track here for $26,000? 
 
And that doesn’t just hold back our young graduates.  It holds back our entire middle class, because Americans now owe more on our student loans than we do on our credit cards.  And those payments can last for years, even decades, which means that young people are putting off buying their first car, or their first house -- the things that grow our economy and create new jobs.  And I’ve said this before, I know this firsthand -- Michelle and I, we did not finish paying off our student loans until about nine years ago.  And our student loans cost more than our mortgage.  Right when we wanted to start saving for Sasha and Malia’s college education, we were still paying off our own college education.
 
And we were lucky.  We had more resources than many.  So we cannot price the middle class or folks who are willing to work hard to get into the middle class out of a college education.  We can’t keep saddling young people with more and more and more debt just as they’re starting out in life. 
 
Now, the good news is over the past four years, my administration has done a lot to address this.  Working with members of Congress, we’ve expanded student aid.  We’ve reformed the student loan system.  We’ve saved tens of billions of taxpayer dollars that were just going to big banks, and made sure that the money went to helping more young people afford college. 
 
We made it easier to pay back those loans by passing a law that says you’ll only have to pay 10 percent of your monthly income towards your student -- federal student loans once you graduate.  This is important to emphasize, by the way, because a lot of your peers, a lot of young people don’t know this.  Under existing law that we passed, you never have to pay more than 10 percent of your income in paying back your federal student loans, which means if you want to be a teacher, you want to go into a profession that does not pay a lot of money but gives you a lot of satisfaction, you are still capable of doing that and supporting yourself.
 
We unveiled a new college scorecard that gives parents and students the clear, concise information that you need to shop around for a school with the best value for you.  And I’ve made it clear that those colleges that don’t do enough to keep college costs down should get less taxpayer support.
 
So we’re doing what we can, but here’s the thing:  If Congress doesn’t act by July 1st, federal student loan rates are set to double.  And that means that the average student with those loans will rack up an additional $1,000 in debt.  That’s like a $1,000 tax hike.  I assume most of you cannot afford that.  Anybody here can afford that?  No.
 
Now, if this sounds like déjà vu all over again, that’s because it is.  We went through this last summer.  Some of you were here.  It wasn't as hot.  (Laughter.)  I don't think we did this event outside.  (Laughter.)  But we went through this.  And eventually, Congress listened to all the parents and young people who said “don’t double my rate.”  And because folks made their voices heard, Congress acted to keep interest rates low.  But they only did it for a year and that year is almost up.
 
So the test here is simple.  We’ve got to make sure that federal student loan rates don’t double on July 1st.  Now, the House of Representatives has already passed a student loan bill, and I’m glad that they took action.  But unfortunately, their bill does not meet that test.  It fails to lock in low rates for students next year.  That’s not smart.  It eliminates safeguards for lower-income families.  That’s not fair.  It could actually cost a freshman starting school this fall more over the next four years than if we did nothing at all and let the interest rates double on July 1st. 
 
So the House bill isn't smart and it's not fair.  I'm glad the House is paying attention to it, but they didn't do it in the right way.  So I’m asking young people to get involved and make your voices heard once again.  Last year, you convinced 186 Republicans in the House and 24 Republicans in the Senate to work with Democrats to keep student loan rates low.  You made something bipartisan happen in this town that is -- that's a powerful thing.  You guys were able to get Democrats and Republicans to vote for something that was important. 
 
So this year, if it looks like your representatives have changed their minds, you're going to have to call them up again or email them again or Tweet them again and ask them what happened, what changed?  You're still taking out these loans.  You're still facing challenges.  
 
Remind them that we're a people who help one another earn an education, because it benefits all of us.  During the Civil War, Lincoln had the foresight to set up a system of land grant colleges.  At the end of World War II, we set up the GI Bill so that people like my grandfather could come back from a war and get an education.  All these things created the greatest middle class on Earth.
 
My mom, a single mom, was able to get the support that she needed through loans and grants -- even while she was also working and raising two kids -- to get her degrees.  I'm only here, Michelle is only right over there in the East Wing because we got great educations.  We didn't come from privilege.  And we want to make sure that the next generation has those same opportunities, because that has been good for the country as a whole. 
 
It’s up to us now to carry forward that tradition.  Higher education cannot be a luxury for a privileged few.  It is an economic necessity that every family should be able to afford, every young person with dreams and ambition should be able to access.  And now is not the time for us to turn back on young people.  Now is not the time to slash the investments that help us grow.  Now is the time to reaffirm our commitment to you and the generation that's coming behind you, and that if we work together to generate more jobs and educate more kids and open up new opportunities for everybody who’s willing to work and willing to push through those doors of opportunity, America can't be stopped.
 
So I'm putting my faith in you.  Let's work together.  Let's get this done by July 1st.  Thank you, everybody.  God bless you.  God bless America.  Thank you.  (Applause.) 
 
END
10:36 A.M. EDT

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
May 30, 2013

Remarks by the President at a DCCC Event

Private Residence
Chicago, Illinois

7:37 P.M. CDT

THE PRESIDENT:   Thank you, everybody.  Thank you.  (Applause.)  No, no, no, don't do that.  This is like old home week.  Yes.  We got -- that's because he's got a relative here.  (Laughter.)  A good excuse to --

AUDIENCE MEMBER:  (Inaudible.)

THE PRESIDENT:  Oh, no.  Secret Service, can you have this man removed, please?  (Laughter.)  Oh, no.  (Laughter.)  We don't know yet.  If anybody is monitoring the score, please let us know and I'll make the announcement.

Well, look, everybody here has been introduced, but I want to say something about everybody.  First of all, the Whip, Steny Hoyer, does a great job every single day and there's nobody in the House of Representatives who understands the mechanics of getting things done and is able to deliver on behalf of the values that we care about than an outstanding Congressman from Maryland, Steny Hoyer.  (Applause.) 

Steve Israel has the thankless job of traveling around the country every day on behalf of Democrats, trying to get a Democratic House back.  And he does it with good humor and grace and has been outstanding.  And we're so grateful for him.  It also happens to be the day before his birthday, so everybody wish Steve a happy birthday.  (Applause.)
 
I was going to say nice things about Sandy Levin, but we'll skip over that.  (Laughter.)  Actually, Sandy is wonderful and nobody fights for working people harder than Sandy Levin.  And we're just grateful him, for everything that he does.  (Applause.) 

Jan Jankowski has been a progressive champion in this state for so many years and was one of my earliest supporters when I ran for the United States Senate.  And I could not have ever achieved what I did nationally without the support of Jan Jankowski.  So we're grateful for her.  (Applause.)
 
Nancy Pelosi -- it is absolutely true that the things I'm proud of having accomplished as President I accomplished with Nancy Pelosi fighting every step of the way.  You could not have a better partner than her.  She is tough as nails.  She is a great politician.  She is a great leader.  But all that is in
service of a mission, which is to make sure that the American people can achieve their dreams through hard work and responsibility.

And I was mentioning this to the other -- we had a little event -- larger event downtown.  But I said to them that we're all politicians, we're all members of parties.  But one of the things that I'm proud of as a Democrat is the fact that at certain critical junctures we're willing to put what is politically expedient aside to do what's right.  And I've seen Nancy do that, consistently.  I've seen her be willing not just to stare down the other side and say, no, this is what's important for the American people; I've seen her, to her own constituencies and her own base, say, you know what, this is something that we need to do, to compromise and get something done. 

And I've got to tell you I could not be prouder of Nancy Pelosi and the work that she's done and I could not be more anxious and eager to have her back as Speaker of the House.  She is a great friend.  (Applause.) 

So finally, before I just make some very brief remarks and then I want to spend some time with questions, I've got to talk about Bettylu and Paul.  No, it's going to -- don't worry.  (Laughter.)  No, no, it's just an expression of love. 

I don't know if Bettylu actually told me that she thought I could be President.  (Laughter.)  But what I do know is this -- that when I had just gotten out of law school and was still finding my way, and I had come back here and I was assigned to work to register voters with Project Vote, Bettylu even then was at the forefront of a nonpartisan effort to get people registered and voting, back in 1992.  And right away Bettylu treated me like a son, and with the warmth and concern, and she was somebody who introduced me to so many of the people in this room, and introduced me to so many people here in Chicago.

And so when I look around the room and I see folks like Joan Harris and Judy Gaynor and people who have been supporters of mine from the get-go, I can all trace that back to Bettylu.   We've got kind of a Obama cabal here in this room.  (Laughter.) But it's fitting that we're here, because she invested high hopes and expectations in me.  And through all the ups and downs of my political career, she has been a constant and she's always been there and has always been supportive.  And when times have been tough she was right there and stepping up all over again.  And Paul -- who may have been skeptical during this whole time -- (laughter) -- was kind enough to go along with it.

And so I make this point only -- there are very few people
-- Steny or Nancy, you may have somebody in your life like this where you can honestly say -- it’s not just words, you can honestly say I probably would not be here today were it not for
-- I can honestly say I probably would not be President of the United States were it not for Bettylu Saltzman.  (Applause.)  So I just wanted to say that.  That’s true.  That’s true.  That is true.  (Applause.)  Love that woman.  Love Bettylu.  It’s true.  Love that woman.  (Laughter.)  All right.

MRS. SALTZMAN:  Thank you, thank you.

THE PRESIDENT:  It’s true.

So we’re going to have time for questions.  I’m just going to make a couple of quick remarks to give you a sense of where we are now. 

If you read the headlines over the last couple of days, you’d actually see housing recovering; the economy stronger than expected; stock market hitting record highs.  And you’d have an impression, rightly, that after having gone through the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression, that we are -- we have recovered faster, we have gone further, our economy is doing better than just about every industrialized country in the world, or at least a large portion of them.  And that’s good news and we should celebrate that. 

But if you go beneath the headlines, what we also know is that there are huge numbers of people all across America who are still seeing their house underwater; huge numbers of Americans who want to work, believe in the dignity of work, but no matter how hard they try right now, still can’t find a job. 

There are still kids just a few miles from here who are threatened by gun violence; who aren’t in a school that is giving them what they need to compete in this 21st century; and whose prospects are dim, if we’re honest -- not because they don’t have the innate capacity but because we as a society have decided that’s not our priority. 

We still have a situation in which, on the one hand, our energy future is more promising than we’ve ever allowed ourselves to believe.  We will probably be a net exporter of traditional fossil fuels over the next 20 years -- within the next 20 years, probably a net exporter of natural gas in the next three or four years -- something that could not be imagined even five, 10 years ago -- because of the dynamism and technology that America has produced. 

But the flipside is we also know that the climate is warming faster than anybody anticipated five or 10 years ago, and that the future of Bettylu’s grandkids, in part, is going to depend on our willingness to deal with something that we may not be able to see or smell the way you could when the Chicago River was on fire, or at least could have caught on fire, but is in some ways more serious, more fundamental. 

America is probably more tolerant, more accepting of difference than any time in our history.  Obviously, you’ve got an African American President, a former and soon to be again female Speaker of the House.  The work that we did together to end "don't ask, don't tell" is something that I could not be prouder of.  But we also know that there's still a lot of people who are excluded in our society and we’ve got more work to do. 

Here in Illinois, we’ve got a vote on same-sex marriage that’s going to be coming up in the state legislature.  And I just want to say for the record it’s something that I deeply support.  I wrestled with this for a long time and I am absolutely convinced it is the right thing to do.  And we have to make sure that wherever we go, we are reminding people that the essence of America is that everybody is treated equally under the law without exception. 

And so across the board -- whether it’s getting early childhood education done, or rebuilding our infrastructure when we’ve got bridges that are buckling all across the country, and airports that aren’t working the way they’re supposed to, and ports that are too small to accommodate the big ships that are going to be coming through the Panama Canal, whether it’s making sure that we’ve got job training for people who have to retrain for the jobs of the future, we have a lot of business to do.

And the good news is that we have all the ingredients for success.  We’ve got the best cards.  And there’s not a country on Earth that would not gladly trade places with the United States of America.  The bad news is, is that what’s stopping us from making more progress than we’ve already made is a situation in Washington in which people are willing to put the next election ahead of the next generation. 

And I’ve said this before and I will say it again -- I’ve run my last election.  My only interest at this point is effective governance.  My only interest is making sure that when I look back 20 years from now, I say I accomplished everything that I could while I had this incredible privilege to advance the interests of the broadest number of Americans and to make sure that this country was stronger and more prosperous than it was when I came into office.  That’s my only interest.

And that means that I am willing to work with anybody -- Republican, Democrat or independent -- to get stuff done.  And I am not going to put the pause button on for the next year and a half or two years or whatever it is, simply to position myself for the next election.  If I’ve got a Republican who’s willing to work with me to rebuild our infrastructure, let’s go.  If I’ve got a Republican out there who’s willing to get serious about what we need to deal with our long-term deficit challenges, I’m prepared, come on, let’s talk.  If I’ve got somebody who has a different approach to dealing with climate change -- I don’t have much patience for people who deny climate change, but if you’ve got creative approaches, market-based approaches, tell me about them.  If you think I’m doing it the wrong way, let me know.  I’m happy to work with you.

But what I have not seen so far is the same willingness that I saw and continue to see in Nancy Pelosi and Steny Hoyer and Jan Jankowski and Sandy Levin -- that same willingness to put party interests or political interests aside to advance the interests of the American people.  I have not seen that on the other side yet.

And what that tells me is, is that they’ve still got their minds on winning another election.  And if that’s the case, then even as we’re doing everything we can to govern and even as I’m going to continue to reach out to the other side, I’m going to do everything I can to make sure that we’ve got Nancy Pelosi back in the speakership, because that’s where she belongs.  (Applause.)  And I know the American people will benefit from her leadership.

So the last thing I’ll say -- and then we’ll open it up for questions -- this will be hard.  Frankly, the way gerrymandering now works, and the geographical distribution of the population, makes winning back the House a challenge.  But you know what, me winning the presidency was a challenge.  Nancy Pelosi becoming the first female Speaker, that was a challenge.  It wasn’t easy back in 2006.  It wasn’t easy back in 2008.  So it’s always challenging.  Politics in America is tough, and it’s competitive, and the country does have some very deep divisions on a whole range of issues.  But it can be done.

And the question is going to be are not only the folks in this room, who are the choir, but are we able and willing to mobilize friends, neighbors, coworkers, business partners, and grab them by the collar -- not literally, necessarily, but figuratively -- and say to them, the stakes are big here and we’ve got to stop fooling around.

If all of you feel the same passion and intensity around this midterm election as so many of you felt in 2007 and 2008 when I was running for President, or in 2004 when I was running for Senate, then we’re going to get the House back.  And when we do, we’re going to be in a position to deliver for that next generation.  And nothing else should matter.  Nothing else is more important. 

Thank you.  (Applause.)

END
7:56 P.M. CDT

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
May 29, 2013

Remarks by the President at a DCCC Event

Hilton Chicago

5:35 P.M. CDT

THE PRESIDENT:  Hello, Chicago!  (Applause.) 

Michael Jordan -- different Michael Jordan.  (Laughter.)  It is great to be home, and it is great to be among so many good friends.  Starting with Jan Schakowsky, what she does not mention is -- in her introduction -- that not too many folks gave me a chance to win that first Senate race, but Jan Schakowsky was one of the few people who did and stepped out, along with Robin Kelly, along with Michael Jordan. 

So there is a certain crew here of true believers, and we ended up having the primary night celebration in this hotel.  And I was just saying that was probably -- maybe my favorite moment in politics, as opposed to governing.  (Laughter.)  Just because nobody expected it, including maybe me.  (Laughter.)  So it’s wonderful to have Jan here. 

A couple other people, obviously, I want to acknowledge.  First of all, outstanding leader, soon once again to be Speaker, Nancy Pelosi in the house.  We love Nancy.  (Applause.)

A man who is doing a thankless job with style and grace, our DCCC Chairman, Steve Israel.  (Applause.)  Tomorrow is Steve Israel’s birthday so I want to wish everybody -- yes, let’s go ahead and sing.

AUDIENCE:  (Sings “Happy Birthday”.) 

THE PRESIDENT:  We’ve got a number of other extraordinary members -- a visitor, Steny Hoyer, whose leadership is invaluable and works so closely with Nancy.  (Applause.)

And then just an incredible congressional delegation headed up by our own Dick Durbin.  (Applause.)  I already mentioned Robin Kelly.  We’ve got Cheri Bustos here.  We’ve got Bill Foster here.  We’ve got Bobby Rush here.  We’ve got Rick Nolan here -- Rick is not from Illinois but we like him anyway.  (Laughter.)  Sandy Levin is here.  (Applause.)  And candidate in the Illinois 13th from down south who is going to win, Ann Callis is in the house.  (Applause.

And finally, a great friend and somebody who’s showing what leadership is all about here in Chicago, I could not be prouder of him, your great Mayor, Rahm Emanuel.  (Applause.)

Now, my remarks are going to be relatively brief because game seven of the Blackhawks game is going on right now.  (Applause.)  And I expect the Blackhawks to win.  (Applause.)  I know the Crosstown Classic is going on this week, and I expect the White Sox to win.  (Applause.)  But I love the Cubs too, they’re great.  (Laughter.)  I’m not a Cubs hater, I’m just saying.  (Laughter.)  I think the Sox will win.  (Laughter.)

But the main reason I’m here is just to say thanks to all of you for the incredible privilege that you’ve given me to lead this country, and to say that our work is not yet done. 

Jan rattled off a list of accomplishments that I could not be prouder of, and I couldn’t have gotten them done had it not been for Nancy Pelosi and an incredible congressional delegation from here in Illinois.  But what we also know is, despite the headlines talking about the economy starting to pick up steam; despite recovery in the housing market; despite the fact that we’ve created all those jobs; despite the fact that the stock market has hit an all-time high; what we also know is, is that there are people all across this country who are still hurting. 

People whose homes are still underwater.  People just a few miles from here who desperately want to work and can’t yet find work or can’t get the skills they need to work.  There are people just a few miles from here who are still worried about gun violence striking down their children on the way to school.  There are folks all across the country who are willing to work hard, have the same kinds of values that built this country -- looking after their families, taking responsibility not just for themselves, but also for their communities and their neighborhoods.

But the environment has changed for them, and what they need desperately is an entire nation that is willing to rally around the basic concept that if you work hard in this country, you can make it.  Doesn't matter where you come from, what you look like, what faith you practice, who you love -- that here in America, you can make it if you try.

The good news is that we know the answers to so many of our challenges.  We know, for example, that even though the economy has picked up, that if, in fact, we started putting people back to work all across this country rebuilding our roads and our bridges and our ports and our dams and our airports, that not only would that accelerate economic growth right now, but it would lay the foundation for economic growth for decades to come.  We know that.

And we know by the way if we just put it off, it’s just going to get worse.  This is deferred maintenance.  It’s like not fixing the roof on your house when it’s leaking.  It’s going to be more expensive to fix later.

We know that in this global economy, knowledge and skills and education count for everything, and that the biggest bang we can get for our education dollar is if we are investing in early childhood education so that every child is getting a good start when they enter kindergarten.  We know that.

And we’ve got great models all across the country.  We know how to do early childhood education well.  The problem is we haven’t invested in it.  We probably invest less in early childhood education in this country than in any other industrialized country in the world.  Same, by the way, goes for infrastructure, which is why not a single airport out of the top 25 in the world are in America.

We know that if we have some common-sense laws that check to see if we’re keeping guns out of the hands of criminals, or folks who have significant mental illnesses, we know that that can reduce some deaths, save some kids.  It doesn't solve the whole problem, but we know that.  And we know that 90 percent of the American people and 80 percent of gun owners agree with us.  Why aren’t we getting that done?

We know that energy is what makes an economy go.  And the great news, here in America, is that by 2020 we’ll be a net exporter of natural gas.  We will over the next couple of decades have the capacity to be energy independent for the first time, incredible change.  It will change geopolitics for generations to come, and it fees ourselves from dependence not only on foreign oil generally, but from some of the most volatile parts of the world.

But what we also know is, is that the climate is changing in ways that we can't fully predict, but we know are not going to be good for our kids.  And the good news is we’ve already doubled fuel-efficiency standards on cars.  We’ve already doubled our production of clean energy.  And if we continue to make the investments, nobody has the knowhow and the scientific skill to create the kinds of breakthroughs that deal with climate change, but we’ve got to go ahead and make that decision so that we can be leaders not just for our own kids, but for kids all around the world.

We know that making investments in science and technology pay off like nothing else.  And yet right now we’ve got a budget that is actually cutting our commitment to science and energy because bad priorities in Washington. 

And yet how else are we going to compete against China and Germany when they're doubling or tripling their R&D investments and we’re actually seeing ours fall or at least stay stagnant.

So the good news is that the United States of America is better positioned than any country on Earth to make sure that the 21st century remains our century, just like the 20th was.  And a world city like Chicago is better positioned than just about anybody.  Look at the assets that are here.  We got the best universities.  We’ve got the most dynamic entrepreneurs.  We’ve got everything we need to succeed.

But the one thing that's still missing is a politics that matches up with the decency and the hard work and determination and creativity of the American people.  We’ve got a politics that's stuck right now.  And the reason it’s stuck is because people spend more time thinking about the next election than they do thinking about the next generation.

Now, I’ve got to tell you, I’ve run my last political race, and many of you may be relieved about that because -- (laughter) -- my good friend Ab Mikva in this town used to say that having a friend who is a politician is like permanently having a child in college.  (Laughter.)  You’re always writing checks.  So I’ve graduated.  (Laughter.)

But the reason that I’m here is because for me to govern effectively over the next three, three and a half years, part of my task is to constantly, continually reach out to the other side to try to find common ground; to look for those Republicans who don't think compromise is a dirty word; to continue to advance the agenda that the American people sent me there to advance; to make work pay; to attract new businesses to our shores; to make sure that we’re competitive; to build a middle class.  And so any opportunities I have to do that, I will seize them.

And I have to say, as tough a fighter as Nancy Pelosi is, I have watched her and I have watched some of the Democrats who are in this room take very tough votes, even going against some of the special interests who support Democrats typically if we think it’s the right thing to do.  We’ve shown ourselves willing to do it. 

And so I’m constantly eager to find Republicans who are willing to do the same, because I actually don't think that any party has a monopoly on wisdom.  And I actually think that Democrats, we have to be willing to compromise sometimes to get stuff done.  We’re not an ideological party; we’re a practical party.

But what I will also say is this, that if day in, day out, what we confront is obstructionism for the sake of obstructionism and what appears to be an interest only in scoring political points or placating a base, as opposed to trying to advance the interests of the American people, then we’ve got to figure out a way to work around that.  And one of the best ways to work around it is to have a Democratic House of Representatives.  (Applause.)

So thanks to the work of Steve Israel, thanks to incredible candidates like Ann Callis, we’ve got a great chance of taking back the House.  And I’m going to be working tirelessly wherever I get the opportunity to make the case to the American people that our ideas are the right ones for growing the middle class; that our ideas are the right ones to protect our environment; that our ideas are the right ones in terms of making sure our kids are getting a great education. 

And any Republican who joins up and says, I agree, those are the right ideas -- hey, I’m ready to work.  But those who don’t, I’m going to be out there making the case.  And I know that that’s what some of the great candidates at the DCCC are going to be doing as well.  And the only way they’re able to do that is if they’ve got support from folks like you. 

So I just want to say to all of you, I’m grateful to you, but do not get complacent.  Do not buy into this notion somehow that, oh, these problems are too big or Washington is broken.  No, Washington is not broken.  It’s broken right now for a particular reason, but it’s not permanently broken.  It can be fixed. 

We got a whole bunch of stuff done my first two years.  We’ve gotten a whole bunch of stuff done since that time.  And I’m optimistic about us getting legislation passed this year, but we could be doing a whole lot more -- we can only do it with you.  We can only do it not only by you contributing to the DCCC, but also by talking to your friends and neighbors and colleagues about the ideas that are important for America. 

And we can only do it if you guys sustain a sense of hope, a sense of promise, a belief that here in America, sometimes we take a bad turn, sometimes we make mistakes, but the trajectory of this country is for greater rights, more prosperity, greater tolerance, people still from around the world come here, recognizing that in this country there is this unique idea that all of us count and that all of us can make it.  And that’s just a great gift, and it should make us hopeful. 

And when I see young people, some of whom are here today, I am constantly inspired because they are smarter than we were, they’re more sophisticated than we were, in many ways they’re more conscientious than we were.  So this is -- the generation coming behind us, I mean, they are spectacular.  We’ve just got to make sure that we leave for them a political system that allows them to express all that incredible creativity and ingenuity and wonderful values that they’re going to be able to express through our politics.  That’s what this project is about, and we can’t do it without you.

Thank you very much, everybody.  God bless you.  Thank you.  (Applause.)

END  
5:52 P.M. CDT

The White House

Office of the First Lady

For Immediate Release
May 29, 2013

Remarks by the First Lady at a Fundraising Event -- New York, New York

583 Park
New York, New York

7:14 P.M. EDT
 
MRS. OBAMA:  (Applause.)  Thank you, everyone.  Oh, my goodness.  Yes!  (Applause.)  It is so good to be here.  It is so good to see all of you.  Thank you so much.  (Applause.)  Yes!  Yes, we can.  Yes, we can.  We will again and again.  (Applause.)  Thank you so much.  All right, you all, rest yourselves.  Just settle down.  (Laughter.)  I know you do.  I know you do.  
 
Now, let me just point out that there are very few people who I speak after where I have to pull the mic down.  (Laughter.)  It’s a very great feeling.  So let me start by thanking Jason for not just that very kind introduction, but he’s amazing.  He’s a natural.  We are so -- Jason, we are so proud of you.  We are proud of your talent, your character, your courage, and we are so proud.  I mean, that’s why I had to tweet him.  I wanted to send my love out to him right away, to tell them that he made history and he has just made the difference in the lives of so many of our young people.  So let’s give one more round of applause to our friend, Jason Collins.  We love you so much, Jason.  (Applause.) 
 
And I want to recognize a few people who are here with us as well.  Jason mentioned many of them, members of Congress who are here.  Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney is here.  Yes, indeed.  (Applause.)  Carolyn.  Congressman Sean Patrick Maloney is here.  (Applause.)  Hugs to the little ones.  Congressman Mark Tokano is here.  (Applause.)  And one of our little people is here -- (laughter) -- my dear friend, our fabulous DNC Chair, Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman-Schultz.  (Applause.)  I was teasing her mercilessly because Jason and me and Debbie took pictures.  She was way down low.  (Laughter.)  We love you, Debbie.  You’re doing a phenomenal job.  Thanks -- yes, she is.  She’s doing a great job.  (Applause.)
 
And to our DNC Treasurer, Andy Tobias.  Yes, Andy!  (Applause.)  You’re awesome.  Our DNC Finance Chair, Henry Muñoz, who is -- there you are.  (Applause.)  You didn’t come take a picture with me.  It’s okay.  It’s okay.  I know you have 12, but I missed you.  (Laughter.)  You are both doing a terrific job, and this event is amazing, but the work you are doing for the DNC, you know how much it means to this nation.  So thank you both.
 
And I have to give a special shout-out to someone who keeps me laughing, not just backstage but on TV, just a wonderful spirit -- Andy Cohen.  We are thrilled that he could join us today.  Yes, Andy!  (Applause.)
 
And I have to recognize one of my favorite artists and someone I consider one of my sisters, because her music pumps into my head when I’m on the road and keeps me positive and feeling strong, Sara Bareilles.  Thank you, Sara, for gracing us with your performance.  (Applause.)  Sara, Sara.  
 
And of course, most of all, I want to thank all of you for being here today.  I also want to thank you for being there for Barack -- not just once, but twice.  Yes, two times.  (Applause.)  Thank you for working so hard.  Thank you for loving us and supporting us and believing us, making calls and knocking on doors, and getting everyone you know to the polls.  You all should understand what you have done. 
 
Because of you, we didn’t just win two elections, we made real and meaningful change in this country -- change that our children and grandchildren will feel forever.  Because of you, our economy continues to strengthen with 38 straight months of job growth -- three years.  Three years under this President.  (Applause.)
 
Because of you, we passed health reform so that 41 million Americans -- (applause) -- can finally get the insurance they need and the peace of mind they deserve.
 
Because of you, we are taking on climate change, gun violence, comprehensive immigration reform.  (Applause.)  And because of you, yes, we have a President who stands up for our most fundamental rights, from ending “don’t ask, don’t tell” to strengthening hate crimes to supporting our right to marry the person we love.  Because of you.  (Applause.)
 
We have a President who said in his inaugural speech, and this is a quote, “Our journey is not complete until our gay brothers and sisters are treated like anyone else under the law -- for if we are truly created equal, then surely the love we commit to one another must be equal as well.”  (Applause.)  All of that and so much more has happened because of you.  And that’s what elections are all about.  It’s like Barack said in his 2008 Election Night speech.  He said, “This victory alone is not the change we seek -- it is only the chance for us to make that change.”  And that was true back then and it’s even more true today.  Because while we’ve made a lot of important changes these past four years, we still have so much left to do.
 
Although our economy is improving, too many families, middle-class folks are still struggling.  And that fundamental American promise that so many of us grew up with -- that no matter where you start out, with hard work, you can build a decent life for yourself and an even better life for your kids and your grandkids -- that promise is no longer within reach for too many of our families.
 
In fact, it probably wouldn’t be in reach for my family if I were growing up now in today’s economy.  As many of you know my story, neither of my parents had a college degree.  But my father’s job at the city water plant paid him a decent enough wage.  We always had food on the table.  With the help of student loans, he sent both me and my brother to college.  That precious job also gave him health insurance and a pension that my mother still lives on today.
 
Now, we weren’t rich by any stretch of the imagination, but we had stability and peace of mind.  Because when I was growing up, a family of four living on a single blue-collar salary could build a solid life without much debt and without relying on any form of public assistance.  But today, for so many families, that’s no longer possible.  Folks are working harder than ever, doing everything right, but it’s still not enough.  And while there’s so much talk and noise and back-and-forth going on in Washington, hardly any of it seems to be about the struggles these families face. 
 
So yes, it’s easy to get frustrated and to become cynical.  And now that the excitement that comes with a presidential campaign has faded, it is so tempting to just turn off that TV and wait another four years to re-engage. 
 
But make no mistake about it, while we are tuning out, let me tell you, other folks are tuning in; others are doing everything they can to make their voices heard.  And we are seeing the effects of that kind of imbalance every single day in Washington.
 
Just last month, we saw the failure of common-sense legislation to protect our kids from gun violence -- legislation, by the way, that 90 percent of the American people supported.  Failed.  (Applause.)  We are seeing a budget stalemate and a sequester, resulting in children across the country being turned away from Head Start, so many of our seniors losing their Meals on Wheels.  And now there’s talk about cutting food stamps, which could mean hundreds of thousands of kids going to bed hungry each night -- here in the wealthiest nation on Earth.
 
And that is not who we are.  That’s not what this country is about.  We are so much better than that.  We are so much more compassionate and fair, so much more decent than that.  And we know this because we see it every day in communities all across this country, where people are working hard at their jobs every day, sacrificing for their kids, doing everything they can to help their neighbors.
 
We especially see it in times of tragedy and crisis -- in those teachers who rushed children to safety in Newtown, teachers who risked their lives to save students in Oklahoma.  We saw it in the volunteer firefighters who plunged into flames in Texas, and in all those folks in Boston who ran toward the explosions and spent hours tending to perfect strangers.
 
Let me tell you, none of these folks asked the people they were helping whether they were Democrats or Republicans.  They didn’t ask whether they were Christians or Muslims or Jews.  They didn’t care whether they were gay or straight.  It was simply enough that they were fellow Americans who were suffering and needed aid.  And shouldn’t that be enough for all of us? 
 
And that was the question that I was asking myself during a recent visit to my hometown of Chicago, when I had the privilege -- yes, South Side -- (laughter) -- when I had the privilege of spending an afternoon with a wonderful group of students at a school called Harper High.  Now, Harper is located in one of the toughest neighborhoods in the city -- a community that has been torn apart by poverty and hopelessness, by gangs and drugs and guns.
 
And that afternoon, I sat down with about 25 students, and these kids were the best and brightest at the school -- the valedictorian, the football star, the kids in ROTC.  But let me tell you what I learned:  Every day, these kids are facing impossible odds -- jobless parents addicted to drugs, friends and loved ones shot dead before their very eyes.
 
In fact, when the counselor asked the group of young men and women whether they knew someone who had been shot, every single one of those kids raised their hand.  Every single one of them.  She then asked, “What do you think when the weather forecast says ‘85 and sunny’?”  Now, you’d assume that nice weather like that would be a good thing for young people.  Not for these kids.  They replied that a weather report like that puts fear in their hearts because in their neighborhoods, when the weather is nice, that’s when the gangs come out and the shootings start.
 
So instead of reveling in the joys of their youth -- enjoying things like filling out their college applications, getting ready for prom, getting their driver’s license -- these young people are consumed with staying alive.  And there are so many kids in this country just like them -- kids with so much promise, but so few opportunities; good kids who are doing everything they can to break the cycle and beat the odds. 
 
See, they are the reason we’re here today.  They are the reason.  And today, we need to be better for them.  We need to be better for all of our children in this country because they are counting on us to give them the chances they deserve for the futures they need.  So we can’t wait for the next presidential election to get fired up and ready to go.  We don’t have time for that.  Right now, today, we have an obligation to stand up for those kids. 
 
So we must recapture that same passion, that same energy and urgency that we felt back in 2008, 2012.  We must keep on working together to build a country worthy of all of our children’s promise. 
 
And where do we begin?  Let’s start with ensuring that every child has access to quality pre-K, excellent schools -- all of them -- affordable college, because we want all our kids to fulfill their boundless potential.  Let’s start there.  (Applause.)  Let’s do something simple like finally passing common-sense gun safety laws, because no mother or father should ever have to worry about dropping their kid off at a movie, or a mall, or school.  (Applause.)
 
And when these kids grow up, let’s make sure they have jobs that pay a decent wage, because we know that it’s wrong for anyone in this country to work 40 or 50 hours a week and still be stuck in poverty.  And let’s make sure they have health care they need, because no one in this country should get their primary care from an emergency room.  (Applause.)
 
And when it comes to women’s health, let’s keep fighting for our most fundamental, personal rights, because we know as women that we’re more than capable of making our own choices about our bodies.  We know that.  We know that.  (Applause.)
 
And see, here is the beauty:  I know we can get all of this done.  We can do this.  But make no mistake about it -- and this is the key point I want to make here today -- Barack Obama cannot do it alone.  I have said that time and again.  You all have heard me say this.  He cannot do it alone.  He needs folks in Congress to help him every single step of the way.  And that’s why it is simply not enough just to elect a President every four years.  It’s not enough.  We need you to be engaged in every election, because special elections matter, midterm elections matter; it matters who we send to Congress.
 
And if you don’t believe me, just look at the record.  Look at the difference that just a few votes in Congress can make when it comes to the issues we care about. 
 
For example, legislation on equal pay for women failed by two votes in the Senate.  Two.  The DREAM Act -- the act that gives our immigrant kids a fair shot in this country -- this act failed twice, once by five votes, and once again by just four.  So, as you know, the President had to sign an executive order to finally get anything done.  And that common-sense gun bill I talked about earlier -- that bill failed.  Want to know by how many votes?  Just six.  Just six. 
 
So like I said, it matters who we send to Congress.  So we need all of you to be engaged in every special election and every midterm election all across this country.  We need you to keep on writing those checks -- (laughter) -- and if you haven’t maxed out, you know, what’s my motto?  Max out.  (Laughter.)  Let’s say it together.  Max out.  (Laughter.)  And if you’ve maxed out, get your friends to max out.  It’s a very -- maxing out.  Sounds kind of baller, too -- maxing out.  (Laughter.)  Everyone here should be maxed out.  (Laughter.) 
 
And while raising money is important, you know it’s not nearly enough.  We also need you working on making those phone calls, looking into the states where you know people, getting the folks you know in the states where their race is, getting them to the polls.  And I know it won’t be easy.  It never is.  I know that plenty of special interests are going to be pouring all kinds of resources into these elections.  So we really need you to stay engaged and bring everyone you know along with you.
 
And if anyone tries to tell you that they’re too busy, or that it’s too much of a hassle, or that these elections just don’t matter, I want you to share one final story with them.  I want you to tell them about a woman named Desiline Victor who Barack spoke about at the State of the Union Address, and she joined me in the box there.
 
Desiline lives down in Florida, and she waited for hours in line to cast her vote last November.  Now, you might think that’s not so unusual because a lot of people had to wait in long lines this past election.  But here’s the thing:  Desiline is 102 years old.  And she was born before women had the right to vote, and she’s been a citizen of this country for less than ten years.  Yet even though she was tired -- and I’m sure she was -- even though her feet probably ached, lime mine do, she was determined to cast her vote.  She was determined to have her voice heard in the country that she loves.
 
So here’s what I tell myself, and I hope you think about this, too.  If Desiline Victor can summon that kind of passion and energy, then we don’t have any excuse.  If she can summon that kind of patriotism and determination, then so can we.  (Applause.)  And if you all keep on working and organizing and engaging, then I know that we can keep on making the change we believe in, and together, we will build a country worthy of our children.
 
You all have been amazing.  I just have to say, from the bottom of my heart, the kind of energy and spirit that you give to me personally means the world.  And if you take a fraction of that love and support and turn it into work, like you have done, then we will get this done.  And as you think about this, think about those kids whose lives will be changed forever because the world they live in will fortunately never be the same.  It will always grow and open its arms, and more people will be welcomed in because of your sacrifice.  Kids today will never have to struggle with what we’re struggling with today because of all of you.  So as you max out -- (laughter) -- I want you to think about that.
 
Thank you all.  God bless.  We love you. 
 
END
7:35 P.M. EDT

The White House

Office of the First Lady

For Immediate Release
May 29, 2013

Remarks by the First Lady at a Fundraising Event, New York, New York

Private Residence
New York, New York

5:45 P.M. EDT

MRS. OBAMA:  (Applause.)  Goodness.  Well, thank you.  Oh, my goodness, it’s good to be here. 

Of course, I want to start by thanking Tory not just for that kind introduction, but for her generosity.  I know how hard you have worked not just on this event, but on our behalf, and it means the world to me and to Barack, to our family and, quite frankly, to the nation.  So -- and to your family; they are gorgeous and well-behaved for a motley crew.  (Laughter.)  But thank you for hosting us here.  And thank you for all that you’ve done for me personally. 

This is a special event because there are a lot of people who have touched my life in so many important ways, who have helped me become the poised and stylish woman that I have become.  (Laughter.)  So I want to thank all of you.  I want to thank Tory and I want to thank all of you for what you have done to support me personally.  Thank you, guys.  (Applause.)   

I also want to recognize our fabulous DNC Chair, who I haven’t seen -- Debbie?  Debbie?  Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz, because she’s small.  (Applause.)  Hey, Debbie.  What’s going on?  (Laughter.)  Debbie and I hang out and sometimes I don’t see her because she’s low in the crowd.  (Laughter.)  But Debbie is there.  She is fierce, she is a hard worker, and she is a true friend.  So thanks so much for being here. 

And of course, I want to thank all of you for being here today.  I also want to thank you, so many of you, all of you quite frankly, in this room for being there for my husband -- not just once, but twice.  (Applause.)  Thank you for all that hard work making those calls, knocking on those doors, getting people that you know out to the polls.  Just so that you know, because of you, we didn’t just win two elections; we made some real, meaningful change in this country. 

Because of you, our economy continues to strengthen with 38 straight months of job growth.  That’s more than three years straight of job growth. 

Because of you, we passed health reform so that 41 million Americans -- (applause) -- can finally get the insurance that they need and the peace of mind they deserve.

Because of you, we are taking on climate change and gun violence and comprehensive immigration reform.  And because of you, we have a President -- who I am proud of -- who stands up for our most fundamental rights, whether that’s equal pay for women or the freedom for all of us to marry the person we love.  Yes.  (Applause.)

See, all of that and so much more has happened because of you.  And we have to remember that that’s what elections are all about.  It’s like my husband said in his 2008 Election Night speech.  He said, “This victory alone is not the change we seek.”  He said, “It is only the chance for us to make that change.”  And that was true back then, and it is even more true today.  Because while we’ve made a lot of progress and change over these past four years, there is still so much left to do. 

Although our economy is improving, too many middle-class families are still struggling.  And that fundamental American promise -- that promise that no matter where you start out, with hard work, you can build a decent life for yourself and an even better life for your kids -- that promise is no longer within reach for far too many families in this country.

In fact, it probably wouldn’t be in reach for the family I grew up in if my family was trying to make it in today’s economy.  As many of you know my story, neither of my parents had a college degree.  But my father’s job at the city water plant paid him a decent enough wage to put food on the table, and with the help of student loans, he sent me and my brother to college.  That job also gave our family health insurance, gave him a pension that my mom still lives on today.

We weren’t rich by any stretch of the imagination, but we had stability and we had peace of mind.  Because when I was growing up, a family of four living on a single blue-collar salary could build a solid life without much debt and without relying on any form of public assistance.  But today, for so many families, that’s no longer possible.  Folks are working harder than ever before and doing everything right, but it’s still not enough.  And while there’s so much talk and noise and back-and-forth going on in Washington, hardly any of it seems to be about the struggles of these families. 

So it’s easy to get frustrated and cynical.  And now that the excitement that comes with a presidential campaign has faded, it is so tempting to just turn off the TV and wait another four years to re-engage. 

But make no mistake about it, if we are tuning out, I trust you, others are tuning in, others are doing everything they can to make their voices heard.  And we are seeing the effects of that kind of imbalance every day in Washington.

Just last month, for example, we saw the failure of common-sense legislation to protect our kids from gun violence -- legislation, by the way, that 90 percent of the American people supported.  We’re seeing a budget stalemate and a sequester, resulting in children across the country being turned away from Head Start, and so many seniors losing their Meals on Wheels.  And now there’s talk about cutting food stamps, which could mean hundreds of thousands of kids going to bed hungry every night -- here in the wealthiest nation on earth.

See, and that’s not who we are.  That’s not what this country is about.  We are so much better than that.  We are so much more compassionate and fair, so much more decent than that.  And we know this because we see it every day in communities across this country -- that decency where people are working hard at their jobs and sacrificing for their kids and doing everything they can to help their neighbors. 

We especially see it in times of tragedy and crisis -- these past few months, the teachers who rushed children to safety in Newtown, the teachers who risked their lives to save students in Oklahoma.  We saw it in the volunteer firefighters in Texas who plunged into the flames, and then all those folks in Boston who ran toward the explosions and spent hours tending to perfect strangers.

And none of these folks asked the people they were helping whether they were Democrats or Republicans.  They didn’t ask whether they were Christians or Muslims or Jews.  They didn’t care whether they were gay or straight.  It was simply enough that they were fellow Americans who were suffering and needed aid.  See, and shouldn’t that be enough for all of us? 

And that was the question I was asking myself during a recent visit that I made to my hometown of Chicago, when I had the privilege of spending the afternoon with a wonderful group of students at a school called Harper High.  Now, Harper is located in one of the toughest neighborhoods in the city -- a community that has been torn apart by poverty and hopelessness, by gangs and drugs and guns.

And that afternoon, I sat down with about 25 of the students, and these kids were the best and brightest at the school -- the valedictorian, the football star, the kids in ROTC.  But let me tell you something, every day, these kids are facing impossible odds -- jobless parents addicted to drugs, friends and loved ones shot dead before their very eyes.

In fact, when the counselor asked these young men and women whether they knew someone who had been shot, every single one of those kids raised their hand.  Every single one of them.  She then asked a simple question.  She said, “What do you think when the weather forecast says ‘85 and sunny’?”  Now, you’d assume that nice weather like that would be a good thing, but not for these kids.  They replied that a weather report like that puts fear in their hearts because in their neighborhoods, when the weather is nice, that’s when the gangs come out and the shootings start.

So here’s the thing:  Instead of reveling in the joys of their youth -- things like college applications, getting ready for prom, the joy of getting that first driver’s license -- these young people are consumed with staying alive.  And there are so many kids in this country just like them -- kids with so much promise, but so few opportunities; good kids who are doing everything they can to break the cycle and beat the odds. 

So we have to remember that they are the reason we’re here today.  And today, we need to be better for them.  Shoot, we need to be better for all of our children in this country because they are counting on us to give them the chances they need for the futures they deserve.  So here’s the thing:  We can’t afford to wait for the next presidential election to get fired up and ready to go.  We can’t afford to have us wait.  Right now, today, we have an obligation to stand up for these kids. 

So we must recapture that passion, that same energy and urgency that we felt back in 2008 and 2012.  We must keep on working to build a country worthy of all of our children’s promise. 

We should be doing things to ensure that every child has access to quality pre-K, excellent schools, affordable colleges, because we want all our kids to fulfill their boundless potential.  And let’s finally pass some common-sense gun safety laws, because no mother, no father in this country should ever have to worry when they drop their child off at a movie theater, or a mall, or at school.  (Applause.)

And then, when our kids grow up, let’s make sure they have jobs that pay a decent wage, because we know that it’s wrong for anyone in this country to work 40 or 50 hours a week and still be stuck in poverty.  And let’s make sure that they have health care, because no one in this country should get their primary care from an emergency room.

And ladies, when it comes to women’s health, let’s keep fighting for our most fundamental, personal rights, because we know women are more than capable of making our own decisions about our bodies and about our health care.  We know it.

And I know we can do all of this.  But make no mistake about it -- and this is a key point I want to make here today -- Barack Obama can’t do this alone.  We have seen that; I have said it.  He needs folks in Congress to help him every step of the way.  That’s why it’s simply not enough just to elect a President every four years.  We need all of you to be engaged in every election, because special elections matter, midterm elections matter; it matters who we send to Congress.

And if you don’t believe me, just look at the record.  Look at the difference that just a few votes in Congress can make when it comes to the issues we care about. 

For example, legislation on equal pay for women failed by two votes in the Senate.  Two votes.  And the DREAM Act -- the act that gives immigrant kids a fair shot in this country -- this act failed twice, once by five votes, and then again by just four.  So, as you know, the President had to sign an executive order to finally get this done.  Congress still didn’t get it done.  And that commonsense gun bill I talked about earlier -- that bill failed.  And you want to know by how many votes?  Just six votes. 

So like I said, it matters who we send to Congress.  So we need all of you to get engaged in every special election and every midterm election all across this country.  We need you to keep on writing those checks -- (laughter) -- and if you haven’t maxed out, max out.  (Laughter.)  Get your friends to max out.  You know that maxing out means you spend as much money as you can.  

And while raising money is important, it is not nearly enough.  We’ve learned that.  So we also need you out there making phone calls and getting everyone you know to the polls.  And I know it won’t be easy.  And I know that plenty of special interests will be pouring all kinds of resources into these elections all over the country.  So we need you to stay engaged and bring everyone you know along with you.

And if anyone tells you that they’re too busy, or if they tell you that it’s too much of a hassle, or that these elections just don’t matter, I want you to share one last story with them.  I want you to tell them about a woman named Desiline Victor who Barack talked about in his State of the Union Address.

Desiline lives down in Florida, and she waited for hours in line to cast her vote last November.  Now, you might think that’s not so unusual because a lot of people had to wait in long lines this past election.  But here’s the thing:  Desiline is 102 years old.  She was born before women had the right to vote, and she’s been a citizen of this country for less than ten years.  And even though she was tired -- and I’m sure she was -- even though her feet probably ached, Desiline was determined to cast her vote and make her voice heard in the country that she loves.

So here’s what we have to tell ourselves.  It’s at least what I tell myself.  If Desiline Victor can summon that kind of passion and energy, then we don’t have any excuse.  If she can summon that kind of patriotism and determination, then so must we.  And if we all keep on working and organizing and engaging, then I know that we can keep on making that change we believe in, and together, we can build a future worthy of all of our children.

So are you guys ready to get to work? 

AUDIENCE:  Yes.  (Applause.)

MRS. OBAMA:  You need to be fired up and ready to go -- (applause) -- writing a check, making a call, figuring out what seats are up.  We have our staff here, who’s going to keep you focused and engaged, but it’s still very serious and just as important. 

But Barack and I and the nation are grateful to you all for what you have done, for the friendship and support you’ve provided.  Thank you, guys, and God bless.

END
6:01 P.M. EDT