The White House

Office of the First Lady

For Immediate Release
April 23, 2013

Remarks by the First Lady at the Department of the Interior

Washington D.C.

11:14 A.M. EDT

MRS. OBAMA:  Good morning!  (Applause.)  Thank you so much.  It's great to see you.  It's great to be back.  (Applause.)  You all can rest yourselves.  You work hard enough.  It is a real pleasure to be back here with you guys. 

As Secretary Jewell mentioned, I was here four years ago when we first came into office.  And one of the things that I wanted to do was to visit the agencies and learn more about what you all were doing, to shine a spotlight on the work that you all were doing; to make sure that the people of this country understand what it means to be part of Interior, the work you do; to make sure people understand what the federal government was doing; but most of all, to thank you for the work that you've done. 

And now that we're starting this second term, what better way to begin than revisiting all of you.  Because now, as I mentioned to Secretary Jewell, we have real, meaningful partnerships.  Over the last four years, we've done some incredible work together. 

But I'm not going to talk long because I'm really here to say hello and to thank you, but I want to start by thanking Secretary Jewell not just for her very kind introduction, but agreeing to serve as the 51st Secretary of the Interior.  (Applause.)  Yes, indeed.  And I know that she hasn't been here long, but she's already making an impression.  We are so proud to have her.  We hear glowing reports.  She is an example of everything that this agency stands for, and we're grateful for her leadership. 

And I'm looking forward to seeing all the wonderful things she's going to do to expand on the partnerships, to build on the efforts that have been going on.  We are grateful to Ken Salazar.  We will miss him.  But in Secretary Jewell, we have a wonderful replacement, and we're just thrilled to have her.

I also want to recognize Willie for his tremendous service -- you're over there somewhere.  (Laughter.)  And I'd like to see that uniform with all the buttons and medals and all that stuff.  You seem very mild-mannered; I didn’t know you were a superhero under that suit.  (Laughter.)  But thank you so much for your tremendous service. 

But most of all, I want to say thank you to all of you for everything you're doing every single day on behalf of this country.  Thank you for putting us on the path to energy independence, which helps grow our businesses and create wonderful jobs.  Thank you for building strong nation-to-nation relationships with tribes across Indian Country.  Thank you for protecting our most precious natural resources, and preserving our parks and monuments for the next generation and generations to come. 

And I just want to add that one of the neatest things that we get to do is to travel around to the national parks.  And we've tried to make it a point to -- as the First Family to visit many of the parks when we're on vacation, or when we're driving through the country or a community.  And I will just reiterate what this country already knows:  We have some of the most outstanding national parks in the world.  (Applause.)   Absolutely. 

And I would encourage everyone to travel to our parks this summer in particular.  It's a wonderful way to spend time with your families.  It's a great way to learn about the history of this country.  The rangers are amazing.  Their stories in and of themselves -- if you ever talk to a national park ranger, they're fascinating people.  They're usually -- they've done something interesting, and then they wound up in a park.  They're very neat people, and we've been honored to get a chance to get to know them. 

But we do this because of our kids.  It's so important for us to expose our kids to the many resources that are right here in this country.  You don't have to travel abroad to see some of the most beautiful, gracious places that the world has to offer.  And I want to thank you, because more than anything else, that's really what I think about when I think about what you all do. 

I think about our next generation.  I think about everything you're doing to ensure that all of our children have safe, clean, beautiful places to learn and grow and explore.  Because when kids develop that appreciation and that connection early, what you all know is that it's lasting, it's enduring, it's something that they can have for their lifetime and hopefully can pass on to their own kids as well.

So what you all are doing here isn’t just vital for our economy -- that’s important to note.  It’s not just the key to preserving our environment.  What you do here at Interior is absolutely critical for our children’s health and wellbeing. 

And as Secretary Jewell mentioned, and as many of you know, this is an issue, children’s health, that is near and dear to my heart, not just as First Lady but as a mother.  That’s why I was so thrilled and am so thrilled to work with so many of you to launch Let’s Move Outside to help our young people enjoy the great outdoors and to find that that’s a very inexpensive, accessible way to get active and moving, and to do things as a family and to learn.

And I also am very proud to have worked with you to launch Let’s Move in Indian Country.  Through this initiative, together we are working to ensure that the American Indian and Alaska Native children get the nutritious food and physical activity that they need to grow up to be healthy and active individuals. 

Because ultimately, we know that being active and enjoying the great outdoors isn’t just good for our children’s physical health.  What you all know is that it’s also good for their emotional health.  It can affect their success in school, and ultimately their success in life.  So what you all are doing here at Interior couldn’t be more important -- couldn’t be more important to me personally, but couldn’t be more important to this entire nation. 

But I also know that the work that you do isn’t easy, especially right now during these times.  I know that budget cuts mean that you all are juggling even more responsibilities with fewer resources.  And I know that many of you are stretched thinner than ever before. 

So that’s one of the reasons why it’s just as important for me to be here at the start of this term as it was to be here four years ago, because I want you to know how much Barack and I truly appreciate everything that you do.  And I know you don’t hear that.  People don’t even know you exist.  (Laughter.)  It’s so true.  I mean, federal workers are this invisible face.  No one knows what they do, what it means, how much they benefit us. 

So on behalf of myself and the President and the first family, I want to say thank you.  Thank you, thank you.  I want you know how proud we are of all that you do.  We want you to know how grateful we are to your families, for the sacrifices that you make oftentimes to do what you do. 

So hang in there.  And know that what you do is extremely important.  Hang in there.  We need you.  This country needs you.  Our children need you. 

So I want to end the same way that I started by just saying you guys are terrific.  Don’t get tired.  You can get a little frustrated -- (laughter) -- but just keep doing what you do every single day, because it means the world to the millions of kids who may not have access to some of these places if it were not for the work that you do. 

Just think about all the kids who will never get to see a mountain or a freshwater stream, or get to camp outside and see the stars.  The resources that you provide are open to every child in this country, and because of the work that you do, they will have those resources for the rest of their lives.

So just know that it is critical and we are grateful.  And with that, I’m going to stop talking, come down and shake some hands.  You all take care.  (Applause.)

END
11:23 A.M. EDT

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
April 22, 2013

Remarks by the President at the 2013 White House Science Fair

East Room

2:21 P.M. EDT

THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you, everybody.  (Applause.)  Please have a seat.  Have a seat.  Well, good afternoon, everybody.  And welcome to the White House Science Fair, one of my favorite events during the course of the year.

And I just had a chance to see some of the outstanding exhibits that have been put forward by some of these amazing young people.  And let me just start by saying, in my official capacity as President:  This stuff is really cool.  (Laughter.)  And I want to thank these incredible young people for explaining to me what the heck is going on.  (Laughter.)

Every one of you is enormously talented, obviously, but there’s also a community of people who helped all these young people succeed -- dedicated teachers who believed in them and challenged them to do even more; all of them have loving parents and mentors and family.  So I want to not only give the young people a big round of applause, but all the parents and teachers and principals and everybody who was involved, give yourselves a big round of applause as well.  (Applause.) 

Of course, primarily we’re here to celebrate these young scientists and visionaries who dream, and create, and innovate; who ask the question, why not?  Why not try something better?  Something that’s faster; something that helps more people.  And that drive, that refusal to give up, that focus on the future is part of what makes America great.  And all of you are participants in this long line of inventors and creators that have made this the most dynamic economy and the most dynamic country on Earth.

And that’s one of the things that I’ve been focused on as President is how do we create an all-hands-on-deck approach to science, technology, engineering, and math.  And I’m happy to have so many key members of my science team who are here today, including my Chief Science Advisor, John Holdren, who is here.  There’s John.  NIH Director Francis Collins.  There’s Francis right there, the tall guy.  We’ve got Acting Director of the National Science Foundation, Cora Marrett, who is here.  There’s Cora.  And we’ve got real-life astronaut and NASA Administrator, Charles Bolden.  Where’s Charlie?  There he is, right there.

So we need to make this a priority to train an army of new teachers in these subject areas, and to make sure that all of us as a country are lifting up these subjects for the respect that they deserve.  And one of the things that I’m concerned about is that, as a culture, we’re great consumers of technology, but we’re not always properly respecting the people who are in the labs and behind the scenes creating the stuff that we now take for granted.  And we’ve got to give the millions of Americans who work in science and technology not only the kind of respect they deserve but also new ways to engage young people. 

So today, I’m proud to announce a new AmeriCorps program that are going to -- (applause) --  that’s our Community Service Director.  (Laughter.)  She is a little bit biased, but I like that in her.  She’s got that kind of get-up-and-go.  A new AmeriCorps program that’s going to connect more professional scientists and engineers to young students who might follow in their footsteps.  And other people are stepping up, too. 

Some of America’s biggest tech companies are encouraging their workers to mentor young students.  You’ve got media organizations that are working with athletes like outstanding wide receiver Victor Cruz from the New York Giants, who’s here to highlight how critical math and science are to sports.  (Applause.)  And, by the way, since Victor is here, I don’t know -- did you see the exhibit about the whole cooling shoulder pads and helmet that these young guys did?  And they had a whole slogan that said you can succeed in athletics and science.  They were very impressive.  Had the little Gatorade so you -- (laughter) -- you didn’t even have to, like, reach for your Gatorade; you could just -- it would automatically transmit itself into your helmet.  (Laughter.)  It could work. 

We’ve got non-profits that are helping to organize 1,000 summer learning events this year.  They all realize how important science, technology, engineering, and math are to our future.  So we are doing this together.

And, after all, the science fair projects of today could become the products and businesses of tomorrow.  Three students -- Evan Jackson, Alec Jackson, and Caleb Robinson -- those are the folks that I talked about.  They’re from Flippen Elementary School.  Keep in mind, they’re in third, fourth grade, and they’ve already got this idea for COOL Pads so that Victor doesn’t get overheated when he’s out on the field.  But think about that.  If you’re inventing stuff in the third grade, what are you going to do by the time you get to college?  (Laughter.) 

And we just had the University of Alabama’s national championship football team here last week, and I know they’re interested in this idea because it gets really hot down in Alabama.

A lot of these students are working on the next generation of medical research.  So listen to this story.  When pancreatic cancer took the life of Jack Andraka’s close family friend, it inspired Jack to look for new ways to improve detection.  So Jack requested space from research labs to pursue his work -- nearly 200 times.  Two hundred times he asked.  Two hundred times he was turned down.  Finally, with the help of some folks at Johns Hopkins, he got the research facilities that he needed, developed a pancreatic cancer test that is faster, cheaper and more sensitive than the test that came before it -- which is not bad for a guy who is just barely old enough to drive.  So where's Jack?  There he is.  Jack, stand up, because that's pretty spectacular stuff.  (Applause.)  That's great work.  I don't know what you guys were doing when you were juniors in high school.  (Laughter.)  That's what Jack is doing.  (Laughter.)  Better than I was doing, I promise you.  (Laughter.)

Now, today is not just the third White House Science Fair.  It’s also the 43rd Earth Day.  So I want to give a special shout-out to all of the young people who participated, who focused their attention on how to harness cleaner forms of energy and how to create more energy efficiency.  So we’ve got young people like Caleb Meyer -- where's Caleb?  Caleb is way back there.  Stand up, Caleb, so we can see you.  (Applause.)  Caleb built a wind turbine that's small and fast enough to be installed on your roof or in your front yard.  

We’ve got Jon Kubricki and Bridget Zarych, who, together with their classmates, designed an inexpensive press that can recycle garbage like banana peels into briquettes as an alternative to using wood for fuel.  They're in eighth grade.  I don't know what you were doing in eighth grade.  (Laughter.)  That's what they're doing -- which could potentially help to reduce carbon emissions, save trees and deforestation, and reduce the amount of smoke inhalation that has an impact on people.

We've got Sara Volz, who is breeding new types of algae.  Where's Sara?  There's Sara.  (Applause.)  Sara is breeding new types of algae.  She stores this in a lab in her bedroom.  (Laughter.)  So, Sara, you have very supportive parents.  (Laughter.)  One reporter asked her, “Exactly what is growing under your bed that’s going to save the planet?”  (Laughter.)  And Sara’s answer was algae that can produce more oil for cheaper biofuels.  So, by the way, Jon Kubricki and Bridget Zarych, I didn't have them stand up.  I want to acknowledge them.  I saw them.  Maybe they're still cleaning their hands off.  (Applause.)  But there they are.  There they are. 

So I've got to say, young people like these, every one of them have these kinds of incredible innovations.  Some of them are already fully operational.  Some of them are getting fine-tuned.  But young people like these have to make you hopeful about the future of our country.  And it's also a reminder for us -- the adults -- we've got to do our part.  We've got to do everything we can to make sure that we are giving these young people opportunity to pursue their studies and discover new ways of doing things.  And we've got to make sure that we're also leaving behind a world that is safer and cleaner and healthier than the one we found.  That’s our obligation.   

And that’s why, over the last four years, we’ve made historic investments in the clean energy future that we need.  And today we import less oil than we have in 20 years.  Thanks to new fuel economy standards, by the middle of the next decade, cars will go twice as far on a gallon of gas.  We’ve doubled the amount of renewable energy that we're generating from sources like wind and solar -- and, by the way, creating tens of thousands of good, American jobs in the process.  We're emitting less carbon pollution into the environment than we have in nearly 20 years.

But we understand this is not enough.  We've got to do better.  And that's why we've got to pursue an all-of-the-above energy strategy that includes investing in more biofuels and more fuel-efficient vehicles, and more solar power and more wind power, and more people going back to work building cars and homes and businesses that are more energy efficient than the ones that we've got right now. 

And that’s why I’ve proposed new job-creating investments in science and innovation.  And all these young people, as young as they are, they're all going to be going to college, and a lot of them are going to want to continue to pursue their research and pursue their dreams.  And if there is not the research grant pipeline in place, many of them will not have the resources to invent and discover the things that will make us healthier and make us more energy efficient and improve the quality of our lives. 

So this is not the time to gut investments that keep our businesses on the cutting edge, that keep our economy humming, that improve the quality of our lives.  This is the time to reach a level of research and development that we haven't seen since the height of the Space Race.  That's what we should be doing.  That's what we should be focused on.  (Applause.)  

And that should not be a partisan idea.  America has always been about discovery, and invention, and engineering, and science and evidence.  That's who we are.  That's in our DNA.  That's how this country became the greatest economic power in the history of the world.  That's how we’re able to provide so many contributions to people all around the world with our scientific and medical and technological discoveries.

And that's what these young people here are all about.  And if extraordinary young people like all of you can use your talents to shape the future for our families and our communities and our countries, we’ve got a responsibility to make sure that they’ve got the tools to do it. 

So I want to thank all the Science Fair winners not only for the work that you guys are doing, but also the example that you’re setting for your peers and also for your adults -- the adults in your lives.  We could not be prouder of you.  And I want you to keep up your incredible work.

And part of the reason that we’re doing this here -- we celebrate our great football players like Victor, and we celebrate outstanding musicians, and that's all appropriate.  But we’ve got to make sure that we’re also celebrating every single day in our schools, in our classrooms, and in our country the outstanding contributions that scientists and engineers and mathematicians and engineers are providing to us every single day.  And we want you to know that you’ve got a whole country behind you as you pursue your dreams.  And your success is going to be our success, as well.  So way to go. 

Thank you.  Appreciate it, everybody.  Thank you very much.  (Applause.)

END
2:35 P.M. EDT

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
April 20, 2013

Weekly Address: America Stands with the City of Boston

WASHINGTON, DC— In his weekly address, President Obama spoke to the American people about the act of terror at the Boston Marathon that wounded dozens and killed three innocent people on Monday, and said that through it all, Boston’s spirit remains undaunted and Americans have proven they refuse to be terrorized.  This past week, first responders, race volunteers, doctors and nurses, and the good people of Boston joined together to show the world how Americans respond to evil: with resilience and resolve, and without fear.  And that’s the way Boston and America will move forward together.

The audio of the address and video of the address will be available online at www.whitehouse.gov at 6:00 a.m. ET, Saturday, April 20, 2013.

Remarks of President Barack Obama
Weekly Address
The White House
April 20, 2013

On Monday, an act of terror wounded dozens and killed three innocent people at the Boston Marathon.

But in the days since, the world has witnessed one sure and steadfast truth: Americans refuse to be terrorized.

Ultimately, that’s what we’ll remember from this week.  That’s what will remain.  Stories of heroism and kindness; resolve and resilience; generosity and love.

The brave first responders – police officers, firefighters, EMTs, and National Guard – who ran toward danger to help their fellow citizens.

The race volunteers, spectators, and exhausted runners who rushed to help, including troops and veterans who never expected to see such scenes on the streets of America. 

The determined doctors and nurses at some of the world’s best hospitals, who have toiled day and night to save so many lives.

The big-hearted people of Boston – residents, priests, shopkeepers – who carried victims in their arms; delivered water and blankets; lined up to give blood; opened their homes to total strangers. 

And the heroic federal agents and police officers who worked together throughout the week, often at great risk to themselves, to keep our communities safe.  As a country, we are eternally grateful for the profound sacrifices they make in the line of duty – sometimes making the ultimate sacrifice to defend the people they’ve sworn to protect.

If anyone wants to know who we are; what America is; how we respond to evil and terror – that’s it.  Selflessly.  Compassionately.  And unafraid. 

Through days that would test even the sturdiest of souls, Boston’s spirit remains undaunted.  America’s spirit remains undimmed.  Our faith in each other, our love for this country, our common creed that cuts across whatever superficial differences we may have – that’s what makes us strong.  That’s why we endure.

In the days to come, we will remain vigilant as a nation.  And I have no doubt the city of Boston and its surrounding communities will continue to respond in the same proud and heroic way that they have thus far – and their fellow Americans will be right there with them every step of the way.  May God bless the people of Boston and the United States of America.

###

 

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
April 19, 2013

Statement by the President

10:05 P.M. EDT

THE PRESIDENT:  Good evening.  Tonight our nation is in debt to the people of Boston and the people of Massachusetts.  After a vicious attack on their city, Bostonians responded with resolve and determination.  They did their part as citizens and partners in this investigation.

Boston police and state police and local police across the Commonwealth of Massachusetts responded with professionalism and bravery over five long days.  And tonight, because of their determined efforts, we've closed an important chapter in this tragedy.

I've been briefed earlier this evening by FBI Director Mueller.  After the attacks on Monday, I directed the full resources of the federal government to be made available to help state and local authorities in the investigation and to increase security as needed.  Over the past week, close coordination among federal, state, and local officials -- sharing information, moving swiftly to track down leads -- has been critical to this effort. 

They all worked as they should, as a team.  And we are extremely grateful for that.  We owe a tremendous debt of gratitude to all our outstanding law enforcement professionals.  These men and women get up every day, they put on that uniform; they risk their lives to keep us safe -- and as this week showed, they don't always know what to expect.  So our thoughts are with those who were wounded in pursuit of the suspects and we pray for their full recovery.

We also send our prayers to the Collier family who grieve the loss of their son and brother, Sean.  "He was born to be a police officer," said his chief at MIT.  He was just 26 years old.  And as his family has said, he died bravely in the line of duty, doing what he committed his life to doing -- serving and protecting others.  So we're grateful to him.

Obviously, tonight there are still many unanswered questions.  Among them, why did young men who grew up and studied here, as part of our communities and our country, resort to such violence?  How did they plan and carry out these attacks, and did they receive any help?  The families of those killed so senselessly deserve answers.  The wounded, some of whom now have to learn how to stand and walk and live again, deserve answers.

And so I've instructed the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security and our intelligence community to continue to deploy all the necessary resources to support the investigation, to collect intelligence, and to protect our citizens.  We will determine what happened.  We will investigate any associations that these terrorists may have had.  And we'll continue to do whatever we have to do to keep our people safe.

One thing we do know is that whatever hateful agenda drove these men to such heinous acts will not -- cannot -- prevail.  Whatever they thought they could ultimately achieve, they've already failed.  They failed because the people of Boston refused to be intimidated.  They failed because, as Americans, we refused to be terrorized.  They failed because we will not waver from the character and the compassion and the values that define us as a country.  Nor will we break the bonds that hold us together as Americans.

That American spirit includes staying true to the unity and diversity that makes us strong -- like no other nation in the world.  In this age of instant reporting and tweets and blogs, there's a temptation to latch on to any bit of information, sometimes to jump to conclusions.  But when a tragedy like this happens, with public safety at risk and the stakes so high, it's important that we do this right.  That's why we have investigations.  That's why we relentlessly gather the facts.  That's why we have courts.  And that's why we take care not to rush to judgment -- not about the motivations of these individuals; certainly not about entire groups of people. 

After all, one of the things that makes America the greatest nation on Earth, but also, one of the things that makes Boston such a great city, is that we welcome people from all around the world -- people of every faith, every ethnicity, from every corner of the globe.  So as we continue to learn more about why and how this tragedy happened, let's make sure that we sustain that spirit.

Tonight we think of all the wounded, still struggling to recover.  Certainly we think of Krystle Campbell.  We think of Lingzi Lu.  And we think of little Martin Richard.  Their lives reflected all the diversity and beauty of our country, and they were sharing the great American experience together. 

Finally, let me say that even as so much attention has been focused on the tragic events in Boston, understandably, we've also seen a tight-knit community in Texas devastated by a terrible explosion.  And I want them to know that they are not forgotten.  Our thoughts, our prayers are with the people of West, Texas, where so many good people lost their lives; some lost their homes; many are injured; many are still missing.

I've talked to Governor Perry and Mayor Muska and I've pledged that the people of West will have the resources that they need to recover and rebuild.  And I want everybody in Texas to know that we will follow through with those commitments.

All in all, this has been a tough week.  But we've seen the character of our country once more.  And as President, I'm confident that we have the courage and the resilience and the spirit to overcome these challenges -- and to go forward, as one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

Thank you very much, everybody.

END     10:11 P.M. EDT

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
April 18, 2013

Remarks by the President to First Responders and Volunteers in Boston, MA

Cathedral High School
Boston, Massachusetts

12:35 P.M. EDT

THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you.  Thank you, everybody.  Well, listen, we just had a wonderful interfaith service, and I want to thank Governor Patrick for helping to organize that.  I want to thank both the Governor and your extraordinary Mayor, Tom Menino -- (applause) -- for the incredible leadership and cool under pressure, the organization, the mobilization and the courage that they have shown reflective of this great city and reflective of this great Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

Now, I’m not going to speak long.  I’m just -- he started calling me Reverend Obama, so I know -- (laughter) -- I know I was -- I don't want to go on any longer than I need to.  The main message, in addition to just giving -- having a chance to shake some hands and give some hugs, is just to say how proud the whole country is of you -- (applause) -- how grateful we are -- how grateful we are that in the face of chaos and tragedy, all of you displayed the very best of the American spirit. 

You displayed grit.  You displayed compassion.  You displayed civic duty.  You displayed courage.  And when we see that kind of spirit, there’s something about that that's infectious.  It makes us all want to be better people.  You’ve inspired the entire country.  You’ve inspired the world.  And for that, you should be profoundly proud.

But as Deval and I were talking as we were driving in from the airport, the key is that we hang on to a little bit of that, because it’s right there under the surface every day.  And it expresses itself, obviously, in the Marathon.  It expresses itself in Patriot’s Day.  It expresses itself in all the small interactions, the gestures of kindness and generosity and tolerance and compassion that make up the fabric of our lives.  And we don't always pay attention to it, and we don't always celebrate, and it’s certainly not usually on a television screen, it’s not always reported on.  But that's who we are.

And if there’s anything that was a theme in that interfaith service it’s that out of these ashes, out of the blood that's spilled and the injuries borne, out of that, we get a chance to see and highlight and appreciate that spirit.  And we’ve got to sustain it, because in all of our lives at some point there are going to be some troubles, and there’s evil in the world, and there’s hardship.  But if that spirit is evident and manifest, and that's what we’re teaching our kids and that's what we’re embodying in our own lives, then who can stop us?  Who can touch us?  (Applause.)

So thank you, everybody.  I’m proud of you.  I’m proud of Boston.  And as I just said, I’m looking forward to the 118th Boston Marathon.  God bless you.  (Applause.)

END
12:39 P.M. EDT

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
April 18, 2013

Remarks by the President at Interfaith Service in Boston, MA

Cathedral of The Holy Cross
Boston, Massachusetts

12:04 P.M. EDT

THE PRESIDENT:  Hello, Boston! 

Scripture tells us to “run with endurance the race that is set before us.”  Run with endurance the race that is set before us. 

On Monday morning, the sun rose over Boston.  The sunlight glistened off the Statehouse dome.  In the Common and the Public Garden, spring was in bloom.  On this Patriot’s Day, like so many before, fans jumped onto the T to see the Sox at Fenway.  In Hopkinton, runners laced up their shoes and set out on a 26.2-mile test of dedication and grit and the human spirit.  And across this city, hundreds of thousands of Bostonians lined the streets -- to hand the runners cups of water and to cheer them on.

It was a beautiful day to be in Boston -- a day that explains why a poet once wrote that this town is not just a capital, not just a place.  Boston, he said, “is the perfect state of grace.”  (Applause.)

And then, in an instant, the day’s beauty was shattered.  A celebration became a tragedy.  And so we come together to pray, and mourn, and measure our loss.   But we also come together today to reclaim that state of grace -- to reaffirm that the spirit of this city is undaunted, and the spirit of this country shall remain undimmed.

To Governor Patrick; Mayor Menino; Cardinal O’Malley and all the faith leaders who are here; Governors Romney, Swift, Weld and Dukakis; members of Congress; and most of all, the people of Boston and the families who’ve lost a piece of your heart.  We thank you for your leadership.  We thank you for your courage.  We thank you for your grace. 

I’m here today on behalf of the American people with a simple message:  Every one of us has been touched by this attack on your beloved city.  Every one of us stands with you. 

Because, after all, it’s our beloved city, too.  Boston may be your hometown, but we claim it, too.  It’s one of America’s iconic cities.  It’s one of the world’s great cities.  And one of the reasons the world knows Boston so well is that Boston opens its heart to the world.

Over successive generations, you’ve welcomed again and again new arrivals to our shores -- immigrants who constantly reinvigorated this city and this commonwealth and our nation.  Every fall, you welcome students from all across America and all across the globe, and every spring you graduate them back into the world -- a Boston diaspora that excels in every field of human endeavor.  Year after year, you welcome the greatest talents in the arts and science, research -- you welcome them to your concert halls and your hospitals and your laboratories to exchange ideas and insights that draw this world together. 

And every third Monday in April, you welcome people from all around the world to the Hub for friendship and fellowship and healthy competition -- a gathering of men and women of every race and every religion, every shape and every size; a multitude represented by all those flags that flew over the finish line.

So whether folks come here to Boston for just a day, or they stay here for years, they leave with a piece of this town tucked firmly into their hearts.  So Boston is your hometown, but we claim it a little bit, too.  (Applause.)

I know this because there’s a piece of Boston in me.  You welcomed me as a young law student across the river; welcomed Michelle, too.  (Applause.)  You welcomed me during a convention when I was still a state senator and very few people could pronounce my name right.  (Laughter.)

Like you, Michelle and I have walked these streets.  Like you, we know these neighborhoods.  And like you, in this moment of grief, we join you in saying -- “Boston, you’re my home.”  For millions of us, what happened on Monday is personal.  It’s personal.

Today our prayers are with the Campbell family of Medford.  They're here today.  Their daughter, Krystle, was always smiling. Those who knew her said that with her red hair and her freckles and her ever-eager willingness to speak her mind, she was beautiful, sometimes she could be a little noisy, and everybody loved her for it.  She would have turned 30 next month.  As her mother said through her tears, “This doesn’t make any sense.” 

Our prayers are with the Lu family of China, who sent their daughter, Lingzi, to BU so that she could experience all this city has to offer.  She was a 23-year-old student, far from home. And in the heartache of her family and friends on both sides of a great ocean, we’re reminded of the humanity that we all share.

Our prayers are with the Richard family of Dorchester -- to Denise and their young daughter, Jane, as they fight to recover. And our hearts are broken for 8-year-old Martin -- with his big smile and bright eyes.  His last hours were as perfect as an 8-year-old boy could hope for -- with his family, eating ice cream at a sporting event.  And we’re left with two enduring images of this little boy -- forever smiling for his beloved Bruins, and forever expressing a wish he made on a blue poster board:  “No more hurting people.  Peace.”  

No more hurting people.  Peace.

Our prayers are with the injured -— so many wounded, some gravely.  From their beds, some are surely watching us gather here today.  And if you are, know this:  As you begin this long journey of recovery, your city is with you.  Your commonwealth is with you.  Your country is with you.  We will all be with you as you learn to stand and walk and, yes, run again.  Of that I have no doubt.  You will run again.  (Applause.)  You will run again. (Applause.)

Because that’s what the people of Boston are made of.  Your resolve is the greatest rebuke to whoever committed this heinous act.  If they sought to intimidate us, to terrorize us, to shake us from those values that Deval described, the values that make us who we are, as Americans -- well, it should be pretty clear by now that they picked the wrong city to do it.  (Applause.)  Not here in Boston.  Not here in Boston.  (Applause.)

You’ve shown us, Boston, that in the face of evil, Americans will lift up what’s good.  In the face of cruelty, we will choose compassion.  In the face of those who would visit death upon innocents, we will choose to save and to comfort and to heal.  We’ll choose friendship.  We’ll choose love. 

Scripture teaches us, “God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.”  And that’s the spirit you’ve displayed in recent days. 

When doctors and nurses, police and firefighters and EMTs and Guardsmen run towards explosions to treat the wounded -- that’s discipline. 

When exhausted runners, including our troops and veterans -- who never expected to see such carnage on the streets back home  -- become first responders themselves, tending to the injured -- that’s real power. 

When Bostonians carry victims in their arms, deliver water and blankets, line up to give blood, open their homes to total strangers, give them rides back to reunite with their families -- that’s love.

That’s the message we send to those who carried this out and anyone who would do harm to our people.  Yes, we will find you.  And, yes, you will face justice.  (Applause.)  We will find you. We will hold you accountable.  But more than that; our fidelity to our way of life -- to our free and open society -- will only grow stronger.  For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but one of power and love and self-discipline.

Like Bill Iffrig, 78 years old -- the runner in the orange tank top who we all saw get knocked down by the blast -- we may be momentarily knocked off our feet, but we’ll pick ourselves up. We’ll keep going.  We will finish the race.  (Applause.)  In the words of Dick Hoyt, who’s pushed his disabled son, Rick, in 31 Boston Marathons -- “We can’t let something like this stop us.”  (Applause.)  This doesn’t stop us.  (Applause.)  

And that’s what you’ve taught us, Boston.  That’s what you’ve reminded us -- to push on.  To persevere.  To not grow weary.  To not get faint.  Even when it hurts.  Even when our heart aches.  We summon the strength that maybe we didn’t even know we had, and we carry on.  We finish the race.  (Applause.)  We finish the race.  (Applause.)  

And we do that because of who we are.  And we do that because we know that somewhere around the bend a stranger has a cup of water.  Around the bend, somebody is there to boost our spirits.  On that toughest mile, just when we think that we’ve hit a wall, someone will be there to cheer us on and pick us up if we fall.  We know that.  (Applause.)  

And that’s what the perpetrators of such senseless violence -- these small, stunted individuals who would destroy instead of build, and think somehow that makes them important -- that’s what they don’t understand.  Our faith in each other, our love for each other, our love for country, our common creed that cuts across whatever superficial differences there may be -- that is our power.  That’s our strength. 

That’s why a bomb can’t beat us.  That’s why we don’t hunker down.  That’s why we don’t cower in fear.  We carry on.  We race. We strive.  We build, and we work, and we love -- and we raise our kids to do the same.  And we come together to celebrate life, and to walk our cities, and to cheer for our teams.  When the Sox and Celtics and Patriots or Bruins are champions again -- to the chagrin of New York and Chicago fans -- (laughter) -- the crowds will gather and watch a parade go down Boylston Street.  (Applause.)  

And this time next year, on the third Monday in April, the world will return to this great American city to run harder than ever, and to cheer even louder, for the 118th Boston Marathon.  (Applause.)  Bet on it.  (Applause.)   

Tomorrow, the sun will rise over Boston.  Tomorrow, the sun will rise over this country that we love.  This special place.  This state of grace.

Scripture tells us to “run with endurance the race that is set before us.”  As we do, may God hold close those who’ve been taken from us too soon.  May He comfort their families.  And may He continue to watch over these United States of America.  (Applause.)

END
12:24 P.M. EDT

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
April 17, 2013

Statement by the President

Rose Garden

5:35 P.M. EDT

     MR. BARDEN:  Hello.  My name is Mark Barden.  Just four months ago, my wife Jackie and I lost our son, and our children, James and Natalie, they lost their little brother Daniel.  Daniel was a first-grader at Sandy Hook Elementary School.  Our sweet, 7-year-old Daniel was one of 20 children, six adults lost on December 14th.  I have to say it feels like it was just yesterday.

     In our deepest grief, we were supported by the love of our families and comforted by the love and prayers we received from millions of America, from every corner of the country. 

     What happened in Newtown can happen anywhere.  In any instant, any dad in America could be in my shoes.  No one should feel the pain.  No one should feel our pain or the pain felt by the tens of thousands of people who’ve lost loved ones to senseless gun violence.

     And that's why we're here.  Two weeks ago, 12 of us from Newtown came to meet with U.S. senators and have a conversation about how to bring common-sense solutions to the issues of gun violence.  We came with a sense of hope, optimistic that real conversation could begin that would ultimately save the lives of so many Americans.  We met with dozens of Democrats and Republicans and shared with them pictures of our children, our spouses, our parents who lost their lives on December 14th.

     Expanded background checks wouldn't have saved our loved ones, but still we came to support the bipartisan proposal from two senators, both with “A” ratings from the NRA -- a common-sense proposal supported by 90 percent of Americans.  It‘s a proposal that will save lives without interfering with the rights of responsible, law-abiding gun owners.

     We'll return home now, disappointed but not defeated.  We return home with the determination that change will happen -- maybe not today, but it will happen.  It will happen soon.  We've always known this would be a long road, and we don't have the luxury of turning back.  We will keep moving forward and build public support for common-sense solutions in the areas of mental health, school safety, and gun safety. 

     We take strength from the children and loved ones that we lost, and we carry a great faith in the American people. 

     On behalf of the Sandy Hook Promise, I would like to thank President Obama, Vice President Biden for their leadership and for standing strong and continuing to fight for a safer America. I would like to thank Senators Toomey, Manchin, Schumer and Kirk on coming together to seek common ground on legislation that would keep guns out of the hands of criminals and save lives.

     And I would like to thank Connecticut’s Senators Blumenthal and Murphy.  They’ve been right with us.  They stood by us right from the very beginning.  From the first few hours after this tragedy they were with us.

     We will not be defeated.  We are not defeated, and we will not be defeated.  We are here now; we will always be here because we have no other choice.  We are not going away.  And every day, as more people are killed in this country because of gun violence, our determination grows stronger.

     We leave Washington hoping that others, both here and across the country, will join us in making the Sandy Hook Promise, a pledge that we'd had great hope that more U.S. senators would take literally.  I'd like to end by repeating the words with which the Sandy Hook Promise begins:  Our hearts are broken.  Our spirit is not. 

     Thank you.  It is now my great pleasure to introduce the President of the United States of America, Barack Obama.   

THE PRESIDENT:  A few months ago, in response to too many tragedies -- including the shootings of a United States Congresswoman, Gabby Giffords, who’s here today, and the murder of 20 innocent schoolchildren and their teachers –- this country took up the cause of protecting more of our people from gun violence.

Families that know unspeakable grief summoned the courage to petition their elected leaders –- not just to honor the memory of their children, but to protect the lives of all our children.  And a few minutes ago, a minority in the United States Senate decided it wasn’t worth it.  They blocked common-sense gun reforms even while these families looked on from the Senate gallery.

By now, it’s well known that 90 percent of the American people support universal background checks that make it harder for a dangerous person to buy a gun.  We’re talking about convicted felons, people convicted of domestic violence, people with a severe mental illness.  Ninety percent of Americans support that idea.  Most Americans think that's already the law.

And a few minutes ago, 90 percent of Democrats in the Senate just voted for that idea.  But it’s not going to happen because 90 percent of Republicans in the Senate just voted against that idea. 

A majority of senators voted “yes” to protecting more of our citizens with smarter background checks.  But by this continuing distortion of Senate rules, a minority was able to block it from moving forward.

I’m going to speak plainly and honestly about what’s happened here because the American people are trying to figure out how can something have 90 percent support and yet not happen. We had a Democrat and a Republican -– both gun owners, both fierce defenders of our Second Amendment, with “A” grades from the NRA -- come together and worked together to write a common-sense compromise on background checks.  And I want to thank Joe Manchin and Pat Toomey for their courage in doing that.  That was not easy given their traditional strong support for Second Amendment rights.

As they said, nobody could honestly claim that the package they put together infringed on our Second Amendment rights.  All it did was extend the same background check rules that already apply to guns purchased from a dealer to guns purchased at gun shows or over the Internet.  So 60 percent of guns are already purchased through a background check system; this would have covered a lot of the guns that are currently outside that system.

Their legislation showed respect for gun owners, and it showed respect for the victims of gun violence.  And Gabby Giffords, by the way, is both -- she’s a gun owner and a victim of gun violence.  She is a Westerner and a moderate.  And she supports these background checks.

In fact, even the NRA used to support expanded background checks.  The current leader of the NRA used to support these background checks.  So while this compromise didn’t contain everything I wanted or everything that these families wanted, it did represent progress.  It represented moderation and common sense.  That’s why 90 percent of the American people supported it.

But instead of supporting this compromise, the gun lobby and its allies willfully lied about the bill.  They claimed that it would create some sort of “big brother” gun registry, even though the bill did the opposite.  This legislation, in fact, outlawed any registry.  Plain and simple, right there in the text.  But that didn’t matter.

And unfortunately, this pattern of spreading untruths about this legislation served a purpose, because those lies upset an intense minority of gun owners, and that in turn intimidated a lot of senators.  And I talked to several of these senators over the past few weeks, and they’re all good people.  I know all of them were shocked by tragedies like Newtown.  And I also understand that they come from states that are strongly pro-gun. And I have consistently said that there are regional differences when it comes to guns, and that both sides have to listen to each other.  

But the fact is most of these senators could not offer any good reason why we wouldn’t want to make it harder for criminals and those with severe mental illnesses to buy a gun.  There were no coherent arguments as to why we wouldn’t do this.  It came down to politics -- the worry that that vocal minority of gun owners would come after them in future elections.  They worried that the gun lobby would spend a lot of money and paint them as anti-Second Amendment. 

And obviously, a lot of Republicans had that fear, but Democrats had that fear, too.  And so they caved to the pressure, and they started looking for an excuse -- any excuse -- to vote “no.”

One common argument I heard was that this legislation wouldn’t prevent all future massacres.  And that’s true.  As I said from the start, no single piece of legislation can stop every act of violence and evil.  We learned that tragically just two days ago.  But if action by Congress could have saved one person, one child, a few hundred, a few thousand -- if it could have prevented those people from losing their lives to gun violence in the future while preserving our Second Amendment rights, we had an obligation to try. 

And this legislation met that test.  And too many senators failed theirs.

I've heard some say that blocking this step would be a victory.  And my question is, a victory for who?  A victory for what?  All that happened today was the preservation of the loophole that lets dangerous criminals buy guns without a background check.  That didn’t make our kids safer.  Victory for not doing something that 90 percent of Americans, 80 percent of Republicans, the vast majority of your constituents wanted to get done?  It begs the question, who are we here to represent? 

I've heard folks say that having the families of victims lobby for this legislation was somehow misplaced.  "A prop," somebody called them.  “Emotional blackmail,” some outlet said.  Are they serious?  Do we really think that thousands of families whose lives have been shattered by gun violence don’t have a right to weigh in on this issue?  Do we think their emotions, their loss is not relevant to this debate?

So all in all, this was a pretty shameful day for Washington. 

But this effort is not over.  I want to make it clear to the American people we can still bring about meaningful changes that reduce gun violence, so long as the American people don’t give up on it.  Even without Congress, my administration will keep doing everything it can to protect more of our communities.  We’re going to address the barriers that prevent states from participating in the existing background check system.  We’re going to give law enforcement more information about lost and stolen guns so it can do its job.  We’re going to help to put in place emergency plans to protect our children in their schools. 

But we can do more if Congress gets its act together.  And if this Congress refuses to listen to the American people and pass common-sense gun legislation, then the real impact is going to have to come from the voters. 

To all the people who supported this legislation -- law enforcement and responsible gun owners, Democrats and Republicans, urban moms, rural hunters, whoever you are -- you need to let your representatives in Congress know that you are disappointed, and that if they don’t act this time, you will remember come election time. 

To the wide majority of NRA households who supported this legislation, you need to let your leadership and lobbyists in Washington know they didn’t represent your views on this one. 

The point is those who care deeply about preventing more and more gun violence will have to be as passionate, and as organized, and as vocal as those who blocked these common-sense steps to help keep our kids safe.  Ultimately, you outnumber those who argued the other way.  But they're better organized.  They're better financed.  They’ve been at it longer.  And they make sure to stay focused on this one issue during election time. And that's the reason why you can have something that 90 percent of Americans support and you can't get it through the Senate or the House of Representatives.

So to change Washington, you, the American people, are going to have to sustain some passion about this.  And when necessary, you’ve got to send the right people to Washington.  And that requires strength, and it requires persistence. 

And that's the one thing that these families should have inspired in all of us.  I still don't know how they have been able to muster up the strength to do what they’ve doing over the last several weeks, last several months.

And I see this as just round one.  When Newtown happened, I met with these families and I spoke to the community, and I said, something must be different right now.  We’re going to have to change.  That's what the whole country said.  Everybody talked about how we were going to change something to make sure this didn't happen again, just like everybody talked about how we needed to do something after Aurora.  Everybody talked about we needed change something after Tucson.

And I’m assuming that the emotions that we’ve all felt since Newtown, the emotions that we’ve all felt since Tucson and Aurora and Chicago -- the pain we share with these families and families all across the country who’ve lost a loved one to gun violence -- I’m assuming that's not a temporary thing.  I’m assuming our expressions of grief and our commitment to do something different to prevent these things from happening are not empty words. 

I believe we’re going to be able to get this done.  Sooner or later, we are going to get this right.  The memories of these children demand it.  And so do the American people. 

Thank you very much, everybody.

 END                5:55 P.M. EDT

 

       

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
April 17, 2013

Remarks by the President Welcoming the Wounded Warrior Project's Soldier Ride

South Lawn

3:54 P.M. EDT

THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you, everybody.  (Applause.)  Thank you.  Welcome to the White House.  Thank you, Rick, for your introduction and for your leadership at the VA.  And I want to thank all of you for coming out today. 

This is actually good -- a little overcast to keep you guys not too hot.  This is one of my favorite events of the year.

AUDIENCE MEMBER:  I love you, Mr. President!

THE PRESIDENT:  I love you back.  (Laughter.)

We obviously meet at a time when our thoughts and prayers are with the people of Boston.  Our hearts are with the families of the victims.  And now we send our support and encouragement to people who never expected that they’d need it -- the wounded civilians who are just beginning what will be, I’m sure for some of them, a long road to recovery. 

It’s a road that the remarkable warriors and athletes here know all too well.  And, as a consequence, they’re going to serve for all of the families as well as all Americans a continued inspiration. 

We do this every spring, and as all of you know, it started in a bar -- where a lot of good ideas start.  (Laughter.)  Chris Carney and some of his buddies, who are here today, were talking about what they could do to support our wounded warriors, and Chris came up with the idea of biking coast-to-coast to raise money and awareness. 

Now, even he has admitted in hindsight, “It may have been the beer muscles talking.”  But he followed through, and he started in Long Island, he ended in San Diego.  Along the way, he inspired people all across the country.  And since then, more than a thousand wounded warriors have joined soldier rides across America.  This is the fourth time I’ve had the chance to welcome these rides here at the White House.  And, as always, we’ve got Army.  (Applause.)  We’ve got Navy.  (Applause.)  We’ve got Air Force.  (Applause.)  And we’ve got some Marines in the house.  (Applause.)  

Together, with your outstanding families, you represent what’s best in America.  When we needed patriots to defend our freedom, you have answered the call.  You’ve risked everything for our country and for each other.  And you’ve made sacrifices most of us can barely imagine.

So thanks to your courage and your resolve, we’ve been able to end one war; we’re beginning to wind down another.  But for you, as is true for all of our wounded warriors, coming home doesn’t mean that the fight is over.  In some ways, it’s just begun.

You think about folks like Sergeant Sean Karpf.  I first met Sean last June at Walter Reed -- he had just lost his left leg to an IED in Afghanistan, he knew that there was a long road ahead of him.  But today, Sean is here, he’s ready to ride.  He’s training to compete in swimming and track at the Wounded Warrior Games.  He’s lined up an internship in the physical therapy section at Walter Reed, where he's going to help fellow wounded warriors make the same journey that he did.

Then there’s Staff Sergeant Erick Millette.  During two tours in Iraq, Erick survived 17 IED attacks.  They left him with the kinds of injuries that you can’t always see:  head trauma, brain injury, PTSD.  Erick’s military career was cut short, but he’s taken on a new mission, and that’s sharing his story with audiences across the country. 

So he spread the message that it’s okay to talk about these unseen wounds of war.  It’s okay to seek out help and to seek out support.  Erick says that the Wounded Warrior Project literally saved his life, and now through his work, he’s helping save even more lives.  So, Erick, thank you so much.  And obviously, to Sean and everybody who is participating, we could not be prouder of you.

I also want to thank folks like Captain Mary McGriff, First Lieutenant Jason Church for returning for another soldier ride as peer mentors for first-time riders.  That’s a big part of what the soldier rides are about –- not just what you can do for yourself, but what you can do as a team.  As one rider put it, “It’s just like in the military.  You ride for the warrior next to you.”

So nine years ago, Chris Carney told a reporter that the most daunting part of that first ride was being alone.  He said he had only played team sports in the past; that he wasn’t used to a solo effort.  But what Chris and others discovered is that when it comes to supporting our returning heroes, there’s no such thing as going it alone.  We do this as a team.  We get each other’s backs.

Those who have served under our proud flag never lose that sense of service to one another or to country -- and we saw that on Monday.  When that first explosion went off, National Guardsmen, servicemembers, veterans in the area all did what warriors do:  They ran into harm’s way to protect their fellow Americans.  They applied tourniquets.  They went to hospitals, they donated blood.  Doctors used experience they acquired in part overseas to help save lives here at home.

That’s the strong stuff that our warriors are made out of, and that’s why we’re so proud and so grateful to the men and women and veterans of our Armed Forces.  And that’s why, as Commander-in-Chief, I’ll keep doing everything in my power to make sure we serve you as well as you’ve served us.  And that means making sure you get the care and the benefits you need.  It means making sure you don’t have to fight for a job when you get home.  It means recognizing our military families and giving them the support that they deserve.  And right now, it means saying a big thank you to all of our riders. 

So I’m asking every American out there and everyone who is along the route to get out and show their support, wave a flag.  Cheer for these outstanding men and women. 

Good luck over the next three days.  Have fun out there.  And know that you’ve got a country and a Commander-in-Chief who appreciates you, who's proud of you, and who will always have your back.

So thank you.  God bless you.  God bless America.  And let’s get this thing going.  You can see that they're ready to go.  (Applause.)

END               
4:00 P.M. EDT

The White House

Office of the First Lady

For Immediate Release
April 17, 2013

Remarks by the First Lady at Lunch With Midshipmen at the United States Naval Academy

U.S. Naval Academy
Annapolis, Maryland

12:17 P.M. EDT
 
MRS. OBAMA:  Thank you so much.  (Applause.)  Well, since I know I'm the only thing that stands between you and your 20-minute meal, I'm not going to take long.  But it is a pleasure and an honor to be back here at the United States Naval Academy. 
 
I was here a couple of years ago when we first came into office; I brought Sasha, and it was an amazing experience.  Sasha is our youngest daughter and she was just taken by the experience.  And I'm not sure yet, she's just 11 -- I'm not sure where her trajectory will lead her -- but this is an amazing place, and you all are an amazing group of men and women.  We are incredibly proud of you. 
 
I want to congratulate you on winning the Commander-In-Chief's trophy.  Go Navy!  (Applause.)  Well done.  And I know that my husband will be here in May for your commencement, so I am particularly pleased that I get a chance to stop by and say hello, but, more importantly, to thank you for your service and your sacrifice.
 
The degree of discipline and rigor that it takes to do what you do is truly amazing.  And Barack and I, we are so proud of you all.  And we know you are some of the best and brightest that this country has to offer, and it's just important that you know that you have a President and a First Lady who will keep working to make sure that this country serves you as well as you serve us.
 
So with that, I bid you a wonderful, delicious lunch -- I see a lot of greens on the plate, which is good.  And congratulations on how far you've come, and I look forward to the leadership that you will exhibit in the years to come. 
 
God bless you all.  (Applause.) 

END
12:20 P.M. EDT

The White House

Office of the First Lady

For Immediate Release
April 17, 2013

Remarks by the First Lady at the Veterans Full Employment Act of 2013 Bill Signing

State House
Annapolis, Maryland 

1:55 P.M. EDT

MRS. OBAMA:  Thank you.  (Applause.)  Thank you so much.  Good afternoon.  It is truly a pleasure to be here in Maryland today. 

But before we get started, I want to take a moment to say that our thoughts and prayers are with everyone in Boston.  My husband continues to monitor the situation, and he has directed the full resources of the federal government to assist state and local authorities as they investigate this horrific act. 

And what happened on Monday was a reminder that in times of crisis, here in America we respond with courage, and grit, and selflessness.  That’s exactly what we saw from the people of Boston, and from all those who rushed to aid the victims, especially the police officers and firefighters, the first responders, and our men and women in uniform.

And that is the spirit of Boston, but it is also the spirit of this country.  And in many ways, that’s the spirit of service and sacrifice that we are here to honor today. 

So I want to thank Governor O’Malley for hosting us, but also for his tremendous leadership for the state of Maryland and for all of his efforts on behalf of our troops, veterans, and military families.

I also want to thank Lieutenant Governor Brown; the Secretary of the Navy, Secretary Mabus; and all of the servicemembers from Fort Meade and the United States Naval Academy who are here with us today. 

And I’d like to recognize all of the Maryland state legislators:  Attorney General Gansler, Mayor Cohen, the representatives we have here from veterans service organizations and the University of Maryland, and to all of the military family members who are joining us today.  Welcome, and thank you for being here. 

And, finally, I want to thank Senior Chief Hite and his wonderful family who I got to meet -- Mom and Dad are here, and his handsome son, who I will embarrass -- (laughter) -- but we are proud of you all.  But I want to thank you all for your service to this country, because the truth is, is that every family member serves, and every time I meet a servicemember, a veteran, I don’t just thank him or her, I think children and parents and grandparents and brothers and sisters, because everyone in some way is part of that service.  And thank you for sharing your story with us today.

Two years ago, Jill Biden and I launched Joining Forces in large part because we’d heard too many stories like that of Senior Chief Hite’s.  We had heard the stories of military spouses like Janelle Gray, whose husband serves in the Air Force at Fort Meade. 

Janelle was a professional counselor for seven years in Minnesota and North Dakota.  But when she and her husband were transferred here to Maryland, she found out that she’d either have to wait three years or take additional coursework and get extra training before she could get back to work.

And then there were all the veterans we’d heard from -- the Army medics who couldn’t get jobs as EMTs; the Marine welders who couldn’t land a manufacturing job here; or the convoy drivers who couldn’t get hired to drive a semi.

Earlier today, I was over at the U.S. Naval Academy, and I met with some wonderful individuals who are here today in the healthcare professions who have served this country for years -- even decades -- and have mastered so many highly technical, high-demand skills.

But even with all that experience, these men and women wouldn’t even be considered for entry-level jobs in their fields because they didn’t have the right civilian credentials.  And all of this is happening after we have already asked so much of our troops. 

We have asked them to risk their lives in combat, manage dozens of peers, operate complicated machinery, oversee millions of dollars of assets, and save lives on the battlefield.  And then, when they come home, we’re also asking them to repeat months of training for skills they’ve already mastered.  So we have to ask ourselves:  How does this make sense? 

And the same is true for our military spouses.  We’re asking them to juggle a full-time job and their family’s finances, and the entire household all alone while their spouse is deployed overseas.  And we’re asking them to move their families to new communities and new states every couple of years.  And after they do all that, we’re also asking them to wait months and pay hundreds of dollars in fees just to be able to continue their careers?

That’s just not right.  And let me be clear -- this is about more than just eliminating a few bureaucratic headaches for these men and women.  This is about improving the financial security for thousands of military families.  It’s about giving veterans and their spouses an opportunity to build their careers and create a better future for their children.

So with all of that on the line, we knew we had to get this fixed.  And that meant we had to turn to state leaders like so many of you here in this room, because you all are the only ones who can make an impact on these licensing issues.

And I’m here today not just because Annapolis is beautiful -- which it is, and I wish I could stay and have ice cream and crab cakes -- (laughter) -- but I would clog up the city.  I will be back.  (Laughter.)  But I’m here today because here in Maryland, you all have done just that.

You have come together to take a bold step forward on behalf of our troops, veterans, and military families.  And by doing so, your state is joining a growing list of states that are addressing this issue.

Since last year, when I spoke to our nation’s governors about the issues facing military spouses, the number of states that have passed laws to help those spouses has more than tripled -- from 11 to 36.   And since we spoke with the governors again at the end of February of this year, this time about veterans issues, 13 states, including Maryland, have acted to help our veterans earn credentials.

And let me tell you, your bill here in Maryland is one of the best bills that we have seen in this entire country.  You all are tackling three big issues all at once.  You’re helping our veterans obtain professional credentials.  You’re helping them earn college credit.  And you’re making it easier for military spouses to continue their careers as they transfer to your state. 

So I want to say a huge thank you to Governor O’Malley for his leadership on this effort and to all of the legislators who have made our military families a priority.  You all didn’t just ask yourselves, can we do this.  You asked yourselves, how can we do it right; how can we serve our men and women in uniform as well as they’ve served us. 

But I also want to make an important point here:  This is not simply about patriotism and repaying our debt to our servicemen and women.  This is also about putting highly skilled individuals to work in communities all across Maryland and throughout the country.  It’s about strengthening our hospitals and our schools, and making our businesses more productive and dynamic.

That’s why the bill that’s being signed into law today is so important.  And I want you to know that we’re working at the federal level to address these issues as well.  For example, my husband has championed programs to help our troops get their civilian credentials in areas like manufacturing, medicine, and transportation before they leave the Armed Forces.  And I want to recognize the Navy, in particular, for leading the way on this issue with sailors earning more than 80,000 credentials in the last six years. 

So all of these efforts couldn’t be more important as we look at what’s coming in the years ahead.  With the Iraq war over, the war in Afghanistan winding down, more than a million servicemembers are going to be hanging up their uniforms and transitioning back to civilian life.  And that comes on top of the hundreds of thousands of veterans and military spouses already out there looking for work. 

So even though we’ve made a lot of progress on veterans employment over the past few years, as a country, we still have a lot more work to do.  And that means we need to redouble our efforts across the board.  We need more businesses to make big, bold commitments to hire and train our veterans and military spouses.  We need more hospitals and colleges and employers from every sector to recognize our veterans’ and military spouses’ unique skills and experiences, and give them a fair shot at a job.  We need every single state that has not already acted on these licensing and credentialing issues to follow Maryland’s lead and clear away every unnecessary obstacle facing our veterans and military spouses. 

And while these bills are a wonderful first step, we can’t rest until we’ve worked with our licensing boards, colleges, and universities to make sure these bills are fully implemented so that our veterans and military spouses get the credentials and the jobs they need.

And if we all step up in this way, if we all keep coming together on this issue, we will be sending a powerful message of love and support that makes a real, concrete difference for our military families.  We’ll be helping them build their careers, support their families, and find new ways to serve this country, which they so desperately want to do.  And that’s what Joining Forces is about.  And that’s why we’re not going to stop working until every state has enacted legislation to address these issues.  We’re not going to stop until every single military family in America gets the honor and support they’ve earned.

And so to all the military families here today, I want you to know from the bottom of my heart that we are going to do whatever it takes to make that happen.  We are in this for the long haul.  And we are bound and determined to repay your service and sacrifice with service and sacrifice of our own.

So to our servicemembers and military families, thank you.  Thank you.  Thank you so much for everything you have done for this country, and everything you will continue to do in the years ahead.  And to all the elected officials, to the leaders from the University of Maryland, to all the people of this great state, thank you for stepping up to show your support for these brave men and women.

I look forward to continuing our work together in the months and years ahead.  Thank you, God bless, and let’s get some signing done.  (Applause.)

END
2:05 P.M. EDT