The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
April 03, 2013

Remarks by the President on Reducing Gun Violence -- Denver, Colorado

Denver Police Academy
Denver, Colorado

3:19 P.M. MDT

THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you!  (Applause.)  Thank you so much.  Everybody, please have a seat.  Thank you.  Well, it is wonderful to be back in Colorado.  It is wonderful to be back in Denver.  I want to thank Chief White for that introduction.  You’ve got some outstanding elected officials who are here today, and I want to acknowledge them.  First of all, a wonderful governor -- John Hickenlooper is here.  (Applause.)  He’s here somewhere.  I know, because I just talked to him.  There he is.  Next to him an outstanding lieutenant governor, Joe Garcia.  (Applause.)  One of the finest young senators in the country -- Michael Bennet is here.  (Applause.)  Terrific members of the House of Representatives -- Ed Perlmutter -- (applause) -- and Dianna Degette.  (Applause.)  And your own mayor, Michael Hancock, is here.  (Applause.) 

I want to say thank you to the Denver Police for having me here, and more importantly, for the outstanding work that all of you do each and every day to serve your communities and protect your citizens. 

Before I came out here, I had a chance to sit down with some local law enforcement, Attorney General Holder, and some of the leaders I just mentioned, the wonderful mayor of Aurora who’s here, sportsmen, parents, loved ones of the victims of the shootings in Columbine and Aurora.  And we talked about what we can do to protect more of our citizens from gun violence. 

And from the beginning of this effort, we’ve wanted law enforcement front and center in shaping this discussion and the reforms that emerge from it -- because law enforcement lives this every day.  Law enforcement are the first to see the terrible consequences of any kind of violence, certainly gun violence -- lives lost, families broken, communities that are changed forever.  They’re very often in the line of fire.  The law enforcement knows what works and what doesn’t, and so we wanted that experience and that advice. 

And it was also important for us to hear from mayors like Steve Hogan, because he’s been on the front lines having to deal with these issues under incredibly sad circumstances.  And I’ve come to Denver today in particular because Colorado is proving a model of what’s possible.

It’s now been just over 100 days since the murder of 20 innocent children and six brave educators in Newtown, Connecticut -- an event that shocked this country and I think galvanized parents all across the country to say, we’ve got to do something more to protect our kids.  But consider this:  Over those 100 days or so, more than 100 times as many Americans have fallen victim to gun violence.  More than 2,000 of our fellow citizens, struck down, often because they were just going about their daily round.  They weren’t doing anything special.  Just doing what folks do every day -- shopping, going to school.  Every day that we wait to do something about it, even more of our fellow citizens are stolen from our lives by a bullet from a gun.

Now, the good news is Colorado has already chosen to do something about it.  (Applause.)  Look, this is a state that has suffered the tragedy of two of the worst mass shootings in our history -- 14 years ago this month in Columbine, and just last year in Aurora.  But this is also a state that treasures its Second Amendment rights -- the state of proud hunters and sportsmen.  And, by the way, the Governor wanted me to remind everybody that there is outstanding elk hunting here in Colorado.  (Laughter.)  There’s a strong tradition of gun ownership that’s handed down from generation to generation, and it’s part of the fabric of people’s lives.  And they treat gun ownership with reverence and respect.

And so I’m here because I believe there doesn't have to be a conflict in reconciling these realities.  There doesn’t have to be a conflict between protecting our citizens and protecting our Second Amendment rights.  I’ve got stacks of letters in my office from proud gun owners, whether they’re for sport, or protection, or collection, who tell me how deeply they cherish their rights, don’t want them infringed upon, but they still want us to do something to stop the epidemic of gun violence.  And I appreciate every one of those letters.  And I’ve learned from them. 

And I think that Colorado has shown that practical progress is possible thanks to the leadership of Governor Hickenlooper and some of the state legislators who are here today.  When I was talking to Steve, he mentioned that Aurora is very much a purple city.  It’s got a majority Republican city council; a majority of the state legislators are Democrat.  But they came together understanding that out of this tragedy there had to be something that made sense.  And so we’ve seen enacted tougher background checks that won’t infringe on the rights of responsible gun owners, but will help keep guns out of the hands of dangerous people.  (Applause.)

Now, in January, just a few weeks after Newtown, I put forward a series of common-sense proposals along the same lines as what’s passed here in Colorado, to reduce gun violence and keep our kids safe.  In my State of the Union address, I urged Congress to give these proposals a vote.  And, by the way, before we even asked for a vote, I had already signed numerous executive orders doing what we could administratively to make sure that guns don't fall into the hands of the wrong people.

But what I said then is still true:  If we're really going to tackle this problem seriously, then we've got to get Congress to take the next step.  And as soon as next week, they will be voting.  As soon as next week, every senator will get to vote on whether or not we should require background checks for anyone who wants to purchase a gun. 

Now, some say, well, we already have background checks.  And they're right.  Over the past 20 years, those background checks have kept more than 2 million dangerous people from buying a gun.  But the loopholes that currently exist in the law have allowed way too many criminals and folks who shouldn’t be getting guns -- it has allowed them to avoid background checks entirely.  That makes it harder for law enforcement to do its job.  It's not safe.  It's not smart.  And, by the way, it's not fair to responsible gun owners who are playing by the rules.

Now, understand, nobody is talking about creating an entirely new system.  We are simply talking about plugging holes, sealing a porous system that isn't working as well as it should.  If you want to buy a gun, whether it's from a licensed dealer or a private seller, you should at least have to pass a background check to show you're not a criminal or someone legally prohibited from buying on.  And that’s just common sense.  (Applause.) 

During our roundtable discussion with Governor Hickenlooper, who I know was in the midst of this passionate debate about the legislation here in Colorado, and some people said, well, background checks aren't going to stop everybody.  And the Governor was the first one to acknowledge, yes, they won't stop everybody, but as he pointed out, statistically, there are a whole bunch of folks who have been stopped. 

As a consequence of background checks, law enforcement has been able to stop people who have been convicted of murder from getting a gun, people who are under restraining orders for having committed violent domestic abuse from getting a gun.  In a couple of cases the governor mentioned to me, law enforcement has actually been able to arrest people who came to pick up their gun -- (laughter) -- because they were criminals, wanted.

So this does work.  And, by the way, if you’re selling a gun, wouldn’t you want to know who you’re selling it to?  Wouldn’t you want to know?  Wouldn’t you want in your conscience to know that the person you’re selling to isn’t going to commit a crime?  (Applause.) 

So these enhanced background checks won’t stop all gun crimes, but they will certainly help prevent some.  This is common sense.  And, by the way, most gun owners -- more than 80 percent -- agree this makes sense.  More than 70 percent of NRA members agree.  Ninety percent of the American people agree.  So there’s no reason we can’t do this unless politics is getting in the way.  There’s no reason we can’t do this.

As soon as next week, every senator will get a chance to vote on a proposal to help strengthen school safety and help people struggling with mental health problems get the treatment that they need.

As soon as next week, every senator will get to vote on whether or not we should crack down on folks who buy guns as part of a scheme to arm criminals.  That would keep more guns off the streets and out of the hands of people who are intent on doing harm.  And it would make life a whole lot easier and safer for the people behind me -- police officers. 

Every senator will get a say on whether or not we should keep weapons of war and high-capacity ammunition magazines that facilitate mass killings off our streets.  The type of assault rifle used in Aurora, for example, when paired with a high-capacity magazine, has one purpose:  to pump out as many bullets as possible, as fast as possible.  It’s what allowed that gunman to shoot 70 people and kill 12 in a matter of a few minutes.  I don’t believe that weapons designed for theaters of war have a place in movie theaters.  Most Americans agree with that.  (Applause.) 

Most of these ideas are not controversial.  Right now, 90 percent of Americans -- 90 percent -- support background checks that will keep criminals and people who have been found to be a danger to themselves or others from buying a gun.  More than 80 percent of Republicans agree.  Most gun owners agree.  Think about it:  How often do 90 percent of Americans agree on anything?  (Laughter.)

And yet, there are already some senators back in Washington floating the idea that they might use obscure procedural stunts to prevent or delay any of these votes on reform.  Think about that.  They’re not just saying they’ll vote “no” on the proposal that most Americans support.  They’re saying they’ll do everything they can to avoid even allowing a vote on a proposal that the overwhelming majority of the American people support.  They’re saying your opinion doesn’t matter. 

We knew from the beginning that change wouldn’t be easy.  And we knew that there would be powerful voices that would do everything they could to run out the clock, change the subject, ignore the majority of the American people.  We knew they’d try to make any progress collapse under the weight of fear and frustration, or maybe people would just stop paying attention.

The only way this time will be different is if the American people demand that this time it must be different -- that this time, we must do something to protect our communities and our kids.  (Applause.)  We need parents, we need teachers, we need police officers, we need pastors, we need hunters and sportsmen, Americans of every background to say, we’ve suffered too much pain and care too much about our children to allow this to continue.  We’re not going to just wait for the next Newtown or the next Aurora before we act.  And I genuinely believe that’s what the overwhelming majority of Americans -- I don’t care what party they belong to -- that’s what they want.  They just want to see some progress. 

It was interesting, during the conversation, a number of people talked about the trust issue.  Part of the reason it's so hard to get this done is because both sides of the debate sometimes don't listen to each other.  The people who take absolute positions on these issues, on both sides, sometimes aren't willing to concede even an inch of ground. 

And so one of the questions we talked about was, how do you build trust?  How do you rebuild some trust?  And I told the story about two conversations I had.  The first conversation was when Michelle came back from doing some campaigning out in rural Iowa.  And we were sitting at dinner, and she had been to like a big county, a lot of driving out there, a lot of farmland.  And she said, if I was living out in a farm in Iowa, I'd probably want a gun, too.  If somebody just drives up into your driveway and you're not home -- you don't know who these people are and you don't know how long it's going to take for the sheriffs to respond.  I can see why you'd want some guns for protection.  That's one conversation.

I had another conversation just a couple of months ago with a mom from Chicago -- actually, Evanston, Illinois -- whose son had been killed in a random shooting.  And she said, you know, I hate it when people tell me that my son was shot because he was in the wrong place at the wrong time.  He was in the right place.  He was on his way to school.  He wasn't in the wrong place.  He was exactly where he was supposed to be. 

Now, both those things are true.  And sometimes we're so divided between rural and urban, and folks whose hunting is part of their lives and folks whose only experience with guns is street crime.  And the two sides just talk past one another.  And more than anything, what I want to just emphasize is there are good people on both sides of this thing, but we have to be able to put ourselves in the other person's shoes.  If you're a hunter, if you're a sportsman -- if you have a gun in your house for protection -- you've got to understand what it feels like for that mom whose son was randomly shot. 

And if you live in an urban area and you're worried about street crime, you've got to understand what it might be like if you grew out on a ranch and your dad had been taking you hunting all your life.  And we had a couple of sportsmen in our conversation today, and I thought one of them said something very important.  He said, all my experiences with guns have been positive, but I realize that for others, all their experiences about guns have been negative.  Well, that's a start, right?  If we start listening to each other, then we should be able to get something done that's constructive.  We should be able to get that done.  (Applause.) 

One last thing I’m going to mention is that during this conversation -- I hope you don't mind me quoting you, Joe.  Joe Garcia, I thought, also made an important point, and that is that the opponents of some of these common-sense laws have ginned up fears among responsible gun owners that have nothing to do with what’s being proposed and nothing to do with the facts, but feeds into this suspicion about government. 

You hear some of these quotes:  “I need a gun to protect myself from the government.”  “We can't do background checks because the government is going to come take my guns away.” 

Well, the government is us.  These officials are elected by you.  (Applause.)  They are elected by you.  I am elected by you.  I am constrained, as they are constrained, by a system that our Founders put in place.  It’s a government of and by and for the people.

And so, surely, we can have a debate that's not based on the notion somehow that your elected representatives are trying to do something to you other than potentially prevent another group of families from grieving the way the families of Aurora or Newtown or Columbine have grieved.  We’ve got to get past some of the rhetoric that gets perpetuated that breaks down trust and is so over the top that it just shuts down all discussion.  And it’s important for all of us when we hear that kind of talk to say, hold on a second.  If there are any folks who are out there right now who are gun owners, and you’ve been hearing that somehow somebody is taking away your guns, get the facts.  We’re not proposing a gun registration system, we’re proposing background checks for criminals.  (Applause.)

Don't just listen to what some advocates or folks who have an interest in this thing are saying.  Look at the actual legislation.  That's what happened here in Colorado.  And hopefully, if we know the facts and we’re listening to each other, then we can actually move forward. 

And that’s what members of Congress need to hear from you.  Right now, members of Congress are at home in their districts.  Many of them are holding events where they can hear from their constituents.  So I'm asking anyone out there who is listening today, find out where your member of Congress stands on these issues.  If they're not part of the 90 percent of Americans who agree on background checks, then ask them why not.  Why wouldn’t you want to make it more difficult for a dangerous criminal to get his or her hands on a gun?  Why wouldn’t you want to close the loophole that allows too many criminals to buy a gun without even the simplest of background checks?  Why on Earth wouldn’t you want to make it easier rather than harder for law enforcement to do their job?

I know that some of the officers here today know what it's like to look into the eyes of a parent or a grandparent, a brother or a sister, or a spouse who has just lost a loved one to an act of violence.  Some of those families, by the way, are here today.  And as police officers, you know as well as anybody, there is no magic solution to prevent every bad thing from happening in the world.  You still suit up, you put on your badge, put yourself at risk every single day.  Every single day, you go to work and you try to do the best you can to protect the people you're sworn to protect and serve.  Well, how can the rest of us as citizens do anything less?

If there is just one step we can take to prevent more Americans from knowing the pain that some of the families who are here have known, don’t we have an obligation to try?  Don’t we have an obligation to try?  (Applause.)  If these reforms keep one person from murdering dozens of innocent children or worshippers or moviegoers in a span of minutes, isn't it worth fighting for?  (Applause.)  I believe it is.  That’s why I'm going to keep on working.  I'm going to keep on giving it my best efforts.  But I'm going to need your help. 

This is not easy.  And I'll be blunt -- a lot of members of Congress, this is tough for them.  Because those who are opposed to any form of legislation affecting guns, they're very well-organized and they're very well-financed.  But it can be done if enough voices are heard.

So I want to thank all the police officers who are here for giving their best efforts every single day.  (Applause.)  I want to thank Governor Hickenlooper for his outstanding leadership.  (Applause.)  I want to thank all the families who are here for your courage in being willing to take out of this tragedy something positive.  I want to thank the people of Colorado for coming together in sensible ways.  (Applause.)  Let's see if we can get the whole country to do so.

Thank you, Denver.  God bless you.  And God bless the United States of America.  (Applause.)

                                  END                3:45 P.M. MDT

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
April 02, 2013

Remarks by President Obama and Prime Minister Lee of Singapore Before Bilateral Meeting

Oval Office

2:14 P.M. EDT

PRESIDENT OBAMA:  Well, it is a great pleasure for me to welcome my good friend, Prime Minister Lee, to the Oval Office.  He and I have had interacted in a whole range of international forums, and not surprisingly, he has proven to be an outstanding partner for us on the international stage -- not surprising because Singapore and the United States have historically had an extraordinary relationship.  Singapore is one of the most successful countries in the world. 

I think their progress and their development over the last several decades has been an example for many countries around the world.  We have extremely close military cooperation.  And I want to thank Singapore for all the facilities that they provide that allow us to maintain our effective Pacific presence. 

They are an outstanding economic partner.  Over the last decade, since we signed our free trade agreement, we have seen a doubling of trade between our countries, and that creates jobs here in the United States as well as in Singapore.  As a leader in ASEAN and the East Asia Summit, they’ve provided I think a steady vision of how countries in the Pacific region can cooperate effectively for the prosperity and security of all, and are strong promoters of rules of the road and international norms that the United States strongly supports. 

And so, across the board, we have very much appreciated the extraordinary relationship between our two countries.  And personally, I can tell you that there are very few world leaders who I am more appreciative of in terms of their advice and counsel and thoughtful analysis than Prime Minister Lee. 

And as we continue the process that we called rebalancing when I first came into office, we’ve continued to seek out the advice and good counsel of Singapore in how to effect that in a way that creates not only strong security, but also increase prosperity for both the United States and the countries of the region. 

So I’m very thankful for Singapore and its partnership.  I’m thankful for Prime Minister Lee for his outstanding work.  I’m grateful for the people of Singapore.  As many of you know, I spent some time in my youth in this part of the world and have a great fondness and affection for the people of Singapore.  I’m extraordinarily pleased to see their great success and I’m looking forward to a very productive discussion about how we can continue to improve prospects for people not just in the Asia Pacific region but around the world. 

So thank you very much, Mr. Prime Minister.

PRIME MINISTER LEE:  Thank you, Mr. President.  I’m very happy to be here in Washington during cherry blossom season and very honored to be calling on the President so early in his second term.

We have very good relations between Singapore and the United States, grown in deep cooperation.  We work together in education, research and development.  We work together in economic areas and trade.  We work together in counterterrorism and defense.  And it’s a comprehensive relationship, and we look forward particularly in the next few weeks to welcoming the first littoral combat ship, which will be arriving in Singapore and we will be playing host to it for a few months.

But more broadly, Singapore is very happy that the U.S. and the Obama administration has been putting greater emphasis on its relation to Asia; that it’s rebalancing towards Asia, and that it’s engaging Asia across many fronts -- not just security, but also economics, also cultural and educational.  And Singapore would like to be of help in furthering this process in deepening the relationship. 

The TPP, the Trans-Pacific Partnership, is a very important part of it, and we’re working on that agenda now.  There’s also work going on deepening ASEAN’s relations with the United States, which the President initiated when we last met in November back then. 

And there are other important bilateral relationships in Asia, including what is perhaps the most important bilateral relationship in the world, which is between the U.S. and China.  And we are happy that the administration’s attention is focused on this, and Singapore will do our part to do what we can to help America engage the region constructively, productively, and in a way in which it fosters stability and prosperity for all the countries.

So I’m very happy to be here, to be calling on this President, and I hope I’ll have the opportunity to invite him to come and visit Singapore before too long, and for me to reciprocate his wonderful hospitality.

PRESIDENT OBAMA:  Thank you very much, everybody.

END
2:20 P.M. EDT

The White House

Office of the First Lady

For Immediate Release
April 02, 2013

Remarks by the First Lady at "42" Film Workshop

State Dining Room

11:57 A.M. EDT

MRS. OBAMA:  Well, hello!  How’s everybody doing? 

AUDIENCE:  Good.

MRS. OBAMA:  Welcome to the White House.  (Laughter.)  It’s nice.  Let's do this.  (Applause.)  I know sometimes it’s hard to know how are you supposed to act in the White House.  (Laughter.)  Everybody is sitting with their -- just loosen up, loosen up.  It’s okay.  You all are here.  You’re just going to talk.  I can tell you all talk a lot.  (Laughter.)  So you’re just going to talk a little more right here in the White House.  We are honored to have you.  Welcome, welcome.

Let me start today by thanking Paulette for moderating today’s workshop.  Paulette is the new Director of the Office of Public Engagement right here in the White House, and we’re glad to have her on our team.  I want to give her a round of applause -- Paulette.  (Applause.)

I want to thank Harrison Ford -- I’ve wanted to say that for a while.  (Laughter.)  Harrison Ford.  So you think you trip because I’m here?  I’m tripping out -- (laughter) -- because he’s here.  And look at this stage -- Mr. Harrison Ford, Chadwick Boseman -- he’s as cute as he was in the movie.  (Laughter.)  Just admit it.  (Applause.)  Outstanding -- as well as Brian Helgeland, who is here as well.  You’re going to hear from them. 

And I want to thank all of you young people here, because I want to make sure I know who’s here.  We have students from Gaithersburg, Maryland -- who are you, where are you?  (Applause.)  Maryland in the house.  Alexandria, Virginia.  (Applause.)  You guys are here.  We’ve got some D.C. kids.  (Applause.)  Of course you all are the loudest ones.  (Laughter.)  It’s okay.  We’ve got students from the Animo Jackie Robinson Charter High School in Los Angeles -- where are our L.A. kids?  (Applause.)  There you go.  You can be louder.  (Laughter.)  It’s okay, you all traveled. 

But I want to make sure that you all know how welcome you are here in this house, because the truth is we do these things -- we make sure that we do these workshops so that you all know that this is your house, too.  So we want you to make yourselves at home.  We want you to feel good and relaxed and learn and ask questions, okay?

And finally, I saved the best for last.  I want to pay special thanks to a woman that I am totally in awe of.  And I’m not going to get emotional.  I’m going to say that now, because I can tend to get emotional.  But she’s a woman of strength, of courage, conviction; a woman who paved the way for me, but she paved the way for millions of Americans all across this country.  We have with us Mrs. Rachel Robinson.  (Applause.)

And this is what a beautiful woman looks like.  She is a proud 90-years-old, and I’m telling you that because she told me she’s proud of it.  (Laughter.)  And I told her she wouldn’t have to tell anybody how old she was because she doesn’t look a day over 40 (laughter) -- beautiful, and smart, and gifted, and graceful.  So we are just so thrilled to have everyone here.

Now, the President and I, we watched this movie over the weekend.  It was just us, because our girls were away.  And they are definitely going to watch this movie.  We think that everybody in this country needs to watch this movie.  And I can say with all sincerity that it was truly powerful for us.  I don’t know about you, but we walked away from that just visibly, physically moved by the experience of the movie, of the story. 

And it wasn’t simply the wonderful performances, because the performances were brilliant -- brilliant.  I mean, I’m no movie critic, but you all are pretty good.  (Laughter.)  And it wasn’t the wonderful screenwriting or the directing.  It was the raw emotion that it just makes you feel after the experience.  I mean, watching anyone go through what Jackie and Rachel Robinson did -- the outright discrimination they encountered at every turn, from the fans in the stadium to the airport receptionist, even from some of his own teammates.  And you’re left just asking yourselves, how on Earth did they live through that?  How did they do it?  How did they endure the taunts and the bigotry for all of that time? 

And while so many in this country still face clear challenges, they still exist today.  I was struck by how far removed that way of life seems today.  I mean, there’s work to be done, but things have changed.  Major League Baseball is fully integrated.  You can’t imagine the baseball league not being integrated.  There are no more “Whites Only” signs posted anywhere in this country.  Although it still happens, it is far less acceptable for someone to yell out a racial slur while you’re walking down the street -- it still happens, but not tolerated.  That kind of prejudice is simply just not something that can happen in the light of day today. 

And then on the other hand, for us to be able to sit in the same room as Rachel Robinson -- do you all understand?  We are here with Rachel Robinson -- (applause) -- the woman who lived through that life whose memories and perspectives will forever be shaped by those experiences.  Her presence here today makes us realize just how connected we are to that part of our history.  It is very real and very tangible.  In the end, I can’t help but marvel at just how far we’ve come over the course of this woman’s life.  But it also remind us how far we have to go, how much more work we have to do.

Jackie and Rachel Robinson’s story reminds us how much hard work it takes to move a country forward.  It reminds us how much struggle is required to make real progress and change. 

So as you reflect on this story, not just today, but I hope you keep thinking about it for the rest of your life, I want you to think about how much strength it took day in and day out for Rachel and Jackie Robinson and for thousands of other people just like them all across this country to keep pressing ahead, even though some folks wouldn’t even treat them like they were human beings.  They just kept pressing ahead.

It would have been easy for them to get mad, because I know I was mad just watching the movie.  It would have been easy for them to get mad or to give up.  But instead, they made hate -- they met hatred with decency.  I want you all to keep that in mind -- they met hatred with decency.  And, more importantly, they gave their absolute very best every single day -- do you hear -- they gave their best every single day. 

From the time they were young people just like all of you, they worked hard to prepare themselves for greatness so that when the opportunity came their way, they were ready for that greatness.  This would have been a totally different story had they not been prepared, had they not trained themselves, had they not educated themselves. 

Yes, Jackie Robinson certainly was a tremendous athlete, but he was so much more than that.  He bravely served in our Armed Forces.  He attended college at UCLA.  He competed as hard as he could at everything he did so that his gifts wouldn’t go to waste.  And Rachel Robinson was in every way his equal, ladies -- in every way his equal.  She made her education a priority.  She worked hard in school.  She eventually became a nurse.

So Jackie and Rachel Robinson weren't destined for greatness -- they prepared themselves for greatness, which meant that they could make a difference outside of baseball, as well. And that is the only thing that is important for you to understand.  You can be great in your profession, you can earn a lot of money, you can be famous, but the question is what are you doing for others.

After he retired, Jackie Robinson became a leader in the Civil Rights Movement working with Dr. King, the NAACP.  He helped to start a bank to help other minorities start their own small businesses and to own their own homes.  And after his death, Mrs. Robinson carried on that legacy by starting the Jackie Robinson Foundation, which has provided college scholarships and training and career opportunities for more than 1,400 underserved students.  In fact, I know that we have a few Jackie Robinson scholars here today who are studying at Howard, and Georgetown, and Yale, and Brown, and even my alma mater, Princeton -- righteous.  (Laughter.) 

And I have seen the quality of these scholars firsthand because one of my personal assistants, little Kristin Jones, was a Jackie Robinson scholar in 2003.  And I was couldn’t be more impressed by the work that she has done and the young woman that she has become -- very proud of you.  And more than anything else, that is Jackie Robinson’s legacy -- opening up a whole new world of opportunities to young people like Kristin and every single one of you here today. 

And that's why it was so important for me to have all of you here for this event.  We intentionally did this.  Now, we’re going to have a screening for a bunch of fancy people somewhere later on down the line, but we wanted to be here with you.  Because this isn’t just about watching a wonderful movie about an important moment in history, this is about helping all of you believe that you can write your own history.

And I can't say this enough to enough young people -- you might not be able to hit a ball like Jackie Robinson, but you can get your education.  In fact, you must get your education and demand more of yourself every single day.  You have to do that, and you have to pick up yourself when somebody knocks you down -- because you will get knocked down.  But to do all of that, you have to put the work in.  That's all I have to say. 

All of this is about hard work.  And you have to be willing to face any obstacle you might encounter along the way.  That's what Jackie and Rachel Robinson did, and the same could be said for all the folks on this stage, quite frankly. 

Before he became an actor, Harrison Ford had to overcome a crippling fear of speaking in front of an audience.  So he’s terrified right now.  (Laughter.)  And it took Chadwick 10 years of hard work before landing his first starring role.  So this stuff doesn't come easy.  And then Brian sits down to create a script, and that means hundreds of hours of writing and rewriting, painful doubting and rewriting -- (laughter) -- oh, you can see the pain -- before he comes up with a finished product.  And that's really the secret. 

And I want all young people to understand -- what does it take?  What does it take?  What’s the secret?  The secret is that no one comes out a finished product.  None of us are finished products.  There is no magic that makes someone an actor or a director or a doctor or a lawyer or a President or First Lady.  There is no magic.  That is the one thing I want you all to understand.  If you gain nothing from this movie or any of our lives, there is no magic.  It takes grit.  It takes determination and a whole lot of hard work.  And as you know in the movie, it takes guts. 

So as you think about the obstacles you face in your own life, as you hear someone telling you that you’re not good enough, or that you don't belong, I want you to think about how Jackie Robinson got up and played after he got spiked in the leg.  I want you think about that.  I want you to think about how Rachel Robinson is still working to make this world a better place at 90 years old.  She’s still not stopping.  You can rest a little bit.  (Laughter.)

And then I want you all to put your heart and soul into everything you do -- every single thing you do.  Can you promise me that?  There is no exception to that rule.  Everything you do, you have to do 120 percent.  And you all are capable of doing that.  Everyone is capable of doing that.  And that's going to start right now. 

Your first test of how passionate you’re going to be is right here today.  Because I want you all to take full advantage of what we have for you.  I want you to ask questions.  I don't want you to hesitate.  I don't want you to be shy.  Because the first step in greatness is just using your voice, just knowing that whatever question, whatever thought, whatever ideas that you have have meaning and relevance in the world, and you will not hesitate to make your voices heard.

Take advantage of these folks.  Make sure you understand and ask questions and push and drive.  And when you leave here I want you to promise me that you’re going to keep doing that every single day, no matter what you want to become in life; that that is how you’re going to lead your life -- with greatness, with focus, with drive, determination.  And when you do that, and I know you will, you will be something great.

Don't know what it is.  I still don't know what I’m going to do with my life.  But you will be something great.  You all have everything it takes to make that happen, and it is an honor for me to be here with you guys.

Have fun.  I got to go work.  But I’m going to get a report on what’s been going on here today, so talk and ask questions.  Thank you, guys.  (Applause.)

END
12:11 P.M. EDT

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
April 02, 2013

Remarks by the President on the BRAIN Initiative and American Innovation

East Room
 
 
10:04 A.M. EDT
 
THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you so much.  (Applause.)  Thank you, everybody.  Please have a seat.  Well, first of all, let me thank Dr. Collins not just for the introduction but for his incredible leadership at NIH.  Those of you who know Francis also know that he’s quite a gifted singer and musician.  So I was asking whether he was going to be willing to sing the introduction -- (laughter) -- and he declined.
 
But his leadership has been extraordinary.  And I’m glad I’ve been promoted Scientist-in-Chief.  (Laughter.)  Given my grades in physics, I’m not sure it’s deserving.  But I hold science in proper esteem, so maybe that gives me a little credit.
 
Today I’ve invited some of the smartest people in the country, some of the most imaginative and effective researchers in the country -- some very smart people to talk about the challenge that I issued in my State of the Union address:  to grow our economy, to create new jobs, to reignite a rising, thriving middle class by investing in one of our core strengths, and that’s American innovation. 
 
Ideas are what power our economy.  It’s what sets us apart.  It’s what America has been all about.  We have been a nation of dreamers and risk-takers; people who see what nobody else sees sooner than anybody else sees it.  We do innovation better than anybody else -- and that makes our economy stronger.  When we invest in the best ideas before anybody else does, our businesses and our workers can make the best products and deliver the best services before anybody else.  
 
And because of that incredible dynamism, we don’t just attract the best scientists or the best entrepreneurs -- we also continually invest in their success.  We support labs and universities to help them learn and explore.  And we fund grants to help them turn a dream into a reality.  And we have a patent system to protect their inventions.  And we offer loans to help them turn those inventions into successful businesses.  
 
And the investments don’t always pay off.  But when they do, they change our lives in ways that we could never have imagined.  Computer chips and GPS technology, the Internet -- all these things grew out of government investments in basic research.  And sometimes, in fact, some of the best products and services spin off completely from unintended research that nobody expected to have certain applications.  Businesses then used that technology to create countless new jobs.
 
So the founders of Google got their early support from the National Science Foundation.  The Apollo project that put a man on the moon also gave us eventually CAT scans.  And every dollar we spent to map the human genome has returned $140 to our economy -- $1 of investment, $140 in return.  Dr. Collins helped lead that genome effort, and that’s why we thought it was appropriate to have him here to announce the next great American project, and that’s what we're calling the BRAIN Initiative.  
 
As humans, we can identify galaxies light years away, we can study particles smaller than an atom.  But we still haven’t unlocked the mystery of the three pounds of matter that sits between our ears.  (Laughter.)  But today, scientists possess the capability to study individual neurons and figure out the main functions of certain areas of the brain.  But a human brain contains almost 100 billion neurons making trillions of connections.  So Dr. Collins says it’s like listening to the strings section and trying to figure out what the whole orchestra sounds like.  So as a result, we’re still unable to cure diseases like Alzheimer’s or autism, or fully reverse the effects of a stroke.  And the most powerful computer in the world isn’t nearly as intuitive as the one we’re born with.
 
So there is this enormous mystery waiting to be unlocked, and the BRAIN Initiative will change that by giving scientists the tools they need to get a dynamic picture of the brain in action and better understand how we think and how we learn and how we remember.  And that knowledge could be -- will be -- transformative.  
 
In the budget I will send to Congress next week, I will propose a significant investment by the National Institutes of Health, DARPA, and the National Science Foundation to help get this project off the ground.  I’m directing my bioethics commission to make sure all of the research is being done in a responsible way.  And we’re also partnering with the private sector, including leading companies and foundations and research institutions, to tap the nation’s brightest minds to help us reach our goal.
 
And of course, none of this will be easy.  If it was, we would already know everything there was about how the brain works, and presumably my life would be simpler here.  (Laughter.)  It could explain all kinds of things that go on in Washington.  (Laughter.)  We could prescribe something.  (Laughter.) 
 
So it won't be easy.  But think about what we could do once we do crack this code.  Imagine if no family had to feel helpless watching a loved one disappear behind the mask of Parkinson’s or struggle in the grip of epilepsy.  Imagine if we could reverse traumatic brain injury or PTSD for our veterans who are coming home.  Imagine if someone with a prosthetic limb can now play the piano or throw a baseball as well as anybody else, because the wiring from the brain to that prosthetic is direct and triggered by what's already happening in the patient's mind.  What if computers could respond to our thoughts or our language barriers could come tumbling down.  Or if millions of Americans were suddenly finding new jobs in these fields -- jobs we haven’t even dreamt up yet -- because we chose to invest in this project.
 
That's the future we're imagining.  That's what we're hoping for.  That’s why the BRAIN Initiative is so absolutely important.  And that’s why it’s so important that we think about basic research generally as a driver of growth and that we replace the across-the-board budget cuts that are threatening to set us back before we even get started.  A few weeks ago, the directors of some of our national laboratories said that the sequester -- these arbitrary, across-the-board cuts that have gone into place -- are so severe, so poorly designed that they will hold back a generation of young scientists. 
 
When our leading thinkers wonder if it still makes sense to encourage young people to get involved in science in the first place because they're not sure whether the research funding and the grants will be there to cultivate an entire new generation of scientists, that's something we should worry about.  We can’t afford to miss these opportunities while the rest of the world races ahead.  We have to seize them.  I don’t want the next job-creating discoveries to happen in China or India or Germany.  I want them to happen right here, in the United States of America.  
 
And that's part of what this BRAIN Initiative is about.  That’s why we’re pursuing other “grand challenges” like making solar energy as cheap as coal or making electric vehicles as affordable as the ones that run on gas.  They’re ambitious goals, but they’re achievable.  And we’re encouraging companies and research universities and other organizations to get involved and help us make progress.
 
We have a chance to improve the lives of not just millions, but billions of people on this planet through the research that's done in this BRAIN Initiative alone.  But it's going to require a serious effort, a sustained effort.  And it’s going to require us as a country to embody and embrace that spirit of discovery that is what made America, America.
 
They year before I was born, an American company came out with one of the earliest mini-computers.  It was a revolutionary machine, didn't require its own air conditioning system.  That was a big deal.  It took only one person to operate, but each computer was eight feet tall, weighed 1,200 pounds, and cost more than $100,000.  And today, most of the people in this room, including the person whose cell phone just rang -- (laughter) -- have a far more powerful computer in their pocket.  Computers have become so small, so universal, so ubiquitous, most of us can't imagine life without them -- certainly, my kids can't.  
 
And, as a consequence, millions of Americans work in fields that didn't exist before their parents were born.  Watson, the computer that won “Jeopardy,” is now being used in hospitals across the country to diagnose diseases like cancer.  That's how much progress has been made in my lifetime and in many of yours.  That's how fast we can move when we make the investments.  
 
But we can't predict what that next big thing will be.  We don't know what life will be like 20 years from now, or 50 years, or 100 years down the road.  What we do know is if we keep investing in the most prominent, promising solutions to our toughest problems, then things will get better.
 
I don't want our children or grandchildren to look back on this day and wish we had done more to keep America at the cutting edge.  I want them to look back and be proud that we took some risks, that we seized this opportunity.  That's what the American story is about.  That's who we are.  That's why this BRAIN Initiative is so important.  And if we keep taking bold steps like the one we’re talking about to learn about the brain, then I’m confident America will continue to lead the world in the next frontiers of human understanding.  And all of you are going to help us get there.
 
So I’m very excited about this project.  Francis, let’s get to work.  God bless you and God bless the United States of America.  Thank you.  (Applause.) 
 
END
10:16 A.M. EDT
 

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
April 01, 2013

Remarks by the President and First Lady at the 2013 White House Easter Egg Roll

South Lawn
 
10:48 A.M. EDT
 
THE PRESIDENT:  This is Jessica Sanchez, everybody!  Give her a big round of applause.  (Applause.)  Kid President -- give Kid President a big round of applause.  (Applause.)  The Easter Bunny is here.  Give the Easter Bunny a big round of applause.  (Applause.)  
 
It is wonderful to see all of you.  And I just want to say welcome.  You guys brought the great weather.  It was a little shaky this morning, but all of you did a great job sending a message upstairs, and now we’ve got beautiful weather. 
 
And I now want to introduce the star of the Obama family, my wife, the First Lady, Michelle Obama.  (Applause.)   
 
MRS. OBAMA:  Thank you, Mr. President.  Thank you, Kid President, Robbie Novak.  Isn’t he wonderful?  (Applause.)  Robbie, we’re so proud to have you here.  You have been so inspiring.  I can’t imagine that there’s anyone who hasn’t seen your video, right?  You make us all want to work hard and be better.  That’s right.  So you’re going to spend a little time in the Oval Office just fixing things up for this President, aren’t you?  All right, well, it’s good to have you here.
 
And it’s great to have everyone here this morning.  We are so excited.  The Easter Egg Roll is the biggest event that we have here on the South Lawn of the White House each year.  Today we’re going to have more than 30,000 people who will pass through this yard in celebration of nutrition and health and activity.  And we could not do this if it were not for all of our wonderful volunteers, our staff, all of the terrific performers and athletes who have taken time out of their lives and their busy days to make this important.  So we need to give all of them a round of applause for all their hard work.  (Applause.)  Yes, indeed!  
 
So today, we want you to have a great time.  We want you to run around.  We want you to go over and see the White House Garden.  We want you to learn about making tasty, healthy food.  We’re going to come down and do some Easter egg roll.  We’re going to read some stories.  But overall, we want you guys to have a good time and keep moving and be healthy.  And, kids, eat your vegetables, okay? 
 
All right, you all, take care.  We’ll see you down there.  Bye-bye.  Thank you.  (Applause.)  
 
END
10:51 A.M. EDT

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
March 29, 2013

Weekly Address: President Obama Offers Easter and Passover Greetings

 

Hi, everybody. For millions of Americans, this is a special and sacred time of year. 

This week, Jewish families gathered around the Seder table, commemorating the Exodus from Egypt and the triumph of faith over oppression. And this weekend, Michelle, Malia, Sasha and I will join Christians around the world to celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus Christ and the hopeful promise of Easter.

In the midst of all of our busy and noisy lives, these holy days afford us the precious opportunity to slow down and spend some quiet moments in prayer and reflection.

As Christians, my family and I remember the incredible sacrifice Jesus made for each and every one of us – how He took on the sins of the world and extended the gift of salvation. And we recommit ourselves to following His example here on Earth. To loving our Lord and Savior. To loving our neighbors. And to seeing in everyone, especially “the least of these,” as a child of God. 

Of course, those values are at the heart not just of the Christian faith; but of all faiths. From Judaism to Islam; Hinduism to Sikhism; there echoes a powerful call to serve our brothers and sisters. To keep in our hearts a deep and abiding compassion for all. And to treat others as we wish to be treated ourselves. 

That’s the common humanity that binds us together. And as Americans, we’re united by something else, too: faith in the ideals that lie at the heart of our founding; and the belief that, as part of something bigger than ourselves, we have a shared responsibility to look out for our fellow citizens.

So this weekend, I hope we’re all able to take a moment to pause and reflect. To embrace our loved ones. To give thanks for our blessings. To rededicate ourselves to interests larger than our own. 

And to all the Christian families who are celebrating the Resurrection, Michelle and I wish you a blessed and joyful Easter. 

God bless you. And may God continue to bless the United States of America.

 

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
March 29, 2013

Remarks by the President on Rebuilding America Partnership in Miami, Florida

PortMiami
Miami, Florida 
 
1:40 P.M. EDT
 
THE PRESIDENT:  Hello, Miami!  (Applause.)  It is good to be back.  You know, I've been waiting for spring.  I realize I just had to come down to Miami.  (Laughter.)  It is wonderful to be here.  
 
We've got some outstanding representatives in Congress from this area -- Joe Garcia is in the house.  (Applause.)  Frederica Wilson is in the house.  (Applause.)  And we've got Debbie Wasserman Schultz here.  (Applause.)  I want to thank the Mayor of Miami-Dade County, Carlos Gimenez.  (Applause.)  And of course, it’s good to see all of you.  And I want to thank the gentlemen who just gave me a amazing tour of the PortMiami Tunnel. 
 
LITTLE GIRL:  Yea! 
 
THE PRESIDENT:  What are you yelling about?  Hey, sweetie.  (Applause.)
 
WOMAN:  She came just to see you!
 
THE PRESIDENT:  Okay, well, hello.  (Laughter.)  She’s going to be a politician because I could hear her without a mic from far away.  (Laughter.)    
 
Now, before we get started, I've got to get into a sticky subject right off the bat.  I know you guys aren’t happy with my Chicago Bulls.
 
AUDIENCE:  Booo --
 
THE PRESIDENT:  But I just want you to know the Heat are going to be just fine.  They’re going to be okay.  (Applause.) They are playing basketball the right way.  The Hurricanes -- they had a great season -- no, no, they deserve a big round of applause.  (Applause.)  Tonight you’ve got Florida and Florida Gulf Coast going at it.  (Applause.)  One of them will go to the Elite Eight.  So, let’s face it, Florida is the center of basketball right now.  (Applause.) 
 
But I’m not here to talk about hoops.  I’m here to talk about one of the plans that I put forward in my State of the Union address -- a plan to put people to work rebuilding America. 
 
I’ve come to PortMiami today because there are few more important things we can do to create jobs right now and strengthen our economy over the long haul than rebuilding the infrastructure that powers our businesses and our economy -- our roads, our bridges, our schools, and our ports just like this one. 
 
As President, my top priority is to make sure we are doing everything we can to reignite the true engine of our economic growth -- and that is a rising, thriving middle class.  A growing economy that creates good, middle-class jobs – that’s got to be our true North.  That's what has to guide our efforts every single day.  And to do that, we should be asking ourselves three questions every single day:  Number one, how do we make America a magnet for good jobs?  Number two, how do we equip our workers with the skills they need to do the jobs?  Number three, how do we make sure that hard work leads to a decent living?
 
When it comes to good jobs, no workers were hammered harder by the recession than construction workers.  Fortunately, the unemployment rate for construction has been cut nearly in half over the past three years, partly because the housing market is starting to bounce back.  But construction still has the highest unemployment rate of any industry.  Breaking ground on more projects like this tunnel that I just saw means more good construction jobs that can’t be outsourced.  They have to be done right here in America.  And they end up giving people good pay and good opportunities to raise their families.  (Applause.) 
 
Projects like this create a lot of other good jobs, too.  You ask any CEO where we they rather locate their business and hire new workers.  Are you going to set up shop in a country that's got raggedy roads, runways that are pot-holed, and backed-up supply chains?  Or are you going to seek out high-speed rail, Internet, high-tech schools, new state-of-the-art power grids, new bridges, new tunnels, new ports that help you ship products made in America to the rest of the world as fast as possible?  (Applause.)  That's what people are looking for.  That's what CEOs are looking for.   
 
When you ask companies who brought jobs back to America in the last few years they’ll say, if we upgrade our infrastructure, we’ll bring even more.  So what are we waiting for?  There’s work to be done; there are workers who are ready to do it.  Let’s prove to the world there’s no better place to do business than right here in the United States of America, and let’s get started rebuilding America.  (Applause.) 
 
Now, over the last four years, we’ve done some good work.  Construction crews have built or improved more than 350,000 miles of road.  That's enough to circle the globe 14 times.  We’ve upgraded more than 6,000 miles of rail -- enough to go coast-to-coast and back.  We’ve repaired or replaced more than 20,000 bridges.  We’ve helped get tens of thousands of construction workers back on the job. 
 
Because of these efforts, when the American Society of [Civil] Engineers put out their 2013 report card on our national infrastructure, they gave it the best overall grade in 12 years. That’s the good news.  The bad news is we went from a D to a D+. We still have all kinds of deferred maintenance.  We still have too many ports that aren’t equipped for today’s world commerce.  We’ve still got too many rail lines that are too slow and clogged up.  We’ve still got too many roads that are in disrepair, too many bridges that aren’t safe.
 
We don’t have to accept that for America.  We can do better. We can build better.  And in a time of tight budgets, we’ve got to do it in a way that makes sure taxpayer dollars are spent wisely.
 
Now, what these outstanding folks here in Miami have been doing is a good example of how my plan would work.  PortMiami is a busy place.  Hundreds of cargo containers pass through every day.  Nearly one in five cruise ship passengers in North America sets sail from this spot.  All that commerce helps support a whole lot of high-paying jobs, not just in Miami-Dade, but throughout the region.  
 
But it also, let’s face it, creates some congestion.  Right now, 16,000 cars and trucks travel to and from PortMiami every day, and they’re stuck going through downtown.  And those traffic jams are bad for business.  Whether you’re a small business owner in South Beach, or a manufacturer in Atlanta trying to get your goods overseas, that congestion wastes time and money. 
 
Now, some smart folks decided we could solve this problem by digging under the bay, linking the port directly to the highway. State, county, and local governments got together and agreed to jointly fund PortMiami Tunnel.  Everybody had some skin in the game.  They did something else -- they partnered with a group of private sector companies to finance the design and construction of the project.  They made it clear that the payments to these companies would be linked to their performance so if there were big cost overruns, the private companies would have to eat those extra costs. 
 
Because of those efforts, construction workers are on the job digging this tunnel, doing great jobs, getting good pay, boosting the economy, strengthening it for the long run.  The port is in better shape, which means it’s going to be able to get all the containers that are coming in from all around the world, matched up with the improvements that are being done on the Panama Canal -- which means we’re not going to be losing jobs to other countries.  
 
We can do this not just here in Miami-Dade, but we can do this all across the country.  So today, I’m expanding on a proposal I made in the State of the Union.  I’m calling it a Partnership to Rebuild America.  It’s a partnership with the private sector that creates jobs upgrading what our businesses need most -– modern ports to move our goods; modern pipelines to withstand a storm; modern schools worthy of our children.
 
And my plan does three things.  First, we’ll set up an independent fund that will attract private investment to build projects like this one, and make sure companies share in the risk and returns.  Instead of picking projects based on pork-barrel politics, we’ll pick them based on how much good they’ll actually do for the economy, how much the projects make sense.  And we’ll better finance projects that involve more than one mode of transportation, or more than one town or state, with less red tape to gum up the works.  So all of this will make the process more efficient.  It will help us break ground on some of the projects that our cities and states need most, and they can do it faster and better. 
 
Second, we’re going to fund more projects, at less cost, by establishing a new infrastructure initiative called America Fast Forward bonds.  It’s going to give mayors and governors more flexibility and power to attract private investment for public projects.
 
Number three, we’ll strengthen a loan program that, in recent years, has helped governors and mayors leverage four times the money Washington put into it, and that means we’re helping construction workers get on the job quicker, repaying taxpayers their hard-earned money faster.  That’s the kind of approach we used to help PortMiami Tunnel get off the ground -– or I guess underground.  (Laughter.)
 
That’s the Partnership to Rebuild America.  That’s how we’ll create good jobs doing the work America needs done.  That’s how we’ll encourage more businesses to start here, and grow here, and hire workers here.  
 
And by the way, this should not be a partisan idea.  I know in Washington people just like to argue.  I guess it gets them on TV.  But the fact is you’ve got the Chamber of Commerce and the AFL-CIO agreeing to better infrastructure, knowing that it will help both businesses and workers.  So if you’re got the Chamber and the unions agreeing, then the politicians should be able to agree, too.  (Applause.)  Building better roads and bridges and schools, that’s not a partisan idea.  And in fact, that’s where you can get mayors and governors from both parties to find some common ground.  
 
I know that members of Congress are happy to welcome projects like this in their districts.  I know because I’ve seen them at the ribbon-cuttings.  (Laughter.)  They’ll all say how, no, we don’t want to do it.  And then they’re all writing me letters saying, we really need this port.  Cut somebody else’s port out.  (Laughter.)  That’s what they’ll say. Cut somebody else’s road.  Cut somebody else’s -- well, no, we’re all in this together.  So if you think it’s good for your district, then it’s probably good for other districts, too.
 
We can’t afford Washington politics to stand in the way of America’s progress.  So I’ve put forward some ideas to get the private sector involved to protect taxpayer dollars.  But ultimately, Congress has to fund these projects.  And by the way, the three members of Congress who are here, they all believe in this, they all support it.  It will put people back to work and it will grow our economy in the process.  
 
So Miami-Dade, my main message is:  Let’s get this done.  Let’s rebuild this country we love.  Let’s make sure we’re staying on the cutting edge.  Let’s make sure we’ve always got the ports.  Let’s make sure we’ve got the best airports.  Let’s make sure we’ve got the best rail lines.  Let’s make sure we’ve got the best roads.  Let’s make sure we’ve got the best schools. (Applause.)
 
We’re going to push on this issue each and every day, and make sure we get the middle class going again.  We’re going to fix our economy.  We’re going to fix our immigration system.  We are going to make sure that our young people are getting a great education.  We’re going to prevent them from being victims of gun violence.  We are going to make sure that everybody in this country has a fair shot and is doing their fair share so that when we pass on this country to the next generation and the generation after that, we’ll be able to once again say that here in the United States of America, it doesn’t matter what you look like or where you come from, if you work hard, you can make it.
 
Thank you.  God bless you.  God bless the United States of America.
 
 
END
1:55 P.M. EDT

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
March 28, 2013

Remarks by the President After Meeting with African Leaders

Cabinet Room

3:45 P.M. EDT

THE PRESIDENT:  Well, it is a great pleasure to welcome four leaders from Africa, all of whom are doing extraordinary work -- President Sall from Senegal, President Banda from Malawi, President Koroma from Sierra Leone, and Prime Minister Neves from Cape Verde. 

The reason that I'm meeting with these four is they exemplify the progress that we're seeing in Africa.  All of them have had to deal with some extraordinary challenges.  Sierra Leone just 10 years ago was in the midst of as brutal a civil war as we've ever seen.  And yet, now we've seen consecutive fair and free elections.  And under President Koroma's leadership, we've seen not only good governance, but also significant economic growth. 

When you talk about Malawi, there was a constitutional crisis just last year.  And yet, President Banda has not only been able to be in office and make sure that constitutional order was restored, but has also made significant progress on behalf of her people.  And her personal story of overcoming a history of abuse and leading women throughout her country I think indicates the kind of progress that can be made when you've got strong leadership.

The same is true for His Excellency President Sall.  There were some bumps in the road in terms of transition from the previous President, and yet, the Senegalese rose up at the grassroots level and sustained their democracy. 

And Cape Verde is a real success story.  We were hearing from Prime Minister Neves about the fact that just in a few decades they have moved from a per capita income of maybe $200 a year to now $4,000 a year, and are now moving into the middle of the pack in terms of development levels because of good governance and management.

So what our discussion has focused on is, number one, how do we continue to build on strong democracies; how do we continue to build on transparency and accountability.  Because what we've learned over the last several decades is that when you've got good governance -- when you have democracies that work, sound management of public funds, transparency and accountability to the citizens that put leaders in place -- it turns out that that is not only good for the state and the functioning of government, it's also good for economic development because it gives people confidence, it attracts business, it facilitates trade and commerce. 

And all of these leaders have good stories to tell on that.  They recognize that there’s still more work to be done, and so I’m very pleased that all of them are looking to move forward on the Open Government Partnership that we helped to organize through the United Nations several years ago, and that we are now seeing countries from all across the world sign up for -- setting up international norms for accountability and transparency that can lead to good governance.

We also talked about the economic situation.  And all of us recognize that, although Africa has actually been growing faster than almost every other region of the world, it started from a low baseline and it still has a lot of work to do.  And that means building human capacity and improving education and job skills for rapidly growing and young populations.  It means improving access to energy and transportation sectors.  And so we discussed how the United States can continue to partner effectively with each of these countries.

And then we finally talked about young people generally and how we can mobilize the next generation of Africa leaders.  And individuals like President Koroma have taken great interest in finding additional ways that we can recruit and engage young people not only to get involved in public service but also to get involved in entrepreneurship that helps build these countries.

And so my main message to each of these leaders is that the United States is going to be a strong partner, not based on the old model in which we are a donor and they are simply a recipient, but a new model that’s based on partnership and recognizing that no continent has greater potential or greater upside than the continent of Africa if they in fact have the kind of strong leadership that these four individuals represent. 

And we intend to continue to engage with them through a range of programs -- through the Millennium Challenge, through the USAID, through the PEPFAR programs -- but we’re also looking for new models that can potentially improve our bilateral relations even more.

The last point I’d make -- we all discussed some of the regional challenges involved.  Obviously, economic development, prosperity doesn't happen if you have constant conflict.  And nobody knows that more than these individuals.  Some like President Koroma has seen that firsthand. 

Now many of the threats are transnational.  You’ve seen terrorism infiltrate into the region.  We’ve seen drug cartels that are using West Africa in particular as a transit point.  All of this undermines some of the progress that's been made, and so the United States will continue to cooperate with each of these countries to try to find smart solutions so that they can build additional capacity and make sure that these cancers don't grow in their region.  And the United States intends to be a strong partner for that.

So I just want to say to each of them thank you for your extraordinary work.  You should know that you have a great friend in the United States, in the people of the United States, and in the President of the United States, because we believe that if you’re successful, that ultimately will help us grow our economies and contribute to a more peaceful world, as well.  So thank you very much. 

Thank you, guys.

Q    Mandela?

THE PRESIDENT:  Well, obviously we’re all deeply concerned with Nelson Mandela’s health.  He’s a hero I think to all of us.  I’m sure that I speak for the other leaders here.  And we will be keeping him in our thoughts and prayers, and his entire family.  He is as strong physically as he’s been in character and in leadership over so many decades, and hopefully he will come out of this latest challenge.

But we all recognize that he has given everything to his people, the people of South Africa, to the people of the continent, and he’s ended up being an inspiration to all of us.  When you think of a single individual that embodies the kind of leadership qualities that I think we all aspire to, the first name that comes up is Nelson Mandela, and so we wish him all the very best.

Thank you, guys.

END
3:54 P.M. EDT

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
March 28, 2013

Remarks by the President on Gun Safety

East Room

11:58 A.M. EDT

THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you.  (Applause.)  Thank you, everybody.  Thank you, Katerina, for sharing your story.  Reema was lucky to have you as a teacher, and all of us are fortunate to have you here today.  And I’m glad we had a chance to remember her.

Katerina, as you just heard, lost one of her most promising students in Virginia Tech, the shootings there that took place six years ago.  And she and dozens of other moms and dads, all victims of gun violence, have come here today from across the country -- united not only in grief and loss, but also in resolve, and in courage, and in a deep determination to do whatever they can, as parents and as citizens to protect other kids and spare other families from the awful pain that they have endured.

As any of the families and friends who are here today can tell you, the grief doesn’t ever go away.  That loss, that pain sticks with you.  It lingers on in places like Blacksburg and Tucson and Aurora.  That anguish is still fresh in Newtown.  It’s been barely 100 days since 20 innocent children and six brave educators were taken from us by gun violence -- including Grace McDonnell and Lauren Rousseau and Jesse Lewis, whose families are here today. 

That agony burns deep in the families of thousands -- thousands of Americans who have been stolen from our lives by a bullet from a gun over these last 100 days -- including Hadiya Pendleton, who was killed on her way to school less than two months ago, and whose mom is also here today.  Everything they lived for and hoped for, taken away in an instant.  We have moms on this stage whose children were killed as recently as 35 days ago.

I don’t think any of us who are parents can hear their stories and not think about our own daughters and our own sons and our own grandchildren.  We all feel that it is our first impulse, as parents, to do everything we can to protect our children from harm; to make any sacrifice to keep them safe; to do what we have to do to give them a future where they can grow up and learn and explore, and become the amazing people they’re destined to be.   

That’s why, in January, Joe Biden, leading a task force, came up with, and I put forward, a series of common-sense proposals to reduce the epidemic of gun violence and keep our kids safe.  In my State of the Union address, I called on Congress to give these proposals a vote.  And in just a couple of weeks, they will.

Earlier this month, the Senate advanced some of the most important reforms designed to reduce gun violence.  All of them are consistent with the Second Amendment.  None of them will infringe on the rights of responsible gun owners.  What they will do is keep guns out of the hands of dangerous people who put others at risk.  And this is our best chance in more than a decade to take common-sense steps that will save lives. 

As I said when I visited Newtown just over three months ago, if there is a step we can take that will save just one child, just one parent, just another town from experiencing the same grief that some of the moms and dads who are here have endured, then we should be doing it.  We have an obligation to try.

Now, in the coming weeks, members of Congress will vote on whether we should require universal background checks for anyone who wants to buy a gun so that criminals or people with severe mental illnesses can’t get their hands on one.  They’ll vote on tough new penalties for anyone who buys guns only to turn around and sell them to criminals.  They’ll vote on a measure that would keep weapons of war and high-capacity ammunition magazines that facilitate these mass killings off our streets.  They’ll get to vote on legislation that would help schools become safer and help people struggling with mental health problems to get the treatment that they need.

None of these ideas should be controversial.  Why wouldn’t we want to make it more difficult for a dangerous person to get his or her hand on a gun?  Why wouldn’t we want to close the loophole that allows as many as 40 percent of all gun purchases to take place without a background check?  Why wouldn’t we do that?

And if you ask most Americans outside of Washington -- including many gun owners -- some of these ideas, they don't consider them controversial.  Right now, 90 percent of Americans -- 90 percent -- support background checks that will keep criminals and people who have been found to be a danger to themselves or others from buying a gun.  More than 80 percent of Republicans agree.  More than 80 percent of gun owners agree.  Think about that.  How often do 90 percent of Americans agree on anything?  (Laughter.)  It never happens. 

Many other reforms are supported by clear majorities of Americans.  And I ask every American to find out where your member of Congress stands on these ideas.  If they're not part of that 90 percent who agree that we should make it harder for a criminal or somebody with a severe mental illness to buy a gun, then you should ask them, why not?  Why are you part of the 10 percent?

There’s absolutely no reason why we can’t get this done.  But the reason we're talking about here today is because it's not done until it’s done.  And there are some powerful voices on the other side that are interested in running out the clock or changing the subject or drowning out the majority of the American people to prevent any of these reforms from happening at all.  They’re doing everything they can to make all our progress collapse under the weight of fear and frustration, or their assumption is that people will just forget about it. 

I read an article in the news just the other day wondering is Washington -- has Washington missed its opportunity, because as time goes on after Newtown, somehow people start moving on and forgetting.  Let me tell you, the people here, they don't forget.  Grace's dad is not forgetting.  Hadiya's mom hasn't forgotten.  The notion that two months or three months after something as horrific as what happened in Newtown happens and we've moved on to other things, that's not who we are.  That's not who we are. 

And I want to make sure every American is listening today.  Less than 100 days ago that happened, and the entire country was shocked.  And the entire country pledged we would do something about it and that this time would be different.  Shame on us if we've forgotten.  I haven't forgotten those kids.  Shame on us if we've forgotten.   

If there's one thing I’ve said consistently since I first ran for this office:  Nothing is more powerful than millions of voices calling for change.  And that’s why it’s so important that all these moms and dads are here today.  But that's also why it’s important that we've got grassroots groups out there that got started and are out there mobilizing and organizing and keeping up the fight.  That's what it’s going to take to make this country safer.  It’s going to take moms and dads, and hunters and sportsmen, and clergy and local officials like the mayors who are here today standing up and saying, this time really is different -- that we’re not just going to sit back and wait until the next Newtown or the next Blacksburg or the next innocent, beautiful child who is gunned down in a playground in Chicago or Philadelphia or Los Angeles before we summon the will to act.

Right now, members of Congress are back home in their districts, and many of them are holding events where they can hear from their constituents.  So I want everybody who is listening to make yourself heard right now. 

If you think that checking someone’s criminal record before he can check out a gun show is common sense, you've got to make yourself heard.  If you’re a responsible, law-abiding gun owner who wants to keep irresponsible, law-breaking individuals from abusing the right to bear arms by inflicting harm on a massive scale, speak up.  We need your voices in this debate.  If you’re a mom like Katerina who wants to make this country safer, a stronger place for our children to learn and grow up, get together with other moms like the ones here today and raise your voices and make yourselves unmistakably heard.

We need everybody to remember how we felt 100 days ago and make sure that what we said at that time wasn't just a bunch of platitudes -- that we meant it. 

The desire to make a difference is what brought Corey Thornblad here today.  Corey grew up in Oklahoma, where her dad sold firearms at gun shows.  And today, she’s a mom and a teacher.  And Corey said that after Newtown, she cried for days -- for the students who could have been her students; for the parents she could have known; for the teachers like her who go to work every single day and love their kids and want them to succeed.  And Corey says, “My heart was broken.  And I decided now was the time to act, to march, the time to petition, the time to make phone calls, because tears were no longer enough.”  And that’s my attitude.

Tears aren't enough.  Expressions of sympathy aren't enough.  Speeches aren't enough.  We've cried enough.  We've known enough heartbreak.  What we're proposing is not radical, it's not taking away anybody's gun rights.  It's something that if we are serious, we will do. 

Now is the time to turn that heartbreak into something real.  It won't solve every problem.  There will still be gun deaths.  There will still be tragedies.  There will still be violence.  There will still be evil.  But we can make a difference if not just the activists here on this stage but the general public -- including responsible gun owners -- say, you know what, we can do better than this.  We can do better to make sure that fewer parents have to endure the pain of losing a child to an act of violence. 

That’s what this is about.  And if enough people like Katerina and Corey and the rest of the parents who are here today get involved, and if enough members of Congress take a stand for cooperation and common sense, and lead, and don’t get squishy because time has passed and maybe it’s not on the news every single day -- if that’s who we are, if that’s our character that we’re willing to follow through on commitments that we say are important -- commitments to each other and to our kids -- then I’m confident we can make this country a safer place for all of them.

So thank you very much, everybody.  God bless you.  God bless America.  (Applause.)

END 
12:13 P.M. EDT

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
March 27, 2013

Remarks by the President at Swearing-in Ceremony of Julia Pierson as the Director of the U.S. Secret Service

Oval Office

3:16 P.M. EDT

(The Vice President administers the oath to Ms. Pierson.)

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Congratulations.

THE PRESIDENT:  Great job.

MS. PIERSON:  Thank you very much, Mr. President.

THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you so much.  Well, listen, I have to say that Julia’s reputation within the Service is extraordinary.  She’s come up through the ranks.  She’s done just about every job there is to do at the Secret Service. 

Obviously, she’s breaking the mold in terms of directors of the agency, and I think that people are all extraordinarily proud of her.  And we have the greatest confidence in the wonderful task that lies ahead and very confident that she is going to do a great job.  So we just want to say congratulations. 

As Joe Biden pointed out, this person now probably has more control over our lives than anyone else -- (laughter) -- except for our spouses.  And I couldn’t be placing our lives in better hands than Julia’s.

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  And my agents are excited that we picked her.

THE PRESIDENT:  Absolutely.  You’re going to do a great job.

Q    How did you make your decision?

THE PRESIDENT:  She has extraordinary qualifications, and I think a lot of people who have worked with Julia know how dedicated, how professional, how committed she is, and I think are absolutely certain that she’s going to thrive in this job.

Thank you, guys.

Q    How are you feeling about your bracket, sir?

THE PRESIDENT:  Busted.  (Laughter.)  I think my women’s bracket is doing much better than my men’s bracket.

END  
3:18 P.M. EDT