Remarks by the President at Meeting with the President's Export Council

Room 350
Eisenhower Executive Office Building

10:22 A.M. EDT

THE PRESIDENT:  I want to get back to the official business at hand.  But I did want to stop by.  First of all, I just want to say thanks to the PEC for the unbelievable work that you guys have done and the extraordinary leadership that you’ve provided to our team and the administration as we've tried to promote exports all around the world.  And I'm glad to see that we've got a couple of our outstanding senators here as well who I know care deeply about exports because their states benefit from exports. We all do.

And I assume that part of these charts was Becky going over the progress that we've made over the last several years, so I won't reiterate it.  The good news is we are well on our way to meeting a very ambitious goal that we set several years ago to double U.S. exports.  And what we know is, is that a lot of the growth, a lot of the new jobs that we've seen during the course of this recovery, have been export-driven. 

What's also encouraging is it's been coming from a whole variety of sectors.  Obviously, our agricultural sector has always been strong and it's gotten even stronger.  But what we've also seen is, is that our manufacturing base, our high-tech, our services across the board we're seeing significant increases.  And the question now becomes how do we sustain this momentum? 

Part of it is making sure that we get in place strong trade deals.  And having ratified with the help of a number of our legislators the Panama, Colombia and, most significantly, South Korean trade deals, we've now been moving aggressively on the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a high standards trade regime that we think can advantage U.S. companies and U.S. workers because it sets a bar that ensures that trade is fair and free.  And for those of us who abide by high labor standards and high environmental standards, obviously being able to lock in those kinds of high standards in the fastest-growing region of the world and the most populous region of the world can yield enormous benefits and help to generate billions of dollars in trade and millions of jobs.

As I announced at the State of the Union address, we're also going to be launching an effort to lock in a EU-U.S. trade deal as well.  And already, Europe is our largest trading partner -- the EU as a whole -- and we think that we can expand that even further.  And some of this has to do with us being able to break down some existing barriers across the Atlantic to U.S. products and services, but some of it also has to do with smoothing out differences in regulatory approaches, just trade frictions that arise that are unnecessary that carries over from earlier periods.  And we think just as the TPP can be an enormous boost to U.S. trade and growth that our trade with Europe can expand substantially, and that will advantage U.S. companies and U.S. businesses.

But in order for us to do this, we're going to need the help of industry and labor and all the parties that are represented here.  One of the things that we've also been trying to do during the course of this process is to make sure that it's not just the Xeroxes and the Dow Chemicals that are benefiting from this -- although we want our Fortune 100 companies to be selling as much as possible.  They also have a whole lot of suppliers, so small businesses stand to benefit immensely from this process.  We actually think that there’s room for small and medium-size businesses to export directly -- not just supplying large businesses, but also to break open and enter into these markets. And that can make a huge difference in terms of our long-term prospects. 

So overall this is a good story; this is an optimistic story; but it’s one that we’re going to have to continue to sustain. 

One last point, just because I had a chance to see Bob -- I think many of you are aware of the fact that when tourists come here and spend money, that’s an export.  That goes on the export side of the ledger.  And thanks to some of the great work that we’ve done in a public-private partnership, we’ve been able to accelerate visas.  We’ve been able to make sure that we are out there actively seeking visitors to come here and promoting the U.S. as a tourist destination. 

Just to give you a small example, something that I didn’t realize until I went to Disneyworld -- it turns out that in Florida, for example, Brazilians are the fastest-growing -- one of the largest sources of tourism in Florida.  And, by the way, when they come, they stay a lot longer and they spend a lot more money. 

The problem we had was we had I think three places to get visas in all of Brazil, which is a pretty big country.  And so we’ve been able to cut down visa times drastically.  We’ve seen as a consequence some significant expansion in tourism out of South America because of some of the steps that we’ve taken.  That’s the kind of smart, very cost-effective set of steps that we can take that can make a big difference. 

And a lot of those ideas have been generated from this group.  So I just want to say thank you to all of the terrific people who have been involved, and I’m looking forward to us just staying on this thing until we get it right. 

CHAIRMAN McNERNEY:  Great to have you here.

THE PRESIDENT:  Good to be here.

CHAIRMAN McNERNEY:  We discussed a lot of the FTA momentum that was started during your first term and now you’re doubling down in the second term, and many of us around the room are very supportive and delighted to be part of the effort. 

I think maybe just another word or two on the European effort from your point of view.  TPP, I think we all get, we’re working on, we’re in the flow.  The European thing, because it is a stalled, back-and-forth situation right now because of their economy, just wondered what the theory of the case was from your --

THE PRESIDENT:  Here’s why we’re modestly optimistic that we can get this done.  I think in the past, the EU, because they’ve got to coordinate among so many countries, consistently had to pursue the lowest common denominator.  And there are certain countries whose agricultural sector is very strong, who tended to block at critical junctures the kinds of broad-based trade agreements that would make it a good deal for us.  If one of the areas where we’ve got the greatest comparative advantage is cordoned off from an overall trade deal, it’s very hard to get something going. 

What I think has changed is the recognition throughout Europe that it is hard for them to figure out a recipe for growth at this point, in part because of the austerity measures that have been put in place throughout the eurozone, in the absence of a more aggressive trade component.  So I think they are hungrier for a deal than they have been in the past.

I think, thanks to the work of good people like Mike Froman, we’ve been able to narrow some of the differences.  We’ve identified on the regulatory side, customs side, areas where we can synchronize without hurting either side, but simply lubricating more effective trade between the two countries. 

So we’ve narrowed down the issues.  I think it will still be a heavy slog.  There’s no guarantee that in the end some of the countries that have been hard cases in the past won’t block it again, but I think that you’re going to see more pressure from more countries on the other side of the Atlantic to get this done than we’ve seen in the past.

Lael, Mike, is that a fair assessment?  These guys spend more time in Europe than I do.

Q    Yes.

CHAIRMAN McNERNEY:  Do you have time to take a couple questions --

THE PRESIDENT:  Sure.

CHAIRMAN McNERNEY:  -- from the group? 

Anybody care to weigh in?

THE PRESIDENT:  Or comments.

CHAIRMAN McNERNEY:  Or comments, sure.

THE PRESIDENT:  Everybody is just dying to get back to Becky’s charts.  (Laughter.)  They’re nice-looking charts.

SENATOR KLOBUCHAR:  They’re very good.  Mr. President, thank you for your leadership on this issue.  And I just think setting that goal of doubling the exports was one that many of us have used over and over again.  And many of us were talking about the need for more kids to go into science, engineering, technology.  We literally have so many jobs that are unfilled right now, particularly in western Minnesota, and I think finding some simple goal like that of getting the increase in the number of kids going into these areas and selling it as something that they want to do would be a good idea. 

And I wanted to commend the State Department -- I did earlier -- for the work on the visas.  I still think there’s so much more that can be done.  We’ve doubled -- doubled -- the tourism.  It’s up 50 percent from China.  And I think that there’s even, obviously, more that we can do with videoconferencing on visa interviews, other things that we should try to use the technology that we have. 

As you’ve noted, people are spending tons of money going to Disneyland -- I would also add going to the Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota -- (laughter ) -- a hot spot for Asia tourists, especially.  Not as much Brazilians -- it’s too cold in our state for them.  (Laughter.)  But I see so much promise here with the tourism. 

And the last is what you mentioned -- this growing political support for fair trade agreements is huge.  And it’s about the big companies, but when people see in their own towns these small and medium-sized companies where their brothers and sisters work, it creates a kind of support for trade that is much more organic and really goes in a grassroots way across the country.  And I think we have to remember that as a piece of what’s good for the economy, but also it will grow support for this new global economy. 

So I just want to thank you for your efforts and hope that we can look at this -- the workforce training issue  in a different way in terms of setting some goals for these kids so they see it as a career opportunity.

THE PRESIDENT:  Well, look, what’s absolutely true is that exports, trade are one brick in this broader economic foundation that we’re trying to build.  But we’re not going to succeed in meeting our export goals if we’re not making great products and delivering great services.  And we’re not going to be able to do that unless we’ve got a great workforce. 

You may want to come with me, because after this I’m about to go these Intel National Science Award winners, where you meet 15- and 16-year-olds who invents plasmas -- (laughter) -- and cure cancer and -- most of the time I have no idea what they’re talking about -- (laughter) -- but they’re very impressive and inspiring.

We are setting a set of goals for STEM education, number of engineers that we need to produce.  All that stuff is going to be important.  But one of the things that I’ve also been pointing out, when you look at a lot of those jobs that go unfilled, they're not necessarily Ph.D. jobs.  The issue here is can we reintroduce an effective model for vocational training where -- and part of the goal that we’ve set for ourselves with respect to high schools is duplicating some of the things that are being done, for example, by IBM where they go into a high school in New York and they say, we’ll train you and during high school you will get the equivalent of an associate’s degree, so that by the time you graduate, maybe you take two years of community college, you are now fully trained for jobs that we know are out there and that people are hiring for -- which makes the kids more engaged in high school, saves them money, reduces the number of Pell grants they're taking out.  It’s a win-win situation for everybody.  And the employers then have great quality control in terms of knowing who it is that they're getting.

We want to see if we can duplicate that across the board.

Yes, Kirsten.

SENATOR GILLIBRAND:  Well, I want to thank you, Mr. President, for your vision because I am telling you it’s making an absolute difference in my own state in high-tech manufacturing and increasing our exports.

We also had an easy win -- I appreciate the leadership you took with regard to Canada, something so parochial, so easy -- but increasing our exports to Canada.  For New York State to have Montreal and Toronto a stone’s throw away is such a huge market for our entrepreneurs. 

And some work still can be done.  There’s no streamlining of what governmental requirements are required on both sides of the border, and that's something that we can actually fix -- making a one-stop shop for a young entrepreneur who’s starting a business who wants to know what forms do I have to fill out to export my product abroad.  That's a place where we have enormous export potential. 

And even just in agricultural products -- for apples that are going from New York to Canada, they have to be inspected on both sides of the border.  Unnecessary.  So there’s some real streamlining I think we could do to increase exports just between those two areas of the country.

But I just want to thank you because, as Amy said, in terms of filling these jobs, what’s really worked is part of your initiatives of allowing the community colleges to work directly with the  manufacturers to build the course work for the job the manufacturer needs. 

And we had a fantastic example where Bombardier, who builds a lot of things, including subways, needed advanced welders.  Well, they want to Adirondack Community College, built the course work, and those employees got their training, got a higher wage and filled the spots.  And so it’s really exciting what you’re doing in education innovation, which is training the people for the jobs that are available with the collaboration of the employers building the course work.  It’s a win-win for everybody.  And I just want to congratulate you for your vision on that issue.

THE PRESIDENT:  Great. 

A couple more? 

MAYOR BROWN:  Mr. President, I want to thank you for supporting the U.S. Conference of Mayors for the ports.  Ports are a big economic engine in our cities, and they really focus on small business and entrepreneurs, helping them to export.  So I want to thank you for that. 

I know the policy you pushed to allow the study to be released early from the Army Corps of Engineers, which helped Jacksonville, Florida, by the way.  Really appreciate that.  Florida is very important.  And like you said with Brazil, which is Florida’s number-one trading partner, so we really appreciate your support on the ports, and modernizing the port so that we can compete and position cities to really be competitive in the marketplace.

THE PRESIDENT:  Well, one of the things that we talked about is if we’re going to export effectively, we’ve got to have effective infrastructure.  The ports issue all around the Gulf is going to be critical.  The Panama Canal is being modified.  You’re going to have bigger ships coming in.  And if you want to unload those ships, you got to have high-quality ports.  That obviously is a gateway for everything that's happening in Central and South America. 

Recently, we had the challenge of -- I know I talked to Pat about this -- getting goods from the Midwest down the Mississippi when the water started going down.  And if, in fact, temperatures are warming -- I know this is not our climate change meeting -- (laughter) -- but I think we can anticipate that we may end up having some challenges in terms of managing our waterways.  Well, whether or not we can continue to use barges to move a lot of product out of the American heartland to ports around the world, that's going to depend on our infrastructure. 

So we are going to, in our budget, continue to push Congress to see if we can essentially deal with deferred maintenance.  Sometimes, when it comes to government spending, everybody thinks it's all the same.  I think everybody around this table knows in your businesses you think very differently about capital investments, long-term investments that are going to make your company more competitive, versus wasting money.  And here's an example of where we should be doing less of some things that are not helping us grow.  Building infrastructure is something that does help us grow.

All right, guys, I think you've got smarter people around the table than me to deal with some of these issues.  Again, I just want to thank all of you who’ve been involved.  We are going to continue to push this agenda. 

One of the things I hope that you've seen during the course of these last four years is that if we hear good ideas, we'll implement them, we'll move them.  So the great thing about a council like this is that it gives us insight into how things are actually operating or not operating, and we can start cutting through some of the red tape and get things done. 

So continue to provide us with recommendations.  We'll work them through.  There's an interagency process -- it's a good way for us to break down some of the silos that develop between various agencies.  And I think we can make significant improvement and continue to build on the goals that we've set. 

Thank you, everybody.  (Applause.)

END
10:42 A.M. EDT

Remarks by the First Lady at the International Women of Courage Awards

State Department
Washington D.C.

2:57 P.M. EST

MRS. OBAMA:  Thank you.  (Applause.)  Thank you all.  Thank you.  (Applause.)  Well, let me begin by thanking Under Secretary Sherman for that very kind and gracious introduction, but also for your leadership on behalf of our country. 

I also want to thank Secretary Kerry for hosting us here today.  Needless to say, we are all thrilled to have you as our new Secretary of State, for no other reason than I love your wife.  You do know that.  (Applause.)  I love our Secretary, but Teresa Heinz Kerry is another woman of courage who has been just a dear friend and supporter to me for a very long time, and it is just a thrill to have you both in this role.  Congratulations, and thank you.  (Applause.) 

I also want to recognize Secretary Sebelius, who can also do the dougie -- (laughter) -- I’ve seen it -- and all of the administration officials, members of Congress and members of the diplomatic community who have joined us today.

And of course, I want to thank all of you for joining us this afternoon as we celebrate International Women’s Day.  This is the fifth time I’ve had the privilege to take part in this event, and every year, I look forward to it because it shows us what our most basic values look like when they’re put to the test.

When these women witnessed horrific crimes or the disregard for basic human rights they spoke up, risking everything they had to see that justice was done.  When they saw their communities or their countries were ignoring issues like sexual violence or women’s rights, they gave those issues a face and a voice.  And with every act of strength and defiance, with every blog post, with every community meeting, these women have inspired millions to stand with them, and find their own voices, and work together to achieve real and lasting change. 

And that is truly the power of the International Women of Courage Award -- that this is not simply an honor bestowed upon a few, but a call for all of us to open our eyes to the injustices around us, and to ask ourselves just what kind of courage we’ve got inside our own hearts. 

And that is the lesson we can learn from the journalist who speaks out against torture and racism; from the poet who takes to Twitter to make a stand against oppression; from the mother whose son was murdered, but channeled her grief into a nationwide movement for change.  That is the spirit that we celebrate today.  And that is the potential that lies within every woman and every girl -- the potential to stand up, to demand action, and to build a better world for our next generation.

And that is why we have once again invited young women from our White House Leadership and Mentoring Initiative to join us here today.  I’m going to ask them to stand, because I do like to embarrass you, yes.  (Applause.)  They are high school students from right here in the D.C. area.  And to my mentees, I just -- the one message to you is to truly listen and to let these women be your guide.  Because in them, you can see that no matter who you are -- and we always say this -- or where you come from, if you’re willing to dig deep enough, and fight hard enough, and believe strongly enough in yourself, then you can truly change the world.  That’s why we want you to be here every year.  And the potential -- absolutely.  (Applause.) 

And the potential that I see in not just all of you, but all of our young women all across this world, that reminds me that the rest of us must work to lift up the women and girls in our own communities -- because we know that when women and girls rise, their communities and their countries rise with them. 

That is as true in Nigeria and Vietnam as it is in Honduras and Syria and right here in the United States.  We saw that just yesterday, when my husband signed the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act.  (Applause.) 

So I want to thank everyone who worked so hard to ensure that victims of domestic abuse will always know that they have somewhere to turn and someone on their side.  And in the months ahead and the years ahead, we must all do our part to build upon efforts like that one and learn from the example of the women we honor today.  Because if we tackle the injustices and challenges in our own lives with even a fraction of their strength and dedication, then I know that we can meet any challenge that comes our way. 

If we encourage the young people around us to fight every single day for what they know is right, if we break down any barrier that stands in the way of a young woman getting her education or believing she can achieve her dreams, then I am confident that we will finally unlock the promise of our next generation.  And then, no matter what part of the world we call home, we will all be better off.  We will all be stronger and freer.  And we will all be more prepared not only to solve the problems we face today, but to overcome any obstacle we can imagine in the years and decades ahead. 

So thank you.  Thank you all for your tremendous contributions to our world.  We are so honored and privileged and grateful.  God bless you all.  (Applause.)

And now it is my honor to turn this program over to Secretary Kerry.  (Applause.)

END               
3:02 P.M. EST

Remarks by the President and Vice President at Signing of the Violence Against Women Act

Interior Department
Washington, D.C.

2:16 P.M. EST

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Thank you very much, Diane.  Thank you.  (Applause.) 

Some of you in the audience who are survivors know how much courage it takes to do what Diane did.  (Applause.)  Some people who don't know will say, well, she’s just recounting what happened.  But every single time you stand and recount what happened, it brings it all back.  It brings it all back like a very bad nightmare.  But your speaking out, Diane, and so many survivors like you are literally saving the lives of so many other women who, God willing, will be able to avoid the abuse that you had to put up with.

I want to thank all the advocates who are here today.  I got a chance to meet in my office with some of you a little bit earlier -- not only those on the stage who I, again, had a chance to meet with, but the many women out in the audience, as I look out and see some familiar faces like Pat Rouse and Ellie Smeal and Paulette Sullivan Moore from -- I’m being parochial -- Paulette Sullivan Moore from my home state, and so many others.  (Applause.) 

Those of you who have been around a while with me know that I quote my father all the time who literally would say, the greatest sin that could be committed, the cardinal sin of all sins was the abuse of power, and the ultimate abuse of power is for someone physically stronger and bigger to raise their hand and strike and beat someone else.  In most cases that tends to be a man striking a woman, or a man or woman striking a child.  That's the fundamental premise and the overarching reason why John Conyers and I and others started so many years ago to draft the legislation called the Violence Against Women Act.

It passed 19 years ago, and that's why we shortly thereafter instituted a hotline where women in distress could call for help. I remember, John, when we did that hotline, it was like, well, it will be useful, but I’m not so sure how much it will be used.  Well, the truth of the matter is it’s been used a lot and it’s saved a lot of lives.  Over 2 million women have had the courage -- the courage -- to try to get out of earshot of their abuser, escape from the prison of their own home, and pick up that phone and call to a line that you had no idea who on the other end was going to answer, and to say, I’m in trouble.  Can you help me?  Can you help me?

I love those men who would say when we started this about why don't they just leave.  Well, if they had one-third the courage that those women -- those 2 million women had who have picked up the phone and called, not knowing what to expect, it would be a whole lot better nation.

We’ve built a network of shelters that are immediately available to women in need because we found out that the vast majority of children who are homeless on the street -- Nancy knows and others -- were there because their mothers were abused. Imagine fleeing for your life with only the clothes on your back and your child in your arms.  The shelter was their only lifeline, and it’s worked.

We also have specialized law enforcement units with trained prosecutors, victim advocates, court personnel who understand the unique challenges of the access.  Because of all of you in the audience that are here today, we’ve been able to train judges and train intake officers, so when a frightened woman shows up at the family court and says to the intake officer, “I want to tell you” -- “Speak up, will you?”  “Well, I just -- my” -- and they turn around and walk away, because there’s only a very brief window, as all of you know, a very brief window, again, after a woman screws up the courage -- the courage -- to ask for help.

All these links in the chain have made a difference in the lives of women.  It’s one woman, one girl, one person at a time, one case at a time.  And you providers know that better than anyone. 

With all the law’s success, there are still too many women in this country who live in fear of violence, who are still prisoners in their own home; too many victims that we have to mourn.  We knew from the outset in 1994 that there was much more we could have done at the beginning if we were able to get the votes.  But we did what was necessary and important, but we knew more had to be done to reduce domestic violence, domestic violence homicides, to provide new tools, as was just spoken to, to protect Native American women, to address the perplexing rate of dating violence among young women, and so much more.

But because of the people on this stage and in this room, every time we reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act, we improved it.  Every single time, we’ve improved it.  (Applause.)

And we did this again.  First, we’ve given jurisdiction to tribal courts over those who abuse women on reservations regardless of whether or not they -- (applause.)  We’re providing more resources to the states so they can be trained as to how to collect evidence, acquire convictions, particularly in prosecutions for rape.  We’re going to increase the use of proven models to reduce domestic violence homicides. 

We’ve all focused on the tragic gun violence that has been in the news lately, but I want to point something out to you.  From 2009 to 2012, 40 percent of the mass shootings in America, other than the celebrated ones you’ve seen -- 40 percent where there’s four or more people who have been shot, the target has been a former intimate partner or a close family member. 

So they go into the office, just like that young man who -- or woman who stood in front of you when your husband came with a loaded pistol to shoot you.  Forty percent are a consequence of domestic violence. 

We created a strong -- strong -- anti-violence program.  Campuses will have more tools to educate students about sexual violence.  (Applause.) 

So when Congress passed this law that the President will sign today, they just didn’t renew what I consider a sacred commitment to protect our mothers, our daughters, our sisters.  They strengthened that commitment.  And I want to thank them.  I hope I don’t leave anybody out.  Starting off with my old buddy, Pat Leahy, who chairs the committee.  Pat, thank you very, very much.  (Applause.)  And Mike Crapo.  Mike, this wouldn’t have happened if you had not stepped up.  (Applause.)  Lisa Murkowski is not here.  But my friend who -- I don’t want to get her in trouble, but I know she really likes me because I like her a lot -- (laughter) -- Senator Collins.  Seriously, it was Republicans coming and standing up and saying this has to be done in the Senate.  So we owe you.  We owe you big.  (Applause.)

And by the way, if you ever want a partner to get anything important done, call Nancy Pelosi.  Call Nancy Pelosi.  (Applause.)  And Steny Hoyer, and Congresswoman Moore -- (applause -- and my old buddy -- I hope I’m not leaving anybody out here -- but my old buddy, John Conyers.  (Applause.)  I’m sure I’m leaving someone out, for which I apologize.

Look, we all know we have a lot more to do, but we’re going to continue to make progress.  And one of the reasons we’re going to continue to make progress is we’re going to have for at least three more years the President of the United States, my friend, Barack Obama.  (Applause.)

THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you.  (Applause.)  Thank you, everybody!  Please, everybody have a seat, have a seat. 

I want to thank all of you for being here.  I want to thank Secretary Salazar, my great friend, for letting us into the building.  (Laughter.)  Make sure, everybody, pick up their stray soda cans and stuff afterwards.  (Laughter.) 

I want to thank Attorney General Holder for joining us.  He’s doing a great job.  (Applause.) 

We usually host these bill signings over at the White House. But there were just too many of you -- (laughter) -- who helped to make this happen.  (Applause.)  And you all deserve to be a part of this moment.  I want to thank everybody on this stage.  Joe just mentioned the extraordinary work that each and every one of these leaders -- both advocates as well as legislators --

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  And I left out Congressman Tom Cole.

THE PRESIDENT:  Well, there you go.  Give Tom a big round of applause.  (Applause.)

But everybody on this stage worked extraordinarily hard.  Most of all, though, this is your day.  This is the day of the advocates; the day of the survivors.  This is your victory.

AUDIENCE MEMBER:  We love you, Mr. President!

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

And this victory shows that when the American people make their voices heard, Washington listens.  (Applause.)  So I want to join Joe in thanking all the members of Congress from both parties who came together, got this bill across the finish line. 

I want to say a special thanks to Pat Leahy and Mike Crapo. (Applause.)  Thank you, guys, for your leadership.  (Applause.)  And I want to give much love to Gwen Moore, who worked so hard on this.  (Applause.) 

And I also want to take a minute before I begin to thank the Senators who, just a few hours ago, took another big step towards sensible gun safety reforms by advancing a federal gun trafficking bill.  That’s real progress.  (Applause.)  Now, the Senate Judiciary Committee sent legislation to the Senate floor that would crack down on folks who buy guns only to turn around and funnel them to dangerous criminals. 

It’s a bill named, in part, for Hadiya Pendleton, who was murdered in Chicago earlier this year.  You'll remember I told this story about how she had marched in the Inauguration Parade, and just a few weeks later had been gunned down about a mile away from my house. 

So I urge the Senate to give that bill a vote.  I urge the House to follow suit.  And I urge Congress to move on other areas that have support of the American people -- from requiring universal background checks to getting assault weapons off our streets -- because we need to stop the flow of illegal guns to criminals, and because Hadiya’s family and too many other families really do deserve a vote.  (Applause.)

Finally, I want to thank Joe Biden for being such an outstanding Vice President.  (Applause.)  That's right, you can stand for Joe.  Stand for Joe.  (Applause.)  Give it up for Joe Biden.  (Applause.)  Joe is a hardworking Vice President.

AUDIENCE:  Yes, he is! 

THE PRESIDENT:  And he told me when he agreed -- when I asked him to be Vice President, he said, well, I don't want to just be sitting around.  (Laughter.)  I said, I promise you I won't let you just sit around.  (Laughter.)  And he has not.  He has played a key role in forging the gun safety reforms that I talked about, largely by working closely with survivors of gun violence and their families.  He forged the Violence Against Women Act 20 years ago -- never forgetting who it was all about. (Applause.)  

So on behalf of everybody here and all the lives that you've had a positive impact and touched through the Violence Against Women Act -- the survivors who are alive today because of this law, the women who are no longer hiding in fear because of this law, the girls who are growing up aware of their right to be free from abuse because of this law -- (applause) -- on behalf of them and all their families, I want to thank Joe Biden for making this one of the causes of his career.  (Applause.) 

Now, as Joe said earlier, we’ve come a long way.  Back when Joe wrote this law, domestic abuse was too often seen as a private matter, best hidden behind closed doors.  Victims too often stayed silent or felt that they had to live in shame, that somehow they had done something wrong.  Even when they went to the hospital or the police station, too often they were sent back home without any real intervention or support.  They felt trapped, isolated.  And as a result, domestic violence too often ended in greater tragedy.

So one of the great legacies of this law is that it didn’t just change the rules; it changed our culture.  It empowered people to start speaking out.  It made it okay for us, as a society, to talk about domestic abuse.  It made it possible for us, as a country, to address the problem in a real and meaningful way.  And it made clear to victims that they were not alone -- that they always had a place to go and they always had people on their side.  

And today, because members of both parties worked together, we're able to renew that commitment.  Reauthorizing the Violence Against Women Act is something I called for in my State of the Union address.  And when I see how quick it got done, I'm feeling -- (applause) -- makes me feel optimistic.  (Applause.)

Because of this bill, we’ll keep in place all the protections and services that Joe described, and, as he said, we’ll expand them to cover even more women.  Because this is a country where everybody should be able to pursue their own measure of happiness and live their lives free from fear, no matter who you are, no matter who you love.  (Applause.)  That's got to be our priority.  That’s what today is about.  (Applause.)

Today is about the millions of women -- the victims of domestic abuse and sexual assault -- who are out there right now looking for a lifeline, looking for support.  Because of this bill, they’ll continue to have access to all the services that Joe first helped establish 19 years ago:  the national hotline, network of shelters, protection orders that carry across state lines.  And because of this bill, we’re also expanding housing assistance so that no woman has to choose between a violent home and no home at all.  That’s what today is all about.  (Applause.) 
Today is about all the law enforcement officials -- like Police Chief Jim Johnson -- (applause) -- they’re the first to respond when a victim calls for help.  And because of this bill, we’re continuing all the training and support that’s proven so effective in bridging some gaps that were in actual enforcement of the law so that we can actually bring more offenders to justice.  And we’re giving our law enforcement better tools to investigate cases of rape, which remains a consistently underreported crime in our country.  Helping police officers deliver on the most important part of their job -- preventing harm and saving lives – that’s what today is all about.

Today is about women like Diane.  I’m so grateful Diane shared her story.  That takes great courage.  (Applause.)  And tragically, it is a common story. 

I know we’ve got tribal leaders here today, and I want to thank all of you for fighting so hard on behalf of your people -- (applause) -- to make this bill a reality.  (Applause.) 

Indian Country has some of the highest rates of domestic abuse in America.  And one of the reasons is that when Native American women are abused on tribal lands by an attacker who is not Native American, the attacker is immune from prosecution by tribal courts.  Well, as soon as I sign this bill that ends.  (Applause.)  That ends.  That ends.  (Applause.)

Tribal governments have an inherent right to protect their people, and all women deserve the right to live free from fear.  And that is what today is all about.  (Applause.)

Today is about all the Americans who face discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity when they seek help.  (Applause.) 

So I want to thank Sharon Stapel, who’s here -- where did she go?  There she is right there -- (applause) -- for the work she’s doing -- the great work she’s doing with the Anti-Violence Project.  But Sharon and all the other advocates who are focused on this community, they can’t do it alone.  And then now they won’t have to.  That’s what today is all about.  That's what today is all about.  (Applause.)
   
Today is about the women who come to Rosie Hidalgo looking for support -- (applause) -- immigrants who are victims of domestic abuse.  I mean, imagine the dilemma for so many -- if your immigration status is tied to a husband who beats you or abuses you, if you’re an undocumented immigrant, you may feel there’s too much to lose by coming forward.  The Violence Against Women Act already had protections so that victims could call the police without fear of deportation, and those protections saved lives.  And because we fought hard to keep them in place, they remain a lifeline for so many women.  That’s part of what today is all about.  (Applause.)

Today is about young women like Tye, who was brought into the sex trade by a neighbor when she was 12 years old.  Tye was rescued with the help of an organization led by trafficking survivors.  Today, she’s enrolled in college.  She’s working full-time to help at-risk girls stay out of the sex trade.  (Applause.)  Couldn’t be prouder of her.  So proud of her.  (Applause.)  So with this bill, we reauthorize the Trafficking Victims Protection Act to help more girls turn out like Tye.  That’s what today is all about.  (Applause.)

So today is about all the survivors, all the advocates who are standing on this stage.  But it’s also about the millions more they represent -- that you represent.  It’s about our commitment as a country to address this problem -- in every corner of America, every community, every town, every big city -- as long as it takes. 

And we’ve made incredible progress since 1994.  But we cannot let up -- not when domestic violence still kills three women a day.  Not when one in five women will be a victim of rape in their lifetime.  Not when one in three women is abused by a partner. 

So I promise you -- not just as your President, but as a son, and a husband, and a father -- I’m going to keep at this. I know Vice President Biden is going to keep at it.  My administration is going to keep at it for as long as it takes. 

And I know that all the advocates up here, all the legislators -- Republican and Democrat -- who supported this, I know they could not be prouder of the work that they’ve done together.  And I think I speak for all of them when we say we could not have done it without you. 

So with that, let me sign this bill.  (Applause.)

(The bill is signed.)

END
2:40 P.M. EST

Remarks by the Vice President to the AIPAC Policy Conference

Walter E. Washington Convention Center
Washington, D.C.

10:35 A.M. EST

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Thank you, Mr. President.  (Applause.)  It’s great to be here.  It’s great to be here.  (Applause.)  Hey, Debbie. 

Ladies and gentlemen, oh, what a difference 40 years makes.  (Laughter.)  I look out there and see an old friend, Annette Lantos.  Annette, how are you?  Her husband, Tom Lantos, a survivor, was my assistant, was my foreign policy advisor for years.  And Tom used to say all the time, Joe -- he talked with that Hungarian accent -- he’d say, Joe, we must do another fundraiser for AIPAC.  (Laughter.)  I did more fundraisers for AIPAC in the ‘70s and early ‘80s than -- just about as many as anybody.  Thank God you weren’t putting on shows like this, we would have never made it.  (Laughter.)  We would have never made it.

My Lord, it’s so great to be with you all and great to see -- Mr. President, thank you so much for that kind introduction.  And President-elect Bob Cohen, the entire AIPAC Board of Directors, I’m delighted to be with you today.  But I’m particularly delighted to be with an old friend -- and he is an old friend; we use that phrase lightly in Washington, but it’s real, and I think he’d even tell you -- Ehud Barak, it’s great to be with you, Mr. Minister.  Great to be with you.  (Applause.)

There is a standup guy.  There is a standup guy.  Standing up for his country, putting his life on the line for his country, and continuing to defend the values that we all share.  (Applause.)  I’m a fan of the man.  (Applause.)  Thanks for being here, Ehud.  It’s good to be with you again.

Ladies and gentlemen, a lot of you know me if you’re old enough.  (Laughter.)  Some of you don’t know me, and understand I can’t see now, but in the bleachers to either side, I’m told you have 2,000 young AIPAC members here.  (Applause.)  We talked about this a lot over the years.  We talked about it a lot:  This is the lifeblood.  This is the connective tissue.  This is the reason why no American will ever forget.  You’ve got to keep raising them.  (Applause.)

Ladies and gentlemen, we’ve stood shoulder to shoulder, a lot of us in this auditorium, defending the legitimate interest of Israel and our enduring commitment over the last 40 years.  And many of you in this hall -- I won’t start to name them, but many of you in this hall, starting with Annette Lantos’s husband, who is not here, God rest his soul -- many of you in this hall have been my teachers, my mentors and my educators, and that is not hyperbole.  You literally have been.

But my education started, as some of you know, at my father’s dinner table.  My father was what you would have called a righteous Christian.  We gathered at my dinner table to have conversation, and incidentally eat, as we were growing up.  It was a table -- it was at that table I first heard the phrase that is overused sometimes today, but in a sense not used meaningfully enough -- first I heard the phrase, “Never again.”

It was at that table that I learned that the only way to ensure that it could never happen again was the establishment and the existence of a secure, Jewish state of Israel.  (Applause.)  I remember my father, a Christian, being baffled at the debate taking place at the end of World War II talking about it.  I don’t remember it at that time, but about how there could be a debate about whether or not -- within the community, of whether or not to establish the State of Israel.

My father would say, were he a Jew, he would never, never entrust the security of his people to any individual nation, no matter how good and how noble it was, like the United States.  (Applause.)  Everybody knows it’s real.  But I want you to know one thing, which some of you -- I’ve met with a lot of you over the last 40 years, but the last four years as well.  President Obama shares my commitment.  We both know that Israel faces new threats, new pressures and uncertainty.  The Defense Minister and I have discussed it often.  In the area of national security, the threats to Israel’s existence continue, but they have changed as the world and the region have changed over the last decade.

The Arab Spring, at once full of both hope and uncertainty, has required Israel -- and the United States -- to reassess old and settled relationships.  Iran’s dangerous nuclear weapons program, and its continued support of terrorist organizations, like Hezbollah and Hamas, not only endanger Israel, but endanger the world.  (Applause.)  Attempts of much of the world to isolate and delegitimize the State of Israel are increasingly common, and taken as the norm in other parts of the world. 

All these pressures are similar but different, and they put enormous pressure on the State of Israel.  We understand that.  And we especially understand that if we make a mistake, it’s not a threat to our existence.  But if Israel makes a mistake, it could be a threat to its very existence.  (Applause.)  And that’s why, from the moment the President took office, he has acted swiftly and decisively to make clear to the whole world and to Israel that even as circumstances have changed, one thing has not:  our deep commitment to the security of the state of Israel.  That has not changed.  That will not change as long as I and he are President and Vice President of the United States.  (Applause.)  It’s in our naked self-interest, beyond the moral imperative.  (Applause.)

And to all of you, I thank you for continuing to remind the nation and the world of that commitment.  And while we may not always agree on tactics -- and I’ve been around a long time; I’ve been there for a lot of prime ministers -- we’ve always disagreed on tactic.  We’ve always disagreed at some point or another on tactic.  But, ladies and gentlemen, we have never disagreed on the strategic imperative that Israel must be able to protect its own, must be able to do it on its own, and we must always stand with Israel to be sure that can happen.  And we will.  (Applause.)

That’s why we’ve worked so hard to make sure Israel keeps its qualitative edge in the midst of the Great Recession.  I’ve served with eight Presidents of the United States of America, and I can assure you, unequivocally, no President has done as much to physically secure the State of Israel as President Barack Obama.  (Applause.)

President Obama last year requested $3.1 billion in military assistance for Israel -- the most in history.  He has directed close coordination, strategically and operationally, between our government and our Israeli partners, including our political, military and intelligence leadership. 

I can say with certitude, in the last eight Presidents, I don’t know any time, Ehud, when there has been as many meetings, as much coordination, between our intelligence services and our military.  Matter of fact, they’re getting tired of traveling back across the ocean, I think.  (Laughter.)

Under this administration, we’ve held the most regular and largest-ever joint military exercises.  We’ve invested $275 million in Iron Dome, including $70 million that the President directed to be spent last year on an urgent basis -- to increase the production of Iron Dome batteries and interceptors.  (Applause.)

Not long ago, I would have had to describe to an audience what Iron Dome was, how it would work, why funding it mattered.  I don’t have to explain to anybody anymore.  Everybody gets it.  (Applause.)  Everybody saw -- the world saw firsthand why it was and remains so critical. 

For too long, when those sirens blared in the streets of the cities bordering Gaza, the only defense had been a bomb shelter.  But late last year, Iron Dome made a difference.  When Hamas rockets rained on Israel, Iron Dome shot them out of the sky, intercepting nearly 400 rockets in November alone.  It was our unique partnership -- Israel and the United States -- that pioneered this technology and funded it.

And it is in that same spirit that we’re working with Israel to jointly develop new systems, called Arrow and David’s Sling, interceptors that can defeat long-range threats from Iran, Syria and Hezbollah -- equally as urgent.  (Applause.)  And we are working to deploy a powerful new radar, networked with American early warning satellites, that could buy Israel valuable time in the event of an attack.  This is what we do.  This is what we do to ensure Israel can counter and defeat any threat from any corner.  (Applause.)

But that’s only the first piece of this equation.  Let me tell you -- and I expect I share the view of many of you who have been involved with AIPAC for a long time.  Let me tell you what worries me the most today -- what worries me more than at any time in the 40 years I’ve been engaged, and it is different than any time in my career.  And that is the wholesale, seemingly coordinated effort to delegitimize Israel as a Jewish state.  That is the single most dangerous, pernicious change that has taken place, in my humble opinion, since I’ve been engaged.  (Applause.) 

And, ladies and gentlemen, it matters.  It matters.  To put it bluntly, there is only one nation -- only one nation in the world that has unequivocally, without hesitation and consistently confronted the efforts to delegitimize Israel.  At every point in our administration, at every juncture, we’ve stood up on the legitimacy -- on behalf of legitimacy of the State of Israel.  President Obama has been a bulwark against those insidious efforts at every step of the way.

Wherever he goes in the world, he makes clear that although we want better relations with Muslim-majority countries, Israel’s legitimacy and our support for it is not a matter of debate.  There is no light.  It is not a matter of debate.  (Applause.)  It’s simple, and he means it:  It is not a matter of debated.  Don't raise it with us.  Do not raise it with us.  It is not negotiable.  (Applause.)

As recently as last year, the only country on the United Nations Human Rights Council to vote against -- I think it’s 36 countries, don't hold me to the exact number -- but the only country on the Human Rights Council of the United Nations to vote against the establishment of a fact-finding mission on settlements was the United States of America. 

We opposed the unilateral efforts of the Palestinian Authority to circumvent direct negotiations by pushing for statehood and multilateral organizations like UNESCO.  We stood strongly with Israel in its right to defend itself after the Goldstone Report was issued in 2009.  While the rest of the world, including some of our good friend, was prepared to embrace the report, we came out straightforwardly, expressed our concerns and with recommendations. 

When Israel was isolated in the aftermath of the Gaza flotilla in 2010, I was in Africa.  We spent a lot of time on the phone, Ehud and -- the Defense Minister and I.  (Laughter.)  And Bibi and I spent a lot time on that phone with my interceding, going to the United Nations directly by telephone, speaking with the Secretary General, making sure that one thing was made clear, Israel had the right -- had the right -- to impose that blockade.  (Applause.)

Ladies and gentlemen, that's why we refuse to attend events such as the 10th anniversary of the 2001 World Conference on Racism that shamefully equated Zionism with racism.  (Applause.)  That's why we rejected anti-Semitic rhetoric from any corner and from leaders of any nation.  And that's why I’m proud to say my friend, the new Secretary of State, John Kerry, spoke out against the kind of language in Ankara just this Friday.  (Applause.)  By the way, he’s a good man.  You're going to be happy with Kerry.

And it was in the strongest terms that we vigorously opposed the Palestinian bid for nonmember observer status in the General Assembly, and we will continue to oppose any effort to establish a state of Palestine through unilateral actions.

There is no shortcut to peace.  There is no shortcut to face-to-face negotiations.  There is no shortcut to guarantees made looking in the eyes of the other party.

Ladies and gentlemen, Israel's own leaders currently understand the imperative of peace.  Prime Minister Netanyahu, Defense Minister Barak, President Peres -- they've all called for a two-state solution and an absolute secure, democratic and Jewish State of Israel; to live side by side with an independent Palestinian state.  But it takes two to tango, and the rest of the Arab world has to get in the game.  (Applause.)  

We are under no illusions about how difficult it will be to achieve.  Even some of you in the audience said, why do we even talk about it anymore?  Well, it's going to require hard steps on both sides.  But it's in all of our interests -- Israel's interest, the United States' interest, the interest of the Palestinian people.  We all have a profound interest in peace.  To use an expression of a former President, Bill Clinton, we've got to get caught trying.  We've got to get caught trying.  (Applause.)

So we remain deeply engaged.  As President Obama has said, while there are those who question whether this goal may ever be reached, we make no apologies for continuing to pursue that goal, to pursue a better future.  And he'll make that clear when he goes to Israel later this month.

We're also mindful that pursuing a better future for Israel means helping Israel confront the myriads of threat it faces in the neighborhood.  It's a tough neighborhood, and it starts with Iran.  It is not only in Israel's interest -- and everybody should understand -- I know you understand this, but the world should -- it's not only in Israel's interest that Iran does not acquire a nuclear weapon, it's in the interest of the United States of America.  It's simple.  And, as a matter of fact, it's in the interest of the entire world. (Applause.)

Iraq's [sic] acquisition of a nuclear weapon not only would present an existential threat to Israel, it would present a threat to our allies and our partners -- and to the United States.  And it would trigger an arms race -- a nuclear arms race in the region, and make the world a whole lot less stable. 

So we have a shared strategic commitment.  Let me make clear what that commitment is:  It is to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon.  Period.  (Applause.)  End of discussion.  Prevent -- not contain -- prevent.  (Applause.)
 
The President has flatly stated that.  And as many of you in this room have heard me say -- and he always kids me about this; we'll be in the security room -- and I know that Debbie Wasserman Schultz knows this because she hears it -- he always says, you know -- he'll turn to other people and say, as Joe would say, he’s -- as Joe would say, big nations can't bluff.  Well, big nations can't bluff.  And Presidents of the United States cannot and do not bluff.  And President Barack Obama is not bluffing.  He is not bluffing.  (Applause.) 
 
We are not looking for war.  We are looking to and ready to negotiate peacefully, but all options, including military force, are on the table.  But as I made clear at the Munich Security Conference just last month, our strong preference, the world’s preference is for a diplomatic solution.  So while that window is closing, we believe there is still time and space to achieve the outcome.  We are in constant dialogue, sharing information with the Israeli military, the Israeli intelligence service, the Israeli political establishment at every level, and we’re taking all the steps required to get there. 

But I want to make clear to you something.  If, God forbid,
the need to act occurs, it is critically important for the whole world to know we did everything in our power, we did everything that reasonably could have been expected to avoid any confrontation.  And that matters.  Because God forbid, if we have to act, it’s important that the rest of the world is with us.  (Applause.)  We have a united international community.  We have a united international community behind these unprecedented sanctions. 

We have left Iran more isolated than ever.  When we came to office, as you remember -- not because of the last administration, just a reality -- Iran was on the ascendency in the region.  It is no longer on the ascendency.  The purpose of this pressure is not to punish.  It is to convince Iran to make good on its international obligations.  Put simply, we are sharpening a choice that the Iranian leadership has to make.  They can meet their obligations and give the international community ironclad confidence in the peaceful nature of their program, or they can continue down the path they’re on to further isolate and mounting pressure of the world. 

But even preventing Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon still leaves them a dangerous neighbor, particularly to Israel.  They are using terrorist proxies to spread violence in the region and beyond the region, putting Israelis, Americans, citizens of every continent in danger.  For too long, Hezbollah has tried to pose as nothing more than a political and social welfare group, while plotting against innocents in Eastern Europe -- from Eastern Europe to East Africa; from Southeast Asia to South America.  We know what Israel knows:  Hezbollah is a terrorist organization.  Period.  (Applause.)  And we -- and me -- we are urging every nation in the world that we deal with -- and we deal with them all -- to start treating Hezbollah as such, and naming them as a terrorist organization.  (Applause.) 

This isn’t just about a threat to Israel and the United States.  It’s about a global terrorist organization that has targeted people on several continents.  We’ll say and we’ll do our part to stop them.  And we ask the world to do the same.  That’s why we’ve been talking to our friends in Europe to forcefully declare Hezbollah a terrorist organization.  This past month I’ve made the case to leading European heads of state, as Barack and Israelis know, together we have to continue to confront Hezbollah wherever it shows -- sews the seeds of hatred and stands against the nations that sponsor campaigns of terror.

Ladies and gentlemen, the United States and Israel have a shared interest in Syria as well.  Assad has shown his father’s disregard for human life and dignity, engaging in brutal murder of his own citizens.  Our position on that tragedy could not be clearer:  Assad must go.  But we are not signing up for one murderous gang replacing another in Damascus.  (Applause.)

That’s why our focus is on supporting a legitimate opposition not only committed to a peaceful Syria but to a peaceful region.  That’s why we’re carefully vetting those to whom we provide assistance.  That’s why, while putting relentless pressure on Assad and sanctioning the pro-regime, Iranian-backed militia, we’ve also designated al-Nusra Front as a terrorist organization. 

And because we recognize the great danger Assad’s chemical and biological arsenals pose to Israel and the United States, to the whole world, we’ve set a clear red line against the use of the transfer of the those weapons.  And we will work together to prevent this conflict and these horrific weapons from threatening Israel’s security.  And while we try to ensure an end to the dictatorship in Syria, we have supported and will support a genuine transition to Egyptian democracy. 

We have no illusions -- we know how difficult this will be and how difficult it is.  There’s been -- obviously been a dramatic change in Egypt.  A lot of it has given us hope and a lot of it has given us pause, and a lot of it has caused fears in other quarters. 

It’s not about us, but it profoundly affects us.  We need to be invested in Egypt’s success and stability.  The stable success of Egypt will translate into a stable region.  We’re not looking at what’s happening in Egypt through rose-colored glasses.  Again, our eyes are wide open.  We have no illusions about the challenges that we face, but we also know this:  There’s no legitimate alternative at this point to engagement. 

Only through engagement -- it’s only through engagement with Egypt that we can focus Egypt’s leaders on the need to repair international obligations -- respect their international obligations, including and especially its peace treaty with Israel.  It’s only through active engagement that we can help ensure that Hamas does not re-arm through the Sinai and put the people of Israel at risk.  It’s only through engagement that we can concentrate Egypt’s government on the imperative of confronting the extremists.  And it’s only through engagement that we can encourage Egypt’s leaders to make reforms that will spark economic growth and stabilize the democratic process.  And it’s all tough, and there’s no certainty.  There’s no certainty about anything in the Arab Spring.

I expect President Obama to cover each of these issues in much greater detail.  I’ve learned one thing, as I was telling the President, I learned it’s never a good idea, Ehud, to steal the President’s thunder.  It’s never a good idea to say what he’s going to say the next day.  So I’m not going to go into any further detail on this.  (Laughter.)  But in much greater detail he will discuss this when he goes to Israel later this month, just before Passover begins.

I have to admit I’m a little jealous that he gets to be the one to say “this year in Jerusalem,” but I’m the Vice President.  I’m not the President.  (Applause.)  So I -- when I told him that, I’m not sure he thought I was serious or not.  But anyway.  (Laughter.)

As will come as no surprise to you, the President and I not only are partners, we’ve become friends, and he and I have spoken at length about this trip.  And I can assure you he’s particularly looking forward to having a chance to hear directly from the people of Israel and beyond their political leaders, and particularly the younger generation of Israelis.  (Applause.)

And I must note just as I’m getting a chance to speak to 2,000 young, American Jews involved and committed to the state of Israel and the relationship with the United States, he’s as anxious to do what I got a chance to do when I was there last, Ehud with you, as you flew me along the line.  I got to go to Tel Aviv University to speak several thousand young Israelis.  The vibrancy, the optimism, the absolute commitment is contagious, and he’s looking forward to seeing it and feeling it and tasting it.

The President looks forward to having conversations about their hopes and their aspirations, about their astonishing world-leading technological achievements, about the future they envision for themselves and for their country, about how different the world they face is from the one their parents faced, even if many of the threats are the same.

These are really important conversations for the President to have and to hear and for them to hear.  These are critically important.  I get kidded, again to quote Debbie, she kids sometimes, everybody quotes -- Democrat and Republican -- quotes Tip O’Neill saying, all politics is local.  With all due respect, Lonny, I think that's not right.  I think all politics is personal.  And I mean it:  All politics is personal.  And it’s building personal relationships and trust and exposure, talking to people that really matters, particularly in foreign policy.

So, ladies and gentlemen, let me end where I began, by reaffirming our commitment to the State of Israel.  It’s not only a longstanding, moral commitment, it’s a strategic commitment.  An independent Israel, secure in its own borders, recognized by the world is in the practical, strategic interests of the United States of America.  I used to say when I -- Lonny was president -- I used to say if there weren't an Israel, we'd have to invent one. 

Ladies and gentlemen, we also know that it's critical to remind every generation of Americans -- as you're doing with your children here today, it's critical to remind our children, my children, your children.  That's why the first time I ever took the three of my children separately to Europe, the first place I took them was Dachau.  We flew to Munich and went to Dachau -- the first thing we ever did as Annette will remember -- because it's important that all our children and grandchildren understand that this is a never-ending requirement.  The preservation of an independent Jewish state is the ultimate guarantor, it's the only certain guarantor of freedom and security for the Jewish people in the world.  (Applause.) 

That was most pointedly pointed out to me when I was a young senator making my first trip to Israel.  I had the great, great honor -- and that is not hyperbole -- of getting to meet for the first time -- and subsequently, I met her beyond that -- Golda Meir.  She was the prime minister.  (Applause.)

Now, I'm sure every kid up there said, you can't be that old, Senator.  (Laughter.)  I hope that's what you're saying.  (Laughter.)  But seriously, the first trip I ever made -- and you all know those double doors.  You just go into the office and the blonde furniture and the desk on the left side, if memory serves me correctly.  And Golda Meir, as a prime minister and as a defense minister, she had those maps behind her.  You could pull down all those maps like you had in geography class in high school. 

And she sat behind her desk.  And I sat in a chair in front of her desk, and a young man was sitting to my right who was her assistant.  His name was Yitzhak Rabin.  (Laughter.)  Seriously -- an absolutely true story.  (Applause.)  And she sat there chain-smoking and reading letters to me, letters from the front from the Six-Day War.  She read letters and told me how this young man or woman had died and this is their family.  This went on for I don't know how long, and I guess she could tell I was visibly moved by this, and I was getting depressed about it -- oh, my God. 

And she suddenly looked at me and said -- and I give you my word as a Biden that she looked at me and said -- she said, Senator, would you like a photo opportunity?  (Laughter.)  And I looked at her.  I said, well yes, Madam Prime Minister.  I mean I was -- and we walk out those doors.  We stood there -- no statements, and we're standing next to one another looking at this array of media, television and photojournalists, take -- snapping pictures.  And we're looking straight ahead.

Without looking at me, she speaks to me.  She said, Senator, don't look so sad.  She said, we have a secret weapon in our confrontation in this part of the world.  And I thought she was about to lean over and tell me about a new system or something.  Because you can see the pictures, I still have them -- I turned to look at her.  We were supposed to be looking straight ahead.  And I said, Madam Prime Minister -- and never turned her head, she kept looking -- she said, our secret weapon, Senator, is we have no place else to go.  We have no place else to go.  (Applause.)

Ladies and gentlemen, our job is to make sure there's always a place to go, that there's always an Israel, that there's always a secure Israel and there's an Israel that can care for itself.  (Applause.)  My father was right.  You are right.  It's the ultimate guarantor of never again.  God bless you all and may God protect our troops.  Thank you.  (Applause.)

END
11:09 A.M. EST