The White House

Office of the First Lady

For Immediate Release
June 20, 2012

Remarks by the First Lady at a Campaign Event

Creative Arts Center
Pueblo, Colorado

1:52 P.M. MDT
 
MRS. OBAMA:  Wow!  (Applause.)  Yeah, Pueblo!  Wow!  (Applause.)  Thank you all.  Thank you so much.  (Applause.)  Oh, my goodness.  This is awesome.  Oh, let me tell you, this is amazing.  Look back.  Just look at you all.  This is good stuff.  (Applause.)  I am beyond thrilled.  We love you, too, and we’re going to work so hard -- so hard. 
 
Before I get started, on behalf of Barack and myself, I just wanted to say that -- and I said this earlier -- that our hearts and our prayers are going out to all of the families affected by the fires here in this state and in other states throughout the west.  And I want to give a special thanks to all of the brave firefighters and first responders -- (applause) -- who, not just in this situation but in every situation, they put themselves in harm’s way to make sure that our lives and our communities are safe.  So we are so grateful for their heroic efforts. 
 
And we’re also proud of how communities here in this state are coming together as you continue to support each other to respond, and begin to do the hard work of recovering.  I just want you to know that you have a country that is standing behind you every step of the way, so -- (applause.)
 
And with that, I want to thank Carla for that very kind introduction.  Let’s give her another round of applause.  (Applause.)
 
And I want to thank a few more people as well.  I want to thank our National Campaign Co-Chairs:  Secretary Federico Peña, who’s a dear, dear friend of ours -- (applause) -- State Senator Giron, who is here, I know, with her husband; she’s been amazing -- City Councilwoman -- City Councilman Leroy Garcia -- (applause) -- Pastor Kimal James, who is here as well -- (applause) -- and Democratic Party Chair Rick Palacio, who has just been amazing every step of the way.  (Applause.)  And I just got to meet the Regional Field Director here, Eva Siepersad, who -- she’s been doing phenomenal work, so I got to meet her.  (Applause.)  And to all the Pueblo County Commissioners, all the City Councilmembers who have taken time out to be here today, thank you all.  Thank you for your service.  Thank you to your families.  We are just so grateful. 
 
And finally, I want to thank all of you -- (applause) -- yes! -- our extraordinary volunteers and organizers, our team leaders.  (Applause.)  Thank you for everything you do, day in and day out, to make this campaign possible.  We could not do what we do with you.  And you should know that all of the hard work that you do -- that tough work knocking on people’s doors that you don’t know, right?  That’s not always easy.  The work that you do registering voters, making calls, giving people here in this area the information they need about the issues they care about.
 
And you have to know that that kind of grassroots work that you all are doing to get people focused and fired up -– that is the work that is at the core of this campaign.  It makes all the difference.  That’s how we did it four years ago, and that’s how we’re going to do it again today -- with your help.  (Applause.)  So, thank you.  Thank you so much. 
 
And one thing I’ve learned, being married to my husband, is that the work you all are doing, it’s not easy.  And I know that so many of you are putting in such long hours, and I know you’re doing it even though you all have busy lives of your own -- you have your own families to take care of; you’ve got your jobs to do; many young people are still getting their education, which we want you to continue to do.  (Applause.) 
 
But I also know that there’s a reason why all of us are here today doing this kind of work.  And it’s not just because we all support an outstanding President, my husband.  (Applause.)  I’m a little biased.  I might just be a little biased.  There may be other biased people in the room, but I think our President is awesome.  (Applause.)  And we’re not just doing this because we want to win an election -- which we do, and we will.  (Applause.)  What I like to remind folks around the country -- and I even remind myself -- we’re doing this because of the values we believe in.  That’s really it.  We’re doing this because of the vision for this country that we all share.  I don’t care who we are, we believe and want so much of the same things. 
 
We’re doing this because we want all of our children to be able to go to good schools, you know?  (Applause.)  You know those schools -- the kind of schools that inspire them; the kind of schools that push them to be their best and prepare them for the jobs and careers of the future.  We want that for all of our kids. 
 
We want our parents and our grandparents to be able to retire with dignity, because after a lifetime of hard work, these folks in our lives should be able to enjoy their golden years, don’t you agree?  (Applause.)
 
We’re doing this because we want to restore that basic middle-class security for our families, because we believe that in America folks shouldn’t go bankrupt because they get sick.  Not here.  (Applause.)  People shouldn’t lose their homes because someone loses a job.  We believe that responsibility should be rewarded and hard work should pay off.  We believe that everyone should do their fair share, but they should play by the same rules.  (Applause.)
 
And the truth is, these are basic American values, right?  This isn’t new.  These are the values that so many of us were raised with, including myself.  And I tell my story; I’m proud of my background.  You all know my father was a blue-collar city worker.  He worked at the city water plant his entire life.  And he supported our family -- we lived in a little-bitty apartment on the South Side of Chicago.  South Side!  (Applause.)  And growing up, I saw firsthand how my parents saved and sacrificed.  I was talking to Eva about this, about my dad, because her dad was the same kind of person.  How my parents poured everything they had into me and my brother because they wanted us to have the kind of education they could only dream of.  Education was everything in my family -- everything.  It was our ticket to the middle class.  It was our path to the American Dream.  It was a chance for us to have opportunities our parents never had -- the chance to get a college degree; the chance to own a home; the chance to provide an even better life for our own families, right?  (Applause.)
 
So to make this happen for us, my parents worked hard.  My mom spent hours volunteering in our neighborhood public school.  And she made us finish every bit of homework, every night.  (Applause.)  That was important in our household.  And when we finally went off to college, pretty much all of my college tuition came from student loans and grants.  I know there are people here in this room who know what that feels like, right?  (Applause.)  But for my brother and I, our dad still paid a small portion of that tuition himself, and every semester my dad was determined to pay that portion of his bill, his share, and to pay it right on time.  He was so proud to be sending his kids to college, and he couldn’t bear the thought of me or my brother missing that registration deadline because his check was late.
 
And really, more than anything else, that is what’s at stake in this election.  That’s what we’re fighting for.  It’s that fundamental promise that no matter who you are or how you started out, if you work hard, you can build a decent life for yourself and an even better life for your kids.  That is the American Dream.  (Applause.)  That is the American Dream that we’re all working for.
 
And from now until November, we’re going to need all of you to get out there and tell everyone -- tell everyone you know about how Barack is on our side, fighting for the values we believe in and the vision we all share.  (Applause.)
 
And I want you to start by reminding people how Barack is fighting every day for working families, starting with tax cuts so folks can keep more of their income for things like gas and groceries and school clothes for their kids.  (Applause.)  You can tell people how he cut taxes for small businesses 18 times -- 18 times.  (Applause.)  Because your President knows that rebuilding our economy, it starts with folks who are running the restaurants and the shops and the startups that create jobs that put people back to work.  (Applause.)
 
But also remind people, though, and Carla mentioned this, about how, back when Barack first took office, this economy was losing an average of 750,000 jobs every single month.  That’s what he inherited.  And people need to understand that.  That’s what he walked into.  But also let them know that for the past 27 straight months, we have actually been gaining private sector jobs -– a total of more than 4 million jobs in just two years.  (Applause.)
 
So while we know we still have a long way to go to rebuild our economy, today, millions of people are collecting a paycheck again; millions of people like my dad are able to take care of their bills again.
 
But you can also tell people about health reform, because we passed health reform, and as a result -- (applause) -- yes, indeed, together we passed health reform.  (Applause.)  And because of that reform, the people we love will no longer have to skip important health screenings because they can’t afford them.  Not in America.  Instead, insurance companies will have to cover preventative care, basic things like contraception, cancer screenings, prenatal care, and cover them at no extra cost.  That’s what health reform has done.  (Applause.)  But people have to know.  They have to understand what this all means.
 
Because of this reform, millions of our senior citizens have saved an average of more than $600 a year on their prescription drugs -- yes, because of health reform.  (Applause.)  And for all of the parents out there with college-aged kids, because of reform, children who are -- can stay on their parents’ insurance until they’re 26 years old.  (Applause.)  And as parents, I know you know how much that means.  That is how 3.1 million more young people in our country are getting the health care they need.  (Applause.)
 
But I also want you to tell people about all that this President is doing for health care [sic].  Tell people how Barack has invested in Head Start, and he’s raised standards in our public schools, and helped more than -- to be able to -- helped more of our young people be able to afford college.  That’s the work he’s been doing.  (Applause.)
 
And I want you to tell them -- understand why he’s doing it.  Because Barack knows -- both of us know what it’s like to be drowning in student debt.  (Applause.)  Because back when we first started out, our combined student loan bill was actually higher than our mortgage.  How many people can relate to that?  (Applause.)  So that is why he has doubled Pell Grants, helping 4 million more students attend college.  (Applause.)  And Barack has a vision for education in this country:  By the end of this decade, he wants more Americans to hold a college degree than any other country in the world.  That’s his plan.  (Applause.)
 
But you can also tell people how Barack has been fighting for the DREAM Act, because he believes that -- (applause) -- your President believes that it is time to stop denying responsible young people opportunities in this country just because they’re the children of undocumented immigrants.  (Applause.)  And I'm sure, as you all know, last week this administration announced new measures to lift the shadow of deportation from many of these young people who came here as children and were raised as Americans.  (Applause.) 
 
But while this step is an important one, it is not a permanent solution.  So Barack is going to keep on fighting to get Congress to give these young people a real pathway to citizenship.  (Applause.)  That’s what your President is working on.
 
I want you to remind people also that Barack kept his promise and he brought our troops home from Iraq.  (Applause.)  Remind people about that.  And he’s working hard to give our veterans and military families the support and benefits they’ve earned for the sacrifices they’ve made.  (Applause.)    
 
And as far as us ladies in the house -- (applause) -- our President has been working for us, too.  Tell people that it is now easier for women to get equal pay for equal work because of the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act.  (Applause.)  That was the first bill Barack signed as President of the United States, the first thing he did was to look out for us.  (Applause.)   
 
But it's also important to let people know why he signed this bill.  He signed this bill because he knows that closing that pay gap for women can mean the difference between them losing $50, $100, $500 from every paycheck, or having that money to pay their bills and provide for their families.  He did it because when so many women are now breadwinners for our families in this country, women’s success in this economy is the key to families’ success in this economy.  We know that.  (Applause.)  
 
And I definitely don’t want you to forget to tell people about those two brilliant Supreme Court Justices Barack appointed –- Justice Elena Kagan, Justice Sonia Sotomayor.  (Applause.)  And for the first time in history, our daughters and sons watched three women take their seats on our nation’s highest court.  (Applause.) 
 
Now, that is only the tip of the iceberg.  I could go on, and on, and on.  You all know it, everybody knows it.  But what is important to understand is that all of this and so much more is at stake this November.  It's all on the line.   
 
And in the end, it all boils down to one simple question:  are we going to continue the change we’ve begun and the progress we’ve made?  Or are we going to allow everything that we’ve fought for to just slip away?  No, we know what we need to do.  We can’t turn back now.  We have to keep moving forward.  (Applause.)  We have to keep moving forward!  (Applause.) 
 
Four more years!
 
AUDIENCE:  Four more years!
 
MRS. OBAMA:  And more than anything else, that is what we’re working for –- the chance to finish what we started, all the great work.  The chance to keep fighting for the values we believe in and the vision we all share.
 
And that is what my husband has been doing every single day as President -- every single day.  And let me tell you, over the past three-and-a-half years, I have had the privilege of seeing up close and personal what being President really looks like.  (Laughter.)  And I have seen how the issues that come across a President's desk, they're always the hard ones -- they're the problems with no easy solutions, the judgment calls where the stakes are so high and there's no margin for error.
 
And as President, you can get all kinds of advice from all kinds of people, but at the end of the day, let me just tell you, when it comes time to make that decision, as President, all you have to guide you are your life experiences.  All you have to guide you are your values and the vision that you have for this country.  That’s all that’s there.
 
In the end, it all boils down to who you are and what you stand for, right?  (Applause.)  And we all know who my husband is.  (Applause.)  We all know -- we all know -- what he stands for. 
 
Barack Obama is the son of a single mother who struggled to put herself through school and pay the bills.  Barack Obama is the grandson of a woman who woke up before dawn every day to catch a bus to her job at a bank.  And even though Barack’s grandmother worked hard and was good at her job, like so many women she hit that glass ceiling, and watched men no more qualified than she was be promoted up the ladder ahead of her.  But she didn’t complain -- that’s what Barack saw.  He watched her just keep getting up, just keep giving her best every single day to support her family.  How many people do we know like that in our lives?  (Applause.)
 
So, understand, your President knows what it means when a family struggles.  He knows what it means to work hard because you want something better for your kids.  And like so many -- like me, like so many of you, Barack knows the American Dream because he’s lived it.  It is his life.  And he wants everyone who’s willing to work hard to have that same opportunity -- everyone. 
 
So when it comes time to stand up for our children and our workers and our families, you know what my husband is going to do.  When there’s a choice about protecting all of our rights and our freedoms, you know where Barack stands, don’t you?  (Applause.)  When we need a leader who will be on our side, fighting for us no matter what, you know you can count on my husband because that’s what he’s been doing every single day as President of the United States.  And I am proud of him.  (Applause.)   
 
But I have said this before, and I will say it again, and again: Barack can't do this alone.  He needs all of you.  He needs you to keep doing what you've been doing -- working hard making those phone calls, knocking on those doors, registering as many voters as possible.  (Applause.)  That’s right.
 
I want you to think about it this way -- I want you all here to multiply yourselves.  Multiply yourselves.  Reach out to everyone you know -- your friends, family, neighbors.  Anyone who is not paying attention, make sure they're paying attention.  You find them, you make sure that they know how to get involved in this campaign.  Send them to barackobama.com -- it's an easy way to get started -- and tell them about giving just a little part of themselves each week to this campaign, and all the difference it's going to make in all of our lives.
 
Tell them that when it comes to the issues we care about –- whether our kids can get an education, whether our families will have health care, whether we will finally pass the DREAM Act –- (applause) -- I want you to tell them that if we stay home this November, we won’t just stop moving forward, we're going to start moving backwards.  We can't do that.
 
AUDIENCE:  No!
 
MRS. OBAMA:  So this is a make or break moment.  It truly is.  This is it.  We're at a crossroads. 
 
And as Barack has said, this election will be even closer than the last one -- that you can count on.  And if you doubt for a minute the difference that you all will make in this election, I just want you to remember that in the end, this election could come down to those last few thousand people we get to the polls, those last few thousand people we get registered to vote.  And when you think about those kind of numbers across an entire state -- just think for a minute as these numbers are spread out all over this state.  Think about what that means.  That could mean just registering one more person, right?
 
AUDIENCE MEMBER:  Yes!
 
MRS. OBAMA:  It could mean just getting one more person to the polls on Election Day.
 
So as you're out there working, just remember with every door you knock on, with every event you host, with every single conversation you have, think about it this way -- think, this could be the one that makes the difference.  That is the kind of impact that each of us can have here.  You got it?  This could be the one.  (Applause.)  This could be the one.  Think about that. 
 
And I’m not going to kid you, this journey is going to be long, and it is going to be hard, and there will be plenty of twists and turns along the way.  That is the only guarantee I can give you.  But we have to understand that that’s how change always happens in this country.  That’s how real change happens.
 
But if we keep showing up, if we keep fighting the good fight, if we keep doing what we know is right and fighting for the values we believe in, then we always get there.  We always do.  We have never moved backwards, we've always moved forward.
 
AUDIENCE:  Forward!
 
MRS. OBAMA:  Maybe not in our lifetimes, but maybe in our children’s lifetimes.  Maybe in our grandchildren’s lifetimes.
 
Because in the end, that’s what this is all about.  It's about them.  And that’s what I think about every night when I put my girls to bed.  I think about the world I want to leave for them, and for all our sons and daughters.  (Applause.)  
 
I think about how I want to do for them what my Mom and Dad did for me.  I want to leave them a foundation worthy of their dreams.  I want to give them opportunities that matches their promise, because every single child in this country has promise.  I want to give all our kids that sense of limitless possibility -- the belief that here in America, there’s always something better if you’re willing to work for it. 
 
So Pueblo, we cannot turn back now.  We have come so far, but we have so much more work to do. 
 
So I have one last question:  Are you in?
 
AUDIENCE:  Yes!
 
MRS. OBAMA:  No, no, no, are you really in?
 
AUDIENCE:  Yes!
 
MRS. OBAMA:  Are you ready to roll up your sleeves?  Are you ready to have those conversations, share our vision, get people registered to vote, make sure they're at the polls, make sure that President Obama wins Colorado and wins the Presidency?  Are you ready for that?
 
AUDIENCE:  Yes!
 
MRS. OBAMA:  Because I am so ready.  I am so fired up.  I can't wait to make this happen.
 
You all are amazing.  Thank you so much.  God bless you.
 
END
2:22 P.M. MDT

The White House

Office of the First Lady

For Immediate Release
June 20, 2012

Remarks by the First Lady at a Campaign Event

Arapahoe High School
Centennial, Colorado

10:29 A.M. MDT
 
MRS. OBAMA:  Wow!  (Applause.)  You know, this feels like four more years, right?  (Applause.)  Thank you so much.  I can’t tell you how proud and thrilled I am to be here today.
 
Before I get started, on behalf of myself and my husband, I just want to say that our hearts and our prayers are with all of the families affected by the fires here in this state and in other states out west.  (Applause.)
 
AUDIENCE MEMBER:  Thank you!
 
MRS. OBAMA:  And I also want to say a special thank-you to the brave firefighters and first responders -- (applause) -- those men and women who are putting themselves in harm’s way every day to put flames out to protect our communities.  We are so grateful for their heroic service.  Let’s give them a round of applause.  (Applause.)
    
And it’s also wonderful to see how communities here are coming together to support each other as you continue to respond and begin the work of recovery.  It’s a wonderful example, and I want you all to know that America stands behind you every step of the way.  So I just wanted to say that.  (Applause.) 
 
I also have to thank Stacy -- and Max -- for that wonderful introduction and for sharing that story.  We are so glad that kids like Max can get the care that they need, because that’s what we want for all of our kids.  And there are a lot of beautiful little faces out here.  We’re doing this for you, yes.  (Laughter and applause.)
 
And I also got a chance to see Susan Daggett, Maggie Fox -- hey, you guys!  Thank you so much for being here, for having our backs, for joining us here today.
 
And I have to recognize -- although I haven’t seen her yet -- your former First Lady and my dear friend, Jennie Ritter, who is here, somewhere out there.  (Applause.)  And your Deputy Mayor, Cary Kennedy, who is here as well.  (Applause.)  And I understand that Dana did some firing up out here.  I want to thank here and Reverend Riley-Duval for her good words and her prayers.  (Applause.)  And to Suzy, who also got us fired up and ready to go, right?  Did she do good?  (Applause.)
 
But finally, I want to thank all of you, our extraordinary volunteers and organizers.  You guys are doing it all, you’re out here standing in the heat -- I love that.  (Laughter.)  Thank you for everything that you do, day in and day out.  I cannot say this enough:  The work that you do makes this campaign possible.  All the work that you’re doing -- knocking on those doors, making those phone calls, registering those voters -- I just want you to know that doing what you’re doing, giving folks the information they need, as Stacy says, about the issues we care about is critical.  And this kind of grassroots work that you all are doing to get people focused and fired up -– that work is the core of this campaign.  It means absolutely everything.  And that’s how we won not just this state but this presidency four years ago, and that’s how we’re going to do it again today.  So, thank you.  Thank you.  (Applause.)
 
But one thing that I do know is that the work that you’re doing is not easy.  And I know that you’re putting in a lot of long hours.  I’ve seen you in action before.  I know that you all have your own busy lives to lead -- you’ve got your families to raise; you’ve got school coursework -- I hope many of you are focused; you’ve got jobs and careers you’re trying to build.  But I also know that there’s a reason why all of us are in this school right now, today.
 
AUDIENCE MEMBER:  Michelle, we love you!
 
MRS. OBAMA:  I love you, too!  (Applause.)
 
And we would not be standing here without you.  We are here not just because we all support an extraordinary President -– because our President is awesome.  (Applause.)  And we’re not just here because we want to win an election, which we do, and we will.  (Applause.)  We’re all here because of the values we believe in.  Truly, we’re doing this because of the vision for this country that we all share.
 
We’re doing this because we want all of our children -- all of them -- to have good schools -- the kind of schools that push them; the kind of schools that inspire them and prepare them for good jobs and wonderful opportunities.  (Applause.)
 
We want our parents and our grandparents to be able to retire with dignity -– (applause) -- because we believe that in America, after a lifetime of hard work, they should be able to enjoy their golden years.  (Applause.)
 
We want to restore that basic middle-class security for our families, because we believe that in America folks shouldn’t go bankrupt because someone gets sick.  (Applause.)  We believe that folks shouldn’t lose their home because someone loses a job.  (Applause.)  We also believe that responsibility should be rewarded, and hard work should pay off.  We believe that everyone should do their fair share, but play by the same rules.  (Applause.)
 
And the thing that I tell people everywhere I go -- we have to remember, these are basic American values.  (Applause.)  This isn’t new.  They’re the values that so many of us were raised with, including myself, which is why I share my story.  You all know -- my father was a blue-collar city worker; he worked for the city water plant, and my family lived in a little-bitty apartment on the South Side of Chicago.  South Side!  (Applause.)  And like so many people, my parents never had the kinds of educational opportunities that my brother and I had.  But one thing they had -- and I know this is going on in homes all across this country -- they did everything for us growing up.  I saw how they saved, how they sacrificed, how they poured everything they had into me and my brother because they wanted us to have the kind of education and opportunities they could only dream of.
 
And while pretty much most of my college tuition came from student loans and grants -- yes, I know, a few people can feel that, right? -- (applause) -- my dad still paid a small portion of that tuition himself.  And every semester, my dad was determined to pay that bill and to pay it on time.  He was proud to be able to send his kids to college, and he couldn’t bear the thought of me or my brother missing a registration deadline because his check was late.  Like so many people in this country, my father took great pride in being able to earn a living that allowed him to handle his responsibilities; to take care of his family and to pay all of his bills and to pay them on time.
 
And more than anything else, that’s what’s at stake in this election.  That’s what we’re working for.  That’s what we’re fighting for.  It’s that fundamental promise that no matter who you are or how you started out, if you work hard, you can build a decent life for yourself and an even better life for your kids.  (Applause.)  And what gives us all hope -- it is that promise that binds us together as Americans.  That is what makes us who we are.  That’s what makes this country great.
 
But from now until November, Barack is going to need all of you to get out there.  As Stacy said, get out there and tell everybody you know about what this is about.  Tell them about our values.  Tell them about this vision that we all share, and about everything that’s at stake in this election.  That’s what we need you to do.
 
And you can start by telling them how Barack fought for tax cuts for working families and small businesses.  (Applause.)  And he did this because he knows that an economy built to last starts with middle-class folks, and companies who are creating jobs that are putting people back to work. 
 
But remind them how, back when Barack first took office, people -- a lot of people forget this economy was losing an average of 750,000 jobs a month.  A month!  That’s what he inherited.  That’s what he walked in -- that’s what welcomed him into the Oval Office.  (Laughter.)  But also let them know that for the past 27 straight months, we have actually been gaining private sector jobs -– a total of more than 4 million jobs in just two years.  (Applause.)
 
So while we absolutely have a long way to go to rebuild this economy, it’s important for people to understand that today, millions of people are collecting a paycheck again; millions of people like my dad are able to handle their business and pay their bills again.  (Applause.)
 
And Stacy talked about health reform, but also because we passed health reform -- health insurance -- people need to understand that insurance companies will have to cover preventative care, things like contraception and cancer screenings -- (applause) -- things like prenatal care, and they have to do it at no extra cost.  (Applause.)
 
Because of this reform, people have to understand that millions of our senior citizens have saved more -- on average more than $600 a year on their prescription drugs thanks to this reform.  (Applause.)
 
And for all of you who have kids graduating from college, because I know you’re out there -- parents -- for all those parents, those kids can now stay on their parents’ insurance until they’re 26 years old.  (Applause.)  And that is how 3.1 million of our young people are getting the health care they need today.  (Applause.)
 
But we can also talk about education, too.  Let people know that Barack is working hard to raise standards in our public schools and make college more affordable for millions of young people.  (Applause.)  This President’s vision is that by the end of this decade, more Americans will hold a college degree than any other country in the world.  That’s your President’s vision for our children.
 
You can also tell people about how Barack has been fighting for the DREAM Act.  And understand this -- (applause) -- because he believes that it is time to stop denying responsible young people opportunities in this country just because they’re the children of undocumented immigrants.  (Applause.)  And just last week, this administration announced new measures to lift the shadow of deportation from many of these young people, who came here as children and were raised as Americans.  (Applause.)
 
But while this is an important step, it is not a permanent solution.  So Barack is going to keep fighting to get Congress to give these young people a real pathway to citizen [sic].  That’s what we’re working for.  (Applause.)
 
But you can also remind folks that your President kept his promise -- he brought our troops home from Iraq.  (Applause.)  And remind them how our brave men and women in uniform finally brought to justice the man behind the 9/11 attacks.  (Applause.) 
 
And it’s also important to know that because of this President, our troops will no longer have to lie about who they are to serve the country they love -– (applause) -- because Barack ended “don’t ask, don’t tell.”  (Applause.)
 
And for all of our women out there -- (applause) -- it is so important to remind women in this country that it is now easier for us to get equal pay for equal work because of the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act.  (Applause.)  That was the very first bill Barack signed into law, the very first thing he did for us as President of the United States.  (Applause.)  But I want people to know why Barack signed this bill, why it was so important.  Because he knows that closing that pay gap can mean the difference between women in this country losing $50, $100, $500 from each paycheck, or having that money in their pockets to buy gas and groceries, and put clothes on the backs of their children.  (Applause.)  Barack did this because he understands that when so many women are now breadwinners for our families, women’s success in this economy is the key to families’ success in this economy.  (Applause.)
 
And please, we cannot forget about those two brilliant Supreme Court Justices that Barack appointed -- (applause) -- and how, for the first time in history, our sons and daughters watched three women take their seat on our nation’s highest court.  (Applause.)
 
I could go on and on and on. 
 
AUDIENCE MEMBER:  Please do!  (Applause.) 
 
MRS. OBAMA:  See, but I don’t anybody passing out.  (Laughter.)  But what we all have to understand and we cannot take for granted -- all of this, all of this and so much more is at stake in November.  It’s all on the line.  And in the end, it all boils down to one simple question:  Will we continue the change we’ve begun and the progress we’ve made?  Or are we going to let everything we’ve worked so hard for just slip away?
 
AUDIENCE:  No!
 
MRS. OBAMA:  No.  We know we cannot do that.  We can’t turn back now.  We need to keep moving forward.  (Applause.)  We need to keep moving forward.  And more than anything else, that’s why we’re here.  That’s what we’re working for -- truly, the chance to finish what we started.  The chance to keep fighting for those values we believe in, that vision that we all share.  I don’t care who we are; the things I just talked about, every American in this country wants the same things.
 
But let me tell you, that is what my President and my husband has been doing every single day.  (Applause.)  Every single day he’s been fighting for us.  (Applause.)  I have watched him fight for us.  And let me tell you, over the past three and a half years, as First Lady I have had the chance to see up close and personal what being President looks like.  And let me just share something with you:  I’ve seen how the issues that come across a President’s desk, they’re always the hard ones.  Always.  They’re the problems with no easy solution, because when there is one somebody else comes up with it.  (Laughter.)  The judgment calls where the stakes are so high, and there’s no margin for error. 
 
And as President, you’re going to get all kinds of advice and opinions from all sorts of people.  But at the end of the day, when it comes time to make that decision, as President, all you have to guide you are your life experiences, are your values, is your vision for the country.  That’s all you have.  It matters.  (Applause.)
 
In the end, it all boils down to who you are and what you stand for.  And let me tell you, we all know who my husband is.  We all know what he stands for, don’t we?  (Applause.) 
 
See, your President, Barack Obama, he's the son of a single mother who struggled to put herself through school and pay the bills.  (Applause.)  Barack Obama is the grandson of a woman who woke up before dawn every day to catch a bus to her job at the bank.  And even though Barack’s grandmother was -- worked hard to support his family and she was good at her work, like so many women, she hit that glass ceiling and men no more qualified than she was were promoted up the ladder ahead of her. 
 
So what you have to understand about your President is that he knows what it means when a family struggles.  (Applause.)  He knows what it means when someone doesn’t have a chance to fulfill their potential.  And today, as a father, he knows what it means to want something better for your kids.  Those are the experiences that have made him the man, and, yes, the outstanding President he is today.  (Applause.)  
 
And that is why I'm working so hard for him.  Because when it comes time to stand up for American workers and American families, you know what Barack Obama is going to do.  When there’s a choice about protecting our rights and our freedoms, you know where Barack is going to stand -- he's going to stand with us.  (Applause.)  And when we need a leader to make the hard decisions to keep this country moving forward, you know you can count on my husband, because that is what he’s been doing every single day as President of the United States.  (Applause.)  
 
But I have said this before, and I will say it again, and again, and again:  He cannot do this alone.  That is not how a democracy works.  Barack needs your help. 
 
He needs you to keep doing what you're doing.  Keep making those calls -- it matters.  Keep knocking on those doors -- it matters.  Keep registering those voters -- it absolutely matters.  And when you look around this room, I want you to think about multiplying yourselves.  Multiply yourselves. 
 
Reach out to your friends and your family and your neighbors.  Tell them how to get involved.  Tell them how to go to barackobama.com to find out how they can get started.  Because it's easy, right?  We want them to just give a little part of themselves each week to this campaign, and we need you to make that happen.
 
Because as Barack has said, this election will be even closer than the last one.  And if you have any doubt about the difference that you will make, understand this:  This is all going to come down to those last few thousand people we register to vote.  It will.  It's going to come down to those last few thousand people we get to the polls in November.  (Applause.) 
 
And just think for a minute, as you think about multiplying yourselves and you think about this work -- when you look at those kinds of numbers and they're spread across an entire state, it might mean registering just one more person.  Just think -- just one more.  It might mean just helping one more person in your community vote on Election Day. 
 
So every call, I want you to think one more person.  With every door you knock on, think this could be the one.  With every conversation you have, this could be the one that makes the difference.  That’s how important you all are.  Understand that.  (Applause.)  That is the kind of impact that each of you will have on this election. 
 
And I’m not going to kid you, this journey is going to be long.  It is going to be hard -- you ready for hard? 
 
AUDIENCE:  Yes!
 
MRS. OBAMA:  And there will be plenty of twists and turns along the way.  But we have to remember that that’s how change always happens in this country.  That’s how real change happens. 
 
But if we keep showing up, if we keep fighting the good fight and doing what we know is right -- because we know -- then eventually we’ll get there.  We always do.  Maybe not in our lifetimes, but maybe in our children’s lifetimes.  Maybe in our grandchildren’s lifetimes.
 
Because what I tell myself is that in the end, that is what this is all about.  It is not about us, it is about them.  (Applause.)  And that is what I think about every night when I tuck my girls in.  I think about the world I want to leave for them, and for all of our sons and daughters.  I think about how I want to do for them what my Dad did for me.  (Applause.) 
 
I want to give them a real foundation for their dreams.  I want to give them opportunities worthy of their promise.  Because all of our kids are worthy -- all of them.  (Applause.) I want to give them that sense of limitless possibility, right?  That belief that here in America, there’s always something better out there if you’re willing to work for it.  (Applause.)  
 
So if you want to know why I'm passionate, it's because of them.  So we cannot turn back now.  No.  We have come too far, but there is so much more work to do.  There just is. 
 
So let me ask you one question, one last question:  Are you in?
 
AUDIENCE:  Yes!  (Applause.)
 
MRS. OBAMA:  Come on, are you in?
 
AUDIENCE:  Yes!  (Applause.)
 
MRS. OBAMA:  Are you ready to roll up your sleeves?
 
AUDIENCE:  Yes!  (Applause.)
 
MRS. OBAMA:  Are you ready?  Are you ready to work for our future?  To work for that vision for our children?  Because I am so fired up.  Can you tell?
 
AUDIENCE:  Yes!
 
MRS. OBAMA:  I am so ready to go.  Can you tell?  We're going to need you every step of the way.
 
Thank you all.  God bless.
 
END               
10:58 A.M. MDT
 

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
June 20, 2012

Remarks by President Obama at Press Conference After G20 Summit

Convention Center
Los Cabos, Mexico

5:47 P.M. MDT

PRESIDENT OBAMA:  I want to begin by thanking my good friend and partner, President Calderon, and the people of Los Cabos and Mexico for their outstanding hospitality and leadership.  Mexico is the first Latin American country to host a G20 summit, and this has been another example of Mexico playing a larger role in world affairs, from the global economy to climate change to development.  

Since this is my last visit to Mexico during President Calderon’s time in office, I want to say how much I’ve valued Felipe’s friendship and the progress that we’ve made together over the past several years.  And building on the spirit here at Los Cabos, I’m absolutely confident that the deep ties between our countries will only grow stronger in the years to come.  

Now, over the past three years, these G20 summits have allowed our nations to pull the global economy back from a free fall and put us back on the path of recovery and growth.  In the United States, our businesses have created jobs for 27 months in a row -- more than 4 million jobs in all -- and our highest priority continues to be putting people back to work even faster.
 
Today, we recognize that there are a wide range of threats to our ongoing global economic recovery and growth.  But the one that’s received the most focus obviously and that does have a significant impact on the United States as well as globally is the situation in Europe.  As our largest trading partner, slower growth in Europe means slower growth in American jobs.  So we have a profound interest in seeing Europe prosper.  That’s why I’ve been consulting closely with my European counterparts during this crisis, as we’ve done here at Los Cabos.

I do think it’s important to note, however, that most leaders of the eurozone, the economies are not part of the G20.  The challenges facing Europe will not be solved by the G20 or by the United States.  The solutions will be debated and decided, appropriately, by the leaders and the people of Europe. 

So this has been an opportunity for us to hear from European leaders on the progress they’re making and on their next steps -- especially in the wake of the election in Greece, and because they’re heading into the EU summit later this month.  It’s also been a chance for the international community, including the United States -- the largest economy in the world, and with our own record of responding to financial crises -- to stress the importance of decisive action at this moment.

Now, markets around the world as well as governments have been asking if Europe is ready to do what is necessary to hold the eurozone together.  Over the last two days European leaders here in Cabos have made it clear that they understand the stakes and they pledged to take the actions needed to address this crisis and restore confidence, stability, and growth.  Let me just be a little more specific. 

First, our friends in Europe clearly grasp the seriousness of the situation and are moving forward with a heightened sense of urgency.  I welcome the important steps that they have already taken to promote growth, financial stability and fiscal responsibility.  I’m very pleased that the European leaders here said that they will take all necessary measures to safeguard the integrity and stability of the eurozone, to improve the functioning of the financial markets.  This will contribute to breaking the feedback loop between sovereigns and banks, and make sovereign borrowing costs sustainable. 

I also welcome the adoption of the fiscal compact and it’s ongoing implementation, assessed on a structural basis, together with a growth strategy which includes structural reforms. 

G20 leaders all supported Europe working in partnership with the next Greek government to ensure that they remain on a path to reform and sustainability within the eurozone.  Another positive step forward was the eurozone’s commitment to work on a more integrated financial architecture -- including banking supervision, resolution, and recapitalization, as well as deposit insurance.  Also, in the coming days Spain will lay out the details of its financial support request for its banks restructuring agency, providing clarity to reassure markets on the form and the amount and the structure of support to be approved at the earliest time. 

It’s also positive that the eurozone will pursue structural reforms to strengthen competitiveness in deficit countries, and to promote demand and growth in surplus countries to reduce imbalances within the euro area.

And finally, I welcome the fact that Europe is determined to move forward quickly on measures to support growth and investment including by completing the European single market and making better use of European funds. 

Of course, Europe is not, as I said, the only source of concern when it comes to global growth.  The G20 also agreed that reversing the economic slowdown demands a renewed focus on growth and job creation.

As the world’s largest economy, the best thing the United States can do is to create jobs and growth in the short term, even as we continue to put our fiscal house in order over the long term.  And as part of that effort, we’ve made significant progress in advancing our trade agenda.  This is an essential to promoting growth, innovation and jobs in the United States.

Here in Los Cabos, we announced important steps towards closer integration with three of our major trading partners.  Both Mexico and Canada have been invited to join the Trans-Pacific Partnership negotiations, which is an ambitious 21st century trade agreement that will now include 11 countries.  And this agreement holds enormous opportunities to boost trade in one of the world’s fastest growing regions. 

Even as we build this new framework for trade in the Asia Pacific, we’re also working to expand our trade with Europe.  So today, the United States and the European Union agreed to take the next step in our work towards the possible launching of negotiations on an agreement to strengthen our already very deep trade and investment partnership.

In addition, and in keeping with our commitments at the last G20 in Cannes, we agreed that countries should not intervene to hold their currencies at undervalued levels, and that countries with large surpluses and export-oriented economies needed to continue to boost demand.

So, in closing, I’d note that with Mexico’s leadership, we continue to make progress across a range of challenges that are vital to our shared prosperity -- from food security to Greek economic growth that combats climate change, from financial education and protection for consumers to combating corruption that stifles economic growth, and in strengthening financial regulation to creating a more level playing field.  All of this happened in large part because of the leadership of President Calderón.  I want to thank him, and I want to thank my fellow leaders for their partnership as we work very hard to create jobs and opportunity that all of our citizens deserve.

So with that, I’m going to start with Ben Feller of AP.

Q    Thank you very much, Mr. President.  We’re all hearing a lot of encouraging promises about what Europe plans to do, but can you assure us that those actions, if they’re able to come together on them, will actually do anything to create jobs in America this year?  And if Europe is not able to rally in a big way pretty quickly, do you think that will cost you the election?

THE PRESIDENT:  Well, first of all, I think that what I’ve heard from European leaders during the course of these discussions is they understand the stakes.  They understand why it’s important for them to take bold and decisive action.  And I’m confident that they can meet those tests.

Now, I always show great sympathy for my European friends because they don’t have to deal with one Congress -- they have to deal with 17 parliaments, if you’re talking about the eurozone.  If you’re talking about the European Union, you’re talking about 27.  And that means that sometimes, even after they’ve conceived of approaches to deal with the crisis, they have to work through all the politics to get it done.  And markets are a lot more impatient. 

And so what I’ve encouraged them to do is to lay out a framework for where they want to go in increasing European integration, in resolving the financial pressures that are on sovereign countries.  Even if they can’t achieve all of it in one full swoop, I think if people have a sense of where they’re going, that can provide confidence and break the fever.  Because if you think about Europe, look, this remains one of the wealthiest, most productive regions of the world.  Europe continues to have enormous strengths -- a very well-educated, productive workforce.  They have some of the biggest, best-run companies in the world.  They have trading relationships around the world.  And all of these problems that they’re facing right now are entirely solvable, but the markets, when they start seeing potential uncertainty, show a lot more risk aversion, and you can start getting into a negative cycle.

And what we have to do is it to create a positive cycle where people become more confident, the markets settle down, and they have the time and the space to execute the kinds of structural reforms that not only Europe, but all of us are having to go through, in balancing the need for growth, but also dealing with issues like debt and deficits.  And I’m confident that over the next several weeks, Europe will paint a picture of where we need to go, take some immediate steps that are required to give them that time and space.  And based on the conversations that I’ve had here today and the conversations that I’ve had over the last several months, I’m confident that they are very much committed to the European project.

Now, all this affects the United States.  Europe as a whole is our largest trading partner.  And if fewer folks are buying stuff in Paris or Berlin, that means that we’re selling less stuff made in Pittsburgh or Cleveland.  But I think there are a couple of things that we’ve already done that help.  The financial regulatory reforms that we passed means that our banks are better capitalized.  It means that our supervision and our mechanisms for looking at trouble spots in our financial system are superior to what they were back in 2008.  That’s an important difference.  But there's still some more things we can do.

And the most important thing we can do is something that I’ve already talked about.  If Congress would act on a jobs plan that independent economists say would put us on the path of creating an extra million jobs on top of the ones that have already been created -- putting teachers back in the classroom, putting construction workers back on the job rebuilding infrastructure that badly needs to be rebuilt -- all those things can make a significant difference.  And given that we don’t have full control over what happens in Europe or the pace at which things happen in Europe, let’s make sure that we’re doing those things that we do have control over and that are good policy anyway.

Q    ((inaudible.)

THE PRESIDENT:  I think it’s fair to say that any -- all these issues, economic issues, will potentially have some impact on the election.  But that’s not my biggest concern right now.  My biggest concern is the same concern I’ve had over the last three and a half years, which is folks who are out of work or underemployed or unable to pay the bills -- what steps are we taking to potentially put them in a stronger position.  And I consistently believed that if we take the right policy steps, if we’re doing the right thing, then the politics will follow.  And my mind hasn’t changed on that.

Jeff Mason, Reuters.  Where’s Jeff?

Q    Thank you, sir.  My question is about Syria.  Did President Putin of Russia indicate any desire on Russia's part for Assad to step down or to leave power?  And did you make any tangible progress in your meetings with him or with Chinese President Hu in finding a way to stop the bloodshed there?

PRESIDENT OBAMA:  Well, these were major topics of conversation in both meetings.  And anybody who's seen scenes of what's happening in Syria I think recognizes that the violence is completely out of hand, that civilians are being targeted, and that Assad has lost legitimacy.  And when you massacre your own citizens in the ways that we've seen, it is impossible to conceive of a orderly political transition that leaves Assad in power.

Now, that doesn’t mean that that process of political transition is easy.  And there's no doubt that Russia, which historically has had a relationship with Syria, as well as China, which is generally wary of commenting on what it considers to be the internal affairs of other countries, are and have been more resistant to applying the kind of pressure that's necessary to achieve that political transition. 

We had a very candid conversation.  I wouldn't suggest that at this point the United States and the rest of the international community are aligned with Russia and China in their positions, but I do think they recognize the grave dangers of all-out civil war.  I do not think they condone the massacres that we've witnessed.  And I think they believe that everybody would be better served if Syria had a mechanism for ceasing the violence and creating a legitimate government.

What I've said to them is that it's important for the world community to work with the United Nations and Kofi Annan on what a political transition would look like.  And my hope is, is that we can have those conversations in the coming week or two and that we can present to the world, but most importantly, to the Syrian people, a pathway whereby this conflict can be resolved. 

But I don't think it would fair to say that the Russians and the Chinese are signed on at this point.  I think what is fair to say is that they recognize that the current situation is grave; it does not serve their interests; it certainly does not serve the interests of the Syrian people.  And where we agree is that if we can help the Syrian people find a path to a resolution, all of us would be better off.

But it's my personal belief -- and I shared this with them  -- that I don't see a scenario in which Assad stays and violence is reduced.  He had an opportunity with the Annan plan.  They did not fulfill their side of the deal.  Instead we saw escalation and murder of innocent women and children.  And at this point, we have the international monitors that were sent in having to leave because of this violence that's being perpetrated.  And although you'll hear sometimes from some commentators that the opposition has engaged in violence as well, and obviously there's evidence of that, I think it's also fair to say that those haunting images that we saw in places like Hom were the direct result of decisions made by the Syrian government and ultimately Mr. Assad is responsible.

Q    Did either of them talk about Syria without Assad?

PRESIDENT OBAMA:  We had an intensive conversation about it. If you're asking me whether they signed on to that proposition, I don't think it would be fair to say that they are there yet.  But my -- I'm going to keep on making the argument and my expectation is, is that at some point there's a recognition that it's hard to envision a better future for Syria while Assad is still there.

Julianna Goldman.

Q    Thank you, Mr. President.  One of Mitt Romney's economic advisors recently wrote in a German publication that your recommendations to Europe and to Germany in particular reveal ignorance of the causes of the crisis, and he said that they have the same flaws as your own economic policies.  I want to get your response to that, and also to follow up on Ben's question.  Europe has been kicking the can down the road for years, so why are you any more convinced that we won't see another three-month fix emerge out of Brussels at the end of the month?

PRESIDENT OBAMA:  Well, first of all, with respect to Mr. Romney's advisors, I suggest you go talk to Mr. Romney about his advisors.  I would point out that we have one President at a time and one administration at a time, and I think traditionally the notion has been that America's political differences end at the water's edge.  I'd also suggest that he may not be familiar with what our suggestions to the Germans have been.  And I think sometimes back home there is a desire to superimpose whatever ideological arguments are taking place back home on to a very complicated situation in Europe.

The situation in Europe is a combination of things.  You've got situations where some countries did have undisciplined fiscal practices, public debt.  You had some countries like Spain whose problems actually arose out of housing speculation and problems in the private sector that didn’t have to do with public debt. 

I think that there's no doubt that all the countries in Europe at this point recognize the need for growth strategies inside of Europe that are consistent with fiscal consolidation plans -- and by the way, that's exactly what I think the United States should be thinking about.  The essence of the plan that I presented back in September was how do we increase growth and jobs now while providing clarity in terms of how we reduce our deficit and our debt medium and long term. 

And I think that's the right recipe generally -- not just for us, but across the board.

You had a second question.  What was it?

Q    Why are you --

PRESIDENT OBAMA:  Why am I confident?  Well, look, I don't want to sound Pollyanna-ish here.  Resolving the issues in Europe is difficult.  As I said, there are a lot of players involved.  There are a lot of complexities to the problems, because we're talking about the problems of a bunch of different countries at this point.  Changing market psychology is very difficult.  But the tools are available.  The sense of urgency among the leaders is clear.  And so what we have to do is combine that sense of urgency with the tools that are available and bridge them in a timely fashion that can provide markets confidence.  And I think that can be done. 

Hopefully -- just to give an example -- when Spain clarifies exactly how it intends to draw down and utilize dollars -- or not dollars, but euros to recapitalize its banking system, given that it's already got support from other European countries, given that the resources are available, what's missing right now is just a sense of specifics and the path whereby that takes place. When markets see that, that can help build confidence and reverse psychology.

So there are going to be a range of steps that they can take.  None of them are going to be a silver bullet that solves this thing entirely over the next week or two weeks or two months.  But each step points to the fact that Europe is moving towards further integration rather than breakup, and that these problems can be resolved -- and points to the underlying strength in Europe's economies. 

These are not countries that somehow at their core are unproductive or dysfunctional; these are advanced economies with extraordinarily productive people.  They’ve got a particular challenge that has to do with a currency union that didn’t have all the best bells and whistles of a fiscal or a monetary union, and they're catching up now to some of those needs.  And they just need the time and the space to do it.  In the meantime, they've got to send a strong signal to the market, and I'm confident they can do that.

All right.  Thank you very much, everybody. 

END
6:12 P.M. MDT

The White House

Office of the First Lady

For Immediate Release
June 19, 2012

Remarks by the First Lady at a Campaign Event

Henderson Convention Center
Henderson, Nevada

4:36 P.M. PDT

MRS. OBAMA:  Yes!  (Applause.)  Whoa!  Thank you so much.  (Applause.)  All right, I like it.  You all are fired up, right?  (Applause.)  And ready to go.  Four more years!  (Applause.)
 
Thank you all so much -- you’re so sweet.  (Laughter.)  Let me tell you, I am thrilled -- thrilled to be here today, truly.  Let me start by just saying a few thank-yous.  Let’s begin with Theresa.  Let’s give her a round of applause for that wonderful introduction.  (Applause.)  And to all of our nurses here who are just making sure that we all keep it together.  So let’s give them all a round of applause.  (Applause.)
 
And I know there were a few people who came on before me.  I want to thank Wendy for getting everyone fired up.  And I also want to thank Ashton, Erin, Helen*, Pastor Trujillo for their remarks earlier and for everything they’re doing for our campaign.  (Applause.)
 
And your Mayor -- good Mayor and your First Lady are here today.  Mayor Hafen is here.  I got a chance to meet them both.  (Applause.)  How are you?  He’s nice and tall, so we can see him.  But where is your wife?  She’s smaller.  (Laughter.)  And she is here.  (Laughter.)  The State Party Chair, Roberta Lange, is here.  (Applause.)  And one of our good friends, Senator Steven Horsford and his family are here.  (Applause.)  He is going to make an outstanding member of Congress.  They are a terrific family.  We are so proud of them.  (Applause.)
 
And finally, I want to thank all of you, because you all are extraordinary volunteers and organizers.  Thank you for everything that you do, day in and day out, to make this campaign possible -- truly.  I know it’s warm in here, so you guys hang in there.  But I know that you are doing all of the hard work -- you’re knocking on those doors, you’re making those calls.  More importantly, you’re registering voters all throughout the state. 
 
And I want to thank you for giving folks the information they need about the issues they care about.  And I want you to know, truly, that the grassroots work that you all are doing to get people focused and fired up -– that work is at the core of this campaign.  It is truly what is going to make the difference.  That’s how we did it four years ago, and let me tell you, that’s how we’re going to do it again this time around as well.  (Applause.)
 
And I say this to all our volunteers:  I know that the work that you’re doing, it is not easy.  I know that you all are putting in those long hours.  And I know that you’re doing it in spite of your busy lives.  I know that you all -- Amen -- have your own families to raise and your jobs to do.  Many of you are finishing school, getting your education together.
 
But I also know that there’s a reason why all of us are here today, and why we’re doing this work.  And it’s not just because we support an extraordinary President, which we do -– my husband, I’m a little biased.  (Applause.)  And it’s not just because we want to win an election -- although we do, and we will.  (Applause.) 
 
What we all have to remember, though, is that we are doing this because of the values we believe in.  I say that everywhere I go.  I remind people, it’s about our values.  We’re doing this because of the vision for this country that we all share.  Regardless of who we are, we share the same vision.  We’re doing this because we want all our children in this country to be able to go to those good schools.  (Applause.)  The kind of schools that push them.  The kind of schools that inspire them and prepare them for the good jobs and the opportunities for the future.  We want that for all of our kids.
 
We want our parents and our grandparents to be able to retire with dignity -– (applause) -- because we believe that here in America, after a lifetime of hard work, they should be able to enjoy their golden years -- really enjoy that time.  (Applause.)
    
We’re here because we want to restore that basic middle-class security for all of our families, because we believe that folks shouldn’t go bankrupt because somebody gets sick.  In America, people shouldn’t lose their homes because somebody loses a job.  No, not in America.  We believe that responsibility should be rewarded, and that hard work should pay off.  We believe that everyone should do their fair share, but play by the same rules.  (Applause.) 
 
And the thing that we know, everyone here and around the country -- these are basic American values.  This isn’t new.  They’re the values that so many of us were raised with, including myself.  And I share my story everywhere I go because it makes me who I am.  My father was a blue-collar worker at the city water plant, and my family lived in a little-bitty apartment on the South Side of Chicago.  And my parents never had the kinds of educational opportunities my brother and I had.  But growing up, let me tell you what my parents did do for us:  They saved and they sacrificed everything.  They poured everything they had into me and my brother, because they wanted us to have the kind of education they could only dream of.  And look what they’ve done.  (Applause.)
 
And like a lot of kids in this country who go to college, pretty much all my college tuition came from student loans and grants, right?  How many people can relate to that?  (Applause.)  But my dad still paid a small portion of that tuition himself.  And every semester, he was determined to pay that bill right on time.  Because, see, my dad, Fraser, he was so proud to be able to send his kids to college, and he couldn’t bear the thought of me or my brother missing a registration deadline because his check was late.
 
My dad is like so many people in this country.  My father took great pride in being able to earn a decent living that allowed him to handle his responsibilities to his family.  That’s what gave him joy -- to pay all of his bills, and to pay them all on time.  That’s all he wanted.  And truly, more than anything else, that is what’s at stake in this election.  (Applause.)  We can’t -- that’s what we’re working for.
 
It’s that fundamental promise that no matter who you are or how you started out, in America, if you work hard, you can build a decent life for yourself -- yes -- and an even better life for your kids.  That’s what this is about.  (Applause.)  And what we have to know, it is that promise that binds us together as Americans.  It’s what makes us who we are in this country.  It’s what makes us special.
 
But now, from now until November, let me tell you something, Barack is going to need all of you out there, and telling everyone you know what’s at stake.  (Applause.)  Tell them about these values that we share.  Remind them about our vision, and about everything that’s on the line in this election.  That’s what we need you to do.
 
AUDIENCE MEMBER:  We’re fired up!
 
MRS. OBAMA:  Be fired up.  (Applause.)  And I want you to start by -- just remind people how Barack fought for tax cuts for working families and small businesses.  (Applause.)  Those are the tax cuts he’s been working to, because an economy that is built to last starts with the middle class and with the kind of folks who are creating jobs and putting people back to work.
 
Remind them how, back when Barack took office, this economy was losing an average of 750,000 jobs a month.  That’s what he inherited.  That’s what he walked into.  But also let them know that for the past 27 straight months, this economy has actually been gaining private sector jobs, a total of more than 4 million jobs in just two years.  (Applause.)
 
So while we still have a long way to go, we still have more work to do to rebuild our economy, let them know that today millions of people are collecting a paycheck again; millions of people like my dad are able to pay their bills again thanks to your President.  (Applause.)
 
I also want you to tell people about everything that Barack has done to help folks avoid losing their homes to foreclosure.  I mean, you can tell them that because of the programs he announced here in Nevada last year, families across this state have been able to refinance their mortgages, and keep their homes, and keep more money in their pockets each month.  You’ve got to remind them. 
 
You can also tell people about health care, and how, because of health reform, insurance companies will have to cover preventative care -- things like contraception, cancer screenings and prenatal care, and cover it without any additional cost.  (Applause.)  Remind people about that.  People tend to forget.
 
Because of reform, let them know millions of our senior citizens have saved an average of more than $600 a year on their prescription drugs -- thanks to health reform.  (Applause.) 
 
And for the parents out there with college-age students, kids can now stay on their parents’ insurance until they’re 26 years old.  (Applause.)  And understand the effect:  That is how 3.1 million more young people are getting the health care they need.  So remind people about that. 
 
You can tell people how Barack is working to raise standards in our public schools and to make college more affordable for millions of young people, so -- and his vision is that by the end of this decade, more Americans in this country will hold a degree than any other country in the world.  That’s the kind of vision we can all stand by.  (Applause.) 
 
But you also have to tell people how Barack has been fighting for the DREAM Act.  (Applause.)  And understand this -- he’s doing this because he believes that it is time to stop denying citizenship to responsible young people just because they’re children of undocumented immigrants.  (Applause.)  And just last week, this administration announced new measures to lift the shadow of deportation from many of these young people, who came here as children and were raised as Americans.  (Applause.)
 
But while this is an important step, it is not a permanent solution.  It is not.  So Barack is going to keep fighting to get Congress to give these young people a real pathway to citizenship.  That’s the vision that this President has.  (Applause.) 
 
You can remind folks that Barack kept his promise to bring our troops home from Iraq.  (Applause.)  And you can remind them about how our brave men and women in uniform finally brought to justice the man behind the 9/11 attacks.  (Applause.)  And our troops no longer have to lie about who they are to serve the country they love, because Barack ended “don’t ask, don’t tell.”
 
But I also want you to tell people that it’s now easier for women to get equal pay for equal work -– (applause) -- and that’s because of the first bill Barack signed into law as President of the United States, the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act.  The first thing he did as President of the United States.  (Applause.)
 
But let people know why he signed this bill, why this was so important.  Because he knows that closing that pay gap, that  can mean the difference between women in this country losing $50, $100, $500 from each paycheck, or having that money in their pockets to buy groceries, and school clothes for their kids, and gas -- put gas in their car.  Barack did it because when so many women are now breadwinners for our families in this country, women’s success in this economy is the key to families’ success in this economy.  (Applause.)
 
And finally, don’t forget to tell people about those two brilliant Supreme Court Justices Barack appointed, and how, for the first time in history, our daughters and sons watched three women take their seat on our nation’s highest court.  (Applause.)
 
Now I could go on and on and on.  But it is warm in here.  (Laughter.)  And I love you too much to keep you standing up that long.  (Applause.)  But it’s also important for people to remind folks that all of this and so much more is at stake this November.  It’s all on the line.  And in the end it all boils down to one simple question:  Will we continue the change we’ve begun and the progress we’ve made?  Or will we allow everything we’ve worked for to just slip away?
 
AUDIENCE:  No!
 
MRS. OBAMA:  No!  We know what we need to do.  We cannot turn back now.  We need to keep moving forward.  We need to keep moving forward.  And more than anything else, that’s what we’re working for.  That’s what it’s all about -– it’s the chance to finish what we started; the chance to keep fighting for the values we believe in and the vision we all share.
 
And that’s what my husband has been doing every single day as President of the United States.  And let me just tell you -- let me share something with you.  Because, as First Lady, over the past three-and-a-half years, I have had the chance to see up close and personal what being President looks like.  I know a little something about it now.  And I have seen how the issues that come across a President’s desk are always the hard ones -– the problems with no easy solutions; the judgment calls where the stakes are so high, and there is no margin for error. 
 
And as President, you’re going to get all kinds of advice and opinions from all kinds of people.  That’s for sure.  But at the end of the day, when it comes time to make that decision, as President, understand, all you have to guide you are your life experiences.  All you have to draw on are your values, your vision for this country.  In the end, it all boils down to who you are and what you stand for.  (Applause.)
 
And the reason why I am up here so passionate is because we all know who my husband is, right?  (Applause.)  We all know what Barack Obama stands for.  (Applause.)  He’s the son of a single mother who struggled to put herself through school and pay the bills.  That’s who he is.  He’s the grandson of a woman who woke up before dawn every day to catch her bus to a job at a bank.  And even though Barack’s grandmother worked hard to help support his family, and she was good at her job, he watched -- like so many women, she hit that glass ceiling.  And men no more qualified than she was were promoted up the ladder ahead of her. 
 
So what I want everybody to understand about their President is that he understands what it means when a family struggles.  That’s not new to him.  He knows what it means when someone doesn’t have a chance to fulfill their potential.  And let me tell you, today, as a father, he knows what it means to want something better for your kids.  Those are the experiences that have made him the man and the President he is today.  (Applause.)   
 
So when you think about who you're going to work for, understand when it comes time to stand up for American workers and American families, you know what Barack Obama is going to do, right?  (Applause.)  When there’s a choice about protecting our rights and our freedoms -- all of us -- you know where Barack stands.  And when we need a leader to make the hard decisions to keep this country moving forward, you know you can count on Barack Obama because that is what he’s been doing every single day as President of the United States.  (Applause.)
 
That’s why I'm here, and that’s why I'm going to be out there.  (Applause.)  But I have said this before -- I have said it before, and I will say it everywhere I go -- Barack cannot do this alone.  Barack needs you so fired up.  He needs your help.  He needs you to keep doing what you're doing.  Keep making those calls, right?  Keep knocking on those doors.  Keep registering those voters. 
 
And even more important, he needs you to multiply yourselves.  No, I mean this -- multiply yourselves.  Reach out to everyone you know -- friends, family, neighbors.  Tell them to go to barackobama.com.  Find out how they -- help them find out how they can get started just giving a little part of themselves each week to this campaign. 
 
Multiply yourselves.  Because as Barack said, this election will be even closer than the last one.  That is a guarantee. 
And if you have any doubt about the difference that you will make, I just want you to remember that in the end, this election is going to come down to those last few thousand people that you register to vote.  Think like that.
 
It's going to come down to those last few thousand folks that you help get to the polls.  That will make the difference.  And I just want you to think for a minute about what these numbers can mean when they're spread out over an entire state.  It might mean registering just one more person in your town -- truly.  Understand this.  It might mean just helping one more person in your community get to the polls on Election Day.
Day. 
 
So please, with every door you knock on, with every event you host, with every conversation you have -- in the store, at church, in the pick-up line -- I want you to remember that this could be the one that makes the difference.  And it can make the difference -- people having the right information about who their President is and what he has done.
 
That is the kind of impact each of you will have.  Understand that.  That’s why we work so hard.  That’s why we're in this. 
 
But I’m not going to kid you, this journey will definitely be long, and it is going to be hard.  And there will be plenty of twists and turns along the way -- that is a guarantee.  But we have to remember that is how change always happens in this country.  But if we keep showing up, if we keep fighting the good fight, fighting for the things we know are right, then eventually we get there.  We always do, we always have. 
 
AUDIENCE:  Yes!
 
MRS. OBAMA:  Maybe not in our lifetimes, but here's the thing -- maybe in our children’s lifetimes.  Maybe in our grandchildren’s lifetimes.
 
Because in the end, that’s what this is all about.  It's about them.  And that’s what I think about when I tuck my girls in at night.  Every night when I leave them and I'm here, I think about them, and I think about the world that I want to leave for them and for all of our sons and daughters. 
 
I think about how I want them to do -- I want to do for them what my Dad did for me.  (Applause.)  I want to give all our kids that solid foundation for their dreams -- all of them.  I want to give them opportunities worthy of their promise -- because all kids have promise.  I want to give them that sense of limitless possibility; that belief that here in America, there’s always something better if you’re willing to work for it. 
 
So we cannot turn back now. 
 
AUDIENCE:  No!
 
MRS. OBAMA:  No, we can't turn back now.  We have come so far, but we have so much more to do.
 
So let me ask you one last question:  Are you all in?
 
AUDIENCE:  Yes!  (Applause.)
 
MRS. OBAMA:  No, no, are you really in?
 
AUDIENCE:  Yes! 
 
MRS. OBAMA:  Are you ready for this work? 
 
AUDIENCE:  Yes!
 
MRS. OBAMA:  Are you ready to roll up your sleeves?  Are you ready to multiply yourselves? 
 
AUDIENCE:  Yes!
 
MRS. OBAMA:  You know what we're working for.  You understand that vision, and it's a vision that everyone in this country shares -- you know it and I know it.
 
So let's get to work.  I am so fired up.
 
Thank you all.  God bless.  (Applause.)

END                
5:02 P.M. PDT

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
June 19, 2012

Remarks by President Obama and President Hu Jintao of China before Bilateral Meeting

Convention Center
Los Cabos, Mexico

4:09 P.M. MDT

PRESIDENT OBAMA:  I just want to say that it’s a great pleasure once again to have this bilateral meeting with President Hu. 

Over the last several years, as a consequence of not only extensive one-on-one meetings, but also because of the outstanding work that our teams have done through the strategic and economic dialogue, we have been able to really create a new model for practical and constructive and comprehensive relations between our two countries.

Obviously, as two of the largest economies in the world, much of our focus has been on increasing trade and commerce between our two countries in a way that creates mutual benefits, and we have made significant progress in not only our bilateral relations, but also in helping to manage through some very difficult economic crises.

We've also been able to cooperate on a range of regional issues relating to the Asia Pacific region, but also with respect to conflict and security challenges around the world.

In the wake of the G20, this will be a good opportunity for us to recap the work that both China and the United States have to do to sustain global economic growth and to make sure that we are creating jobs and opportunity for our citizens.

And I’m also looking forward to having the opportunity to discuss some immediate issues that the world confronts -- being able to discuss Iran, North Korea, and the challenges of curbing nuclear proliferation.  This will also give us an opportunity to discuss the situation in Syria, and to arrive at a cooperative approach that can end the bloodshed there and lead to the kind of legitimate government that I think we all hope for.

So once again, I want to thank President Hu for his leadership both in the G20 and in helping to nurture the kind of cooperative relationship that we’ve developed.  And I look forward very much to our discussion.

PRESIDENT HU:  (As interpreted.)  I’m delighted to meet with you, Mr. President, again.  It’s already our 12th meeting.  In March this year, you and I had very close in Seoul, Korea, and over the past three months, the working teams of both countries have been working in real earnest to follow through with the important agreement you and I reached.  And we have made new progress in developing a cooperative partnership between China and the United States.

Building a good, stable, and productive China-U.S. relationship is in our mutual interest of our two countries and our two peoples, and also contributes to peace and development. 

China is willing to work together with the United States to remain firmly committed to building a cooperative partnership.  We are willing to work with the United States to continue building trust and cooperation, appropriately handle disagreements and sensitive issues, and continue to move forward with this cooperative partnership on a sustained, steady and sound course.

I highly appreciate the important role played by President Obama in promoting the growth of this relationship.  I believe that the talks we are going to have are going to be conducted in a sincere, friendly and productive manner.

PRESIDENT OBAMA:  Thank you.

END
4:17 P.M. MDT

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
June 19, 2012

Remarks by Treasury Secretary Geithner

Convention Center
Los Cabos, Mexico

2:33 P.M. MDT

SECRETARY GEITHNER:  We're encouraged by what we've heard from the European leaders today and by the broad focus around the world we're seeing to the need to strengthen economic growth.

The leaders of the G20 met here at obviously what's a challenging time for the global economy, and this matters a lot to the United States because, because of the crisis in European and the softness you're seeing in growth outside Europe, that means that in the U.S. we're not growing as fast as we need to grow.

Now, the leaders today discussed a broad range of reforms and priorities.  They reviewed progress on trade, on development, on financial reform and energy.  But the focus of the meetings were very much on the crisis in Europe and these broader challenges to economic growth. 

And the leaders in Europe are working towards the summit they have at the end of next week.  It's going to be really a critical summit for them.  And what they're trying to do is to design a framework to not just make Europe stronger for the future with reforms to build a stronger set of institutions for fiscal union --  banking union -- that's the way they describe it -- not just to make sure these economic reforms work over time to strengthen growth in Europe, but what they're also trying to do is to make sure in the very near term they're putting in place a set of measures that can help make sure that they're supporting the financial systems of Europe and they are helping make sure that countries that are undertaking these reforms -- like Spain and Italy -- can borrow at existing low interest rates.

Both those two things are very important -- not just the long-term reforms to build a stronger Europe, but the immediate steps to make sure that they're stabilizing their financial systems and making sure these reforms can really work.

Now, they've laid out a framework with a series of very important key elements, and let me just describe those key elements for you -- and you're going to hear the European leaders speak to those specific changes.

First, they all want to work in partnership with Greece to make sure that Greece is reforming within the European community. That's very important. 

Second, they are designing, as I said, the elements of what they call a financial architecture for a stronger framework to make their financial system work.  And what this means is a framework of reforms so they can stand behind their banks, provide capital to the banks that need it, make sure they're protecting the savings of their depositors.  That's the second key thing -- this focus on banking union or a broader financial architecture -- financial union.

You saw Spain move -- and it's a very good thing they did this -- to make sure they're committed, to make sure they can get some support of the capital -- the banks. 

And the third thing is the focus on economic growth, because of course, for these reforms to work in Europe over time, Europe needs to grow faster. 

As I said, you're going to hear more from the European leaders in the coming days about the specific proposals they're going to put in place.  They're negotiating towards an agreement at their summit at the end of next week. 

Now, a solution to this crisis in Europe has got to be made in Europe.  And all of us, of course, have a huge interest, a huge stake in the success of their efforts.  And we're going to continue to do everything we can to support them.

Thank you.

END
2:36 P.M. MDT

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
June 18, 2012

Remarks by President Obama and President Putin of Russia After Bilateral Meeting

Esperanza Resort
Los Cabos, Mexico

12:42 P.M. MDT

PRESIDENT PUTIN:  (As interpreted.)  Mr. President, this has been our second meeting.  I remember our lengthy meeting we had in Moscow.

Today we had a very meaningful and subject-oriented discussion.  We've been able to discuss issues pertaining to security.  We discussed bilateral economic relations.  In this regard, I'd like to thank you for the support rendered to Russia with our accession to the World Trade Organization.  I'm confident this will help to further develop the economic relations between our two countries, to promote the creation of jobs in both countries.

We also discussed international affairs, including the Syrian affair.  From my perspective, we've been able to find many commonalities pertaining to all of those issues.  And we'll now further develop our contacts both on a personal level and on the level of our experts involved.

You visited the Russian Federation three years ago.  Now welcome again.  I invite you to visit Moscow. 

PRESIDENT OBAMA:  Thank you very much, Mr. President.

We, in fact, did have a candid, thoughtful and thorough conversation on a whole range of bilateral and international issues.  Over the last three years, the United States and Russia have been able to make significant progress on a wide range of issues, including the New START Treaty, the 1,2,3 Agreement, the work we've done on Russia's accession to the WTO, and setting up a presidential process whereby issues of trade and commerce, science, technology are all discussed at a much more intensive level.

We agreed that we need to build on these successes, even as we recognize that there are going to be areas of disagreement, and that we can find constructive ways to manage through any bilateral tensions.  In particular, we discussed the need to expand trade and commercial ties between the United States and Russia, which are still far below where they should be.  And I emphasized my priority of having Congress repeal Jackson-Vanik, provide permanent trade relations status to Russia so that American businesses can take advantage of the extraordinary opportunities now that Russia is a member of the WTO.

We discussed a range of strategic issues, including missile defense, and resolved to continue to work through some of the difficult problems involved there.

I thanked the President and the Russian people for the work they’ve done with us on the Northern Distribution Network that is vital to providing supplies and resources to our brave troops who are still in Afghanistan.

We emphasized our shared approach when it comes to the Iranian situation as members of the P5+1.  We agreed that there’s still time and space to resolve diplomatically the issue of Iran’s potential development of nuclear weapons, as well as its interest in developing peaceful nuclear power. 

And finally, as Mr. President mentioned, we discussed Syria, where we agreed that we need to see a cessation of the violence, that a political process has to be created to prevent civil war, and the kind of horrific events that we’ve seen over the last several weeks, and we pledged to work with other international actors including the United Nations, Kofi Annan, and all the interested parties in trying to find a resolution to this problem.

Mr. President, I look forward to visiting Russia again, and I look forward to hosting you in the United States.

Thank you, everybody.

END     
12:53 P.M. MDT

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
June 18, 2012

Remarks by President Obama and President Calderon After Bilateral Meeting

American Grand Los Cabos Resort
Los Cabos, Mexico

9:29 A.M. MDT

PRESIDENT CALDERÓN:  (As interpreted.)  Good morning, Mr. President, President Barack Obama, President of the United States; distinguished members of the delegations, and distinguished members of media.  Thank you for being with us today.

First I would like to say that it is very important for me to be able to share great news with you.  But before doing that, I would like to thank personally, and on behalf of the Mexican nation, President Barack Obama for his valuable decision by executive order to give an opportunity for young people who were not born in the United States but who arrived in that great nation before they were 16 years of age, or who are studying in university, or who have served in the United States armed forces, for them not to be deported for at least a period of two years, so this is a clear and certain situation for them. 

We believe that this is very just.  It's a humanitarian action.  And it's an unprecedented action in our opinion.  And in this sense, Mr. President, we would like to thank you for the valor and courage that you had in implementing this action.  I am sure that many, many families in the United States of America are thankful to you as well.

I'd also like to inform you that President Barack Obama and I have had a very fruitful meeting.  We have touched upon issues of great relevance for the success of the G20 summit.  But there's one topic of the greatest importance that we'd like to share with you, and that is that the United States, together with the other eight countries that make up the TPP -- the Trans-Pacific Partnership -- have welcomed Mexico for it to join the negotiations of this initiative. 
 
The Trans-Pacific Partnership is an expansion of the trade agreement that was known initially as P-4, and that began in 2006 by Brunei, Chile, New Zealand and Singapore.  And this commercial trade initiative was added into by Australia, the United States, Malaysia, Peru, and Vietnam afterwards.  So this is one of the free trade initiatives that's most ambitious in the world and would foster integration of the Asia Pacific region, one of the regions with the greatest dynamism in the world.  And this region negotiating the TPP represents 26 -- of the world's GDP, 15 percent of exports and 12 of imports.

But most importantly, at this time of recession in some areas of the world, of a slowdown in others, the TPP, or Trans-Pacific Partnership, perhaps represents the greatest potential area of growth in an entire decade.  So this is a great piece of news for Mexicans because it implies jobs and economic growth for at least the next two decades.

So the invitation that is made to Mexico by these nine nations to join the negotiations of the TPP also recognizes Mexico's efforts in trade and reaffirms Mexico's weight within the new economic and international financial context. 

The fact that President Barack Obama has communicated to me that Mexico is being invited to join this negotiation is a sample of the solidarity of our relationships, and the joint, or shared, responsibility that President Obama has taken on in our bilateral agenda, as well as issues of competitiveness and greater trade. Better and more trade is more jobs and growth for Mexicans, more growth and jobs for the United States as well.

So it’s very important for Mexico to join this process.  I know that other nations want to join the TPP, and I hope that they’ll be able to do that soon.  Clearly, current members of the TPP have recognized the possibilities of what this means and the contribution to the Mexican economy ibeing part of this process. 

Our business sector has welcomed this initiative, and I’d like to thank that sector for supporting the Mexican government in entering into this.  And I’m sure that this will imply a great deal of jobs for us.  In short, I believe that the TPP and the United States’ support for Mexico’s joining the initiative opens a door to Mexico in the 21st century in terms of trade integration.  And I’m sure that the negotiations that we will be undertaking in the next months will be beneficial for Mexico, beneficial for the United States, and beneficial in general for all of the countries who have a coast on the Pacific.  And this will be enable us to have further economic growth and prosperity as a result.

Thank you very much, Mr. President, for both things -- for the humanitarian action that you undertook this week, as well as for the support to Mexico in this matter.

PRESIDENT OBAMA:  Well, thank you very much.  Let me begin by thanking President Calderón and the Mexican people for their extraordinarily gracious hospitality in this beautiful setting.  We are confident that this will be a very productive summit thanks to all the organization and efforts that have been made by you.

On the bilateral relationship, I think that because of the work that we’ve done together, Mr. President, the bonds that were already so strong between our two countries have become stronger. And the Trans-Pacific Partnership negotiations that you just referred to are a good example. 

We are obviously two of our most important trading partners to each other, but we both recognize that growth is going to take place in the Asia Pacific region.  We are part of that network of nations that are growing and dynamic.  And for us now to be able to create a high standard trade agreement that further increases job opportunities, commercial opportunities, investment opportunities, I think will benefit citizens in both our countries that are eager to compete and to be able to prosper in a global market.

And you have personally shown significant courage and hard work in being able to join these negotiations.  We appreciate your negotiations efforts.  We think it will be good for Mexico; we think it will be good for the United States; and we think it will be good for the region as well.

With respect to the summit, obviously we are going to be very busy over the next day and a half.  The world is concerned about the slowing of growth that has taken place.  A lot of attention has been centered on Europe.  Now is the time, as we’ve discussed, to make sure that all of us join to do what’s necessary to stabilize the world financial system, to avoid protectionism, to ensure that we are working hand-in-hand to both grow the economy and create jobs while taking a responsible approach long term and medium term towards our fiscal structures.

I think the election in Greece yesterday indicates a positive prospect for not only them forming a government, but also them working constructively with their international partners in order that they can continue on the path of reform, and do so in a way that also offers the prospects for the Greek people to succeed and prosper. 

And we are going to be working under your leadership with our European partners and with all countries to make sure that we’re contributing so that the economy grows, the situation stabilizes, confidence returns to the markets, and most importantly, we’re giving our people the chance if they work hard to succeed and do well.

And from everything that we’ve seen your leadership on this summit I think will help us take one important step in a series of steps that are going to be required to continue to improve global economic prospects. 

So I just want to thank you for all your leadership and your friendship.  I want to thank all the members of your administration.  I remember hosting one of these G20s and I know that as much work as it is for us, it’s even more work for them. So we appreciate that very much.

PRESIDENT CALDERÓN:  Thank you.

PRESIDENT OBAMA:  Thank you, Mr. President.

END 
9:39 A.M. MDT

The White House

Office of the First Lady

For Immediate Release
June 17, 2012

Remarks by the First Lady at Oregon State University Commencement

Reser Stadium
Corvallis, Oregon

4:53 P.M. PDT
 
MRS. OBAMA:  Thank you so much.  (Applause.)  I can’t tell you how much this means.  I am so proud to receive this honorary degree from this phenomenal university.  And I am thrilled to be here today to celebrate the Oregon State University class of 2012!  Go Beaves!  (Applause.)
 
I want to start by thanking President Ray for that very kind introduction and for the degree.  I also want to thank Provost Randhawa.  I also want to recognize Mayor Julie Manning, who’s here, and all of the outstanding faculty, staff, administrators and university leaders here at OSU. 
 
I also want to acknowledge Tonga as well, and all of the student speakers who are going to be on the stage today.  We are so proud of you all.  And of course, to the stars of today’s show, the class of 2012 -- congratulations!  (Applause.)
 
We are all so proud of you.  We are proud of how hard you’ve worked, how much you’ve grown, and all that you’ve achieved during your time here at Oregon State.  And I know that none of you did this alone.  As the President said earlier, you all are here today in large part because of those beautiful people up in the bleachers -– the folks who pushed you, and believed in you, and answered the phone every time you called, even when you were just calling for money.  (Laughter.)
 
So, graduates, again, let’s give another round of applause to your family, especially to all of the fathers out there on this beautiful Father’s Day.  Today is their day, too.  (Applause.) 
 
Now, like all of you, I am here today because of my family.  As you know, Craig Robinson, your men’s basketball coach, is my big brother.  (Applause.)  And last fall, Craig called me up and he said that if I didn’t speak at this year’s commencement, he was going to tell mom on me.  (Laughter.)  And since our mother now lives with me, that threat actually still carries some weight.  (Laughter.)
 
But seriously, I’m not here today just because Craig has turned the Obama family into Beaver Believers, which he has.  (Laughter and applause.)  I am also here, proudly, because of everything this university is doing for this country.  You have built one of the most sustainable campuses in America.  You’re conducting groundbreaking research on everything from agriculture, to nanotechnology, to childhood obesity.  You are serving others in so many ways -- tutoring children, joining our armed forces, fighting hunger and disease here in America and around the world.
 
So let me just say, I can see why Craig feels so at home here at OSU.  Because in so many ways, the values you all embody are the values that he and I were raised with.
 
Craig and I grew up on the South Side of Chicago, and our family was very close –- I mean literally close, real close.  My mom, my dad, Craig and I, we lived in a little-bitty apartment, and for years Craig and I shared a bedroom divided by a wooden partition to give us the illusion of separate rooms.  And at night, Craig and I would whisper to each other through the cracks in that partition until one of us feel asleep, or mom yelled and said, shut up, be quiet -- one or the other.  (Laughter.)
 
But while we didn’t have much space, our little home was bursting with love.  We spent lots of time together as a family laughing and sharing stories at dinner each night; playing board games, card games for hours, huddled around the kitchen table.  We enjoyed the simple pleasures in life, like getting our report cards because good grades meant pizza for dinner -- that was a highlight.  Trying to hold in our giggles as Craig put shaving cream on my dad’s glasses while he napped.  Sleeping on the back porch on hot summer nights when the temperature in our little apartment became unbearable.
 
But it wasn’t all fun and games growing up.  Our parents were big believers in everyone doing their part around the house.  Craig often compared Saturday chores to boot camp.  And my parents were even more serious about our academics.  My mom taught Craig and I to read long before kindergarten started, and she spent hours volunteering in our neighborhood public school, making sure we got the education she knew we deserved.  See, that was the kind of childhood we had. 
 
And one day -- I will never forget, when my brother was about 10, he asked my dad a simple question.  He said, “Dad, are we rich?”  To answer this question, my dad took his next paycheck from his job at the city water plant, and instead of depositing that check, he cashed it in small bills.  He then came home and dumped out all that money on the kitchen table.  Craig was impressed -– with all that money, he thought, we must be rich.
 
But then my Dad started explaining where all the money went each month:  little bit for rent, that much for gas, this much for groceries.  And by the time he was done, there wasn’t a penny left on that table.  And Craig was shocked, and so was I.  I mean, here we were, two kids growing up in a family that was just barely working class, but we were convinced that we were wealthy.  We knew it.
 
And, graduates, that’s what I’d like to talk with you about today.  I’d like to talk about what Craig and I learned from our family about leading a rich life no matter how much money you have.  And while there are plenty of lessons I could share, there are three that I’d like to emphasize today.
 
The first:  No matter what struggles or setbacks you face in your life, focus on what you have, not on what you’re missing. 
 
My dad taught us this lesson every day by how he lived his life.  My dad was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis when my brother and I were still very young.  And as he got sicker it got harder for him to walk, and it took him longer to dress himself in the morning.  My dad had been an athlete all of his life; he was a boxer and a swimmer in high school.  So it must have been hard for him to feel his body declining -- to go from being an active, vibrant young man to barely being able to make it up the stairs.
 
But if he was in pain, if he was at all disappointed with his fate, he never let on.  He never stopped smiling and laughing.  And even as he struggled to prop himself up on his crutches to teach us to catch a ball, or hold a bat, or throw a punch, no matter how bad he was feeling, he hardly ever missed a day of work because he was determined to be our family’s provider and to give me and Craig the kind of opportunities he’d never dreamed of for himself.
 
And there is not a day that goes by that I don’t think about how our dad -- and how much he sacrificed for me and Craig to be the people we are today.  And today, as First Lady, I see that same spirit, that same kind of sacrifice, in people I meet all across this country.  I see it in parents like my dad, struggling to support their families.  I see it in students like all of you, working so hard to get an education.  I see it in young people who are serving this country in uniform, facing challenges that most of us couldn’t even imagine.  And I’ve seen this firsthand -- the sacrifices that our American heroes are making. 
 
As First Lady, I’ve had the extraordinary privilege of visiting wounded warriors in military hospitals all across this country.  Many of them are your age or younger, and they have suffered terrible injuries.  Some of them have lost a limb -- some of them have lost two limbs, some three.  They’ve endured dozens of surgeries; they’ve spent months learning to walk again and talk again. 
 
But despite the challenges, they persevere.  They aren’t looking back.  They aren’t dwelling on what they’ve lost.  Instead, they are making plans for their lives, they’re reimagining their futures.  They tell me that they’re not just going to walk again, they’re going to run and they’re going to run marathons. 
 
I recently met a young Navy Lieutenant named Brad Snyder who’d been blinded by an IED explosion in Afghanistan.  He competed in this year’s Warrior Games as a runner and a swimmer.  And of his service he said this -- he said, “I am not going to let my blindness build a brick wall around me.  I’d give my eyes 100 times again to have the chance to do what I have done and what I can still do.”
 
And, graduates, more than anything else, that will be the true measure of your success -- not how well you do when you’re healthy and happy and everything is going according to plan, but what you do when life knocks you to the ground and all your plans go right out the window.  In those darkest moments, you will have a choice:  Do you dwell on everything you’ve lost?  Or do you focus on what you still have, and find a way to move forward with passion, with determination, and with joy?
 
And I know that many of you in this graduating class have already faced this choice in your own lives -- Tonga shared with us today.  But there is also one of today's graduates, Vanessa Vasquez.
 
Vanessa’s parents are agricultural workers with a grade school education, and she came to Oregon State determined to build a better life for her four-month-old daughter.  In addition to being a single mom, she's juggled a full course load and a part-time job.  But it all paid off, and today she’s receiving her degree in Construction Engineering and Management.  (Applause.)  Yes, indeed.  Her advice to other young people is very simple.  She says, “with hard work and dedication, anything is possible.”
 
And then there’s another member of the class of 2012, Nicolas Sitts, who’s earning his degree in Chemical Engineering.  I understand that as a member of OSU’s Solar Vehicle Team, Nicolas spent two years painstakingly building a solar car.  But when he took it out for a test drive last summer, it caught fire and exploded, and Nicolas sustained second and third degree burns on his arm, face and leg.  But instead of throwing in the towel, within a month, the team was back at work, building another, hopefully less explosive car.  (Laughter.) 
 
Vanessa and Nicolas and the OSU Solar Team didn’t give up when things got hard.  Instead, they just dug deeper, and worked harder, and refused to give up on the success that they dreamed of.  And that actually brings me to the second lesson I want to share about leading a rich life, and that is to define success on your own terms. 
 
Now, growing up, my parents always told me and Craig to be true to ourselves.  But really, when you’re a kid, it’s hard to know what that means, right?  And as you grow older, often it’s just easier to grab for those gold stars and try to get that brass ring.  And Craig and I both know this from experience.   
 
After graduating from college, we did everything we thought we should do to be successful -- Craig went to business school, I went to law school, we got prestigious jobs at an investment bank and me at a law firm.  We soon had all the traditional markers of success:  the fat paycheck, the fancy office, the impressive lines on our resumés.  But the truth is, neither of us was all that fulfilled. 
 
I didn’t want to be up in some tall office building writing legal memos.  I wanted to be down on the ground helping the folks I grew up with.  I was living the dream, but it wasn’t my dream.  And Craig felt the same way, unbeknownst to me.
 
So eventually we quit those corporate jobs.  I went to work in the mayor’s office; Craig got a job coaching basketball.  And we both took salary cuts that made our mother cringe.  (Laughter.)  But we were excited about our new careers.  We looked forward to going to work every morning, and we both realized that success isn’t about how your life looks to others, it’s about how it feels to you.   We realized that being successful isn’t about being impressive, it’s about being inspired. 
 
And that’s what it means to be your true self.  It means looking inside yourself and being honest about what you truly enjoy doing.  Because graduates, I can promise you that you will never be happy plodding through someone else’s idea of success.  Success is only meaningful –- and enjoyable –- if it feels like your own.
 
But of course, a successful career alone does not make for a rich life.  As you’ve all learned from the friends you’ve made and the relationships you’ve formed here at OSU, what makes life truly rich are the people you share it with.     
 
And that brings me to the final lesson I want to offer today, and that is, wherever you go, whatever you do, don’t leave behind any unfinished business with the people you love.  You see, our dad died of complications from his MS when I was in my mid-twenties.  And let me tell you, for months I felt like I couldn’t breathe.  I had this physical sense of grief, this emptiness in my life that I just couldn’t fill. 
 
But as hard as it was to lose my dad, and as much as I still miss him every day, I knew that I had never missed a chance to tell my Dad I loved him, and he’d always done the same for me.  And whenever Craig and I saw him struggling to walk and we worried that life was getting too hard for him, my Mom would always reassure us that he was so proud of us, so proud to be our father that he felt like the luckiest guy ever to walk the earth.
 
And all of that gave me a sense of peace –- a sense that I had no unfinished business with my Dad.  And that’s what allowed me to move forward.
 
So graduates, as you make your way in the world, I urge you not to leave behind any unfinished business.  If you’re in a fight with someone, make up.  If you’re holding a grudge, let it go.  If you hurt someone, apologize.  If you love someone, let them know. 
 
And don’t just tell people that you love them, show them.  And that means showing up.  It means being truly present in the lives of the people you care about.  “Liking” them on Facebook doesn't count -- (laughter) -- nor does following them on Twitter.  (Laughter.)  What counts is making the time to be there in person. 
 
Because I can promise you that years from now, you will not remember the texts you've exchanged with your friends here at OSU, but you will remember how they cheered you on at your game, right?  You will remember how they brought you chocolate and spent hours comforting you when your boyfriend or girlfriend dumped you.  What jerks.  (Laughter.)  You will remember all the hours spent diligently studying in the library -- that one's for the parents.  (Laughter.)
 
But seriously, those are the memories that you’ll carry with you for the rest of your life.  Those are the experiences that make you who you are.  And that is as true for me today as it was back when Craig and I were growing up in that little apartment in Chicago. 
 
You see, when I come out here to Corvallis and I visit my family, I’m not the First Lady.  I’m Coach Robinson’s little sister.  I’m “Miche” to Craig and to my niece and nephews.  I sleep on the pullout couch in Craig’s guest room, and my daughters pile into the living room with their cousins for a sleepover.  It reminds me of old times with everyone huddled together in the kitchen, laughing and teasing and driving each other crazy, telling stories late into the night.  And just like when we were little, Craig and I feel very, very rich. 
 
So graduates, that is my wish for all of you today.  I wish for you a life rich in all the things that matter.  I wish for you work that inspires you.  I wish for you experience -- those experiences that help you learn and grow.  I wish for you people who love you and support you every step of the way.  And I can tell from the energy in this stadium you have all that, and you will have more.  
 
So congratulations again to all of you on all that you've achieved.  And now, the wind has started -- (laughter) -- so it's time for me to end.
 
Thank you all, and God bless.
 
END               
5:14 P.M. PDT
 

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
June 15, 2012

Remarks by the President at the LGBT Pride Month Reception

East Room

5:16 P.M. EDT

THE PRESIDENT:  Hello, hello, hello!  (Applause.)  Thank you.  Thank you, everybody.  Thank you so much.  Well, thank you very much.  

Well, welcome to the White House, everybody.  (Applause.)  We are glad all of you could join us today.  I want to thank the members of Congress and the members of my administration who are here, including our friends who are doing outstanding work every day -- John Berry, Nancy Sutley, Fred Hochberg.  (Applause.)  

Now, each June since I took office, we have gathered to pay tribute to the generations of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Americans who devoted their lives to our most basic of ideals –- equality not just for some, but for all.  Together we’ve marked major milestones like the 40th anniversary of the Stonewall riots, when a group of brave citizens held their ground against brutal discrimination.  Together, we’ve honored courageous pioneers who, decades ago, came out and spoke out; who challenged unjust laws and destructive prejudices.  Together, we’ve stood resolute; unwavering in our commitment to advance this movement and to build a more perfect union.

Now, I’ve said before that I would never counsel patience; that it wasn’t right to tell you to be patient any more than it was right for others to tell women to be patient a century ago, or African Americans to be patient a half century ago.  After decades of inaction and indifference, you have every reason and right to push, loudly and forcefully, for equality.  (Applause.)

But three years ago, I also promised you this: I said that even if it took more time than we would like, we would see progress, we would see success, we would see real and lasting change.  And together, that’s what we’re witnessing.  

For every person who lost a loved one at the hand of hate, we ended a decade of delay and finally made the Matthew Shepard Act the land of the law.  (Applause.)  For every person with HIV who was treated like an outcast, we lifted the HIV entry ban.  (Applause.)  And because of that important step, next month, for the first time in more than two decades, the International AIDS conference will be held right here in the United States.  (Applause.)

For every American diagnosed with HIV who couldn’t get access to treatment, we put forward a National HIV/AIDS strategy -- because who you are should never affect whether you get life-extending care.  Marjorie Hill, the head of the Gay Men’s Health Crisis, is here.  (Applause.)  GMHC has saved so many lives, and this year they are celebrating their 30th anniversary.  So I want to give them and all these organizations who work to prevent and treat HIV a big round of applause.  Give it up for Marjorie and everybody else.  (Applause.)

For every partner or spouse denied the chance to comfort a loved one in the hospital, to be by their side at their greatest hour of need, we said, enough.  Hospitals that accept Medicare or Medicaid -– and that is most of them -– now have to treat LGBT patients just like any other patient.  For every American denied insurance just for being lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender, we passed health insurance reform, which will ban that kind of discrimination.  (Applause.)

We’ve expanded benefits for same-sex partners of federal employees, prohibited discrimination on the basis of gender identity for workers in the federal government.  (Applause.)  We’ve supported efforts in Congress to end the so-called Defense of Marriage Act.  (Applause.)  And as we wait for that law to be cast aside, we’ve stopped defending its constitutionality in the courts.  (Applause.)

We’ve put forward a strategy to promote and protect the rights of LGBT communities all over the world, because, as Secretary Clinton said back in December, gay rights are human rights.  (Applause.)

And, of course, last year we finally put an end to “don’t ask, don’t tell” -- (applause) -- so that nobody would ever have to ever again hide who they love in order to serve the country they love.  And I know we've got some military members who are here today.  (Applause.)  I'm happy to see you with your partners here.  We thank you for your service.  We thank your families for their service, and we share your joy at being able to come with your spouses or partners here to the White House with your Commander-in-Chief.  (Applause.)

Now, we know we've got more to do.  Americans may feel more comfortable bringing their partners to the office barbecue -- (laughter) -- but we're still waiting for a fully inclusive employment non-discrimination act.  (Applause.)  Congress needs to pass that legislation, so that no American is ever fired simply for being gay or transgender. 

Americans may be able serve openly in the military, but many are still growing up alone and afraid; picked on, pushed around for being different.  And that’s why my administration has worked to raise awareness about bullying.  And I know -- I just had a chance to see Lee Hirsch, the director of BULLY, who is here.  And we thank him for his work on this issue.  (Applause.)

I want to acknowledge all the young leaders here today who are making such a big difference in their classrooms and in their communities.  And Americans may be still evolving when it comes to marriage equality -- (laughter and applause) -- but as I've indicated personally, Michelle and I have made up our minds on this issue.  (Applause.) 

So we still have a long way to go, but we will get there.  We'll get there because of all of you.  We’ll get there because of all of the ordinary Americans who every day show extraordinary courage.  We’ll get there because of every man and woman and activist and ally who is moving us forward by the force of their moral arguments, but more importantly, by the force of their example. 

And as long as I have the privilege of being your President, I promise you, you won't just have a friend in the White House, you will have a fellow advocate -- (applause) -- for an America where no matter what you look like or where you come from or who you love, you can dream big dreams and dream as openly as you want.

Thank you.  God bless you.  God bless America.  (Applause.)