The White House

Office of the First Lady

For Immediate Release
May 21, 2012

Remarks by the First Lady at a Campaign Event

Progressive Field
Cleveland, Ohio

1:20 P.M. EDT
 
MRS. OBAMA:  Oh, it is so beautiful in here!  (Applause.) We just need some hotdogs and a game.  (Laughter.) 
 
You all, thank you so much. 
 
AUDIENCE MEMBER:  Thank you!  (Applause.)
 
MRS. OBAMA:  Thank you all.  You all keep us going.  I am beyond thrilled to be with all of you today.
 
I want to start by thanking Reverend Bigelow for that very kind and impassioned introduction, so we need to give her another round of applause.  (Applause.) 
 
I also want to take -- I want to take a moment to recognize County Executive Ed Fitzgerald and his wife, who are here.  I want to thank him and -- both of them for their leadership and for their service.  (Applause.)  We’re so glad that they could be here today, and proud of the work that they're doing.
 
And I want to give a big hello to Danielle for her remarks today, and for all the work that she's been doing on the campaign, as well.  (Applause.)
 
But finally, I want to thank all of you, truly, for taking the time out of your busy lives and your busy days to join us here today.  And I know that everyone is busy.  All of us, we have amazingly busy lives.  I know that folks have families to raise, they've got jobs to do.  But I also know that there’s a reason why so many of you have taken time out of those lives to be here today, and it's not just because we all support one extraordinary man –- (applause) -- and I am a bit biased.  (Laughter.)  But I think we've got a pretty phenomenal President.  (Applause.)   
 
And we're here not just because we want to win an election -- which we do.  We're here and we're doing this because of the values we believe in.  We’re doing this because of the vision for this country that we all share.  We’re doing this because we want our children -- all of our children -- to go to good schools -- those schools that push them, and inspire them, and prepare them for good opportunities in the future, right?
 
AUDIENCE:  Right.
 
MRS. OBAMA:  We want our parents and our grandparents to retire with dignity, because we believe that after a lifetime of hard work, in this country, they should be able to enjoy their golden years.  Small things. 
 
We want to restore that basic middle-class security for our families, because we believe that folks shouldn’t go bankrupt because someone gets sick; that folks shouldn’t lose their home because someone loses a job.  Not in America.  We believe, as Reverend Bigelow said, that responsibility should be rewarded, that hard work should pay off.  We believe that everyone should do their fair share but play by the same rules. 
 
And the truth is that these are basic American values.  This is the basics, the foundation of this country.  They’re the values that so many of us were raised with, including myself.
 
As many of you know, my father was a blue-collar worker, worked at the city water plant.  And my parents, my family, we lived in a little apartment on the South Side of Chicago -- mother still lives there.  And neither of my parents had the opportunity to go to college.  But what I tell folks is what they were able to do -- which is probably more important -- they saved and they sacrificed everything.  They poured everything they had into me and my brother because they wanted us to have the kind if education they could only dream of.
 
And while pretty much most of my college tuition came from student loans and grants, let me tell you, my Dad still had to pay a small portion of that tuition himself.   And every semester, he was determined to pay that bill right on time.  My dad -- like so many -- he was 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 like so many people in this country, my father took great pride in being able to earn the kind of living that allowed him to handle his business, his responsibilities to his family; to pay all of his bills and to pay them on time.
 
And the truth is, everyone, that 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, in America, if you work hard you can build a decent life for yourself and an even better life for your kids.
 
And it is that promise that binds us together in this country.  That’s what unites us.  It's what makes us who we are.  And from now until November, Cleveland, Barack needs all of you to get out there and tell everyone you know about our values and about our vision.  (Applause.)  They need to understand.  They need to know about everything that is on the line in this election.
 
You can start by telling them how Barack fought for tax cuts for working families and small businesses.  Why?  Because an economy built to last starts with the middle class, and with folks who are creating jobs and putting people back to work.  And remind people how, back when Barack first took office, remind them how this economy was losing, on average, 750,000 jobs every single month.  Remind them that that’s what he walked into.  That’s what he inherited. 
 
But also let them know that for the past 26 straight months, we’ve actually been gaining private sector jobs –- more than 4 million jobs in just two years.  They need to know that.  (Applause.)  Not everybody knows.  So while we still have a long way to go to build this economy, millions of people are collecting a paycheck again.  Millions of people like my dad are able to pay their bills again. 
 
You can also remind people about how so many folks in Washington were telling Barack to let the auto industry go under with more than a million jobs on the line.  You've got to remind them about that.  But Barack had the backs of American workers.  He put his faith in the American people and as a result, the auto industry is back on its feet again, and, more importantly, people are back to work, providing for their families again.  (Applause.)  Remind people about that.
 
You can tell people how, because we passed health reform, insurance companies will now have to cover preventive care -- have to.  Things like contraception, cancer screenings, prenatal care -- and they have to do it at no extra cost.  People have to understand that’s what that fight was for.  (Applause.)  And because of this reform, millions of our senior citizens have saved an average of more than $600 a year on their prescription drugs, and our kids, they can now stay on their parents’ insurance until they’re 26 years old.  (Applause.)  And as parents, we all know that that is how 2.5 million of our young people in this country are getting the health care they need.  Remind them. 
 
You can tell them about how Barack is working to raise standards in our public schools and make college more affordable for millions of our young people, so that by the end of this decade, more Americans will hold a college degree than any other country in the world.  Tell them about that vision.  (Applause.)  And also, you have to tell people about how Barack has been fighting so hard for the DREAM Act, because he believes that it is time to stop denying citizenship to responsible young people just because they’re the children of undocumented immigrants.  It is time.     
 
You can remind folks that Barack kept his promise and brought our troops home from Iraq.  (Applause.)  Remind them about that.  And also tell them about how our brave men and women in uniform finally brought to justice the man behind the 9/11 attacks.  (Applause.)  Remind them about that.  And tell them that our troops no longer have to lie about who they are to serve the country they love, because Barack finally ended "don't ask, don't tell."  (Applause.)
 
And again, as you know, it's now easier for women to get equal pay for equal work because Barack passed the very first bill he signed -- the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act -- (applause) -- because of that act, the first thing he did as President. 
 
AUDIENCE MEMBER:  Yes, he did.
 
MRS. OBAMA:  And they need to understand why Barack signed that bill.  He signed that bill because he knows that closing that pay gap, that can mean the difference between women losing $50, $100, $500 from each paycheck or having that money in their pockets to buy gas, or groceries, or put clothes on the backs of their kids.  And he did this because when women are now breadwinners for so many of their families, women’s success in this economy is the key to families’ success in this economy.  People have to understand the power of that.  (Applause.)  
 
And finally, don’t forget to tell people about those two brilliant Supreme Court Justices Barack appointed -- (applause) -- and how, for the first time in history, our daughters and sons watched three women take their seats on our nation’s highest court.  (Applause.)  First time in history.
 
And I could go on, and on, and on.  But all of this is at stake this November.  It's all on the line.  And truly, 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 let everything we’ve fought for to just slip away?
 
AUDIENCE MEMBER:  No!
 
MRS. OBAMA:  No, we know what we need to do.  We cannot turn back now.  We need to keep moving forward -- forward.   
 
And more than anything else, that is what we’re working for –- the chance to finish all the good work that we've started, the chance to keep fighting for those values that we believe in and that vision that we all share.  That’s what my husband has been doing every single day as President of the United States.
 
And what I want people to understand is that over the past three years -- and a half -- it's been a little while -- I’ve had the chance to see up close and personal what being President looks like.  I've seen it.  I’ve seen how the issues that come across a President’s desk -- let me tell you -- they are always the hard ones.  They're the problems with no easy solutions, the judgment calls where the stakes are so high and there is absolutely no margin for error.
 
And as President, you're going to get all kinds of advice and opinions from all kinds of people.  But at the end of the day, when it comes time to making that decision, a President, all he has to guide him is that life experience; his values, his vision.  In the end, when you’re making those impossible choices as President, it all boils down to who you are and what you stand for.  That’s what's so important. 
 
And the thing that I know, and we all know -- we all know who Barack Obama is, don't we?  (Applause.)  And we know what Barack Obama stands for, don't we? 
 
See, 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 a bus to her job at the bank.  And Barack watched his grandmother worked hard to support his family, and she was good at her job.  But 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 people to understand is that Barack knows what it means when a family struggle.  This is not a hypothetical for him.  He knows what it means when someone doesn’t have a chance to fulfill their potential.  And believe me, today, as a father, he knows what it means to want something better for your kids.  And those are the experiences that have made him the man, and, more importantly, the President he is today.  And that’s who we're fighting for.  That’s what we're working for.  (Applause.)
 
So when it comes time to stand up for American workers and American families, you know what my husband is going to do.  When there’s a choice about protecting our rights and our freedoms, you know where Barack is going to be, what he is going to do.  And when we need a leader to make those hard decisions to keep this country moving forward for everyone, you know you can count on him because that is what he’s been doing every single day as President of the United States.  And he has done a phenomenal job.  (Applause.)   
 
But I have said this before, and I will say it again and again:  he cannot do this alone.  That was never the promise.  Barack needs your help.  He needs you to do what you've been doing.  Make those phone calls, have those conversations.  Get out there, please, and register those voters.
 
He needs everyone in the range of this room and my voice, the people that you know, the lives that you touch -- all of you -- take those “I’m in” cards.  Get folks to sign up -- your friends, your neighbors, your colleagues.  Convince them to join you in just giving just a little part of themselves each week to this campaign.  It is well worth it.
 
And as Barack has said, this election will be even closer than ever before -- closer than the last one.  Understand that.  Don't get discouraged by it, just know it is going to be close.  And if you have any doubt about the difference that you will make, I want just you to remember that in the end, this could all come down to those last few thousand people who register to vote. 
 
AUDIENCE MEMBER:  In Ohio.
 
MRS. OBAMA:  Those numbers.  It could all come down to those last few thousand folks that you help get to the polls on November the 6th. 
 
And I just want you to think for a minute about what those kind of numbers mean when they’re spread out over an entire state.  It might mean registering just one more person in your community -- just one more; might mean just getting one more person in your community out and voting on Election Day -- just one more.   
 
So with every door you knock on, with every person you pull into this fight, with every conversation that you have -- and the conversations are so important -- I just want you to have in your mind, just be thinking, this could be the one that makes the difference.  This could be the one that makes the entire difference that moves this country forward.  This could be it.  The conversation I'm having, the messages that I'm delivering -- this could be it. 
 
So there is no conversation that is unimportant.  There is no one that we can afford to have left out.  That is the kind of impact that each of us can have.  That is true. 
 
And I’m not going to kid you, this journey, it will be long, and it is going to be hard, and there will be plenty of twists and turns along the way.  But remember that that is how change happens in this country.  It always has and it always will.  But if we keep showing up, and if we keep fighting that good fight, doing what we know is right, staying true to our value and vision, then we always get there -- we always get there.  Maybe not in our lifetimes but maybe in our children’s lifetimes, maybe in our grandchildren’s lifetimes. 
 
Because in the end, Cleveland, that’s what this is all about.  That’s what I think about when I tuck my girls in at night.  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, and so many other people did for us. 
 
I want to give them that foundation for their dreams.  I want to give them opportunities worthy of their promise.  I want to give them that sense of limitless possibility –- that belief that here in America, there is always something better out there if you’re willing to work for it. 
 
So, Cleveland, we cannot turn back now.  Not now.  We have come so far, but we have so much more to do.
 
So I've got one last question to ask you:  Are you in?
 
AUDIENCE:  Yes!
 
MRS. OBAMA:  Are you -- no, you've got to be really in!  (Applause.)  Are you in this?
 
AUDIENCE:  Yes!
 
MRS. OBAMA:  It means rolling up your sleeves; you've got to roll them up.  And you're going to have the hard conversations.  You're going to find the people in your community who are not paying attention, who are a little bit confused, and you're going to shake them up.  And you're going to know that with every conversation, you could be making the difference for our future.
 
So I hope you all are fired up and ready to go, because I am so fired up.  (Applause.)  We have only just begun.  We have so much work to do.  (Applause.)  And I can't wait to get out there, to keep getting out there with you all on the campaign trail.  We're going to spend time in this state.  But this state is critical.
 
AUDIENCE MEMBER:  Yes, it is.
 
MRS. OBAMA:  So we're going to need all of you working hard in the weeks and months ahead. 
 
Thank you all.  God bless.
 
END               
1:40 P.M. EDT
 

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
May 21, 2012

Remarks by the President at ISAF Meeting on Afghanistan

McCormick Place
Chicago, Illinois

9:24 A.M. CDT
 
THE PRESIDENT:  Well, good morning, everyone.  And for those who are joining us for the first time, welcome to Chicago.  I was just hearing from a few folks who are not NATO members that they had fun on the town last night.  Hopefully, no stories in the press.  (Laughter.) 
 
We come together as 50 nations -- NATO allies and partners -- that make up the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan.  I want to welcome the presence of President Karzai, as well as officials from central Asia and Russia -- nations that have an important perspective and that continue to provide critical transit for ISAF supplies.
 
The presence of so many leaders and nations illustrates once again that this is a truly international mission, and that’s because the region and the world have a profound interest in an Afghanistan that is stable, that is secure, and that is not a source of attacks on other nations.  And today, as always, our thoughts are with our brave forces who are serving in this vital mission.
 
Two years ago, in Lisbon, our nations agreed on a framework for transition in Afghanistan that would allow us to responsibly wind down the war.  We agreed that this transition to Afghan lead for security would begin in 2011 and that it would conclude in 2014.  At the same time, we said that we would seek a long-term partnership with Afghanistan and the Afghan people.
 
Over the past two years, we’ve made important progress.  Our forces broke the Taliban’s momentum.  More Afghans are reclaiming their communities.  Afghan security forces have grown stronger.  And the transition that we agreed to in Lisbon is well underway.
 
This past week we saw more progress.  We very much welcomed President Karzai’s announcement to the third group of areas to begin transition.  This means that 75 percent of the Afghan people live in areas where Afghan forces will be moving into the lead. 
 
Today, we’ll decide the next phase of the transition -- the next milestone.  We’ll set a goal for Afghan forces to take the lead for combat operations across the country in 2013 -- next year -- so that ISAF can move to a supporting role.  This will be another step toward Afghans taking full lead for their security as agreed to by 2014 when the ISAF combat mission will end.
 
Today is also an opportunity to ensure our hard-won progress is preserved.  The Strategic Partnership Agreement that President Karzai and I signed in Kabul ensures that as Afghans stand up they will not stand alone.  Today, we can agree on NATO’s long-term relationship with Afghanistan beyond 2014, including our support of Afghan security forces.
 
So we have a lot of work to do.  Again, I want to thank all of my fellow leaders and our partners for being here.  Our nations and the world have a vital interest in the success of this mission.  And I am confident, because of the leadership represented here as well as the leadership of our outstanding armed forces, that we can advance that goal today and responsibly bring this war to an end.

END              
9:28 A.M. CDT
 

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
May 20, 2012

Remarks by the President at Opening NAC Meeting

McCormick Place
Chicago, Illinois

2:15 P.M. CDT

THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you very much, Mr. Secretary General.  Anders, I want to take this opportunity on behalf of all of us to thank you for your outstanding leadership over these past three years.  And I want to begin by welcoming each and every one of you to my hometown.  I hope everybody has enjoyed themselves.  I understand some took a architectural boat tour, some have run along the lakefront.  Chicago is a great place, and we look forward to having you back again.

As Anders mentioned, so many people here in Chicago trace their roots back to NATO countries.  So it’s especially fitting that Chicago is the first American city outside of Washington, D.C. ever to host a NATO Summit.  Given the moment of silence we just observed, I also want to take the opportunity to salute Admiral Stavidris, General Abrial, General Allen, and all of our men and women who are serving in uniform on our behalf, and especially those who are serving today in Afghanistan.

For over 65 years, our alliance has been the bedrock of our common security, of freedom and of prosperity.  And though the times may have changed, the fundamental reason for our alliance has not.  Our nations are stronger and more prosperous when we stand together.  In good times and in bad, our alliance has endured; in fact, it has thrived -- because we share an unbreakable commitment to the freedom and security of our citizens.

We’ve seen this from the Cold War to the Balkans, from Afghanistan to Libya.  And that’s the spirit that we need to sustain here in Chicago, and with an alliance that is focused squarely on the future.

When we last met in Lisbon, we agreed to a bold plan of action to revitalize the alliance and ensure that we have the tools that are required to confront a changing and uncertain strategic landscape.  Here, at this session, we can reaffirm our Article V commitment to our collective defense and to investing in the defense capabilities and new technologies that meet our collective security needs.

In these difficult economic times, we can work together and pull our resources.  NATO is a force multiplier, and the initiatives we will endorse today will allow each of our nations to accomplish what none of us could achieve alone.  We can all be proud that in Lisbon we committed, and now in Chicago we are delivering. 

Over the next two days, we’ll meet -- first as allies and then with President Karzai and our international partners -- to chart the next phase of the transition in Afghanistan.  Just as we’ve sacrificed together for our common security, we will stand together, united, in our determination to complete this mission. 

And finally, I look forward to our meeting with NATO’s neighbors and our partners around the world who have been so critical to NATO operations as in Afghanistan and Libya.  It will be another reminder that NATO is truly a hub of a network of global security partners.  There is nothing else like it on Earth. 

So, again, thank you, Mr. Secretary General, for your outstanding leadership.  Thank you to all my fellow leaders and friends who are here.  Welcome to Chicago.  I’m confident that the next two days are going to help to sustain and strengthen the strongest and most successful alliance that the world has ever known.

                                                                                     END                2:20 P.M. CDT

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
May 20, 2012

Remarks by President Obama and NATO Secretary General Rasmussen Before Bilateral Meeting

McCormick Place
Chicago, Illinois

12:52 P.M. CDT

PRESIDENT OBAMA:  Well, I just want to not only welcome Secretary General Rasmussen to my hometown of Chicago -- my understanding is he’s already enjoyed some of the sights, and we were hearing about him jogging along the lake and appreciating the outstanding views and the skyline -- but more importantly, I want to thank him for his extraordinary leadership. 

Secretary General Rasmussen arrived in this post during one of most challenging times that NATO has faced.  He has guided us through some very rocky times.  And I think the results of this NATO Summit are reflective of his extraordinary leadership.

At this summit, we anticipate not only ratifying the plan for moving forward in Afghanistan -- a transition process that will bring the war to an end at the end of 2014 and put Afghans in the lead for their own security -- but we’re also going to be talking about the progress that we’ve made in expanding NATO’s defense capabilities -- ensuring that every NATO member has a stake and is involved and integrated in our mutual defense efforts. 

And we’re going to have an opportunity to talk about the partnerships that NATO has been able to set up with like-minded countries around the world, and find ways that we can deepen and engage those partners to help to promote security and peace around the world.

All this has happened because of Secretary General Rasmussen’s leadership.  I’m very proud of the work that he’s done.  I think it’s going to be reflected in the success of this summit.  And on behalf of the American people, we want to say thank you.

SECRETARY GENERAL RASMUSSEN:  Thank you very much.  Mr. President, I would like to thank very much for your strong leadership, for your dedication to our alliance.  America has always been a source of strength and inspiration in NATO, and I’m very pleased that we can hold our 25th summit in your home city, Chicago.

Chicago has always been a place where Europeans and North Americans have come together.  And now, we have come together to reaffirm the unbreakable bond between us.

I look very much forward to a successful summit, and I would like to take this opportunity to thank all those who have worked so hard to make this summit a success.  And I would like to thank the people of Chicago for their great hospitality.

PRESIDENT OBAMA:  All right.  Thank you so much, everybody.

 

                                                                                                 END                12:55 P.M. CDT

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
May 20, 2012

Remarks by President Obama and President Karzai of Afghanistan After Bilateral Meeting

McCormick Place
Chicago, Illinois

11:57 A.M. CDT

PRESIDENT OBAMA:  All right.  Good morning, everybody.  It is a great pleasure to welcome President Karzai to my hometown of Chicago after he extended hospitality to me during my visit to to Kabul recently.  During that trip to Afghanistan, we were able to finalize the Strategic Partnership Agreement that reflects a future in which two sovereign nations -- the United States and Afghanistan -- are operating as partners, to the benefit of our countries’ citizens, but also for the benefit of peace and security and stability in the region and around the world.

I want to thank President Karzai for his cooperation, and his delegation’s hard work in helping us to achieve the Strategic Partnership Agreement.  And the NATO Summit is going to be largely devoted to ratifying and reflecting the broad consensus that so many of our partners and ISAF members have agreed to -- one in which we are working with the Afghans over the next several years to achieve a complete transition to Afghan lead for Afghan security; one in which we continue to provide support for the Afghan National Security Forces that have made excellent progress over the last several years; and also painting a vision post-2014 in which we have ended our combat role, the Afghan war as we understand it is over, but our commitment to friendship and partnership with Afghanistan continues.  

And so the Strategic Partnership Agreement, this NATO Summit, are all part and parcel of a shared vision that we have in which Afghanistan is able to transition from decades of war to a transformational decade of peace and stability and development.  And so I just want to stress my appreciation for the hard work that President Karzai has done.  I think he recognizes the enormous sacrifices that have been made by the American people and, most profoundly, by American troops, as well as the troops of our other coalition partners.  We recognize the hardship that the Afghan people have been through during these many, many years of war.  Both of us recognize that we still have a lot of work to do, and there will be great challenges ahead.  The loss of life continues in Afghanistan; there will be hard days ahead.  But we’re confident that we are on the right track, and what this NATO Summit reflects is that the world is behind the strategy that we’ve laid out.

Now it’s our task to implement it effectively.  And I believe that we can do so, in part because of the tremendous strength and resilience of the Afghan people.  I think they desperately want peace and security and development.  And so long as they’re reflecting that resilience and that hope for a better future, they will have a friend in the United States of America.

So, President Karzai, welcome.  I am confident this will be a productive NATO Summit, and I’m looking forward to continuing to work to implement the plans that we’ve laid out.

PRESIDENT KARZAI:  Thank you, Mr. President.  We have had a good meeting today in which Afghanistan reaffirmed its commitment to the transition process and to the completion of it in 2013, and the completion of withdrawal of our partners in 2014, so that Afghanistan is no longer a burden on the shoulder of our friends in the international community, on the shoulders of the United States and our other allies. 

Afghanistan, indeed, Mr. President, as you very rightly put it, is looking forward to an end to this war, and a transformational decade in which Afghanistan will be working further for institution building and the development of sounder governance in the country and a better economy, where the Afghans will be taking steady steps towards self-reliance in all aspects of life, that Afghanistan will be collecting its own revenues.

But in the meantime, that the world community, in particular the United States and our allies in NATO and ISAF, will be with us to make sure that we take steady and strong steps and are back while you are making those steps towards 2024, when Afghanistan will be largely defending itself and providing for itself.

Mr. President, the partnership that we signed a few weeks ago in Kabul has turned a new page in our relations.  And the new page is a page of two sovereign countries working together for the mutual interests -- peace and security and in all other areas of concentration.  

Mr. President, I’m bringing to you and to the people of the United States the gratitude of the Afghan people for the support that your taxpayers’ money has provided us over the past decade, and for the difference that it has made to the wellbeing of the Afghan people -- to our education and health and the building of the Afghan government.

Mr. President, Afghanistan is fully aware of the task ahead and of what Afghanistan needs to do to reach the objectives that we all have of a stable, peaceful and self-reliant Afghanistan.  

In the meantime, until then, thank you for your support.

PRESIDENT OBAMA:  Thank you.  All right, thank you, guys.  Thank you.

Q    Mr. President, will you get the financial support needed to hit that $4.1 billion?  Are you confident about that?

PRESIDENT OBAMA:  We’ll have a press conference.

Q   Okay, thanks.

END                12:04 P.M. CDT

The White House

Office of the First Lady

For Immediate Release
May 20, 2012

Remarks by the First Lady at Gary Comer Youth Center

Gary Comer Youth Center
Chicago, Illinois

12:56 P.M. CDT
 
MRS. OBAMA:  Wow.  Well, hello.  (Laughter.)  And thank you all so much.  Let me tell you, it is more than a pleasure for me to be here with all of you today at the Gary Comer Youth Center.  As Greg mentioned, as you know, I was born and raised right here on the South Side.  And I have to tell you, it really feels good to be home. 
 
And I want to start by thanking Greg for that very kind introduction and for his outstanding work as executive director for the center.  I remember when we first met, and he has been just rock solid from the very beginning, and you all are lucky to have him.
 
I also want to give a special thank you to Mrs. Francie Comer, and to Guy Comer, for being with us today and for carrying on Gary Comer's extraordinary legacy of service to this community.  (Applause.)  Thank you all so much.
 
And I also want to give a special hello, recognize 6 very special guests whom I've brought with me here today, my counterparts and distinguished women in their own right from Albania, Croatia, France, Norway, Turkey and the NATO headquarters.  They are visiting Chicago this weekend, as you know, for this year's NATO summit.  And I am obviously thrilled and proud to host them here in my hometown and in my backyard.  So let's give them a round of applause and a warm welcome.  (Applause.) 
 
And most of all, I want to recognize all of the extraordinary young people joining us today.  You all are amazingly impressive.  But we will also hear from the Soul Children of Chicago, who are here today.  We've got the South Shore Drill Team who's going to perform, as well as Mantu Dance Company in the house -- and I used to be on the board of Mantu, so I've got a little connection to some of everybody here today. 
 
And of course, we've got to thank the wonderful men and -- young men and women of the Gary Comer Youth Center.  You guys were so impressive today.  In every single aspect of this day, you represented yourselves, your school, your community, and your country in an outstanding way.  And you really have to know that you all are the reason why I'm here today, and you're the reason why I brought these very important ladies from around the world here to this center.
 
I brought them here because I wanted them to see just how amazing you all are.  That’s really it.  I want them to see you all.  I want those cameras to see you all.  I brought them here because I am so proud of where I grew up, and I wanted to show everyone some of the wonderful things that are happening here on the South Side.
 
Way back when I was just starting out in my career in Chicago, I ran a little organization called Public Allies, where we worked to train 30 young people each year -- many of them like you -- for careers in public service.  And since we started that program many years ago, leaders from that program have gone on to transform lives throughout this community and so many others not just here in Chicago, but around the country.  But there are some very special ones who are here today, and I got to meet three public allies who are working here right now -- Miguel Rodriguez, Maurice Wilson, and Sinya Hayes, who are here.  You guys -- are you here?  (Applause.)  Where are you?  That’s my public allies.  That’s like home.
 
This program was the reason -- one of the reasons why I left practicing law -- so you know I walked away from some money to do this work.  But Public Allies will always have a special place in my heart. 
 
I also remember back when this center was just an idea.  And it is really amazing to see this phenomenal facility.  I remember when it was just being built, and I can't begin to tell you how much it means to be here, seeing this thriving, inspiring, beautiful place just minutes from where I grew up -- a place where you all can come and learn and grow and pursue your dreams.  I hope you know how blessed you are.  And being here today, I see so much of myself in all of you young people.  I really do. 
 
I grew up just like you.  Same background.  My family didn’t have a lot of money growing up.  Neither of my parents had the opportunity to go to college, and most of the folks in my neighborhood didn’t get a chance to go, either.  And there were also well-meaning but sometimes misguided folks who questioned whether someone with my background could get into the kind of colleges that I dreams of attending.  And sometimes I'd save those folks the trouble and raise those questions of doubt in my own head; lying awake at night worrying about whether I had what it took to succeed.
 
But I decided to just focus, to push the haters out, to kick the doubters out of my head.  And instead, what I did was I worked really hard.  I focused all my energy on working hard.  I spent hours every day trying to get my homework done, wrestling with those math problems, writing and rewriting those papers over and over again.  We don’t like it, but that’s part of the process.  Studying, getting up early in the morning to study, because we lived in such a little-bitty apartment that it was hard to concentrate at night when everybody was awake, so often I woke up at 4:30, 5:00 in the morning just to study in quiet.  And eventually, I was accepted to Princeton University, and I went onto Harvard Law School.  (Applause.) 
 
And what I want you all to know is that with every acceptance letter I received, I realized that it didn’t matter where I was from, didn’t matter how much money my family had.  What mattered was how deeply I was willing to believe in myself.  Do you realize that?  It was all here.  What mattered was how hard I was willing to work.  And that’s something that I really want to emphasize with you all today.
 
You see, no one -- or maybe very few people are born smart.  You become smart through hard work.  No one is born a student or a doctor or a teacher or an astronaut.  You become those things by studying and practicing and putting in those long hours in the classroom and the lab, wherever it is. 
 
So today, you all, no matter what you have going on at home or in your life, no matter what challenges you all are facing, I just want to urge you all to invest yourself 100 percent in everything you do.  Invest yourself 100 percent in school, in classes.  Invest yourself 100 percent in these wonderful activities that you have here at the Comer Center. 
 
If you dream of being a reporter on the evening news, then get involved with the Free Spirit Media -- take advantage of that.  If you want to be a scientist, then get up on top of that roof and start studying those plants and working in that garden.  If you want to be a mayor, if you want to be senator, maybe -- if you want to be President of the United States, then get involved in these wonderful leadership programs that are here.  Embrace them.  Take advantage of them.
 
And no matter what you want to be, just know this:  You will always need a good education.  You will always need a good education.  There is no shortcut to that.  So work hard in school, you all, please.  Take this seriously.  Do your homework every night.  Don’t be "that kid," right?  Be the one that’s always prepared.
 
And remember this:  when you make a mistake, or fail a test, or struggle to understand something -- and you will -- that doesn’t mean that you're not smart.  It just means that maybe you need to work a little harder.  That is not a statement of who you are.  You have to remember, succeeding is not about being perfect.  All of us have failed -- and we have failed big.  It is about trying your hardest at every single thing that you do.  It's about using your mistakes as opportunities to learn.
 
So when you're struggling, talk to someone.  Make sure your teachers -- this is the same thing I tell my girls -- talk to your teacher.  Get some tutoring here at the Comer Center.  Never be afraid to ask for help -- never.  Because the truth is that no one succeeds all by themselves -- no one.  We succeed in part because of all those people who help us and believe in us along the way -- our families, our teachers, coaches.  All those folks who tell us that we're special, and that we're talented, and that we have a place in this world and we have so much to offer.  Take those voices in.
 
So none of you should ever have to go this alone.  And that is why it is so important for all of us in this country, in this world to support young people like you, like these young people, with centers like this.  This should be the standard for communities all around the world.  It is so important for us to come together as a country, as nations and help all of our young people fulfill every last bit of their potential. 
 
And more than anything else, that is why Mr. Comer built this center.  He built it because he believed in all of you, just like I believe in you, just like my husband, the President of the United States, believes in you all.  And everyone at this center believes in you.  Take that in. 
 
And all of us see how talented you are -- we could see that just today, just in the few moments that we had to be with you all, to hear your confidence.  We see you succeeding in school, we see you producing your own albums and choreographing your own dances.  We see you challenging yourselves to stay fit with sports and classes at the center; stay healthy.  You've even been growing your own garden -- which, by the way, is more than 5 times bigger than the garden at the White House.  I'm not hating on you -- (laughter) -- but you got us far outmatched.  Some of you even worked with a professional chef, Chef Paul Kahan, to cook a three course lunch for me and our special guests today.  How many young people can say that?  That you cooked for NATO spouses?  My goodness.  What a résumé. 
 
And if you all are this good now, just imagine how good you'll be if you keep on working and learning and studying.  Imagine everything that you'll be able to accomplish.  And when you make it -- because you will, and say that in your minds -- when you make it, when you get your diplomas and you're working in those good jobs, and you're starting your own businesses, raising your families, what I want you to do is reach back and help other kids do the same thing.  That’s your responsibility.  That’s what you give back.
 
I want you to build youth centers like this one.  Take your money and do this.  I want you to go into schools and share your stories, and inspire other kids to work as hard as you did.  And you don’t have to wait until you're an adult to start reaching back.  You can start mentoring and tutoring right now -- your siblings, your classmates, younger kids in the center.  Reach back now.  You don’t have to wait.  You can start doing for them what Mr. Comer has done for you.
 
And I want you to remember something that Mr. Comer once said about giving back to the South Side, where he grew up.  He said that he decided to focus on helping kids like you because, he said, "what could be more important than that?"  What could be more important than that? 
 
Nothing is more important than insuring that all of you have opportunities worthy of your promise.  That I agree with.  Nothing is more important than helping all of you pursue your dreams.  We know how much you all have to offer, and today, I want you to know that my husband and I, we are inspired by you.  We are inspired by you.  We are so proud of you all, and we just can't wait to see what amazing things you all do with your lives in the years ahead. 
 
So you've got to work hard.  The bar is high, right?  All right.
 
Thank you all.  God bless.
 
END
1:09 P.M. CDT
 

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
May 19, 2012

Statement by President Obama at Closing of G8 Summit

Aspen Cabin
Camp David, Maryland

6:04 P.M. EDT

Good afternoon, everybody.  It has been a great pleasure to host the leaders of some of the world’s largest economies here at Camp David.  I think the surroundings gave us an opportunity to hold some intimate discussions and make some genuine progress.

For the past three years, our nations have worked together and with others first to rescue a global economy from freefall, then to wrestle it back to a path of recovery and growth.  Our progress has been tested at times by shocks like the disaster in Japan, for example.  Today it's threatened once again by the serious situation in the eurozone. 

As all the leaders here today agreed, growth and jobs must be our top priority.  A stable, growing European economy is in everybody’s best interests -- including America’s.  Europe is our largest economic partner.  Put simply, if a company is forced to cut back in Paris or Madrid, that might mean less business for manufacturers in Pittsburgh or Milwaukee.  And that might mean a tougher time for families and communities that depend on that business. 

And that’s why, even as we’ve confronted our own economic challenges over the past few years, we’ve collaborated closely with our European allies and partners as they’ve confronted theirs.  And today, we discussed ways they can promote growth and job creation right now, while still carrying out reforms necessary to stabilize and strengthen their economies for the future. 

We know it is possible -- in part, based on our own experience here.  In my earliest days in office, we took decisive steps to confront our own financial crisis -- from making banks submit to stress tests to rebuilding their capital -- and we put in place some of the strongest financial reforms since the Great Depression. 

At the same time, we worked to get our own fiscal house in order in a responsible way.  And through it all, even as we worked to stabilize the financial sector and bring down our deficits and debt over the longer term, we stayed focused on growing the economy and creating jobs in the immediate term.

Of course, we still have a lot of work to do.  Too many of our people are still looking for jobs that pay the bills.  Our deficits are still too high.  But after shrinking by nearly 9 percent the quarter before I took office, America's economy has now grown for almost three consecutive years.  After losing hundreds of thousands of jobs a month, our businesses have created more than 4 million jobs over the past 26 months.  Exports have surged and manufacturers are investing in America again.

And this economic growth then gives us more room to take a balanced approach to reducing our deficit and debt, while preserving our investments in the drivers of growth and job creation over the long term -- education, innovation, and infrastructure for the 21st century.

Europe’s situation, of course, is more complicated.  They’ve got a political and economic crisis facing Greece, slow growth and very high unemployment in several countries.  And what’s more, when they want to decide on a way to move forward, there are 17 countries in the eurozone that need to come to an agreement.  We recognize that and we respect that. 

But the direction the debate has taken recently should give us confidence.  Europe has taken significant steps to manage the crisis.  Individual countries and the European Union as a whole have engaged in significant reforms that will increase the prospects of long-term growth.  And there’s now an emerging consensus that more must be done to promote growth and job creation right now in the context of these fiscal and structural reforms.  That consensus for progress was strengthened here at Camp David. 

Today we agreed that we must take steps to boost confidence and to promote growth and demand while getting our fiscal houses in order.  We agreed upon the importance of a strong and cohesive eurozone, and affirmed our interest in Greece staying in the eurozone while respecting its commitments.  Of course, we also recognized the painful sacrifices that the Greek people are making at this difficult time, and I know that my European colleagues will carry forward these discussions as they prepare for meetings next week. 

The leaders here understand the stakes.  They know the magnitude of the choices they have to make and the enormous political, economic, and social costs if they don’t.  In addition to our G8 meeting, it was -- I was able to talk to them individually over the last two days and I reaffirmed that Europe has the capacity to meet its challenges, and America is not only confident in their ability to meet their challenges, but we are supportive of their efforts. 

This morning, I updated you on the progress we made last night in our discussion of security issues.  And today, following our discussion of the economy, we also made progress on a range of other important challenges.  We discussed the importance of pursuing an all-of-the-above strategy for energy security in a safe and sustainable way.  Leaders agreed to join a new U.S.-led coalition to address climate change, in part by reducing short-lived pollutants.  And in the face of increasing disruptions in the supply of oil, we agreed that we must closely monitor global energy markets.  Together, we stand ready to call upon the International Energy Agency to take action to ensure that the market remains fully and timely supplied.

We also announced a new alliance on food security with African leaders and the private sector as part of an effort to lift 50 million people out of poverty over the next decade.  We discussed our support for a sustainable Afghan economy as we wind down the war, and we reaffirmed our support for the democratic transitions underway in the Middle East and North Africa.

So I’m very pleased that we were able to make some important progress here at Camp David.  And we’re going to keep at it.  Tomorrow we begin our NATO summit in my hometown of Chicago where we’ll discuss our plans to responsibly end the war in Afghanistan.  Next week, European leaders will gather to discuss their next steps on the eurozone.  Next month, we’ll all have the chance to continue this collaboration at the G20 in Mexico.  And I look forward to building on this progress in promoting economic recovery in the weeks and months to come.

Thank you very much, everybody.  I hope you've enjoyed the great views and the great weather.

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
May 19, 2012

Remarks by the President Before Working Session with G8 Leaders

Camp David, Maryland

9:24 A.M. EDT

THE PRESIDENT:  All right, everybody, listen up.  First of all, I want to welcome all the leaders here.  The press, you're welcome as long as you don't break anything.  (Laughter.) 

This is, by the way, the largest gathering ever of international leaders at Camp David, and I'm glad that we could arrange for good weather.  Last night, we had a chance to discuss some core issues that affect our common security.  And I want to say that we are unified when it comes to our approach with Iran.  I think all of us agree that Iran has the right to peaceful nuclear power, but that its continuing violations of international rules and norms and its inability thus far to convince the world community that it is not pursuing the weaponization of nuclear power is something of grave concern to all of us. 

We are hopeful about the discussions that will be taking [place] in Baghdad, but all of us are firmly committed to continuing with the approach of sanctions and pressure, in combination with diplomatic discussions.  And our hope is, is that we can resolve this issue in a peaceful fashion that respects Iran's sovereignty and its rights in the international community, but also recognizes its responsibilities.

We had a discussion about Syria.  And we all believe that a peaceful resolution and political transition in Syria is preferable.  We are all deeply concerned about the violence that's taking place there and the loss of life.  We are supportive of the Annan plan, but we agreed -- and I expect this will be reflected in our communiqué -- that the Annan plan has to be fully implemented and that a political process has to move forward in a more timely fashion to resolve that issue. 

We also had a chance to discuss the situation in North Korea.  All of us agree that North Korea is violating its international obligations and that there is a path for them to rejoin the international community, but that path is not going to be -- or that objective will not be achieved if they continue with provocative actions that they have shown over the last several months. 

And on a brighter note, we had the opportunity to discuss Burma, and all of us are hopeful that the political process and transition and transformation that is beginning to take place there takes root.  Many of us have taken action to open up trade and investment with Burma for the first time in many years and we have had discussions with the leaders there.  Our hope is, is that this process will continue, and we're going to do everything that we can to encourage that process.

Finally, we had a brief discussion around the issue of women's empowerment, where we agreed that both, when it comes to economic development and when it comes to peace and security issues, empowering women to have a seat at the table and get more engaged and more involved in these processes can be extraordinarily fruitful.  And this is something that we will also be introducing during the G20.

So I want to thank all the leaders, despite the fact that at least those coming from across the Atlantic ended up staying up, I guess, until 6:00 in the morning their time.  The discussions were very fruitful.  This morning, we're going to be spending a lot of time on economic issues.  Obviously the eurozone will be one topic, and all of us are absolutely committed to making sure that both growth and stability -- and fiscal consolidation -- are part of a overall package that all of us have to pursue in order to achieve the kind of prosperity for our citizens that we're looking for. 

We'll also be talking about uncertainty in the energy markets and how we can help to resolve some of those issues.  And we'll be spending some time talking about development in the Middle East, North Africa, and our capacity to sustain economic development in Afghanistan.  Obviously, in Chicago, during the NATO meeting, we'll spend more time talking about security matters, but here we want to make sure that we recognize the need for Afghanistan to be able to sustain a development agenda moving forward as we begin to transition out of war.

So, again, I want to thank all the leaders for being here.  So far, this has been a frank and useful conversation, and it gives me great optimism about our ability to meet these challenges in the future

 

All right.  Thank you very much, everybody.

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
May 18, 2012

Remarks by President Obama and President Hollande of France after Bilateral Meeting

Oval Office

12:35 P.M. EDT

PRESIDENT OBAMA:  Well, it is my great pleasure to welcome President Hollande to the United States, to the Oval Office, and this evening to Camp David. 

We all watched the remarkable election, and I offered him hardy congratulations and assured him that the friendship and alliance between the United States and France is not only of extraordinary importance to me but is deeply valued by the American people.

I was interested, when I was reading the President's biography, that he actually spent some time in the United States in his youth, studying American fast food -- (laughter) -- and although he decided to go into politics, we'll be interested in his opinions of cheeseburgers in Chicago.  (Laughter.) 

I also warned him that now that he's President, he can no longer ride a scooter in Paris.  (Laughter.)  I know because I've tried with the Secret Service and they don't let me do it.  (Laughter.) 

Obviously we have had a lot to talk about.  Much of our discussion centered on the situation in the eurozone.  And President Hollande and I agree that this is an issue of extraordinary importance not only to the people of Europe, but also to the world economy.  And we're looking forward to a fruitful discussion later this evening and tomorrow with the other G8 leaders about how we can manage a responsible approach to fiscal consolidation that is coupled with a strong growth agenda.

We also discussed the situation in Afghanistan, in anticipation of our NATO meeting in Chicago on Saturday and Sunday.  And we agreed that even as we transition out of a combat phase in Afghanistan that it's important that we sustain our commitment to helping Afghans build security and continue down the path of development.

We also identified the issues of Iran and Syria, the transition that's taking place in countries like Egypt and Tunisia as topics of critical importance.  And we'll be devoting extensive time to those issues throughout the G8 meeting.  France has shown great leadership on these issues, and as I indicated to President Hollande, when the United States and France, along with our other key allies, make up our minds to stand firm on the side of democracy and freedom and development, that enormous progress can be made.

So I'm grateful to President Hollande for being willing to come here so shortly after his election and the formation of his government.  He's gotten off to a very strong start.  And I hope that he will find my administration and the American people strong partners in delivering prosperity not only to the people of France but helping to provide peace and security throughout the world.

PRESIDENT HOLLANDE:  (As interpreted.)  I wanted my first visit outside Europe to be to the United States in order to meet President Obama.  The Camp David G8 summit as well as the meeting in Chicago was an outstanding opportunity, and I would like to thank President Obama for taking that opportunity to allow us to have a long conversation together.

This is the first time that we meet, and not the last one; there will be many other opportunities for as long as possible.  But it was important for me, on this occasion, to reaffirm the importance of the relationship between France and the United States.

Through history, we lived together some important events.  We've had our differences, but we always manage to overcome them because of that strong link between our two countries.  We also share some common causes -- freedom, democracy.  This is the reason why our history, our culture go back together a long way, and we managed to go through these differences when necessary and have these ties that mean that when France and the U.S. come together we can make progress.

I discussed the main topics with President Obama, including the economy and the fact that growth must be a priority, at the same time as we put in place some fiscal compacts to improve our finances.  And President Obama was able to acknowledge shared views so that we can progress.

I also -- on the Greece -- the eurozone situation, and our concerns regarding Greece, and we share the same views, the fact that Greece must stay in the eurozone and that all of us must do what we can to that effect.  There will be elections in Greece and we wanted to send a message to that effect to the Greek people.

Our economies depend on one another.  What happens in Europe has an impact on the U.S., and vice versa.  So we are related, and the more coherent we are, the more efficient we can be.

We also discussed Afghanistan, and I reminded President Obama that I made a promise to the French people to the effect that our combat troops would be withdrawn from Afghanistan by the end of 2012.  That being said, we will continue to support Afghanistan in a different way, our support will take a different format, and all of that will be done in good understanding with our allies within ISAF.  And so we will continue and comply with our commitment to that country, and supply and support, as I said, in a different way.

We will discuss that further in Chicago, and I'm pretty sure I will find the right means so that our allies can continue with their mission and at the same time I can comply to the promise I made to the French people.

And regarding Iran, we, again, noted that we share views and that we could start negotiations, but that being said, with the required firmness that Iran doesn't get the nuclear military capability.

Regarding Syria and Arab Spring countries, we talked about the Deauville partnership, and here again I said that we would comply with our commitments.

What was important to say today is that, as to our responsibilities, France and the U.S. are countries that have an impact on the destiny of the world, but we are great in friendship, cohesion and partnership.  France is an independent country and cares about its independence but in old friendship with the United States of America.  So it is with that friendship and with that independence that we can be both the most efficient when it comes to dealing with the current challenges. 

And I would like to thank President Obama for the knowledge he has of my life before I took office.  I will say nothing against cheeseburgers, of course.  And as to my own vehicle, the one I used to have until I took office, I hope that I will not have to use it -- (laughter.)

PRESIDENT OBAMA:  I just want to remember that cheeseburgers go very well with French fries.  (Laughter.)

END
12:53 P.M. EDT

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
May 18, 2012

Remarks by the President at Symposium on Global Agriculture and Food Security

Ronald Reagan Building
Washington, D.C.

10:08 A.M. EDT

THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you so much.  (Applause.)  Thank you, everybody.  Please have a seat.  Thank you.  Well, good morning, everybody.  Thank you, Catherine Bertini, and Dan Glickman and everyone at the Chicago Council.  We were originally going to convene, along with the G8, in Chicago.  But since we’re not doing this in my hometown, I wanted to bring a little bit of Chicago to Washington.  (Laughter.)  It is wonderful to see all of you.  It is great to see quite a few young people here as well.  And I want to acknowledge a good friend.  We were just talking backstage -- he was my inspiration for singing at the Apollo -- (laughter) -- Bono is here, and it is good to see him.  (Applause.)

Now, this weekend at the G8, we’ll be represented by many of the world's largest economies.  We face urgent challenges -- creating jobs, addressing the situation in the eurozone, sustaining the global economic recovery.  But even as we deal with these issues, I felt it was also important, also critical to focus on the urgent challenge that confronts some 1 billion men, women and children around the world -- the injustice of chronic hunger; the need for long-term food security.

So tomorrow at the G8, we’re going to devote a special session to this challenge.  We’re launching a major new partnership to reduce hunger and lift tens of millions of people from poverty.  And we’ll be joined by leaders from across Africa, including the first three nations to undertake this effort and who join us here today -- I want to acknowledge them:  Prime Minister Meles of Ethiopia -- (applause) -- President Mills of Ghana -- (applause) -- and President Kikwete of Tanzania.  (Applause.)  Welcome.

I also want to acknowledge President Yayi of Benin, chair of the African Union -- (applause) -- which has shown great leadership in this cause.  And two of our leaders in this effort -- USAID Administrator -- every time I meet him, I realize that I was an underachiever in my 30s -- (laughter) -- Dr. Raj Shah is here.  (Applause.)  And the CEO of the Millennium Challenge Corporation, Daniel Yohannes.  (Applause.)

Now, this partnership is possible because so many leaders in Africa and around the world have made food security a priority.  And that’s why, shortly after I took office, I called for the international community to do its part.  And at the G8 meeting three years ago in L’Aquila, in Italy, that's exactly what we did -- mobilizing more than $22 billion for a global food security initiative. 

After decades in which agriculture and nutrition didn’t always get the attention they deserved, we put the fight against global hunger where it should be, which is at the forefront of global development.  And this reflected the new approach to development that I called for when I visited Ghana, hosted by President Mills, and that I unveiled at the last summit on the Millennium Development goals.

It’s rooted in our conviction that true development involves not only delivering aid, but also promoting economic growth -- broad-based, inclusive growth that actually helps nations develop and lifts people out of poverty.  The whole purpose of development is to create the conditions where assistance is no longer needed, where people have the dignity and the pride of being self-sufficient. 

You see our new approach in our promotion of trade and investment, of building on the outstanding work of the African Growth and Opportunity Act.  You see it in the global partnership to promote open government, which empowers citizens and helps to fuel development, creates the framework, the foundation for economic growth.

You see it in the international effort we’re leading against corruption, including greater transparency so taxpayers receive every dollar they’re due from the extraction of natural resources.  You see it in our Global Health Initiative, which instead of just delivering medicine is also helping to build a stronger health system, delivering better care and saving lives. 

And you see our new approach in our food security initiative, Feed the Future.  Instead of simply handing out food, we’ve partnered with countries in pursuit of ambitious goals:  better nutrition to prevent the stunting and the death of millions of children, and raising the incomes of millions of people, most of them farmers.  The good news is we’re on track to meet our goals. 

As President, I consider this a moral imperative.  As the wealthiest nation on Earth, I believe the United States has a moral obligation to lead the fight against hunger and malnutrition, and to partner with others. 

So we take pride in the fact that, because of smart investments in nutrition and agriculture and safety nets, millions of people in Kenya and Ethiopia did not need emergency aid in the recent drought. 

But when tens of thousands of children die from the agony of starvation, as in Somalia, that sends us a message we’ve still got a lot of work to do.  It’s unacceptable.  It’s an outrage.  It’s an affront to who we are. 

So food security is a moral imperative, but it’s also an economic imperative.  History teaches us that one of the most effective ways to pull people and entire nations out of poverty is to invest in their agriculture.  And as we’ve seen from Latin America to Africa to Asia, a growing middle class also means growing markets, including more customers for American exports that support American jobs.  So we have a self interest in this.  

It's a moral imperative, it's an economic imperative, and it is a security imperative.  For we’ve seen how spikes in food prices can plunge millions into poverty, which, in turn, can spark riots that cost lives, and can lead to instability.  And this danger will only grow if a surging global population isn’t matched by surging food production.  So reducing malnutrition and hunger around the world advances international peace and security -- and that includes the national security of the United States.

And perhaps nowhere do we see this link more vividly than in Africa.  On the one hand, we see Africa as an emerging market.  African economies are some of the fastest growing in the world.  We see a surge in foreign investment.  We see a growing middle class; hundreds of millions of people connected by mobile phones; more young Africans online than ever before.  There's hope and some optimism.  And all of this has yielded impressive progress -- for the first time ever, a decline in extreme poverty in Africa; an increase in crop yields; a dramatic drop in child deaths.  That's the good news, and in part it's due to some of the work of the people in this room.

On the other hand, we see an Africa that still faces huge hurdles:  stark inequalities; most Africans still living on less than $2 a day; climate change that increases the risk of drought and famine.  All of which perpetuates stubborn barriers in agriculture, in the agricultural sector -- from bottlenecks in infrastructure that prevent food from getting to market, to the lack of credit, especially for small farmers, most of whom are women.

I’ve spoken before about relatives I have in Kenya, who live in villages where hunger is sometimes a reality -- despite the fact that African farmers can be some of the hardest-working people on Earth.  Most of the world’s unused arable land is in Africa.  Fifty years ago, Africa was an exporter of food.  There is no reason why Africa should not be feeding itself and exporting food again.  There is no reason for that.  (Applause.)

So that’s why we’re here.  In Africa and around the world, progress isn’t coming fast enough.  And economic growth can’t just be for the lucky few at the top, it's got to be broad-based, for everybody, and a good place to start is in the agricultural sector.  So even as the world responds with food aid in a crisis -- as we’ve done in the Horn of Africa -- communities can’t go back just to the way things were, vulnerable as before, waiting for the next crisis to happen.  Development has to be sustainable, and as an international community, we have to do better.

So here at the G8, we’re going to build on the progress we've made so far.  Today, I can announce a new global effort we're calling a New Alliance for Food Security and Nutrition.  And to get the job done we’re bringing together all the key players around a shared commitment.  Let me describe it.

Governments, like those in Africa, that are committed to agricultural development and food security, they agree to take the lead -- building on their own plans by making tough reforms and attracting investment.  Donor countries -- including G8 members and international organizations -- agree to more closely align our assistance with these country plans.  And the private sector -- from large multinationals to small African cooperatives, your NGOs and civil society groups -- agree to make concrete and continuing commitments as well, so that there is an alignment between all these sectors. 

Now, I know some have asked, in a time of austerity, whether this New Alliance is just a way for governments to shift the burden onto somebody else.  I want to be clear:  The answer is no.  As President, I can assure you that the United States will continue to meet our responsibilities, so that even in these tough fiscal times, we will continue to make historic investments in development.  And, by the way, we're going to be working to end hunger right here in the United States as well.  (Applause.)  That will continue to be a priority.

We’ll continue to be the leader in times of crisis, as we’ve done as the single largest donor of aid in the Horn of Africa, and as we focus on the drought in the Sahel.  That's why I’ve proposed to continue increasing funds for food security.  (Applause.)  So I want to be clear:  The United States will remain a global leader in development in partnership with you.  And we will continue to make available food -- or emergency aid.  That will not change.  But what we do want to partner with you on is a strategy so that emergency aid becomes less and less relevant as a consequence of greater and greater sustainability within these own countries.  

That's how development is supposed to work.  That's what I mean by a new approach that challenges more nations, more organizations, more companies, more NGOs, challenges individuals -- some of the young people who are here -- to step up and play a role -- because government cannot and should not do this alone.  This has to be all hands on deck. 

And that’s the essence of this New Alliance.  So G8 nations will pledge to honor the commitments we made in L’Aquila.  We must do what we say; no empty promises.  And at the same time, we’ll deliver the assistance to launch this new effort.  Moreover, we’re committing to replenish the very successful Global Agricultural and Food Security Program.  (Applause.)  That's an important part of this overall effort.

Next, we’re going to mobilize more private capital.  Today, I can announce that 45 companies -- from major international corporations to African companies and cooperatives -- have pledged to invest more than $3 billion to kick off this effort.  (Applause.)  And we’re also going to fast-track new agricultural projects so they reach those in need even quicker.

Third, we’re going to speed up the development and delivery of innovation -- better seeds, better storage -- that unleash huge leaps in food production.  And we’re going to tap that mobile phone revolution in Africa so that more data on agriculture -- whether it’s satellite imagery or weather forecasts or market prices -- are put in the hands of farmers so they know where to plant and when to plant and when to sell.

Fourth, we’re joining with the World Bank and other partners to better understand and manage the risks that come with changing food prices and a changing climate -- because a change in prices or a single bad season should not plunge a family, a community or a region into crisis.

And finally, we’re going to keep focusing on nutrition, especially for young children, because we know the effects of poor nutrition can last a lifetime -- it’s harder to learn, it’s harder to earn a living.  When there is good nutrition, especially in those thousand days during pregnancy up to the child’s second birthday, it means healthier lives for that child and that mother.  And it’s the smart thing to do because better nutrition means lower health care costs and it means less need for assistance later on.

That’s what we’re going to do.  We’re going to sustain the commitments we made three years ago, and we’re going to speed things up.  And we’re starting with these three countries -- Tanzania, Ghana and Ethiopia -- precisely because of their record in improving agriculture and food security. 

But this is just the beginning.  In the coming months, we’ll expand to six countries.  We’ll welcome other countries that are committed to making tough reforms.  We’ll welcome more companies that are willing to invest.  We’re going to hold ourselves accountable; we’ll measure results.  And we’ll stay focused on clear goals:  boosting farmers’ incomes, and over the next decade, helping 50 million men, women and children lift themselves out of poverty.  (Applause.)

And I know there are going to be skeptics -- there always are.  We see heartbreaking images -- fields turned to dust, babies with distended bellies -- and we say it’s hopeless, and some places are condemned to perpetual poverty and hunger.  But the people in this room disagree.  I think most of the American people disagree.  Anyone who claims great change is impossible, I say look at the extraordinary successes in development.

Look at the Green Revolution, which pulled hundreds of millions of people out of poverty.  (Applause.)  Look at microfinance, which has empowered so many rural poor -- something my mother was involved with.  Look at the huge expansion of education, especially for girls.  Look at the progress we’ve made with vaccines -- from smallpox to measles to pneumonia to diarrhea -- which have saved the lives of hundreds of millions.  And of course, look at the global fight against HIV/AIDS, which has brought us to the point where we can imagine what was once unthinkable -- and that is the real possibility of an AIDS-free generation.  (Applause.) 

Moreover, we are already making progress in this area right now.  In Rwanda, farmers are selling more coffee and lifting their families out of poverty.  In Haiti, some farmers have more than doubled their yields.  In Bangladesh, in the poorest region, they’ve had their first-ever surplus of rice.  There are millions of farmers and families whose lives are being transformed right now because of some of the strategies that we’re talking about.  And that includes a farmer in Ethiopia who got a new loan, increased production, hired more workers.  And he said, “This salary changed my life.  My kids can now go to school.”

And we start getting the wheel turning in the direction of progress.  We can do this.  We’re already doing it.  We just need to bring it all together.  We can unleash the change that reduces hunger and malnutrition.  We can spark the kind of economic growth that lifts people and nations out of poverty.  This is the new commitment that we’re making.  And I pledge to you today that this will remain a priority as long as I am United States President.  Thank very much.  (Applause.)  God bless you.  Thank you.  God bless America. 

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10:29 A.M. EDT