Remarks by the President at a Campaign Event

Sheraton Hotel
New York, New York

9:09 P.M. EST

THE PRESIDENT:  Hello, New York!  (Applause.)  It is good to be in New York in the holiday season.  (Applause.)  Everybody is out and about, there's a little nip in the air.  Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center up and lit.  Something about this time of year makes this city feel like anything is possible.  (Applause.) 

It is great to be here.  And I see some familiar faces in the crowd, so thank you for being here. 

We have some special guests.  All of you are special, but I want to make sure that you acknowledge them.  First of all, the head of the DNC, Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz is here. (Applause.)  She's doing an outstanding job.  One of the finest public servants we have up and coming, New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman is in the house.  (Applause.)  The New York City public advocate, Bill de Blasio is here.  (Applause.)  And give it up for the folks who performed for you -- Ali Wentworth and Regina Spektor -- thank you.  (Applause.) 

Now, I am here today because I need your help.  But I'm also here because the country needs your help.  There was a reason why so many of you worked so hard on our 2008 campaign, and it wasn’t because you thought that it was going to be a cakewalk to elect Barack Hussein Obama.  (Laughter.)  If you were going for easy that was not the route to take.  You did not take a poll that told you that this was going to be a sure thing.  And besides, our campaign was not about me -- it was about a vision that we shared for America.  It wasn’t a narrow, cramped vision of an America where everybody is fending for themselves.  It was a vision of a big and a compassionate America, where everybody who works hard has a chance to get ahead.  Not just those at the very top; not just those born into wealth or privilege -- a vision that says the more Americans who succeed, the more America succeeds.

That's the vision that we share.  That's the change that we believed in.  And we knew it wasn’t going to come easy, and we knew it wasn’t going to come quickly.  But three years later, because of what you did in 2008, we have already started to see what change looks like.

Think about it.  Change is the first bill I signed into law -- a law that says you get an equal day's work -- somebody who puts in an equal day's work should get equal day's pay -- (applause) -- because our daughters should be treated just like our sons and have the same opportunities.  That's change.

Change is the decision we made to rescue the auto company from collapse, even when some politicians were saying we should let Detroit go bankrupt.  Change is more than 1 million jobs that we saved, and the local businesses that are picking up again -- (applause) -- and the fuel-efficient cars that are now rolling off the assembly lines with that word, Made In America, stamped on them.  (Applause.) 

Change is the decision we made to stop waiting for Congress to do something about our addiction to oil and finally raise fuel-efficiency standards for the first time in 30 years.  (Applause.)  And because of that, by the next decade, we'll be driving cars that get 55 miles a gallon -- at least.  That's what change is.

Change is the fight we won to stop handing out $60 billion worth of tax subsidies to banks and put that $60 billion into student loans.  And today, millions of students are getting more help going to college at a time when they need it most.  That's because of your work in 2008.  (Applause.) 

Change is health care reform that we passed after a century of trying.  (Applause.)  Reform that will finally ensure that in the United States of America, nobody is going to go bankrupt because they get sick.  And you've got a million young people who are already with health insurance today, on their parent's plan because of the laws that we passed.  (Applause.)  Change is the millions of Americans who can no longer be denied or dropped from their health insurance at a time when they need the care the most.  That's what change is.

Change is the fact that for the first time in history, you don't have to hide who you love in order to serve the country that you love -- ending "don't ask, don't tell."  (Applause.)  Change is keeping one of the first promises I made in 2008:  By the end of December, the war in Iraq will be officially over, our troops are coming home.  (Applause.)  They will be rejoining their families for the holidays.  (Applause.) 

And it hasn’t made us weaker; it's made us stronger.  We've refocused our efforts on the terrorists who actually carried out 9/11.  And thanks to our brave men and women in uniform, al Qaeda is weaker than it has ever been and Osama bin Laden will never walk this Earth again.  (Applause.)  That's because of what you did in 2008. 

A lot of this wasn’t easy.  Some of it was risky.  It came in the face of tough opposition and powerful lobbyists and special interests who spent millions of dollars to keep things the way they were.  It's no secret that the steps we took haven’t always been politically popular with the crowd in Washington.  But all this progress was made because of you.  Because you stood up and made your voices heard.  Because you knocked on doors, and you made phone calls and sent out emails.  And you kept up the fight for change long after the election was over. 

You should be proud of what got done.  It should make you hopeful.  But it can't make us complacent -- because everything that we fought for during the last election, and everything that we still have to do to make sure this country gives a fair shot to everybody, is at stake in 2012. (Applause.)  Every single thing that we care about is at stake in this next election.  The very core of what this country stands for is on the line.  The basic promise that no matter who you are, no matter where you come from, this is a place where you can make it if we try.

I just came from another fundraising event at the home of somebody now extraordinarily successful -- his parents were Holocaust survivors.  And he described, in introducing me, how they were able to come over here with almost nothing and yet still provide a good public education for their kids, and still give them a leg up and allow them to succeed.  And the question is, 20 years from now, 30 years from now, are we going to be able to say the same thing about the next generation coming up.

The crisis that struck in the months before I took office put more Americans out of work than at any time since the Great Depression.  And if you actually look at a chart, three months before I was sworn in we lost 4 million jobs; three months after I was sworn in we lost another 4 million.  A few months later, because of our economic policies, the economy started to grow again and people started going to work again.  And we've had private sector job growth for 21 consecutive months.  (Applause.)

But that 8 million that lost their jobs, it has been brutal. And it was the culmination of a decade in which the middle class fell further and further behind.  More good jobs in manufacturing left our shores.  More of our prosperity was built on risky financial deals, or on a housing bubble, and we racked up greater piles of debt even as our incomes fell and our wages flat-lined and the cost of everything from college to health care kept on going up.

These problems didn’t happen overnight, and they weren’t going to be solved overnight.  And it's going to take more than a few years to meet the challenges that had been decades in the making.  The American people understand that.  But what the American people don't understand are leaders who refuse to take action at such a critical time in this nation's history.  They're sick and tired of watching people who are supposed to represent America put party ahead of country, or the next election ahead of the next generation.

President Kennedy used to say, after he took office, what surprised him most about Washington was finding out that things were just as bad as he'd been saying they were.  (Laughter.)  And I can relate to that.  (Laughter.)  When you've got the top Republican in the Senate saying almost from the get-go that his number-one concern, his party's number-one priority, wasn't to fix the economy, wasn't to put people back to work, but was to beat the President, then you get a sense that things really aren't on the level.

That's how you end up with Republicans in Congress voting against all kinds of jobs proposals that they supported in the past:  tax cuts for workers, tax cuts for small businesses, rebuilding roads and bridges, putting cops and teachers back to work.  And they're at it again right now. 

Last year, right around this time, both parties came together to cut payroll taxes for the typical household by $1,000 this year.  And that helped boost the economy at a time when it was weak -- and it is still weak, so we should be doing the same thing.  Except the tax cut is set to expire by the end of this month, and if that happens, a typical middle-class family will see $1,000 tax increase at the worst possible time for the economy and for these families.

So what I've said is, let's not just extend that tax cut another year to help folks get back on solid footing, let's expand it.  Let's give the typical working family a $1,500 tax cut.  And while we're at it, let's cut taxes for small businesses who are creating jobs in America.  Some Republicans used to love these tax cuts, until I proposed them.  (Laughter.)  Suddenly they've started lining up against them.  A lot of them have sworn -- they've taken an oath, "We're never going to raise taxes as long as we live" -- religion. 

But now they're voting against this tax cut, and as a consequence, you could potentially see working folks see an extra $1,000 coming out of their paycheck this year.  They'll fight with everything they have to protect the tax cuts of the wealthiest Americans, but they've got no problem breaking the oath when it comes to raising taxes on middle-class families, just to score some political points. 

And they may think that's a smart political strategy -- although I'm noticing that over the last couple of days they've been realizing this may not work out so well for them -- (laughter) -- it's not a strategy to create jobs.  It's not a strategy to help middle-class families who have been working two to three shifts just to put food on the table.  And it's not a strategy to help America succeed -- and we've all got a stake in that.

If you were able to come to this fundraiser, you've probably got a job and you're doing pretty well, relatively speaking.  But you know what, our success depends on everybody's success.  If you've got a business, you need customers.  If you're a law firm, you need clients.  If you've got a restaurant, you need somebody who can afford to buy dinner at your restaurant.  If you are a parent, then it's not good enough that you can get a good education for your child, because your child's success is going to depend on how well educated every child is in this country. 

We have a choice in 2012.  The question is not whether people are still hurting or whether the economy is growing as fast as it should be -- it is not.  A lot of folks are still hurting out there.  Of course the economy is still struggling.  The question is what are we going to do about it; what vision do we have for where we want to take this country?  And it is not a technical question, it is a values question.  It's about who we are, what we believe in.  (Applause.) 

And that's the debate that we're going to have to have over the next year.  It's about where we're going to go.

The Republicans in Congress and the candidates who are running for President -- I hope all of you are watching these Republican debates.  (Laughter.)  You need to see what's going on to get a sense of what's at stake.  (Laughter.)  They've got a very specific idea about where they want to take this country.  They want to reduce the deficit, which we need to do, not in a balanced way, but by gutting our investments in education, by slashing spending in research and technology, by letting our infrastructure -- our roads and our bridges and our airports -- crumble. 

Now, I believe that since I already signed a law that reduced our deficit by a trillion dollars and I proposed to do another $2.5 million in deficit reduction, I've got some credibility in saying that I'm prepared to make some tough decisions to close that gap.  But we've got to do it in a way that is fair for everybody.  And that means asking the wealthiest among us to do our fair share; that we don't just ask for sacrifices from seniors, we don't just ask for sacrifices from union members, we don't just ask for sacrifices from teachers, we ask for sacrifices from the people who are in the best position to sacrifice.  (Applause.) 

That's a fundamental difference in -- it's a fundamental difference in our vision about where we want to take this country. 

The Republicans in Congress and on the campaign trail want to make Medicare a form of private insurance that seniors have to shop for with a voucher that most independent analysts say won't cover the full cost of their health care.  Now, I believe we can lower the cost of Medicare -- and we need to -- with reforms that still guarantee a dignified retirement that our seniors have earned.  That's what I believe.  That is a values question.  It is not just a technical question.

They think the best way for America to compete for new jobs and businesses is to follow other countries in a race to the bottom.  So their attitude is, well, since places like China allow companies to pay much lower wages, let's roll back our minimum wage.  Let's eliminate our right to organize here at home.  Since other countries allow corporations to pollute as much as they want, we need to get rid of our regulations that protect us from dirty air and dirty water. 

I don't think we should have any more regulations than the health and safety of the American people require.  And I've already made reforms that will save businesses billions of dollars.  We've put in place fewer regulations than the Bush administration -- although the benefits have been a lot higher.

But I don't believe that a race to the bottom is a race that America should try to win.  We should be in a race to the top.  And that is a race we can win.  We shouldn’t be competing -- (applause) -- we shouldn’t be competing to see if we can pay the lowest wages; we should be competing to see if our schools are the envy of the world.  If we're giving our workers the best skills and the best training, and we're putting a college education within the reach of every young person who wants to go. That should be the race that we're trying to win.  (Applause.)

We should be in a race to give our businesses the best access to the newest airports and the newest roads and the newest bridges, the most Internet access.  We should be in a race to support the scientists and researchers who are trying to make the next breakthrough in clean energy or medicine, and make it happen right here in the United States of America.  That's the race we should be in.  (Applause.) 

We should be in a race to make sure that the next generation of manufacturing takes root not in Asia, not in Europe, but in Detroit and Cleveland and Pittsburgh and here in New York.  I don't want this country to just be known for buying and consuming.  I want us to be known for building and selling products all around the world.  That's what we should be focused on.  (Applause.) 

And this competition for new jobs and new businesses, middle-class security -- that's a race we can win.  That's a race we can win. 

You know, I took a trip to Asia, and here sometimes the pundits and the newspapers and the TV commentators love to talk about how America is slipping and America is in decline and -- you know what, that's not what you feel when you're in Asia.  They're looking to us for leadership.  They know that America is great not just because we're powerful, but also because we have a set of values that the world admires; that we don't just think about what's good for us, but we're also thinking about what's good for the world.  That's what makes us special.  That's what makes us exceptional. 

But we can't win this race, and we can't continue American leadership, with an attitude that says, it's every American for themselves.  We're not going to win it if our whole philosophy is built on handing out more tax cuts to people who don't need them and weren't even asking for them, and telling companies, don't worry, you can play by your own set of rules regardless of the consequences, and hope that the success of the wealthiest few translates somehow into prosperity for everybody else.  That is not how America was built.  That theory does not work.  It didn't work when Herbert Hoover called it "trickle-down economics" before the Depression.  It didn't work when we tried it in the last decade.  It won't work today. 

It won't work because we aren't a country that practices survival of the fittest.  We believe in the survival of the nation, and we believe that we all have a stake in each other's success.  (Applause.)  We believe that if we can attract outstanding teachers to the profession by giving him or her the pay that they deserve, and that teacher goes on to educate some real smart kid, the next Steve Jobs, we all benefit.  That's good for all of us.  If we provide faster Internet service to rural America, and that store owner out in some small town is now selling his goods all around the world, that's good for all of us.  If we build a new bridge that saves a shipping company time and money, workers and customers all over the country will do better.  If we have rules in place that protect consumers from unscrupulous financial practices, that will be good for the consumer, and by the way, that will be good for the financial system.  (Applause.)

This idea has not been, historically, a Democratic or a Republican idea; this is an American idea.  The first Republican President -- pretty good President, guy named Abraham Lincoln -- (laughter) -- launched the Transcontinental Railroad, the National Academy of Sciences, the first land-grant colleges -- government programs in the middle of a Civil War.  It was a Republican -- Teddy Roosevelt -- who called for a progressive income tax, saying, you know what, I want each generation to have opportunity, and we don't want just a small segment of our society that is able to amass more and more political power.  It was a Republican -- Dwight Eisenhower -- who built the Interstate Highway System.  Republicans participated with FDR in giving millions of returning heroes, including my grandfather, the chance to go to college on the G.. Bill.  This is an American idea.

And that same spirit of common purpose, it still exists.  I see it every single day -- maybe not always in Washington, but out in America, it's there.  Here in New York, it's there.  It's in small towns, it's in big cities.  You talk to folks on Main Streets, you talk to folks in town halls, you go to a diner -- our politics may be divided, but most Americans still understand we will stand or fall together.  (Applause.)  And no matter who we are, no matter where we come from, we're one nation, and we're one people.  And that's what's at stake in this election.  That's what this election is all about.

Now, I know it has been three wrenching years for this country.  And when you look back at 2008, I think a lot of folks thought, boy, this is so exciting and it's going to just -- we're going to snap our fingers and as soon as we get in there everything will be solved.  And after all that's happened in Washington, it may be tempting to believe that, you know what, change isn't as possible as we thought.  But I've got to remind people of what I said not just during the campaign, but even on the night we won.  I said real change, big change, is hard.  It takes time.  It takes more than a single term.  It may take more than a single President.  It requires ordinary citizens who are committed to keep -- continuing the fight, to keep pushing, to keep inching this country closer to its highest ideals.

It’s how this nation was created; a band of colonists deciding, you know what, we’re going to try this new idea -- a government of and by and for the people.  It’s how the greatest generation was able to overcome more than a decade of war and the Depression to build the largest middle class in history.

It’s how young people fought against billy clubs and fire hoses and dogs to ensure that their kids and their grandkids could grow up in a country where there was no barrier to who you can become. 

Change has always been hard.  But it’s possible.  I’ve seen it and I have lived it, and so have many of you.  So, you know, I’ve been saying at some of these fundraisers and events around the country -- you know, I know I’m a little grayer than I was.  (Laughter.)  And I know that the cynicism has risen again since the last election.  And I know that folks are frustrated with Washington.  But the only way to end the game-playing and the point-scoring that passes for politics this day is to send a message in this election that we are not backing down, we are not giving up; that we are going to keep pushing, and we continue to fight, and we still hope, and we are still going after change that we believe in.  (Applause.)

And I’m going to need you to do it.  I’ve often -- I’ve said -- I said this all the time during the campaign:  I am not a perfect man; I will not be a perfect President.  But there are some things I can promise you.  I will always tell you what I believe in.  I will always tell you where I stand.  And every single day I am thinking about you, your families, our kids, and how we can make America work for everybody.  That’s always been my promise.  And I’ve kept that promise.

So if you’re willing to keep pushing through all the frustrations that we may see, and if you keep reminding yourselves of all that we’ve accomplished so far, and if you keep your eyes on that prize -- all the things that we can accomplish over the next five years -- that change will come.  (Applause.) 

If you are willing to work harder in this election than you did in the last election, change will come.  (Applause.)  If you are willing to get on the phone again and knock on doors again, change will come.  (Applause.)  If you stick with me on this, change will come.  (Applause.)  Press on, everybody.  Change will come. 

God bless you.  God bless the United States of America.  (Applause.)

END
9:36 P.M. EST

Remarks by the President at a Campaign Event

Gotham Bar and Grille
New York, New York

7:30 P.M. EST

THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you.  Thank you.  (Applause.)  Thank you very much.  You're making me blush.  (Laughter.)

Well, because I see so many good friends around this room, I am not going to give a long speech.  What I like to do when I see you guys is just have a good conversation.

We are going through a very interesting time in Washington. We have spent the last two or three months insisting that Congress needs to act but that we are not going to wait for them to act, because the American people expect that we're going to be doing some things to make sure that we're putting people back to work and we're getting the economy growing again.

And we're starting to see just a hint of a response out of Congress.  Last week, part of our American Jobs Act, which provided tax benefits for companies that hire veterans was actually passed and signed into law.  Over the last couple of days, Mr. Boehner and Mr. McConnell have both indicated that it probably does make sense not to have taxes go up for middle-class families, particularly since they've all taken an oath not to raise taxes.

And so it's possible that we see some additional progress over the next couple of weeks that can continue to help strengthen the economy and get us through what has been a very difficult period not just for the United States, but obviously for the world economy.

We still have a lot of headwinds ahead of us.  Europe is probably the biggest one.  And I'm spending an awful lot of time making transatlantic calls -- because when you look at what's happening in Europe, both to the banks and for countries like Italy that need to refinance their debt, that can have a profound impact on what happens here.  But I am cautiously hopeful that they end up recognizing that they need to do the right thing, and we're providing them as much assistance as we can to make sure that the situation is stabilized, because it will have an impact all around the world.

In the meantime, even if we get through this budget cycle, even if we get the payroll tax cut passed, the challenges that led me to run in 2008, many of them are still there.  We still have a health care system that has to get more efficient and that has to improve its quality.  And so we're going to have to implement the Affordable Care Act in 2014, and that means I've got to win in 2012.  (Applause.)   

We still have to implement Dodd-Frank in an effective way that assures that banks are properly capitalized, and that folks are not socializing the risks that they take on Wall Street.  And we've made enormous progress on implementation, but in order to finish the job, I'm going to have to have a second term. 

We still don't have all the energy policies in place that we need to free ourselves from dependence on foreign oil and adequately deal with climate change, despite the fact that we've doubled fuel economy standards on cars and made enormous progress on clean energy -- and that means that I'm going to need another term to finish the job.

We have made enormous progress in education, and broken through a lot of the traditional left-right arguments about accountability and charter schools and teacher training.  But in order for us to implement what is necessarily a decade-long project to get our education system back to where it needs to be, I’m going to need a few more years to finish the job.

On foreign policy -- I just came back from an extraordinary trip to Asia.  And it’s fascinating -- here in the United States it’s fashionable to talk about America’s diminished role in the world.  But you wouldn’t know it if you were traveling around Asia, the fastest-growing part of the world, where folks are incredibly hungry for American leadership, and where we were organizing a trade partnership with most of the major economies there that everybody was eager to join because they recognize that America is willing to play by the rules and those rules can benefit everybody and not just some.

We were able to solidify security arrangements that assure freedom of passage and navigation, and help to underwrite the mutual security of the Asia Pacific region.  And what was fascinating was how much people still look to America as a power that is not simply self-interested, but it also interested in the well-being of people outside our borders, and a power -- a superpower that not only projects military might but also projects values.

In the Middle East, obviously it’s an enormous time of transition and there are going to be some bumpy moments along the way.  But we have positioned ourselves squarely on the side of freedom and democracy.  And we are I think in a position -- particularly as we end the war in Iraq and have all our troops home in time for the holidays this year, and as we begin to transition in Afghanistan -- we're in a position to help shape what, over the long term, could be a transformation in that region that benefits millions of people.  And we can do it even as we are foursquare insisting on Israel’s security.

And so this is a moment of enormous promise.  But I need a couple more years to finish the job.  And that’s why it’s going to be so important that, having worked through all the angst of the last year or two, where people are trying to figure out, why didn't we get everything done in the first three years, it’s time for us to refocus and make sure that we understand that change that we can believe in was never change overnight, but rather it was going to be a slow, steady progression in which this aircraft carrier we call the United States of America slowly shifts in a direction that promises more opportunity, more caring for those who need help, more tolerance of our differences -- the kind of America we want our kids and our grandkids to grow up in.

We’re well on our way, but we’ve got to finish the job.  And for that, I’m going to need your help.  And that’s why, as I look around the room, I could not be more grateful for friends who have stood with me through thick and through thin. 

So thank you very much, everybody.  Appreciate it.  (Applause.)

END
7:38 P.M. EST

Remarks by the President on the American Jobs Act

Scranton High School
Scranton, Pennsylvania

2:37 P.M. EST

THE PRESIDENT:  Hello, Scranton!  Thank you.  (Applause.)  It is good to be back in Scranton.  Go, Knights!  (Applause.)  It is good to be here.  Thank you, Principal Schaeffer, for letting us hold this little assembly here at the high school.  (Laughter.)  The principal was bragging about both the basketball team and the football team.  I understand they’re -- (applause) -- right up there?  All right. 

Thank you, Donna, for the wonderful invitation.  We had a chance to visit in the Festas’ living room, and just a wonderful family, and their kids are doing great.  So I’m really, really proud to be with all of you.

AUDIENCE MEMBER:  Can you come to my house?  (Laughter.) 

THE PRESIDENT:  What did she say?  You want -- next time, your house.  (Laughter.)  All right?  (Applause.)

Now, I will say, Donna put out some really good cookies.  So -- (laughter) -- I’m just saying.  (Laughter.)  All right.

Now, I also want to bring greetings from somebody you guys know pretty well -– a guy named Joe Biden.  (Applause.)  Joe is in Iraq as we speak, and he’s visiting with our brave men and women in uniform, thanking them for their service.  (Applause.)  And part of the reason he’s going now is because, pretty soon, we’ll all get a chance to say thank you.  This holiday season is going to be a season of homecomings, because by the end of December, all of our troops are going to be out of Iraq.  They’re going to be back home.  (Applause.)

Now, I mention Joe, first of all, because he loves Scranton.  (Applause.)  He was born here in Scranton.  He spent his early years here in Scranton.  This town helped make him who he is.  This is a town where he and so many of you grew up with a faith in an America where hard work matters.  Where responsibility matters.  Where if you stay true to those things, you can get ahead.  Where no matter who you are, no matter what you look like -– whether you own a factory or you work on the factory floor –- America is a place where you can make it if you try.  (Applause.)

That’s why Joe and I ran for this office.  You are why we spent so much time in this state a few years ago.  Because even then, those ideas -– the idea that’s at the very heart of the American Dream –- felt like it was slipping away for a lot of people.  It was wonderful visiting with Patrick and Donna, and we were talking about the fact that Patrick has been -- Patrick Festa has been teaching in the school system for 25 years now; Donna has been a graphic artist.  But they’re still worried about if the washer/dryer goes out, or if they have to do a car repair.  Things are tight.  And they’re pretty lucky that they’ve got a good job, steady jobs.  For a lot of folks, it’s a lot tougher. 

And we’ve gone through a difficult decade for middle-class Americans.  More good jobs in manufacturing left our shores over the last decade.  More of our prosperity was built on risky financial deals and homes that a lot of folks couldn’t afford.  And a lot of you watched your incomes fall or your wages flatline.  Meanwhile, the costs of everything from college to health care were all going up.  And then, after all that, the financial crisis hit because of the irresponsibility of some on Wall Street.  (Applause.)  And that made things a whole lot tougher. 

Today, we all know folks who’ve spent months looking for work.  We all know families making deep sacrifices just to get by.  We all know young people who have gone to college, they’ve taken on a bunch of debt.  Now they’re finding that the opportunity that they worked so hard to find is getting harder and harder to come by.  So there’s a sense of deep frustration among people who’ve done the right thing, but don’t see that hard work and that responsibility pay off.  And that’s not the way things are supposed to be, not here in America.

But here today with all of you, I’m thinking about something that is probably Joe’s favorite expression.  And some of you know Joe’s story.  He went through some tough times when he was a kid.  And his father used to tell him, Champ, when you get knocked down, you get up.  You get up.   
And Scranton, we’ve taken some punches these last few years.  But there’s one thing I know about people here in Scranton, people in Pennsylvania, and people all across America:  We are tougher than the times.  We are America.  We get back up.  We fight back.  We move forward.  (Applause.)  We don’t give up.  We get back up.  (Applause.)
 
And even though our economic problems weren’t caused overnight and so they’re not going to be solved overnight -- even though it’s going to take a few more years to meet all the  challenges that were decades in the making -- we’re fighting to make things right again.  We’re fighting to make sure that if you are working hard and you are carrying out your responsibilities and you’re looking out for your family, that you can live a good, solid, middle-class life.  That is what America is all about.  And we are going to be fighting for that every day, every week, every month and every year that we’re in office.  (Applause.) 

We want an America where hard work is valued and responsibility is rewarded.  We’re fighting to rebuild an economy that restores security for the middle class and renews opportunity for folks that are trying to get into the middle class.  We’re fighting to build an economy that’s not based on outsourcing and tax loopholes and risky financial schemes, but one that’s built to last -- one where we invest in things like education and small businesses -- (applause) -- an economy that’s built on manufacturing and building things again and selling them all around the world.  (Applause.) 

And we’re going to keep fighting to make our economy stronger and put our friends and neighbors back to work, to give our young people opportunities greater than the opportunities that we had.  (Applause.)  That’s what we’ve been doing for the last three years. 

But two months ago, I sent a particular piece of legislation to Congress called the American Jobs Act.  (Applause.)  This is a jobs bill that will put more Americans to work, put more money back in the pockets of working families. It’s contains ideas that historically have been supported by Democrats and Republicans.  It’s paid for by asking our wealthiest citizens to pay their fair share.  (Applause.)  And independent economists said that it would create up to 2 million jobs, and grow the economy by as much as 2 percent.  And that’s what we need right now. 

Now, here’s the problem -- there is a problem.  Folks in Washington don’t seem to be getting the message.  When this jobs bill came to a vote, Republicans in the Senate got together and they blocked it.  They refused to even debate it.  Even though polls showed that two-thirds of Americans of all political stripes supported the ideas in this bill, not one single Republican stepped up to say, this is the right thing to do. 

AUDIENCE:  Booo!

THE PRESIDENT:  Not one.  But here’s the good news, Scranton.  Just like you don’t quit, I don’t quit.  (Applause.)  I don’t quit.  So I said, look, I’m going to do everything that I can do without Congress to get things done.  (Applause.)

So let’s just take a look over the past several weeks.  We said, we can’t wait.  We just went ahead and started taking some steps on our own to give working Americans a leg up in a tough economy.  For homeowners, I announced a new policy that will help families refinance their mortgages and save thousands of dollars.  (Applause.)  For all the young people out here -- (applause) -- we reformed our student loan process to make it easier for more students to pay off their debts earlier.  (Applause.)  For our veterans out here -- and I see some veterans in the crowd -- (applause) -- we ordered several new initiatives to help our returning heroes find new jobs and get trained for those jobs.  (Applause.)  Because you shouldn’t have to fight for a job when you come home after fighting for America -- you shouldn’t have to do that.  (Applause.)

And in fact, last week I was able to sign into law two new tax breaks for businesses that hire veterans, because nobody out here who is a veteran should -- we have to make sure that they are getting the help that they need.

AUDIENCE MEMBER:  Thank you, Mr. President!

THE PRESIDENT:  And by the way, I think we’re starting to get, maybe, to the Republicans a little bit, because they actually voted for this veterans bill.  I was glad to see that.  (Applause.)  I was glad that Democrats and Republicans got together with this bipartisan legislation. 

Now, there’s a lot more to do, though, if we’re going to get every American back to work who wants to work, and to rebuild an economy that works for every American, which is why we’re going to give Congress another chance to do the right thing with the American Job Act.  We’re going to give them another chance to help working families like yours.  (Applause.)

Last year, both parties came together to cut payroll taxes for the typical household by $1,000.  Now, that’s been showing up in your paychecks each week.  You may not be aware of it, because times are tight.  But you actually got a tax cut of $1,000 this year.  Now, I know you hear a lot of folks on cable TV claiming that I’m this big tax-and-spend liberal.  Next time you hear that, you just remind the people who are saying it that since I’ve taken office, I’ve cut your taxes.  (Applause.)

Your taxes today -- the average middle-class family, your taxes today are lower than when I took office, just remember that.  (Applause.)  We have cut taxes for small businesses not once, not twice, but 17 times.  The average family’s tax burden is among the lowest it’s been in the last 60 years.

So the problem is not that we’ve been raising taxes.  We’ve actually been trying to give families a break during these tough times.  But here’s the thing:  That payroll tax cut that we passed in December of last year, it’s set to expire at the end of this year, one month from now.  If that happens -- if Congress doesn’t act to extend this tax cut -- then most of you, the typical middle-class family, is going to see your taxes go up by $1,000 at the worst possible time.  A young lady just said she can’t afford that.  It would be tough for you.  It would also be a massive blow for the economy, because we’re not fully out of the recession yet.  Don’t take my word for it; this is what every independent economist says.  We can’t let this tax cut lapse right now. 

And that’s why my jobs bill -- part of the American Jobs Act was to extend this tax cut for another year.  In fact, it does one better.  It says, let’s expand that tax cut.  Instead of a $1,000 tax cut next year, the typical working family under my plan would get a tax cut of $1,500.  (Applause.)  Instead of it coming out of your paycheck, it would be going into your pocket.  Now, that’s money that you can spend on a small business right here in Scranton.  If you’re a small business owner, my jobs bill will cut your payroll taxes in half.  So if you’ve got 50 employees making $50,000 each, you’d get a tax cut of nearly $80,000.  That’s money that you can then use to hire some more workers and get this economy moving again.  That’s a good thing.  (Applause.)

Now, this really should not be controversial.  A lot of Republicans have agreed with this tax cut in the past.  The Republican leader in the Senate said it would -- I’m quoting here -- it would “put a lot of money back in the hands of business and in the hands of individuals.”  That’s what he said.  Another Republican leader said it would help small business owners create jobs and help their employees spend more money, creating even more jobs.  One Republican even called it a “conservative approach to help put our economy back on track.”  So what’s the problem?

The bad news is some of those same Republicans voted “no” on my jobs bill and those tax cuts.  I don’t know whether it’s just because I proposed it.  I don’t know.  They said “no” to cutting taxes for small business owners and working families.  One of them said just two years ago that this kind of tax cut would boost job creation, and now that I’m proposing it, he said we should let it expire.  I mean, what happened? 

Republicans say they’re the party of tax cuts.  That’s what they say.  A lot of them have sworn an oath to never raise taxes on anybody as long as they live.  That doesn’t square with their vote against these tax cuts.  I mean, how is it that they can break their oath when it comes to raising your taxes, but not break their oath when it comes to raising taxes for wealthy people?  That doesn’t make any sense.  (Applause.)  I mean, I hope that they don’t want to just score political points.  I hope that they want to help the economy.

This cannot be about who wins and loses in Washington.  This is about delivering a win for the American people.  That’s what this is about.  (Applause.)  You know, $1,500 -- that’s not a Band-Aid for middle-class families, that’s a big deal.  How many people here could use an extra $1,500?  (Applause.)  Yes, I thought so. 

So I’ll tell you what, Scranton.  They may have voted “no” on these tax cuts once.  But I’m already filled with the Christmas spirit.  There’s kind of some chill in the air.  I saw some Christmas decorations at the Festas.  So I’m in a Christmas spirit.  I want to give them another chance.  I want to give them a chance to redeem themselves.  We’re going to give them another chance. 

So as early as Friday, this Friday, in a couple of days, we’re going to give them a chance to take a simple vote on these tax cuts.  If they vote “no,” then the typical family’s taxes will go up by $1,000 next year.  If they vote “yes,” then the typical family will have an extra $1,500 in their pocket.  (Applause.)  So let’s just be clear:  If they vote “no,” your taxes go up; vote “yes,” you get a tax cut.  Which way do you think Congress should vote?  They should vote “yes,” it’s pretty simple. 
 
Now, if you want to see what this vote will mean for your bottom line, we have this spiffy new tax calculator on our Internet site, WhiteHouse.gov.  So you can go on there and you can punch in your numbers and figure out what it would mean to your family.  But this is real money that would go into the economy at a time it needs it. 

Now, I really do think your voices are already getting
through, because some of the folks in Congress are starting to say, well, maybe we’re open to this thing.  Maybe we’ll be open to these tax cuts.  And that’s good news.  But I want to make sure that we do this responsibly.  So what I’ve said is, to pay for this tax cut, we need to ask wealthy Americans to pay their fair share.  (Applause.)

We’re asking -- what we’ve said is let’s ask the folks who’ve seen their incomes rise fastest, who’ve gotten bigger tax breaks under Bush, let’s ask them to help out a little bit, because they made it better through the recession than most of us.  Let’s ask them to contribute a little bit more to get the economy going again. 

And I just want to point out I’ve done pretty well over these last few years.  So I’ve said, let me pay a little bit more.  I promise you, I can afford it.  (Laughter.)  I really can.  We’re asking people like me to sacrifice just a little bit so that you guys have a little bit of a leg up.
 
And by the way, let me say this:  When you talk to most folks who are making a million dollars a year, they are willing to do more if they’re asked.  Warren Buffett is a good example.  They’re willing to do more if they’re asked.  (Applause.)

Now, I mean, I don’t want to exaggerate.  It’s not like they’re volunteering.  (Laughter.)  But if they’re asked, if they feel like it’s going to help middle-class families, help grow the economy, help to reduce the deficit, they’re willing to help.  I can’t tell you how many well-to-do folks I meet who say, look, America gave me a chance to succeed.  Somewhere along the line, somebody gave me a good education.  Somewhere along the line, somebody gave me a college scholarship.  Somewhere along the line, somebody built the information and transportation networks that have helped my business grow.  Somewhere along the line, somebody gave me a shot.  And so now it’s my turn to do the next generation that same good thing.  I’ve got to give something back to them as well.  (Applause.) 

Because, Scranton, this is something everybody in this audience understands.  When you think about the history of Scranton and the immigrants who came here and worked hard, each successive generation doing a little bit better -- you guys know that what America is about is that we’re all in this together; that each of us has to do our own individual part, but we also have to be looking out for one another.

And that’s the very simple choice that’s facing Congress right now:  Are you going to cut taxes for the middle class and those who are trying to get into the middle class?  Or are you going to protect massive tax breaks for millionaires and billionaires, many of whom don’t even want those tax breaks?  Are you going to ask a few hundred thousand people who have done very, very well to do their fair share?  Or are you going to raise taxes for hundreds of millions of people across the country -- 160 million Americans?  Are you willing to fight as hard for middle-class families as you do for those who are most fortunate?  What’s it going to be? 

That’s the choice in front of Congress.  And I hope members of Congress think hard about this, because their actions lately don’t reflect who we are as a people.  What does it say about our priorities when we’d rather protect a few really well-to-do people than fight for the jobs of teachers and firefighters?  (Applause.)  What does it say when we -- about our values when we’d rather fight for corporate tax breaks than put construction workers back on the job rebuilding our roads and our bridges and our schools?  (Applause.)  What does it say about us if we’re willing to cut taxes for the people who don’t need them, and raise them on folks who do need a tax break?

We are better than that.  America is better than that.  We celebrate individual achievement, we expect everybody to work hard, but we don’t believe in every person for themselves; we believe that out of many, we come together as one.  (Applause.)  We’re a people who reach for our own success, but we also reach back for the people -- to bring somebody up.  Reach back to help others earn their own success as well.  (Applause.)  And we believe that if the folks at the bottom and the folks in the middle succeed, then American succeeds, and the folks at the top succeed as well.  (Applause.)

The decisions we make today are going to determine whether or not our kids grow up in a country where those values still thrive.  And Scranton, I don’t know about you, but I want our kids to grow up -- I want Malia and Sasha and all your kids, I want them to come into a country that is built on those big, generous values -- (applause) -- an America that reflects the values that we inherited from our parents and our grandparents.

So if you agree with me, I need you to tell Congress where your priorities lie.  Members of Congress, they work for you.  Scranton, you’ve got a great senator in Senator Casey.  I love Senator Casey.  (Applause.) 

So I want you to know, Casey is already on the program.  (Applause.)  But to everybody who is here, everybody who is watching, send your Senate a message -- send your senators a message.  Tell them, “Don’t be a Grinch.”  (Laughter.)  “Don’t be a Grinch.”  Don’t vote to raise taxes on working Americans during the holidays.  Make sure to renew unemployment insurance during the holidays.  (Applause.)  Stop saying “no” to steps that would make our economy stronger.  Put our country before party.  Put money back into the pockets of working Americans.  Do your job.  Pass this bill.  (Applause.)

Scranton, the American people are with us on this.  It is time for folks to stop running around spending all their time talking about what’s wrong with America.  Spend some time, roll up your sleeves, and help us rebuild America.  That’s what we need to do.  (Applause.)

There is nothing wrong with this country that we can’t fix.  We’re Americans, and our story has never been about things coming easy to us.  That’s not what Scranton has been about.  That’s not what Pennsylvania, that’s not what America is about.  It’s been about rising to the moment, and meeting the moment when things are hard.  It’s about doing what’s right. 

So let’s do what’s right.  Let’s prove that the best days of America are still ahead of us. 

God bless you, and God bless the United States of America.  (Applause.) 

END
3:03 P.M. EST

Remarks by the First Lady at the Partnership for a Healthier America's Inaugural Building a Healthier Future Summit

Washington, D.C.

11:52 A.M. EST 

MRS. OBAMA:  Thank you.  Thank you, everyone.  Please, please.  (Applause.)  Well, thank you all so much.  Please, please, rest yourselves.  I understand you’ve been working hard over these last couple of days.  (Laughter.)

It is such a tremendous pleasure and an honor to be here with all of you today.  I want to start by thanking Kayla, not just for that very kind introduction, but for her work.  I mean, we should all be like Kayla, right?  That’s what we’re trying to do.  Kayla, we are so proud of you.  Let’s give Kayla a wonderful round of applause.  (Applause.)

That’s why we’re all here, right?  It’s because of Kayla.

I also want to recognize Senator Bill Frist, Mayor Corey Booker, who have just been phenomenal Partnership for a Healthier America co-chairs.  They’ve been terrific.

I also have to recognize my dear friend, Jim Gavin, who’s the chair of the board, as well as Larry Soler, the CEO.  They have just been tremendous.

PHA is truly a driving force behind so much of the progress that we’ve made on behalf of our children.  And I am thrilled about the commitments they’ve announced today from organizations like the YMCA, Hyatt Hotels and so many others.  So I also want us to take some time to give all of them a round of applause.  (Applause.)

And finally, I want to thank all of you -– all of you here today:  the advocates, the activists, the business leaders and the experts who have been leading the charge for years to help our kids lead healthier lives. 

And I know that what you all do isn’t easy.  And I have to be honest, when I first decided to focus on the issue of childhood obesity, in the back of my mind I wondered whether it was really possible to make a difference.  I knew the conventional wisdom on the issue -– particularly when it comes to changing how and what our kids eat.

There’s the assumption that kids don’t like healthy food, so why should we bother trying to feed it to them.  There’s the belief that healthy food doesn’t sell so well, so companies will never change the products they offer.  There’s the sense that this problem is so big, and so entrenched, that no matter what we do, we’ll never be able to solve it.

But because of folks like all of you, over the past couple of years, we have begun to see a fundamental change in the conversation in this country about how we feed our kids.  Since we launched “Let’s Move,” folks from every sector of society have been stepping up to help our kids lead healthier lives.

Major food manufacturers are cutting sugar, salt and fat from their products.  Restaurants are revamping kids’ menus and loading them with healthier, fresher options.  Companies like Walgreens, SuperValu, Walmart, Calhoun’s Grocery are committing to build new stores and to sell fresh food in underserved communities all across this country.

Congress passed historic legislation to provide more nutritious school meals to millions of American children.  Our schools are growing gardens all over the place.  Cities and towns are opening farmers markets.  Congregations are holding summer nutrition programs for their kids.  Parents are reading those food labels, and they’re rethinking the meals and the snacks that they serve their kids.

So while we still have a long way to go, we have seen so much good progress.  We’ve begun to have an impact on how, and what, our kids are eating every single day.  And that is so important.  It’s so important.

But it’s not enough.  There is still more to do.  Because we all know that the problem isn’t just what’s happening at meal time or at snack time.  It’s also about how our kids are spending the rest of their time each and every day.

It’s about how active our kids are.  And that’s what I want to talk about today.  I want to talk about the crisis of inactivity that we see among our kids, and what each of us can do to start solving that problem. 

The fact is that, today, we may well be raising the most sedentary generation of kids in the history of this country.  Kids today reportedly spend an average of seven and a half hours a day watching TV, playing with cell phones, computer games, video games.  Only one-quarter of kids play outside each day -- one-quarter of our kids play outside.  And that’s compared to three-quarters of kids just a generation ago.  And only 18 percent of high school students get the recommended one hour of physical activity a day.

And all of us know, we being of a certain generation, that it wasn’t always like this.  Many of you probably grew up just like I did.  Back then -- way back then, way before Kayla was even a thought in anybody’s eye -- (laughter) -- remember how we would walk to school every day?  You would get to school and then you’d run around the playground before the bell rang.  You’d get to school early just to run around before the bell rang.

Then just a couple of hours later, we were back outside for recess -- more running around.  And then after lunch, we had another recess, and then all of us, we all had regular P.E. classes.  And then once you got out of school, if you didn’t have homework, we spent hours riding bikes, jumping rope, playing ball, playing tag.  And you didn’t come home until dinner was ready.  And if your mother was anything like mine, she’d send you right back out.  (Laughter.)

Back then, kids were constantly in motion.  We rarely went more than a few hours without engaging in some kind of heart-pounding, sweat-inducing, active play. 

And that’s an important word:  play.  

Back then, play meant physical activity.  Sitting around watching TV didn’t count as playing.  Lounging around the house with your friends was not playing.  Back then, playing actually meant moving your body.

And today, we have an entirely different idea of what constitutes “play.”  These days, for many kids, play has become a fully sedentary activity.  Then urban sprawl and fears about safety often mean the only walking our kids do is out the front door to a bus or a car.

And cuts in recess, gym and sports programs mean a whole lot less running around during the school day.  Only half of our young people in this country have playgrounds or parks, activity centers, walking paths or sidewalks available in their neighborhoods -- only half of our kids in this country.

And today, fewer than 4 percent of elementary schools, fewer than 8 percent of middle and junior high schools, and only about 2 percent of high schools even offer daily P.E. classes.  That’s what’s going on.  And with the rise of the Internet and 24/7 cable TV, there is always an opportunity to be entertained by something on a screen. 

Kids today can watch pretty much any show any time they want, day or night.  That wasn’t the case when we were growing up.  You had seven channels.  (Laughter.)  You had about three hours of cartoons and it was over.  (Laughter.)  But all of that is just too hard for kids to resist. 

But the fact is that kids’ bodies simply are not built for that kind of sedentary lifestyle.  For them, physical activity is critical.  We all know that.  It’s critical for building healthy bones and muscles.  It’s critical for maintaining healthy blood pressure and cholesterol.  And it’s critical for controlling anxiety and stress.  And when our kids aren’t active, we see the results in rising obesity and conditions like diabetes that used to only be seen in adults, and conditions that we all know are costly to treat. 

We see it in our schools, where overweight and obese kids are more likely to miss more than two weeks of school during an academic year.  And we know that when kids stay home from school, what does that mean?  Oftentimes parents stay home from work.  And for those of you from the business world, you know that all those missed days can really have an impact on your bottom line.  There’s also evidence that physical activity may affect academic performance. 

And believe it or not, we even see the effects in our military.  And I know that Bill Frist was here and he talked a bit about this as well, but right now, nearly 27 percent of 17- to 24-year-olds are too overweight to serve in our military.  And at one Army base that I visited, I learned that the recruits they see today are kids who were born back when public schools across the country started cutting physical education and sports.  These are the kids who are the product of those cuts. 

So after years of inactivity and poor nutrition, many are overweight, many are out of shape, and they’re more likely to injure themselves in basic training.  This is what the General told me.  So the Army is now spending millions of additional dollars a year in medical and dental costs just to get trainees combat-ready. 

So when we’re talking about getting kids running around and playing again, it is important to understand that this isn’t just about fun and games.  This isn’t a joke.  It’s about their health.  It’s about their success in school.  It’s about our economy.  It’s about our national security.

But as parents -- and I know there are many parents in this room -- we don’t need statistics to tell us that something is wrong.  We know our kids aren’t as active as they should be.  And if we’re being honest with ourselves, we know that we bear some responsibility for that.  Because so many parents today are juggling a million things at once.

They’re working full-time while raising kids.  Many are caring for aging parents.  Many are struggling to just pay the bills.  And much as we all hate to admit it, sometimes, on those Saturday afternoons when the kids are complaining that they’re bored, sometimes it’s just easier to give them permission to go watch TV, right?  I did that last weekend.  (Laughter.)  And we know that’s not good. 

We know we need to do things differently -- not just as parents, but as a society.  We as a society need to redefine for our kids what play is.  We as a society need to make physical activity a part of our kids’ daily lives again, and we need to do it in a way that is easy, affordable and fun -- not just for kids but for parents.  

And when I say “we as a society,” I mean that every single one of us has a role to play.  Because we know that the solution on this one is not going to come because government is going to tell people what to do.  It’s about each of us taking responsibility, making a difference however we can. 

So today, I want to call on all of you, and folks all across the country, to just step back and ask yourselves, “What more can I do to help our kids lead more active and healthy lives?”  I want you to ask yourselves what you can do to invest, or to innovate, or to inspire our kids to get out there and play again.

And when I say invest, I don’t just mean money.  I also mean time, and energy, and passion.  I’m talking about schools that have started running clubs and fitness competitions; schools that are working physical activity into classes ranging from music to math.  I’m talking about communities keeping the high school gym open on weekends or organizing volunteers to refurbish parks and playgrounds. 

I’m talking about faith leaders who are starting exercise ministries for families in their congregations.  I’m talking about businesses sponsoring youth sports leagues and helping their employees get active.  Because we know that when mom or dad starts getting in shape at work, that can have an impact on other members of the family at home.

And when I say innovate, I’m talking about new ideas and new technologies.  I’m talking about developing new toys that require active play; new video games that get kids moving their entire bodies, not just their thumbs, right?  New playground equipment that gets kids running and jumping and climbing. 

And finally, when I say inspire, I’m talking about all of us serving as role models for our kids -- all of us.  Our pediatricians urging kids to keep active; educators teaching kids about nutrition; folks in the sports, media and entertainment industries promoting physical activity, and  making playing cool again -- making playing cool again.

I want to emphasize that last point -- the importance of really promoting physical activity to our kids.  Think for a minute of all the things we get our kids to do each day.  It shouldn’t be so hard to get them to run around and play, right?  This isn’t forcing them to eat their vegetables.  (Laughter.)  It’s getting them to go out there and have fun.  

And now, I just want to divert a little bit because I now have a quick video for you -- I don’t do this a lot -- to help illustrate my point.  So take it away. 

(The video is played.)

That’s Bishop Tutu.  (Laughter.)

That’s the First Lady of Mexico.  (Laughter.)

Big-time rush.  (Laughter.)  Very cute.  (Laughter and applause.)

So as you can see, I’m pretty much willing to make a complete fool out of myself to get our kids moving.  (Laughter.)  But there is a method to my madness.  There’s a reason why I’ve been out there jumping rope and hula hooping and dancing to Beyoncé, whatever it takes.  (Laughter.)  It’s because I want kids to see that there are all kinds of ways to be active.  And if I can do it, anybody can do it. 

I want them to understand that being active can be fun, because we know that we as adults and as parents, we are our kids’ first and best role models.  As much as they don’t act like they’re listening to us, they really are.  And we can’t tell them to run around outside when we’re lying on the couch watching TV.  So we need to get ourselves active and we need to take our kids with us.

And we don’t need any kind of fancy equipment or uniforms.  That’s the other point.  It can be as simple as going for a walk together or just turning on the radio and dancing around in the living room.  And ultimately, that’s what gives me such hope around this issue, the fact that at this very moment, each of us -- each of us already has the power to start solving this problem for ourselves in our own homes, in our own communities, without spending a single dime. 

And if we can get major grocery chains to build supermarkets in underserved neighborhoods, if we can get major restaurant chains to improve their menus and food manufacturers to offer better choices, then I am confident that we can get our kids up and playing just a little bit more.  I know this is something we can do, because the truth is that kids want to be active.  They want it so desperately from the time they’re little.  They want to move.  They want to explore.  They want to run and skip and learn new skills. 

So it’s up to all of us to tap into that innate desire for active play.  And that’s exactly what we’ll be doing in the coming months through “Let’s Move” and the Partnership for a Healthier America.  We will be offering wonderful new tools and information for parents to figure out how they can start getting their kids on track.  We’ll continue promoting our President’s Active Lifestyle Award to help kids to take charge and build healthy habits.  And so far, more than 1 million kids have earned this award by exercising an hour a day, five days a week for six consecutive weeks.

We’re going to keep working with our mayors to get them to improve access to play in their communities.  We’re going to keep working with schools to increase activity during the day, during the school day.  We’re going to work with sports leagues and celebrities and businesses to inspire our kids to get active, and so much more.

Every step we take can make such a difference in our kids’ lives.  And I have the good fortune of seeing that week after week in the letters that I get.  I get so many letters from kids all across the country who are excited about “Let’s Move” and they’re eager to share their stories.

One of those letters that really stood out for me came from a young woman named Samantha.  And Samantha is 15 years old and, for a long time, she shared with me that she struggled with her weight.  She was diagnosed with asthma and was in danger of developing diabetes.  But finally, Samantha took charge and she reached out to an adult that she trusted.  It happened to be her health teacher.  And together, she shared with me how they developed a plan to help Samantha get healthy. 

And she told me that she started small.  She started watching what she ate.  She joined a softball team and a cardio club at her school.  And she said that as she got healthier, she gained more confidence.  And in her letter, she told me that she’s been so successful that other people have actually asked her to help them get fit and healthy. 

And all it took for Samantha was one caring adult and a couple of opportunities for active play, and this young woman was able to regain control of her health.  So just imagine if we could have that kind of impact in every school and every community in America.  And just imagine how many of our kids we could help.  Imagine how many lives we would transform.

And like anything, this is not going to be easy and it will not happen overnight.  This is going to be an ongoing process, one that will unfold over generations.  And that is why the Partnership for a Healthier America is so critical.  It has just been at the core of everything we do.   

You see, I’m not going to be here forever and neither are any of you.  And I want to make sure that the work that we’ve begun and the progress we’ve made will continue not just for the length of this administration, but until the problem is solved.  And that is PHA’s mission.

And if we succeed, we won’t just raise this generation of children to be healthier adults.  You see, what you all understand is that when we instill healthy habits in our kids today, when we teach them to eat well and stay active today, that affects how they’ll raise their own children years from now.  That affects the habits that they’ll teach them and the food they’ll feed them and how healthy all of our grandkids will be.  And that can continue on throughout the generations.
 
That’s what we’re doing here.  We’re impacting generations.  That is the kind of impact we can have, one that will last long after all of us are gone.  So that’s why I keep traveling around the country, shining a spotlight on programs that are making a difference for our kids.  And as you saw in that video, I will try just about anything to inspire kids to be active.  And I am looking for real partners in that effort, I really am.

So if any of you come up with good ideas and you can translate them into effective programs, I will be there to dance, to jump, to throw, to kick -- whatever you can imagine as long as it passes security approval.  (Laughter.)  But I will be there with you to help highlight that work.

And together, I am confident that we will solve this problem.  You see, I may have started out my remarks today talking about the doubts I had when we first launched “Let’s Move.”  But I think the last couple of years have shown us that we live in a country where we care deeply about our kids.  We do, and that is such a beautiful thing to see.   

And when we educate people about this issue, they want to step up.  They want to make a difference.  And if you have any doubts about that, if any of you have any doubts about what we as a country can accomplish when we really put our minds to it just look at what we’ve done these past couple of years.  Just look at what all of you have done.  Just look around this room at the leaders from all across the country, from every sector of society.  We couldn’t have imagined this room would exist today just a year ago.  

We still have a long way to go, yes.  But all of you and all that you’ve done are a testament to what we can achieve with enough passion, determination and inspiration and a little imagination.  So I want to thank you all from the bottom of my heart.  Let’s keep going.  Let’s keep moving.  Let’s keep moving forward.  I am so proud of the work that all of you have done.  And I truly look forward to all that we’re going to accomplish in the months and years ahead.

Congratulations.  Congratulations, PHA.  Congratulations to all of you.  Thank you all and God bless.

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12:19 P.M. EST