Remarks by Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and Vice President Joe Biden at a Bilateral Meeting

Prime Minister’s Residence, Baghdad, Iraq

12:45 P.M. Local

     PRIME MINISTER AL-MALIKI:  (In progress as interpreted) And we are looking forward to the future Iraq which is going to be built on the outcome of this meeting.  We have to believe that in the (inaudible) to go forward and arrive at this day, it is the outcome of the joint commitment; and that we may have a long way to go.  We have to continue to communicate, hold meetings, to exchange ideas in order to put into practice the vision that we both have. 

We would like to thank you and your delegation for having taken the trouble to come all this way to press this case, and for the opportunity (inaudible) program that's going to be a very beneficial one.  During our forthcoming visit to Washington, D.C., hopefully we complete what we have started here Baghdad now.  Thank you very much. 

     THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Well, Mr. Prime Minister, we’re -- as I said, the President personally asked me to tell you how much he’s looking forward to your coming to Washington.  And I want to thank you and the Foreign Minister and others for recognizing the sacrifice the General’s troops have made to get to this place.  But to suggest the future of Iraq rests upon our relationship I think gives us too much credit.  We are absolutely committed to being your partner to the extent you want us to be. 

And as self-serving as it may sound, we believe we can be helpful.  But it’s the leadership of you and the civilian leadership in Iraq that's going to determine the future of Iraq.  It’s remarkable what you’ve accomplished so far.  I remember our first meeting yours and mine.  You wanted to talk -- 

PRIME MINISTER AL-MALIKI:  Which year was it? 

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  It was -- I think 2008.  I think.  It may have been earlier actually. 

FOREIGN MINISTER HOSHYAR ZEBARI:  2007. 

PRIME MINISTER AL-MALIKI:  Before the -- 

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  It was -- it was before.  It was way before.  Then I remember our first meeting when I was Vice President.  You leaned up in your chair and you said, the strategic framework agreement that's what we should focus on.  Remember?  (Laughter.)  And thank God we reached the place where we can now almost exclusively focus on the strategic framework agreement. 

PRIME MINISTER AL-MALIKI:  Actually, Mr. Vice President brought about by sheer coincidence it was a (inaudible) -- 

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  That's exactly right.  And that's why I say the ultimate success of Iraq is going to rest upon the vision of you and the civilian leadership.  We will stand with you for as long as you want us. 

                   END                     12:50 P.M. (Local)

Statements by President Obama, European Council President Herman Van Rompuy, and European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso after meeting

Roosevelt Room

2:01 P.M. EST

PRESIDENT OBAMA:  Good afternoon, everybody.  I am very pleased to welcome Presidents Van Rompuy and Barroso to the White House.  We have had several occasions to meet over the last year, but this is the first formal U.S.-EU summit that we’ve had an opportunity to have since the Lisbon summit last year.

Of course, much has changed over the last year.  We’ve seen the incredible transformations that have been taking place throughout North Africa and the Middle East.  What hasn’t changed, though, is the fundamental bonds that exist between the European Union and the United States.  Our common values, our common belief in the rule of law, in democracy, in freedom, in a free market system -- all those things bind us together, as do the extraordinary economic and commercial relationships that we have and the people-to-people relationships that we have. 

And so this is an extraordinarily important relationship.  These aren’t always the most dramatic meetings because we agree on so much that sometimes it’s hard to make news.  As the world’s two largest economies and as each other’s most important trading partners, we spent a lot of time focusing on how we can continue to grow our economies and create good jobs on both sides of the Atlantic.  A large part of that conversation obviously revolved around the eurozone crisis, and Presidents Van Rompuy and Barroso have been very actively engaged with the heads of government and heads of state in Europe to try to resolve this crisis.  I communicated to them that the United States stands ready to do our part to help them resolve this issue.  This is of huge importance to our own economy.  If Europe is contracting or if Europe is having difficulties, then it’s much more difficult for us to create good jobs here at home because we send so many of our products and services to Europe; it is such an important trading partner for us.

And so we’ve got a stake in their success, and we will continue to work in a constructive way to try to resolve this issue in the near future.  And I appreciate the leadership of both these gentlemen in trying to address this in a clear and forthright way.

With regard to security cooperation, we agreed to make sure that we continue to place pressure on the Iranian regime to stand down when it comes to the development of nuclear weapons, emphasizing that we continue to hope for a diplomatic resolution that allows them to use peaceful nuclear energy in a way that’s consistent with their international obligations. 

We have a shared stake in continued progress in Afghanistan, where the EU serves as a leading donor, and next week’s Bonn conference will be an opportunity to make sure our security and development agenda is sustainable.

Meanwhile, with respect to aviation security, the EU has been extraordinarily cooperative, and in particular, thanks to the leadership of President Barroso and President Van Rompuy, we’ve been able to make progress in exchanging intelligence information that can keep our passengers safe and assure that we are preventing any kind of terrorist activity from taking place.

Finally, as global partners in support of universal values, we spent a lot of time discussing how we can be supportive of the best elements of what’s taking place in North Africa and the Middle East, continuing to encourage democracy, continuing to encourage transparency, continuing to encourage economic development because we’ve both agreed that the aspirations that were expressed in Egypt and Tunisia and in Libya are not simply political issues but they’re also economic issues, and that we have to do everything we can to support increased opportunity for young people.  These are very young populations, and if they have a sense of a future for themselves where they can work hard and use their skills and talents to develop themselves and support their families, then the likelihood of a successful political transition will exist as well.

Of course, these problems don’t only exist in the Middle East and North Africa.  We discussed, for example, the situation in Belarus, where we stand shoulder to shoulder in wanting to see a return to the rule of law and the flowering of democratic practices there; in the Ukraine, where we agree that we want Ukraine to continue down a reform path, and we want to do everything we can to encourage that.

And so both on security issues, as well as on economic issues, we could not have a closer partner than the European Union.  There are many issues that don’t get a lot of attention -- for example, our cooperation on clean energy and green jobs; our continued exploration of ways where we can get increased regulatory cooperation that can facilitate increased commercial ties -- a whole range of work that’s done by both the European Council and the European Commission that benefits our peoples directly in a multitude of ways.

And so I’m very much appreciative of the partnership that I’ve formed with these two gentlemen.  I hope they have a good visit.  I understand they’re going to be going to Capitol Hill, and I’m sure they’ll receive a warm reception from the Senate Majority Leader.  And I hope that they have a good, albeit brief, visit. 

So thank you.

PRESIDENT VAN ROMPUY:  Thank you.  Let me first thank you, Mr. President, for your hospitality you have extended to us at this time of Thanksgiving.  I very much appreciated our discussions we had here in the White House today.

Let me make two points, one on the economy and one on the international issues.  First, on the economy:  We, the European Union and the United States, have the strongest trade and economic relationship in the world.  And we therefore both need to take strong action to address the near-term growth concerns, as well as fiscal and financial vulnerabilities in order to strengthen the world economy.  It is no secret the European Union is going through a difficult period.  It is confronted with a confidence crisis, aggravated by the slowdown in global economic growth. 

The Union has done a lot over the last 18 months, and we have taken decisions that were unthinkable just a year ago in the fields of economic governance, on budgets and imbalances, financial support, and financial regulation.  All member states of the Union are all engaged in policies of fiscal consolidation and strengthening competitiveness via comprehensive reforms.  But we have to do more.

We are therefore working hard on three fronts:  dealing with the immediate crisis, the medium term, while also establishing a sound perspective for the longer term.  The 9th of December I will present to the heads of state and government a roadmap on how to strengthen the economic union of the euro area commensurate with our monetary union.  We are aiming for binding rules to ensure strong fiscal and economic discipline in all countries, to go hand in hand with fiscal and economic integration -- not only discipline, but also integration in the euro area as a whole.

Improving fiscal sustainability is essential, but it’s not enough.  Promoting growth and employment is a challenge we share with the United States.  The European Union is following a two-track approach on growth:  We want to strengthen fiscal sustainability, while at the same time stimulating economic growth and employment by launching reforms, raising competitiveness, and deepening the Union’s single market, the largest in the world. 

But slower global growth is not only due to the problems in the eurozone.  Others have to do their part of the job, too -- for instance, on exchange rates and on implementing the commitments made in Cannes, at the G20, earlier this month. 

My second point regards international challenges.  Not since the end of the Cold War has the world seen such a degree of transformation in global affairs.  And I’m happy to say that during the last two decades, the world is going in our direction -- towards market economy and democracy.  In Europe, in Latin America, in Africa, in Asia and now in the Arab world, sudden events and slow-moving trends bring us into a new world -- in the Pacific and in the Mediterranean -- and we welcome the new global governments in the G20, reflecting the growing influence of emerging countries as well as their new responsibilities.

As the President said, Europe’s relationship with the United States is built on shared fundamental values.  These will continue to provide the basis for our cooperation and our alliance.  Since the end of the Cold War, there is no East anymore, but there is still a West.  The EU’s priority is its neighbors, to the south and to the east. 

On the south:  We worked together with the United States in supporting the economic and political transition process in the Arab world in the wake of the Arab Spring.  In Libya, European action was given full support by NATO and by the United States.  We both welcomed the democratic elections in Tunisia and in Morocco.  In Egypt, we call for a peaceful, democratic and successful transition to civilian rule.  The unacceptable situation in Syria has prompted the European Union to call on the international community to join its efforts in imposing additional sanctions.

And on the east side:  The EU and the U.S. worked hard to make Russia’s accession to the WTO possible.  I believe this will promote world trade and support Russia’s modernization.  And we also agree on the need to remain actively engaged with our Eastern partners in Europe, and to advance their political association and their economic integration with the European Union.  We, however, share the strong concern about the latest signs of politicized justice in Ukraine.  The democratic aspiration of Belarusian people also needs to be met.

A word on the Western Balkans:  These countries belong in the European Union.  We are making progress.  And the EU will sign the Accession Treaty with Croatia next month.

On Iran, we need to step up pressure.  The Union is preparing new restrictive measures, and in Afghanistan, we reaffirm that the Union is engaged in the long term, even after 2014. 

Mr. President, let me conclude:  Europe and the United States remain partners of first and last resort.  Our entente cordiale was a mainstay in the past, and it will remain so in the future.

PRESIDENT OBAMA:  Thank you.

PRESIDENT BARROSO:  Thank you very much.  First of all, I’d like to thank President Obama for a very useful, substantive and rewarding meeting.  The European Union and the U.S. are longstanding partners and staunch allies to the Atlantic relationship.  It’s indispensable to tackle the common challenges that we face.  We have just reaffirmed our determination to work closely together for the stability of the global economy and for the benefit of our people.

I want to reassure President Obama, and also I want to reassure the Americans:  Europe is going through rough times, yes, but we are determined to overcome the current difficulties.  I have full confidence in the determination of the European leaders.  We have the member states of the European institutions to tackle this crisis.  We are absolutely serious about the magnitude of the challenge, we understand the challenge, but you have to understand that sometimes some decisions take time.  But we are in that direction, and we are in fact taking strong measures for unprecedented situations. 

Indeed, problems in Europe are, to some extent, part of a wider picture.  The world economy has not yet been able to absorb and overcome all the effects of the 2008 financial crisis.  We face the common challenge of bringing debt under control while re-launching growth and creating new jobs.  We all know this is not an easy task. 

In Europe, we have come a long way in addressing the causes and some symptoms of this crisis.  We are now strengthening economic governance of the European Union and the euro area with more robust roles -- rules to ensure sound budgetary policies, and tackle imbalances.  These new rules will enter into force in just a few weeks’ time, but we want to go further.  Just last week, I have put forward new proposals to further strengthen budgetary surveillance and fiscal discipline. 

At the same time, we have an ambitious agenda for growth, both on far-reaching structural reforms.  And today, the way forward in Europe is for more interest.  This is a point I would like to underline to our American friends:  No one in Europe is speaking about coming back.  Everybody is speaking, how can we further deepen integration?  In fact, I believe that we are now living one of those moments of the acceleration of history.  We are seeing that in many parts of the world, in large measure because of the globalization. 

And Europe also is feeling this acceleration of history.  That’s why we have to anticipate some steps in our integration -- integration through discipline, of course, but also integration through more convergence, responsibility and solidarity. 

And if there is a silver lining to all of this, it is perhaps that it has shown just how interdependent our economies now are.  As President Obama just said, it is a fundamental interest of all of us in the world to solve these euro area problems.  Therefore, we need to work ever more closely together.  The European Union and the U.S. have the largest bilateral economic relationship in the world.  Together, our economies account for around 50 percent of the world’s GDP, and one-third of total world trade.

European Union and U.S. trade and investment generates 15 million jobs on both sides of the Atlantic.  In addition, Europe accounts for approximately 70 percent of foreign direct investment in the U.S., and U.S. investment is three times larger in Europe than in Asia.

So to help ensure that the transatlantic economy can be an engine for the recovery of the world economy, the European Union and the U.S. have today decided to gather a high-level working group for jobs and growth.  On the European side it will be shared by commissioner for trade; on the American side, U.S. trade representative.  These groups will examine how to strengthen the European Union/U.S. trade and investment relationship, and in so doing, boost growth and job creation.

This is indeed the first priority:  growth and jobs.  We have to solve the other issues so that we can re-launch growth and jobs in Europe.  I believe this will allow us to further benefit from the untapped potential of our existing strong economic ties.  We know that today’s world is not just about economy, it is also about values and standards.  The European Union and the U.S. share a firm belief in freedom, democracy, human rights -- they are the hallmarks of all societies and what binds us together.  And the sweeping transformations that are now taking place in the Middle East and North Africa confirm that the values we share are, indeed, universal.

When given a choice, people everywhere choose freedom over oppression, democracy over tyranny.  It is in the basis of these values that I believe our relationship will go forward.  And today’s meeting was a very important, substantive meeting in that direction.  I thank you very much.

PRESIDENT OBAMA:  Thank you very much, everybody.

END
2:18 P.M. EST

Remarks by the President on the American Jobs Act

Manchester Central High School
Manchester, New Hampshire

12:20 P.M. EST

THE PRESIDENT:  Hello, New Hampshire!  (Applause.)  It is good to be back.  Hello, Little Green!  (Applause.)  It is good to be back in New Hampshire, although I have to say that I feel a little winter coming on around here.  (Laughter.)  This is what happens when you fly north.

It is wonderful to be here.  I had a chance to see backstage Principal Mailhot, and he reminded me of what I said to him four years ago almost to the day that I was here.  It was snowing that day; we were -- surprising enough, there was a snowstorm in New Hampshire.  (Laughter.)  And we ended up having to leave a little bit early.  And we weren’t able to do everything that we wanted, talking to some of the students.  And we were worried that folks were going to be disappointed, and I promised him that I would be back.  I just want to point out, we’re keeping our promise -- we are back.  (Applause.)  We are back.

In addition to Principal Mailhot, I want to acknowledge the Superintendent, Tom Brennan, who is here with his lovely wife Wendy.  Please give them a big round of applause.  (Applause.)

Happy Thanksgiving a little bit early, everybody.  To the -- I understand we got the senior class here at Central High.  (Applause.)

STUDENTS:  Seniors!  Seniors!  Seniors!  (Applause.)

THE PRESIDENT:  All right.  You guys are pretty excited about being seniors, aren’t you?  (Applause.)  I want to thank also somebody who is doing outstanding work each and every day, was doing it up here as a wonderful governor, is now one of your most outstanding senators in the country -- Jeanne Shaheen is in the house.  (Applause.) 

So before I came to school today, I had coffee --

(Audience interruption.)

THE PRESIDENT:  That’s okay.  All right, okay, guys. 

STUDENTS:  Obama!  Obama!  Obama!

THE PRESIDENT:  Okay, it’s okay.  That’s all right.  Listen, I’m going to be talking about a whole range of things today, and I appreciate you guys making your point.  Let me go ahead and make mine, all right?  And I’ll listen to you, you listen to me.  All right? 

Now, what I was saying was, I was having some coffee with some of your neighbors.  And one of them was the Corkerys.  You may know, as Mr. Corkery just said, that he’s a math teacher here at Central High.  And even though a visit from me tends to disrupt things a little bit -- (laughter) -- he did want me to remind all his students you still have homework to do.  (Laughter.)

But as Chris said, he’s also a colonel, recently retired after 26 years in the military; tours of duty in Iraq, in Kuwait, in Haiti.  And I couldn’t thank him enough for his service, because obviously we know our service members, our veterans, they’re the ones who keep us safe, they’re the ones who are preserving our freedom -- at enormous sacrifice to themselves and their families.  (Applause.)  And in fact, this holiday season is going to be a season of homecomings for folks all across America, because by the end of next month, all of our troops will be out of Iraq.  (Applause.)

Now, over coffee, we were joined by Chris’s wife of 16 years, Kathy, who owns part of a local business.  And they’ve got two sons; they’re trying to save for their sons’ college education.  And like millions of families all across the country, they’re doing the best that they can in some tough times.

And families like the Corkerys, families like yours, young people like the ones here today, including the ones who were just chanting at me, you’re the reason I ran for office in the first place.  (Applause.)  Because it’s folks like you who are why I spent so much time up here in the dead of winter four years ago.  Because even then, we were going through a difficult decade for the middle class -- more good jobs in manufacturing that was leaving our shores.  More of our prosperity was built on risky financial deals and homes that weren’t properly financed.  And families watched their incomes fall, and wages flatline, and the cost of everything from college to health care kept on going up.  And then the financial crisis hit in the closing weeks of the campaign -- and that made things even tougher. 

Today, many Americans have spent months looking for work, and others are doing the best they can to get by.  There are a lot of folks out there who are giving nights up -- nights out, they just can’t do that anymore because they’ve got to save on gas or make the mortgage.  There are families who are putting off retirement to make sure their kids can go to college.  And then there are young people who have gone to college, gotten a whole bunch of debt, and find themselves unable to find opportunity. 

So a lot of the folks who have been down in New York and all across the country, in the Occupy movement, there is a profound sense of frustration -- (applause) -- there is a profound sense of frustration about the fact that the essence of the American Dream -- which is if you work hard, if you stick to it, that you can make it -- feels like that’s slipping away.  And it’s not the way things are supposed to be.  Not here.  Not in America.  (Applause.)

This is a place where your hard work and your responsibility is supposed to pay off.  It’s supposed to be a big, compassionate country where everybody who works hard should have a chance to get ahead -– not just the person who owns the factory, but the men and women who work on the factory floor.  (Applause.) 

This is a place that’s always prospered most when we stay fundamental -- we stay true to a fundamental idea -– the idea that we’re all in this together.

That’s what we’re fighting for.  That’s what is at stake right now. 

So we’ve been weathering some hard years.  We’ve been taking some tough punches.  But one thing I know about folks in Manchester and folks in New Hampshire and folks all across the country is we’re tough.  We’re fighting back.  We are moving forward.  And we are going to get this right so that every single American has opportunity in this country.  (Applause.)  We are not going to have an America in which only a sliver of folks have opportunity.  We’re going to have an America where everybody has opportunity.  And that’s going to take some time, because our economic problems weren’t caused overnight and they won’t be solved overnight. 

It’s going to take time to rebuild an economy where hard work is valued and responsibility is rewarded.  It’s going to take time to rebuild an economy that restores security for the middle class and renews opportunity for folks trying to reach the middle class.  It’s going to take time to rebuild an economy that’s not based on outsourcing or tax loopholes or risky financial deals, but one that is built to last, where we invest in education and small business and manufacturing and making things that the rest of the world is willing to buy.  (Applause.)

And we’re going to get it done.  We’re going to get there.  And right now, we’ve got to do everything we can to put our friends and neighbors back to work and help families like the Corkerys get ahead and give the economy the jolt that it needs.

And that’s why two months ago I sent Congress the American Jobs Act.  It’s a jobs bill that will put more Americans to work, put more money back into the pockets of working Americans.  It’s full of the kinds of ideas that in the past have been supported by Democrats and Republicans.  And it’s paid for by asking our wealthiest citizens to pay their fair share.  (Applause.)  Independent economists said it would create nearly 2 million jobs, grow the economy by an extra 2 percent.  That’s not my opinion, that’s not my team’s opinion; that’s the opinion of folks who evaluate these things for a living.  But you know what?  Some folks in Washington don’t seem to get the message that people care right now about putting folks back to work and giving young people opportunity. 

So when this bill came up for a vote, Republicans in the Senate got together and blocked it.  They refused to even debate it.  A hundred percent of Republicans opposed it, even though almost two-thirds of Americans supported the ideas in this bill -– Democrats, Republicans and independents alike.  Not one Republican in Washington was willing to say it was the right thing to do.  Not one. 

Now, what we’ve done is we’ve refused to quit.  So I said I will do everything in my power to act on behalf of the American people –- with or without Congress.  (Applause.)  So over the past several weeks, we’ve taken steps on our own to give working Americans a leg up in a tough economy. 

We announced -- on our own -- a new policy that will help families refinance their mortgages and save thousands of dollars.  A lot of the young people who are in New York and around the country, they’re worrying about student loans.  On our own, without Congress, we reformed the student loan process to make it easier for more young people to pay off their debt.  (Applause.)  By the way, that was building on top of legislation we passed a year ago that said instead of sending $60 billion to banks to manage the student loan program, let’s give it directly to students so that millions more young people can afford a college education.  (Applause.) 

We enacted several new initiatives to help our returning veterans find new jobs and get trained for those jobs.  (Applause.)  The kind of outstanding young men and women that Chris was talking about, who come home -- I was up in Minnesota, met a young man who had been an emergency medic Iraq, saving lives under the most severe circumstances.  He came home and he was having to take nursing classes all over again, even though for the last two years he had been saving lives in the field.  Didn’t get any credit for it.  So we’re starting to make changes to say if you’re qualified to save a life on the battlefield, you can save a life in an ambulance.  (Applause.)

And yesterday, I signed into law two new tax breaks for businesses that hire America’s vets –- because nobody who fights for America overseas should have to fight for a job when they come home.  (Applause.)  Now, I proposed these tax breaks back in September as part of my jobs bill, and thanks to folks like Jeanne Shaheen -- and some Republicans -- we actually got this part of the bill passed.  We finally got them to say “yes” to taking action that will create jobs and boost this economy.

But there is a lot more that we’ve got to do if we’re going to get folks back to work and rebuild an economy that works for everybody.  And next week, Congress is going to have another chance to do the right thing.  Congress is going to have another chance to say “yes” to helping working families like the Corkerys.

You see, last year, both parties came together to cut payroll taxes for the typical household by $1,000 this year.  That’s been showing up in your paychecks each week.  You may not know it, but it’s been showing up because of the action that we took.  Which reminds me, by the way, the next time you hear one of these folks from the other side coming in talking about raising your taxes, you just remind them that ever since I’ve gotten into office, I’ve lowered your taxes, haven’t raised them.  That’s worth reminding them.  (Applause.)  But this payroll tax is set to expire at the end of next month.  End of next month, end of the year, this tax cut ends.  And if we allow that to happen -– if Congress refuses to act -– then middle-class families are going to get hit with a tax increase at the worst possible time.  For the average family, your taxes will go up $1,000 if Congress does not act by the end of the month.

Now, we can’t let that happen.  Not right now.  It would be bad for the economy.  It would be bad for employment.  That’s why my jobs bill extends that tax cut.  In fact, it does it one better -– it expands the tax cut.  Instead of a $1,000-a-year tax cut next year, the average working family would get a tax cut of more than $1,500.  (Applause.)  And that’s $1,500 that would have been taken out of your paycheck, would instead be going into your pocket.  And that means you’d be spending in small businesses, and that would increase their business, which means they would potentially hire more people.

The American Jobs Act would also cut payroll taxes in half for small business owners.  Say you have 50 employees making $50,000 apiece.  You’d get a tax cut of nearly $80,000.  That is real money that you can use to hire new workers or buy new equipment.

Now, the Republicans in the Senate voted “no” on my jobs bill and those tax cuts.  But in the spirit of Thanksgiving -- (laughter) -- we are going to give them another chance.  (Laughter and applause.)  Absolutely.  Next week, they’re going to get to take a simple vote.

If they vote “no” again, the typical family’s taxes will go up $1,000 next year.  If they vote “yes,” the typical working family will get a $1,500 tax cut.  All right?  So I just wanted to be clear for everybody:  “No” –- your taxes go up.  “Yes” -– you get a tax cut.  Which way do you think Congress should vote?

AUDIENCE:  Yes!

THE PRESIDENT:  Pretty simple.  And we set up a straightforward tax calculator on whitehouse.gov -- that’s our website -- so you can see what each vote would mean for your bottom line.

Now, I know Republicans like to talk about we’re the party of tax cuts.  A lot of them have sworn an oath -- we’re never going to raise taxes on anybody for as long as we live –- even though they have already voted against these middle-class tax cuts once.  But the question they’ll have to answer when they get back from Thanksgiving is this:  Are they really willing to break their oath to never raise taxes, and raise taxes on the middle class just to play politics?

I sure hope not.  This isn’t about who wins or loses in Washington.  This is about delivering a win for the American people.  (Applause.)  Now, a $1,500 tax cut for middle-class families -- that isn’t a Band-Aid.  That is a big deal for people.  How many business owners could stand to see their customers taking $1,000 less next year?   That’s $1,000 less that they can spend at a small business. 

Now, how many of you could use an extra $1,000?  (Applause.)  An extra $1,500 in your pocket?  It makes a big difference for families here in New Hampshire and all across America.  And keep in mind, we’re going to do it responsibly -- because unlike several tax cuts that were instituted over the past several years, we’re going to make sure that it doesn’t add to our deficit.  We’re asking the wealthiest Americans -– the folks who got the biggest tax cuts over the past decade, the folks who made it through the recession better than most, folks who have seen their incomes go up much more quickly than anybody else over the last three decades, exponentially -– we’re asking them to contribute a little bit more to get our economy working for everybody.  (Applause.)  We’re asking people like me to pay our fair share so middle-class families can get a tax cut.  And I believe that most Americans are willing to do their part.

The truth of the matter is, I can’t tell you how many well-to-do Americans that I meet say to me, look, I want to do more because I know that the only reason I’m doing well is because 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 gave me a chance.  And I want to do the same thing for the young people who are coming up now.  (Applause.)  That is what America is all about.  (Applause.)

So Congress has a very simple choice next week:  Do you want to cut taxes for the middle class and those who are trying to get into the middle class?  Or do you want to protect massive tax breaks for millionaires and billionaires, many of whom want to actually help?  Do you want to help working families get back on solid ground and grow this economy for all of us?  Or do you really want to vote to raise taxes on nearly 160 million Americans during the holidays?  When push comes to shove, are you willing to fight as hard for working families as you are for the wealthiest Americans?  What’s it going to be?  That’s the choice.

As I look around this room and I see these young people, but I also see their parents, I’m thinking, folks in Manchester, you guys work hard.  You play by the rules.  You’re meeting your responsibilities.  (Applause.)  And if you’re working hard and you’re meeting your responsibilities, at the very least you should expect Congress to do the same.  They should be doing everything in their power to make our economy stronger, not weaker.  They should be doing everything they can to protect the middle class from tax hikes -- not hike your taxes.

And this is where you can help.  Now, your members of Congress, they work for you.  You’ve got an outstanding senator here.  She’s already on the program.  (Applause.)  But to everyone who’s here or watching at home or online -- if your members of Congress aren’t delivering, you’ve got to send them a message.  Make sure they’re listening. 

Tell them, “Don’t be a Grinch.”  (Laughter.)  Don’t vote to raise taxes on working Americans during the holidays.  Put the country before party.  Put money back in the pockets of working families.  Do your job.  Pass our jobs bill.

The American people are with us on this.  And it’s time for the folks who are running around spending all their time talking about what’s wrong with America to spend some time rolling up their sleeves to help us rebuild America and rebuild our middle class and give young people opportunity.  (Applause.)  There is nothing wrong with this country that we can’t fix.
 
I was just traveling in Asia over the last week, and let me tell you, this is the fastest-growing region in the world.  But what was amazing was how everybody still looked to America.  They did a poll in Asia.  They said, what do you think about America compared to China?  Eight out of nine countries in Asia, they said, America is the country that we look to. 

They understand that this experiment in democracy -- this belief that everybody can make it if they try; this belief in a broad middle class that lifts everybody up, not just some -- they know that that idea of America is more powerful than anything else.

But we’ve got to have folks in Washington who have that same belief; that same sense that when this economy is going well it’s going well because it’s going well for everybody, and when it goes well for everybody, it’s good for folks at the top as well as folks at the bottom.  And it’s certainly good for folks in the middle. (Applause.)

So those values that built this country, those values that all of you represent, that’s what we’re fighting for.  That’s what the American Jobs Act is all about, that’s what the debates in Washington are all about.  And we’ve got to constantly remind ourselves of who we are and what we believe in. 

We are Americans.  And our story has never been about doing things easy.  It’s been about rising to the moment when the moment is hard.  It’s about doing what’s right.  It’s about making sure that everybody has a chance, not just a few. 

So let’s do the right thing.  Let’s meet the moment.  Let’s prove once again that the best days of the United States of America are still ahead of us.

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

END
12:46 P.M. EST

Remarks by the First Lady at a Country Music Student Workshop

State Dining Room

2:10 P.M. EST

MRS. OBAMA:  Hey, what’s going on?  It’s good to see you guys!  Well, hello, and welcome.  Pretty cool, huh?

AUDIENCE:  Yes!

MRS. OBAMA:  Yes, pretty cool.  Well, I can’t stay, because I have to go out to the garden and do a bunch of other stuff.  But this is one of my favorite parts of the day, when we have Music Series and inviting you guys all here, so you get a little taste of it.

And today, in the latest edition of the White House Music Series, we are celebrating the great American art of country music.  And this is our second time doing country music, and it’s one of our favorite art forms.

And I want to start by just thanking a few people before I turn it over.  We have a trio of amazing stars, men who are gorgeous and talented and awesome and giving -- yes, yes.  Lyle Lovett, Darius Rucker, and of course Kris Kristofferson, who are here with us, and Bob Santelli, who has been just a huge support for these events that we have.  He’s from the GRAMMY Museum, and he helps to put all this stuff together, and oftentimes works to get young people here for these series.  So I want to thank them for being here. 

So in a little bit, you’re going to have an opportunity to hear from them.  They’re going to tell you some stories, answer some questions, and sing.  (Laughter.)  They’re prepared, they’re all ready.  But first, I want you guys to get a better sense of why we put on these workshops, because I want you to know why these are important to us and why we’re so excited to have students from Anacostia.  Right?  We got some Anacostia students!  (Applause.)  We’ve got teachers firing it up -- firing it up.  Woodrow Wilson High School is here!  (Applause.)  Fired up, fired up.  And Newport Middle School!  (Applause.)  So you’re excited.  You’re excited.

Well, we are excited to have you all here.  We’ve invited you here because I want to make sure that the White House lives up to the name “The People’s House.”  That’s what everybody calls it, what we call it.  And I want to be sure that it’s not just a place for senators and diplomats and CEOs who have a chance to come here, but it’s a place for all Americans, especially young people. 

And so I want you to all have a chance to come into the State Dining Room and sit in these chairs, just like every head of state comes into this room when we have a State Dinner; this is where they sit, this is where they eat.  I want you guys to walk around these halls and look at the artwork, and to imagine the history that has been made here.  I want you to see up close just how talented folks like Darius, Lyle and Kris are, and to hear their music, but more importantly, to understand their stories.

But here’s the important part:  I don’t want you to come here and simply just sit back in awe.  And you guys seem like not a shy bunch, so that’s good, that’s a good start.  So don’t be shy.  I want you all to realize, as you sit here, that you belong here.  That’s one of the reasons we do this.  You have to see yourself here in these seats, sitting up here on this stage one day, because Kris, Darius and Lyle might be country music stars today, but they were once just young people like you with their own dreams.  Kris grew up in Texas, the son of a military officer.  Lyle grew up outside of Houston, and joined a band when he was in the 9th grade, and because he liked playing the guitar so much, he’d ride around and -- you’d take lessons an hour away from where you lived?  Is that true?  Do I have my facts right?

MR. LOVETT:  That’s exactly right.

MRS. OBAMA:  So you’d drive for an hour for lessons.  And Darius once lived in a house with his mom, two aunts, his grandmother, and 14 kids.  (Laughter.)  That’s some character building right there.  He always wanted to be a singer, so he’d walk around singing songs, using a broomstick as a guitar.  So that was your first instrument, the broomstick.  (Laughter.)

But as each of them got older, they kept chasing their passion for music, but none of them took a straight road to the top.  It wasn’t automatic.  It took a little bit.  For a while, Lyle tried to be a journalist -- that’s something I didn’t know.  Really?

MR. LOVETT:  I took it in -- I took journalism in school.  But nobody ever hired me.  (Laughter.)

MRS. OBAMA:  That’s probably okay.  (Laughter.)  But as he put it, “Making up songs,” he thought, “wasn’t a real job.”  And I know a lot of people think that -- that the things they really like to do, if you really like it, then obviously you can’t get paid for it.  But they always came back to music, each of them, no matter how they diverted their careers.  They started playing in small clubs, then the clubs got bigger, and they kept working and working.  And now, years later, they’re able to do what they love every single day. 

And that is really my biggest hope for all of you, is that as you sit here and you listen to these fine gentlemen, that you figure out how you can turn something that you love into one of those real jobs, right?  I mean, think about the things that really drive you and give you passion.  And it might not be music.  It might be business, it might be technology, it might be teaching or medicine, or anything else.  For me it was working with young people that gave me passion.  But no matter what sparks your imagination, I want you to take that energy and then follow it.  Follow it with every little piece of energy that you have, because whatever you do, it does take work.  And that’s the one thing you have to get in your mind, that even when you love something, if you’re going to be good at it and get good enough at it, you have to invest in it.

And I also want you all to imagine yourselves coming back to the White House maybe years from now, sitting up on this stage and hearing from some future First Lady or future President.  And I want you to be thinking about telling your story to the next generation of young people.  And you have to be able to see yourselves in these places to begin to imagine and to dream and to work towards those dreams.

You can tell your story; you’ll be telling them how you grew up in Washington or maybe in Rockville, how you worked hard, how you kept chasing your dreams, how you got invited to the White House one day and sat and listened to some of the finest artists in the country and that made you go back and work a little harder and focus a little more.

I want you, every single one of you, to believe that something like that is possible for you, because if I’m standing here as the First Lady of the United States, having grown up on the South Side of Chicago, with a father who was a stationary fireman and a mother who stayed at home, parents who didn’t go to college -- if I’m here, then you can be here, right?  You can be here.  But it’s only if you believe in that.  You’ve got to start out, first of all, believing in that for yourselves.  And it only happens if you’re willing to work for it.

So today, I want you to use this as an opportunity.  So don’t feel shy or bashful.  Use these gentlemen as resources.  Poke them, prod them, ask questions; get all the information that you can.  Ignore the media, pretend like you’re here all by yourselves, and make the most of this opportunity. 

Will you promise me that?  You I don’t worry about.  (Laughter.)  You.  Yes, yes, I think you’re going to be plenty ready to talk.  (Laughter.)

So you all enjoy yourselves, right?  Keep working hard.  Keep staying positive.  Listen to your teachers, listen to your parents.  Eat your vegetables.  (Laughter.)  Have to say it.

And with that, I will turn it over to you guys.  Thank you all.  Have fun.  (Applause.)

END
2:18 P.M. EST