Remarks by the President Urging Congress to Pass the Infrastructure Piece of the American Jobs Act

Georgetown Waterfront Park
Washington, D.C.

11:24 A.M. EDT

THE PRESIDENT:  Hello, everybody.  (Applause.)  All right.  Thank you so much, everybody.  Please, have a seat on this beautiful day.  It is good to see all these construction workers out.  (Applause.) 

Of all the industries hammered by the economic downturn, construction has been among the hardest hit.  Since the housing bubble burst, millions of construction workers have had to look for a job.  So today, I’m joining many of these workers to say that it makes absolutely no sense when there’s so much work to be done that they’re not doing the work.  (Applause.)  Not when there are so many roads and bridges and runways waiting to be repaired and waiting to be rebuilt.

One of these potential projects is behind me, just a few miles from the Capitol Building.  It’s the Key Bridge, one of the five major bridges that connect the Commonwealth of Virginia to Washington, D.C.  Two of these five bridges are rated “structurally deficient,” which is a fancy way of saying that you can drive on them but they need repair.  Nearly 120,000 vehicles cross these two bridges every single day, carrying hundreds of thousands of commuters and families and children. 

They are deficient roads, and there are deficient bridges like this all across the country.  Our highways are clogged with traffic.  Our railroads are no longer the fastest and most efficient in the world.  Our air traffic congestion is the worst in the world.  And we’ve got to do something about this, because our businesses and our entire economy are already paying for it.

Give you an example.  Last month, I visited a bridge in Cincinnati on one of the busiest trucking routes in America.  More than 150,000 vehicles cross it every single day.  But it is so outdated that it’s been labeled functionally obsolete.  It worked fine when it opened 50 years ago.  But today, it handles twice the traffic it was designed for, and it causes mile-long backups.  That means that big shipping companies like UPS or FedEx are tempted to change routes, but it turns out that would cost them even more to take the long way.  So their trucks, their vans, are just sitting there, bleeding money, bleeding time.

Smaller businesses, they don’t have a choice.  They have to go across these bridges.  When a major bridge that connects Kentucky and Indiana was recently closed for safety reasons, one small business owner whose shop is nearby watched his sales fall 40 percent in just two weeks.  Farmers, they can lose five cents a bushel when a rural bridge closes.

So all told, our aging transportation infrastructure costs American businesses and families about $130 billion a year.  That’s a tax on our businesses; that’s a tax on our consumers.  It is coming out of your pocket.  It’s a drag on our overall economy.  And if we don’t act now, it could cost America hundreds of billions of dollars and hundreds of thousands of jobs by the end of the decade.

So you’re paying already for these substandard bridges.  You’re paying for these substandard roads.  You could be paying to make sure that workers were rebuilding these roads and you would save money in the long term if you did.  I’m speaking to all the American people right now.  (Applause.)

Building a world-class transportation system is one of the reasons that America became an economic superpower in the first place.  Today, as a share of our economy, Europe invests more than twice what we do in infrastructure; China, more than four times as much.  Think about that.  Europe invests, as a percentage of its overall economy, twice as much in roads and bridges and airports and ports; China, four times as much. 

How do we sit back and watch China and Europe build the best bridges and high-speed railroads and gleaming new airports, and we’re doing nothing?  At a time when we’ve got more than a million unemployed construction workers who could build them right here in America right now?  (Applause.) 
    
We’re better than that.  We are smarter than that.  We’ve just got to get folks in Congress to share the same sense of national urgency that mayors and governors and the American people do all across the country.  I’ve got to say, we’ve got some members of Congress here who get it.  Amy Klobuchar, from Minnesota, she gets it.  She’s seen a bridge fall apart in her state.  Senator Whitehouse from Rhode Island, he gets it.  Congressman Larson from Connecticut gets it.  I know the mayor of Washington, D.C., gets it.  But we’ve got to have everybody on Capitol Hill get it.   

Last month, Republicans in the Senate blocked a jobs bill that would have meant hundreds of thousands of private sector construction jobs repairing bridges like this one.  It was the kind of idea that, in the past at least, both parties have voted for, both parties have supported.  It was supported by the overwhelming majority of the American people.  It was paid for.  And yet, they said no.

The truth is, the only way we can attack our economic challenges on the scale that’s needed is with bold action by Congress.  They hold the purse strings.  It’s the only way we’re going to put hundreds of thousands of people back to work right now -- not five years from now, not 10 years from now, but right now.  It’s the only way that we’re going to rebuild an economy that’s not based on financial bubbles, but on hard work –- on building and making things right here in the United States of America.  (Applause.) 

That’s the deal that every American is looking for -- that we have an economy where everybody who works hard has the chance to get ahead; where the middle class regains some sense of security that has been slipping away for over a decade now.

So that’s why I’m going to keep on pushing these senators and some members of the House of Representatives to vote on common-sense, paid-for jobs proposals.  In the meantime, while I’m waiting for them to act, we’re going to go ahead and do what we can do to help the American people find jobs.  We’re not going to wait for them and do nothing.  I’ve said that I’ll do everything in my power to act on behalf of the American people -- with or without Congress.  (Applause.)    

We can’t wait for Congress to do its job.  If they won’t act, I will.  (Applause.)  And that’s why today, I’m announcing that we are actually going to expedite loans and competitive grants for new projects all across the country that will create thousands of new jobs for workers like these.  (Applause.)  If there’s money already in the pipeline, we want to get it out faster.  And this comes on the heels of our recent efforts to cut red tape and launch several existing projects faster and more efficiently.  See, construction workers, they want to do their jobs.  We need Congress to do theirs.

But here’s the good news:  Congress has another chance.  They already voted once against this thing; they’ve got another chance.  This week, they’ve got another chance to vote for a jobs bill that will help private sector companies put hundreds of thousands of construction workers back on the job rebuilding our roads, our airports, our bridges and our transit systems.

And this bill, by the way, is one that will begin to reform the way we do projects like this.  No more earmarks.  No more bridges to nowhere.  We’re going to stop the picking of projects based on political gain, and start picking them based on two criteria:  how badly they’re needed out there, and how much good they’ll do for our economy.  And by the way, that’s an idea -- (applause) -- that’s an idea that came from the good work of a Texas Republican and a Massachusetts Democrat, because infrastructure shouldn’t be a partisan issue.

My Secretary of Transportation, who is here, Ray LaHood, a great man from Peoria -- (applause) -- he’s the pride of Peoria -- he spent a long time in Congress.  He’s a Republican, member of my Cabinet.  He knows how badly we need to act on this issue.  The other members of Congress here, they understand that this is important to their states.  I can’t imagine that Speaker Boehner wants to represent a state where nearly one in four bridges is classified as substandard.  I’m sure that the Speaker of the House would want to have bridges and roads in his state that are up to par.

When the Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell visited that closed bridge in Kentucky that I was talking about, he admitted, look, “roads and bridges are not partisan in Washington.”  That’s a quote from him.  Paul Ryan, the Republican in charge of the budget process, recently said, “You can’t deny that infrastructure does create jobs.”  Okay, so if the Speaker of the House, the Republican Leader in the Senate, all the Democrats all say that this is important to do, why aren’t we doing it?  What’s holding us back?  Let’s get moving and put America back to work.  (Applause.)

The ideas in this legislation are supported by the leading organizations of Republican mayors, supported by Mayor Gray, who’s here.  The idea would be a big boost for construction and is therefore supported by America’s largest business organization and America’s largest labor organization -- the Chamber of Commerce and the AFL-CIO think this is a good idea to move forward on.  And they don’t agree on a lot.

And when 72 percent of the American people support the ideas in this bill -- 72 percent of Americans agree with this -- Republicans, Democrats and independents -- there’s no excuse for 100 percent of Washington Republicans to say no.  That means that the Republicans in Washington are out of touch with Republican voters.  (Applause.)

We’ve got to make this happen.  Now, if you don’t want to take my word for it, take it from one of my predecessors.  It’s one of the previous Presidents.  He said that -- and I’m quoting here -- “the bridges and highways we fail to repair today will have to be rebuilt tomorrow at many times the cost.”  He went on to say that “rebuilding our infrastructure is common sense” --that’s a quote -- and “an investment in tomorrow that we must make today.”  That President was Ronald Reagan.  We just put up a statue of him at the airport.

Since when do we have Republicans voting against Ronald Reagan’s ideas?  (Laughter.)  There’s no good reason to oppose this bill -- not one.  And members of Congress who do, who vote no, are going to have to explain why to their constituencies.

The American people are with me with this.  (Applause.)  And it’s time for folks running around spending all their time talking about what’s wrong with America to spend some time rolling up their sleeves to help us make it right.  There’s nothing wrong in this country that we can’t fix.  There are no challenges that we can’t meet, especially when it comes to building things in America.  It was in the middle of the Civil War that Lincoln built the Transcontinental Railroad.  It was during the Great Depression that we built the Hoover Dam that brought electricity to rural America. 

We have built things even in the toughest of times -- especially in the toughest of times because it helps us improve our economy.  It gets us going.  It taps into that can-do American spirit.  It gives us pride about what we can accomplish.  Now it’s our turn to forge the future.

Everybody here -- we are Americans.  We’re not people who sit back and watch things happening.  And if Congress tells you they don’t have time -- they’ve got time to do it.  We’ve been -- in the House of Representatives, what have you guys been debating?  John, you’ve been debating a commemorative coin for baseball?  (Laughter.)  You had legislation reaffirming that “In God We Trust” is our motto?  That’s not putting people back to work.  I trust in God, but God wants to see us help ourselves by putting people back to work.  (Applause.) 

There’s work to be done.  There are workers ready to do it.  The American people are behind this.  Democrats, Republicans, independents believe in this.  These are ideas that have been supported by all those groups in the past.  There’s no reason not to do it this time.  I want you to make sure your voice is heard in the halls of Congress.  I want us to put people back to work, get this economy growing again, and remind the entire world just why it is that America is the greatest country on Earth.

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

END
11:40 A.M. EDT

VP's Remarks to London Cyberspace Conference

Via Video Teleconference

10:42 A.M. EDT

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Well, thank you very much, Foreign Secretary Hague, and my best to Prime Minister Cameron.  I agree with everything that he said today.

But I’m very glad to be able to join you all on behalf of our administration to talk about the issue that will have enormous, enormous consequences for each of our countries and, quite frankly, consequences for the whole world:  the future of cyberspace.

And I do bring greetings from Secretary Clinton who does send her regrets that she’s not able to be with you in person today.

As you all know, nearly one-third of humankind is online today, something we would have never thought possible 20 years ago, more than 2 billion people and counting.  The Internet has become the public space of the 21st century, a sphere of activity for all kinds of activities, open to all people of all backgrounds and all beliefs.

And as vibrant, as dynamic as the Internet already is what we’ve seen so far, I believe and we believe, is just an opening act.  More than 5 billion people will connect to the Internet in the next 20 years -- 5 billion.  And most of them will live in countries and regions that are now under-represented online.  And the next generation of Internet users has the potential to transform cyberspace in ways we can only imagine.  And cyberspace, in turn, has the potential to transform their lives, as well.

But the extent of both the contributions they will make to the Internet and the benefits they’ll derive from it are going to depend in large degree on the choices all of us in the room today make.  The Internet itself is not inherently -- to state the obvious -- is not inherently a force for democracy or oppression, for war or for peace.  Like any public square or any platform for commerce, the Internet is neutral.  But what we do there isn’t neutral.  It’s up to us to decide whether and how we will protect it against the dangers that can occur in cyberspace while maintaining the conditions that give rise to its many benefits.  That's what Prime Minister Cameron just spoke about. 

And today I’d like to explain briefly where the United States stands on key issues regarding the future of cyberspace.  First, which approach should we take for ensuring that Internet -- that the Internet itself continues to be secure, open to innovation and interoperable the world over; secure enough to earn the trust of our people, and reliable enough to support their work?

And secondly, how do we achieve security for nations, businesses and people online without compromising the openness that is the Internet’s greatest attribute? 

It seems to us that answering these questions is a key priority for not only our administration, but for all of you assembled in the room; and to articulate our position, we laid out the International Strategy for Cyberspace.

We know that it will take many years and patient and persistent engagement with people around the world to build a consensus around cyberspace, but there are no shortcuts because what citizens do online should not, as some have suggested, be decreed solely by groups of governments making decisions for them somewhere on high.  No citizen of any country should be subject to a repressive global code when they send an email or post a comment to a news article.  They should not be prevented from sharing their innovations with global consumers simply because they live across a national frontier.  That's not how the Internet should ever work in our view -- not if we want it to remain the space where economic, political and social exchanges can flourish.

Now, there are some who have a different view, as you all know.  They seek an international legal instrument that would lead to exclusive government control over Internet resources, institutions and content and national barriers on the free flow of information online.  But this, in our view, would lead to a fragmented Internet, one that does not connect people but divides them; a stagnant cyberspace, not an innovative one, and ultimately a less secure cyberspace with less trust among nations.

So the United States stands behind the current approach which harnesses the best of governments and private sector and civil society to manage the technical evolution of the Internet in real time.  This public-private collaboration has kept the Internet up and running all over the world.

We have an expression in our country:  If it ain’t broke, don't fix it.  It would be misguided, in our view, to break with the system that has worked so well for so long.  However, as the Prime Minister pointed out, there are ways we can improve on what we’re doing; for example, by bringing greater transparency and accountability to Internet governance and institutions, by including more voices from developing countries and by supporting successful initiatives like the Internet Governance Forum.

Just as important in our view, as to whether the Internet functions effectively, is what people are free to do there in that space without fear of being targeted by criminals or having their private information exposed or being punished by their governments for expressing their views online.

And this brings me to the second question that I’d like to address today, how to achieve both security and openness in cyberspace.  As we all know, the openness that makes the Internet a force for unprecedented progress can also enable wrongdoing on a vast scale.  Terrorists use the Internet to recruit operatives and plot attacks.  Human traffickers and child pornographers use the Internet to find and exploit victims.  And sensitive information is stolen every day from both governments and businesses by criminal networks, as well as individuals, and even by other nation states.  And we all face the threat that our critical infrastructure will be compromised by a cyberattack.  It’s a real threat.

And to address these challenges, the United States is investing in our cybersecurity, including the appointment here at the White House of a national cyberspace [sic] coordinator.  He’s with you now -- Howard Schmidt, who is in the audience with you and will speak on international security later today.

We’re working with other nations to fight transnational crime, including by helping other nations build their law enforcement capacities.  We’ve ratified and we strongly promote the Budapest Cybercrime Convention, which sets out the steps countries must take to reduce cybercrime while still protecting human rights.  And as you might expect, we remain committed to fighting international terrorism and thwarting terrorist attacks that are planned and launched on the Internet.

We can and we must do all of this without resorting to a false solution that rationalizes government takeover of the Internet.  There’s no question in our view that every nation must protect its citizens against crime and attacks online, as well as off.  But we must do it in a manner that's consistent with our shared values.

And this brings me to the concept that is absolutely fundamental in our view to any conversation about the future of cyberspace:  Existing principles of international law apply online, just as they do offline, in our view.

Yes, the Internet represents and presents new challenges, but to resolve them we don't need to start from scratch.  International law principles are not suspended in cyberspace.  They apply there with equal force and equal urgency. 

Take, for example, the threat of cyberspace conflict between states.  For more than a century, the global communities worked to develop rules that govern conflicts among nations, including concepts of proportionality, and distinction between combatants and civilians.  And we’ve developed diplomatic methods that countries can take together to prevent war, respond to attack and build trust with one another.   So while cyberspace is a new realm, we have many, many years of hard-won understandings to guide us in this new space.

Of course, cyberspace presents challenges that are different from any we’ve faced before, and it raises new questions.  It forces us to come up with new approaches where old ones no longer suffice.  Consider confidence-building measures.  It’s a great deal harder to assess another nation’s cyber-capabilities than to count their tanks, for example.  The technology is dual-use.  Governments don't have a monopoly on it, and we can't -- you can't judge the intentions of another country by looking at its force -- like by looking at its force posture.  So it’s a challenge to identify effective, confidence-building measures in cyberspace.  We’ve got to find a way.

For example, the United States is working closely with Russia to reach an agreement that would establish links between our computer emergency response teams and our nuclear risk reduction centers to build cooperation and to set up lines of communication in the event of an alarming incident.

We’re also looking to multilateral institutions such as the OSCE, which has a history of developing confidence-building measures in the context of conventional warfare to contribute their expertise to this quest.  But in our quest for security, we cannot sacrifice -- I want to emphasize we believe we cannot sacrifice the openness that makes possible all the benefits and opportunities that the Internet brings.

The tactic of evoking security as a justification for harsh crackdowns on freedom is not new in the digital age.  But it has new resonance as the Internet has given governments new capacities for tracking and punishing human rights advocates and political dissidents.  In some places, as you all know, bloggers are imprisoned and abused for criticizing the government.  In others, there is widespread censorship of content that government deems politically unacceptable. 

Look, folks, again, no surprise, the United States -- and I suspect most of you, I hope -- stand against these acts and for Internet freedom.  The rights of individuals to express their views and petition their leaders, practice their religion, assemble with their fellow citizens online we believe must be protected.  These rights are universal whether they're exercised in the town square or on a Twitter stream.  They're enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which applies to cyberspace just as surely as it does to every corner of every country on Earth.

Those countries that try to have it both ways by making the Internet closed to free expression but open for business will find that this is no easy task.  They may try to build walls between these different activities, but there isn’t a separate economic Internet, political Internet and social Internet.  They are all one.  It’s simply the Internet.

The same search engines that help customers find local businesses also point them to websites of bloggers and civil society groups.  Social networking sites allow friends to share not only home videos, but also views about the political and social issues within their country. 

Trying to build and maintain barriers in cyberspace entails a variety of cost, not just the cost of paying thousands of censors and Internet police to work around the clock, but also the opportunity costs to a nation’s future.  And I believe all nations will ultimately determine this.  The digital marketplace of ideas that welcomes every blog and tweet is the same one that inspires the next generation of innovators to fuel our economies.  And when businesses consider investing in a country with a poor record on Internet freedom, and they know that their website could be shut down suddenly, their transactions monitored, their staffs harassed, they’ll look for opportunities elsewhere.

Look, we are meeting at a pivotal moment, an inflection point in the history of cyberspace.  The number of people online is about to make a huge jump, and countries will now have to make some important choices about which principles and policies they will embrace, so I urge -- I urge countries everywhere to join us in the bet we’ve made, a bet that an open Internet will lead to a stronger more prosperous life for people in all of our countries, and a bet that by building a global consensus around universal values and shared norms, we can together preserve the Internet as an open space for all, which will pay long-term gains for all of us in shared prosperity as well as security, and in the process increased friendship.

As President Obama said in our international strategy, what the United States offers today is an invitation for partnership.  We’re reaching out to countries around the world, as well as the private sector and civil society to build a consensus around the ideals that I’ve mentioned today: security and openness; transparency and accountability; innovation, freedom and above all, a commitment to working cooperatively to govern cyberspace in a manner that's consistent with longstanding international principles.

Folks, as we look ahead, let’s remember what in the end we’re working to achieve.  We’re here so that tomorrow when a village in India opens the doors of its first Internet café, a school in Kenya cuts a ribbon on its new computer lab, a teenager in Guatemala writes his first blog post, and a grandfather there in London writes his first email, they will be free to explore all the benefits of the Internet, and all the benefits it can bring, have their lives enriched and be part of enriching the lives of others.  We’re working for 5 billion people who will join cyberspace in the years ahead so that they’ll be able to experience the open, free and secure Internet.  For their sake and for ours, we’ve got to get this done.

I thank you all for listening, particularly via this remote mechanism.  I again, Mr. Secretary, thank you very much for your hospitality.  Good luck to us all.

END
10:58 A.M. EDT

Remarks by the President at Signing of Executive Order

Oval Office

12:50 P.M. EDT

THE PRESIDENT: Well, thank you all for being here.

The United States, I think rightly, takes pride on having the most innovative and most successful drug industry in the world, and as a consequence the health of a lot of people, both here in the United States and around the world, is actively promoted. But as we also know, occasionally there are problems in our manufacture and distribution of drugs and how accessible they are to people.

And recently, we have seen how the potential of drug shortages for vital drugs, including some cancers, can really have a adverse impact on patients and those who are caring for patients. Sometimes we run out of or run low on certain types of drugs, and that drives up prices and it increases patient risk.

And I've got a couple of people here beside me who have had to navigate this problem. Jay Cuetara knows what it's like. In August, the center where he was receiving chemotherapy ran out of the drug being used to treat his cancer. And when that happens, you have pharmacy managers like Bonnie Frawley who have to scramble to make sure that their patients can somehow find the lifesaving medications that are necessary.

So over the last five years, the number of these drug shortages has nearly tripled. And even though the FDA has successfully prevented an actual crisis, this is one of those slow-rolling problems that could end up resulting in disaster for patients and health care facilities all across the country.

Congress has been trying since February to do something about this. It has not yet been able to get it done. And it is the belief of this administration, as well as folks like Bonnie and Jay, that we can't wait for action on the Hill -- we've got to go ahead and move forward.

So, as a consequence, I'm going to be signing an executive order today that directs the FDA to step up work to reduce the drug shortages and protect consumers. We'll still be calling on Congress to pass a bipartisan bill that will provide additional tools to the FDA and others that can make a difference. But until they act, we will go ahead and move.

As part of this, we're going to require that drug companies let us know earlier about the potential for drug shortages so that we can respond successfully. We're going to make sure that if we find out that prices are being driven up because shortages are being made worse by manipulations of companies or distributors, that we are making sure that we stop those practices. We're going to further empower the FDA and the Department of Justice to investigate any kinds of abuses that would lead to drug shortages.

So there's a combination of tools that are going to be contained in this executive order that can make sure that lifesaving drugs are available, and if we start seeing shortages, that we're able to catch those ahead of time so that Bonnie doesn't have to try to scramble as a pharmacy manager, and Jay, obviously, doesn't have to scramble as a patient.

This is something that needs to be done. I want to thank the leadership of both our FDA Administrator and our Health and Human Services Secretary for having done outstanding work in preparing this executive order. And again, I still urge Congress to move forward and build on this executive order so that we can provide even more tools for our agencies. And I want to thank Bonnie and Jay for being here and for helping inspire us to get this done.

All right. With that I'm going to sign this bill -- or this executive order -- excuse me.

(The executive order is signed.)

There you go. Thank you very much, everybody. Appreciate it.

Q Tony Blair -- can you tell us anything about the meeting with Tony Blair this morning?

THE PRESIDENT: I enjoyed our meeting with Tony Blair.

Thank you, guys.

END
12:55 P.M. EDT

Remarks by the First Lady at a DNC Event, Ft. Lauderdale, FL

Signature Grand
Ft. Lauderdale, Florida

7:13 P.M. EDT

MRS. OBAMA:  Yes!  We are fired up!  (Applause.)  Oh, my goodness.  This has been a great day.  (Applause.)  Thank you all so much.  Rest yourselves, because we got a lot of work to do.  I don’t want you to use all your energy.  (Laughter.) 

I am just thrilled –- this has been a great day.  This is my third city in one day.  (Applause.)  And I go home tonight and Barack and I get up and go to parent-teacher conference tomorrow morning.  (Applause.)  Just so you know.  Just handling our business.

But I am thrilled to be here.  It is such a pleasure and an honor to be here with all of you beautiful people, our supporters.  You guys have just been amazing.

I want to start by thanking Debbie for that very kind introduction, but more importantly -- (applause) -- yes -- for her outstanding work in Congress and her outstanding leadership as Chairwoman of the DNC.  She is amazing.  (Applause.)  And she has a brilliant family, too, they’re in the back.  She almost didn’t come out because we were swapping stories about daughters in high heels.  (Laughter.)  I love you to death, Debbie.  Thank you, firing it up.

I also want to recognize Mayor Judy Paul, who is here, and thank her for her service and for being here tonight.  (Applause.)  And I have to thank my dear friend Deborah Cox for her wonderful performance.  She is amazing, I love her to death.  (Applause.)  As well as my dear friend Mark Gilbert and Tracy Mourning.  You guys are amazing.  You pulled together another wonderful event -- our co-hosts for this evening.  I love you both.  You guys are just tremendous, always having our backs.  You did it again.

And finally, I want to thank all of you for taking time out of your busy days to come here this evening.  And I know there’s a reason why you are all here tonight, and it wasn’t just because of the good food.  (Laughter.)  You’re here because you know that we stand at a fundamental crossroads for our country.  And you’re here because you know that in a little over a year, we are going to make a choice that will impact our lives for decades to come.  And I know you’re here because you care about your country, and you care about your fellow citizens.  More importantly, you care about your kids and your grandkids and the world that we’re going to be leaving for them.

And that’s really why I’m here tonight, why I was traveling around this state all day and why I will be working so hard for the next year.  You see, as First Lady, I have the privilege of traveling all across this country, meeting folks from all different backgrounds and hearing what’s going on in their daily lives.  And every day, I hear about the challenges and struggles -- about the businesses they’re trying to keep afloat, about the doctor bills they can’t pay or the mortgage they can no longer afford.  I hear about what they’re doing to keep it all together, how they’re taking that extra shift or working that extra job, how they’re scrimping and saving and sacrificing -- many never spending a dime on themselves because they desperately want something better for their kids.

And make no mistake about it, these struggles are not new.  For decades now, middle-class families have been squeezed from all sides.  And the cost of things like gas and groceries and tuition have been continuously rising, but people’s paychecks just aren’t keeping up.  So when this economic crisis hit, for far too many families the bottom just completely fell out. 

So the question today is, what are we as a country going to do about all this?  Where do we go from here?  And I know that amidst all of the chatter and the debates, it can be hard to see clearly what’s at stake.  Gets lost.  Because these issues are complicated, and quite frankly, folks are busy, and they’re tired.  We’re raising families and working full-time jobs, and many helping out in their communities on top of all that.

So many of us just don’t have the time to really follow the news and to sort through all the back and forth and to figure out how all of this stuff connects to our daily lives.  But the fact is that in just a little over a year from now, we are going to make a decision between two very different visions for this country.

And I am here tonight because when it comes to just about every issue that we face -- from our health, to our economic security, to the quality of our schools -- the stakes have never been higher for our families and for our country.

And let’s start with the American Jobs Act that my husband just sent to Congress, because when we talk about how this bill would give tax cuts to 6 million business owners, it’s important to understand that we’re talking about the folks who run the restaurants and the stores and the startups that create two-thirds of all new jobs each year.  That’s two-thirds. 

It’s important for us to remember that we’re talking about people who work themselves to the bone every day.  Then they head home and they pore over the books late into the night, determined to make those numbers add up.  We’re talking about a tax cut that could mean the difference between these businesses hiring new employees or handing out pink slips; between keeping their doors open or closing shop for good.  That’s what’s at stake here.

When we talk about how the bill would extend unemployment insurance for 6 million Americans, we have to remember that we’re talking about people, our neighbors, who are just weeks away from losing their only source of income.

So this bill is literally about whether or not millions of families -- and children -- will have food on their table or a roof over their heads.

It’s about whether folks will have more money in their pockets, which means more money into our economy, which means more jobs.

But more importantly, it’s about whether we as a country will honor that fundamental promise that we made generations ago, that when times are hard, we do not abandon our fellow citizens.  (Applause.)  We don’t let everything fall apart for struggling families.  Instead, we say, there but for the grace of God goes my family.  Instead, we remember that we’re all in this together, and we extend a helping hand.  That’s who we are.

So that’s why even though there are some trying to stop this bill from moving forward, my husband -- your President -- will not give up.  (Applause.)  He is going to keep fighting for what are common-sense jobs proposals -- whether it’s tax cuts for workers, tax credits for businesses that hire unemployed veterans, jobs for teachers and construction workers, job training for unemployed or low-income people, rebuilding our crumbling schools, refurbishing vacant or foreclosed homes and business.

All of that is what’s in the American Jobs Act.  That’s what we’re fighting for.  And that is the choice in this election.  (Applause.)

And how about the very first bill my husband signed into law -- the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act to help women get equal pay for equal work.  (Applause.)  Now, this was his first bill because, as he put it, we believe that here in America, there are no second-class citizens in our workplace.  And he did it because he understands that when nearly two-thirds of women are breadwinners or co-breadwinners, women’s success in this economy is the key to families’ success in this economy, and closing that pay gap can mean the difference between women losing $50 to $100, $500 from each paycheck, or having that money in their pockets to buy gas and groceries and school clothes for their kids.  That is the choice that we’re making in this election.  (Applause.)

And we have to talk about health care for a minute.  Last year, we made history together by finally passing health reform.  But now there are folks out there talking about repealing that reform.  And today, we have to ask ourselves, are we going to let them succeed?

AUDIENCE:  No!

MRS. OBAMA:  Is that who we are?  Will we let insurance companies deny us coverage because we have preexisting conditions like breast cancer or diabetes, or will we stand up and say that in this country, we do not let our fellow citizens go bankrupt because they get sick?  Who are we?  (Applause.) 

We have to ask ourselves, will we let insurance companies refuse to cover basic preventative care -- things like cancer screenings, prenatal care that we know save money and save lives, or will we stand up for our lives and for the lives of the people we love?  That’s what’s at stake here.  That is the choice in this election.

And think just for a moment about what this president has done on education.  Think about the investments that have been made to raise standards and to reform our public schools.  I mean, this is about improving the circumstances for millions of our children in this country.  These are our children.  Kids sitting today in crumbling classrooms.  Children with so much promise -- all of them.  Kids who could be anything they wanted if we just gave them a chance.

Think about how this President has tripled investments for job training at community colleges just this year alone.  This is about millions of hardworking folks who are determined to get the skills they need for a better job and better wages.  These are people who want to do better, folks willing to do whatever it takes to improve their own lives.  Folks who are willing to work full-time jobs, raising their kids, but still they find time to go to class every evening, study late into the night because they desperately want something better for the families.

And make no mistake about it, this kind of investment in our students and in our workers will determine nothing less than the future of our economy.  It will determine whether we’re prepared to make the discoveries and to build the industries that will let us compete with any country anywhere in the world.  That’s what’s at stake.

And let’s not forget what it meant when my husband appointed two brilliant Supreme Court justices -- (applause) -- and for the first time in history our daughters and our sons watched three women take their seat on our nation’s highest court.  (Applause.)  But more importantly, let us not forget the impact their decisions will have on our lives for decades to come -- on our privacy and our security, on whether we can speak freely, worship openly, and love whomever we choose.  That is what’s at stake here.  (Applause.)

Think about how your President is finally bringing the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq to a responsible end.  (Applause.)  And how we’ll be bringing the last of our troops home from Iraq by the end of the year, and those men and women will be able to celebrate the holidays with their families.  (Applause.) 

Think about all these men and women and what they do for us and how we’re helping our veterans and their families get the education, the employment and the benefits that they’ve earned, because we believe that we should serve our men and women uniform and their families as well as they have served us.  That’s who we are.  (Applause.)

And let’s not forget how because we finally ended “don’t ask, don’t tell,” our troops will never again have to lie about who they are to serve the country they love.  (Applause.)

And think about how your President finally brought to justice the man behind the 9/11 attacks and so many other horrific acts of terror.  (Applause.)  And how we have a foreign policy where we -- yes, we work to keep our country safe, but we also restore our standing in the world.  That is what’s at stake in this election.  (Applause.)

I could go on. 

AUDIENCE MEMBER:  Go on.

AUDIENCE MEMBER:  You could.  (Laughter.) 

MRS. OBAMA:  But make no mistake about it, whether it’s health care, the economy, education or foreign policy, the choice we make in this election will determine nothing less than who we are as a country -- but more importantly, who we want to be.  Will we be a country that tells folks who have done everything right but are still struggling to get by, “tough luck, you’re on your own”?  Is that who we are?

AUDIENCE:  No!

MRS. OBAMA:  Or will we honor that fundamental American belief that I am my brother’s keeper, I am my sister’s keeper and if one of us is hurting then we’re all hurting?  Who are we?  (Applause.)  That’s what this election is about.  Who are we?  Will we be a country where opportunity is limited to a few at the top?  Who are we?  Or will we give every child a chance to succeed, no matter where they’re from, what they look like, or how much money their parents have?  Who are we?  (Applause.)  Will we lose sight of those basic values that made our country great and built a thriving middle class?  Will we rebuild our economy for the long term so that real work pays, responsibility is rewarded, and yes, everyone gets a fair shake and does their fair share?  Who are we?  That is the choice we face.  (Applause.)  Those are the stakes. 

And believe me, Barack knows this better than anyone.  He understands these issues because he’s lived them.  He was raised by a single mother who struggled to put herself through school and pay the bills.  Then when she needed help, who stepped in?  His grandmother, waking up every morning before dawn to take the bus to her job at the bank.  And his grandmother worked hard, she supported their entire family, and she was good at what she did.  But for nearly two decades she was passed over for promotions because she was a woman.  And she watched men no more qualified than she was -- men she had actually trained -- climb the corporate ladder ahead of her. 

So believe me, Barack knows what it means when a family struggles.  He knows what it means when someone doesn’t have a chance to fulfill their potential.  Oh, and lord knows today, as a father, he knows what it means to want your children to grow up with no limits to their dreams.  (Applause.) 

You see, these are the kind of experiences that have made him the man and the President he is today, and we are blessed to have someone like him in office.  (Applause.)  That’s why I’m here.

And that’s what I hear in his voice when he returns home from a long day traveling around the country, and he tells me about the people he’s met.  That’s what I see in those quiet moments late at night, after the girls have gone to bed and he’s up late at night poring over briefings and letters from people who have shared their stories.  The letter from the woman dying of cancer whose insurance company won’t cover her care.  The letter from the father struggling to pay his family’s bills.  The many letters from young people with so much promise, but so few opportunities. 

And I hear the passion and the determination in his voice:  “You won’t believe what folks are going through” -- that’s what he tells me.  He says, “Michelle, this isn’t right.  We’ve got to fix it.  We’ve got so much more to do.” 

See, the beauty about my husband is that when it comes to the people he meets, Barack has a memory like a steel trap -- and it’s a little irritating sometimes.  (Laughter.)  He might not remember your name, but if he’s had a few minutes and a decent conversation, he will never forget your story.  It becomes imprinted on his heart.  And that is what your President carries with him every day.  It is our collection of hopes and struggles and dreams.  And that is where Barack Obama gets his passion, that’s where he gets his toughness and his fight.  And that is why, even in the hardest moments -- and there have been many over the course of the last few years -- when it seems like all is lost and we’re sweating it, and we’re sweating him, Barack Obama never loses sight of the end goal.  He never lets himself get distracted by the chatter and the noise.  He just keeps moving forward.  He sees what we’re working for.  (Applause.)

But I have said this before, and I will say it again:  He cannot do this alone.  He cannot do this alone.  He needs your help.  He needs you out there, understanding these stakes, helping others who might be lost and confused understand these stakes.  He needs you to make those phone calls and register voters.  He needs you to take those “I’m in” cards, fill them out, sign up, get your friends, your neighbors, your colleagues, your congregation members -- shake them up.  Convince them to join in this effort and to invest just a little part of their life each week to this campaign.  That’s what Barack Obama needs from you. 

And I’m not going to kid you -- this journey is going to be long, and it will surely be hard.  And there will be plenty of twists and turns along the way.  But the truth is, that is how change always happens in this country.  The reality is change is slow; real change never happens all at once.  But the good news is that if we keep showing up, if we keep fighting the good fight, if we keep doing what we know in our hearts is the right thing, then we always get there.  We have never taken a step back.  We always get there.  Maybe not in our lifetimes, but maybe in our children’s lifetime or our grandchildren’s lifetimes. 

And in the end, that is what this is all about.  In the end, we’re not fighting these battles for ourselves.  This isn’t about us.  We’re fighting them for our sons and our daughters, for our grandsons and our granddaughters.  (Applause.)  We’re fighting for the world we want to leave for them.  (Applause.)  Just like those who fought for us.

And I’m in this not just as a mother who wants to leave a legacy for my girls.  I’m in this as a citizen who knows what we can do together to change this country for the better.  (Applause.)  Because the truth is, no matter what happens, my girls will be okay.  My girls are blessed.  They have plenty of opportunities and advantages in their lives, and that’s probably true for all of you here with your kids.  But I think the last few years have shown us the truth of what Barack has always said -- that if any child in this country is left behind, then that matters to all of us, even if she’s not our daughter, even if he’s not our son.  If any family in this country struggles, then we cannot be fully content with our own family’s good fortune because that is not what we do in America.  That is not who we are.  That is not who we are.  (Applause.)

In the end, we cannot separate our own story from the broader American story.  Like it or not, we’re all in this together, and that’s how it should be.  And we know that here in America, we can shape our own destiny.  We know that if we make the right choices and have the right priorities, we can ensure that everyone -- everyone -- gets a fair shake and a chance to get ahead. 

So, look, we don’t have time.  We cannot afford to be complacent or tired or frustrated.  We don’t have that kind of time.  There is too much at stake.  It is time for us to get to work.  So I have one last question for you:  Are you in?  (Applause.)  Wait, wait, wait, are you in?  (Applause.)  Do you understand what’s at stake?  (Applause.)  Are you all fired up and ready to make this happen?  This is the real deal.  We don’t have any more time.  This is about our children’s futures.  I look forward to working with you all in the years to come.  I’m going to be out there working so hard.  We need you fired up and ready to go like nothing else.  (Applause.)

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

END
7:39 P.M. EDT