Remarks by the President on the American Jobs Act

Eastfield College
Mesquite, Texas

2:47 P.M. CDT

THE PRESIDENT:  Hello, Dallas!  Thank you so much.  Thank you, everybody.  Please have a seat, have a seat.  (Applause.)  Thank you.

It’s good to be back in Texas.  (Applause.)  It is good to be back in Texas.  I am thrilled to have the opportunity to be with all of you.

I want to thank a couple of people.  First of all, the mayor of Mesquite, John Monaco is here.  (Applause.)  And the mayor of Dallas, Mike Rawlings is in the house.  (Applause.)  And I want to thank the former mayor of Dallas, who I stole from you to be one of the best trade representatives this country has ever had -- my dear friend Ron Kirk is in the house.  (Applause.)

I also want to thank -- I want to thank the folks over at the Children’s Lab School, who gave me a tour, and I want to especially thank Kim Russell for sharing her story.  Thank you, Kim.  (Applause.)

Now, teachers like Kim are why I came here today.  Teachers like Kim and her former students.  That’s why I’ve been traveling all across this country for the last few weeks.  These are the toughest times we’ve been through since the Great Depression.  And because the problems that led to the recession weren’t caused overnight, they won’t be solved overnight.  That’s the hard truth.  It took us a decade to see the culmination of some of the bad ideas that had been put into place -- the lack of regulation on Wall Street, middle-class folks struggling.

So we’re not going to solve all those problems overnight.  But that doesn’t mean we have to sit back and do nothing about this economy.  There are steps we can take right now to put people back to work.  There are steps we can take right now to put money in the pockets of working Americans.  There are things we can do right now to restore some of the security and fairness that has always defined this great country of ours.  And that’s what will happen if this Congress will finally get its act together and pass the American Jobs Act.  (Applause.)

It has now been three weeks since I sent this bill to Congress.  It’s a detailed plan to get this economy moving.  It’s the kind of proposals that, in the past, Democrats and Republicans have supported.  There’s nothing radical in this proposal.  These are the kinds of things that in the past we’ve had bipartisan support for.  It’s fully paid for.  And that’s why I need you to help me convince the people you sent to Washington that it’s time to pass this jobs bill and get America working again.  (Applause.)

Now, you just heard Kim’s story.  There are teachers and educators like Kim all over the country.  I met a first-grade teacher from Minnesota at the White House who was laid off after having been named the Teacher of the Year in her school district.  Her peers, students, determined she was the best teacher in her school district -- she got laid off.  There’s a teacher over in Grand Prairie, Texas, who actually chose to resign in order to protect the job of a single mom who also taught at the school.  Think about that.  Here in Dallas, all across the state of Texas, you’ve seen too many teachers lose their jobs because of budget cuts.  And thousands more could be at risk in the coming year.

Now, understand, this doesn’t just hurt these teachers.  It doesn’t just hurt them and their families.  It hurts our children.  It undermines our future as a nation.  If you’ve got Kim, an AP teacher, not in the classroom, those kids aren’t going to have the same opportunities.  And I want everybody to understand that what is at stake is nothing less than our ability to compete in this 21st century economy.

I told the story -- a while back I was visiting South Korea and had lunch with the President there.  And I asked the President, I said, what’s your biggest challenge right now?  He said, well, my biggest challenge is our parents are way too demanding.  He said, they want their kid to learn English when they’re in first grade.  So in addition to all the science and all the math classes, I’m now having to ship in teachers from outside the country just to teach our kids English, starting in elementary school.  This is what the President of South Korea said. 

They can’t hire teachers fast enough.  They call them “nation builders” -- that’s what they call teachers in Korea, “nation builders,” because they know that educating their children is the best way to make sure their economy is growing, make sure that good jobs are locating there, making sure they’ve got the scientists and the engineers and the technicians who can build things and ship them all around the world.  That’s what he understands.  And the whole country supports him.  Here in America, we’re laying off teachers in droves.  It makes no sense.  It has to stop.  It has to stop.  (Applause.) 

Now, this bill will prevent up to 280,000 teachers from losing their jobs.  (Applause.)  This bill will support almost 40,000 jobs right here in the great state of Texas.  (Applause.)  So here’s what I need you to do:  Tell Congress to pass this bill and put teachers back in the classroom where they belong.  (Applause.) 

It’s not just teachers.  Tell Congress to pass the American Jobs Act, and there also will be funding to save the jobs of firefighters and police officers and first responders who risk their lives to keep us safe.  That’s what happens if they pass this bill.  (Applause.) 

Pass this jobs bill, and hundreds of thousands of unemployed construction workers will get back on the job rebuilding our schools, rebuilding our roads, rebuilding our bridges, rebuilding our ports, rebuilding our airports.  The other day I visited a busy bridge in Ohio -- actually it’s between Ohio and Kentucky.  Speaker Boehner, he’s from Ohio; Republican Leader McConnell is from Kentucky.  I thought it would be a good place to have an event.  (Laughter.)  This bridge is classified as functionally obsolete.  That’s a fancy way of saying it’s old and needs to be fixed.  (Laughter.) 

There’s a public transit project in Houston that would help clear up one of the worst areas of traffic in the country.  There are schools all over this country that are literally falling apart -- roof crumbling, rain dripping in, too hot in the summer, too cold in the winter, science labs all worn out, got a couple of beakers and that’s it, built back in the ‘50s before the Internet was invented.  (Laughter.)  

That’s an outrage.  Understand, America became an economic superpower in part because we had the best infrastructure.  We built the transcontinental railroad, the Interstate Highway System, the Hoover Dam, Grand Central Station.  How can we sit back and now we’re seeing China build better airports than us, Europe build better railroads than us, Korea more broadband access than us -- at a time when millions of unemployed construction workers could be building all that stuff right here in the United States of America.  (Applause.) 

My question to Congress is, what are you waiting for?  The work is there to be done.  There are workers ready to do it.  Contractors, they’re begging for work.  They’ll come in on time, under budget.  Interest rates have never been lower.  It is time for us to put those folks back to work.  It’s time for them to pass the American Jobs Act.  Pass this bill.  (Applause.)

If Congress passes this jobs bill, new companies will get new tax credits for hiring America’s veterans.  Think about it.  We ask these men and women to leave their families, disrupt their careers, risk their lives for our nation.  The last thing they should have to do is to fight for a job when they come home.  (Applause.)  

Tell Congress pass this bill so we can help the people who create most of the new jobs in this country:  America’s small businesses.  Folks in the other party, they like to talk a good game about helping America’s job creators.  “Let’s help America’s job creators.”  Okay, let’s do that.  This jobs bill provides tax cuts for nearly every small business in America.  If you hire new employees, or raise your workers’ wages, you get an extra tax cut.  (Applause.)  So my message to Congress is, don’t just talk about helping job creators; actually help some job creators by passing this bill.  (Applause.)

Here’s another reason why they need to pass this bill.  On January 1st, if nothing is done, everybody here is going to get a tax hike. 

AUDIENCE:  Booo!  (Laughter.) 

THE PRESIDENT:  That’s right.  See, back in December, I got an agreement with the Republicans to lower the payroll tax so that there would be more money in folks’ pockets and we could protect ourselves against recession.  Now, since that time, we’ve had a tsunami in Japan; we’ve had the Arab Spring, which shot up gas prices.  We’ve had problems in Europe.  And so the economy has gotten weaker.

That tax cut is scheduled to expire by the end of this year.  But if the American Jobs Act passes, the typical working family in Texas will have an extra $1,400 in their pockets.  (Applause.)  Now, if the bill doesn’t pass, virtually every worker in America will see their taxes go up -- at the worst possible time.

So I’m not about to let that happen, Texas.  (Applause.)  Look, Republicans say they’re the party of tax cuts.  Tell them to prove it.  Tell them to fight just as hard for tax cuts for working Americans as they do for the wealthiest Americans.  (Applause.)  Pass this bill.

Now, what you’ll hear from some of these folks is, well, we’re not going to support any new spending that’s not paid for.  All right, I agree with that.  I think that’s important.  So I laid out a plan to pay for the American Jobs Act, and then some -- a plan that not only pays for the bill to put folks back to work to raise our growth rate, but to also pay down more of our debt over time.  It builds on the $1 trillion in spending cuts that I already signed this summer, making it one of the biggest spending cuts in history.

So, look, I believe we’ve got to make cuts in programs that don’t work and things that aren’t helping the economy grow so we can pay for the things that are.  Right?  (Applause.)  We all believe that a government needs to live within its means.  We all agree with that.  But we also believe that how you bring down the deficit is important.  If we want to actually close the deficit -- not just talk about closing the deficit, not just using it for a campaign slogan, not just playing politics -- if we want to actually close the deficit, then you’ve got to combine the tough cuts with a strategy to ask the wealthiest Americans and the biggest corporations to do their part, to pay their fair share.  (Applause.) 

Look, I’m not telling you anything you don’t know.  Do you really think the tax code is written for you?

AUDIENCE:  No!

THE PRESIDENT:  You think the tax code -- maybe you’ve got a bunch of lobbyists in Washington.  Maybe you’ve got a bunch of special interests in there in the back rooms trying to carve something out -- I don’t know.  But most folks don’t.  So the tax code, the way it’s structured, is not fair.  And so what we’ve said is, let’s reform our tax code based on a very simple principle, and it will raise more money without hurting working families.  Here’s the principle:  Middle-class families, working families, should not pay higher tax rates than millionaires or billionaires.  (Applause.)  I don’t know how you argue against that; seems pretty straightforward to me.  Warren Buffett’s secretary shouldn’t pay a higher tax rate than Warren Buffett.  (Applause.) 

Now, when I point this out -- it seems very logical to me, but when I point this out, some of the Republicans in Congress, they say, oh, you’re engaging in class warfare.  Class warfare?  Let me tell you something.  Years ago, a great American had a different view.  All right?  I’m going to get the quote just so you know I’m not making this up.  (Laughter.)  Great American, said that he thought it was “crazy” that certain tax loopholes made it possible for millionaires to pay nothing, while a bus driver was paying 10 percent of his salary.  All right?

You know who this guy was?  Wasn’t a Democrat.  Wasn’t some crazy socialist.  It was Ronald Reagan.  (Applause.)  It was Ronald Reagan.  Last time I checked, Republicans all thought Reagan made some sense.  (Laughter.)  So the next time you hear one of those Republicans in Congress accusing you of class warfare, you just tell them, I’m with Ronald Reagan.  (Laughter.)  I agree with Ronald Reagan that it’s crazy that a bus driver pays a higher tax rate than a millionaire because of some loophole in the tax code.  (Applause.)  

And by the way, I don’t mind being called a warrior for the working class.  You guys need somebody fighting for you.  (Applause.)  The only warfare I’ve been seeing is the war against middle-class families and their ability to get ahead in this economy. 

And let me make one last point, because you’ll hear this argument made:  This is not about trying to punish success.  This is the land of opportunity.  And what’s great about our country is our belief that anybody can succeed.  You’ve got a good idea?  Go out there and start a new business.  You’ve got a great product?  You invented something?  I hope you make millions of dollars.  We want to see more Steve Jobs and more Bill Gates -- creating value, creating jobs.  That’s great.

Your current mayor did great work in the private sector creating jobs, creating value.  That’s important.  But remember, nobody got there on their own.  I’m standing here today, Michelle is standing here today -- or Michelle’s not standing here today -- (laughter) -- but I know you wish she was.  I’m standing here today, Michelle -- we always remind ourselves, the reason we’ve had this extraordinary opportunity is because somewhere along the line, some teacher helped us.  Somewhere along the line, we got a student loan.  We lived in a country that could move products and services everywhere.  We lived in a country where if there’s a fire, somebody comes and puts out the fire.  If you’re burglarized, somebody is coming to try to solve the crime.  I’m sure the mayor of Dallas feels the same way.  We’re here because somebody laid the foundation for success.  So the question is, are we going to maintain that foundation and strengthen that foundation for the next generation?

And this is all about priorities.  This is about choices.  If we want to actually lower the deficit and put people back to work -- if we want to invest in our future, if we want to have the best science, the best technology, the best research, we want to continue to be inventing new drugs to solve cancer and making sure that the new cars of the future that are running on electricity are made here in America -- if we want to do all those things, then the money has got to come from somewhere.  I wish I could do it all for free.  I wish I could say to all of you, you don’t have to pay any taxes and companies can keep all their stuff and rich people don’t have to do anything, and somehow it all works out.  

But you know what, we tried it and it didn’t work.  So now you’ve got a choice.  Would you rather keep tax loopholes for big corporations that don’t need it?  Or would you rather put construction workers back to work rebuilding our schools and our roads and our bridges?  (Applause.)  Would you rather I keep a tax break that I don’t need and wasn’t looking for, didn’t ask for and if I don’t have it, I won’t miss it?  Or do you want to put teachers like Kim back to work and help small businesses and cut taxes for middle-class families?  (Applause.)  This is a choice that we’ve got to make. 

And I believe, and I think you believe, it’s time we build an economy that creates good, solid, middle-class jobs in this country.  It’s time to build an economy that values the -- that honors the values of hard work and responsibility.  It’s time for us to build an economy that lasts, that’s not just based on speculation and financial shenanigans, but rather is based on us making stuff and selling things to other people around the world instead of just importing from all around the world.  (Applause.)  That’s the America I believe in.  That’s the America you believe in. 

And, Dallas, that starts now.  That starts with your help.  Yesterday, the Republican Majority Leader in Congress, Eric Cantor, said that right now he won’t even let this jobs bill have a vote in the House of Representatives. 

AUDIENCE:  Booo!

THE PRESIDENT:  This is what he said.  Won’t even let it be debated.  Won’t even give it a chance to be debated on the floor of the House of Representatives.  Think about that.  I mean, what’s the problem?  Do they not have the time?  (Laughter.)  They just had a week off.  (Laughter.)  Is it inconvenient? 

Look, I’d like Mr. Cantor to come down here to Dallas and explain what exactly in this jobs bill does he not believe in.  What exactly is he opposed to? 

Does he not believe in rebuilding America’s roads and bridges?  Does he not believe in tax breaks for small businesses, or efforts to help our veterans? 

Mr. Cantor should come down to Dallas and look Kim Russell in the eye and tell her why she doesn’t deserve to be back in the classroom doing what she loves, helping our kids.  Come tell her students why they don’t deserve to have their teacher back.

Come tell Dallas construction workers why they should be sitting idle instead of out there on the job.

Tell small business owners and workers in this community why you’d rather defend tax breaks for folks who don’t need them -- for millionaires -- rather than tax cuts for middle-class families.

And if you won’t do that, at least put this jobs bill up for a vote so that the entire country knows exactly where members of Congress stand.  (Applause.) 
Put your cards on the table.  I realize that some Republicans in Washington are resistant, partly because I proposed it.  (Laughter and applause.)  I mean, they -- if I took their party platform and proposed it, they’d suddenly be against it.  (Laughter.)

We’ve had folks in Congress who have said they shouldn’t pass this bill because it would give me a win.  So they’re thinking about the next election.  They’re not thinking about folks who are hurting right now.  They’re thinking, well, how is that going to play in the next election?

Give me a win?  Give me a break!  (Laughter.)  That’s why folks are fed up with Washington.  (Applause.)  This isn’t about giving me a win.  This isn’t about giving Democrats or Republicans a win.  This is about giving people who are hurting a win.  (Applause.)  This is about giving small business owners a win, and entrepreneurs a win, and students a win, and working families a win.  This is about giving America a win.  (Applause.)

Dallas, the next election is 13 months away.  The American people don’t have the luxury of waiting 13 months.  A lot of folks are living week to week; some are living paycheck to paycheck; some folks are living day to day.  (Applause.)  They need action on jobs, and they need it now.  They want Congress to do what they were elected to do.  They want Congress to do their job.  Do your job, Congress!  (Applause.)

I need you all to lift your voice -- (applause)  –-  not just here in Dallas, but anyone watching, anyone listening, everybody following online.  I need you to call and tweet and fax and visit and email your congressperson and tell them the time for gridlock and games is over.  The time for action is now.  (Applause.)

Tell them that if you want to create jobs -- pass this bill.  (Applause.)

If you want to put teachers back in the classroom -- pass this bill.  (Applause.)

If you want construction workers back on the job -- pass this bill.  (Applause.)

If you want tax cuts for the middle class and small business owners -- pass this bill. 

You want to help some veterans?  Pass this bill.  (Applause.)

Now is the time to act.  We are not people who sit back in tough times.  We step up in tough times.  We make things happen in tough times.  (Applause.)  We’ve been through tougher times before, and we got through them.  We’re going to get through these to a brighter day, but we’re going to have to act.  God helps those who help themselves.  We need to help ourselves right now. 

Let’s get together.  Let’s get to work.  Let’s get busy.  Let’s pass this bill.  Let’s make sure that we are shaping a destiny for our children that we are proud of, and let’s remind the entire world why the United States of America is the greatest nation on the planet.  (Applause.) 

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

                   END                 3:18 P.M. CDT

Remarks by the President at a DNC Event

Sheraton Hotel
Dallas, Texas

12:28 P.M. CDT

THE PRESIDENT: Hello, Dallas. Thank you. Thank you, everybody. (Applause.) Thank you so much. Thank you so much, everybody. Thank you. (Applause.) Everybody please have a seat. It’s good to be back in Texas. (Applause.)

First of all, I just want to say thank you to Emmitt Smith, who the first time we had a big rally here in Dallas -- some of you may remember, it was a big auditorium -- and he had just won “Dancing with the Stars” -- (laughter) -- and he gets up there and he starts preaching. And the crowd is roaring, and he is -- and I’m thinking, is there something this guy cannot do? (Laughter.) But he was a great friend then, at a time when the campaign was still very much in doubt. He is a great friend now, and obviously one of not only the greatest athletes of all time but also just a great citizen to Dallas. So give Emmitt Smith a big round of applause. (Applause.) We are grateful to him.

It is great to be here. We made sure to schedule this game before the Rangers game. (Laughter.) I will try to wrap up before the first pitch. In addition, Emmitt, I want to thank you for sending me Ron Kirk. You guys trained him well, because he is doing a great job -- (applause) -- on behalf of all the American people, making sure that we’ve got free trade and fair trade. And he could not be a better negotiator and a better advocate.

I want to acknowledge your outstanding new mayor here in Dallas. Mike Rawlings is here. Give him a big round of applause. (Applause.) I did not say anything about the Cowboys when we landed. (Laughter.)

And I also want to acknowledge Texas Democratic state chair, Boyd Richie is here. So give Boyd a big round of applause. (Applause.)

So I’ve come here today because I need your help. I’ve come here today because we have to finish what we started in 2008.

Back then -- we began this campaign not because we thought it would be a cakewalk. Ron and I were remembering -- reminiscing a little bit about when I was still a senator, traveling with Ron, and most of the time I was flying Southwest or American. And Ron got this private plane for us to fly down to Houston. And it was about 100 degrees in July, and it turned out to be a prop plane, and we were bouncing all over the place. (Laughter.) And Ron was sweating all -- as he is prone to do sometimes. (Laughter.)

We knew that running for President was not going to be easy. You knew it. You knew it wasn’t going to be a cakewalk. After all, you supported a candidate named Barack Hussein Obama. (Laughter.) That requires a leap of faith. (Applause.) You didn’t need a poll to know that that might be challenging. (Laughter.) But we forged ahead, because we had an idea about what this country is, and what it can be.

Many of you -- many of our parents, many of our grandparents -- we grew up with a faith in an America where hard work and responsibility paid off; where if you stepped up, you did your job, you were loyal to your company, that loyalty would be rewarded with a decent salary and good benefits, a vacation once in a while, a raise, a secure retirement.

But over the last decade, that faith has been shaken. The rules changed. The deck kept being stacked up against middle-class Americans. And the truth is, nobody in Washington seemed to be willing or able to do anything about it.

And so in 2007, all this culminated in a once-in-a-lifetime economic crisis -- crisis that’s been much worse and much longer than your average recession. This is something we have not seen in our lifetimes before.

And from the moment I took office, we knew that because this crisis had been building for years, it would take years for us to fully recover. And the question is not today whether people are still hurting. Of course they’re still hurting. Every night I get letters and emails from families who are struggling. Every time I travel on the road I hear from folks who are worried. And some of the stories are heartbreaking -- men and women who had to close down a small business that’s been in a family for generations; folks who are crossing items off their grocery list so that they can fill up their gas tank and get to work; parents who are postponing their retirement so their children can go to college; and obviously folks who are looking for work, sending out resumé after resumé for month after month, and not getting a response back. And that’s scary. And it’s hard. A lot of folks are worn down out there.

So the question is not whether this country is going through tough times. You don’t need economists, you don’t need pundits, you don’t need politicians to tell you that. The question is, where are we going next? What does our future look like? Because we’re going to have a choice -- we have a choice now; we’re going to have a choice next year. We can either go back to the same tired, worn-out ideas that held sway over the last decade -- ideas that got us into this mess in the first place, ideas that corporations can write their own rules; wealthy folks, like a lot of us, get to keep all our tax breaks, and everybody else is on their own. That’s one philosophy.

Or we can decide to build the America we talked about in 2008. An America where everybody gets a fair shake and everybody does their fair share. An America where we’re thinking about how we can get ahead and how we can move forward, but also how the guy next to us, or the gal over here, can also succeed. Because we have confidence that if all of us are pulling in the same direction, then all of us are going to do better.

That’s what this election is about. That’s what we’ve been fighting for in Washington. And it has been a contest of ideas in Washington. Because the other side -- even in the midst of this crisis -- their primary answer has been no. When we wanted to save the auto industry from bankruptcy, there were a whole lot of Republicans in Congress who fought us tooth and nail; said it was a waste of time, waste of money. “Let them liquidate.”

Well, you know what? We did it anyway. And we saved hundreds of thousands of American jobs and the taxpayers paid us back. (Applause.) The taxpayers got their money back, and today the American auto industry is stronger than it’s been in years. Today they’re making fuel-efficient cars stamped with three proud words: Made in America. Because we didn’t say no, we said yes -- (applause) -- we can move forward together.

When we wanted to pass Wall Street reform to make sure a crisis like this never happens again, lobbyists and special interests spent millions to make sure we didn’t succeed. A whole bunch of Republicans said no -- despite the fact that we had just gone through the worst financial crisis in our history; despite the obvious irresponsibility that had led to a near meltdown. You know what? They said no, but we did it anyway. We passed the toughest reform in generations, reform that prevents consumers from getting ripped off by mortgage lenders and credit card companies. And today, there are no more hidden credit card fees, no more unfair rate hikes, no more deceptions from banks. (Applause.)

We decided if we’re going to be successful, we’ve got to make sure we got the best educated workforce in the world. We said, we’ve got to figure out how young people can get more access to college. Most Republicans said no. But we were able to cut $60 billion in taxpayer subsidies that were going to the big banks and use those savings to make college more affordable for millions of kids who want to go. Instead of more tax breaks for some of the biggest corporations, we cut taxes for small businesses, and for middle-class families.

The first law I signed was a bill to make sure that women got equal pay for equal work, because I want our daughters to have the same opportunities as our sons do. (Applause.) We appointed two brilliant women to the Supreme Court. (Applause.) We repealed “don’t ask, don’t tell,” so that we are not preventing people from serving this country because of who they love. (Applause.)

And, yes, we passed health care reform, because nobody in this country should go broke because they get sick. (Applause.) Millions of working folks in Texas who don’t have health insurance are going to have the opportunity to get affordable options because of what we did. And for folks who do have health insurance, your care will be stronger. Insurance companies can’t drop your coverage for no good reason. Going forward, they won’t be able to deny you coverage because of a preexisting condition.

Think about what that means. Think about what that means for a low-wage worker, who right now is worried, “If my kid gets sick, if my spouse gets sick, I may go bankrupt, I may lose everything I’ve worked for.” Now they’ve got some protection. Think about what that means for women -- breast cancer, cervical cancer, no longer preexisting conditions that can prevent you from getting insurance. They can’t discriminate you and charge higher rates just because you women are the ones who go through childbirth. They now have to cover things like mammograms and contraceptions as preventive care. No more out-of-pocket costs. (Applause.)

Insurance companies all across the country, they now have to spend 80 percent of your premium on your care, not just on profits and bonuses and advertising. (Applause.) And if they don’t do it, you’ll get a rebate. And while it will take a couple years for this reform to fully take effect, nearly 1 million young adults already have health insurance because of this bill -- 1 million more young people. That’s already happening right now. (Applause.) The Affordable Care Act is working.

And so when you -- when folks go around saying, oh, Obamacare -- that’s right, I care. I don’t know about you, but I care. (Applause.) This is the right thing to do.

I don’t know how the other side goes around running against helping 30 million people have health insurance who didn’t have it. Why is that -- why is that a -- (laughter) -- that’s your main agenda? (Laughter.) That’s your plank? Is making sure 30 million people don’t have health insurance?

Now, all of these were tough fights in Congress. And there are a lot more that we still have to win. We have a long way to go to make sure that everyone in this country gets a fair shake; that every American has the chance to get ahead. That’s why I need your help. We’ve still got to have a smarter energy policy in this country; free ourselves from dependence on foreign oil. We still have to have comprehensive immigration reform in this country. (Applause.) We’ve got to make sure that we are protecting our borders, but we’re also providing a means for people to get out of the shadows.

And, most importantly, we’ve still got to put America back to work. We’ve got to put America back to work. (Applause.) Three weeks ago, I sent Congress a bill called the American Jobs Act -- some of you might have heard of it. (Laughter.) Everything in it is the kind of proposal that’s been supported by Democrats and Republicans in the past -- everything in it. Everything in it will be paid for so it won’t add to our deficit -- ideas that have traditionally been bipartisan. It will put people back to work. It will put money back in the pockets of working people. And Congress should pass this bill right away. (Applause.)

Emmitt is a small business man working construction. We’ve got millions of construction workers who don’t have jobs right now. This bill says, let’s put these men and women to work rebuilding our roads, our bridges, modernizing our schools. I don’t want the newest airports, the fastest railroads being built in China. I want them built right here in the United States of America. (Applause.) I want them built here in Dallas, Texas. (Applause.) I don’t want our kids studying in crumbling schools. I want our kids studying in the best schools. (Applause.)

So there is work to be done. There are workers ready to do it. There are companies lined up, ready to go. Let’s tell Congress, pass this jobs bill right away. Pass this jobs bill, and we can start doing more for the education of our kids. In places like South Korea, they can’t hire teachers fast enough. I had lunch with the President of South Korea; I asked him what’s his biggest challenge. He says, man, these parents are so demanding. They want all our kids to be learning English when they’re in first grade so I’m hiring teachers -- I’m importing teachers from overseas, that’s how important this is to us. Because we know if we’re investing in the future, our kids will win the race, the 21st century.

They know that we are now competing in a global economy. So that’s what South Korea is doing. Here, we’re laying teachers off in droves. It’s unfair to our kids. It undermines our future. But if we pass this jobs bill, thousands of teachers in every state will go back to the classroom where they belong. (Applause.) We need them teaching our children. Let’s put them back to work.

Congress passes this jobs bill, companies will get tax credits for hiring America’s veterans. We ask these men and women to leave their careers, their families, to risk their lives for our country. The last thing they should have to do is fight to get a job when they come home. (Applause.)

And the American Jobs Act will cut taxes for almost every worker and every small business owner in America. It will give an extra tax cut to small businesses that are hiring additional workers, or raising their wages. We’ve got a whole bunch of folks in Congress -- a bunch of Republicans -- who say, well, we’re all about helping America’s job creators. Well don’t just talk about it. You should actually do something. Pass this jobs bill, and give those job creators a break. (Applause.)

Now, some folks in Congress have said they’re not going to support it. They can’t support a bill unless it’s paid for. And I think that is important. We’ve got a serious challenge in terms of dialing down the debt and deficits that have accumulated, not just because of this recession but because of two wars and because a prescription drug plan and tax cuts that weren’t paid for.

So I recently laid out a plan that says not only can we pay for the jobs act, we can also bring down our debt over time. This plan adds to the $1 trillion in spending cuts that I signed this summer. So this will make it one of the biggest spending cuts in history, but we do it gradually over a 10-year period and we say alongside it, let’s put people to work right now.

And what we say is in addition to spending cuts, if we want to actually close this deficit instead of just playing politics, then we’ve got to ask the wealthiest Americans, the biggest corporations to pay their fair share. (Applause.) Now, this is a pretty straightforward proposition. (Applause.)

The principle we put forward is very simple: Middle-class families shouldn’t pay higher tax rates than a billionaire. Warren Buffett’s secretary shouldn’t be paying a higher tax rate than Warren Buffett. (Applause.) In the United States of America, a nurse or a teacher or a construction worker making $50,000 shouldn’t pay higher tax rates than somebody pulling in $50 million. That’s not fair. It’s not right. It’s got to change. We’ve got a chance to change it. (Applause.)

Nobody wants to punish success in America. What’s great about our country, what’s great about Dallas, what’s great about Texas is our belief that anybody can make it if they’re working hard, if they’re trying hard; the idea that any one of us can open up a business, have a new product, a new service that can make us millions, maybe billions. That’s great. This is the land of opportunity. But we have to remember none of us succeed on our own. If we have that great idea, maybe it was planted there by that public school teacher. So we’ve got to make sure that that teacher is there for the next child. (Applause.)

We’ve got to make sure that we’ve got infrastructure that allows us to move our products and services all across the country. And in order to make sure that that opportunity is there for the next generation, those of us who have done well -- and that includes most of the people in this room -- we should pay our fair share in taxes to contribute to the nation that made our success possible. (Applause.) And you know what? I think most wealthy Americans would agree with that if it helps us grow the economy and it helps to bring down our deficits.

Now, this notion that folks are inherently selfish, that’s just not true. But you’ve got to ask them, right? (Laughter.) People don’t voluntarily pay taxes. But if you ask, most wealthy folks here in Dallas or around the country, they’ll tell you, you know what, I want to make sure that I’m doing my share for America to succeed. But somebody has got to ask.

Now, some Republicans in Congress, they’re already dusting off the old -- their old records. “That’s class warfare.” Let me tell you something, 26 years ago -- some of you may have seen this on television, clips have been circulating -- 26 years ago, another President said that some of these tax loopholes, and I quote, “made it possible for millionaires to pay nothing while a bus driver was paying 10 percent of his salary, and that’s crazy. It’s time we stopped it.” That was 26 years ago. You know the name of that President? Ronald Reagan. (Laughter.)

So was that class warfare? By the way, taxes are much lower now than they ever were when Ronald Reagan was President. I know a lot of folks have short memories, but I don’t remember Republicans accusing Ronald Reagan of being a socialist -- (laughter) -- or engaging in class warfare, because he thought that everybody should do their fair share. (Applause.)

Things have just gotten out of whack. (Laughter.) I’ll tell you what, if asking a billionaire to pay the same tax rate as a plumber or a teacher or a bus driver makes me a warrior for the middle class, I will wear that charge with honor. (Applause.) Because the only warfare I’ve seen is the battle waged against middle-class Americans for a decade now. And they’re hurting and they need some help.

This is about priorities. It’s about choices. If we want to put people back to work and close this deficit and invest in our future, then the money has got to come from somewhere. So you’ve got a choice. Would you rather keep tax loopholes for oil companies that are doing just fine? I know I’m in Texas. I know there’s a lot of oil here. (Laughter.) But they’re doing fine. They don’t need a loophole that nobody else gets. Or do you want to put our construction workers and teachers back to work?

Would you rather keep tax rates for millionaires and billionaires or do you want to invest in education and medical research and new technologies that can help create a whole new set of businesses out there for the future? Should we be asking seniors to pay thousands of dollars more in Medicare or should we ask the biggest corporations to pay their fair share? That’s what this debate is about. That’s what’s at stake right now.

This notion that the only thing we should be doing to restore prosperity is to strip away anti-pollution laws and strip away regulations on Wall Street and give tax breaks to the wealthiest few and tell everybody else, you’re on your own, good luck -- that’s not who we are. That’s not how America got built. Yes, we are rugged individualists. We are self-reliant. We value our liberty and we won’t sacrifice it merely for security. I understand that. That’s part of our DNA and it’s been the drive and initiative of our workers and our entrepreneurs that made this economy the engine and the envy of the world.

But there’s always been another thread running throughout our history, a belief that we’re all connected, that I am my brother’s keeper and my sister’s keeper, that there are some things that we can only do together as a nation. We understand that when it comes to our defense. We understand that when it comes to fire and police protection. But it’s also true when it comes to building an economy that works. That’s why Republican Presidents like Lincoln and Eisenhower, they invested in railways and highways and science and technology. That’s why this country gave millions of returning heroes, including my grandfather, the chance to go to college on the GI Bill. That’s why Michelle and I had a chance to succeed beyond our wildest dreams, because our parents, who weren’t wealthy, who weren’t famous, they lived in a country where we, together, said, you know what? Every child should have opportunity.

It’s why Michelle and I succeeded. A lot of other countries, that wouldn’t have happened. I mean, we worked hard, but -- and we were lucky -- but a lot of it had to do with the fact that the country made an investment in us. And there are a whole bunch of kids out there who are just as talented as we are -- maybe more talented -- have just as much drive, just as much ambition. Are we going to be there for them?

No single individual built America on their own. We built it together. Don’t believe the hype. Don’t believe some of the chatter that you hear, that somehow government had no role to play. We built this thing together. We are one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. But we are also a nation that has responsibilities to ourselves and to one another. And it’s time for us to meet those responsibilities right now.

And maybe some people in Congress would rather wait until the election to settle our differences, and I promise you, I will be ready for that election. I will be ready for that debate. (Applause.) I am happy to have a debate before the American people, because I believe that the American people understand that we’re in this together.

So I’m eager to have that debate. But the next election is 13 months away. The American people don’t have the luxury of waiting that long. A lot of folks are living week to week, paycheck to paycheck, day to day. They need action, and they need it now.

So I appreciate all of you coming here in support of the campaign, but I need you to speak out now. I need you to lift up your voices and help us out. I’m asking you to put some pressure on Congress, and let them know that we’ve got work to do. (Applause.) And join me in finishing what we started in 2008; let’s keep building an America that we believe in -- a place where everybody has a fair shake and everybody does their fair share.

Dallas, we are not a nation that just sits back and waits for things to happen to us. We make things happen. We’re Americans. We are tough and we are resilient, and I am absolutely confident about our future, because I believe we are tougher than the times we live in and we are bigger than the politics that we’ve been seeing.

But we’ve got to get out there and work. We’ve got to shape our own destiny. It is fully within our power, but I’m going to need your help.

So let’s seize this moment. Let’s get to work. Let’s show them why the United States of America is the greatest country on Earth.

Thank you, everybody. God bless you. Thank you. (Applause.)

END
12:58 P.M. CDT

Remarks by the President at the Human Rights Campaign's Annual National Dinner

Washington Convention Center

Washington, D.C. 

7:26 P.M. EDT

 THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you so much.  It is great to be back.  (Applause.)  I see a lot of friends in the house.  I appreciate the chance to join you tonight.  I also took a trip out to California last week, where I held some productive bilateral talks with your leader, Lady Gaga.  (Laughter.)  She was wearing 16-inch heels.  (Laughter.)  She was eight feet tall.  (Laughter.)  It was a little intimidating.

Now, I don’t want to give a long speech.  Cyndi Lauper is in the house.  I can’t compete with that.  (Applause.)  But I wanted to come here tonight, first of all, to personally thank Joe for his outstanding years of leadership at HRC.  (Applause.)  What he has accomplished at the helm of this organization has been remarkable, and I want to thank all of you for the support that you’ve shown this organization and for your commitment to a simple idea:  Every single American -- gay, straight, lesbian, bisexual, transgender -- every single American deserves to be treated equally in the eyes of the law and in the eyes of our society.  It’s a pretty simple proposition.  (Applause.)

Now, I don’t have to tell you that we have a ways to go in that struggle.  I don’t have to tell you how many are still denied their basic rights -- Americans who are still made to feel like second-class citizens, who have to live a lie to keep their jobs, or who are afraid to walk the street, or down the hall at school.  Many of you have devoted your lives to the cause of equality.  So you know what we have to do; we’ve got more work ahead of us.

But we can also be proud of the progress we’ve made these past two and a half years.  Think about it.  (Applause.)  Two years ago, I stood at this podium, in this room, before many of you, and I made a pledge.  I said I would never counsel patience; that it wasn’t right to tell you to be patient any more than it was right for others to tell African Americans to be patient in the fight for equal rights a half century ago.  (Applause.)  But what I also said, that while it might take time –- more time than anyone would like -– we are going to make progress; we are going to succeed; we are going to build a more perfect union.

And so, let’s see what happened.  I met with Judy Shepard.  I promised her we would pass a hate crimes bill named for her son, Matthew.  And with the help of my dear friend Ted Kennedy we got it done.  Because it should never be dangerous -- (applause) -- you should never have to look over your shoulder -- to be gay in the United States of America.  That’s why we got it done.  (Applause.)

I met with Janice Langbehn, who was barred from the bedside of the woman she loved as she lay dying.  And I told her that we were going to put a stop to this discrimination.  And you know what?  We got it done.  I issued an order so that any hospital in America that accepts Medicare or Medicaid -– and that means just about every hospital -– has to treat gay partners just as they do straight partners.  Because nobody should have to produce a legal contract to hold the hand of the person that they love.  We got that done.  (Applause.) 

I said that we would lift that HIV travel ban -- we got that done.  (Applause.)  We put in place the first comprehensive national strategy to fight HIV/AIDS.  (Applause.) 

Many questioned whether we’d succeed in repealing “don’t ask, don’t tell.”  And, yes, it took two years to get the repeal through Congress.  (Applause.)  We had to hold a coalition together.  We had to keep up the pressure.  We took some flak along the way.  (Applause.)  But with the help of HRC, we got it done.  And “don’t ask, don’t tell” is history.  (Applause.)  And all over the world, there are men and women serving this country just as they always have -- with honor and courage and discipline and valor.  We got it done.  (Applause.)  We got that done.  All around the world, you’ve got gays and lesbians who are serving, and the only difference is now they can put up a family photo.  (Laughter.)  No one has to live a lie to serve the country they love.

I vowed to keep up the fight against the so-called Defense of Marriage Act.  There’s a bill to repeal this discriminatory law in Congress, and I want to see that passed.  But until we reach that day, my administration is no longer defending DOMA in the courts.  I believe the law runs counter to the Constitution, and it’s time for it to end once and for all.  It should join “don’t ask, don’t tell” in the history books.  (Applause.)

So, yes, we have more work to do.  And after so many years -- even decades -- of inaction you’ve got every right to push against the slow pace of change.  But make no mistake -- I want people to feel encouraged here -- we are making change.  We’re making real and lasting change.  We can be proud of the progress we’ve already made.

And I’m going to continue to fight alongside you.  And I don’t just mean in your role, by the way, as advocates for equality.  You’re also moms and dads who care about the schools your children go to.  (Applause.)  You’re also students figuring out how to pay for college.  You’re also folks who are worried about the economy and whether or not your partner or husband or wife will be able to find a job.  And you’re Americans who want this country to succeed and prosper, and who are tired of the gridlock and the vicious partisanship, and are sick of the Washington games.  Those are your fights, too, HRC.  (Applause.)

So I’m going to need your help.  I need your help to fight for equality, to pass a repeal of DOMA, to pass an inclusive employment non-discrimination bill so that being gay is never again a fireable offense in America.  (Applause.)  And I don’t have to tell you, there are those who don't want to just stand in our way but want to turn the clock back; who want to return to the days when gay people couldn’t serve their country openly; who reject the progress that we’ve made; who, as we speak, are looking to enshrine discrimination into state laws and constitutions -- efforts that we’ve got to work hard to oppose, because that’s not what America should be about.

We’re not about restricting rights and restricting opportunity.  We’re about opening up rights and opening up opportunity -- (applause) -- and treating each other generously and with love and respect.  (Applause.)

And together, we also have to keep sending a message to every young person in this country who might feel alone or afraid because they’re gay or transgender -- who may be getting picked on or pushed around because they’re different.  We’ve got to make sure they know that there are adults they can talk to; that they are never alone; that there is a whole world waiting for them filled with possibility.  That’s why we held a summit at the White House on bullying.  That’s why we’re going to continue to focus on this issue.  (Applause.)  This isn’t just “kids being kids.”  It’s wrong.  It’s destructive.  It’s never acceptable.  And I want all those kids to know that the President and the First Lady is standing right by them every inch of the way.  (Applause.)  I want them to know that we love them and care about them, and they’re not by themselves.  That’s what I want them to know.  (Applause.)  

Now, I also need your help in the broader fight to get this economy back on track.  You may have heard, I introduced a bill called the American Jobs Act.  (Applause.)  It’s been almost three weeks since I sent it up to Congress.  That’s three weeks longer than it should have taken to pass this common-sense bill.  (Applause.)  This is a bill filled with ideas that both parties have supported -- tax breaks for companies that hire veterans; road projects; school renovations; putting construction crews back to work rebuilding America; tax cuts for middle-class families so they can make ends meet and spend a little more at local stores and restaurants that need the business.  

Now, you may have heard me say this a few times before -- I’ll say it again:  Pass the bill.  (Applause.)  Enough gridlock.  Enough delay.  Enough politics.  Pass this bill.  Put this country back to work.  (Applause.)  HRC, you know how Congress works.  I’m counting on you to have my back.  Go out there and get them to pass this bill.  (Applause.)  Let’s put America back to work.

Now, ultimately, these debates we’re having are about more than just politics; they’re more about -- they’re about more than the polls and the pundits, and who’s up and who’s down.  This is a contest of values.  That’s what’s at stake here.  This is a fundamental debate about who we are as a nation.

I don’t believe -- we don’t believe -- in a small America, where we let our roads crumble, we let our schools fall apart, where we stand by while teachers are laid off and science labs are shut down, and kids are dropping out.

We believe in a big America, an America that invests in the future -- that invests in schools and highways and research and technology -- the things that have helped make our economy the envy of the world.

We don’t believe in a small America, where we meet our fiscal responsibilities by abdicating every other responsibility we have, and where we just divvy up the government as tax breaks for those who need them the least, where we abandon the commitment we’ve made to seniors though Medicare and Social Security, and we say to somebody looking for work, or a student who needs a college loan, or a middle-class family with a child who’s disabled, that “You’re on your own.”  That’s not who we are.

We believe in a big America, an America where everybody has got a fair shot, and everyone pays their fair share.  An America where we value success and the idea that anyone can make it in this country.  But also an America that does -- in which everyone does their part -- including the wealthiest Americans, including the biggest corporations -- to deal with the deficits that threaten our future.  (Applause.)

We don’t believe in a small America.  We don’t believe in the kind of smallness that says it’s okay for a stage full of political leaders -- one of whom could end up being the President of the United States -- being silent when an American soldier is booed.  (Applause.)  We don’t believe in that.  We don’t believe in standing silent when that happens.  (Applause.)  We don’t believe in them being silent since.  (Applause.)  You want to be Commander-in-Chief?  You can start by standing up for the men and women who wear the uniform of the United States, even when it’s not politically convenient.  (Applause.) 

We don’t believe in a small America.  We believe in a big America -- a tolerant America, a just America, an equal America -- that values the service of every patriot.  (Applause.)  We believe in an America where we’re all in it together, and we see the good in one another, and we live up to a creed that is as old as our founding:  E pluribus unum.  Out of many, one.  And that includes everybody.  That’s what we believe.  That’s what we’re going to be fighting for.  (Applause.)

I am confident that’s what the American people believe in.  (Applause.)  I’m confident because of the changes we’ve achieved these past two and a half years -– the progress that some folks said was impossible.  (Applause.)  And I’m hopeful -- I am hopeful --

AUDIENCE MEMBER:  Fired up!

THE PRESIDENT:  I’m fired up, too.  (Laughter.)  I am hopeful -- (applause) -- I am hopeful -- I am still hopeful, because of a deeper shift that we’re seeing; a transformation not only written into our laws, but woven into the fabric of our society.

It’s progress led not by Washington but by ordinary citizens, who are propelled not just by politics but by love and friendship and a sense of mutual regard.  (Applause.)  It’s playing out in legislatures like New York, and courtrooms and in the ballot box.  But it’s also happening around water coolers and at the Thanksgiving table, and on Facebook and Twitter, and at PTA meetings and potluck dinners, and church socials and VFW Halls.

It happens when a father realizes he doesn’t just love his daughter, but also her wife.  (Applause.)  It happens when a soldier tells his unit that he’s gay, and they tell him they knew it all along and they didn’t care, because he was the toughest guy in the unit.  (Applause.)  It happens when a video sparks a movement to let every single young person know they’re not alone, and things will get better.  It happens when people look past their ultimately minor differences to see themselves in the hopes and struggles of their fellow human beings.  That’s where change is happening.  (Applause.)

And that’s not just the story of the gay rights movement.  That’s the story of America -- (applause) -- the slow, inexorable march towards a more perfect union.  (Applause.)  You are contributing to that story, and I’m confident we can continue to write another chapter together.

Thank you very much, everybody.  God bless you.  (Applause.) 

END
7:45 P.M. EDT

Remarks by the President at DNC Event--Private Residence, Washington, DC

Private Residence
Washington, D.C.

7:31 P.M. EDT
    
THE PRESIDENT:  Well, to Jim and Jeff, thank you so much for the hospitality.  To all of you, for being here.  I have to say that the good doctor could run for office.  (Laughter.)  He's quite an orator.  So that was an extraordinarily gracious introduction and thank you for opening up your home.  To all of you who are here -- some of you who've been longtime supporters, some of you who I'm seeing for the first time, it's wonderful to be here. 

And what I want to do is have more of a conversation than a monologue, so I'm just going to say a few words at the top very briefly, and then we'll open it up for questions.

I was just on the West Coast, traveling across the country, talking to people about the jobs act and why we need to put people back to work; talking to them about a wide range of issues like energy and health care.  And I made the argument to them that I'll make to you, which is that this election is in some ways even more consequential than 2008. 

I think in 2008 we understood that for decades there had been a host of problems that had been building up over time; that the dream of middle-class folks, or folks who were aspiring to the middle class, being able to work hard, get a good education, get a good job, act responsibly, buy a home, make sure that their kids are doing even better than they are, retire with some dignity and respect -- that dream felt like it was slipping away. And for a whole host of reasons -- because we had under-invested in our human capital and our education system, and in our infrastructure; because, frankly, we had seen the rules tilted against ordinary folks in favor of those who were well connected in Washington or powerful on Wall Street. 

And we argued in 2008 -- and we captured I think the imaginations of a lot of people -- that we could bring about some fundamental change if we got past some of the partisan rancor and the constant politicking that had come to characterize Washington.

Now, we've done a lot over these two and a half years. Obviously in the midst of the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression, we've been able to avoid a great depression, stabilize the financial system.  We've been able to move forward on a lot of the campaign pledges that we had talked about from making sure that health care is affordable and accessible to every American; to reforming our education system at the K- through-12 level so that our kids can compete in this global economy; to ending "don't ask, don't tell"; to making sure that we signed into law equal pay for equal work.

Extraordinarily proud of the accomplishments and the progress that we've made over the last two years.  But what we haven’t done is change Washington.  And we still have work to do to make sure that this town is working on behalf of ordinary folks so that they can start once again believing in the American Dream -- because people have lost confidence in the capacity of folks to look out for them as opposed to look out for themselves or their most powerful patrons.  And that’s part of what 2012 is all about. 

We’ve got the other party that is laying out for all to see what their agenda is, and that is to roll back environmental regulations; to try to shrink the capacity of government to act in a proactive way to make sure that we can out-educate and out-innovate and out-build the rest of the world; to basically allow the most powerful forces in our society to write their own rules and everybody else is going to be on their own.  And the argument I made in 2008 applies to 2012:  That’s not the story of America. 

What Jim was just talking about in terms of the history of this home is a story of people making it in part because somebody was investing in public schools, somebody was making sure that we were investing in basic research and development that could ensure that America had the technological edge.  The story of America is all of us joining together and everybody sharing in sacrifice, but also sharing in opportunity.  And that’s what we need to sustain and that’s what’s at stake in this 2012 election.

Now, it’s going to be hard.  The economy is coming out of this enormous world recession and people, understandably, are hurting.  All around the country where I travel, folks are having a very difficult time.  They don’t believe in the other side's vision, but they’re frustrated. 

And so we’ve got to be able to make the argument -- an argument I believe that if we stay the course, if we stay on track, if we keep on the task of reforming our education system and making college more affordable, if we stay on track in terms of implementing health care to start making it more efficient, if we stay on track in rebuilding our roads and our bridges and our schools, and if we stay on track in terms of bringing manufacturing back to the United States and making it effective, then I have no doubt that America can compete -- because we still have the universities; we still have the best entrepreneurs; we still have the best scientists; and I believe we’ve got the best system of government -- when it’s working.

And the only way it works is if everybody is involved and everybody is paying attention and everybody is engaged.  We got people engaged and excited in 2008.  We’ve got to re-engage them and re-excite them in 2012.  And I can’t do that by myself.  I’m going to need all of you to be a part of that.

So let me just close by saying this. I could not be prouder to have friends and supporters like the people in this room.  I hope you are signed up for a year of hard work.  This is not going to be easy.  But if we have that same sense of urgency -- what I called in 2008 the “fierce urgency of now” -- if we still possess that, then not only are we going to be able to succeed in the election, but more importantly, we’re going to be able to give the American Dream back to the American people. 

Thank you so much, everybody.  (Applause.)
                  
END
7:38 P.M. EDT