The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
August 08, 2011

Remarks by the President at a DNC Event in Washington, DC

Private Residence
Washington, D.C.

6:40 P.M. EDT

THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you.  Thank you, everybody.  Well, first of all, let me just thank Don and Katrina, the entire clan for welcoming us all here today.

For those of you who helped to organize this, I couldn’t be more grateful.  I know it’s a little warm, by the way, so any gentlemen who want to take off their jackets, I’m going to lead the way.  (Laughter.)  That's right, you can at least take the tie off, too.  There you go.  (Laughter.)

I have to tell you that the last time I saw Don and Katrina -- or the first time I saw them, rather, was down in Florida, and we had an extraordinary time there, and it was a scary time.  It was a moment when we were going -- we were just getting a glimmer of the worst recession in our lifetimes, how bad it might be.  And we had gotten a sense of how dysfunctional politics in Washington could be.

And there was a sense that for ordinary families, the American Dream, the idea that each successive generation can do a little better than the previous one, and that if people work hard and play by the rules, that they can succeed, that that had been diminished and people had begun to doubt it.

And thanks to the support of folks like you, we were able to win in 2008 and begin a process of transformation.  Now, what I think has been clear certainly this week is that this process is not complete.  With respect to the economy, we’ve had a couple of very difficult days in the stock market, but the truth of the matter is, is that the challenges go beyond the stock market.  As Don said, we have been able to reverse what it turns out was an 8 percent contraction in the economy a quarter before I took office.

We’ve had 17 months now of consecutive private sector job growth.  Corporate profits have been up.  The credit markets have stabilized.

But what's absolutely true even before these last couple days in the stock market is that recovery wasn’t happening fast enough, and some of the headwinds that we’ve been dealing with are ones that are going to take some time to fix. 

But the truth of the matter is, is that we now live in a global economy where everything is interconnected, and that means that when you have problems in Europe and in Spain and in Italy and in Greece, those problems wash over into our shores.

We have competition from China and India and Brazil, places that most folks didn’t think of in economic terms 30 or 40 years ago as competitors of the United States and now they’re competing and they’re producing more engineers and they’re producing more scientists.  They are ready to steal market share, or at least win market share, from our companies, if we’re not careful.

We have a health care system that still spends way too much money, considering what it gives in return.

We still have a education system that's not educating enough of our kids.

And Lord knows we still have a dysfunctional political system in Washington, as we just witnessed over the last couple of weeks.

And so for all the progress that we’ve made over the last two-and-a-half years -- and that progress has been extraordinarily significant, not only health care reform but financial regulatory reform, making sure that we are starting to transform our education system with things like Race to the Top, which says we’re going to give more money to schools but we expect reform in exchange for more money; despite the transformations that have taken place in our foreign policy, where we are -- we have now ended the war in Iraq and we are transitioning into a posture where in Afghanistan, Afghans can take responsibility for their own security -- despite all those changes, we’ve got a lot of unfinished business. 

And some of you have noted that I’ve now turned 50.  (Laughter.)  And these are dog years that Presidents live, so -- (laughter) -- so the gray hairs are accelerating much more rapidly than I anticipated.  (Laughter.) 

But I was in Chicago for a big birthday mash -- birthday celebration, and I made this point to folks.  On that cold, wintry day of the Inauguration, or that beautiful day in Chicago, the day we won the election, I told people that this was not the end; this was just the beginning; that this was going to be a long, difficult journey; that for us to transform this country so that all these beautiful kids who are here today are getting the kind of America that we want them to have, it means that we’re going to have to get serious, and it means that we’re going to have to start working together much more effectively than we have in the past.

Now, here’s the good news.  There are no challenges that we’re facing that we don't have the solutions to.  We know what to do. 

So the most recent discussions, obviously, have been about debt and deficit.  Look, we do have a serious problem in terms of debt and deficit, and much of it I inherited when I showed up.  And because of the financial crisis, it got worse.  So there's no doubt that we’ve got to fix our long-term finances.

But there's a way to do this that doesn’t require radical changes in our commitment to the poor, and our commitment to seniors, and our commitment to building infrastructure, and our commitment to medical research.

What it requires is that those of us who have the capacity can pay our fair share when it comes to taxes, like we did just as recently as 2000, when Bill Clinton was President, and requires us to make some modest adjustments in programs like Medicare that allow us to get a better bang for our buck on health care. 

And if we did those things over the course of 20, 30 years, because this is a 20- or 30-year problem, then the problem would be solved.  It’s not rocket science.  And it doesn’t require us to decimate the things that we know are going to help us grow and become competitive.

This is not rocket science in terms of how we can create more jobs in this country.  Let me just use an example like infrastructure.  I don't know if anybody here recently has been to Asia, and you go to Shanghai or you go to Beijing or you go to Singapore.  The notion that these guys have better airports than us is astonishing. 

Well, the truth is now would be a great time for us to rebuild America.  Interest rates are low.  All these folks who worked in the housing bubble, construction workers and contractors, they're ready to work.  They're willing to come on a job on time, under budget.
 
We could transform America right now, rebuilding our roads and our bridges and our airports and also rebuilding a new infrastructure for the 21st century -- high-speed rail and a new generation of air traffic control that could actually save 15 percent of fuel costs and as a consequence reduce global warming.  The problem is not that we can't do it.  The problem is, is that we haven’t shown the political will to do it.

We can easily imagine ways in which we can finally gain energy independence in this country.  And the fact of the matter is, is that we've already cut oil imports since I came into office and we can keep on going further by transforming our auto fleets and have folks driving electric cars, and develop those cars right here in the United States and put those folks back to work.

And we've already shown what we did in the auto industry, that even businesses that are troubled, if you go in there and you start harnessing American know-how and American ingenuity, and you give folks some support, that there is no reason why we can't be the single most efficient automakers in the world and significantly cut our dependence on foreign oil.  What's missing is not the technical know-how.  What's missing is the political will.

So here's the challenge, though.  This is a democracy, and that means that we've got an entire other vision that's out there.  And the Republican Party has been presenting its vision quite vividly over the last six months.  And their basic vision is, is that they don't believe in government as a partner with the private sector in creating the kind of growth that we need. 

And they've made a decision that in terms of how to deal with the budget deficit, all they want to do is they just want to cut.  And they don't want to cut selectively and surgically.  Their basic attitude is, you know what, Medicare, we can voucherize, even if it means $6,000 more in expenses for our seniors.  And Pell Grants, we can cut some of those, even though it means that young people aren't going to be able to go to college.  

And when it comes to medical research and when it comes to the kind of innovation agenda that's always been the hallmark of America, you know what, that's not important.  The private sector can do it, even though the private sector will acknowledge that they're not going to be willing to put up the costs that helped to create things like the Internet. 

And so, they've got a very different vision.  And as a consequence of this debt ceiling debacle being behind us now, what we're going to have is 16 months in which we debate this vision for America.  And it's going to be as fundamental a debate as 2008.  In some ways, it may be even a more profound debate, because the contrast is going to be clearer and it's going to be sharp.

In the meantime, as President of the United States, my job is to work with Congress to try to get as much done as possible.  Whether we're going to see any progress out of this Congress right now, because so far we haven't seen much when it comes to innovative ideas that actually put people to work and grow the economy, remains to be seen. And we're going to be working as hard as we can to make progress even in the midst of this sharply divided government. 

But I want everybody to understand if we are going to get to the vision that we all believed in, in 2008, and we still believe in, it is going to be imperative that we run a clear, forceful campaign.  And I can't do that without your support.

I'm not going to be able to mobilize the country around some of the tough, necessary choices that need to be made unless we've got the kind of grassroots support at every level that you guys so vividly displayed back in 2008. 

But I believe we can do it.  I joke sometimes not only is my hair gray, but I got a little dings here and there -- (laughter) -- from some of the battles we've been fighting.  But I remain as fundamentally optimistic now as I was when I started running in 2007.  And the reason I'm optimistic is because of you.

When I meet the American people, they believe in common-sense solutions to problems.  When I meet the American people, they know that if somebody works hard, they should be able to find a job and get paid a decent wage.  And they should have some basic protections when they retire.  They shouldn't go bankrupt when they get sick.  And every kid should be able to get a great education and be able to go to college.

When I talk to the American people, they understand that we can't just have a foreign policy that's based on our military, but diplomacy matters as well, and that our commitment to help other countries develop their own capacities is something that is good for us. 

And they understand, most of all, that what makes America great is not just the height of our skyscrapers or the size of our GDP, but it's also our mutual regard for each other and our ability in this incredible diversity that we have to see that as a strength and not a source of weakness, and to be able to bring people together. 

So that's the project, and it is unfinished.  And I don’t know about you, but I think we have no choice but to finish it.  We cannot go backwards at this point, so we're going to have to go forward.  We're going to have to go forward.  (Applause.)  And the only way I'm going to be able to go forward is with you.

So I appreciate you guys coming out on a muggy, Washington-style summer night.  And my hope is, is that this is just the beginning of your commitment to what is going to be a tough road ahead over the next 18 months.  But then, another four years of tough stuff that we're going to have to do in order to deliver the kind of America we want.

So with that, I'm going to take two questions and then I'm going to move on to the next thing.  But I'm sure that somebody here must have a couple of questions. 

END
6:55 P.M. EDT

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
August 08, 2011

Remarks by the President at a DNC Event in Washington, DC

St. Regis Hotel
Washington, D.C.

7:29 P.M. EDT

THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you, everybody.  Thank you.  All right, everybody have a seat here.  Thank you so much.  It is wonderful to be here.  And I was doing a quick taping outside, and it sounded like -- I don’t know if it was Matthew or Barzun who were warming you up pretty good.  (Laughter.)  But I appreciate it.  

I want to spend most of my time answering questions and then going from table to table, so I’m not going to make a lot of remarks at the top.  

Obviously we’ve had a tough couple of weeks in the economy.  Too much of it was self-inflicted.  It had to do with political paralysis here in Washington.  And that’s not a surprise to a lot of folks, but I think for the American people they recognize that we don’t have time for some of the squabbling that’s been taking place because there are too many folks who are still out of work, too many businesses who are still trying to grow.  And for us to have seen the kind of brinksmanship that we saw on the debt ceiling made absolutely no sense in terms of where we need to take the country.

Having said that, despite the tough couple of weeks that we’ve had, I think the bigger challenge that we face is to keep our eye focused on the underlying challenges that we’re going to have to solve here in the United States of America over the next four or five years so that we can be competitive and we can pass on the kind of America we want to future generations.

Markets will go up and down, but the underlying challenges have held steady for too long.  We have an education system that is failing too many of our kids.  And if we don’t fix that, then we’re not going to be able to compete with China or India or Brazil, who are very hungry and know that whichever country has the best workforce, the most highly skilled workforce, is going to be the country that succeeds economically.

We’ve had a health care system that, for too long, costs way too much and doesn’t produce good enough results.  And so we started with health care reform to move that in the right direction, but we’ve still got more work to do, particularly in Medicare and Medicaid, which is the main driver of our federal debt.

We’re going to have to fix our tax code, because for years it has been rife with loopholes, and for years it’s been inefficient, and for years it hasn’t been fair.  And we’re going to have to raise more revenue to close our deficit and deal with our debt over the long term, but we’ve got to do it in a way that is reflective of who we are as Americans, and that means that everybody pitches in in order to make sure that the country is successful.

We know that we’ve got to invest in basic research, and nowhere is that more necessary than in the energy sector, because whatever is happening on any particular day in the spot oil market, we know what the long-term trends are going to be, which is oil consumption is going to be going up, and not only is that going to be a millstone around the neck of the economy, but we also know that if we keep on using fossil fuels at the pace that we’re using right now, it’s going to have an impact on the environment.

So there are a set of things that we know need to happen, and what I want to emphasize to you -- and I’ll emphasize it during the Q and A, and as I have a chance to greet you going around the tables -- is that the problem is not a technical one.  This is not -- there are some tough issues like can we -- how fast can we replace our use of fossil fuels given the needs of a modern economy.  

But when it comes to, for example, dealing with our long-term debt and deficit, the problem is not that we don’t know the math.  We’ve had commission after commission after commission looking at this thing.  And the challenge is simply that the politics in this town doesn’t seem to be equipped to make modestly tough choices.  And by the way, these choices are not radical.  When it comes to getting a sustainable debt level, if we went back to the rates that existed when Bill Clinton was President and we made some modest adjustments to Medicare that preserved the integrity of the system, our long-term debt and deficit problems would go away.  And most people here wouldn’t notice those changes.  But we’ve become so dug in when it comes to sort of ideological purity that we’re not willing to make modest adjustments like that.

Now, here’s the good news.  The good news is that I think there has been enough frustration at Washington -- it sort of reached a fever pitch last week -- that we’re now looking at 16 months in which there’s going to be a clear contrast and a clear choice to be made.  

I think people understand that -- they thought maybe divided government might make some sense.  They didn’t think dysfunctional government was going to make a lot of sense, and that’s what they’re seeing right now.  And I think the American people are not persuaded that an agenda of simply slashing commitments to things like student loan programs or privatizing or voucherizing Medicare are somehow going to be the solutions; they’re not buying that bill of goods.

And what they do need to believe, though, is, is that the medium- and long-term solutions that we’re proposing, if implemented, can actually make a difference in their lives, in their day-to-day lives.  And what’s also encouraging is, is that as I travel around the country or I read letters from people every single day, what I’m struck by is the core decency and common sense that so many people display.

Folks aren’t paying attention to the ins and outs, day-to-day of every single debate that goes on here in Washington.  But they have pretty good instincts and they’ve got good values.  And they know we can do better, and they’re willing to chip in.  But they want to make sure that everybody else is chipping in as well.

And so I’m hoping that all of you are willing to get involved in what I think is going to be even more consequential an election than 2008 was.  I think even more is at stake, partly because the alternative visions that are being presented are even starker now than I think they were before.  

And I can tell you that I’m going to be fighting as hard as I can for that vision of an America that is generous and big and bold and aggressive in promoting equal opportunity for all people all across this land.  And I think that that’s what most of you believe in as well.  So I’m looking forward to working with you.

And if you’re willing to sign up and get involved, knowing that we’re in for a tough fight, I promise you the American people are going to come through for us and I’m going to have four more years after this next year and a half, which means that I’m going to be really gray by the time I’m done.  (Laughter.)

But thank you very much, everybody.  Thank you.  (Applause.)  

END  7:37 P.M. EDT

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
August 08, 2011

Remarks by the President

State Dining Room

1:52 P.M. EDT

     THE PRESIDENT:  Good afternoon, everybody.  On Friday, we learned that the United States received a downgrade by one of the credit rating agencies -- not so much because they doubt our ability to pay our debt if we make good decisions, but because after witnessing a month of wrangling over raising the debt ceiling, they doubted our political system’s ability to act.  The markets, on the other hand, continue to believe our credit status is AAA.  In fact, Warren Buffett, who knows a thing or two about good investments, said, “If there were a quadruple-A rating, I’d give the United States that.”  I, and most of the world’s investors, agree.

That doesn’t mean we don’t have a problem.  The fact is, we didn’t need a rating agency to tell us that we need a balanced, long-term approach to deficit reduction.  That was true last week.  That was true last year.  That was true the day I took office.  And we didn’t need a rating agency to tell us that the gridlock in Washington over the last several months has not been constructive, to say the least.  We knew from the outset that a prolonged debate over the debt ceiling -- a debate where the threat of default was used as a bargaining chip -- could do enormous damage to our economy and the world’s.  That threat, coming after a string of economic disruptions in Europe, Japan and the Middle East, has now roiled the markets and dampened consumer confidence and slowed the pace of recovery.  

So all of this is a legitimate source of concern.  But here’s the good news:  Our problems are eminently solvable.*  And we know what we have to do to solve them.  With respect to debt, our problem is not confidence in our credit -- the markets continue to reaffirm our credit as among the world’s safest.  Our challenge is the need to tackle our deficits over the long term.

Last week, we reached an agreement that will make historic cuts to defense and domestic spending.  But there’s not much further we can cut in either of those categories.  What we need to do now is combine those spending cuts with two additional steps:  tax reform that will ask those who can afford it to pay their fair share and modest adjustments to health care programs like Medicare.  

Making these reforms doesn’t require any radical steps.  What it does require is common sense and compromise.  There are plenty of good ideas about how to achieve long-term deficit reduction that doesn’t hamper economic growth right now.  Republicans and Democrats on the bipartisan fiscal commission that I set up put forth good proposals.  Republicans and Democrats in the Senate’s Gang of Six came up with some good proposals.  John Boehner and I came up with some good proposals when we came close to agreeing on a grand bargain.  

So it’s not a lack of plans or policies that’s the problem here.  It’s a lack of political will in Washington.  It’s the insistence on drawing lines in the sand, a refusal to put what’s best for the country ahead of self-interest or party or ideology.  And that’s what we need to change.  

I realize that after what we just went through, there’s some skepticism that Republicans and Democrats on the so-called super committee, this joint committee that’s been set up, will be able to reach a compromise, but my hope is that Friday’s news will give us a renewed sense of urgency.  I intend to present my own recommendations over the coming weeks on how we should proceed.  And that committee will have this administration’s full cooperation.  And I assure you, we will stay on it until we get the job done.  

Of course, as worrisome as the issues of debt and deficits may be, the most immediate concern of most Americans, and of concern to the marketplace as well, is the issue of jobs and the slow pace of recovery coming out of the worst recession in our lifetimes.

And the good news here is that by coming together to deal with the long-term debt challenge, we would have more room to implement key proposals that can get the economy to grow faster.  Specifically, we should extend the payroll tax cut as soon as possible, so that workers have more money in their paychecks next year and businesses have more customers next year.

We should continue to make sure that if you’re one of the millions of Americans who’s out there looking for a job, you can get the unemployment insurance that your tax dollars contributed to.  That will also put money in people’s pockets and more customers in stores.

In fact, if Congress fails to extend the payroll tax cut and the unemployment insurance benefits that I’ve called for, it could mean 1 million fewer jobs and half a percent less growth.  This is something we can do immediately, something we can do as soon as Congress gets back.

We should also help companies that want to repair our roads and bridges and airports, so that thousands of construction workers who’ve been without a job for the last few years can get a paycheck again.  That will also help to spur economic growth.  

These aren’t Democratic proposals.  These aren’t big government proposals.  These are all ideas that traditionally Republicans have agreed to, have agreed to countless times in the past.  There’s no reason we shouldn’t act on them now.  None.  

I know we’re going through a tough time right now.  We’ve been going through a tough time for the last two and a half years.  And I know a lot of people are worried about the future.  But here’s what I also know:  There will always be economic factors that we can’t control –- earthquakes, spikes in oil prices, slowdowns in other parts of the world.  But how we respond to those tests -- that’s entirely up to us.  

Markets will rise and fall, but this is the United States of America.  No matter what some agency may say, we’ve always been and always will be a AAA country.  For all of the challenges we face, we continue to have the best universities, some of the most productive workers, the most innovative companies, the most adventurous entrepreneurs on Earth.  What sets us apart is that we’ve always not just had the capacity, but also the will to act -- the determination to shape our future; the willingness in our democracy to work out our differences in a sensible way and to move forward, not just for this generation but for the next generation.  

And we’re going to need to summon that spirit today.  The American people have been through so much over the last few years, dealing with the worst recession, the biggest financial crisis since the 1930s, and they’ve done it with grace.  And they’re working so hard to raise their families, and all they ask is that we work just as hard, here in this town, to make their lives a little easier.  That’s not too much to ask.  And ultimately, the reason I am so hopeful about our future -- the reason I have faith in these United States of America -- is because of the American people.  It’s because of their perseverance, and their courage, and their willingness to shoulder the burdens we face -– together, as one nation.  

One last thing.  There is no one who embodies the qualities I mentioned more than the men and women of the United States Armed Forces.  And this weekend, we lost 30 of them when their helicopter crashed during a mission in Afghanistan.  And their loss is a stark reminder of the risks that our men and women in uniform take every single day on behalf of their county.  Day after day, night after night, they carry out missions like this in the face of enemy fire and grave danger.  And in this mission –- as in so many others -– they were also joined by Afghan troops, seven of whom lost their lives as well.

So I’ve spoken to our generals in the field, as well as President Karzai.  And I know that our troops will continue the hard work of transitioning to a stronger Afghan government and ensuring that Afghanistan is not a safe haven for terrorists.  We will press on.  And we will succeed.

But now is also a time to reflect on those we lost, and the sacrifices of all who serve, as well as their families.  These men and women put their lives on the line for the values that bind us together as a nation.  They come from different places, and their backgrounds and beliefs reflect the rich diversity of America.  

But no matter what differences they might have as individuals, they serve this nation as a team.  They meet their responsibilities together.  And some of them -- like the 30 Americans who were lost this weekend –- give their lives for their country.  Our responsibility is to ensure that their legacy is an America that reflects their courage, their commitment, and their sense of common purpose.

Thank you very much.

END  2:03 P.M. EDT

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
August 05, 2011

Remarks by the President on the Administration's Work to Prepare our Nation's Veterans for the Workforce

Washington Navy Yard, Washington, D.C.

11:20 A.M. EDT

        THE PRESIDENT:  Well, thank you very much, everybody.  Good morning.  I’m glad somebody told me that was the last one because I had lost count.  (Laughter.)

        It is great to be here at the Navy Yard.  And first of all, I want to thank Admiral Mullen for being here and for his four decades of extraordinary service to this country.  And I want to thank him for saying that for an old guy I look okay.  (Laughter.)  I appreciate that.

        This may be one of the oldest shipyards in the United States, but today it’s used to develop some of the most advanced technology in the military.  Although I hear your engineers are still working on a solution to the traffic when the Nationals are playing.  (Laughter.)  That’s not ready yet.

        Let me start by saying a few words about our economy.  There is no doubt this has been a tumultuous year.  We’ve weathered the Arab Spring’s effect on oil and gas prices, the Japanese earthquake and tsunami’s effect on supply chains, the extraordinary economic uncertainty in Europe.  And recently, markets around the globe have taken a bumpy ride.  

        My concern right now -- my singular focus -- is the American people.  Getting the unemployed back on the job, lifting their wages.  Rebuilding that sense of security the middle class has felt slipping away for years.  And helping them recover fully, as families and as communities, from the worst recession that any of us have ever seen.

        Today, we know that our economy created 154,000 new private sector jobs in July.  And that’s the strongest pace since April.  The unemployment rate went down, not up.  But while this marks the 17th month in a row of job growth in the private sector --nearly 2.5 million new private sector jobs in all -- we have to create more jobs than that each month to make up for the more than 8 million jobs that the recession claimed.  We need to create a self-sustaining cycle where people are spending, and companies are hiring, and our economy is growing.  And we’ve known that will take some time.

        But what I want the American people and our partners around the world to know is this:  We are going to get through this.  Things will get better.  And we’re going to get there together.

        The bipartisan compromise on deficit reduction was important in terms of putting us on sounder fiscal footing going forward.  But let’s be honest:  The process was divisive.  It was delayed.  And if we want our businesses to have the confidence they need to get cash off the sidelines and invest and hire, we’ve got to do better than that.  We’ve got to be able to work together to grow the economy, right now, and strengthen our long-term finances.  That’s what the American people expect of us –- leaders that can put aside our differences to meet our challenges.  

        So when Congress gets back in September, I want to move quickly on things that will help the economy create jobs right now –- extending the payroll tax credit to put $1,000 in the pocket of the average worker, extending unemployment insurance to help people get back on their feet, putting construction workers back to work rebuilding America.  Those are all steps that we can take right now that will make a difference.  And there’s no contradiction between us taking some steps to put people to work right now and getting our long-term fiscal house in order.  In fact, the more we grow, the easier it will be to reduce our deficits.

        Now, both parties share power.  Both parties share responsibility for our progress.  Moving our economy and our country forward is not a Democratic or a Republican responsibility; it is -- it’s not a public or a private responsibility.  It is the responsibility of all Americans.  It’s in our nature to do the tough things when necessary; to do the right things when called.  And that’s the spirit that Washington needs right now.

        It’s also the kind of spirit found in the men and women who proudly serve in our country’s uniform, and it’s a spirit that endures long after they take those uniforms off.  Today’s veterans are Americans who have done their duty.  They’ve fought our wars with valor, from the jungles of Vietnam to the deserts of Iraq to the mountains of Afghanistan.  And they include the members of today’s military, the 9/11 generation -- some of whom are here today -- who volunteered to serve at a time of war knowing they would be sent into harm’s way.  

        To these men and women, I want to say that all of you have served our country with honor.  Over the last decade, you’ve performed heroically and done everything we have asked of you in some of the most dangerous places on the planet.  Your generation has earned a special place in American history.  

        Today, nearly 3 million extraordinary service members like you have completed their service and made the transition back to civilian life.  They’ve taken their leadership experience, their mastery of cutting-edge technologies, their ability to adapt to changing circumstances, and they’ve become leaders here at home.  Just think about how many veterans have led their comrades on life-and-death missions by the time they were 25 years old.  That’s the kind of responsibility and experience that any business in America should want to take advantage of.     

        These veterans are already making an impact, making companies and communities stronger.  But for every success story, there are also stories of veterans who come home and struggle to find a job worthy of their experience and worthy of their talent.  

        Veterans like Nick Colgin.  When Nick was in Afghanistan, he served as a combat medic with the 82nd Airborne.  Over the course of his deployment, Nick saved the life of a French soldier who was shot in the head and helped 42 people escape from a flooding river.  He earned a Bronze Star for his actions.  But when Nick got back home to Wyoming, he couldn’t get a job as a first responder.  So he ended up having to take classes through the Post-9/11 GI Bill, classes he easily could have taught, just so he could qualify for the same duties at home that he was doing every single day in Afghanistan.

        They’re veterans like Maria Canales.  She was a financial specialist in the Army, helping provide financial support for her unit in Iraq.  And when she got home, she finished earning her degree in business management.  But even with her education and her experience in the Army, Maria still couldn’t find a steady, working job in accounting or finance.  That isn’t right, and it doesn’t make any sense -- not for our veterans, not for the strength of our country.  

        If you can save a life in Afghanistan, you can save a life in an ambulance in Wyoming.  If you can oversee millions of dollars in assets in Iraq, you can help a business balance its books here at home.  Our incredible servicemen and women need to know that America values them not simply for what they can do in uniform, but for what they can do when they come home.  We need them to keep making America stronger.

        Our companies need skilled workers like our veterans to grow, and there’s no reason why we can’t connect the two.  And keeping our commitments to our veterans has been one of my top priorities as Commander-in-Chief, and that includes helping them make the transition back to civilian life.  

        That’s why we’re fully funding the Post-9/11 GI Bill, which is helping more than 500,000 veterans and their family members pursue a college education.  That’s why we supported extending the bill to include non-college degrees and on-the-job and apprenticeship training.  That’s why I directed the federal government to be a model employer and hire more veterans, including more than 100,000 in the past year and a half alone.

        So today, we’re taking it a step further.  

        First, we need to do more to make the transition from military to civilian life easier for our veterans.  That’s why I’m directing the Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs to design what we’re calling a “reverse boot camp.”  The problem is that right now, we spend months preparing our men and women for life in the military, but we spend much less time preparing them for life after they get out.  So we’ll devote more time on the back end to help our veterans learn about everything from benefits to how they can translate their military training into an industry-accepted credential.  In addition, we’ll make it easier for veterans to go to their local OneStop career center and get help pursuing a career that fits them best.

        These steps will help bridge part of the gap between veterans looking for work and companies looking to hire.  But that’s only part of the equation.  The other half is about encouraging companies to do their part.  That’s why I’m proposing a new Returning Heroes Tax Credit for companies that hire unemployed veterans.  And I’m proposing an increase in the existing tax credit for companies who hire unemployed veterans with a disability, who still have so much to offer our country.

        And finally, we’re challenging the private sector to hire or train 100,000 unemployed post-9/11 veterans or their spouses by the end of 2013.  This builds on commitments that many companies have already made as part of the Joining Forces campaign championed by my wife Michelle and Dr. Jill Biden.  Siemens, for example, recently met their goal of hiring 300 veterans, so they’re aiming to hire 150 more by December.  Microsoft is helping more than 10,000 veterans get IT certified over the next two years.  And today, groups from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce to Accenture to Lockheed Martin have all agreed to do their part to help veterans get back in the workforce.

        The bottom line is this.  We still have a long way to go and a lot of work to do to give folks the economic security and opportunity they deserve.  And that begins with connecting Americans looking for work, including our veterans, with employers looking to hire.  

        Over the last few years, another generation of young veterans has learned that the challenges don’t end in Kandahar or Baghdad.  They continue right here at home.  Today, we’re saying to our veterans, you fought for us, and now we’re fighting for you -- for the jobs and opportunities that you need to keep your families strong and to keep America competitive in the 21st century.  And at a time when there is so much work to be done in this country, we need everyone’s help to do it.  

        So thank you, God bless you, God bless all our services, and God bless the United States of America.  (Applause.)

END 11:32 A.M. EDT

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
August 04, 2011

Remarks by the President in a DNC Video Teleconference

Aragon Entertainment Center
Chicago, Illinois

6:59 P.M. CDT
August 3, 2011

THE PRESIDENT:  Hey, guys.  How are you?  I am beaming in from Chicago.  We’re having a little birthday celebration in my hometown.  But I just want to say thank you to all of you.  I can’t think of a better group of folks to spend my birthday with.

You may hear the El train in the background.  It’s passing right next to us.  You know, when we started this whole journey back in 2008, the one thing that I was clear about was that this was not going to be about me.  This was going to be about us.  It was going to be about the values we hold dear as Americans.  It was going to be about grassroots folks being empowered, talking about how we can create jobs in our community and improve our schools and make sure our kids have opportunities to go to college, and how people can retire with dignity and respect.  And those bread-and-butter issues were not going to be settled in Washington.  They were going to be settled on the ground, in neighborhoods.  And as somebody who cut my teeth as a community organizer, I knew that nothing was more powerful than the American people when they make common cause and they decide that they want to bring about change.

And what was true in 2008 is just as true today.  We’ve obviously been through a lot of battles over the last two and a half years dealing with one of the worst recessions in our history and certainly one of the toughest economic situations in my lifetime.  But despite all that, what we’ve been able to do is to work to make sure that the economy has started recovering.  We were able to save over a million jobs through our intervention in the auto industry.  We were able to finally get health care done so that families were more secure.  We were able to make sure that things like “don’t ask, don’t tell” got ended and that we were going to make sure that ordinary folks were benefitting from tax cuts, small businesses were benefitting.  All those things we could not have done had it not been for you.

And so as we gear back up to fight some tough battles -- and you saw this week how tough some of these battles are going to be -- it is absolutely critical that all of you stay involved.

And so I want to thank everybody at these house parties, but I want to urge all of you to get involved as a team to start going out not only spreading the message but also listening to people and finding out what’s on their minds and figuring out how we can engage them and get them involved.  And that’s where these neighborhood teams are so important.  We’re already had contact with 42,000 individuals face to face across the nation because of the teams that are activated in the states that are represented on this phone call.  We have had 2 million calls made to folks all across the country, contacting them, listening to their concerns, and finding out how they want to get involved in this campaign.

But this is always easier to do as a team and as a group than it is for folks to do this individually.  Obviously I want you to talk to your friends and your family and the Republican uncle that you got who isn’t persuaded yet, and you corner him at an event, and you talk issues at the workplace, around the water cooler, having conversations with friends of yours about why it’s so important for them to be engaged.

All that’s important, but what’s most important is when you guys as a team think about your neighborhoods and all the people that may have gotten turned off to politics, may be disillusioned, maybe are going through a tough time because of this difficult economy.  When they know their neighbors, their friends, folks who are -- they see at parent-teacher night, when those folks see you, you’re the best ambassador we could have.  And when you go out as a team, it’s going to strengthen your capacity to move people in a direction that could bring about the change we want.

So I just want to emphasize to you how important you are, and I hope that you use this house party, in addition to having some cake -- I don’t know if you guys have party hats -- but in addition to having a good party, I hope you guys talk about how your neighborhood teams can get together and really do some great work on the ground.

We’re in for a long battle.  We’ve got 16 months in which we’re just going to have to be knocking on doors, making phone calls, turning out voters.  But it starts now.  It builds now.  And it starts with you.

So thank you, everybody, for being part of this.  And I think I’m going to get a chance to answer a couple questions before I sign off.

MR. BIRD:  Excellent.  Mr. President, thank you so much for joining us.  Our first question we’re going to take from North Carolina, in Greensboro, North Carolina.   And you’ll be able to take the question live.

Q    Hi, Mr. President.  Happy birthday!  (Applause.)

(Singing Happy Birthday.)  (Applause.)

It’s such a great honor -- I’m sorry?

THE PRESIDENT:  I said you all have great voices.

Q    Oh, thank you.  We do our best.  It’s such a great honor to continue the great work we started in 2008.  I want to continue to do great work for you for the next year and a half.  While I’m out there canvassing, though, I have difficulty answering some of the detailed questions in regards to taxes and the wars.  As one of the best organizers I know, which is you, Mr. President, what type of -- what type of advice do you have for someone like me?

THE PRESIDENT:  Well, first of all, I just want to thank all of you guys for the great work you’re doing, and I can’t wait to see you guys at the convention in North Carolina.  It is going to be absolutely outstanding.  (Applause.)

But a couple things I’d say.  First of all, when you go out and talk to people, I want to make sure that everybody understands you’ve got to listen as much as you talk.  So part of what people want to know is, is that they’re being heard.  What are their concerns?  What are -- what’s keeping them up at night?  What would they like to see happen in Washington?

So making sure we listen, that’s really important.  The second thing is that we always have to talk about values.  People are concerned about issues, but they also want to know what do we stand for.  And so if somebody asks about taxes, nobody is really interested in hearing what precise marginal tax rate change would you like to see in the tax code.  What they want to know is that our campaign stands for a fair, just approach to the tax code that says everybody has to chip in, and that it’s not right if a hedge fund manager is being taxed at a lower rate than his or her secretary.  And so that’s a values issues:  Is the tax code fair?

If somebody asks about the war, whether it’s Iraq or Afghanistan -- if it’s Iraq, you have a pretty simple answer, which is all our folks are going to be out of there by the end of the year.  If it’s Afghanistan, you can talk about, look, we think it’s time for us to transition to Afghan lead and rebuild here at home.  So, again, it’s a values issue:  Where are we prioritizing our resources?

I think the key is not to get too bogged down in detail, but having said that, the last point I’d make is, it’s Jeremy’s job to make sure that you guys have good talking points and know the answers to some of these questions.  And so when your neighborhood teams start forming, on any given issue, every single week, you should be getting sort of updates in terms of what is going on in Washington.  We’re going to be rolling out plans to improve our infrastructure and put construction workers back to work.  We’re going to be rolling out plans to make sure that we continue the payroll tax cut that’s put $1,000 in the pockets of every American on average.  So we’ll have a bunch of issues, and those will change week to week.  And you should be able to get the kind of information that you need that at least gives you enough of a sense of what we’re doing and what we care about that you can answer these questions intelligently.

And you know, the last point I’d make.  Sometimes it’s not so bad to say, “I don’t know.”  So if somebody asks you something about, well, where does the President stand on Cyprus -- (laughter) -- there’s nothing wrong with you saying, “I’m not sure, but here’s what I can promise you -- I’ll find out an answer and we’ll make sure to call you back and give you an answer.”  And people appreciate that.  They don’t expect you to know the ins and outs of every single policy.  But they do expect that you’re going to treat them with courtesy and that you’re going to get back to them if you don’t know the answer to something.

All right?  Thank you, guys.

Q    Thank you so much!  (Applause.)

MR. BIRD:  Thank you, North Carolina.  Mr. President, we’re going to take one more question, and this question comes from Maureen, who’s calling in from Shaker Heights in Ohio.  And we’re going to turn it over to Maureen and her house party right now.

Maureen.

THE PRESIDENT:  Hey, Maureen!

Q    Hello.  Happy birthday.

THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you.

Q    I have a question for you.  All right, in 2008, I went door to door with my father and with you, and we had a great time.  In 2012, I’m going to be recruiting others, and I want them to help me knock doors.  And if you were asking someone to volunteer, how would you ask them?

THE PRESIDENT:  You know, first of all, Maureen, thank you to everybody in Shaker Heights, and thanks to everybody in Ohio for the unbelievable work you guys have already done.  That’s how we won Ohio.  (Applause.)

But I think the main thing is to give people a sense that this campaign is about them and not about just electing a President.  It’s about being part of a community and going out there and talking to your fellow members of your community about what values you care about.  So make sure that people feel ownership over the process.

And also, make it fun.  I mean, I think that if you say to folks, you know what, we’re going to go door to door, but at the end of it we’re all going to get together and have a picnic, or come over to your house and talk about the issues that are important to us, and let’s bring some kids along, and make it a community event, that makes it a lot more effective.

So I think that asking people to get engaged because the future is going to be determined by this election.  We’ve already seen over this last week just how different the visions are of the two parties in terms of where we should take this country.  I think it’s very clear who’s going to be looking out for working families, who wants to invest in things like education, who wants to make sure that we’ve got strong social insurance programs like Medicare and Social Security that are going to look after people, but also how do we maintain those in a responsible way.

So you can make the pitch saying, this is really an important moment in our history; we’ve got to get involved right now.  But you also want to make it fun and make them feel like they’re part of something larger.  A lot of folks just respond to wanting to be with their friends and doing something interesting.

And if you do that, I guarantee you won’t get 100 percent takeup because people are busy and they may not be able to go every time.  But as the people at your house party know, it turns out it’s actually pretty fun to spend some time with people and work on issues that you care about.

So I couldn’t be more appreciative of you guys, and I’m really very grateful.

All right, Maureen?  Good luck.

Q    Thank you very much, Mr. President.

THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you guys.

Q    Happy birthday!

MR. BIRD:  All right.  Mr. President, we’ll take one last question, and then we can conclude.  Our question came from the question and answer pile, from Grand Rapids, Michigan.  And the question was, what’s the most important thing we as volunteers can do to further your campaign?

THE PRESIDENT:  Well, we’ve already talked about it.  The most important thing you can do is to be engaged and to reach out to your circle of friends and family, not to try to give them just a laundry list of things that we’ve already done, but to listen to them and give them a sense that they can make a difference if they get involved.

This democracy works when people get involved.  This democracy works when people are paying attention.  And this democracy works when people are joining together to make their voices heard.  And that’s what all of you are all about.

The more you guys are out there engaging people, talking to people, listening to them, asking their ideas, the more this is a bottom-up as opposed to a top-down operation.

One of the great things in 2008 was folks were just starting their own organizations.  We had folks in Idaho who just decided out of the -- we’re going to start a Idaho for Obama.  And we didn’t have any staff there, we didn’t have any money.  And yet they were able to organize an 18,000-person rally just out of their own energy and input, and they owned this thing.

And that’s the thing I want to emphasize to all of you.  You own this campaign.  You own this country.  And if you use that power that you’ve got, then we’re going to be able to continue to get all the things done that we want to get done.  I know that over the last two and a half years there have been times where people have been frustrated.  This past week was a frustrating week.  But think about all we’ve accomplished together.  We’ve been able to start turning around this economy.  We’ve been able to get health care passed.  We’ve been able to make sure that there’s an equal day’s pay for an equal day’s work.  We’ve been able to make sure that children were able to get health insurance that didn’t have it before.  We’ve been able to end this war in Iraq in a responsible way.

And so that should give us confidence that we can make happen all the things that are still undone, whether it’s making sure that the economy is growing faster and creating more jobs, to getting immigration reform passed, to making sure that we’ve got an energy policy that makes sense in this country and making sure that we’ve got a tax code that’s fair and that’s just and that we’re dealing with our deficits and debt in a responsible way and it’s not all on the backs of middle-class families.

Those are things that I know we can accomplish, but this election is going to be a seminal election, in some ways maybe more important than the last one.  And with your voices, I’m absolutely confident that we not only can win, but more importantly, we can deliver the change that’s needed for the American people.

So I’ve got to go downstairs.  I’m going to have to -- there’s a big crowd wanting to sing me happy birthday.  I don’t know if there’s cake down there.  But I know they’ve been waiting for me.  But I want to say to all of you, thank you for your good wishes.  Thanks for your courage.  Thanks for your determination and tenacity.  And I’m going to see you all hopefully when I get to the various states and cities and towns where you guys are gathered.

All right?  Have fun.  See you.

END
7:16 P.M. CDT

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
August 04, 2011

Remarks by the President at a DNC Event

Aragon Entertainment Center
Chicago, Illinois

8:21 P.M. CDT
August 3, 2011

THE PRESIDENT:  Hello, everybody!  Hello, hello, hello!  Thank you.  Thank you.  Everybody have a seat, have a seat, have a seat.

Well, if you guys are taking off your jackets, I’m going to take mine off too.  (Laughter.)  It’s too hot.  It is too hot.

Well, it is wonderful to see all of you.  (Mayor Emanuel takes the President’s jacket.)  Thank you.  Now that’s service.  (Laughter.)  I still have that pothole in front of my house.  (Laughter.)  Golly, I’ve been working on that.  Trees need trimming.  (Laughter.)

It is wonderful to see all of you.  I know that most of you had a chance to listen to me speak downstairs, so I’m not going to give another long speech.  The main thing I just want to do is to say thank you to all of you.  A lot of folks came, traveled from across the country.

And obviously we’ve just gone through an extraordinary week in Washington, an extraordinary two weeks in Washington.  It’s not the kind of extraordinary that the American people are looking for.  (Laughter.)  Because at a time when so many families are struggling, at a time when we should be singularly focused on how to make ourselves more competitive and make sure our kids have the best educations possible and how are we transforming our energy strategy and how are we building on high-tech industries and the huge competitive advantages that we have, politics continues to get in the way.

And I think this episode was just a severe example of what’s been going on for quite some time.  And it’s part of what led me to run for President.  It’s part of what led Rahm to get into public service.  And it’s part of the reason why hopefully all of you are here tonight, because you recognize we’ve still got some more work to do.

The good news is that after this week we have made a legitimate down payment on deficit reduction in a way that’s actually responsible, that is not going to dismantle our social safety net, isn’t going to prevent us from making the key investments we need to win the future.

But it also sets the stage for what is going to be a singular debate over the next year and a half, and that is two alternative visions about where the country needs to go. 

I give the other side credit.  They are single-minded in their focus, in wanting to cut programs and shrink government.  My argument, Dick Durbin’s argument, the argument that I think all of you believe in, is that we need a government that is smart, that is living within its means, but also we need a government that is making the kind of commitment to opportunity for everybody, for every child; that is making investments that the private sector alone can’t make; that are setting policies that allow us to be competitive into the future; that is looking after our seniors and poor children and the disabled and empowering them; and that all of us have a role to play in that kind of America and all of us have to make some sacrifices to deliver that kind of America.

And I think most of the American people believe the same thing.  But in this kind of environment of 24-hour cable chatter and big money flooding the airwaves and slash-and-burn politics, sometimes I think that core belief in what is possible here in America gets lost.  It’s our job to constantly restore it and revitalize it and to have confidence in the American people that if we’re making our arguments with the same kind of passion and commitment that the other side is showing, that ultimately our democracy will make a decision -- and I think it will be a decision to pursue the kind of vision that all of us believe in.

But we’re going to have a lot of work to do, and it’s going to be tough.  And this week I think signifies not only how tough it’s going to be but exactly what’s at stake.

And for you to make the kind of commitment to be here tonight, to be committed to engaging, the fact that you’re in, is going to make all the difference in the world.

So thank you very much, everybody.  And I think we’re going to just take a bunch of questions, then I’m going to have a chance to walk around the room and shake everybody’s hands before I head back home and see my kids.  Malia is coming home from camp tomorrow just for her daddy’s birthday, and I’m very happy about that.  (Applause.)

END
8:26 P.M. CDT 

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
August 03, 2011

Remarks by the President at a DNC event

Aragon Entertainment Center
Chicago, Illinois

7:22 P.M. CDT

THE PRESIDENT:  Hello, Chicago!  (Applause.)  Oh, it is good to be with some good friends!  (Applause.)  This is a warm welcome right here.  (Applause.) 

Let me first of all say thank you to the extraordinary, extraordinary talent that's on stage.  First of all, one of the greatest jazz musicians of our time, Herbie Hancock.  (Applause.)  OK Go Band -- give it up.  (Applause.)  DJ Greg Corner -- give it up.  (Applause.)  The lovely and talented Jennifer Hudson from Chicago.  (Applause.)  The not as lovely or talented -- (laughter) -- but my very determined, very brilliant, very loyal, very tough mayor of the city of Chicago, Rahm Emanuel.  (Applause.)

I don't know -- you know, I’m watching from Washington, but it looks to me like Rahm is doing a pretty good job.  (Applause.)  And as far as I can tell, he hasn’t cursed in public yet.  (Laughter.)  He’s come close, he says.  (Laughter.)  But what he has done is provided extraordinary energy and extraordinary vision to a job that he has wanted for a long time.  And I don't know too many people who love the city of Chicago more than your mayor, and I couldn’t be more proud of him, so -- (applause.)

Now, we’ve got a few more dignitaries in the house.  We’ve got the governor of the great state of Illinois, Patrick Quinn, in the house.  (Applause.)  We’ve got one of the finest senators in the United States of America, Dick Durbin, in the house.  (Applause.)  We’ve got one of the greatest members of Congress in the country in Jan Murkowski in the house.  (Applause.)  We’ve got the ageless Jesse White, the Secretary of State, in the house.  (Applause.)  A great friend of mine, somebody who I wouldn’t have been elected to the United States Senate without him, the former senator of the Illinois State Senate, Emil Jones is here.  (Applause.)  And I know we’ve got a lot of other important people like you in the house. 

Now, it’s warm and it’s hot and you just listened to some good music, and you don’t want to have a long political speech.  (Applause.)  But I just want to first of all say I could not have a better early birthday present than spending tonight with all of you --

AUDIENCE MEMBER:  I love you!

THE PRESIDENT:  I love you back.  (Applause.)  

And it’s true that I turn 50 tomorrow -- (applause) -- which means that by the time I wake up, I’ll have an email from AARP -- (laughter) -- asking me to call President Obama and tell him to protect Medicare.  (Laughter and applause.) 

When I look out at this crowd, I think back to that incredible night in November.  I’m still trying to figure out how the weather was over 60 degrees in November, in Grant Park, back in 2008.  (Applause.)  And it was the culmination of this incredible journey, this long journey that we took together; a campaign that drew on the hard work and support of all of you and people all across the country -- men and women who believed that change was possible.  In the face of long odds, in the face of frustrations, in the face of setbacks you said, we don’t have to accept politics as usual, and we can once again have a country that is living up to our finest ideals and our highest aspirations.

And that was a lovely night.  But do you remember what I told you that night?  I said, “Yes, we can,” but I said this would not be easy.  I said, that wasn’t the end of the journey; that was just the beginning.  The economy was already hammering families.  Decisions that had been deferred for too long in Washington were finally catching up with us.  All these problems were gathering all at once. And we knew the road ahead was going to be difficult, that the climb was going to be steep. 

I have to admit, I didn’t know how steep the climb was going to be.  (Laughter.) 

Because we didn’t realize -- we just found out a week ago that the economy that last few months in 2008 was even worse than we had realized.  I mean, the economy had contracted by 8 percent.  It was the worst economy we had ever seen.  The next quarter before any of our economic policies had a chance to go into place, same kind of thing.  We lost 8 million jobs like that.  Hadn’t seen anything like it in most of our lifetimes.

But here’s what I -- here’s what I knew.  You did not elect me President to duck the tough issues.  (Applause.)  You elected me President to do the tough things, to do the big things, even if it took time.  (Applause.)

You elected me to make sure that the economy was working not just for those at the very top, but that we had a broad-based, shared prosperity, from the machinist on the line to the CEO in the boardroom. 

And I ran because I believed that our success is defined not by stock prices or corporate profits alone, but by whether ordinary people can find a good job that supports a family; whether they can send their kids to college; whether they can retire with dignity and respect.  (Applause.)  Maybe have a little left over for a ballgame or a vacation.  Not be bankrupt when they get sick. 

So what we did was we took a series of emergency measures that first year to save the economy from collapse.  And I promise you not all of them were popular.  But we did what we needed to do to start getting the economy growing again, and it has been growing -- not as fast as we want, but we got the economy growing instead of contracting because we wanted to help families get back on their feet.  (Applause.)

We went in and we said -- I didn't sign up to be a CEO of an auto company, but I said I’m not going to let a million jobs, especially here in the Midwest, go away, so we’re going to intervene, and we’re going to ask in return that the auto companies restructure themselves.  And we’ve now seen for the first time in a very long time all the Big Three automakers making a profit.  (Applause.)  And making a profit selling small cars and compact cars and doing stuff that a lot of Americans thought couldn’t be done any more.

And we said, even as we’re saving the economy, there’s still some issues out there that haven’t been dealt with in a very long time, so we’re going to make sure that we’ve got equal pay for equal work -- (applause) -- because I don’t want Malia and Sasha getting paid less than anybody for doing a good job.  (Applause.)

And we’re going to make sure that in this country that we love, that nobody is discriminated against on the basis of sexual orientation.  We’re going to make sure they can serve in our military and protect the country that they love.  (Applause.)

And we’re going to invest in clean energy, because we’re tired of being dependent on foreign oil.  (Applause.)  So we want wind turbines and electric cars made right here in the United States of America.  (Applause.)

And we’re going to increase our investment in basic research to find cures for cancer and Alzheimer’s. 

And we’re going to revamp our education system, so it starts working for every child and not just some children.  (Applause.)

And, yes, we are going to go ahead and make sure that every family in America can find affordable health care and that they are not losing their home or going bankrupt because they get sick.  (Applause.)  And it was hard, but because of you we kept on driving and we got it done.  (Applause.)

So it’s been a long, tough journey.  But we have made some incredible strides together.  Yes, we have.  (Laughter.)  But the thing that we all have to remember is, is that as much good as we’ve done, precisely because the challenges were so daunting, precisely because we were inheriting so many challenges, that we’re not even halfway there yet. 

When I said, “change we can believe in,” I didn’t say “change we can believe in tomorrow.”  (Laughter.)  Not “change we can believe in next week.”  We knew this was going to take time, because we’ve got this big, messy, tough democracy.  And that’s the great thing about America is, is that there are all these contentious ideas that are out there, and we’ve got to make our case.  And we knew that these challenges weren’t made overnight and they weren’t going to be solved overnight. 

And so, as we look forward, we know we’ve still got a lot of work to do on the economy.  Now, I hope we can avoid another self-inflicted wound like we just saw over the last couple of weeks -- (applause) -- because we don’t have time to play these partisan games.  (Applause.)  We’ve got too much work to do.  (Applause.)

Over the next several months, I hope Congress is focused on what the American people are focused on, making sure that the economy is growing, making sure that businesses are getting financing, making sure that young people are getting trained for the jobs of the future; making sure that we’re getting all those construction workers, that got laid off after the housing boom went bust, and putting them to work, rebuilding our roads and our bridges, rebuilding Chicago -- (applause) -- rebuilding Detroit, rebuilding rural communities all across the country, putting people back to work. 

I want to make sure that America is not just an importer; I want us to export.  I want to build electric cars in America, and I want to ship them all around the world, because we’ve got the best technologies.  (Applause.)  I want us to focus on how we can revamp old buildings and old facilities so they’re energy efficient.  And we can start cutting down on our electricity bills, and we can start cutting down on our carbon emissions.  And we can stop being so dependent on foreign oil, and you don’t have to pay as much at the pump.  That’s what the American people are looking for.  That’s what we’ve got to focus on.  (Applause.)

We’ve got more work to do to make sure that we’ve got an immigration system in this country that makes some sense.  (Applause.)  We are a nation of laws and we are a nation of immigrants.  And we want to welcome extraordinary talent to our shores and have a legal immigration system that works for everybody.  (Applause.)  We’ve got to make that happen. 

We’ve got to -- and a lot of the stuff that we’ve already done we’ve got to make sure it gets implemented effectively.  We finally put some common-sense rules so that banks aren’t taking the kinds of risk that almost led to an economic meltdown, and that consumers are protected when you get credit cards or mortgages.

And, frankly, there are some folks in Congress who are trying to block us from making that progress, and that’s why your voice has to be heard, where we stand up and we say:  We want a financial system that is fair for everybody.  There’s nothing wrong with that.  (Applause.)

And on the foreign policy front, you elected me in part based on a promise that we would end the war in Iraq, and we have ended combat operations there.  And by the end of this year we will have our troops out of Iraq, as I promised and as I committed.  (Applause.)  And in Afghanistan, we’ve got al Qaeda on the run and we are going to begin transitioning to give Afghans more responsibility, but also to start bringing our troops home, because we’ve got a lot of work to do here at home to rebuild America.  (Applause.)

But our foreign policy can’t just be about war; it’s also got to be about peace.  (Applause.)  It’s also got to be about helping countries feed the hungry.  It’s got to be about helping countries transition to democracy.  It’s got to be about respecting human rights all around the world and making sure that America continues to be a beacon of hope.  That’s part of why you elected me.  That’s part of the unfinished business of this administration.  (Applause.)

And as we think about this world, we understand that it’s shrunk, and it’s going to be more competitive.  And if we’re going to leave the kind of America behind to our children and our grandchildren, then we’ve still got some work to do.  Yes, we’ve got to get our fiscal house in order.  And all the progressives out there, I want you to understand that we can’t just ignore this debt and deficit, we’ve got to do something about it.  But economic growth, making ourselves more competitive isn’t just about cutting programs.  It’s also about making investments in our people.  (Applause.)

It’s also about making sure we’ve got the best education system in the world; that we’ve got the best scientists and engineers and mathematicians in the world; making sure that we prize our diversity; making sure that we’ve got a social safety net for the aged and the infirm and our children.  That's part of what makes us a great nation.  (Applause.)

So, Chicago, we’ve got more work to do.  We’ve got more work to do.  And look, let me just say this, it is going to continue to be challenging every single step of the way.

AUDIENCE MEMBER:  But we can do it!

THE PRESIDENT:  But we can do it.  (Applause.)  You know, I’m always -- I’m always amused when the pundits in Washington say, boy, you know, Obama hasn’t gotten this passed yet or some of his supporters are disappointed about this, and the -- the campaign, it was so smooth.  And I’m thinking what campaign were they watching.  (Laughter.)  I mean, there -- at least once a month, folks would say, he can’t win.  At least once a month, people would say, oh, that was a terrible debate for him; or, oh, he’s lost support in this or that group; or, oh, that state is going to go red on him.

What they didn't understand was is that for all the mistakes I’ll make, for all the boneheaded moves I made -- might make –

AUDIENCE MEMBER:  We love you!  We love you!

THE PRESIDENT:  For all the frustrations and the challenges and resistance we have to bringing about change, when I’ve got you guys behind me -- (applause) -- when I’ve got the American people, when I listen to them -- (applause) -- and I’m reminded of your decency and those core values that say I am my brother’s keeper and I am my sister’s keeper, and what makes us a great nation is not just the height of our skyscrapers or the size of our GDP, or the power of our military, but the fact that we look after one another, and we take responsibility for ourselves, but also for our neighbors; when we’re working together and we’re joining hands, black and white and Hispanic and Asian and Native American and gay and straight; when the American people join together, we cannot be stopped. 

We say to ourselves, “Yes, we can.”  It doesn’t matter how tough a week I have in Washington, because I know you’ve got me -- you’ve got my back.  When I come to Chicago, when I travel across the country, I know we can’t be stopped.  (Applause.)  I know America is the greatest nation on Earth.  And I know we will bring about the change that all of us believe in. 

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

END
7:44 P.M. CDT

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
August 03, 2011

Remarks by the President before Cabinet Meeting

Cabinet Room

2:05 P.M. EDT

        THE PRESIDENT:  Well, obviously, this has been an eventful last few days.  As I have said yesterday, we have now averted what could have been a disastrous blow to the economy.  And we have identified on the front end over a trillion dollars in spending reductions that can be done sensibly and safely without affecting core programs.  And we now have a committee process in Congress that is charged with finding additional savings.  It’s going to be challenging work, and I’m encouraging Congress to take it with the utmost seriousness.

        In the meantime, the American people have been continuing to worry about the underlying state of the economy, about jobs, about their wages, about reduced hours, about fewer customers.  The economy is still weakened, partly because of some things we couldn’t control, like the Japanese earthquake and the situation in the Europe, as well as the Arab Spring and its effect on the oil crisis.  Unfortunately, the debt ceiling crisis over the last month, I think, has had an unnecessary negative impact on the economy here, as well.

        So I’m meeting with my Cabinet here to make sure that, even as they have been throughout these last several weeks, they are redoubling their efforts to focus on what matters most to the American people, and that is, how are we going to put people back to work; how are we going to raise their wages; increase their security; how are we going to make sure that they recover fully, as families and as communities, from the worst recession we’ve had since the Great Depression.

        A good example of how undone work here in Washington can have an adverse impact on that economy is what’s going on with the Federal Aviation Administration.  And I’m going to be hearing from Ray LaHood about the situation that is looming as a consequence of Congress not acting.  Some of you may be aware of the fact that the FAA routinely gets its authorities extended through Congress; it’s happened 20 times since 2007.  This time, Congress has decided to play some politics with it.  And as a consequence, they left town without getting this extension done.  

        Here is what this means -- thousands of FAA workers being furloughed, including safety inspectors.  It also means projects all across the country involving tens of thousands of construction workers being suspended, because Congress didn’t get its work done.  And that means folks who are on construction sites, doing work and bringing home a paycheck, now potentially find themselves going home without one, and important projects all across the country are left undone.

        Here’s what also happens.  It turns out that this extension gives the authority to collect fees from airlines.  The airlines are still collecting these fees because it’s priced into their tickets, but they’re not turning them over to the federal government, and the federal government stands to lose $200 million a week.  That would be a billion dollars at a time when we’re worrying about how we pay for everything from education to Head Start.  And we don’t anticipate it’s going to be easy to get that money back.  Even though the airlines are collecting it, they’re keeping it.

        So this is a lose-lose-lose situation that can be easily solved if Congress gets back into town and does its job.  And they don’t even have to come back into town.  The House and the Senate could, through a procedural agreement, basically do this through unanimous consent.  And they can have the fights that they want to have when they get back.  Don’t put the livelihoods of thousands of people at risk. Don’t put projects at risk.  And don’t let a billion dollars, at a time when we’re scrambling for every dollar we can, get left on the table because Congress did not act.

        So I’m urging the House and the Senate to take care of this.  This is an example of a self-inflicted wound that is unnecessary.  And my expectation and I think the American people’s expectation is, is that this gets resolved before the end of this week.

        All right?  Thank you very much, everybody.

        Q    Mr. President, anything that you can do, sir?  Can you intervene?  Is there anything you can do?

        THE PRESIDENT:  Well, I am -- I have made calls to key leaders, and I am urging them to get this done.  But this is, as I said, not the kind of situation that is complicated.  All they have to do is do what they’ve done 20 times since 2007.  There’s not a big issue in terms of drafting legislation or arguing about the details of policy.  Just do what they’ve done in the past to make sure that these folks are on the job, including looking after the safety of our airlines.

        All right?  Thank you very much.

        Q    Are you ready for 5-0, Mr. President?

        THE PRESIDENT:  I’m going to get advice from some around the table -- (laughter) -- about how to handle this milestone.  (Laughter.)  All right?

END  2:11 P.M. EDT

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
July 31, 2011

Remarks by the President

James S. Brady Press Briefing Room

8:40 P.M. EDT

THE PRESIDENT:  Good evening.  There are still some very important votes to be taken by members of Congress, but I want to announce that the leaders of both parties, in both chambers, have reached an agreement that will reduce the deficit and avoid default -- a default that would have had a devastating effect on our economy.

The first part of this agreement will cut about $1 trillion in spending over the next 10 years -- cuts that both parties had agreed to early on in this process.  The result would be the lowest level of annual domestic spending since Dwight Eisenhower was President -- but at a level that still allows us to make job-creating investments in things like education and research.  We also made sure that these cuts wouldn’t happen so abruptly that they’d be a drag on a fragile economy. 

Now, I've said from the beginning that the ultimate solution to our deficit problem must be balanced.  Despite what some Republicans have argued, I believe that we have to ask the wealthiest Americans and biggest corporations to pay their fair share by giving up tax breaks and special deductions.  Despite what some in my own party have argued, I believe that we need to make some modest adjustments to programs like Medicare to ensure that they’re still around for future generations. 

That's why the second part of this agreement is so important.  It establishes a bipartisan committee of Congress to report back by November with a proposal to further reduce the deficit, which will then be put before the entire Congress for an up or down vote.  In this stage, everything will be on the table. To hold us all accountable for making these reforms, tough cuts that both parties would find objectionable would automatically go into effect if we don’t act.  And over the next few months, I’ll continue to make a detailed case to these lawmakers about why I believe a balanced approach is necessary to finish the job. 

Now, is this the deal I would have preferred?  No.  I believe that we could have made the tough choices required -- on entitlement reform and tax reform -- right now, rather than through a special congressional committee process.  But this compromise does make a serious down payment on the deficit reduction we need, and gives each party a strong incentive to get a balanced plan done before the end of the year. 

Most importantly, it will allow us to avoid default and end the crisis that Washington imposed on the rest of America.  It ensures also that we will not face this same kind of crisis again in six months, or eight months, or 12 months.  And it will begin to lift the cloud of debt and the cloud of uncertainty that hangs over our economy.  

Now, this process has been messy; it’s taken far too long.  I've been concerned about the impact that it has had on business confidence and consumer confidence and the economy as a whole over the last month.  Nevertheless, ultimately, the leaders of both parties have found their way toward compromise.  And I want to thank them for that. 

Most of all, I want to thank the American people.  It’s been your voices -- your letters, your emails, your tweets, your phone calls -- that have compelled Washington to act in the final days. And the American people's voice is a very, very powerful thing. 

We’re not done yet.  I want to urge members of both parties to do the right thing and support this deal with your votes over the next few days.  It will allow us to avoid default.  It will allow us to pay our bills.  It will allow us to start reducing our deficit in a responsible way.  And it will allow us to turn to the very important business of doing everything we can to create jobs, boost wages, and grow this economy faster than it's currently growing. 

That’s what the American people sent us here to do, and that’s what we should be devoting all of our time to accomplishing in the months ahead. 

Thank you very much, everybody.

END
8:44 P.M. EDT

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
July 29, 2011

Remarks of President Obama After Meeting with African Heads of State

Cabinet Room

4:13 P.M. EDT

        PRESIDENT OBAMA:  Well, I just wanted to publicly welcome four very distinguished leaders to the White House:  President Yayi of Benin; President Conde of Guinea; President Issoufou of Niger; and President Ouattara of Côte d’Ivoire.  

        Although, obviously, we’ve got a lot of things going here in Washington today, it was important for us I think to maintain this scheduled appointment with four leaders of nations that represent Africa’s democratic progress, which is vital to a stable and prosperous and just Africa, but is also critical to the stability and prosperity of the world.

        All these leaders were elected through free and fair elections.  They’ve shown extraordinary persistence in wanting to promote democracy in their countries despite significant risks to their own personal safety and despite enormous challenges, in some cases -- most recently in Côte d’Ivoire -- in actually implementing the results of these elections.

        But because of their fortitude and because of the determination of their people to live in democratic, free societies, they have been able to arrive at a position of power that is supported by the legitimate will of their peoples.  And as such, they can serve as effective models for the continent.

        These countries all underscore what I emphasized when I visited Ghana and gave a speech about Africa as a whole -- this is a moment of great opportunity and significant progress in Africa.  Politically, the majority of Sub-Saharan African countries are now embracing democracy.  Economically, Africa is one of the fastest-growing regions in the world.  

        And we just had a very productive discussion where we discussed how we can build on both the political progress, the economic progress, and address the security challenges that can continue to confront Africa.  And I emphasized that the United States has been and will continue to be a stalwart partner with them in this process of democratization and development.  

        Despite the impressive work of all these gentlemen, I’ve said before and I think they all agree, Africa does not need strong men; Africa needs strong institutions.  So we are working with them as partners to build effective judiciaries, strong civil societies, legislatures that are effective and inclusive, making sure that human rights are protected.  

        With respect to economic development, all of us agree that we can’t keep on duplicating a approach that breeds dependence, but rather we need to embrace an approach that creates sustainability and capacity within each of these countries, through trade and investment and the development of human capital and the education of young people throughout these countries.

        We discussed as well that not only do we want to encourage trade between the United States and each of these respective countries but we want to encourage inter-African and regional trade, and that requires investments in infrastructure in those areas.  

        We are partners in resolving conflicts peacefully and have worked effectively with ECOWAS and the African Union to resolve crises in the region.  And we appreciate very much the assistance that we’ve received on battling terrorism that currently is trying to gain a foothold inside of Africa.

        And, finally, we discussed how we can partner together to avert the looming humanitarian crisis in eastern Africa.  I think it hasn’t gotten as much attention here in the United States as it deserves.  But we’re starting to see famine developing along the Horn of Africa, in areas like Somalia in particular.  And that’s going to require an international response, and Africa will have to be a partner in making sure that tens of thousands of people do not starve to death.

        So let me just close by saying that many of the countries here are -- either have celebrated or are in the process of celebrating their 50th year of independence.  As President Issoufou pointed out, I’m also celebrating my 50th of at least existence.  (Laughter.)  

        And when we think about the extraordinary progress that’s been made, I think there’s much we can be proud of.  But of course, when we think about the last 50 years, we also have to recognize there have been a lot of opportunities missed.  And so, these leaders I think are absolutely committed to making sure that 50 years from now they can say that they helped to turn the tide in their countries, to establish strong, democratic practices, to help establish economic prosperity and security.  

        And we just want you to know the United States will stand with you every step of the way.

        Thank you very much, everyone.  (Applause.)  

END 4:24 P.M. EDT