The White House

Office of the First Lady

For Immediate Release
May 06, 2011

Remarks by the First Lady and Dr. Biden at Mother's Day Tea for Military Spouses

East Room

3:15 P.M. EDT

DR. BIDEN:  Thank you, Patty, for that warm introduction and for all you do for military families, and especially the children.  I always love seeing you, and I’m so delighted to see you here today.  Thank you.

Good afternoon.

AUDIENCE:  Good afternoon.

DR. BIDEN:  It’s so nice to see so many friends here.  I’m Jill Biden, and I’m a proud military mom and grandmom.  And it’s a special honor to welcome you all to the White House today.

This has been quite a week, hasn’t it?  (Laughter.)  Yesterday I joined my husband at the Pentagon to commemorate the victims of the attacks on 9/11.  None of us will ever forget that day.  But the heroic actions in Pakistan earlier this week reminded all Americans of the extraordinary courage that our military service members and their families demonstrate on a daily basis.

On Sunday night, as I was -- after the President made his announcement, I was -- it was late, and I was outside waiting for my husband.  I had on my bathrobe, and I was sitting on the steps of our residence, and I could hear in the distance -- because there were so many people that were outside -- and I could hear them at the gates that opened to our driveway, and there were people there singing, “God Bless America.”  And it really just renewed what we all know -- just really -- it just brought this country together.  And I think it was such a great feeling.

We and the entire nation are so proud of all of you.
Michelle and I are thrilled to have you here at the White House today as we express the thanks of our entire nation for those who serve.  You are all heroes -- from the moms who keep their families together while your loved ones are serving overseas, to the grandparents who step in with much needed support, to the siblings and children who are strong and brave while mom or dad is away.

Just last month I attended a deployment ceremony where I met some folks I now call, “The Grandparents.”  Both parents of three children under the age of 10 were deploying, and these grandmothers decided to circle the wagons and take care of those children.  What a relief it is for those parents to know that their children are being taken care of by their grandparents, and what a gift to the children to be surrounded by love while both of their parents are deployed.

Last summer, I traveled to Iraq with my husband, Joe, to visit our troops during the Fourth of July.  I had lunch with several female soldiers, many of whom were mothers.  These women were managing all the challenges of parenting  -- arranging health care, childcare, and education -- thousands and thousands of miles away from their homes and loved ones.

One woman across the table fought back tears as she told me that she was missing out on taking her youngest daughter to college.  I was at a loss for words.  All I could do at that moment was just reach across that table and grab her hand.

Michelle and I have both been struck by these women fiercely proud to serve their country and never complaining, but still struggling with some of the everyday challenges we all face in managing a home and a family.

You here today, and all the women we have met in our travels, are doing your part.  The government is working hard to do its part.  And each American also has the ability to make a difference in the life of a military family.  That’s what our Joining Forces initiative is all about.

And now, it’s my honor and privilege to introduce a woman who is doing her part as a strong leader and a constant advocate for our service members, veterans, and military families.  I have had the privilege of traveling with our First Lady to meet military families across this country, and I’ve seen firsthand how committed she is to doing everything she can to support them.  I feel so fortunate to have her as a partner in this effort and to have her as my dear friend -- our First Lady, Michelle Obama.  (Applause.)

MRS. OBAMA:  Thank you, everyone.  Thank you.  (Applause.)  Thank you all so much.  Please rest, enjoy the tea.  Welcome to the White House.  Isn’t this great?  It’s fabulous.  (Applause.)  And everyone looks amazing.  (Laughter.)  It’s like a room full of bursting flowers.  And we have our little ladies -- you guys have your pinkies up, everyone’s pinkies up?  (Laughter.)  Or something like that.  (Laughter.)

We're delighted to have you here.  Let me start by recognizing my partner in so much -- and I didn’t know that this woman would be not just a partner but a friend, a Blue Star mom herself who has been sending out the call, educating this country long before she stepped into this role, focusing the nation on the sacrifices of the families -- Dr. Jill Biden.  Let’s give her a round of applause.  (Applause.)

And Patty.  Patty has been a tremendous advisor to Jill and I throughout this entire process, and she is amazing and knowledgeable, and she is going to be a critical component of Joining Forces.  And we are so proud of her and her service.  Let’s give Patty a hand.  (Applause.)

And finally, I want to thank all of you.  Thank you.

I know it’s pretty exciting to be having tea at the White House in the East Room.  But believe it or not, we are just as excited, and probably more excited, to have you all here.  I mean, it is really -- we love you all.  We really, really do.  And that’s because over the last two years, as Jill said, we have been inspired by all of you in so many ways.  Spending time with our men and women in uniform and their families has been the highlight of our work in these roles.

We’ve been moved by your strength and your spirit, by your courage and, more importantly, by your sacrifice.  And as you have opened your arms and your hearts to me -- which you have so fully, and I feel it and I know it.  I'm not a Blue Star mom or a Gold Star mom, but you all have scooped me up in ways that I wouldn’t have imagined.

You’ve also opened my eyes to what being part of a military family is truly all about.  You’ve shown me what it takes for one parent to do the job of two -- juggling the carpools and the soccer practices on top of many of you handling the work of a full-time job and all the rest that goes into running a household; caring for a loved one who’s been injured, or mourning a spouse or a child who never made it home.

And I know that there are people in the room today who feel a little sad because this Mother’s Day is a little less than what you’d hope.  And all we can do is hug you and tell you that we are thinking and praying and working for you all, and we are proud of you.  And some of you are, as Jill said, grandparents caring for a grandchild.  And others of you have served in uniform yourselves.

You’ve shown us what it takes to be a military child, many of you -- changing and leaving friends behind every few years; trying to keep up with homework and activities; and trying to lead the life of a normal kid while worrying about a parent or a sibling who is in harm’s way.  And as Jill reminded us just this past week, as Americans everywhere stood in awe at the bravery of the soldiers who carried out that daring operating in Pakistan, it was also a moment for all of us to remember that everyone who serves is able to do so because of the love and support of their families.

And what you do is not easy.  I won’t even say it’s not always easy.  I don’t think it’s ever easy.  I know that every day you deal with things that most of us can only imagine.  But I also know that along with incredible challenges come incredible strength.  That's something else that I know from you all.

Roseanna Yamashita and her daughter Tyler are some of you who know what I’m talking about.  With a father serving in the army, Tyler is only a junior in high school, but she’s already attended 10 schools on three continents.  And next year, the Yamashitas are moving to Germany.  But Tyler and Roseanna never complain -- as none of you do.  They know it’s part of serving their country.

And then there’s Helen Norberg and her daughter Julia.  They know a thing or two about what I’m talking about.  When Julia had to deploy to Iraq, Helen was there every day to help take care of their three-year-old grandson Isaiah.  She enrolled him in gymnastics, probably just to settle him down.  (Laughter.)  She took him to his first dentist appointment.  And since the only time Julia and Isaiah could speak was during the day, Helen would often leave work, drive to Isaiah’s school with her cell phone, just so he could hear his mom’s voice.

And then, last year as Julia’s deployment was coming to an end, Helen’s house was destroyed by a tornado.  Helen jumped on top of Isaiah to protect him.  She broke two vertebrae in her back.  When the storm died down, Isaiah had nothing but a small scratch on his arm.  And as Julia said, she has been the best grandmother and mother any soldier could ask for.  (Applause.)

And there are stories like this at every table, in every one of your households, in every one of your lives.  I know that.  These are only examples of what you live every day.  So make no mistake about it, even if you’re not the ones wearing the uniform, every single one of you is serving our country.  And every single one of you deserves our support -- not just with words, but with deeds.  Now, words are good.  They help.  Deeds are better.  (Laughter.) Real concrete actions that make a difference for you at your workplaces, in your schools, and in your communities.

And that’s why last month, Jill and I -- with Patty’s help and so many others -- we started Joining Forces, a nationwide campaign to rally this country to recognize, honor, and support our military families.  We’re joining forces across this country, and we’re calling on all Americans to ask themselves just one simple question:  How can I give back to these families who have given me so much?

We’re joining forces across the federal government, building on over 50 commitments that departments and agencies have made for how they can better serve military families.  We’re going to be joining forces with cities and states, encouraging them to adopt policies that will help you all.

We’re joining forces with organizations like the national PTA and the Military Child Education Coalition, to improve school outreach to military kids.  We’re joining forces with businesses and nonprofits, getting commitments from companies like Walmart and Sears to help military spouses find and keep jobs.

And we’re joining forces with families and communities.  We’re urging people to do whatever they can as neighbors, colleagues, and classmates to lend a hand to military families.

We believe that this is what you deserve from us, because showing our gratitude to those who serve our nation whether it’s on the battlefield or at home, is something that every single American can do.  And it’s something that every single American should do.

So, to everyone here, I just want to say thank you.  This is a very small way to say thank you.  Thank you for your strength, your commitment.  Thank you for setting an example for the rest of us.  It has been such a pleasure getting to meet all of you.

So let’s stop crying -- because I’m about to cry again.  (Laughter.)  Let’s just stop now.  (Laughter.)  And remember, it is Mother’s Day.  So today is a non-“Let’s Move!” day.  (Laughter.)  Eat all the cookies you want.  (Applause.)  And enjoy this weekend.  Continue to take care of each other.  We love you.  We are proud of you.  And we will keep working.

So thank you all.  Take care.  (Applause.)

END
3:30 P.M. EDT

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
May 06, 2011

Remarks by the President to Workers at Allison Transmission Headquarters

Allison Transmission Headquarters

Indianapolis, Indiana

12:10 P.M. EDT

THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you, everybody.  Good to see you.  (Applause.)  Thank you so much.  Thank you, everybody.  Please have a seat.  Thank you.  It is good to be back in Indianapolis. (Applause.)  Hello, Hoosiers!  Sorry about the Pacers.  (Laughter.)  I'm sorry, Mr. Mayor.  (Laughter.)  Give the Mayor a big round of applause.  He’s doing a great job.  (Applause.)

Along with the Mayor, we've got Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood in the house.  Ray -- (applause.)  We've got your own member of Congress, André Carson, here.  (Applause.)  And I want to thank Larry Dewey and everybody here at Allison for their extraordinary hospitality.

It is wonderful to be here.  I just had a chance to see the hybrid systems that you’re working on at the plant.  I love to see high-tech machinery like this.  I stand there and people explain it to me and I pretend like I know what they’re talking about.  (Laughter.)  But it looked outstanding.  (Laughter.)     
What you’re doing here at Allison Transmission is really important.  Today there are more than 3,800 buses using hybrid technology all over the world -– buses that have already saved 15 million gallons of fuel.  And pretty soon, you’ll be expanding this technology to trucks as well.  And that means we’ll have even more vehicles who are using even less oil.  That means more jobs here at Allison.  Last month, you added 50 jobs at this company and I hear that you plan to add another 200 over the next two years.  So we are very proud of that.  We are very happy about that.  (Applause.)  

This is where the American economy is rebuilding, where we are regaining our footing.  We just went through one of the worst recessions in our history, worst in our lifetimes, the worst since the Great Depression.  But this economic momentum that's taking place here at Allison is taking place all across the country.  Today we found out that we added another 268,000 private sector jobs in April.  (Applause.)  So that means over the past 14 months, just in a little bit over a year, we’ve added more than 2 million jobs in the private sector.

Now, we’ve made this progress at a time when our economy has been facing some serious headwinds -- and I don't need to tell you about that.  We've got high gas prices that have been eating away at your paychecks.  And that is a headwind that we've got to confront.  You’ve got the earthquake in Japan that has had an effect on manufacturing here.  So there are always going to be some ups and downs like these as we come out of a recession.  And there will undoubtedly be some more challenges ahead.

But the fact is that we are still making progress, and that proves how resilient the American economy is, and how resilient the American worker is, and that we can take a hit and we can keep on going forward.  That’s exactly what we're doing.  (Applause.)  

Now, despite the good work that's being done in Allison, obviously here in Indiana and all across the country there’s still some folks who are struggling.  And a lot of people are thinking, where are those new jobs going to come from, that pay well, have good benefits, can support a family?  And how do we finally reduce our dependence on oil so that we’re not hostage to high gas prices all the time?

The reason I’m here today is because the answers to these questions are right here at Allison, right here in these vehicles, right here in these transmissions.  This is where the jobs of the future are at.  We’re going to have a lot of jobs in the service sector because we’re a mature economy, but America’s economy is always going to rely on outstanding manufacturing, where we make stuff -- where we’re not just buying stuff overseas, but we’re making stuff here, and we’re selling it to somebody else.  And that's what Allison is all about.  (Applause.)

This is also where a clean energy economy is being built.  This is the kind of company that will make sure that America remains the most prosperous nation in the world.  See, other countries understand this.  We’re in a competition all around the world, and other countries -- Germany, China, South Korea -- they know that clean energy technology is what is going to help spur job creation and economic growth for years to come.

And that's why we’ve got to make sure that we win that competition.  I don't want the new breakthrough technologies and the new manufacturing taking place in China and India.  I want all those new jobs right here in Indiana, right here in the United States of America, with American workers, American know-how, American ingenuity.  (Applause.)

And that's also how we’re going to get gas prices under control.  Now, I confess, it’s been a while since I filled up.  (Laughter.)  Secret Service doesn't let me fill up my motorcade. (Laughter.)  But it hasn’t been that long ago since I watched those numbers scroll up and I know how tough it is.  If you’ve got to drive to work, and you may not be able to afford buying a new car, so you’ve got that old beater that gets you eight miles a gallon, it’s tough.  It is a huge strain on a lot of people.

But if we can transition to new technologies, that's what’s going to make a difference over the long term.  That's how we’re going to meet the goal that I’ve set of reducing the amount of oil that we import by one-third by the middle of the next decade.
We can hit that target.  We can hit that target.

Now, in the short term, we still need to do everything we can to encourage safe and responsible oil production here at home.  In fact, last year, American oil production reached its highest level since 2003.  So I want everybody to remember that if people ask -- because sometimes I get letters from constituencies saying, why aren’t we just drilling more here?  We’re actually producing more oil here than ever.  But the challenge is we’ve only got about 2 to 3 percent of the world’s oil reserves and we use 25 percent of the world’s oil.  So we can’t just drill our way out of the problem.

If we’re serious about meeting our energy challenge we’re going to have to do more than drill.  And that’s why the real solution is clean, homegrown energy.  The real solution is advanced biofuels -- and there’s a lot of good biofuel work being done here in Indiana.  It means that we’ve got to have natural gas vehicles.  We’ve got a lot of natural gas that can be produced here in the United States of America.  It means making our cars and trucks more energy-efficient, because if we use less oil, that reduces demand; that brings the price down; and you will see the impact at the pump.  That’s what’s going to make a difference and that’s why what you’re doing here is so important.

Now, it turns out even though they don’t let me go to the gas pump, I do have a lot of cars under my jurisdiction, as President.  The federal fleet is enormous, and we’ve already doubled the number of hybrids in the federal fleet.  And I’m directing every agency to make sure that 100 percent of our cars and trucks are fuel-efficient or clean-energy vehicles by 2015.  So you’re going to have a customer, hopefully in the United States government, because we want to make sure -- (applause) -- that we are making clean fuel-efficient cars and trucks.  (Applause.)   

We’ve also launched private sector partnerships with companies like FedEx, UPS, utility companies.  A lot of these companies that have trucks and delivery trucks that are used in urban areas with a lot of stops and starts are perfect for the technology that you’re building.  So we’re forming partnerships to make sure that you’ve got more customers.

And to spur the production of fuel-efficient cars and trucks across the country, we’ve reached an historic agreement with every major auto company.  Thanks to the leadership of Ray LaHood, they’re ramping up the fuel economy of their cars and trucks.  And that will not only save 1.8 billion barrels of oil, it’s going to save you, the average driver, about $3,000 at the pump as cars increasingly get better gas mileage.

And this July, we’re finalizing new fuel-efficiency standards for heavy-duty trucks for the first time in our history.  And that could actually end up saving us -- we were talking about this the other day -- it could end up saving us something like 500 billion barrels of oil, huge amounts of oil, because heavy trucks use so much.

We’re also promoting clean energy technologies in other ways, from investing in hybrid systems like the one Allison is developing for commercial trucks, to championing vehicles that run on clean-burning natural gas, to spurring the creation of next-generation batteries for electric vehicles.

You know, a few years ago, America only produced 2 percent of the world’s advanced batteries.  Those are the batteries that are going into these new electric cars.  Because of the investments that we made in the first two years that I was in office, we’re on track to produce 40 percent of the advanced batteries.  That is going to be a huge boon to American manufacturing.  (Applause.)  That’s an example of a big new industry that we can create right here in the United States of America.   

And to make sure we’re not only investing in clean energy technologies but encouraging people to use these new technologies, I’ve proposed a $7,500 tax rebate for electric vehicles.  So if you do have that old beater that you need to get rid of, and you decide that you’re going to buy a new car, choosing an electric car you can actually get a huge rebate that will save you money at the gas pump, but is also going to save money on your tax returns.  And that will make a big difference.
We should reward also communities that are making it easier for folks to use electric vehicles and leading the way when it comes to clean energy.  And that’s the kind of leadership that Indianapolis is showing.  You’re installing natural gas pumps around town and you’re taking other steps to promote clean energy.  And I hope cities and towns across this country follow in your example.

Of course, these investments in clean energy do cost some money, and we’re going to need to find a way to pay for them.  Part of the cost can be made up by putting an end to the unwarranted subsidies that we are giving oil companies right now through the tax code.  (Applause.)  I want everybody to listen here.  Oil companies over the last five years, through a recession, through ups and downs, the top five oil companies, their profits have ranged between $75 billion and $125 billion.  That's with a B -- not million; billion.  And yet, they still have a tax loophole that is costing taxpayers $4 billion every year.  Now, if you're already paying them at the pump, we don't need to pay them through the tax code.  We do not need to do it. (Applause.)  Especially at a time when we’re scouring every part of the budget to try to figure out how we bring down our deficit and our debt.

Now, if we’re honest with ourselves, we’ll admit that even if we end these taxpayer subsidies, we’re still going to have more work to do in getting control of our deficit and debt.  And I know that in this difficult fiscal climate, it may be tempting for some people to say let’s stop investing in hybrid technology; let’s stop investing in basic research; let’s stop investing in the infrastructure that's needed to make sure that we can transition to new forms of transportation.  That's the temptation.  But I profoundly disagree with that approach.

If we’re going to win the future, we’ve got to cut out the things we don't need, but still make investments in the things that we do.  That's what you do at home.  If somebody in your family loses a job, if your hours get cut, what do you do?  You may stop going out to a restaurant to eat.  You may decide we’re going to put off buying that new furniture or taking that vacation.  But you’re not going to stop fixing the boiler or the hole in the roof.  You’re not going to stop making sure that you got enough money to help your kids go to school.  Those are the things -- that's like your seed corn.  You don't eat that.

The same is true for the federal government.  We can’t cut investments in clean energy that are going to help us out-innovate and out-compete and help America win the future.  We’re not going to stop making investments that allow plants like this one to find the new ways of doing business in the future.

I want to make sure the federal government is right here with you as a partner with you as you move forward, and we can do it and still get control of our debt and our deficit if we do it smart.

For nearly 100 years this company has made its way forward through ups and through downs, making advances that have transformed everything from buses to planes to tanks.  Jim Allison actually helped start the Indy 500 back in 1909 -- not just to race cars, but to test new racecar components.  And that same spirit of innovation and ingenuity is what I’ve seen in the workers that I talked to today.

And that's why I’m so confident in this country.  That's why I’m so optimistic about our economic future -- because I believe in all of you.  I believe in the American worker, and I believe in American business.  For all the challenges we face, this country is still home to the most entrepreneurial, most industrious, most determined people on the planet.  There is nothing we cannot do so long as we put our mind to it, so long as we keep our eyes on the prize.  (Applause.)

And I’m going to keep on working with you to make sure we do that so long as I have the privilege of being President of the United States.

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

END
12:28 P.M. EDT

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
May 05, 2011

Remarks by the President at Cinco de Mayo Reception

East Room

6:21 P.M. EDT

      THE PRESIDENT:  Gracias, gracias.  (Applause.)

      AUDIENCE:  USA!  USA!  USA!

      THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you.  Gracias.  Buenas noches.  (Applause.)  Bienvenidos.  Welcome to the Cinco de Mayo at the White House.  (Applause.)   

      Nothing ruins a good fiesta like a long speech from a politician.  (Laughter.)  So I'm going to keep it short.

      MRS. OBAMA:  Keep it short.  (Laughter.)

      THE PRESIDENT:  Keep it short.  I just want to acknowledge a few proud Latinos and friends of Latinos who are here with us tonight:  A great friend to me and to the United States, Ambassador Arturo Sarukhan is here, from Mexico, with his lovely wife Verónica.  (Applause.)  Interior Secretary Ken Salazar is in the house.  (Applause.)  Labor Secretary Hilda Solis is here.  (Applause.)  Several members of Congress have made the trek tonight.  And everybody please join me in wishing a feliz cumpleaños to the chairman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, Charlie Gonzalez.  (Applause.)  Happy birthday, Charlie.  (Applause.)

      We are also joined by Hispanic Americans serving at every level of my administration, some who’ve contributed to a new website that we launched this week:  whitehouse.gov/Hispanic. (Applause.)  So check out the website.  And welcome to all of you who are serving on the commission to explore the creation of a new National Museum of the American Latino.  (Applause.)  Today they presented me with their final report to Congress, and I’m grateful for their hard work and hopefully we will see that museum become a reality.  So we're very grateful to them.

      Finally, I want to thank my -- my band, the United States Marine Band.  (Applause.)  And we are looking forward to hearing Javier Cortés spin some of his records, and he has done great work so I know that he’s going to keep this party lively this evening.  

      But this is really a day for commemorating our shared heritage.  Our shared heritage -- Mexicans and Americans.  It’s a day for remembering that America is a richer, stronger, more vibrant place thanks to the contributions of Mexican Americans to the life of this nation –- contributions in commerce, culture, in language and literature, in faith, and obviously in food.  (Laughter.)

      I asked Michelle the other day, I said, what’s your favorite food -- because we were sitting around with the girls.  She said, oh, Mexican food.  That's -- (applause.)  You do not want to be between Michelle and a tamale.  (Laughter.)  That is true.  That's true.  But she’s moving, though, so she can afford to have as many tamales as she wants.  (Laughter and applause.)

      It is also a day for honoring the service of the many Mexican Americans who serve proudly in our country’s uniform, and we are grateful to them.  (Applause.)

      And it’s a day we commit ourselves to advancing the aspirations of all Latinos, and reaffirm the ideals that we share as Americans.  That means improving the education that we provide to our children; strengthening the social safety net that we build for our seniors and the poor and the sick; living up to our values as a nation of immigrants that built this country into the economic powerhouse that it is and the beacon of hope that it is around the world.  (Applause.)

      I’ve talked to you in recent weeks about this immigration issue.  I strongly believe that we’ve got to fix this broken system so that it meets the needs of our 21st century economy and our security needs.  I want to work with Republicans and Democrats to protect our borders, to enforce our laws and also to address the status of millions of undocumented workers.  I want to sign the DREAM Act into law.  (Applause.)  This is not going to be easy.  It’s going to require bipartisan support.  I’m going to need your help.  We’ve got to keep doing the hard work of changing minds and changing hearts and changing votes, one at a time.  But all of you are going to be out there, and you're going to have to help make this happen.

      Let me just -- let me just wrap up by saying this.  Last week I had the honor of traveling down to Florida and delivering the commencement address at Miami Dade College.  And Dr. Eduardo Padrón is here.  (Applause.)   There he is over there.  And I want to brag on him a little bit because he’s actually a graduate of the school.

      This is a school with more than 170,000 students who come from 181 different countries, speak 94 different languages.  The graduates were so excited, they were so proud.  They spent a good portion of the ceremony dancing and doing the wave.  (Laughter.) I mean, you know, there were Cubanos there.  There were Haitians. There were -- there were Puerto Ricanos.  (Applause.)  I mean everybody was there.  (Laughter and applause.)  Everybody was there -- and everybody could dance.  (Laughter.)

      And they were excited not just to finally get their exams out of the way, but because they finally knew what it was to achieve a dream.  Many of them were the first in their families ever to graduate from college, and they overcame obstacles and defeated their own doubts to finish.  And a lot of their parents, they're crying, and they could only dream of such a day as was happening there.

      And by the way, Miami Dade is rated one of the top community colleges in the nation.  And as the ceremony -- the formal ceremony finally began, the dancing quieted down a little bit.  The students in the campus ROTC took turns marching the flags of the countries where -- of origin for each of the graduating students.  So you had 181 countries.  And the students would stand up and cheer after -- when the Haitian flag went by, or the Colombian flag went by.  You name it, right, everybody was getting up and cheering.

      Some flags received a lot of cheers.  (Laughter.)  Mexico, Guatemala.  (Applause.)  And then there were -- then there was like the Ukrainian flag.  (Laughter.)  And the Canadian flag, Estonia -- there were just a couple -- (laughter.)  But, I mean, they were proud, but it was just not as many people.  (Laughter.)
      But there was one flag that every single student and spectator cheered loudly and proudly for -- and that was when the American flag came through.  (Applause.)  The American flag.   (Applause.)  So it was a wonderful reminder -- we all come from different backgrounds, we have different beliefs, we have sometimes petty and sometimes not-so-petty political differences. But we all share a set of ideals.  We all have a common future.  We’re the heirs to mothers and fathers and grandparents, great grandparents, who struggled and sacrificed to forge and realize the American Dream.

      And that fills us with the collective responsibility to leave an even bigger and bolder, more generous, more compassionate nation for our children.  That's what drives me each day.  That's what inspires Michelle.  I know that's what drives many of you.

      So I am thrilled to have you here today where we celebrate your incredible heritage, but we also celebrate the incredible heritage of this great country of ours.  (Applause.)   

      God bless you.  Feliz Cinco de Mayo.  Muchas gracias.  Thank you.  (Applause.)

                              END                    6:32 P.M. EDT

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
May 05, 2011

Remarks by the President to Police Officers in New York, New York

First Precinct Police Station

New York, New York

12:38 P.M. EDT

THE PRESIDENT:  Well, listen, everybody, the -- I'm not here to make a long speech.  I am here basically to shake your hands and just to say how proud I am of all of you.

Obviously we had an important day on Sunday.  The reason, what is important, was because it sent a signal around the world that we have never forgotten the extraordinary sacrifices that were made on September 11th.  We've never forgotten the tragedy. We've never forgotten the loss of life.  We've never forgotten the courage that was shown by the NYPD, by the firefighters, by the first responders.

My understanding is all of you were there that day.  And I know you’ll never forget.  I know it’s hard to fill the hole that occurred as a consequence of you losing folks who you had worked with for so long.  But what, hopefully, this weekend does is it says we keep them in our hearts; we haven't forgotten; we said what we -- we did what we said we were going to do; and that Americans, even in the midst of tragedy, will come together, across the years, across politics, across party, across administrations, to make sure that justice is done.

And so since that time I know a lot of you have probably comforted loved ones of those who were lost.  A lot of you have probably looked after kids who grew up without a parent.  And a lot of you continue to do extraordinary -- extraordinarily courageous acts without a lot of fanfare.  What we did on Sunday was directly connected to what you do every single day.  And I know I speak for the military teams, the intelligence teams that helped get bin Laden in saying that we know the sacrifices and courage that you show as well, and that you are part of the team that helped us achieve our goal, but also help us keep our citizens safe each and every day.

So I couldn't be prouder of all of you.  I couldn't be more grateful to you.  And I hope that you know that the country will continue to stand behind you going forward, because there are still going to be threats out there and you're still going to be called on to take courageous actions and to remain vigilant, and you're going to have an entire country behind you when you do it.

All right?  God bless you.  (Applause.)

I very much appreciate the fact that Mayor Giuliani is here, because obviously we remember his leadership and courage on that day as well.  And it’s a testimony that we may have our differences, politically, in ordinary times, but when it comes to keeping this country safe, we are, first and foremost, Americans.

Thank you, Mr. Mayor.

MAYOR GIULIANI:  Thank you very much.

THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you, sir.  Appreciate you.

All right, thank you.  (Applause.)

END
12:42 P.M. EDT

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
May 05, 2011

Remarks by the President at "Pride of Midtown" Firehouse, Engine 54, Ladder 4, Battalion 9

New York, New York

11:29 A.M. EDT

THE PRESIDENT:  Well, listen, the main reason I came here is because I heard the food is pretty good.  (Laughter.)

But to the Commissioner, to Mayor Giuliani -- who obviously performed heroic acts almost 10 years ago -- but most of all, to all of you, I wanted to just come up here to thank you.

This is a symbolic site of the extraordinary sacrifice that was made on that terrible day almost 10 years ago.  Obviously we can't bring back your friends that were lost, and I know that each and every one of you not only grieve for them, but have also over the last 10 years dealt with their family, their children, trying to give them comfort, trying to give them support.

What happened on Sunday, because of the courage of our military and the outstanding work of our intelligence, sent a message around the world, but also sent a message here back home that when we say we will never forget, we mean what we say; that our commitment to making sure that justice is done is something that transcended politics, transcended party; it didn’t matter which administration was in, it didn’t matter who was in charge, we were going to make sure that the perpetrators of that horrible act -- that they received justice.

So it’s some comfort, I hope, to all of you to know that when those guys took those extraordinary risks going into Pakistan, that they were doing it in part because of the sacrifices that were made in the States.  They were doing it in the name of your brothers that were lost.

And finally, let me just say that, although 9/11 obviously was a high water mark of courage for the New York Fire Department and a symbol of the sacrifice, you guys are making sacrifices every single day.  It doesn’t get as much notoriety, it doesn’t get as much attention, but every time you run into a burning building, every time that you are saving lives, you're making a difference.  And that's part of what makes this city great and that's part of what makes this country great.

So I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart and on behalf of the American people for the sacrifices that you make every single day.  And I just want to let you know that you're always going to have a President and an administration who’s got your back the way you’ve got the backs of the people of New York over these last many years.

So God bless you.  God bless the United States of America.

And with that, I'm going to try some of that food.  All right?  Appreciate you.  Thank you.  (Applause.)

END
11:33 A.M. EDT

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
May 04, 2011

Remarks by the President Welcoming the Wounded Warrior Project's Soldier Ride

South Lawn

3:18 P.M. EDT

THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you.  (Applause.)  Good afternoon, everybody.  Welcome to the White House.  Thank you, Tammy, for the kind introduction, but more importantly, for your extraordinary service to our country in Iraq, in Illinois, and now as Assistant Secretary of the VA, where you’re a champion for your fellow wounded warriors.  God bless you.  We are so thankful for Tammy Duckworth.  Give her a big round of applause.  (Applause.)

I was proud to kick off this Soldier Ride two years ago.  I’m just as thrilled to be kicking it off today.  I’m pleased that we’re joined by a number of members of Congress here.  The sun is coming out just as we start.  We’re also joined by the Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and one of my top advisors over the last several years.  I couldn’t be more grateful to him -- General Jim “Hoss” Cartwright.  Please give him a big round of applause.  (Applause.)

Now, this is one of the most inspiring events that we do at the White House.  We’re joined by folks from every service.  We’ve got Army.  (Hooah!)  We’ve got some Navy folks.  (Applause.)  We’ve got Air Force.  (Applause.)  You know we’ve got some Marines.  (Oorah!)  And we’ve got some Coast Guard.  (Applause.)  And just as importantly, we are joined by those who serve and sacrifice alongside you, and that is all our outstanding military families.  (Applause.)

Now, you’ve all got your gear on.  You’re on your bikes.  You all look pretty sharp.

AUDIENCE MEMBER:  Thank you, sir.

THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you.  (Laughter.)   You’re ready to go.  So I’m not going to hold you back too long here with a long speech.  But it is important to remember what this day is about.

Today is a reminder -- as Michelle and Jill Biden have already said -- that every American, every single person in this country, can do something to support our remarkable troops and their families.  Everybody can do something.

So seven years ago, a bartender from Long Island had the same idea.  He wasn’t from a military family.  He had never served in the military.  But he knew that he owed our military something.  He was just an ordinary American who was grateful for the service of all those who wear the uniform.  And he said, “I just wanted to give something back.”

So he jumped on his bike and rode across the country -- over 5,000 miles -- to raise funds and awareness for our wounded warriors.  Today, there are Soldier Rides all across America giving our wounded warriors the confidence and support they need to recover.  That’s the difference a single person can make.  Today we want to thank Chris Carney and everyone from the Wounded Warrior Project for reminding us of our obligations to each other as Americans.  Give them a big round of applause.  (Applause.)

And today is also a tribute to all of you -- a generation that has written your own extraordinary chapter in the American story.  Our nation has been at war now for nearly 10 years.  Tour after tour, year after year, you’ve done your duty.  You’ve met every challenge, from the deserts of Iraq to the mountains of Afghanistan.  You’ve risked everything.  And you’ve carried in your hearts the memory of fallen heroes who gave everything.

You’ve earned your place among the greatest of generation of Americans.  And we saw that again this past weekend when -- thanks to the courage and precision of our forces -- the terrorist who started this war and who took so many innocent lives learned that America does not forget; America will ensure that justice is done.  (Applause.)

Of course, for our riders here today, coming home from war marked the beginning of another battle -- the battle to recover.  To stand again.  To walk again.  To relearn, in some cases, the simple things that are the true pleasures of life -- dancing with your spouse, or holding your children.  In many ways, this might have been the toughest battle they’ve ever fought.  

But I want all of you to know something.  You inspire me.  You inspire everybody here.  Michelle and I treasure the moments that we’ve had with some of you and your families.

Corporal Nickolas Edinger is here.  Where’s Nickolas?  Right there, right in the middle.  He was one of our special guests when Michelle and I hosted a recent dinner for military leaders at the White House.  He was serving in Afghanistan when an IED blast cost him one of his legs.  But he’s here today as part of his journey to recovery.  And I want to just welcome Nickolas back.

Private First Class Corey Kent.  Where’s Corey?  Corey is right there.  I met Corey during one of my visits to Walter Reed last year.  And it was my honor to pin a Purple Heart on him.  He’s lost both legs.  But he’s working hard to recover, and he’s here today, ready to ride.  So Corey, you are an inspiration.

Ted Wade is here.  Ted, where are you?  Right there.  After sustaining multiple injuries in Iraq, Ted’s doctors did not think he would survive.  But he persevered.  He pulled through.  And I was honored that Ted and his wife Sarah joined us last year when I signed legislation for veterans and caregivers.  I’m pleased that Ted and Sarah are back with us again today because I can report that starting next week, our veterans, wounded warriors and caregivers can start applying for the support that you need and deserve.  We are going to get this done, and we’re very proud of that.  (Applause.)

Now, Sarah once said of Ted, “Just like he needed a team in the military to accomplish the mission, he needs a team at home for the longer war.”  And so I say to all of you today, we’re going to keep building that team that you need for recovery.  We’re determined to take care of you as well as you’ve taken care of us.

So to all the riders here today, I want to say, as your Commander-in-Chief and as an American, thank you.  We are grateful for you.  You represent the very best in America.  And in your fight to recover and in the ride that you’re about to begin, we see the values and virtues that make our country great.

We may take a hit.  We may endure great loss.  But we are a strong and resilient people.  We push on.  We persevere.  We’re confident in our cause.  And we know that, like generations of Americans before us, we will emerge stronger than before.

So God bless you all.  God bless the United States of America.  And with that, let’s get this thing started.  I think I’ve got a horn.  (Applause.)

END
3:26 P.M. EDT

The White House

Office of the Vice President

For Immediate Release
May 04, 2011

Remarks by the Vice President at the Atlantic Council's 50th Anniversary Dinner

The Ritz Carlton Washington, D.C.

7:25 P.M. EDT
 
     THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Thank you very much.  You are very gracious.  (Applause.)
 
     As my grandfather Finnegan would say -- (laughter) -- if there’s one audience in the entire world that would know that hardly anything Chuck said about me was true, it’s all of you.  (Laughter.)
 
     As you can tell -- I hope you can tell Chuck is not only -- was not only a valued colleague, he is one of my closest friends.  And I always kid with him, if we had grown up in the same neighborhood, we would have hung out together our whole lives.
 
     Ladies and gentlemen, I’m honored to be invited to speak to such, and I mean this sincerely, an illustrious audience.  And I understand everyone from Colin Powell to -- well, there’s just so many distinguished folks out there that I can’t see, but I’m told are here.  (Laughter.)
 
     And I’m flattered to be asked to come and help celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Atlantic Council.  Let me briefly acknowledge tonight’s distinguished honorees.  Admiral James Stavridis is a -- is the real deal.  He can tell you more about and understands the incredible, the phenomenal, the just almost unbelievable capacity of his Navy SEALs and what they did last Sunday.  (Applause.)
 
     Placido Domingo is probably the only man who could appropriately sing their praises.  (Laughter.)  And Muhtar Kent said he is sending them a lifetime supply of Coca-Cola. (Laughter.)
 
     But, all kidding aside, congratulations to the honorees.  I want to congratulate the Council also on its two new and very ambitious initiatives, the Brent Scowcroft Center on International Security and the Rafik Hariri Center on the Middle East.  I know Brent is here, and I think Nazik is here as well.  Congratulations, fellas.  (Applause.)
 
And, Nazik, on a personal note, give your family my best.  Your mother was so incredibly gracious to me in Beirut and your family was so open in hosting me several years ago in a time of great sorrow in your family.  And I just wish everyone well.
    
General Jones, a good friend and a former colleague is here.  I hope it’s appropriate to also acknowledge one dear friend of all of ours who is not here tonight, Ron Asmus, who passed away this last weekend.  (Applause.)  He passed away after a very -- he was a young man and -- a very long fight with cancer.  As everyone knows here, Ron made extraordinary contributions to the transatlantic relationship, and he will be sorely missed.
 
     Folks, I’d be remiss also if I didn’t say an extra word about the incredible events, extraordinary events of this past Sunday.  As Vice President of the United States, as an American, I was in absolute awe -- awe of the capacity and dedication of the entire team, both the intelligence community, the CIA, the SEALs.  It just was extraordinary.
 
     And what was even more extraordinary was -- and I’m sure former administration officials will appreciate this more than anyone -- there was such an absolute, overwhelming desire to accomplish this mission that although for over several months we were in the process of planning it and there were are many as 16 members of Congress who were briefed on it, not a single solitary thing leaked.  I find that absolutely amazing.  (Applause.)
 
And those brave professionals who tracked and killed Osama bin Laden, it was just a -- it was actually breathtaking.  It was a staggering undertaking.  And there was no one else, I believe, other than an American group of military warriors who could do it.  And the world is a safer place today, not only for the American people, but for all people.
 
I was pleased.  I was pleased and, I must tell you, a little bit surprised, but pleased by the reactions that have poured in over all corners of the globe from all peoples, from the region and from every corner of the globe.  At the same time, our thoughts and prayers remain with the innocent victims of terror and their loved ones both here and abroad, because we know that this triumph -- this triumph is continuing nonetheless, a continued struggle they all have, missing their loved ones who were taken out by this butcher.
 
And the pain still exists.  And in a bizarre way, it brings a lot of it back to the surface.  So they remain in our thoughts and our prayers.  But I think one clear message has gone out to the world, there is no place to hide, no place you can hide when the United States decides from one administration to the next that we will, in fact, reach a goal, meet the goal, we are determined.  And we will relentlessly, without any hesitation, follow on that commitment -- Democrat, Republican, it doesn’t matter.
 
But, look, folks, I’m here tonight to talk about the importance of the transatlantic relationship and this 50th anniversary of the Council.  Five  decades, the Council has enriched the public debate on both sides of the Atlantic and, not incidentally, helped forge consensus not just among the political leaders, but consensus among the elites and the populations of all our countries to deal with some of the hardest, most difficult and divisive foreign policy issues we have faced and will continue to face.
 
You have been relentless, relentless champions of the critically important idea that is the essence of why you exist, the idea that American leadership, side-by-side with our partners in the Atlantic community, can and will meet all the great challenges of our day.  And we’ll do it together, because it’s much more difficult and sometimes not possible when we try to do it independently.  And that remains -- that remains true for the future challenges we will face.
 
The Atlantic Council was born, as you all know, at a time of crisis in 1961, as the Wall that became the Cold War’s defining symbol was being erected.  American and Soviet troops faced off across the divided city of Berlin, and a young American President, confronting the greatest challenge of his time, declared, and I quote, “We seek peace, but we shall not surrender.”
 
He went on to say, “the Atlantic community, as we know it, has been built in a response to challenge.  Now, standing strong and prosperous after an unprecedented decade of process -- of progress, the Atlantic community will not forget either its history or the principles which gave it meaning.”
 
Those words are as relevant, in my view, and I suspect the view of all of you in this room today in 2011, as they were when they were spoken in 1961.  America’s partners across the Atlantic remain our oldest friends, our -- and collectively our closest allies.  And it’s hard to imagine -- it’s hard to imagine a single threat or opportunity that we cannot address more effectively if we do it together.
 
As President Obama said not too long ago, he said, “Europe is the cornerstone of our engagement with the world and a catalyst for global cooperation.”  With no other region of the world does the United States share so many values, interests, capabilities, and goals.  That doesn’t mean we agree on everything.  God knows we’ve all attended those interminable conferences about whither NATO -- (laughter) -- God knows we’ve been declared dead so many times by the chattering class.
 
We obviously don’t agree on everything, even to this day.  But we agree on this, we need each other.  We’re stronger with each other.  And we can do more for the world with each other.
 
Let me say it flatly, we have -- the President and I, and all of you in this room, I suspect, we have and will continue to support a strong, vibrant European Union.  We believe a stronger EU means a stronger Europe.  And a stronger Europe is fundamentally in the interest of the United States of America.
 
Everyone -- everyone -- in this room knows the facts:  The EU is our largest trading partner and our trading relationship supports millions of jobs on both sides of the Atlantic.
 
Together, we have broadened and deepened our counterterrorism cooperation, kept 800 million citizens of the United States and the EU safe from devastating attacks since 9/11, although there have been attacks in Europe, although more remains to be done.
 
It’s hard to imagine how it can get done without us staying together.  Together, we have put an unprecedented pressure on Iran through strong, coordinated sanctions.  Together, we’ve worked to resolve political crises in South Sudan, Belarus, Burma, Yemen.  And together, we’ve joined forces in response to the wave of popular uprising across the Middle East that will reverberate probably for several decades.
 
The work of this partnership intersects on many fronts with our leadership in NATO, the greatest military alliance in the history of mankind.  We know that we had to adapt NATO to this changing world and expand it from 12 founding members to 28, as a consequence of the profound changes that have taken place in the last two decades.
 
My colleagues are always kidding me, because I’m always quoting Irish poets.  (Laughter.)  There’s a great line -- and it’s not my grandfather, it’s an Irish poet.  (Laughter.)  William Butler Yeats has a great line in the poem about his Ireland in 1916.  It’s called, Easter Sunday, 1916, talking about the first rising in Ireland of the 20th century.  There’s a line -- he said, “All has changed, changed utterly.  A terrible beauty has been born.”
 
All has changed, changed utterly since the early ‘90s, and a terrible beauty has been born.  And it will be shaped either looking ugly or beautiful in large part by the kind of cooperation, the extension of cooperation the Atlantic alliance continues to engage in.
 
The end of the Cold War, the end of the bipolar world, the birth of newly democratic and newly independent nations across the European continent, the emerge of transatlantic threats -- transnational threats, I should say, like nuclear proliferation and stateless terrorism.  The most recent step came at Lisbon last November, when NATO adopted a new strategic concept to help meet the 21st century challenges.
 
President Obama and I firmly believe that there must be no distinction between old and new members of NATO.  So to adapt, we began to move, and all of us moved together, on making sure that the Article 5 commitments extended to every nation in NATO not implicitly, explicitly.  An attack on one is an attack on all, because all NATO members deserve the same protection.
 
We also updated our mission to address the modern threats like ballistic missile proliferation and cyber attacks.  And we have finally settled the old debate about whether NATO should act outside of the treaty area by recognizing the alliance must be prepared to respond both within Europe and beyond Europe.  That includes Afghanistan, where troops are bravely working to disrupt, dismantle, and eventually defeat al Qaeda, and to help build up an Afghan security force so that Afghanistanis never again -- or Afghanistan never again becomes the haven for terrorists.
 
In Lisbon, we agreed to a transition plan to Afghani control and to start that transition this year.  We agreed that in July, we will start drawing down NATO forces in Afghanistan.  We agreed that by the end of 2014, Afghans will have full responsibility for security throughout their country.  We also agreed on a path forward on missile defense, a system designed first and foremost to guard against threats to Europe and deployed U.S. forces.  But that will ultimately, in the process, enhance and protect the American people as well.
 
We invited Russia to cooperate with us to develop a missile defense capability.  I spent an extensive amount of time with Prime Minister Putin and with President Medvedev not but two months ago, discussing how we move forward on this.  And I believe we will.  We want Russia to be an integral part of the Atlantic community, a partner that shares interests with America, NATO, and all of Europe, and a key to forging an arc of stability from Western Europe to the Pacific.  We have a long way to go, but it’s something worth pursuing.
 
We reset our relationship with Russia.  In the first speech the administration made, I was asked to make it in Munich immediately after being elected.  We announced at the Munich Conference back in 2009 that we were going to reset, and it’s yielded significant results.  It led to a new START Treaty and to an unprecedented cooperation on counterterrorism and nuclear proliferation threats like Iran and North Korea.
 
Missile defense cooperation could be the next big step forward, and an active discussion is underway.  Meanwhile, Europe and the United States are also embarking on a new frontier of economic ties with Russia that complements this growing strategic relationship.  Toward that end, I and the President are committed and we’ve made it clear -- I’ve made it clear to Medvedev -- to President Medvedev and Prime Minister Putin when I traveled to Russia in March that the United States strongly supports Russia’s accession to the WTO and that we will work with the Congress to lift Jackson-Vanik, an anachronistic situation which long ago accomplished its original objectives.  It’s in our interest for them to move west.  Simply put, we think better bilateral relations with Russia has been better for the world and for Europe, and particularly Eastern Europe.
 
At the same time we set this reset button, we made it clear that there are certain red lines.  We do not recognize any nation having a sphere of influence.  And it will remain our view that sovereign states have the right to make their own decisions and to choose their own alliances.  So there has not been any ambiguity on that point with our friends in Russia.
 
As I said at the outset, this is a world in transition.  Twenty years ago, Europeans from Berlin to Vladivostok began a difficult journey to freedom, journeys that captured the imagination and inspired the whole world.  Today, these nations are free -- by and large, if not totally.  And they can be a shining example for Egyptians and Tunisians and others who are embarking on a similar transition in an entire swath of the world.  That’s why we no longer think in terms of what we can do for countries in Eastern and Central Europe and the South Caucasus, but what can we do with them and with all of our Atlantic partners to continue this progress.
 
Our relationship with Europe will be essential as we move from the confrontation to cooperation with Russia, and as we navigate the transformation that’s taking place in the Middle East.  That’s what we mean when we say, “Europe is the cornerstone of our engagement and a catalyst for global cooperation.”
 
The President’s national security strategy recognizes this reality.  It says, and I quote, “The burdens of a young century cannot fall on America’s shoulders alone.”  And, thus far, this year our allies have played a leading role in NATO’s newest missions to protect the Libyan people from a murderous dictator.  And, as a consequence of our unity, we are joined by regional partners like Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, and others with the will and the capacity to contribute, like Sweden.  This is burden sharing in action, and it benefits everyone.
 
But burden sharing requires a sustained commitment to the alliance’s goals.  We strongly believe that membership in NATO brings with it responsibilities -- a responsibility that can only be met by devoting a sufficient amount of resources to the defense of that country.
 
For many years, only a handful of NATO’s members have reached the defense spending target of 2 percent of GDP.  So we will continue to urge our allies, even in these difficult economic times, to devote resources that today’s challenges require so that we can all -- so that we’re all capable of meeting those challenges together.
 
Folks, the arc of history is not very long here.  NATO was formed only 60 years ago, when Europe was in chaos.  In that short timeframe, together we’ve made remarkable, astonishing progress.  After we crushed fascism, we dismantled communism, raised the standard of living for all of Europe, and provided for the most universal application of human rights and prosperity Europe has ever seen in its entire history.
 
And, in spite of this, for over three decades, as I said earlier, I’ve been attending meetings where the question is, is the alliance still relevant?  Is NATO still relevant?  Can the transatlantic relationship be sustained?
 
     Well, ladies and gentlemen, the truth is the relationship remains as central to our interests -- our mutual interests in my view -- as it ever has.  And this alliance continues to serve the interest of its members.
 
     I wanted my children, if you excuse, as we say in the Senate, a point of personal reference, my children and grandchildren to understand how remarkable this progress has been and to fully understand that they had to be aware of what it was like prior to the alliance, prior to NATO in order to make sure that their generation understood why this had to continue.
 
     So years ago when my grown sons were 15 years old each, like many of you, I took them to Europe.  The first stop in the case of each of my sons in successive years was Dachau.  I wanted them to see -- I wanted them to see not only the inhumanity that was visited upon mankind but how far we’ve come and the progress that was made in spite of that, that it was at that time, not more than 40 years before.
 
     I brought my -- speaking of Finnegan -- I brought my granddaughter Finnegan Biden on one of these trips recently into Prague so I could show her -- let her see with her own eyes in the not-so-distant past how freedom triumphed over 20th century tyrannies of fascism and communism.  It’s important that this generation and future generations understand how and why these accomplishments were made possible.  Sacrifices and hard work and shared values was what made them possible.  And ultimately, it was the recognition that together -- together -- we could change the face of the world.
 
     Let me end where I began:  The next half century of transition will be just as consequential as the last half century of the last century.  Ladies and gentlemen, I think we’re going to look back, our children and grandchildren are going to look back and see how well did we navigate these incredible changes that run from the Caucasus all the way to China, from Tunisia all the way -- from Morocco all the way to Pakistan and India because the changes are going to be profound -- profound.
 
     Advancing the lot of humanity is going to continue to depend upon in my view the solidarity of the Atlantic community.  It’s going to fall to future generations and to organizations like the Atlantic Council to sustain this partnership.  And once again, our children and our grandchildren will hear about why it’s not necessary, why it’s too difficult, why it requires too much effort.  Well, I’m here to tell you that if they don't exercise the same degree of effort, attempt the same degree of solidarity and stay with it, the next 50 years will not be written as well as they might otherwise be.
 
     I’m hopeful and confident that 50 years from now on your 100th anniversary, I will be your speaker.  No -- (Laughter.)  On the hundredth anniversary, you’ll have a speaker to testify to even greater security and prosperity that it helps to provide for all peoples.
 
     Thank you again for allowing me to be with you, and God bless you all.  And may God protect our troops.  Thank you.  (Applause.)

END
7:48 P.M. EDT

The White House

Office of the First Lady

For Immediate Release
May 03, 2011

Remarks by the First Lady at "Let's Move! Flash Workout" event

Alice Deal Middle School

Washington, D.C.

1:47 P.M. EDT

MRS. OBAMA:  Wow!  (Applause and cheers.)  Well, I wanted to come and surprise you all.  You surprised?

CHILDREN:  Yes!

MRS. OBAMA:  Well, I’m excited.  I mean, let me tell you, from the time that we launched "Let's Move," this is one of the things that I was thinking about.  I know all of you love Beyoncé, right?

CHILDREN:  Yes!

MRS. OBAMA:  Me, too!  Beyoncé is one of my favorite performers on the planet.  And when she agreed to remake her video and do this "Let's Move" flash workout, I was so excited, because this is what we’ve been talking about -- that exercise and moving can be fun.  It’s about dancing, it’s about moving.  And if you’re doing this, if you all practiced and learned this video, you were working out.  You could teach it to your little brothers and sisters, to your parents.  All of this is the kind of movement -- and this is way more fun than sitting in front of the TV.  Am I right?

CHILDREN:  Yes!

MRS. OBAMA:  So this is an exciting day.  Over 600 schools all over the country -- and I heard they even did this in Japan -- at this same time are going to be doing what you’re doing, and I wanted to be here and see it.

Now, I haven’t had time to learn the moves.  I’ve watched the video.  I haven’t been like you guys, so I’m going to be off to the side just trying not to embarrass myself, but I am so excited to see you all get going.

So with that, I’m turning it back over to Angie, and I want to see you all moving, all right?  Okay!  (Applause.)

(The kids dance the “Let’s Move Flash Workout.)

MRS. OBAMA:  That was great!  You all have to cool off now.  Cool off!  That was wonderful!  You guys are awesome.  I’m so proud of you all.  Just keep it up.  Keep moving.  Keep eating right.  Keep exercising.  You got it?  You want to do it again?

CHILDREN:  Yes!

MRS. OBAMA:  One more time!  One more time!

END
1:52 P.M. EDT

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
May 03, 2011

Remarks by the President Honoring the 2011 National and State Teachers of the Year

Rose Garden

11:58 A.M. EDT

THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you, everybody.  Thank you.  Thank you, everybody.  Please have a seat, please have a seat.

What a beautiful day -- a wonderful day to celebrate teachers and teaching.  I am honored to welcome this group of outstanding teachers behind me to the White House.  (Applause.)  They are the best of the best.  And even though we can never really thank teachers enough, today is a chance to offer them a small token of our appreciation for the difference they make in the lives of our children and the future of our country.

I want to start by acknowledging somebody who I think will end up being one of the greatest Secretaries of Education we’ve ever had, could not be more passionate about making sure that our young people get a great start in life, and that’s Arne Duncan.  Give him a big round of applause.  (Applause.)

I am very proud that we’ve got some wonderful members of Congress who are here from the great state of Maryland, who I think are pretty proud of you.  (Laughter.)

As I’ve said before, it’s not just the winners of the Super Bowl who deserve to be celebrated.  And that’s why I also want to welcome the teams from the National Science Bowl who are here with us today.  Where are they?  There you are, right back there.  Good to see you.  (Applause.)  Secretary Chu told me that you all did a great job this year.  So congratulations.

And finally, I want to congratulate our state and national Teachers of the Year.

Now, I’m not sure if you can tell, but it’s been a while since I was in school.  (Laughter.)  I haven’t had to ask for a hall pass in a few years.  I think it is important to note -- this is off script, but the Teacher of the Year from Hawaii -- where is she?  Wave -- teaches at the first school I ever went to, Noelani School up in Manoa in Hawaii.  (Applause.)  So I thought that was pretty cool.  (Laughter.)  I went there in first grade.  (Laughter.)  It’s a wonderful school.

But even after all this time, I still remember the special teachers that touched my life.  And we all do.  We remember the way they challenged us, the way they made us feel, how they pushed us, the encouragement that they gave us, the values that they taught us, the way they helped us to understand the world and analyze it and ask questions.  They helped us become the people that we are today.

For me, one of those people was my fifth-grade teacher, Ms. Mabel Hefty.  When I walked into Ms. Hefty’s classroom for the first time, I was a new kid who had been living overseas for a few years, had a funny name nobody could pronounce.  But she didn’t let me withdraw into myself.  She helped me believe that I had something special to say.  She made me feel special.  She reinforced the sense of empathy and thoughtfulness that my mother and my grandparents had tried hard to instill in me -- and that’s a lesson that I still carry with me as President.

Ms. Hefty is no longer with us, but I often think about her and how much of a difference she made in my life.  And everybody has got a story like that, about that teacher who made the extra effort to shape our lives in important ways.

What people I think don’t realize is just how much work and how much sacrifice it takes to make that connection.  My sister is a teacher, and so I’ve had the occasion of just watching her preparing lesson plans and then going out of her way to call that student who she thinks has potential but is slipping away, and working with parents who maybe don’t know how to support their kids.  And it’s tiring work, but how incredibly gratifying it must be.

Because in the end, the most effective teachers are the ones who are constantly striving to get better and help their students get better.  Those teachers who stay up late grading papers.  The teachers who give up their afternoons and free periods to give that student a little bit of extra one-on-one help, and spend evenings and weekends developing lesson plans and activities that don’t just teach the material, but make it come alive.  And the teachers who see the potential in students even when the students themselves don’t see that potential.

And the teacher standing next to me, Michelle Shearer, I think is an example of that kind of teacher.  Michelle teaches AP chemistry at Urbana High School in Maryland.  Before that, she taught chemistry and math at the Maryland School for the Deaf.  That’s, in fact, how I just learned she got into teaching, was initially volunteering, working with deaf students.

Michelle’s specialty is taking students who are normally underrepresented in science –- minorities, women, students with disabilities, even students who say equations and formulas are just not their thing –- and helping them discover the scientist within.

At the Maryland School for the Deaf, Michelle taught AP chemistry for the first time in the school’s 135-year history, explaining concepts like kinetics and electrochemistry using only her hands.  When she suggested her students also sign up for AP calculus, she was met with some questioning looks.  “Why?” one student asked.  And she said, “Because you can,” she signed back.  And for the next two years, she spent her planning period teaching calculus, probability, and statistics to students who never would have had the opportunity to take those classes otherwise.

When Michelle moved to Urbana in 2006, 11 students were enrolled in AP chemistry.  This year, there are 92.  Some of her former students have gone on to become science and math teachers themselves, applying the techniques they learned in the classroom to make a tough subject manageable and fun.  One student wrote, “…you have not only shown me how to be the best chemistry student I can be, but also the best person I can be.”

I should also mention, by the way, that Michelle’s husband is an AP physics teacher and her dad and mom, who are here, your dad taught --

MS. SHEARER:  Chemistry.  He was a chemist.

THE PRESIDENT:   -- chemistry.  He was a chemist.  So -- and her mom was a music teacher.  So she had a little bit of a jump on this whole teaching thing -- (laughter) -- and this whole science thing.  But what an incredible testament when a student tells you not only you made chemistry interesting, but you made them a better person.

America will only be as strong in this century as the education that we provide our students.  And at a time when our success as a nation depends on our ability to out-educate other countries, we desperately need more Michelles out there.

And that’s why we’ve set a goal of preparing 100,000 new teachers in the field of science, technology, engineering, and math over the next decade -- fields that will give students the skills they need to compete with their peers anywhere in the world.  And to help those teachers succeed, I’ve called on Congress to move quickly to fix No Child Left Behind in a way that makes it less punitive, more focused, more flexible.  That means doing a better job of preparing teachers, doing a better job of measuring their success in the classroom, helping them improve in providing professional development, and then holding them accountable.  Because if we truly believe in the importance of teachers, then we’ve got to help teachers become more effective.

In the words of one of my favorite poets, William Butler Yeats, “Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire.”  Teachers here today, and thousands like them, are surrounded every day by young people who will shape our future.  But it takes a special person to recognize that.  It takes a special person to light that fire, to raise our children’s expectations for themselves, and never give up on them no matter how challenging it might be.

All of us are here because at some point somebody did that for us.  And so today, we are honored to recognize these outstanding men and women and all the teachers like them who have always had –- and will continue to have -– such an important impact on our lives.

So with that, I would like to present Michelle with her apple.  (Applause.)

MS. SHEARER:  Thank you, Mr. President, Secretary Duncan, distinguished guests, family and friends.  What a privilege to be at the White House on National Teacher Day and to stand together with all the Teachers of the Year as we represent America’s dedicated educators.

I am humbled to accept this honor.  And as we celebrate the success we’ve achieved in our classrooms, I see the faces of students -- my 90 Advanced Placement chemistry students who took their AP exam yesterday.  (Laughter.)  Students I taught over a decade ago who now teach with me in the public schools.  Deaf and hard-of-hearing students, and students with special needs who taught me always to see abilities, not disabilities.  And students, like my 5-year-old daughter, young children full of promise and potential.  (Laughter.)

As teachers we advocate for students, and as Teachers of the Year we represent our colleagues.  There are millions of teachers in America and we could all be pursuing different careers, but we choose to use our gifts and talents to benefit students in the classroom.

Elementary school teachers lay the foundation for a child’s academic success.  Middle school teachers engage students with creative instruction and teach the skills students need to become self-sufficient learners.  High school teachers empower students to take ownership of their education as they prepare for college and careers.

Collectively, we teach critical thinking, creative problem solving, collaboration, communication, independence, adaptability, self-confidence, and resilience -- skills and habits of mind our students need to succeed in school and in life.

Our passions include the arts, world languages, English language arts, history, social sciences, physical education, business education, career education, and STEM -- science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.  And whatever grade or subject we teach, it’s a challenge to meet the individual needs of diverse learners in our classrooms.

And we’re proud to share in our students’ achievements.  My classroom bulletin boards are covered with pictures of students I’ve taught over the past 14 years -- students who are my daily inspiration to continue my commitment to teaching, a profession that requires a tremendous investment of personal energy and time, one that calls for love, compassion, and dedication.

But commitment to education must extend beyond the walls of the classroom.  Parents’ support and community involvement are essential to ensure the success of our students.  Resources and technology are essential to improve the quality of our schools.  Our teachers -- I’m sorry -- our students need innovative teachers and visionary leaders to move public education forward by working together.

We thank you, President Obama and Secretary Duncan, for your leadership and for your focus on education as a national priority.  We look forward to working with you to promote the success of our students and what’s best for our schools.

My students will tell you that I love to give pep talks, and Friday was their last one before their AP chemistry exam.  And among other things, I said, you are problem-solvers.  No matter how challenging the questions, have confidence, forge ahead, and make progress toward solutions.

Likewise in education, no matter how challenging the issues, we must be problem-solvers.  And as we continue to debate ideas, allocate resources, and implement change, we must make progress in a positive direction and always -- always -- see the faces of our students.  Thank you.  (Applause.)

THE PRESIDENT:  I think you can see why Michelle is Teacher of the Year.  I think I’m going to send her up to Congress to give them a pep talk.  (Laughter.)

Thank you, everybody.  This ends the ceremony, but again, we are so grateful to Michelle, but we are also grateful to all the Teachers of the Year.  Give them one more big round of applause.

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

END
12:13 P.M. EDT

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
May 02, 2011

Remarks by the President at Congressional Bipartisan Dinner

East Room

8:03 P.M. EDT
 
     THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you.  Thank you, everyone.  Please -- thank you.  Everybody, please have a seat.  Good evening, all of you.  On behalf of Michelle and myself, I just want to welcome everybody to the White House.  We scheduled this dinner a few weeks ago because I thought it would be a good opportunity for leaders of both parties and their spouses to spend some time together outside of politics.  And tonight seems like an especially fitting occasion to do this.
 
Obviously we’ve all had disagreements and differences in the past.  I suspect we’ll have them again in the future.  But last night, as Americans learned that the United States had carried out an operation that resulted in the capture and death of Osama bin Laden, we -- (applause) -- you know, I think we experienced the same sense of unity that prevailed on 9/11.  We were reminded again that there is a pride in what this nation stands for, and what we can achieve, that runs far deeper than party, far deeper than politics.
 
I want to again recognize the heroes who carried out this incredibly dangerous mission, as well as all the military and counter-terrorism professionals who made the mission possible.  I also want to thank the members of Congress from both parties who have given extraordinary support to our military and our intelligence officials.  Without your support, they could not do what they do.
 
I know that that unity that we felt on 9/11 has frayed a little bit over the years, and I have no illusions about the difficulties of the debates that we’ll have to be engaged in, in the weeks and months to come.  But I also know there have been several moments like this during the course of this year that have brought us together as an American family, whether it was the tragedy in Tucson or, most recently, our unified response to the terrible storms that have taken place in the South.
 
Last night was one of those moments.  And so tonight, it is my fervent hope that we can harness some of that unity and some of that pride to confront the many challenges that we still face.  But to all of you here tonight, we are joyful that you could join us.  And please have a little bit of fun.  All right?  Thank you very much, everybody.  (Applause.)

END
8:06 P.M. EDT