The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
January 07, 2015

Remarks by the President on the Resurgence of the American Auto Industry

Michigan Assembly Plant
Wayne, Michigan

4:22 P.M. EST

THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you, everybody!  (Applause.)  Give Mia a big round of applause for that outstanding introduction.  (Applause.)  Well, hello, Michigan!  (Applause.)  Happy New Year to everybody.

AUDIENCE:  Happy New Year!

AUDIENCE MEMBER:  I love you!

THE PRESIDENT:  I -- what was that?  I love you back.  (Laughter.) 

I want to thank all the outstanding leaders that we’ve got here today.  I want to introduce some of them.  We’ve got Secretary of Labor Tom Perez here.  (Applause.)  We’ve got Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan here.  (Applause.)  Senator Gary Peters is in the house.  (Applause.)  Congresswoman Debbie Dingell is here.  (Applause.)  Your outstanding CEO, Mark Fields, is here.  (Applause.) 

Now, I have to say I love the Secret Service, I love the Beasts that they put me in and -- that’s what we call the cars I drive in, “the Beasts.”  So I like my ride these days.  And it was made in Michigan, too.  (Applause.)  But I just had a chance to look at these new Mustangs, and I’ve got to say that the Mustangs have a little more style, a little more flavor.  (Laughter and applause.)

Bill Ford is in the house.  (Applause.)  Surprisingly enough, we talked a little bit about Sunday.  (Laughter.)  Now, listen, I’m a Bears fan.  You beat us twice.  But even a Bears fan has to admit --

AUDIENCE MEMBER:  We got hosed!

THE PRESIDENT:  -- that that was a little suspect.  (Applause.)  I have never seen anything like that before.  I would have been pretty irritated.  Were you irritated?  Oh, yes. (Laughter.)  But all I can say -- because I’m used to saying this, I’m a Bears fan -- there’s always next year.  (Laughter.)  And look, you’ve got a lot to be hopeful for.  First of all, you’ve got one of the best defenses in the league.  (Applause.)  A fine young quarterback, Megatron.  And if there’s one thing that you can take to the bank when talking about Detroit is that Detroit always comes back.  (Applause.)  Detroit always comes back.  (Applause.)

And that’s why I’m here today.  One of my New Year’s resolutions is to make sure that more Americans in Wayne, more Americans in Michigan, more Americans all across this great country -- that everybody feels like they’re coming back.  And there is no doubt, thanks to the steps that we took early on to rescue our economy and to rebuild it on a new foundation, we are entering into the New Year with new confidence that America is coming back.  (Applause.)

Now, you don’t have to take my word for it.  The facts are the facts.  And let’s face it, a lot of times the media doesn’t like reporting on good news, but every once in a while, it’s important for us to hear some good news, not to make us complacent, but to give us confidence that if we work harder, we can make even more good news. 

So here’s how we begin this year.  Last year, 2014, was the strongest year for job growth since the 1990s.  (Applause.)  Since the 1990s.  (Applause.)  We’ve now had a 57-month streak of private sector job creation.  We’ve created nearly 11 million new jobs.  That’s the longest stretch in our history of private sector, uninterrupted job creation.  (Applause.)  

Here’s another way of thinking about it.  Since 2010, we, America, have put more people back to work than Europe, Japan, and every other advanced economy combined.  (Applause.)  Combined.  (Applause.)  And let me tell you what’s leading the way:  American manufacturing.  After a decade of decline, American manufacturing is in its best stretch of job growth since the 1990s.  Here in Michigan, manufacturers have created more than 100,000 jobs, helping to cut your unemployment rate in half.

So we’re making more stuff.  We’re selling it around the world.  America is the number-one producer of oil, the number-one producer of gas.  It’s helping to save drivers about a buck-ten a gallon at the pump over this time last year.  (Applause.)  And the cars that you make help everybody go a little further on that gallon of gas.  (Applause.)

Thanks to the Affordable Care Act -- also known as Obamacare -- (applause) -- about 10 million Americans gained health insurance just over this last year.  We’ve cut our deficits by about two-thirds.  I’d like people to think about that, because when they do surveys of, like, ordinary folks on the street and they ask them, are the deficits going up or are they coming down, everybody automatically assumes, well, government spending and deficits must be going up.  Deficits have come down by two-thirds since I took office -- by two-thirds.  They’re going down.  (Applause.)  And after 13 long years, our war in Afghanistan has come to a responsible end, which means more of our brave troops have come home and spent time with their families during the holidays.  (Applause.)

So the point is we’re moving.  These six years have been tough, demanded hard work, demanded sacrifice on everybody’s part.  You guys know that more than most.  Which means that as a country, we have every right to be proud of what we’ve got to show for all that hard work. 

America’s resurgence is real.  Don’t let anybody tell you otherwise.  We’ve got the best cards and we are doing better than just about anybody else on Earth.  And now that we’ve got some calmer waters, now that the worst of the crisis is behind us, if we all do our part, if we all pitch in, then we can make sure that this rising tide is actually lifting all the boats, not just some.  We can make sure that the middle class is the engine that powers American prosperity for decades to come.  

And that’s going to be the focus of my State of the Union address in a couple of weeks -- building on the progress that we’ve already made.  But I’ve got to admit I’ve only got two years left in office -- I didn’t want to wait for the State of the Union to talk about all the things that make this country great and how we can make it better.  So I thought I’d get started this week.  (Applause.)  I figured, why wait?  It’s like opening your Christmas presents a little early.

So today I’m here in Detroit, going to talk about the incredible things that have happened in the auto industry and what more we can do with manufacturing.  Tomorrow, I’m going to visit Arizona, a state that was hit about as hard as anybody by the housing crisis, because we want to talk about how we're making homeownership a reality for more middle-class families. 

On Friday, I’m going to go to Tennessee, a state that's making big strides in education, to show how we can help every American get the education they need to get ahead in this new economy. 

But today, I wanted to come here to Michigan because this state proves no matter how tough times get Americans are tougher. (Applause.)  Plus I wanted to see the new Mustang.  (Laughter.) 

Now, let’s just take a minute and think about what you've had to fight through.  A few years ago, nearly one in five autoworkers got a punch in the gut with a pink slip.  The year before I took office, 400,000 jobs vanished in this industry -- 400,000.  Sales plunged 40 percent.  And then as the financial crisis built, we faced what once seemed unimaginable when just two of the Big Three -- GM and Chrysler -- were on the brink of failure. 

Now, this is the heartbeat of American manufacturing right here.  And it was flat-lining.  And we had a choice to make.  We could have kept giving billions of taxpayer dollars to the auto industry without asking for accountability or change in return.  But that would have just kicked the problem down the road.  We could have done nothing, which some people said we should do, and let those companies fail.  But think about what that would have meant for this country.  The suppliers, the distributors, the communities that depend on the workers who patronize the restaurants and shop at the stores, all those companies would have gone under also.

And, look, the fact is nobody was in a stronger position than Ford.  Bill and the team had done a great job steering Ford through tough times, but Bill and others are the first to admit that you could have had a cascading effect if the whole supply chain in the U.S. auto industry starts declining.  Then Ford could have gone under, too.  Plants would have shuttered.  We would have lost this iconic industry, sold for scraps.  And folks like you -- the men and women who built these companies with your hands -- would have been hung out to dry.  And the communities you depended on -- the schoolteachers, the small business owners, the servers in the diner and, let’s face it, the barkeep -- (laughter and applause.)  I’m just saying.  (Laughter.)  Are you a barkeep, or you’re just waving at me?  (Laughter.)  But everybody would have been affected.  Their jobs were at stake, too. 

And it’s more than that.  The jobs in the auto industry have always been about more than a paycheck.  They're a source of pride for generations.  It was representative of what it meant to get into the middle class.  You work hard in this job, you could afford to raise a family, buy a house, go on vacation, retire with some dignity.  You knew you were making something that people could count on.  It meant something.  Every car you sent off the line brought you that step closer to doing the right thing by your family and giving something to your kids, and having a sense of security in your life.  So plants like this one built more than just cars -- they built the middle class in this country.  And that was worth fighting for.  (Applause.)

So in exchange for the help, we demanded responsibility.  We said to the auto industry, you’ve got to change with the times.  Plants retooled.  Plants restructured.  Labor and management worked together, settled their differences.  Everybody put some skin in the game.  Everybody made some sacrifices.  It wasn’t just some, it wasn’t just the workers who gave something up --  everybody.

And that's how things work best, by the way, when everybody is in it -- when workers and businesses work together; when whoever is in the board room and folks on the floor, they both understand they’re in it together.  And we believe America is best when everybody is in it together.  And we rejected the false choice that either unions or businesses could succeed but not both.  We said, you know what, what’s going to work for the company is also going to work for that worker, and vice versa, which means when the company is doing better, then the workers have got to get their share as well.  (Applause.) 

And Ford rejected the false choice that they could either take care of their shareholder or take care of their worker -- they did both.  And the company benefited and America benefited. We believed in shared sacrifice and that shared sacrifice leads to shared prosperity.  

Now, I’ve got to tell you, I was talking to the Detroit News -- they were asking, what was it like when you were making this decision?  I just want everybody to be clear.  It was not popular.  Even in Michigan, it wasn’t popular.  I remember they did a poll and, like, in Michigan, it was like only 10 percent were in favor.  (Laughter.)   And you don’t have to be a genius political analyst to say, 10 percent is not very high.  (Laughter.) 

And, look -- and it wasn’t on my to-do list when I ran for President.  I wasn’t expecting to have to do this.  But I ran not to be just doing the popular things, I ran not just to do the easy things, I ran to do the right thing.  And saving the American auto industry was the right thing to do.  (Applause.)   Betting on you was the right thing to do.  (Applause.)  It was the right thing to do.  And that bet has paid off for America, because the American auto industry is back.  (Applause.)   

Now, part of the reason that we wanted to start this trip here is not just because I wanted to see the new Mustang, not just because the American auto industry is back, but because last month we actually marked a milestone.  Last month, the rescue of the auto industry officially came to an end.  The auto companies have now repaid taxpayers every dime and more of what my administration invested in you.  (Applause.)  You paid the taxpayers back with your hard work, with your dedication.  (Applause.) 

And over the past five years, this industry created about 500,000 new jobs.  Last year, American autoworkers churned out cars faster than any year since 2005.  Ford has brought jobs back from Mexico, created nearly 24,000 new jobs across this country, including 1,800 new jobs right here in this plant.  (Applause.)  And after more than a century since Henry Ford introduced the moving assembly line, you’re reinventing it -- one production line for gas, electric, hybrid, plug-in vehicles.  That’s the first in the world, right here in Wayne, Michigan.  (Applause.)  First in the world.  (Applause.)  That’s always cool when you do something first.  

And you’re helping rebuild the middle class for the 21st century.  Just down the road in Lincoln Park, UAW-Ford Joint Apprenticeship Program is providing workers with hands-on training in the skills that employers need for the jobs of tomorrow.  And nationally, by the way, 87 percent of all apprentices are employed after they complete their apprenticeship program, with an average starting wage of $50,000.  So the more folks we get into apprenticeships, the more folks are getting middle-class jobs.

And that’s why I called on last year for businesses across the country to create more and expand more apprenticeship programs.  And since then, we’ve seen the largest increase in apprenticeships in nearly a decade.  And now my administration is investing $100 million in an American Apprenticeship Grant competition.  We’re going to build on this momentum.  We’re going to expand successful programs.  We want young people to see that they have opportunities.  They don’t all have to go to a four-year college.  They can get an apprenticeship, save some money, start working -- (applause) -- build a family, buy a home, get some Lions tickets.  (Laughter and applause.)  

Because everybody came together here and worked together, folks are better off.  And some of the most high-tech, fuel-efficient, high-powered, heart-pounding, good-looking, well-designed, fuel-efficient cars in the world are once again designed, engineered, forged and built not in Europe, not in Asia, right here in the United States of America.  (Applause.)  Right here in America.  (Applause.) 

So because of you -- because of you, manufacturing has a future in this country.  Management has actually grown faster than other parts of the economy.  And companies are now saying, you know what, we got to get back to America.  We got to relocate.  We were offshore, and now they're saying, oh, oh, America is back.  We better get back in there.  And that means because of you, the middle class has a future in this country.

And the auto industry has proved that any comeback is possible -- and by the way, so has Motor City.  (Applause.)  So has a Motor City.  (Applause.)  A year and a half ago, Detroit became the largest city ever to file for bankruptcy.  Today, under the leadership of Mayor Duggan, Detroit is charting a new course.  Businesses and private investors are making big investments, including Ford, which is helping to launch a tech startup incubator downtown.  New restaurants and stores are popping up.  Residents are fighting blight, securing abandoned homes, cleaning up neglected neighborhoods. 

We’re seeing stories of young people who left town for other opportunities, didn't think they could make it here, and suddenly they're saying, you know what, maybe I want to get back to Detroit -- hoping to be part of the rebirth of this city.

Now, this city still faces big challenges, but you’re coming back.  Just like the auto industry is going to have to continue to come up with new ideas and new designs and address competition.  It never stops.  We got to stay hungry.  We can't be complacent.  Just like America has got to still keep on working.  Just like the Lions got to still come up with a little more work.  (Applause.)  But we're coming back. 

And one thing is for sure -- we may not all root for the Lions, but America is rooting for Detroit.  (Applause.)  America is rooting for Detroit.  (Applause.)  We want the Motor City strong.  And behind the stories of plants and cities and economic data, it’s people.  It’s all of you. 

So I’ll just close with a story of a guy named Ramone -- because we’re rooting for guys like Ramone.  Ramone spent eight years in the military, served in Afghanistan, served in Iraq.  Ramone here?  Raise your hand, Ramone.  (Applause.)

So Ramone is somebody who fought for our freedom, fought for our security.  But sometimes we give lip service to supporting our troops, and then when they come home they get lost.  So when Ramone came home, he had a hard time finding a job because it was a tough economy.  He didn’t want to be a burden on his family, so he moved into a homeless shelter, took whatever work he could get.  And then, one day in 2012, a VA counselor that he’d been working with handed him an application from Ford.  Ford was hiring for new shifts. 

Imagine what Ramone felt the day he knocked on his grandpa’s door -- his grandfather who had spent 25 years building Mustangs in Dearborn -- and Ramone was able to tell his grandfather he got a job at Ford.  (Applause.)  And now Ramone has got his own place.  And now Ramone has got a good job right on the line here in Wayne.  And every day, he’s doing just what his grandfather did.  And he’s proud.  He’s punching in and building some of the best cars in the world.  (Applause.)

If you want to know what America is about, about grit and determination and hard work and sacrifice and looking out for one another and not giving up, think about Ramone.  Think about Detroit.  Think about the auto industry.  Think about the Midwest.  Think about Michigan.  Think about America.

When our assembly lines grind to a halt, we work together, we get them going again.  We don’t give up.  We get up, we fight back.  We come back stronger than before.  Thanks to the hard work of people like you, America is coming back.  And I’m going to be on your side every step of the way.  (Applause.) 

Thank you, Michigan.  God bless you.  God bless America.  (Applause.) 

END
4:47 P.M. EST

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
January 07, 2015

Remarks by the President on the Terrorist Attack in Paris

Oval Office

12:18 P.M. EST

THE PRESIDENT:  I've reached out to President Hollande of France and hope to have the opportunity to talk to him today.  But I thought it was appropriate for me to express my deepest sympathies to the people of Paris and the people of France for the terrible terrorist attack that took place earlier today.

I think that all of us recognize that France is one of our oldest allies, our strongest allies.  They have been with us at every moment when we've -- from 9/11 on, in dealing with some of the terrorist organizations around the world that threaten us.  For us to see the kind of cowardly evil attacks that took place today I think reinforces once again why it's so important for us to stand in solidarity with them, just as they stand in solidarity with us.

The fact that this was an attack on journalists, attack on our free press, also underscores the degree to which these terrorists fear freedom -- of speech and freedom of the press.  But the one thing that I'm very confident about is that the values that we share with the French people, a belief -- a universal belief in the freedom of expression, is something that can't be silenced because of the senseless violence of the few.

And so our counterterrorism cooperation with France is excellent.  We will provide them with every bit of assistance that we can going forward.  I think it's going to be important for us to make sure that we recognize these kinds of attacks can happen anywhere in the world.  And one of the things I'll be discussing with Secretary Kerry today is to make sure that we remain vigilant not just with respect to Americans living in Paris, but Americans living in Europe and in the Middle East and other parts of the world, and making sure that we stay vigilant in trying to protect them -- and to hunt down and bring the perpetrators of this specific act to justice, and to roll up the networks that help to advance these kinds of plots.

In the end, though, the most important thing I want to say is that our thoughts and prayers are with the families of those who’ve been lost in France, and with the people of Paris and the people of France.  What that beautiful city represents -- the culture and the civilization that is so central to our imaginations -- that's going to endure.  And those who carry out senseless attacks against innocent civilians, ultimately they’ll be forgotten.  And we will stand with the people of France through this very, very difficult time.

Thank you very much, everybody.

END
12:22 P.M. EST

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
January 06, 2015

Remarks by the President in Meeting with the Executive Committee of the National Governors Association

Oval Office

2:54 P.M. EST

THE PRESIDENT:  Well, it is wonderful to welcome four of the members of the Executive Committee of the National Governors Association, including our Chair here, John Hickenlooper, a good friend from Colorado, as well as the Vice Chair, Gary Herbert, from Utah. 

And one of the things I’ve consistently said is that governors don’t always have the luxury to operate based on ideology and a bunch of abstract arguments.  They got to get things done, and people expect them to deliver regardless of their party affiliation.  And I know the National Governors Association and the Executive Committee recognizes that what the American people expect from all of us is to deliver jobs and growth and health and prosperity, and to work with them to create businesses and move America forward.

The good news is that over the last several years, after one of the most wrenching economic crises that we’ve had in our lifetimes, America has moved forward.  We now have the strongest job growth of any time since the 1990s.  Manufacturing has come surging back.  We have seen almost every economic indicator improve, in some ways improve dramatically.  The deficit at the federal level is now down by almost two-thirds.  Health care costs are going up at their slowest rate in over 50 years.  Education scores are up.  High school graduation rates are up.  College attendance is up.  Our energy production is unparalleled at this point -- both clean energy and traditional energy sources.

So we are poised to really build on that success in 2015.  But it does require us to continue to make some good choices and, most importantly, to work together.  So I’m looking forward to an opportunity to hearing the ideas of my fellow governors -- or these governors, my fellow executives, about what they think needs to happen at the state level and how the federal government can be their most effective partner. 

I know that in the past, infrastructure has been something that people are very interested in, making sure that there’s more regulatory flexibility and smart regulation so that we’re not impeding innovation and growth.  I think there’s enormous interest in job training and how we can continue to partner with business and community colleges and all the assets that we have to get people on the pipeline for jobs that are going to pay a good wage. 

And a lot of these are issues and themes that I’ll be talking about in my State of the Union.  In fact, I’m going to be traveling starting tomorrow.  I’m going to Detroit to talk about more things we can do to promote advanced manufacturing and innovation in our research base.  I’ll be going to Arizona to talk about how we can continue to strengthen our housing market; it’s come bouncing back, but it still has a ways to go.  And then I’ll be in Tennessee, where I’ll have a chance to talk about some real innovation that’s taking place to make higher education more affordable and a better value for young people.

So my main message to these governors is going to be, let’s figure out to work together.  And that’s the same message that I’m going to have for Congress.  I don’t have to run for election again, but I intend over the next two years to do everything I can to make sure that the American people are even better off two years from now as they are today.

So, Mr. Chairman, do you want to just say something quick?

GOVERNOR HICKENLOOPER:  Well, I’m just grateful for the opportunity to sit down and share ideas, and really find ways to work together more effectively.  And when we met last year and you made a commitment to help us cut some of the red tape and begin to help us on a variety of fronts -- education, health care, down the line -- and then we saw results, that’s really what it’s about.  And we appreciate that as Democrats and Republicans that we’re all here, really, in a non-partisan way.

Governors generally end up being a lot less partisan on a day-to-day basis than Congress does, and I think our commitment to you is that we’re going to roll up our sleeves and say, all right, over these next couple of years let’s do everything we can to make this country better and better.

THE PRESIDENT:  Good.  All right, everybody, thanks so much.  

Q    Mr. President, any message for Mitch McConnell and John Boehner today as Congress comes back?

THE PRESIDENT:  I want to congratulate them once again on their positions as Speaker and Majority Leader in the Senate, and I’m very much looking forward to working with them.  I already had a chance to say happy New Year to them.  And I’m confident that there are going to be areas where we disagree, and there will be some pitched battles, but I’m also confident that there are enormous areas of potential agreement that would deliver for the American people, and we just have to make sure that we focus on those areas where we can make significant progress together.

So I wish them well --

Q    Did you speak with them today or earlier?

THE PRESIDENT:  I wish them well, and I think we’re going to actually have, hopefully, a productive 2015. 

All right?

Q    Governor McDonnell sentenced to two years.  Have you heard that?  And any comment on that?

THE PRESIDENT:  I haven't heard that, and I have no comment on it. 

END
3:00 P.M. EST

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
January 06, 2015

Remarks by President Obama and President Peña Nieto after Bilateral Meeting

Oval Office

12:30 P.M. EST

PRESIDENT OBAMA:  Well, welcome, everybody.  Feliz año nuevo.  It is a pleasure to welcome once again President Peña Nieto, as well as his delegation.  It’s appropriate that our first meeting of the year is with one of our closest allies, neighbors and friends.

Obviously, the bonds between Mexico and the United States are long and deep, not only because of economic ties and strategic ties between our two countries, but most importantly because of the people-to-people and cultural ties between our two countries.  And this meeting has given us an opportunity to continue to find ways to deepen those bonds.

We’ve discussed something that is uppermost on the minds of most Mexicans and Americans, and that is creating economic growth and jobs and prosperity.  I’ve congratulated President Peña Nieto on some of his structural reforms that I think will unleash even further the enormous potential of the Mexican economy.  And we also have discussed how we can continue to work on issues like clean energy; scientific and educational exchanges; improving cross-border commerce; and continuing to strengthen the kinds of mutual investment and trade that creates jobs both in Mexico and the United States.

We also discussed the issues of security.  And obviously we’ve been following here in the United States some of the tragic events surrounding the students whose lives were lost.  And President Peña Nieto was able to describe to me the reform programs that he’s initiated around these issues.  Our commitment is to be a friend and supporter of Mexico in its efforts to eliminate the scourge of violence and the drug cartels that are responsible for so much tragedy inside of Mexico.  And we want to be a good partner in that process, recognizing that ultimately it will be up to Mexico and its law enforcement to carry out the decisions that need to be made.

I described to President Peña Nieto our efforts to fix our broken immigration system here in the United States and to strengthen our borders as well.  I very much appreciate Mexico’s efforts in addressing the unaccompanied children who we saw spiking during the summer.  In part because of strong efforts by Mexico, including at its southern border, we’ve seen those numbers reduced back to much more manageable levels.  But one of the things that we both agreed on is our continued need to work with Central American governments so that we can address some of the social and economic challenges there that led to that spike in unaccompanied children.

And at the same time, we very much appreciate Mexico’s commitment to work with us to send a very clear message around the executive actions that I’m taking that we are going to provide a mechanism so that families are not separated who have been here for a long time.  But we’re also going to be much more aggressive at the border in ensuring that people come through the system legally.  And the Mexican government has been very helpful in how we can process and message that effectively both inside of the United States and in Mexico.

And finally, we had the chance to discuss -- and we’ll continue to discuss during lunch -- some of the regional and international issues in which Mexico has been a very significant leader.  I described my initiative to end the 50-year policy with relation to Cuba, to move towards what we hope will be a more constructive policy but one that continues to emphasize human rights and democracy and political freedom.  And at the Summit of the Americas, one of the things I informed Peña Nieto is we will participate but we’ll insist that those topics are on the agenda.

And just as Mexico has been helpful on issues like Cuba, Mexico has also been a genuine leader internationally on issues like climate change.  And so I very much appreciate the leadership of the Mexican government and President Peña Nieto on these issues.  I look forward to our collaboration in 2015, and I wish all the people of Mexico a very happy and healthy and prosperous 2015.

PRESIDENT PEÑA NIETO:  (As interpreted.)  Thank you very much, Mr. President.  I first of all want to thank you, President Obama, for your hospitality in this -- my first visit as President of the United Mexican States in the White House.  And this is right at the beginning of this year 2015.  And we, of course, both of us share the desire for it to be a great year for North America and the whole world, and very especially for the relationship we’ve been building between Mexico and the United States -- a relationship which is mainly based on friendship, cordiality, mutual respect, shared interests for prosperity and development for our nations.

First of all, in terms of the topics shared with the press, first of all, I have made acknowledgement of the very intelligent and audacious decision of your administration regarding the executive action for immigration, which is of course an act of justice for people who arrive from other parts of the world but are now part of the U.S. community.  And among the population that will surely be benefitted through your executive action, sir, there’s a very big majority of Mexican citizens. 

And I have shared two fundamental topics on this item.  The first is the support the Mexican government is ready to give to the Mexican population living in the United States so that they can show the documentation that is necessary to prove that they have been in the United States before 2010, and also of course to have all the other requirements that are demanded for the Mexican population to be benefitted through the execution. 

And, first of all, yesterday we announced that the migrants in the United States are going to be able to get their birth certificates without having to go to Mexico.  They are going to be able to get this very important document.  And, of course, another very important factor that we’ve discussed is for Mexico to be doing everything it can so that this measure will only be benefitting those people that are supposed to be there, and for it not to generate any misinformation or abuses, especially of the organized crime groups, groups that are doing human trafficking and that they will be encouraging the type of migration which is exactly the type we don’t want to have. And we will maintain the greater control of the southern border to continue having orderly migration and to avoid the items that I have just mentioned.  

And among the multi-thematic agenda that we have between our two countries, one of the important items is modernizing border crossings between both nations.  And this is something we’ve been working on because we want all these measures to be very visible and very tangible, the results of those measures.  For instance, let me inform you that we’ve been working on modernizing our border crossings so that we can have faster, more expeditious trade and also crossing of people, that this may take place in a very orderly fashion. 

And there are different projects.  Some of them have already been finished; others are in the process of implementation.  And this, of course, constitutes less crossing time in terms of the transit of people and of goods through our border. 

And another very important topic of this multi-thematic agenda is between favoring trade among both nations.  We want to continue promoting investments, as it’s already happening in our country -- first of all, because we believe that these investments can be so helpful, and we want to continue having American investors in Mexico because this is an example of the way we recognize that Mexico is a trustworthy destination, a place where they can invest.  And this is something we are going to continue to be doing. 

And as part of this multi-thematic agenda that we have, I wanted to share other results with you -- for instance, the exchange of students.  This exchange is increasing students from both countries, and this is very, very important for us.  And the next item would be supporting our entrepreneurs, and this is very important for us to increase trade.

I thank you, President Obama, for your willingness to continue working with Mexico in terms of security, especially this clear challenge Mexico has to continue fighting organized crime.  And here we've been discussing topics that have to do with security, of course, and the collaboration, the exchange of information and the logistics support that we’re already getting.  And I want to thank you, President Obama, for offering to continue these very efficient actions, first, to fight insecurity and especially organized crime.

And finally, I have also made an acknowledgement in terms of the very audacious decision that you’ve made to reestablish diplomatic relations with Cuba, with President Castro and your countries.  And we have offered our desire, our hope to collaborate in this effort so that as soon as possible you can continue with this reestablishment of relations with Cuba and that you can accomplish all the purposes you have set up to accomplish.

And Mexico will be a tireless supporter of the good relationship between two neighbors.  This is the neighbor in the Caribbean, the neighbor north of Mexico, Cuba and the United States.

And I would finally like to thank you for your openness, for your willingness, your always very cordial and frank tone, President Obama, to continue to building a relationship between both nations of friends, mutual respect, to continue promoting the development of our countries.

I finally want to offer my best wishes for a happy New Year for your family, President Obama, for your society, and for you, yourself, for this to be a great 2015. 

PRESIDENT OBAMA:  Thank you very much, everybody.

END
12:57 P.M. EST

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
January 05, 2015

Readout of the President’s Call with President Giorgio Napolitano of Italy

 The President called Italian President Giorgio Napolitano today to thank him for his distinguished leadership and his enduring commitment to the U.S.-Italy relationship during his historic tenure as Italy’s President.  He underscored the major contributions President Napolitano has made to Italy’s political and economic well-being, benefiting not only his nation, but also Europe and the broader transatlantic community.  The President praised Napolitano’s long and steadfast dedication to the European Union and close U.S.-EU cooperation.  The two leaders also discussed economic conditions in Europe and agreed on the need to couple structural reforms with measures to support European growth.

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
January 03, 2015

Weekly Address: Make 2015 the Year for Quality, Affordable Health Insurance

WASHINGTON, DC -- In this week’s address, the Vice President wished Americans a Happy New Year, and asked that as we make resolutions to get healthier in 2015, we take the time to sign up for health insurance through the Affordable Care Act. Millions of people have already signed up for quality, affordable health care under the law, and there is still time to secure the peace of mind that comes with getting covered. From now until February 15th, you can sign up by logging on to HealthCare.gov, speaking to someone on the phone through the 24/7 call center at 1-800-318-2596 where you can get assistance in 150 languages, or going in person to an enrollment event in your community.

The audio of the address and video of the address will be available online at www.whitehouse.gov at 6:00 a.m. ET, January 3, 2015.

Remarks of Vice President Joe Biden
Weekly Address
The White House
January 3, 2015

Hello everyone, this is Joe Biden. I want to wish you all a Happy New Year.

I know this is the time of year when we make resolutions to take care of our health, whether it's joining a gym or eating healthier. But there's one thing you can do right now that will also make a big difference in your health: that is getting quality, affordable health insurance through the Affordable Care Act.

Because of that law, access to quality health care is improving. Last year, almost 7 million people signed up for health care coverage under the new law and paid their premiums. And in many cases the cost of health care is less than the cost of your cell phone or your cable bill. In addition, millions more are getting the care that they need through Medicaid that they weren't getting before.

And because of the new law, people who already had health insurance are also benefitting from additional protections. For example, their insurance companies can't deny them coverage because of pre-existing conditions, like asthma or diabetes. And they’re able to get -- for free -- preventive services like mammograms or blood pressure screenings that their doctors ordered for them, saving them a lot of money.

Everyone is beginning to realize what millions of you already know -- the Affordable Care Act is working. And we're just getting started. Because there are millions more of you who can get quality, affordable health care if you sign up before February 15th of this year. That’s now through February 15th.

Now if you don't have insurance, you can go to HealthCare.gov, where you'll find a menu of a bunch of different plans and what each plan covers and how much each plan costs. All you have to do is just pick one. The best one that fits your family's health care needs and your family's budget.

If you don't want to go to HealthCare.gov and you want to talk to somebody on the phone instead, you can call, I'm going to give you the number now, you can call 1-800-318-2596. From this moment on, you can call any time of the day, any day of the week. Phone lines are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. And for folks listening today whose family and friends may not speak English: let them know that there are translators available in over 150 language to guide them through the process.

And if you're not comfortable going online or speaking on the phone, and you want to sit down with an individual to help you through this, you can find out where to go as well. Because in every community, at local libraries or community health centers, people are there to help. All you have to do is go on HealthCare.gov, type in where you live, and you can find out exactly where to go to sit down with a person who will help you walk through the process.

But here's the really important point I want to make. If you don't sign up by February 15th of this year -- with only a very few exceptions -- if you don’t sign up by the 15th of this year, you’re going to have to wait until 2016 to get health insurance through the Affordable Care Act.

And even those of you who already have health insurance through the Affordable Care Act, you can also go on HealthCare.gov to find a plan that might offer more benefits or be more affordable in price for you. You might even qualify for additional help paying for the insurance you choose because your income isn't what it was last year.

Now I'm sure some of you already heard from your friends and neighbors who’ve signed up for health insurance under the Affordable Care Act what I hear all around the country. I hear it provides peace of mind that someone you love will be covered if God-forbid something happens. It provides security, so if you have a bad strain in your ankle or your back and you don’t have the money to get treatment, you can now get the treatment rather than wait, put it off, and end up with a chronic condition. And it provides a lot of freedom, and choice, and opportunity -- so you can switch jobs or move to another city without the fear that you'll lose out on the health insurance with the company you now have it with. And what I'm hearing most is how pleased and excited people are about how affordable it is.

An awful lot of people who didn't think they could or would find quality, affordable health insurance are actually able to get assistance from the government to help them pay for their health care plans at a cheaper rate. Let me give you an example. A family of four with an income of around $95,000, they can still get a subsidy to lower their health care premiums.

But maybe most importantly, what I hear is that we have finally ended the debate in this country of whether or not health insurance is a right or a privilege. We think everyone in America has a right to have adequate health care insurance. And the Affordable Care Act gives them that right.

So sign up. And spread the word. Protect your health -- not only for your sake, but for the sake of your families.

Thanks for listening, and Jill and I wish you again a happy and healthy New Year. God bless you, and may God protect our troops.

The White House

Office of the Vice President

For Immediate Release
December 27, 2014

Remarks by Vice President Biden at a Service for NYPD Officer Rafael Ramos

Christ Tabernacle
Glendale, New York

10:18 A.M. EST

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Governor Cuomo, Mayor de Blasio, Commissioner Bratton, Pastor, thank you for allowing me to be here today and according me the privilege of expressing the condolences of Jill and my whole family to the Ramos family.  What handsome boys. 

I remember a similar occasion a long time ago.  And, Mom, I assure you those boys will get you through all of this.

I’m sure I speak for the whole nation, Maritza, when I say to you that our hearts ache for you.  I know from personal experience that there is little anyone can say or do at this moment to ease the pain, that sense of loss, that sense of loneliness. 

But I do hope you take some solace from the fact that as reported by the press there’s over 25,000 members of the same fraternity and sorority as your husband who stand and will stand with you the rest of your life -- and they will.  It’s an uncommon fraternity.

Justin, and Jayden, you’ve shown tremendous courage and character in these past few days.  You are your father’s sons.  And he was so, so very proud of you from everything that I have heard.  And just know, as hard as it is to believe, he will be part of your life the entirety of your life.

Mom, no child should predecease a parent.  My heart aches for you.

And, Maritza, I know from experience there are no words that I can offer to ease that profound sense of loneliness and loss you’re feeling right now.

But I also know from experience that the time will come -- the time will come when Rafael’s memory will bring a smile to your lips before it brings a tear to your eyes.  That’s when you know it’s going to be okay.  I know it’s hard to believe it will happen, but I promise you it will happen.  And my prayer for you is it will come sooner rather than later.

There’s a headstone in Ireland that reads:

Death leaves a heartache no one can heal.

Love leaves a memory that no one can steal.

Just sitting here for a few moments looking at the screens, no one had to know your husband to not know how desperately he cared about his family, how close he was to all of you.

I didn’t know your husband and I didn't know his partner, who were keeping watch at Myrtle and Tompkins Avenue on that terrible afternoon, but I do know why they were there.  They were there to protect and defend, as they always are.  Sometimes fearful, but always watchful.

I knew them.  They’re the guy I grew up with in Scranton and Claymont, Delaware, the boy with the most courage and the most compassion; the man with a brave heart and a generous soul; a brother who always looked out for his sister; a father whose words were always encouraging to you boys with a touch that could soothe away the fear; and a son who made his mother proud every time he turned and smiled at her; and a husband with a gentle hand who could soothe away the concerns, who you knew would always be there.

A former school safety officer, who became a cop at age 37; an active member of his church, studying to become a chaplain; a father, a husband, a son; a seven-year veteran on the force.  A son of a Chinese immigrant, his partner, conversant in several dialects; a newlywed.  Both -- confident, committed, passionate and vigilant.

Being a cop was not what they did, it was who they were; like every man and woman in uniform here today.  It’s who you are.  And they like every one of you in uniform inside this church and outside, you all joined for essentially the same reason.  There was something about you that made you think you could help, that you should serve, that you had a duty.

I have spoken at too many funerals for too many peace officers, too many funerals for brave women and men who kept us safe and watched their families grieve.  And I’ve observed one thing that unfortunately, it’s only when a tragedy like this occurs that all their friends, neighbors, and people who didn't even know them become of aware of and reminded of the sacrifices they make every single, solitary day to make our lives better.

Today we pay tribute to Officer Rafael Ramos and Wenjian Liu.  We pay tribute to their families.  Because every day when a police officer pins on that shield and walks out the door, the officer’s wife, husband, mother, father, brother, sister, children -- they know anything could happen.  The fear of that call at 3:00 a.m. in the morning, the relief of hearing the voice of the door opened, says, I’m home.

There’s a line from the English poet, John Milton.  He said, “They also serve who only stand and wait.”  Thousands upon thousands upon thousands of American families stand and wait so their husbands and wives, fathers and sons can serve the rest of us.  Police officers and police families are a different breed –- thank God for them.  Thank God for them.

And your husband, Maritza, and his partner, they were a part of New York’s Finest.  And that's not an idle phrase.  This is probably the finest police department in the world -- the finest police department in the world.  They earn that praise.  (Applause.)

It’s a sacred trust they took on when they kiss their children’s forehead as they sleep, and head out on a night shift to watch over all of the children of this great city, treating and protecting each of them as if they were their own.

When you patrol the streets of New York, you circle the Earth; a six-story walk-up, apartment towers, aromas of a million kitchens continuing thousands of traditions; streets full of silence, streets bursting with hundreds languages -– whispering.  Laughing.  Shouting.

An intimidating city.  A city of others.  A city of labels and borders and seemingly unbridgeable gaps, a city constantly grappling with issues as old as the nation and as new as the morning headlines.

Yet in every neighborhood in this great city, this most alive of all cities, this chaotic miracle stands as a beacon to the world in no small part because of the sacrifices that the New York Police Department makes every single day.

So when an assassin’s bullet targeted two officers, it targeted this city and it touched the soul of the entire nation -- a city where the son of a Chinese immigrant shared a patrol with a Hispanic minister in training; a city where a single ride on a subway brings you into contact with more people, more lives than many people in this country will encounter in an entire lifetime; a city that educated a young college student with a mother from Kansas, and a father from Kenya who would one day stand before the nation and declare:  This is not a black America or a white America or a Latino America or an Asian America; this is the United States of America.  (Applause.)

And for those of us who are not New Yorkers, we look at you in awe because this is the united city of New York as well; a city that rose as one to confront two of the greatest disasters of this century -- one from the evils of terrorism on 9/11 and one from the fury of nature in Superstorm Sandy.

This is a city of courage and character, having faced and overcome the toughest challenges and I’m absolutely confident as you are that spirit is still alive and well in this city.  And I’m absolutely confident it will guide you in the days and weeks ahead. 

I believe that this great police force, and this incredibly diverse city can and will show the nation how to bridge any divide.  You’ve done it before.  And you will do it again.  Because, to paraphrase the words of William Allen White, you are not afraid of tomorrow, because you’ve seen yesterday and because you love today.

To the Ramos family, we were all lucky to have Rafael.  He didn’t just have a bible in his locker, he lived it in his heart.  He was a cop for all the right reasons.

Mom, we owe you for nurturing him.  And, Maritza, we owe you for supporting him.  And, Justin and Jayden, know that although your father is gone, you have inherited an entire family, the men and women of the New York Police Department will always be there as long as you are alive.  They never -- they never -- never forget.

There’s a communion hymn in my church that has a stanza that goes like this:

May he raise you up on eagle’s wings

And bear you on the breath of dawn.

And make the sun to shine on you.

That’s what your father wished for, for both you boys.  That's what your father wished for, for this city.  And it will happen. 

May God bless your family and the family of his partner and may God protect the 84th Precinct and every police officer throughout this great country and keep them safe while they stand on watch for us.  God bless you all.  (Applause.)

END
10:32 A.M. EST

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
December 25, 2014

Weekly Address: Happy Holidays from the President and First Lady

WASHINGTON, DC — In this week’s address, the President and First Lady wished Americans a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays, and thanked our brave troops for their service. Especially as our combat mission in Afghanistan comes to a responsible end in the coming days, we are reminded of all that military men, women, and families sacrifice to keep us safe. The President and First Lady asked everyone to take some time this holiday season to visit JoiningForces.gov and find out how to give back to the men and women in uniform who have given so much for all of us. 

The audio of the address and video of the address will be available online at www.whitehouse.gov at 6:00 a.m. ET, December 25, 2014.

Remarks of President Barack Obama
Weekly Address
The White House
December 25, 2014

THE PRESIDENT: Merry Christmas everybody!  Now, we’re not going to take much of your time because today is about family and being together with the ones you love.  And luckily for me, that means I get a little help on the weekly address, too.

THE FIRST LADY:  The holidays at the White House are such a wonderful time of year. 

We fill the halls with decorations, Christmas trees, and carolers – and this year, we invited more than 65,000 people to join us. 

Our theme was “A Children’s Winter Wonderland” – and Americans young and old had a chance to come together and celebrate the season.  

THE PRESIDENT: And today, our family will join millions across the country in celebrating the birth of Jesus – the birth not just of a baby in a manger, but of a message that has changed the world: to reach out to the sick; the hungry; the troubled; and above all else, to love one another as we would be loved ourselves.

THE FIRST LADY: We hope that this holiday season will be a chance for us to live out that message—to bridge our differences and lift up our families, friends, and neighbors… and to reconnect with the values that bind us together. 

And as a country, that also means celebrating and honoring those who have served and sacrificed for all of us—our troops, veterans, and their families. 

THE PRESIDENT: In just a few days, our combat mission in Afghanistan will be over.  Our longest war will come to a responsible end.  And that gives us an opportunity to step back and reflect upon all that these families have given us.  We’re able to gather with family and friends because our troops are willing to hug theirs goodbye and step forward to serve.  After a long day, we can come home because they’re willing to leave their families and deploy.  We can celebrate the holidays because they’re willing to miss their own. 

THE FIRST LADY: And so, as our troops continue to transition back home—back to our businesses, our schools, our congregations, and our communities—it’s up to all of us to serve them as well as they have served us.  

You can visit JoiningForces.gov to find out how you can honor and support the troops, veterans, and military families in your communities. 

That’s something we can do not only during the holiday season, but all year round.

THE PRESIDENT: So Merry Christmas, everybody.  May God bless you all.  And we wish you and your family a happy and healthy 2015. 

###

The White House

Office of the First Lady

For Immediate Release
December 24, 2014

Remarks By The First Lady To Children On NORAD Santa Tracker Calls

Via Telephone

*** Photo available here: http://bit.ly/1vpvmNH ***

11:32 A.M. HAST

MRS. OBAMA:  Hi!  This is Mrs. Obama, who am I talking to?

DANIEL:  Daniel.

MRS. OBAMA:  Is this Daniel?

DANIEL:  Mm-hmm.

MRS. OBAMA:  Do you have a sister with you, too?

DANIEL:  Mm-hmm.

MRS. OBAMA:  What's her name?

DANIEL:  Danielle.

MRS. OBAMA:  Daniel and Danielle, how old are you guys?

DANIEL:  I'm eight, Danielle is five.

MRS. OBAMA:  Are you excited tonight because it's Christmas Eve?

DANIEL:  Mm-hmm.

MRS. OBAMA:  This is one of the most exciting nights of the whole year, isn't it?

DANIEL:  Mm-hmm.

MRS. OBAMA:  Yes, my kids are excited, too.  Did you call to see where Santa is right now?

DANIEL:  Yes.

MRS. OBAMA:  Okay, I'm looking at the satellite right now and it says -- I see a bleep on the screen and it looks like it's Santa with a sleigh.  Yes, I think that's him and it says he is heading for Italy.  He is going to be in Italy in one minute and forty-eight seconds.  So he is moving pretty fast and he should probably get to your house right when you go to sleep tonight.  So you and Danielle have to get to bed on time, when your mom -- your folks tell you to go to bed and shut your eyes.  And the minute you guys are sound asleep, Santa is going to be at your house, okay?

DANIEL:  Mm-hmm.  Thank you.

MRS. OBAMA:  So you guys have a very merry Christmas, okay?  I think you've been good boys and girls, right?

DANIEL:  Mm-hmm.

MRS. OBAMA:  So it's going to be an exciting morning, okay?

DANIEL:  Okay.  Thank you and merry Christmas.

MRS. OBAMA:  Okay, bye-bye, sweetie.  Merry Christmas.

DANIEL:  Bye.

MRS. OBAMA:  Bye.

***

EMMA:  Hello!

MRS. OBAMA:  Hi!  Who is this?  This is Michelle Obama, the First Lady, who am I talking to?

EMMA:  Emma Rusk, and my sister, Sara Rusk.

MRS. OBAMA:  Emma and Sara.  Wow, are you guys in Ontario?

EMMA:  Yes.

MRS. OBAMA:  How old are you both?

EMMA:  I am ten and my sister is eight.

MRS. OBAMA:  Ten and eight, oh you guys must be so excited tonight that it's Christmas Eve, aren't you?

EMMA:  Yes.

MRS. OBAMA:  Yes, so are we.  We're in Hawaii and my kids are really excited that it's Christmas Eve.  So are you calling because you want to find out where Santa is?

EMMA:  Yes.

MRS. OBAMA:  Okay, well, I'm looking at the satellite.  They asked me to man the satellite for a little bit, and I'm looking at the tracker.  Wow, he is all the way in Italy -- can you believe that?  Sardinia, Italy.  He is flying really fast.  I mean, you wouldn't believe how fast Santa flies.  But I can see that he has got his reindeer.  And it looks -- I'm getting a close-up -- and it looks like he has got a lot of presents in that sleigh.  So have you guys been good girls this year?

EMMA:  Yes.

MRS. OBAMA:  What do you want for Christmas?  What's the one thing you really hope you get tomorrow?

EMMA:  Well, I'd really like a little music player to go on field trips and everything like that.  My friend Mackenzie, she has this DS that she always brings and she never shares it.

MRS. OBAMA:  Yeah?  That sounds pretty good.  Well, here is the thing, Santa won't get to your house until you guys are fast asleep.  You know that, right?

EMMA:  Yes.

MRS. OBAMA:  He kind of bops all over the world, but he gets to your house when you're fast asleep.  So you guys have to go to bed when your folks tell you to go to bed.  And go right to sleep, and then he'll come.  All right?

EMMA:  Yes.

MRS. OBAMA:  Okay, well, you guys get a good night's sleep, okay?

EMMA:  Thank you for speaking to me.

MRS. OBAMA:  Oh, thank you for calling, Sweetie.

EMMA:  And my sister would really like to talk to you.

MRS. OBAMA:  Okay.  Hello?

SARA:  Hi.

MRS. OBAMA:  Hi, is this Sarah?  Hi, Sarah!

SARA:  Do you believe in Santa?

MRS. OBAMA:  I do believe in Santa.  I believe in Santa -- Christmas Eve is the best night in the whole year, don't you think?

SARA:  Yes.

MRS. OBAMA:  That's why I try to be good all year.  I try to help other people and eat my vegetables, and be kind to all the kids that I know because I believe that Santa is watching, don't you?

SARA:  Does the President believe in Santa?

MRS. OBAMA:  The President believes in Santa very much, yes.  That's one of the reasons why we try to help the kids who call, because we've got all this wonderful equipment.  So we like to get on the phone and help kids see where Santa is.  And I just told your sister he is in Italy right now.  Can you believe that?  All the way in another part of the world, Santa and his reindeer are flying right now.  And they're going to be at your house as soon as you're fast asleep.  That's when Santa comes.  He doesn't come until you're asleep, okay?

SARA:  Okay.

MRS. OBAMA:  All right.  So be good tonight, listen to your folks, and have a very merry Christmas tomorrow.  Okay, sweetie?

SARA:  Okay.

MRS. OBAMA:  All right, bye-bye.  Goodnight!

SARA:  Merry Christmas.

EMMA:  Merry Christmas!

MRS. OBAMA:  Thank you, sweetie.

SARA:  Bye.

***

MRS. OBAMA:  Hello, this is the First Lady, Michelle Obama.  Is this Samantha?

SAMANTHA'S MOM:  Ah, this is Samantha's mom.

MRS. OBAMA:  Hi, Samantha's mom.  How are you guys doing?

SAMANTHA'S MOM:  I'm good, how about you?

MRS. OBAMA:  We're good.  We're excited that it's Christmas Eve, and we know your little people are excited, too.

SAMANTHA'S MOM:  Yes, they are.  I have three girls.

MRS. OBAMA:  What are their names?  You have Samantha and who else?

SAMANTHA'S MOM:  Darlene and Skilar.

MRS. OBAMA:  Darlene and Darlynn?

SAMANTHA'S MOM:  Ski.  (Laughter.)

MRS. OBAMA:  Ski?

SAMANTHA'S MOM:  Yes, ma'am.

MRS. OBAMA:  Awesome.  Well, I am here to track Santa for one of them if they want to find out where he is.

SAMANTHA'S MOM:  Yes, ma'am.  Here is Samantha.

MRS. OBAMA:  Hello?

SAMANTHA:  Hi.

MRS. OBAMA:  Hi, Samantha.  How are you?

SAMANTHA:  I'm good.

MRS. OBAMA:  Are you excited because it's Christmas Eve?

SAMANTHA:  Yes.

MRS. OBAMA:  Yes, so are we.  I'm here at this place called NORAD that can look at any place in the world, and I'm helping them track Santa.  So I'm using their computers, because they've got a big computer system that helps track Santa.  And do you want to know where he is right now?

SAMANTHA:  Yes.

MRS. OBAMA:  Right now, he is in a country called Croatia, which is in Europe.

SAMANTHA:  Oh.

MRS. OBAMA:  Yes, and he is traveling so fast.  And I can see, because you can zoom in, I can see that he has got his reindeer and his sleigh, and it's full of toys.  It's full of toys for all the good girls and boys.  Have you been good this year?

SAMANTHA:  Yes.

MRS. OBAMA:  Yes?  Have the rest of your -- you have other sisters, right?

SAMANTHA:  Yes.

MRS. OBAMA:  Have they been good, too?

SAMANTHA:  Yes.

MRS. OBAMA:  Well, then you know what's going to happen?

SAMANTHA:  Santa is going to give us presents?

MRS. OBAMA:  He is going to bring some presents.  But, look, Santa doesn't get to your house until ever child in the house is fast asleep.  You do know that, right?

SAMANTHA:  Yes.

MRS. OBAMA:  He doesn't come until you go to sleep so you've got to kind of get all the excitement out, and you've got to go bed when your mom tells you to tonight, okay?

SAMANTHA:  Okay.  Tonight we're going to church.

MRS. OBAMA:  Are you going to -- well, he is going to come when you get home from church.

SAMANTHA:  Ohhh --

MRS. OBAMA:  Yes, so it's great that you guys are going to church.  Are you going to say some prayers for other people around the world?

SAMANTHA:  Yes.

MRS. OBAMA:  That's wonderful.  I'm very proud of you guys.  It sounds like you've had a great year this year.  You've been pretty good, huh?

SAMANTHA:  Yes.

MRS. OBAMA:  All right, well, then Santa knows.  So he is going to be showing up.

SAMANTHA:  Okay.

MRS. OBAMA:  Okay, you guys have a very merry Christmas, okay?  Tell your whole family that we wish them -- the President and the First Lady -- we wish you guys a very merry Christmas, okay?

SAMANTHA:  Okay.

MRS. OBAMA:  Okay.  Good night!  And have a good time at church, okay?

SAMANTHA:  Okay.  Merry Christmas!

MRS. OBAMA:  Okay, thanks, you guys!  Bye-bye!

SAMANTHA:  Bye.

                     ***

MRS. OBAMA:  Hello, this is the First Lady.  Is this Cameron?  Hi, Cameron?  Hello?  This is Michelle Obama, the First Lady.  I'm helping out at NORAD to help them locate Santa.  I hear that Cameron is calling to try to find out where Santa is.

CAMERON:  Yup!

MRS. OBAMA:  All right, I'm looking at my satellite.  Cameron, do you know where Santa is right this minute?

CAMERON:  Where?

MRS. OBAMA:  He is in Kosovo?  He is all the way in Europe right now with his sleigh, and he has got nine reindeer.  It looks like -- I'm counting, and I think I count nine, but I might be missing one.  And he is flying really fast.  It takes these special computers to track him down.  So he is in Kosovo.  But do you know when he gets to your house?

CAMERON:  When?

MRS. OBAMA:  As soon as you are fast asleep, okay, Cameron?

CAMERON:  Okay.

MRS. OBAMA:  Have you been good this year?

CAMERON:  Yes.

MRS. OBAMA:  Oh, that's great.  It's an exciting night, isn't it?

CAMERON:  Yes.

MRS. OBAMA:  I bet you can't wait until Santa gets there.

CAMERON:  Yes.

MRS. OBAMA:  Yes, well, make sure you go to bed when your mom and dad, they tell you to go to bed, okay?

CAMERON:  Okay.

MRS. OBAMA:  All right, have a very merry Christmas, okay, Cameron?

CAMERON:  Okay.

MRS. OBAMA:  All right, bye, sweetie.

CAMERON:  Bye.

***

MRS. OBAMA:  Hi, this is First Lady Michelle Obama.  I hear that Kenzie, Renee, Tori and Rusty are calling to find out where Santa is.  Am I right?

MOTHER:  Yes.

MRS. OBAMA:  Are they ready?  I'm looking at the satellite tracker right now.  And right now it says that Santa is in one minute and twenty-eight seconds, he is going to be in Venice, Italy.  He is all the way in Europe right now.

MOTHER:  Wow.

MRS. OBAMA:  Yes, and he has got a sleigh full of toys.  You can zoom in in on this satellite and you can see -- just make out Santa and his reindeer, and he has got a whole sleigh full of toys.

MOTHER:  Oh, wow.

MRS. OBAMA:  Yes.  Have those guys been good over there?

MOTHER:  Yes, they've been pretty good.

MRS. OBAMA:  That's awesome.  Well, I wish you all a really merry Christmas.

MOTHER:  Thank you.

MRS. OBAMA:  And one thing they should know is that Santa won't get to their house until they're fast asleep.  That's when he knows it's time to go, so they should go to bed whenever mom tells them to tonight.  All right, you guys have a very, very merry Christmas.

MOTHER:  Thank you; you, too.

MRS. OBAMA:  All right, take care.

CHILD:  Thank you!

MRS. OBAMA:  Thanks, guys!  Merry Christmas!

CHILDREN:  Merry Christmas!

MRS. OBAMA:  Thanks, you guys!  Bye-bye!  You guys take care.

***

MRS. OBAMA:  Hi!  This is First Lady Michelle Obama.  I hear that Benjamin is on the line and he is trying to find out where Santa is.

BENJAMIN:  Yes.

MRS. OBAMA:  Is this Benjamin?

BENJAMIN:  Yes.

MRS. OBAMA:  How old are you, Benjamin?

BENJAMIN:  Five.

MRS. OBAMA:  You're five?

BENJAMIN:  Yes.

MRS. OBAMA:  Are you excited because it's Christmas Eve?

BENJAMIN:  Yes.

MRS. OBAMA:  Yes, so am I.  What did you say, Ben?  Okay, you want to find out where Santa is?  I'm looking at the satellite right now and he is all the way in Europe.  He is flying over Slovenia.  That's a country in Europe.  So he is far away right now, but Santa comes to your house as soon as you are fast asleep, okay, Benjamin?  That's when he knows -- he bops all over the world, and the minute you shut your eyes and go to sleep, that's when he comes to your house, okay?

BENJAMIN:  Thank you.

MRS. OBAMA:  You are so welcome.  And have a very merry Christmas.  It's going to be a great morning tomorrow, okay?

BENJAMIN:  Merry Christmas!

MRS. OBAMA:  Okay, thank you, sweetie.  Goodnight!

BENJAMIN:  Goodnight!  I can't believe it!

***

MRS. OBAMA:  Hello!  This is Michelle Obama.  I'm here at NORAD and I'm helping them track Santa for boys and girls who are calling.  I hear that Jack, Aubrey and Benjamin are trying to find out where Santa is right now.  Are they on the line?

AUBREY:  Hi, Michelle Obama!

MRS. OBAMA:  Hi!  How are you?

AUBREY:  Good.

MRS. OBAMA:  Who am I talking to right now?

AUBREY:  I'm Aubrey.  Where is Santa?

MRS. OBAMA:  Hi, Aubrey.  How old are you?

AUBREY:  Seven.

MRS. OBAMA:  Seven.  Are you excited that tonight is Christmas Eve?

AUBREY:  Yes.

MRS. OBAMA:  It is so exciting.  We're excited here.  My girls are very excited.  They can't wait for Santa.  Do you want to know where Santa is right now?

AUBREY:  Yes, ma'am.

MRS. OBAMA:  I'm looking at the satellite, and right now, he is flying over Hungary.  Can you believe that?  That's a country in Europe.

AUBREY:  Wow!

MRS. OBAMA:  Yes, he flies so fast.  He can travel anywhere in the world in the blink of an eye.  And you know when he comes to your house?

AUBREY:  No.

MRS. OBAMA:  When you're fast asleep.  That's when he knows to come, to bring the toys to your house.  So you've got to go to bed when your mom and your folks tell you to go to bed, okay?

AUBREY:  I don't need to go to bed.  (Laughter.)

MRS. OBAMA:  You don't think you need to go to bed?  (Laughter.)

AUBREY:  No, we don't!

MRS. OBAMA:  You're going to stay up, you think?

AUBREY:  No.

MRS. OBAMA:  Well, you might get tired.  And just when you get tired --

AUBREY:  But I'm not tired!

MRS. OBAMA:  Well, that may be later.  You may not be tired right now, but maybe later.  And it only takes a second.  You close your eyes for a second and Santa is there.  There have been times when I was little, I tried to stay up, too, but I just never could make it.  But maybe, maybe when you close your eyes for that second, when you get tired, that's when Santa is going to show up, okay?

AUBREY:  Ahhh!

MRS. OBAMA:  Okay.  (Laughter.)  Have you guys been good this year?

AUBREY:  Yes.

MRS. OBAMA:  I can tell.  You sound like you are very smart and good boys and girls over at your house.  Am I right?

AUBREY:  Yes.

MRS. OBAMA:  Good.  Well, you guys are going to have a very merry Christmas, okay?

AUBREY:  Merry Christmas.

MRS. OBAMA:  All right, you guys go to bed when your parents tell you to, okay?

AUBREY:  Yes, merry Christmas.

MRS. OBAMA:  Merry Christmas and a happy new year!

Father:  Happy new year!

MRS. OBAMA:  Okay, guys, bye-bye.

***

MRS. OBAMA:  Hi, this is Michelle Obama.  I'm helping out at NORAD to help kids who want to find out where Santa is.  I hear that we've got some kids over there who want to find out.  Are they on the line?

FATHER:  They are!

MRS. OBAMA:  Wow, who am I talking to?

PAIGE:  Paige.

MRS. OBAMA:  Hi, Paige!  This is Michelle Obama, how are you?

PAIGE:  I'm great.

MRS. OBAMA:  Is Westley there, too?  And Ila?

FATHER:  Elly.

MRS. OBAMA:  Terrific.  Do you guys want to know where Santa is right now?

FATHER:  Yes, we're just trying to find out when these kids need to go to bed.

MRS. OBAMA:  Yes, well, right now, I'm looking at the satellite and it shows -- I see a sleigh and I see reindeer.  But you know, Santa, right now, he is in Poland.

FATHER:  Poland?

MRS. OBAMA:  He is in Krakow, Poland right now.  But here is the thing that I have learned about Santa, is that he travels at the speed of light.  And he can be anywhere at a moment's notice.  And right now, he happens to be in Europe.  But you can let Paige and let all the kids know that the minute they go to bed, that's when Santa shows up.  So he is not going to get there until they go to sleep.

FATHER:  Okay, did you guys here that?

CHILDREN:  Mm-hmm.

FATHER:  Wow, tell the President hi from the Stevensons(ph).  (Laughter.)

MRS. OBAMA:  We will tell the President.  And I hope that all the kids over there go to bed as soon as their parents tell them to go to bed.

FATHER:  They will.

MRS. OBAMA:  Okay.  Well, I hope you guys have been good.

FATHER:  They've been fantastic.

MRS. OBAMA:  That's awesome.  Well, that means you're going to have a great Christmas, and you guys have a really safe and wonderful new year.

FATHER:  Thank you.  Merry Christmas!

MRS. OBAMA:  Merry Christmas.  You all enjoy tomorrow.

FATHER:  Thank you.  Bye now.

MRS. OBAMA:  Bye-bye.

***

MRS. OBAMA:  Hello, this is Michelle Obama.  I hear that I've got Cole and Jackson on the phone and they're looking for Santa.

MOTHER:  Yes!  Say hi.

COLE:  Hi, Mrs. Obama.

MRS. OBAMA:  Hi!  How are you guys doing?

COLE:  We're doing good.

MRS. OBAMA:  Yes, are you excited it's Christmas Eve?  It's the most exciting night of the whole year, isn't it?

COLE:  Yes.

MRS. OBAMA:  Yes, well, I am so excited.  That's why I like to help out NORAD and help kids find Santa.  Because when my kids were little, they wanted to know every second what was going on.  So I'm looking at the satellite right now, and it says that Santa and his sleigh, in six seconds, will be flying over Prague.  Do you know where Prague is?  It's in Europe.  It's in the Czech Republic.  But here is the thing about Santa:  Even though he is all the way in Europe, he can travel at the speed of light, which means he can be anywhere in a matter of seconds.  So he comes to your house as soon as you're fast asleep.  Did you know that?

COLE:  Wow.

MRS. OBAMA:  Yes, so you've got to go to bed when your mom and dad, they tell you to go to bed, okay?

COLE:  Okay.

MRS. OBAMA:  And that's when Santa will show up.  All right?  You got it?

COLE:  Yes.  How is the President?

MRS. OBAMA:  The President is good.  He is having a meeting right now with a Prime Minister somewhere.  But he is here in Hawaii.  We're here with our family, and everyone is excited for Christmas tomorrow.  So I will tell him that you asked how he is doing.  I know that he wishes you and your family a very merry Christmas.

COLE:  Merry Christmas!

MRS. OBAMA:  All right, you guys have a great day tomorrow.

FAMILY:  Merry Christmas!

MRS. OBAMA:  All right, merry Christmas.  Happy new year.

***

MRS. OBAMA:  Hi, Caroline?

CAROLINE:  Yes, hello.

MRS. OBAMA:  Hi, Caroline, this is Michelle Obama.  How are you?

CAROLINE:  I'm good, how are you?

MRS. OBAMA:  I'm doing great.  How old are you?

CAROLINE:  I'm seven.

MRS. OBAMA:  Are you seven?  Wow, you sound so mature!  Are you excited about Christmas tomorrow?

CAROLINE:  Yes, I'm so excited.  I can't wait to see what Santa brings.

MRS. OBAMA:  Oh, my goodness.  Well, I am helping out at NORAD and I like to do this every year because I get to help spot where Santa is.  Do you want to know where he is right now?

CAROLINE:  Yeah!

MRS. OBAMA:  He is, right now, flying over Poland -- Warsaw, Poland.  All the way in Europe.  Can you imagine that?

CAROLINE:  I can.  Wow, that's far away.  When will he come?

MRS. OBAMA:  He is going to be at your house as soon as you're fast asleep.  That's how he works.  He can be anywhere in the world at the speed of light.  But he doesn't come to your house until you're asleep.  So tonight is the night where you've got to settle your excitement and go to bed when your parents tell you to go to bed.  Okay?

CAROLINE:  Okay, will do.  Will you tell Mr. Obama I said merry Christmas?

MRS. OBAMA:  I sure will, sweetie.  And you tell your family that we wish you guys all a really merry Christmas and a happy new year, okay?

CAROLINE:  Sounds good.  Thank you!

MRS. OBAMA:  Okay, have fun tomorrow.

CAROLINE:  You, too.  Bye.

MRS. OBAMA:  Bye-bye.

***

MRS. OBAMA:  Hello, this is Michelle Obama.  Is Austin on the line?

AUSTIN:  Yes.

MRS. OBAMA:  Hi, Austin.  How are you?

AUSTIN:  Good, and you?

MRS. OBAMA:  I'm doing really good.  You know what, I'm excited that it's Christmas Eve, how about you?

AUSTIN:  Me too.

MRS. OBAMA:  Yes, I know that's why you're calling.  You want to find out where Santa is right now, don't you?

AUSTIN:  Yes.

MRS. OBAMA:  Well, I'm looking at the satellite because I'm helping NORAD out tonight.  And the satellite says that he right now is all the way in Poland.  Can you imagine that?

AUSTIN:  Yes.

MRS. OBAMA:  I can see him.  I can make out just a hint of a little bleep on the screen that looks like a sleigh, and reindeer pulling the sleigh.  And it looks like the sleigh is packed full of toys.  Can you imagine that?

AUSTIN:  Yes.

MRS. OBAMA:  That's pretty cool isn't it?

AUSTIN:  Yes.

MRS. OBAMA:  Well, you know when Santa is going to make it to your house?

AUSTIN:  No.

MRS. OBAMA:  As soon as you're fast asleep.  That's how it works.  Santa travels at the speed of light, and he can be anywhere around the world in a moment's notice.  And he doesn't get to your house until you're fast asleep.  So you've got to go to bed when your parents tell you to tonight, okay?

AUSTIN:  Yes.

MRS. OBAMA:  All right, are you getting sleepy yet?

AUSTIN:  No.  (Laughter.)

MRS. OBAMA:  Not yet?  Well, I know you're going to have a wonderful Christmas, okay?

AUSTIN:  Okay.

MRS. OBAMA:  It will be here before you know it.  I know it's so exciting and it's hard to settle down but eventually you'll get tired and that's when Santa will know, and he is going to pop in and drop off the toys because I hear you've been a pretty good boy this year, right?

AUSTIN:  Yes, ma'am.

MRS. OBAMA:  All right, well, you have a great Christmas, okay, and we wish your whole family a very merry Christmas and a happy new year.

AUSTIN:  Say hello to Mr. President for me.

MRS. OBAMA:  I sure will.  You take care, sweetie.  Merry Christmas.

AUSTIN:  You, too.

MRS. OBAMA:  All right, bye-bye.

AUSTIN:  Bye.

***

MRS. OBAMA:  Hello, this is Michelle Obama.  I'm helping out here at NORAD for kids who are looking to find out where Santa is.  I hear Jasmine is looking to find out where Santa is.

FATHER:  Yes, that's correct.

MRS. OBAMA:  Is Jasmine on the line?

FATHER:  Yes.  Say hello.

JASMINE:  Hello.

MRS. OBAMA:  Hi, Jasmine!  How are you?

JASMINE:  Good.

MRS. OBAMA:  Are you excited because it's Christmas Eve?

JASMINE:  Yes.

MRS. OBAMA:  Are you ready for Santa to come?

JASMINE:  Yes.

MRS. OBAMA:  Have you been good this year?

JASMINE:  Yes.

MRS. OBAMA:  That's terrific.  Well, let me tell you, I'm looking at the satellite right now and it is showing that Santa and his sleigh right now are in Berlin, Germany.  All the way in Europe, can you imagine that?  I can see him bleeping on the screen, he has got his little Santa hat on, and he looks like he is sitting in -- well, it looks like a sleigh really full of toys.  And you know when he gets to your house?  When you're fast asleep.  Okay?

JASMINE:  Okay.

MRS. OBAMA:  Santa can get anywhere in the world in the blink of an eye, but he doesn't come to your house until you're fast asleep, okay, sweetie?

JASMINE:  Okay.

MRS. OBAMA:  All right, so you've got to go to bed when your parents tell you to tonight, okay?

JASMINE:  Okay.

MRS. OBAMA:  And try hard to close your eyes and just relax, and go to sleep.  And that's when Santa will come, okay?

JASMINE:  Okay.

MRS. OBAMA:  All right.  Well, you have a great Christmas tomorrow, okay?

JASMINE:  Okay.

MRS. OBAMA:  And a happy new year.  Okay, babe?  Thanks for calling.

JASMINE:  Bye-bye.

MRS. OBAMA:  All right, bye-bye.

***

MRS. OBAMA:  Hi, this is Michelle Obama.  I'm helping out here at NORAD for kids who are looking for Santa.  I hear Cassidy is on the line.

CASSIDY:  Yes.

MRS. OBAMA:  Hi, Cassidy!  How are you?

CASSIDY:  Good.

MRS. OBAMA:  How old are you?

CASSIDY:  I'm 10.

MRS. OBAMA:  You're 10?  Are you excited about Christmas tomorrow?

CASSIDY:  Yes.

MRS. OBAMA:  Can you barely stand it?

CASSIDY:  No, I can't stand it.

MRS. OBAMA:  It's so exciting, isn't it?

CASSIDY:  Yes.

MRS. OBAMA:  Well, that's one of the reasons why I like to help out here, tracking Santa, because I get excited just like you.  And I want to know where Santa is whenever I can, so I'm looking at this satellite, and you know where he is right now?

CASSIDY:  No.

MRS. OBAMA:  He is flying over Berlin in Germany, all the way in Europe.  That's all the way across the ocean.  Right now, that's where he is.  And there's a little blip on the screen that shows me where he is.

CASSIDY:  That's so cool.

MRS. OBAMA:  Yes, and do you know when he is going to make it to your house?

CASSIDY:  No.

MRS. OBAMA:  When you're fast asleep.  That's how Santa works.  Did you know that?

CASSIDY:  Yes.

MRS. OBAMA:  Yes, right now, he can travel so fast that he can be anywhere in the world at a moment's notice.  So even though he is in Germany, right now, when you shut your eyes and you're really sound asleep, that's when he knows it's time to come to your house.  So that's what you've got to do tonight.  You've got to settle down and go to bed when your parents tell you to go to bed.  And shut your eyes, and dream of really good things, okay?

CASSIDY:  Okay.

MRS. OBAMA:  All right, you're going to have a great Christmas tomorrow, okay?

CASSIDY:  Okay, you, too.

MRS. OBAMA:  All right, and wish your whole family a merry Christmas from me, okay?

CASSIDY:  All right.

MRS. OBAMA:  All right, thanks for calling, sweetie.  Have fun tomorrow.

CASSIDY:  You, too.  Bye.

MRS. OBAMA:  Bye-bye.

END
12:05 P.M. HAST

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
December 20, 2014

Weekly Address: America’s Resurgence Is Real

WASHINGTON, DC — In this week’s address, the President reflected on the significant progress made by this country in 2014, and in the nearly six years since he took office. This past year has been the strongest for job growth since the 1990s, contributing to the nearly 11 million jobs added by our businesses over a 57-month streak.  America is leading the rest of the world, in containing the spread of Ebola, degrading and ultimately destroying ISIL, and addressing the threat posed by climate change.  And earlier this week, the President announced the most significant changes to our policy towards Cuba in over 50 years. America’s resurgence is real, and the President expressed his commitment to working with Congress in the coming year to make sure Americans feel the benefits.

The audio of the address and video of the address will be available online at www.whitehouse.gov at 6:00 a.m. ET, December 20, 2014.

Remarks of President Barack Obama
Weekly Address
The White House
December 20, 2014

Hi, everybody.  As 2014 comes to an end, we can enter the New Year with new confidence that America is making significant strides where it counts.

The steps we took nearly six years ago to rescue our economy and rebuild it on a new foundation helped make 2014 the strongest year for job growth since the 1990s.  Over the past 57 months, our businesses have created nearly 11 million new jobs.  And in a hopeful sign for middle-class families, wages are on the rise again.

Our investments in American manufacturing have helped fuel its best stretch of job growth since the ‘90s.  America is now the number one producer of oil and gas, saving drivers about 70 cents a gallon at the pump over last Christmas.  The auto industry we rescued is on track for its strongest year since 2005.  Thanks to the Affordable Care Act, about 10 million Americans have gained health insurance in the past year alone.  And since I took office, we have cut our deficits by about two-thirds.

Meanwhile, around the world, America is leading.  We’re leading the coalition to degrade and ultimately destroy ISIL.  We’re leading the global fight to combat the Ebola outbreak in West Africa.  We’re leading global efforts to address climate change, including last month’s joint announcement with China.  We’re turning a new page in our relationship with the Cuban people. 

And in less than two weeks, after more than 13 years, our combat mission in Afghanistan will be over, and our war there will come to a responsible end.  Today, more of our troops are home for the holidays than at any time in over a decade.  Still, many of our men and women in uniform will spend this Christmas in harm’s way.  And as Commander-in-Chief, I want our troops to know:  your country is united in our support and gratitude for you and your families.

The six years since the financial crisis have demanded hard work and sacrifice on everyone’s part.  But as a country, we have every right to be proud of what we’ve got to show for it.  More jobs.  More insured.  A growing economy.  Shrinking deficits.  Bustling industry.  Booming energy.

Pick any metric you want – America’s resurgence is real.  And we now have the chance to reverse the decades-long erosion of middle-class jobs and incomes.  We just have to invest in the things that we know will secure even faster growth in higher-paying jobs for more Americans.  We have to make sure our economy, our justice system, and our government work not only for a few, but for all of us.  And I look forward to working together with the new Congress next year on these priorities. 

Sure, we’ll disagree on some things.  We’ll have to compromise on others.  I’ll act on my own when it’s necessary.  But I will never stop trying to make life better for people like you. 

Because thanks to your efforts, a new foundation is laid.  A new future is ready to be written.  We have set the stage for a new American moment, and I’m going to spend every minute of my last two years making sure we seize it. 

On behalf of the Obama family, I wish all of you a very Merry Christmas.

Thanks, and have a wonderful holiday season.